Best Vegan Cookbooks

The best vegan cookbooks to inspire plant-powered meals!

Person preparing vegetables for vegan cooking in the kitchen
Image Credit: Unsplash

Whether you’re looking to cook plant-based on a budget, veganize your favorite childhood dish or simply eat a more nutritious diet, there’s a vegan cookbook for you. From hearty, family-friendly meals to dishes you can throw together in a hurry, our guide to the best vegan cookbooks covers every taste preference and occasion.

1. #EATMEATLESS: Good for Animals, the Earth & All by Dr. Jane Goodall

Although she’s best known for her work with chimpanzees, Dr. Jane Goodall is a long-term veggie and started a campaign called #EatMeatLess. Her cookbook is ideal for those looking to reduce their consumption of animals as well as people already following a meat-free diet. You’ll find 80 delicious plant-based recipes that give you the tools you need to change your diet for the better.

Eat Meat Less
Image Credit: Jane Goodall Institute

2. AfroVegan by Zoe Alakija

Taking inspiration from her British-Nigerian heritage, Zoe Alakija has created this wonderful book of vibrant and exciting vegan recipes. These dishes promise to delight long-time vegans and the veggie-curious alike. It includes tons of thoughtfully put-together recipes that have been tried, tested, and promise to have even the most die-hard meat eaters onboard. The book is full of colorful photos featuring mouth-watering mains, decadent desserts, and everything in between.

AfroVegan bookcover
Image Credit: Hoxton Mini Press

3. PLANT-BASED ON A BUDGET BY TONI OKAMOTO

Toni Okamoto is on a mission to prove that a healthy plant-based diet is not just for the wealthy. This is one of the best vegan cookbooks in terms of accessibility, making it ideal for new vegans. These delicious plant-based meals can be prepared in 30 minutes or less with simple, easy-to-find ingredients. From breakfast hashes to tamales to pasta dishes, salads, and sweet treats, this book covers it all.

Image Credit: Toni Okamoto

4. easy low-cal vegan eats by jillian glenn

Contrary to what some may think, a healthy vegan diet does not require you to deprive yourself! This cookbook proves that by offering better-for-you comfort food recipes that the whole family can enjoy. Jillian Glenn is certified in nutrition and creates recipes that feel and taste indulgent, but still help you attain your health goals. Plus, all the recipes can be made gluten-free!

Image Credit: Jillian Glenn

5. Minimalist baker’s everyday cooking by dana shultz

In case you haven’t noticed by now, as fun as vegan cooking can be, we are still fans of quick and easy recipes that don’t require a ton of time or fancy kitchen gadgets. All the recipes in this cookbook either use a maximum of 10 ingredients, only need one bowl, or can be made in less than thirty minutes. All without sacrificing any flavor, Dana Shultz sure is speaking our language!

Image Credit: Minimalist Baker

6. more plants less waste by max la manna

You may already know of Max La Manna, as his quick and fun vegan recipe videos have gone viral on social media. While a vegan diet is already a significant step in fighting climate change, La Manna takes it even further by sharing helpful hacks to reduce our waste in the kitchen and beyond. Don’t worry; the book is still chock-full of yummy recipes, from Vegan Shepherd’s Pie to Crunchy Cauliflower Curry and tons of deliciousness in between.

Image Credit: Max La Manna

7. sweet potato soul by jenné claiborne

You don’t have to be from the south to enjoy the recipes Jenné Claiborne creates! Inspired by her childhood growing up in Atlanta, Georgia, Claiborne doesn’t just have us drooling over the photos alone; she also dives into the nutritional benefits of ingredients commonly found in her delectable soul food dishes. Learn all about turnip greens, okra, and black-eyed peas while whipping up scrumptious meals the whole family will love!

Image Credit: Sweet Potato Soul

8. veganomicon (tenth-anniversary edition) by Isa Chandra Moskowitz and Terry Romero

We like to think of Veganomicon as a vegan cookbook/textbook. It is packed full of all sorts of delicious vegan recipes and has been a staple in many vegan cookbook libraries since it was first published over ten years ago. But it is tried and true! Its tenth-anniversary edition has even more recipes and the much-needed addition of more color photos. Now, the cookbook offers more than 250 recipes! (See what we mean by “textbook?”) If you can only grab one vegan cookbook to start off with, this one will have all your bases covered.

Image Credit: Amazon.com

9. Rachel Ama’s Vegan Eats: Tasty plant-based recipes for every day by Rachel Ama

A self-confessed KFC addict as a teenager, Rachel decided to go vegan four years ago and hasn’t looked back. As her passion for plants grew and grew, so did her interest in cooking, and she launched her own YouTube channel in 2017. She’s known for her simple, affordable, and delicious vegan recipes. In this book, you’ll find naturally vegan, full-flavor recipes that take inspiration from Rachel’s Caribbean and West African roots. Some recipes are even accompanied by song suggestions, so you can have a boogie while you cook!

Rachel Ama's Vegan Eats
Image Credit: Rachel Ama

10. The vegan meat cookbook by miyoko schinner

Okay, we know we said we prefer quick and easy, but we would be remiss if we didn’t include the latest cookbook from the vegan queen herself, Miyoko Schinner. She is already spoiling us when it comes to Miyoko’s Creamery’s vegan cheeses at the supermarket, but now her latest cookbook also has us feeling like a master chef (even if it’s only in our own house). If you don’t want to take any shortcuts when it comes to pre-made vegan meats, this is the cookbook for you!

Image Credit: Miyoko Schinner

Are you tempted to try vegan this month? Don’t forget to sign up, and we’ll send you tips, advice, and a load of recipes, so you never run out of things to make in the kitchen.

Thinking of trying vegan?

Veganuary inspires and supports people all over the world to try vegan for January and beyond. Millions of people have already taken part.
Will you join them?