The 13 Vegan Cookbooks I Use Most
Tried-and-true recommendations from an inexpert enthusiast
I’ve been vegan for seven years now. It’s one of the few big decisions in my life I never sit around imagining the maybe the grass-would be-greener-if-I-chose-the-other-pill-angle for. That itself has honestly been worth the price of admission — having something I’ve felt consistently sure about and gotten to live in line with, every day, for seven years. Plus, as a surprising result of trying to reduce environmental and animal suffering, I actually enjoy cooking now.
Listed below are some of the vegan cookbooks I’ve most returned to over the years, the ones that not only remain on my shelf but are also the most frequented among them. I’m not saying they are the best in existence — there are so many vegan cookbooks, I’ve barely skimmed the surface— but these are the ones I’ve tried that have survived several moves, years, relationships, and moods.
I hope you find inspiration in one or more of them. Reach out to me if I can help you eat more plants. I’m here for you. The animals, environment, workers’ rights, and your health are all great motivations to make a change— but luckily, eating vegan need not be a sacrifice.
Below, I’ve linked to the recipes I most often return to (where they’ve been made available online by the authors). Otherwise, check out their blogs for other recipes, and consider supporting the chefs by buying their books.
The Vegan 8
This is a fantastic beginner cookbook by the creator of The Vegan 8 blog, Brandi Doming. I used it a lot when I was teaching myself to cook after a particularly bad breakup (he was the chef). Each recipe has eight ingredients or less and is easy to put together. It’s oil-free, but plenty of nut butter and coconut milk make up for that. The sweet potato cornbread recipe, which you can’t find online, is one of my absolute favorites (and I’ve tried probably eight other vegan cornbread recipes; very into cornbread).
Most-returned-to recipes: Sweet Potato Cornbread, Baked Pumpkin-Spice Chocolate-Chip Donuts, Oil-Free Peanut-Veggie Stir-Fry
Vegan Richa’s Everyday Kitchen
This cookbook by popular food blogger Richa Hingle is great in that it encompasses so many different cuisines: Indian, Chinese, American, Italian, and more. There are plenty of beautiful pictures for most recipes, which I always prefer in a cookbook. The vegetable lasagna in here also isn’t online — and it is stellar. My partner makes it with his own marinara sauce, but you could take a lot of time off the recipe by using a store-bought sauce, and I’m sure it would still be very good!
Most-returned-to recipes: Vegetable Lasagna, Black Pepper Cheesy Mac and Broccoli
Practically Vegan
Practically Vegan is one of the newest additions to my cookbook collection, but it’s already become a favorite. The easy fried rice recipe has become a regular go-to. These are easy-to-make meals that simply shine, and are healthy, but not rigidly so. Good for beginner vegan cooks as well.
Most-returned-to recipes: Tofu Veggie Fried Rice, Tofu Bolognese, Sweet Potato Baked Beans, Coconut Kidney Beans
Chocolate Covered Katie
Because I love to bake healthy-ish vegan desserts I can eat at frequent intervals without feeling sick, this is the cookbook I’ve used most. Unfortunately, it does have some diet language sprinkled in that I could do without. I have to include it here though because it is my most-used cookbook. These recipes are easy to modify and play around with. Unless you’re diabetic, I suggest using coconut sugar or regular sugar rather than the optional alternative sweeteners she lists. Kate Higgins’ website under the same name is filled with tons of other great recipes too.
Most-returned-to recipes: Chocolate-Covered Thin Mintz, Double Chocolate Peppermint Brownies, Chocoholic Glazed Donuts, Cherry Peach Crumble Tart
Sweet Potato Soul
This is the newest addition to my shelf, and it is one of the best. The soul food recipes are delicious, simple, and unique. I love bread, breakfast, and dessert recipes that incorporate sweet potatoes, cornmeal, and peaches — and there are plenty of those to go around. The jackfruit jambalaya and collard greens are also so delicious. These recipes are healthier than a lot of soul food — but not overly so. Plenty of richness, tradition, and flavor to go around.
Most-returned-to recipes: Sweet Potato Biscuits, Collard Greens, Jackfruit Jambalaya
The Essential Vegan Air Fryer Cookbook
My partner and I were very into this cookbook for a while. Many people go through a serious air fryer infatuation when they first discover its laid-back charms. This was a fun and easy cookbook for that honeymoon phase. Each recipe by Tess Challis incorporates the air fryer (though not every recipe is entirely made in it). This is a good teaching cookbook — we don’t use it as much anymore, but it helped us learn certain fundamentals we use constantly, like how to make fantastic air fryer tofu. Excellent for us lazier cooks.
Most-returned-to recipes: Asian Buffet Bowl with Crisp Tofu, Oatmeal Rasin Cookies
The Korean Vegan Cookbook
This new cookbook by Joanne Lee Molinaro has been a hit, and it’s no wonder. The photographs are stunning, and the recipes are both aspirational and delicious. One of the more “complex” cookbooks on this list, this cookbook is well worth the extra effort. We’ve also found that if you’re missing a spice or two but are really wanting to try it, you can adjust and it will still be delicious — so these recipes are actually somewhat flexible. The Japchae took one of my favorite dishes to the next level by teaching us a more time-intensive but significant trick.
Most-returned-to recipes: Japchae (Korean Glass Noodles), Paht Bbang (Red Bean Paste Bread)
Heavenly Vegan Dals & Curries
This gorgeous cookbook by Rakhee Yadav is filled with creative curry fusions. It is slightly aspirational, requiring lots of ingredients. That said, again, we’ve found the recipes to be good jumping-off points for more creative flavor combinations. The ones we return to most aren’t the most unusual, but they are delicious and nutritious and can serve as good templates. As always, you can adjust the salt and spices to your taste.
Most-returned-to recipes: Masoor Peanut Sauce Dal, Kale Spinach Moong Dal
The Homemade Vegan Pantry
This is a great staple book by Miyoko Schinner, queen of vegan cheeses. She teaches you how to make cheeses, mock meats, butter, every condiment, and much more. The cornmeal crust has become our favorite gluten-free pizza crust, and the baguette is simple and very tasty, as are all the bread recipes.
Most-returned-to recipes: Quick Cornmeal Pizza Crust, Basic French Baguette
Rawsome Superfoods
This is a beautiful cookbook with lots of dishes you’ll want to try out. Its author Emily von Euw has a combined fondness for weird superfoods, snacking, and chocolate that I appreciate. These are relatively simple recipes that can often be adjusted easily. If you want to try your hand at raw foods, this is a fun one.
Most-returned-to recipes: One-Pan Spiced Rice Noodle Saute With Tahini Sauce, Avo-Cacao Pudding, Chocolate Protein Bites
Gluten-Free & Vegan Bread
I went through a real relationship with this cookbook at the height of the pandemic. As someone who doesn’t process wheat super reliably, I’m always trying to find a gluten-free bread recipe that hits the spot. I found this cookbook by Jennifer Katzinger to be as close as I’ve managed to get — though admittedly there were several misses (probably more my inexperience than the recipes). The Indian Roti is very reliable, however, and making your own Injera turns out to be easy! This is a fun cookbook for us bakers who like to experiment.
Most-returned-to recipes: Indian Roti, Injera, Quinoa Sandwich Bread
Impossible: The Cookbook
I dare you to tell the difference between Impossible and ground cow. Honestly, I cannot. As someone who’s been vegan a while now, it’s actually sometimes a little too spooky. If you love or loved beef, this is your cookbook. It features delicious and diverse recipes, each from a different famous chef around the world. This is a carnivore-friendly cookbook that encourages reduction — a great gateway cookbook or gift for a veg-skeptical friend. It also is beautiful, photo-wise.
Most-returned-to recipes: Asian Lettuce Wraps, Vietnamese Meatballs With Nuog Cham, Lomo Saltado
The No-Meat Athlete Cookbook
This cookbook is good for athletes who want to be sure to get enough calories and protein without eating overly processed food. Written by popular vegan fitness influencer/blogger Matt Fraizer and Stephanie Romine, it also has a lot of good information about vegan nutrition, making this a great purchase if you want to learn the basics of keeping a vegan kitchen and balanced diet (ChooseVeg also offers some great help with that for free). Most recipes are simple and tasty and come with a photograph to motivate you.
Most-returned-to recipes: Savory Oatmeal, Black Sesame-Ginger Quick Bread
Bonus Blogs
Obviously, there are lots more cookbooks I could have included here, and so many I am yet to try. Blog-wise, I also highly recommend The Minimalist Baker (she has a cookbook as well that I’m sure is fantastic, but I don’t have it yet and tend to return to her digital recipes. I also love Veggiekins for cute baking ideas).
What are your favorite vegan cookbooks, blogs, and recipes? Please let me know in the comments if you’re so moved.
