10 Best Vegan Cookbooks for Beginners in 2022 (Vegan Pastry Chef-Reviewed)

Pros:

• As with any America's Test Kitchen cookbook, the recipes in this book have been tested multiple times in a professional environment
• Includes more than 200 recipes covering breakfast, lunch, and dinner
• Recipes are adapted from an omnivore diet, making the book friendly to beginner vegans
• Introductory section lists common, affordable vegan substitutes for pantry staples

Cons:

• Nutrition facts are included in the back of the book, not per recipe

The appeal of Vegan for Everybody by America's Test Kitchen is that it offers a variety of recipes that can satisfy new vegans or long-term vegans. This cookbook offers simple vegan dishes as well as more complex recipes, meaning that you'll have room to grow your vegan cooking repertoire. This book also includes some recipes for vegan substitute staples like dairy-free cheeses!

Some reviewers warn that while the content of this cookbook is enticing, the binding is prone to falling apart. Still, Vegan For Everybody is widely praised for how simple the recipes are to follow. Many reviewers say the ingredients are almost always available at local stores, adding that even picky omnivores in their homes enjoy the cookbook's recipes.

Pros:

• Includes recipes for vegan staples like cheese
• Ingredients are fairly basic and accessible
• Introduces tips about pantry staples and ingredients often used as vegan substitutes 
• Offers several meal plans for various situations, such as school lunch or dinner parties
• Has a chart for measurement conversions from the US to the metric system

Cons:

• No nutritional information included

Fuss-Free Vegan contains a variety of "veganized" comfort dishes and classic meals, each of which uses recipes that are easy to find in local stores. If you don't know how to create balanced vegan meals, this cookbook also offers recipes for vegan snacks, side dishes, and even boxed lunches!

A few people warn that not many recipes are free of flours, sugars, or oils. Still, many other reviewers praise this cookbook for its minimal, readily available ingredient lists and bold, appealing flavors. Beginner vegans especially appreciate how easy the recipes are and how the book offers food for any time of the day. 

Pros:

• Provides metric conversions at the end of the book
• Includes a list of all kitchen tools you'll need for the recipes
• Breaks down vegan cooking basics, like how to press and cut tofu or how to make cashew nuts softer for recipe purposes
• Includes a checklist for the vegan pantry
• Offers substitutes for allergies like gluten or soy

Cons:

• Recipe photos are available, but not on every page
• No nutrition facts

Isa Does It is a thick cookbook for those who want to be vegan even if their weeknights are busy. Isa makes a point of setting up all the tools and staple ingredients you'll need at the beginning of her book, including allergy substitutes and basic prep hints. Her recipes are all low-prep and use easy-to-find ingredients, and they're pretty tasty, too!

A few people who used this cookbook found the instructions to be a little unclear for beginner cooks, especially since not every recipe has a photo. However, many new vegans have said Isa's book helped them start their transition to a vegan diet, adding that the recipes are intensely flavorful despite the simple ingredients. 

Pros:

• Includes tips from people who have tested the recipes, which offer slight twists or adjustments you can make to each recipe
• Offers a section for you to write your own recipe tips or take down notes as you cook
• Author adds non-oil options to most recipes for those on specific diets
• Foreward includes tips about meal prep, such as pressing tofu and using the right soup stock ratios
• Lists affordable vegan pantry staples

Cons:

• Recipes may be too basic for more experienced vegans

Toni Okamoto's cookbook combines mindful, vegan recipes with a budget-friendly lifestyle. If you want to go vegan but worry that you can't afford to do so, this book is for you. It starts with a base of accessible vegan pantry staples before transitioning into minimal-ingredient recipes that generally take 30 to 40 minutes of prep.

A few people who bought Plant-Based on a Budget warn the inclusion of oils and sugars keeps most recipes from being strictly plant-based. However, multiple vegan users were thrilled when they tried incorporating Okamoto's cost-effective vegan diet into their lives. They added that the recipes were all tasty and very easy to make and that all ingredients were accessible. 

Pros:

• Breaks down the building blocks of vegan nutrition, including vitamin and iron sources
• Metric conversions included
• Lists all kitchen tools required for recipes
• Lists pantry staples
• All recipes are nut- and gluten-free

Cons:

• Although it claims to be soy-free, the book contains tofu as an ingredient for many recipes, and should therefore be avoided if you have a soy allergy

The College Vegan Cookbook is a great choice for those with small kitchens or not much knowledge about how to start eating vegan. Author Heather Nicholds begins by explaining how vegan nutrition can work and breaks down key ingredients used in her book. Each recipe consists of simple ingredients and instructions that are sweet and short. 

A few who bought this book, however, say it's more complex and cost-heavy than they'd hoped. Still, many college students and beginners in the kitchen were delighted with how basic and accessible the ingredients were. They added that the recipes were very forgiving and that even if they made a mistake they could turn it into a tasty twist. 

Pros:

• Most ingredients contained in the book are easy to find
• Contains thorough instructions without being too wordy
• Even complex recipes don't require special kitchen tools
• Covers almost every southern comfort food staple, but vegan

Cons:

• No vegan condiment recipes, so you'll have to buy your own or find a separate cookbook for them

Whether you're a southerner from birth or just enjoy southern cooking, Southern Vegan is the cookbook for you. This cookbook covers all the famous dishes, from biscuits n' gravy to peach cobbler. Of course, every recipe is fully vegan. Lauren Hartmann is the lone vegan in a family of meat-eaters, so she knows how to help even the beginner vegan enjoy the taste of vegan cooking.

It's good to be aware that as this is a southern comfort food book, most recipes will incorporate sugars, oils, and flours. However, Southern Vegan is widely loved for how consistently tasty each vegan take on southern classics is. Many users comment that the ingredients are, for the most part, not hard to find and that the flavors never disappoint. 

Pros:

• Breaks down vegan substitutes and pantry staples
• Metric conversions available
• Explains common spices and condiments, and their roles in cooking and baking
• Uses nuts as processed oil substitutes

Cons:

• Wordy, which can look overwhelming for new cooks

The Vegan 8 uses eight basic ingredients per recipe with optional twists using spices and other vegan-friendly condiments. The author builds on a baseline of vegan staples to create a variety of unique, tasty recipes that require very little prep time. 

A few users complained that the recipes weren't friendly to those on a gluten-free diet, but overall, many were thrilled with how the "eight ingredient base" method helped them to build their vegan cooking repertoire. Others were happy to find a cookbook that was both vegan and plant-based, saying that the lack of processed oils helped them in their clean eating journeys. 

Pros:

• Includes required kitchen tools and how to use them
• Breaks down the history and culture behind soul foods and their important ingredients 
• Explains vegan-centric terms like "vegan butter", "nutritional yeast", and so on
• Gives a complete inventory of the ingredients used throughout the book including flavors, uses, and even how to prepare them

Cons:

• Recipes require more kitchen tools and space than college students or single people may have on hand
• Doesn't have photos for every recipe

As the title implies, this cookbook utilizes sweet potatoes and other nutritious vegetables to make its dishes heartier and more nutritious. Jenné Claiborne brings smoky, classic Creole food to the table in the form of excellent vegan cooking. You can experience everything from Southern classics to true soul dishes when you cook from this book. 

According to some reviewers, many of the recipes in this book are a bit too complicated to whip up on a busy weeknight. Otherwise, this vegan cookbook is a hit with vegans and omnivores alike for its exciting, Cajun flavors. A few new vegans have said that the recipes soothed their worries that vegan cooking had no flavor. 

Pros:

• Offers variations on recipes or tips for leveling up the flavors
• Explains ingredients that aren't commonly known, such as mirin (sweet Japanese cooking alcohol) and more
• All recipes are plant-based and for the most part free of oil

Cons:

• Recipes aren't in step-by-step format
• Many recipes are soy- and gluten-based, and are therefore not advisable for certain allergies

Miyoko Schinner's cookbook teaches how to create vegan sauces like mayonnaise, vegan meat substitutes like tempeh or breaded tofu, and even plant-based, clean mixes for baked goods like pancakes and cookies. Most recipes support a plant-based, oil-free diet. This book is a good choice if you don't like processed vegan substitutes. You can make your own from scratch!

Some have found that recipes from Miyoko's book require more time and effort than they were willing to put in. However, are thrilled with how clean this cookbook is, adding they've cut down on processed foods and oils as well as their plastic waste by creating pantry staples instead of buying them. Others add that having the basics in a book has made their vegan journey easier. 

Pros:

• Builds a variety of recipes from classic vegan base ingredients like beans, quinoa, and so on
• Includes recipes for vegan substitutes like tofu cream cheese, so you don't have to buy processed versions at the store
• Step-by-step instructions are easy to follow
• Each recipe includes tips and cautions from the recipe authors to ensure success in the kitchen
• Has a companion app for ease of use

Cons:

• No photos for the recipes, so beginners may find it hard to envision what they're making

You may recognize the title of this book from the documentary with the same name. It features hundreds of recipes and has been contributed to by a dietitian and several plant-based chefs. You can also increase your learning experience by downloading its companion app or trying the meal plan book often sold alongside it. 

Some reviewers have complained that the book takes its low-oil, plant-based approach too literally as there aren't even healthy oils in most dishes. Still, many who went vegan for health reasons applaud Fork Over Knives' practical, simplistic approach to veganism and plant-based eating. Others have added that the recipe organization and informative intro make it a great choice for beginners.