Cooking a celebratory Mother's Day lunch can be tricky if the most important guest has a dairy intolerance. Not to worry, though – we've made it easy to plan her big day with our best dairy-free recipes for Mothering Sunday.

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Start with a light and zingy stack of coconut milk pancakes. Later, plan a special afternoon tea with our beautifully decorated dairy-free carrot cake, before kicking the evening off with gin and elderflower cocktails. Lightly spiced roast beef with red wine gravy, hasselback potatoes and green beans is our main menu suggestion, finished with vegan Eton mess (both egg- and dairy-free).

For more ideas, check out our dairy-free breakfast recipes, dairy-free baking recipes and vegan roast recipes.

Dairy-free brunch

Coconut & banana pancakes

These vegan coconut milk pancakes with passion fruit and banana topping couldn't be simpler. Plus they look pretty posh on the plate – ideal for impressing mum. Just be careful as you flip, because these pancakes are a little more delicate than the classic version made with eggs.

A stack of pancakes topped with passion fruit and banana slices on a blue plate

For afternoon tea

Vegan carrot cake

Make sure you save room for a slice of homemade carrot cake. The indulgent cashew and coconut icing is so good, everyone will be asking for the recipe. Plus the edible flowers are a thoughtful touch on such a special day.

Vegan carrot cake with icing and edible flowers on a cake stand

Cocktail time

English garden cocktail

If your VIP likes a tipple, serve an English garden cocktail. It's a refreshing mix of gin, elderflower cordial and apple juice, plus fresh mint, lemon and strips of cucumber. Not a gin fan? We've got plenty more spring cocktails to choose from.

Three glasses of English garden cocktail with mint and cucumber

Dairy-free Sunday roast

Spiced roast beef with red wine gravy

Marinade your beef fillet with peppercorn, fennel and mustard seeds, then roast until rare for a lightly spiced and satisfying dairy-free main. The gravy is gluten free, too.

Rare sliced roast beef with a mustard crust on a board

Hasselback potatoes

Try something different for your dairy-free side dish with these garlic and rosemary hasselback potatoes. Using same-sized potatoes will help them cook through evenly, resulting in delightfully crispy edges. Just what mum deserves!

Hasselback potatoes in a baking dish with herbs and garlic

Garlicky green beans

Simply sautéed fresh beans with lightly fried garlic and a touch of olive oil makes for a healthy, versatile side. When you're serving a rich main, like beef with potatoes, this is all you need. If you'd like to serve another dairy-free side, check out our vegan red cabbage recipes.

Green beans in a white serving dish with sliced garlic on top and red cabbage on the side

Something sweet

Vegan Eton mess

End your Mother's Day meal with a sweet, berry-filled Eton mess. This vegan version swaps the egg whites in the meringues for an ingenious alternative – aquafaba, the drained water from a can of chickpeas. You need to try it to believe it.

A single portion of Eton mess in a glass with a spoon on the side

Looking for more Mother's Day ideas?

Vegan Mother's Day recipes
Gluten-free Mother's Day menu
Mother's Day breakfast recipes
Mother's Day gift recipes
Mother's Day cocktail recipes

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Have you got an all-time favourite Mother's Day recipe? Let us know in the comments.

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