It can be daunting to know where to start when you’re first trying out vegan meals. It's now easier than ever with this curated list of the best vegan books for beginners!
There are so many vegan cookbooks to collect, but we've done the heavy lifting for you and found all of the best vegan cookbooks for beginners in one handy place.
This amazing list of vegan cookbooks cover everything you need to begin your plant-based journey. From BBQs to Victoria sponge, you won’t miss a thing! They also make great gifts for vegan friends and family, or even someone who is just starting out on their vegan journey.
If you’re just beginning your transition to a plant-based diet, you may be struggling with the process. There’s certainly a lot to get your head around, and we know that it can be tricky (we’ve been there!). But we can honestly say that you can make any of your favourite meals plant-based! It just takes a little bit of know-how. You can check out this how to go vegan guide for even more information.
Before you dig in, rest assured that these vegan cookbooks are not just for newbies. They’re for anyone who wants to eat delicious vegan meals too! Even seasoned vegans will find something they like in this diverse array of recipes and cuisines...
📚 Best vegan cookbooks for beginners
1. Dirty Vegan: Proper Banging Vegan Food
From the ex-presenter of the TV show, Dirty Sanchez, and the hit BBC vegan cookery show, Matt Pritchard brings you more banging, meat-free meals. Matt shows us just how easy and cheap it can be to go vegan.
It has plenty of cracking plant-based meals, such as crispy bang-bang tofu, peanut and chilli stir fry and creamy peppercorn and mushroom pie. Lots to try! Also recommended: Dirty Vegan: Another Bite (Matt's second book).
2. Bosh! on a Budget
The Bosh boys are a big deal in the UK vegan scene. They've sold over a million books (worldwide!) and were the first people to launch a vegan cooking show on a major UK TV channel. And you can't actually go wrong with any of their cookbooks.
Bosh! on a Budget is a great entry into their series of cookbooks. It's great because it shows you how to make delicious, satisfying meals without breaking the bank. Their tasty plant based recipes include everything from hearty midweek dinners to comfort food feasts and indulgent brunches. It's an amazing vegan cookbook for beginners because the recipes are mostly very simple.
In addition, the latest Bosh book that's about to be released (on 17th Aug 2023) is BOSH! Meat, a guide to making meat from plants. Perfect for any cravings you might have!
3. Vegan on the Go: Fast, Easy Affordable
It’s a common myth that vegan food is too time-consuming and complicated, but this vegan cookbook dispels that! It focuses on simple, affordable and speedy on-the-go meals. So, if you’re looking for plant-based snacks and sandwiches to take to work or fill lunch boxes, this is the perfect book. It even tells you how long you need to prepare and cook each recipe!
We recommend the spicy tomato tartare on crunchy ciabatta.
4. Vegan Yack Attack on the Go!
If you can’t get enough of on-the-go vegan recipes, look no further! It can be hard to maintain a plant-based lifestyle when you’re on-the-go, especially as fast food and takeaways are often meat and dairy-based, even though there are more and more options available every day.
This vegan cookbook is another fantastic read for beginners – especially if you want meals that you can prep in advance, make quickly and take with you on the go. Not only that, but they’re also delicious, nourishing and look as great as they taste! Also, we love the ‘Vegan Eating Made Easy’ section, which gives handy tips on pantry essentials and equipment.
5. Rebel Recipes: Maximum Flavour, Minimum Fuss
The Rebel Recipes debut book has been a real inspiration to us. It contains a plethora of awesome and inventive recipes by one of our favourite vegan bloggers.
From indulgent chocolate cherry espresso pots to mouth-watering spicy Indian crepes, it covers all the classics and more.
Vegan recipes don’t have to be dull and boring to be healthy, in fact, this vegan cookbook features wildly delicious vegan recipes! This book is all about the pleasure of bold, satisfying flavours.
Jess had the pleasure of spending a day with Niki in a 1:1 photography workshop, and we can confirm she is so, so lovely and an expert in her field. We highly recommend this book, and her following books: Vegan Around the World, Rainbow Bowls and the wonderful My Vegan Year. Vegan Around the World is actually our favourite!
6. The Ultimate Guide to Vegan Roasts by Romy London UK
Our wonderful friend, Romy, brought out this fantastic vegan cookbook, The Ultimate Guide to Vegan Roasts! If you love a roast dinner but not sure where to start, then this is the vegan cookbook that you need. Romy has great recipes for vegan roasts on a vegan diet.
For example, she teaches you how to make vegan pot roasts and meatloaf from seitan, schnitzel and wholesome classics like Wellingtons and nut roasts. And not to forget those amazing OG vegan staples - vegetables! But levelled up and fit for any celebratory roast dinner like Christmas or Thanksgiving.
7. Nourishing Vegan Everyday
Nourishing Vegan Everyday packs a load of great recipes in, ranging from nutritious to decadent - something for every occasion! We love that you can find a new family favorite, easy and healthy weekday meals, and show stopping meals to impress your friends.
Aside from the recipes it's a really great book to help you to build your own plant-based pantry, learn about easy vegan swaps and even low waste meal prep.
8. The Modern Tiffin by Priyanka Naik
Priyanka is an incredible self-taught cook who's become a celebrity vegan chef with her own TV show on the Food Network. What an incredible story!
What's even more impressive though, is the innovative recipes that she's developed for The Modern Tiffin. Inspired by her travels, each chapter of the book visits a different part of the world but all the recipes have an Indian-twist. You may know that we love Indian food and the fusion in this book is a beautiful thing.
We're talking green chutney quesadillas, chili-maple skillet cornbread and home fries with peanuts. Truly amazing vegan food!
9. Vegan Street Food
Vegan Street Food was a winner of the PETA award for Vegan Cookbook of the year in 2016. This incredible book has got our tastebuds tingling and longing for a trip to Asia. The book boasts a vast array of delicious vegan food, spicing up fresh vegetables with incredible flavours.
We love this cookbook because the recipes are like a mini travel diary, with anecdotes from the author’s family holidays to Sri Lanka, India, Thailand, Vietnam, Laos and Malaysia.
Street food is a central part of life in Asia, and we’re thrilled to be able to draw on this incredible resource for inspiration!
10. Rosa's Thai Cafe
You were probably expecting at least one Thai vegan book for beginners, weren’t you? Rosa's Thai Cafe's debut cookbook is one of our faves. This Thai recipe book features classic Thai recipes, such as tom yum noodle soup, congee with shiitake mushrooms, stir-fried aubergine with roasted chilli paste, and butternut red curry.
We love how authentic the flavours are and have made a load of recipes from this one! Plus, it’s written by the founder of Rosa’s Thai Cafe, an amazing chain of authentic Thai restaurants in London, who serve the best Thai food outside of Thailand with loads of vegan options.
As a heads up, although this book is full of vegan recipes, there are a handful of dishes that use egg and dairy, but mostly, they’re vegan recipes. Get in touch if you’d like to learn about how we adapt them to be vegan friendly!
11. Bad Manners: Brave New Meal
Vegan cooking doesn’t need to be boring, and this book proves it! We love this vegan book because the recipes are pretty simple and taste fantastic. Bad Manners were previously known as Thug Kitchen before they rebranded. Thug Kitchen: Eat Like Yuu Give a F**k It was one of the first vegan books we ever tried out, and it didn’t disappoint. I don't think it's in print anymore, due to the brand's name change.
This book is all about punchy flavours, as well as providing a full road map for vegan cooking, including a produce glossary. In their own words "[we'll] show you how to stock your pantry and store your produce to make it last longer. If we call for an ingredient you're not familiar with or the store is sold out, we give you substitutions. We didn't just give you shortcuts, we're giving you the whole road map from pantry to prep to pairings to plating."
Some amazing flavorful vegan dishes can be found in this book. Being vegan doesn’t mean you can’t be a badass cook. Also recommended: Bad Manners: Hungry as Hell (coming Oct 2023, pre-order available).
12. Vegan Richa's Indian Kitchen
As you probably know, Asian food influences a lot of our cooking. We can’t get enough of the bold spices and fresh flavours.
This next cookbook is fantastic for beginners. Vegan Richa's Indian Kitchen offers a range of delicious Indian dishes which will introduce you to some new spices, and encourage you to add protein to your meals in the forms of pulses and legumes.
The introductory section describes the spices and equipment you’ll need to make many fantastic Indian meals, which we found very useful.
We recommend this book if you’re looking for authentic Indian flavours. Also recommended: Vegan Richa's Everyday Kitchen.
13. The Korean Vegan Cookbook
We watched Joanne Lee Molinaro explode on Instagram with her account, The Korean Vegan. She perfectly blends incredible Korean recipes with intimate storytelling from her life and family history.
This debut book, The Korean Vegan Cookbook, is a great representation of what she's done so well on social media. Beautiful photography, intimate storytelling and mouth-watering recipes. Whether they're recipes that have been passed down to her, or ones that pay homage to stories and memories, you'll be blown away by the bold flavors and the journey she takes you on.
🍰 Vegan Baking Books
14. Ms Cupcake: The Naughtiest Vegan Cakes in Town
One of the hardest things to work out when starting a vegan lifestyle is baking, or it may seem that way at first. But fear not, it isn’t as scary as it looks! There are so many plant-based substitutions that you can use to make perfect, fluffy, light and delicious cakes. Did you know that you can create “egg” from flax seeds? Or that there are so many vegan chocolate alternatives out there, it’s hard to choose which one to buy?
Honestly, we cannot get enough of these cakes, they are incredible and have even converted some of our non-vegan friends! Although the Ms Cupcake shop in London has now shut down, it’s fantastic to be able to recreate these bakes at home. Honestly, in a blind taste test, it would be hard to guess these cakes were vegan! We swear by Ms Cupcake. Also offers gluten free options.
15. Aquafaba: Sweet and Savory Vegan Recipes Made Egg-Free with the Magic of Bean Water
Did you know that the water in tins of chickpeas is actually a magical liquid? That funny bean juice (AKA aquafaba) that you usually throw away is really useful!
We were astonished when we first found out that chickpea water is a substitute for egg whites. But now, we’ve used it to make lemon meringue pie, macarons, Yorkshire puddings and much more!
This vegan book for beginners explores the magic of chickpea water and its many uses in cooking and baking. We bet you thought you couldn’t make a vegan meringue, well you can! As well as, crepes, marshmallows and ice cream.
Additionally, what we love about this book is that it includes recipes for the chickpeas too, and it’s not just a load of hummus. Perfect plant based recipes that are easy to make too!
16. Simply Vegan Baking
If you love baking and you're not sure how to replace the eggs and milk in your favorite recipes, this might just be the book for you!
Freya Cox was the first vegan contestant on The Great British Bake Off and her debut book, Simply Vegan Baking, promises to "take the faff out of vegan cakes, cookies, breads and desserts". And we'd say it does just what it says on the cover.
There are over 70 recipes in this fantastic book. It includes comforting classics like carrot cake and cinnamon swirls, but also features luxurious modern recipes like salted caramel cupcakes and banoffee pie slices.
17. The Little Book of Vegan Bakes
You may have come across The Little Blog of Vegan website when looking for baking recipes online. Well, this is the creator's wonderful debut book: The Little Book of Vegan Bakes.
It's filled with mouth watering cupcakes, biscuits, pastries, buns, cookies, cheesecakes, tarts and a whole range of other desserts. Healthy eating is all about balance right? What we're trying to say is, if you love baking, you'll love Holly's book!
🧀 Meat & Dairy Substitutes
18. The Non-Dairy Evolution Cookbook
Before we went vegan, Dan absolutely loved dairy milk – he even used to drink it straight from the bottle! And then there’s all the other dairy items – delicious Greek yoghurt with granola and fruit, salted butter slathered on crumpets – the list goes on and on. However, never fear!
Anything you can make, we can make vegan! That’s why this vegan cookbook, The Non-Dairy Evolution, is so great. It helps you switch from dairy to non-dairy counterparts. Which is often something people find the hardest in the switch, making this vegan book for beginners a must-read!
It’s possible to make non-dairy butter, milk, cheese and cream, using a variety of plant-based ingredients. The recipes in this book are extra creamy and delicious and by far the best alternatives we’ve found.
19. Seitan and Beyond: Gluten and Soy-Based Meat Analogues for the Ethical Gourmet
You may have heard of seitan and want to know what the hell it is (pun intended!). It is far from satanic; we think it is one of the most heavenly meat alternatives in terms of texture and flavour.
However, it can take some practice to get it just right, but this book is the perfect starting point for understanding how to make great seitan, hence making it one of the best vegan cookbooks for beginners. It has been invaluable for Dan, who is our resident seitan king!
Lots of people who turn vegan or vegetarian don’t dislike the flavour or texture of meat, but make the switch for ethical, environmental and health reasons. This book, Seitan and Beyond, explores new and exciting ways to recreate the texture, flavour and appearance of meats. It even discusses different techniques for creating certain textures with seitan.
Once you’ve read this book, you’ll soon be creating delicious vegan chicken, beef, pork and seafood dishes.
We recommend the vegan pepperoni recipe, which goes well on vegan pizza.
20. Making Vegan Meat by Sauce Stache
Sauce Stache is Dan's favorite foodie Youtube channel (as far as cooking goes). Part-cook, part-scientist - Mark has an uncanny ability to make things that look and taste like meat, out of plants!
He doesn't just use the obvious techniques like making seitan with flour, or bacon with tofu (though he is good at those things too). Rather, he transforms beets into roast beef and daikon radishes into bacon.
His debut book, Making Vegan Meat, is filled with these kind of innovative recipes that have led to him building quite a sizeable following online. Offering creative recipes for vegan protein sources, we're pretty sure that you'll love this amazing vegan recipe developer!
🍝 Comfort Food
21. Vegan Fakeaway: Plant-Based Takeaway Classics for the Ultimate Night In
If there’s one thing that people often miss when it comes to starting a vegan lifestyle, it’s takeaways. With more and more restaurants offering great takeaway options, it’s a lot easier than it used to be to order in a vegan takeaway.
However, if you’re looking for a healthier homemade version, or you just want to save some money, we’ve found the best Vegan Fakeaway cookbook for you. Think jackfruit doner kebabs, speedy satay stir-fry and aubergine jalfrezi – mouthwatering!
We think this is a great vegan book for beginners because it has a wide variety of cuisines and simple ingredients. Great for anyone looking to kick start their vegan cooking journey or to tackle those takeaway cravings.
22. The Vegan Pasta Cookbook, The Zesty Lime
This vegan pasta cookbook is for pasta lovers everywhere! Featuring an abundance of colourful recipes for plant based eating, this is one of the vegan cookbooks out there that's not to be missed! With easy plant based recipes, amazingly easy one pot recipes and delicious recipes that are perfect for busy weeknights, this selection of vegan pasta recipes will not disappoint.
23. Fuss-Free Vegan: 101 Everyday Comfort Food Favorites Veganized
It’s a common misconception that vegan food has to be fussy, expensive and complicated. Like any style of cooking, it can be all of these things, but it doesn’t have to be. Most of the best vegan food we make is entirely fuss-free! Enter: Fuss-Free Vegan.
Being vegan doesn’t mean you have to live off of kale and cashews or spend your money on hard-to-find ingredients.
If you fancy cheesy nachos, pizza, burritos and chocolate cake, then check out this vegan book for beginners. It’s comfort food at its best! Plus, it's written by the amazing Sam Turnbull, author of the blog It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken.
Plus, check out her second cookbook, Fast Easy Cheap Vegan and her upcoming release, Craving Vegan (Oct 2023, pre-order available).
24. The Veg Table: Vegetarian and Vegan Recipes Inspired by Tables Around the World
The most appealing thing about this vegan book for beginners is that it is so diverse. We love to use food as a way to explore different cuisines, and The Veg Table book draws on a wide variety of cultures and flavours.
It fantastically combines our love for travel and vegan food! Another great thing is that it contains a tool kit and knife skills section to help develop your kitchen expertise; it shares some amazing insider chef tips!
Plus, this book was written and self-published by our good friend and fabulous vegan chef, Erin Baker of The Natural Cookery School. We couldn’t recommend it more!
25. Veganomicon
From the team behind Post Punk Kitchen, OG vegan cooking show hosts and best selling cookbook authors Chandra Moskowitz and Terry Hope Romero. The Veganomicon is a massive cookbook containing over 250 easy recipes, so it might just be the only cookbook you'll ever need (though, if you're anything like us, there's never too many).
Meals for all occasions and all diets (soy, gluten free + low fat) like samosa stuffed baked potatoes, grilled yuca tortillas and asparagus and lemongrass risotto.
🌿 How to go vegan & more information
26. How To Go Plant Based by Deliciously Ella
Switching to a plant-based diet can be overwhelming, which is why Delicious Ella decided to write her book, How To Go Plant Based, dedicated to helping people make the switch.
It's not just filled with lots of approachable and tasty recipes, but is backed up with information about Ella's own journey to a plant-based diet, as well as scientific data, research and insights from doctors and nutritionists.
That makes it a great choice if you want to switch but you're being held back by health concerns and making sure the decision is going to be a good one for you.
27. Bosh: How to Live Vegan
So Ella gave us a book on how to go plant-based, but the Bosh team have taken it a step further to incorporate veganism as a whole - that's not just a vegan diet, but a vegan lifestyle! Enter: How to Live Vegan.
We love that there's a book on this subject. It peels back the curtain and helps readers to make positive changes for animals and the environment, that's in addition to eating vegan.
They do talk about plant-based food, but also wine, toiletries, travel and clothes. They also do a great job of answering common questions like should you be eating avocados? Is it okay to wear an old leather belt? What do you tell your friends when they offer you a glass of non-vegan wine?
28. How To Go Vegan, Veganuary
We love the Veganuary team. Their annual campaign converts so many people to veganism (including us back in 2017!) and helps many more to massively reduce their consumption of animal products.
And their book, How To Go Vegan, is continuing the great work they do. Whether you're already a full-time vegan, considering making the switch or know someone who is, 'How to go vegan' will give you all the tools you need to make the change towards a healthier, happier and more ethical lifestyle.
It will give you inspiration on why you might want to go vegan, amazing food-related tips like reading food labels and easy switches you can make, how to eat out, how to talk to friends and family about it and what to do if you're struggling. It's a fantastic resource.
29. The How Not to Die Cookbook: Over 100 Recipes to Help Prevent and Reverse Disease
Well, given the title, this book is pretty key to any lifestyle. Titled, The How Not To Die Cookbook, this is a pivotal read. It is a beautifully written, educational book based on nutritional sciences, that offers recipes and guides aimed to prevent ill-health.
Now, you might think “well I’ve lived this long”, but this book will help you explore new food types to help prevent diseases and improve health and wellbeing. We recommend it to anyone who feels they’ve lost their bounce. It is reinvigorating, and a great way to do better for yourself and the planet, plus, Dan’s Mum swears by it.
We're not saying food is medicine, and we're not nutritionists or doctors, but we all know that maintaining a healthy diet is related to health, so this book is worth a read.
30. Forks Over Knives
The healthiest diet is a whole foods one - that's one that doesn't include heavily processed ingredients (source). This book, from the creators of the famous documentary on the same subject, discuss what they call 'the plant-based way to health'.
According to Forks Over Knives, if you want to lose weight, lower your cholesterol and prevent (or even reverse) type 2 diabetes and heart disease, the right food is the "best medicine".
That's a pretty compelling statement! They also say that it's also worth noting that a whole foods diet is often a lot cheaper than using processed meat replacements, so this book is also great for sticking to a budget.
They also have a cookbook that features over 300 whole foods plant-based recipes, with a great selection of recipes for all meals and every occasion.
🌟 Have we missed any vegan books for beginners?
So, there you have it – our top vegan books for beginners! These books are proof that being vegan doesn’t mean eating rabbit food. So if you love cooking, these books are for you!
We hope that these vegan books for beginners will set you on the right path. Please do reach out to us if you have any recipe questions, going vegan queries or any other suggestions.
Let us know in the comments below which books you have tried. Are there any other books you’d like to see on the list?
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