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The 10 Best Vegan Cookbooks for Dabbling in Plant-Based Cooking

These vegan recipes are downright delicious.

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best vegan cookbooks

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These days, vegan and plant-based cooking is so popular. We’re no longer reliant on just a cookbook or two choose from in the veggie space—you now have the unique opportunity to flip through a book that fits your specific needs. Whether you’re looking to follow a more plant-based diet while still incorporating some animal products or a totally vegan diet, there’s a vegan cookbook out there that has everything you need. There are vegan cookbooks that reflect your budget, ingredients you love, culture, favorite cooking methods, and so much more, says Catherine Perez, M.S., R.D., L.S.D., the plant-based registered dietitian behind the food blog Plant-Based R.D.

“Choose what speaks to your current cooking style and food philosophy so that you'll want to make the recipes often,” agrees Jackie Newgent, R.D.N., C.D.N., a plant-forward culinary dietitian, chef, and author of The Clean and Simple Diabetes Cookbook. “Make sure it features ingredients that you know and love and can find, but also those that can help you up your culinary game to add interest to your plant-based eating repertoire.”

There’s also a lot to avoid when it comes to picking a good vegan cookbook. A celebrity author or really gorgeous photos don’t necessarily mean the food will be delicious, and that’s what you’re really looking for in a good cookbook, Newgent says. Instead, Perez suggests checking out an author’s social media or blog for reviews or recipes you can try before purchasing to ensure you’ll be excited to get cooking.

Plus, any book that promises science-backed evidence and makes certain health claims should be double-checked. Just because something is vegan doesn’t make it inherently nutritious, so any nutrition-based book should have a reputable source with credentials, Perez says. Ready to get cooking? Here are the best vegan cookbooks to add to your plant-based collection.

1
Best budget vegan cookbook

BenBella Books Plant-Based on a Budget

Plant-Based on a Budget
1
Best budget vegan cookbook

BenBella Books Plant-Based on a Budget

Now 29% Off
$16 at Amazon

If vegan recipes in 30 minutes (for less than $30 a week) doesn’t pique your interest, we don’t know what will. Veganism has a reputation for being a pricey lifestyle choice, but author Toni Okamoto proves that stereotype wrong with recipes that empower readers to use up ingredients they have on hand, reduce food waste, and make delicious, inexpensive meals. 

Perez says she turned to Okamoto’s blog when she was going vegan in college and was trying to save money. Now, the cookbook is one of her favorites. “The nourishing, tasty, and budget-friendly recipes are perfect for those just starting out and not sure where to start their plant-based journey. Toni makes it really effortless and provides all the resources you need to succeed along with tips for saving money along the way,” she says.

2
Best vegan Southern cookbook

Rockridge Press Vegan Soul Food Cookbook

Vegan Soul Food Cookbook
2
Best vegan Southern cookbook

Rockridge Press Vegan Soul Food Cookbook

Now 25% Off

There is absolutely no reason to give up the classic soul food you crave just to follow a plant-based diet. Author Nadira Jenkins-El offers vegan versions of classics like gumbo using jackfruit, biscuits and gravy, cajun fried chicken, peach cobbler, and more that are hearty, delicious, and totally plant-based. And the reviewers love the recipes, leaving over 2,000 four and a half star ratings since its release in June 2020.

3
Best Korean vegan cookbook

The Korean Vegan

The Korean Vegan
3
Best Korean vegan cookbook

The Korean Vegan

Now 50% Off

Author Joanne Lee Molinaro not only brings out-of-this-world delicious recipes you’d find at Korean restaurants around the globe, but she packs her cookbook with stunning photographs that make your mouth water and excite you to get cooking.

Perez loves that Molinaro designed vegan versions of the recipes she grew up with to not lose her cultural connection. “This book is not only a great resource for incredible vegan Korean cuisine, but it also truly connects you to the author's experiences and immerses you into the emotions, connections, and experiences we have with food,” Perez says. 

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4

Clarkson Potter Chloe Flavor

Chloe Flavor
4

Clarkson Potter Chloe Flavor

Now 20% Off

Chloe Coscarelli, the former chef of fast-casual vegan chain By CHLOE uses ingredients like quinoa, tempeh, chia seeds, faro, and more to amp up the nutrients and flavor in classic recipes, without any of the animal products. Including vegan versions of bacon lover’s BLT, banana donuts with maple glaze, mango guacamole crunch burgers, and a general Tso’s tofu recipe that’s better than the rest, these recipes are approachable, hearty, and flavorful.

5
Best gluten-free vegan cookbook

Abrams Simply Delicious Vegan

Simply Delicious Vegan
5
Best gluten-free vegan cookbook

Abrams Simply Delicious Vegan

Now 27% Off

Perez loves that this cookbook offers practical advice for those looking to go plant-based and improve their health while offering up gluten-free, refined sugar-free, and oil-free recipes using easy-to-find ingredients. The stunning photos show skillets of sweet potato and kale, platters of sweet and smoky chickpea burgers, and bowls of grits with smoky tempeh bacon. 

“This has been a go-to book for quick and wholesome meals that still taste decadent,” Perez says. “This is a fantastic and practical book for those that need solid recipes that work and taste delicious without all the complicated steps or techniques some recipes can have.”

6
Best vegan baking cookbook

Rockridge Press Vegan Baking for Beginners

Vegan Baking for Beginners
6
Best vegan baking cookbook

Rockridge Press Vegan Baking for Beginners

Now 16% Off

Recipes like cheez-y green chile biscuits, chocolate zucchini bread, pumpkin cupcakes with cream cheese frosting, and apricot-pistachio blondies headline this incredible vegan baking cookbook without any dairy or eggs that typically make baked goods delicious. Author JL Fields has written seven other vegan cookbooks and shares her expertise with readers of all baking levels for making decadent bakery-style favorites plant-based.

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7
Best Asian-fusion vegan cookbook

Vegan Asian: A Cookbook

Vegan Asian: A Cookbook
7
Best Asian-fusion vegan cookbook

Vegan Asian: A Cookbook

Now 11% Off

Simple and delicious Asian-fusion recipes get a vegan twist in Jeeca Uy’s new cookbook. The vibrant pages are filled with plant-based pad Thai, Vietnamese mushroom pho, Japanese yakisoba, Korean bulgogi mushrooms, Singaporean chili tofu, Chinese lettuce wraps, and more to take you on a vegan culinary journey across the continent of Asia. You’ll never want to order takeout again.

8
Best flexible vegan cookbook

Vegan, at Times

Vegan, at Times
8
Best flexible vegan cookbook

Vegan, at Times

Now 48% Off

New York Times bestselling author Jessica Seinfeld brings more than 120 recipes she claims are “so delicious and easy to make, you might forget they’re vegan.” The inspiration behind this brand new vegan cookbook is meeting you where you’re at–whether that’s a vegan for life, just getting started, or a flexitarian that loves a piece of chicken every now and again. You’ll dig into Sunny’s mint chip ice cream, butternut squash risotto, broccoli quesadillas with chipotle cashew queso, and more that will have you forgetting you went plant-based in the first place.

9
Best Mexican vegan cookbook

Provecho

Provecho
9
Best Mexican vegan cookbook

Provecho

Now 26% Off

Perez says one of her concerns when going vegan was not being able to enjoy the cultural foods she loved and helped connect her to her heritage. Author Edgar Castrejon artfully captures Mexican cuisine in a way that allows him to still enjoy his family favorites without the meat. “Books like this one truly show how you can enjoy your culture and the cuisine even if you are plant-based,” she says. Dig into pages of shredded jackfruit tacos, coliflor asada, pastelitos, and coconut aguachile alongside stunning photography and stories from Castrejon’s upbringing. 

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10

Globe Pequot California Vegan

 California Vegan
10

Globe Pequot California Vegan

Now 20% Off

Registered dietitian Sharon Palmer takes readers through the history of veganism in California through recipes using local foods and the cultural context of the vegan revolution on the Gold Coast. With recipes like blackberry pecan cobbler, vegan Johnnycake with sausage, black-eyed peas and greens, and more you can bring California right to your family’s table. 

“It's full of freshness and inspired uses for whole grains, beans, and veggies beyond the basics, while the book takes you on a cultural journey,” Newgent says.

Headshot of Arielle Weg
Arielle Weg

Arielle Weg is the associate editor at Prevention and loves to share her favorite wellness and nutrition obsessions. She previously managed content at The Vitamin Shoppe, and her work has also appeared in Women’s Health, Men’s Health, Cooking Light, MyRecipes, and more. You can usually find her taking an online workout class or making a mess in the kitchen, creating something delicious she found in her cookbook collection or saved on Instagram.

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