These are my favorite traditional Day of the Dead food and recipes to honor my loved ones. Remember Día de Los Muertos is celebrated on the 1st and 2nd of November. Let’s cook pan de muerto, tamales, champurrado and more to celebrate our loved ones.
Day of The Dead: A Celebration of Life
Día de Los Muertos is not the same as Halloween. These two holidays are very different.
Halloween is about costumes, parties, scary and spooky vibes, while Day of The Dead is quite the opposite.
This sacred Mexican holiday, with Pre-Hispanic origins, is celebrated on November 1st and 2nd, and it blends Indigenous rituals with Catholic influences.
It’s a time for honoring our loved ones that have passed. It’s a celebration of their lives filled with foods, flowers, candy, rituals and traditions that connect our families across centuries.
Families build altars (or ofrendas) adorned with photographs, personal mementos, marigolds, candles, and the favorite foods of the departed. The belief is that all of these elements help guide their spirits to return to this Earthly realm, if only for a day.
Día de Muertos is one of Mexico’s most beautiful traditions, and you don’t have to be Mexican to honor and remember your loved ones on this most special day.
Everyone can join the celebrations, build an altar or ofrenda, and prepare these traditional Day of The Dead foods to honor and help guide their loved ones spirits back to them.
Food plays a very important part of Day of The Dead celebrations. The tradition is to cook your loved one’s favorite dishes and placed them on the altars as part of the ofrendas.
Ofrendas means offerings and they are what is offered to the spirits to help guide them back to us for one day. They are also cooked and shared with family and friends during the days leading up to the celebration.
I’ve complied this list of my favorite traditional Día de Muertos recipes for you to try. They are recipes that I’ve made countless times to celebrate my loved ones. I think you’ll truly enjoy these foods too.
Vegan Pan de Muerto Recipe
Vegan Day of The Dead Recipes
Traditionally, much of the food for Dia de Muertos isn’t vegan, it’s a lot meant-based dishes but there are plenty of vegetarian options too. Don’t worry because you know that my mission is to make plant-based recipes for all these traditional foods.
You’re going to love these authentic but plant-based Day of The Dead recipes. They are all meatless and perfect for vegans, vegetarians, and even meat-eaters.
Remember to leave me a comment or tag me on social media when you cook my recipes. I love to hear from you all and know that you enjoy the recipes, photos and videos I share with you, ones I put so much love and effort into.
Elements for Day of the Dead Altar
Gracias
I’m so happy you stopped by. If you have any questions or want to let me know how you liked these recipes, do leave a comment. Muchas gracias, I appreciate you!
Celebrate Dia de Los Muertos with these traditional main dishes.
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Mole Ranchero
Mole is one of the most traditional may dishes served for Dia de Muertos. Mole ranchero is a delicious homemade mole sauce that is much easier to make and takes a lot less time to prepare than other types of mole. It's a little spicy, flavorful, creamy, and it pairs perfectly over vegetables and your favorite vegan proteins.
Pozole is a favorite dish for celebrating special occasions in Mexico. This plant based pozole rojo has all the flavor of the traditional meat version. Serve with your favorite garnishes and tostadas on the side.
Vegan pozole verde is a hearty Mexican hominy stew made with a tomatillo based green salsa and toasted pepitas or pumpkin seeds. It’s easy to make and you can use either jackfruit or oyster mushrooms.
Chiles rellenos are a dish perfect for celebrating. This recipe is made dairy-free and without the egg batter. Serve with a flavorful tomato salsa, Mexican arroz and beans on the side.
Enmoladas are enchiladas made with mole sauce. They are a super satisfying and flavor packed meal. The filling options are endless and they make a perfect weeknight meal for the whole family. Traditionally filled with chicken, this plant-based enmoladas recipe is a delectable and healthier option.
Tamales are an important and popular food for celebrating Día de Muertos. Mostly people make their family favorites, but in the Yucatan Peninsula a special tamal is made.
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Yucatecan Vegan Tamales for Day of The Dead (Pibipollo Vegano)
Pibipollo or mucbipollo is a traditional dish served in the Yucatan to celebrate Day of the Dead, or Hanal Pixan as it is called in the native Mayan language. This huge tamal is unlike any other and an absolute must try. This is my vegan take on a delectable ancient dish and it's guaranteed to please everyone!
These vegan red chile tamales recipe tastes just like the traditional Mexican tamales rojos. It's delicious and a very easy to follow vegan tamales recipe.
These are vegan tamales and I swear they’re so close to the chicken tamales verdes version. Except these are made with vegan tamales masa, homemade salsa verde and filled with jackfruit and mushrooms.
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Banana Leaf Tamales Recipe with Cochinita Pibil Filling
You’re going to love my banana leaf tamales recipe filled with tender cochinita pibil and topped with zesty pickled red onions and habanero salsa, all with a plant based twist.
These plant based bean and cheese tamales are made with red masa, steamed to tender perfection then drizzled with your favorite homemade salsa. These tamales are made with humble ingredients but are bursting with royal flavors!
Cheese and jalapeno tamales or tamales de rajas con queso are one the most popular tamal recipes from Mexico. Learn how to make them with this easy to follow simple recipe. Can be made vegetarian or vegan!
These Mexican sweet tamales are so easy to make! They're were inspired by the traditional pineapple tamales and the popular piña colada cocktail. This recipe uses coconut oil for a delicious touch. Plus they happen to be vegan!
This delicious strawberry tamales recipe is made with fresh strawberries, they have a light pink dough and are filled with strawberry jam. They’re perfect with a cup of Mexican hot chocolate or atole.
Sweet treats like candied pumpkin and Day of The Dead bread are a must not only for the ofrendas, but to enjoy weeks leading up to the holiday.
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Dairy-Free, Egg-Free Pan de Muerto
This sweet bread is lightly flavored with orange blossom water and baked in round loaves with bone-shaped decorations on top. The bread is meant to represent the cycle of life and death, and the dough “bones” are those of our loved ones. In Michoacán, it’s dusted with pink sugar. In Puebla, it may be plain or sesame-coated.
This crumbly, decadent, Mexican shortbread cookies are inspired by pan de muerto or Day of the Dead bread. These cookies have the same orange zest and orange blossom water flavors and are shaped the same way too. Don't miss out on these vegan Dia de Los Muertos cookies!
Calabaza En Tacha or Mexican Candied Pumpkin Recipe
A Mexican pumpkin dessert simmered in a piloncillo and spices syrup then drizzled with evaporated milk. This is a traditional Day of the Dead altar ofrenda recipe.
A cookie that tastes of cinnamon, molasses and star anise. The cookie dough is vegan but it calls for an eggwash, you can omit it to keep the cookie vegan instead of vegetarian.
Mexican Sweet Potatoes with Milk or Camote Enmielado
These are camotes enmielados or Mexican candied sweet potatoes. My recipe is a bit different than the traditional one but I promise this is going to become one of your favorite desserts. Drizzle with spiced syrup and soy milk for an amazing Mexican vegan dessert.
This delectable pan dulce recipe is a combination of pan de muerto with a crumbly concha topping. It's a must try sweet treat that's perfect to accompany your coffee.
From warm atoles and hot chocolate, to festive seasonal adult drinks. These are great options for your Day of The Dead menus.
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Champurrado Recipe
Champurrado is a warm chocolate drink that’s kind of like hot chocolate. But this drink is thickened up with masa. In my recipe I’m using maseca for those that can’t get fresh masa.
Learn how to make traditional and authentic Mexican hot chocolate using chocolate tablets or disks. This recipe is vegan, perfect for a chocolate lover and there’s also a spiked option!
Nancy Lopez is a Mexican-born food writer and author of Mexican Tamales Made Meatless. Raised in the U.S. and now living in Southern Mexico, she creates authentic vegan and vegetarian Mexican recipes rooted in tradition and tested for real home kitchens.Read more…
