“Veganism is not a “sacrifice.” It is a joy.”
Switching to a vegan lifestyle can feel overwhelming, especially when it comes to cooking meals that are both satisfying and delicious without animal products. Whether you’re a seasoned plant-based pro or just starting out experimenting with veganism, having the right cookbook as your companion in the kitchen can make all the difference. The good news is that we’ve made great strides in recent times, and there are a number of great vegan cookbooks that now cater to every taste, size and skill level. Whatever your reason for embracing plant-based eating, from comfort food classics to nutrient-packed meals, there’s something for everyone. Join us today at What We Reading for our favourite vegan cookbooks that more than deliver the goods when it comes to creative, flavourful and easy-to-follow recipes!
The Plant-Based Diet For Beginners: 75 Delicious, Healthy Whole-Food Recipes – Gabriel Miller
First up on our list of the best vegan cookbooks is Gabriel Miller’s The Plant-Based Diet for Beginners. This beginner-friendly cookbook is packed with expert guidance and 75 unique and nutritious recipes that not only teach readers about plant-based eating but also how to make it enjoyable.
Miller offers a guide to easing into the transition to a healthier lifestyle with advice for stocking your kitchen, making smart decisions when shopping, sticking to plant-based options when dining out and much more. Each recipe in The Plant-Based Diet for Beginners avoids salt, oil and sugar in favour of minimally processed ingredients found at the local grocery store. Highlights here include Southwest Sweet Potato Skillet, Mango-Ginger Chickpea Curry and Oat Crunch Apple Crisp.
Veganomicon: The Ultimate Vegan Cookbook – Isa Chandra Moskowitz And Terry Hope Romero
Undoubtedly one of the most famous vegan cookbooks in the world, Isa Chandra Moskowitz and Terry Hope Romero’s Veganomicon contains more than 250 recipes from soups to desserts that any budding plant-based chef can sink their teeth into.
Featuring recipes from across the globe, stunning colour photographs and the most essential tips for making a kitchen a vegan paradise, all the meals served up in Veganomicon have been kitchen-tested to ensure user-friendliness and amazing results. This vegan cookbook also comes with meals for all occasions as well as low-fat, soy-free and gluten-free options.
30-Minute Whole-Food, Plant-Based Cookbook: Easy Recipes With No Salt, Oil Or Refined Sugar – Kathy A. Davis
Whether you’re brand new to plant-based eating, a vegan or vegetarian looking to eat more whole foods or someone who has been sticking to Whole-Food Plant-Based (WFPB) for some time, Kathy Davis’ 30-Minute Whole-Food, Plant-Based Cookbook is one of the best vegan cookbooks for dishing out guidance and recipes free from salt, oil and refined sugar that are all easily made within half an hour or less.
Davis’ cookbook comes complete with handy tips for saving time on food prep from meal planning to batch cooking, how to make a WFPB diet easy and sustainable with guidance on how to stock the kitchen and what foods to pick and avoid, as well as sample meal plans with a week’s worth of pre-planned meals to kickstart your journey.
BOSH!: The Cookbook: Simple Recipes. Amazing Food. All Plants. – Henry Firth And Ian Theasby
With over 140 incredibly easy and outrageously tasty all-plant meals, BOSH is the perfect vegan cookbook for any chefs looking to be bold with their cooking. Henry Firth and Ian Theasby are the creators of the biggest and fastest-growing plant-based platform, and their combination of super simple recipes and ultra-tasty meals are on full show in this guide.
From go-to breakfasts, crowd-pleasing party pieces, satisfying dinners, delectable desserts and even incredible sharing cocktails, BOSH is intended to be the plant-based bible any home chef needs, regardless of whether they’re already hooked on plant-based, or just looking to give it more of a try. Highlights here include the Big Bhaji Burger, Burrito Samosas, Spanish Beach Churros and Gooey PBJ Brownies.
Afro-Vegan: Farm-Fresh African, Caribbean And Southern Flavors Remixed – Bryant Terry
Renowned chef and food justice activist Bryant Terry reworks and remixes the favourite staples, ingredients and classic dishes of the African Diaspora, delivering over 100 unique and creative culinary combinations that are sure to impress vegans, vegetarians and omnivores alike.
Named one of the best vegetarian cookbooks of all time by Bon Appetit, Terry blends African, Caribbean and southern cuisines in delicious recipes ranging from Cinnamon-Soaked Wheat Berry Salad and Creamy Coconut-Cashew Soup with Okra to Caribbean-inspired Cocoa Spice Cake. Each of the recipes in Afro-Vegan draws on Bryant’s own personal memories as well as the history of food that has ventured out from the African continent, making it one of the best vegan cookbooks for those chefs looking for a slice of food history as well as a healthier diet.
Hot For Food Vegan Comfort Classics: 101 Recipes To Feed Your Face – Lauren Toyota
Nominated for Best Food & Cookbooks in the Goodreads Choice Awards, Vegan Comfort Classics is a bold collection of over 100 recipes that blend the worlds of comfort food and plant-based eating together. YouTube sensation Lauren Toyota shares her favourite recipes and creative ways of making meals ranging from Philly Cheesesteak, fried chicken and mac ‘n cheese, all with simple vegan ingredients.
This vegan cookbook is one for the indulgences, with Lauren piling her plates high with cheese, ranch and barbecue sauces, as well as plenty of bacon, sharing personal stories and tips in her engaging and hilarious voice. Whether it’s sharing with friends, weeknight dinners or weekend brunches, everything from Taylor’s Southern Fried Cauliflower, Vegan Ramen or Raspberry Funfetti Pop Tarts makes this one of the best vegan cookbooks.
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Frugal Vegan: Affordable, Easy & Delicious Vegan Cooking – Katie Koteen And Kate Kasbee
In Frugal Vegan, Katie Koteen and Kate Kasbee share with readers how to live a healthy vegan lifestyle without breaking the bank with 99 affordable and delicious plant-based recipes. Their book teaches readers how to avoid pricey perishables and select ingredients, but also how to enjoy scrumptious, exciting and nutritious meals.
Whether it’s perky breakfasts, filling snacks or hearty dinners, Koteen and Kasbee’s highlights include Pineapple Scones, a Backyard BBQ Bowl, Beer Battered Avocado and Chocolate Coconut Cream Puffs. With practical tips and approachable recipes, Frugal Vegan is one of the best vegan cookbooks that help plant-based chefs create stunning meals that promise to save money in the wallet and time in the kitchen.
The Vegan Instant Pot Cookbook: Wholesome, Indulgent Plant-Based Recipes – Nisha Vora
Nisha Vora shares nourishing recipes with her followers daily on her popular cooking blog, Rainbow Plant Life. In her debut cookbook, The Vegan Instant Pot Cookbook, she makes healthy and delicious home cooking a breeze with more than 90 nutritious and colourful recipes that are all easily made with an Instant Pot pressure cooker.
From Breakfast Enchilada Casserole and Miso Mushroom Risotto to Red Wine-Poached Pears, The Vegan Instant Pot Cookbook is sure to become a staple in any plant-based kitchen looking to take advantage of the magic a pot pressure cooker is capable of dealing.
Vegan For Everybody: Foolproof Plant-Based Recipes For Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner And In-Between – America’s Test Kitchen
America’s Test Kitchen demystifies the world of vegan cooking so that you can reap all the benefits of plant-based eating in Vegan for Everybody. Through rigorous research and testing on the science behind vegan cooking, this cookbook is packed full of great-tasting and nourishing protein alternatives, such as cooking without dairy, preparing different grains and vegetables, and even baking.
Vegan for Everybody promises to redefine how comfort food is seen by putting vegetables firmly at the centre of the plate again, whether that be through a surprisingly rich and creamy lasagna, a hearty burger or a perfectly chewy chocolate chip cookie. Featuring over 200 extensively-tested recipes, this is one of the most extensive vegan cookbooks that has something for everyone.
Part-time reader, part-time rambler, and full-time Horror enthusiast, James has been writing for What We Reading since 2022. His earliest reading memories involved Historical Fiction, Fantasy and Horror tales, which he has continued to take with him to this day. James’ favourite books include The Last (Hanna Jameson), The Troop (Nick Cutter) and Chasing The Boogeyman (Richard Chizmar).
