11 best vegan cookbooks filled with easy, delicious meat and dairy free recipes for Veganuary and beyond

The Veganuary challenge, which sees people give up meat and dairy products for the whole month to kick start their New Year, is becoming increasingly popular.

It helps people be more creative in the kitchen, eliminate the majority of processed and packaged foods, be kinder to the planet and also save some money by buying cheaper, fresher produce.

Once the 31 days is finished those taking part often choose to stick to a vegan diet all the time, while others choose to have a ‘vegan day’ once a week to create some of their favourite recipes they’ve discovered from doing the challenge.

If you’re taking part in Veganuary and needing some recipe inspiration for the remainder of the month, or you’re thinking about trying out a vegan diet then we’ve put together a list of cookbooks that might help you out both short and long term.

Vegan Fakeaway

Vegan Fakeaway by Katy Beskow. (Katy Beskow)

Thinking of going vegan but don’t want to give up your meat-filled takeaways? Then this cookbook from Katy Beskow might be the one for you, to still get your takeaway fix. The book offers 70 recipes that are divided into chapters on American, Chinese, Indian, Italian and Middle Eastern classics, from those that take 15 minutes, slow cooker treats or menus that can feed up to four people.

Some of the recipes include sesame spring rolls, Sicilian-style pizza, falafel flatbreads and chilli burritos. Plus it comes with tips on freezing, cost-saving and ditching single-use plastics. It’s available on Kindle or hardback from Amazon here.

Vegan(ish)

Vegan(ish) by Jack Monroe. (Jack Monroe)

Vegan(ish) by Jack Monroe features 100 simple budget recipes that won’t break the bank. It’s catered to everyone from committed vegans to those who want give vegan cooking a try once a week to help be a little kinder the planet. The book features 100 per cent vegan dishes including breakfast muckmuffins, beet wellington, kinda-carbonara and Bakewell tart, to name a few, and is available for Kindle or on paperback via Amazon here.

15 Minute Vegan Comfort Food

15 Minute Vegan Comfort Food by Katy Beskow. (Katy Bescow)

Another popular choice, also by Katy Beskow is 15 Minute Vegan Comfort Food. The book aims to shatter the notion that vegan food is cold and soulless by showing readers how to create inspired comfort foods. The recipes use ingredients readily available in supermarkets for a quick turnaround for those who lead pretty busy lives. It features 100 recipes across five chapters such as chocolate chilli, moussaka bowls, spicy falafel burger and cashew chow mein to name a few. It’s available on Kindle and hardback via Amazon here.

The Essential Vegan Air Fryer Cookbook

The Essential Vegan Air Fryer Cookbook: 75 Whole Food Recipes to Fry, Bake, and Roast by Tess Challis. (Tess Challis)

If you want to switch your diet up but think you’ll miss the crispy crunch of fried foods then this vegan cookbook is for you. If you’re the owner of an air fryer, or you’re thinking of getting one then this recipe book combines that deep-fried taste with a healthy, plant-based diet, while also giving some expert advice on air fryers and making them work for you. Some of the dishes featured include sweet miso-glazed Brussels sprouts, BBQ jackfruit nachos and cinnamon crisps. It’s available for free as part of Amazon’s Kindle Unlimited or in paperback for £10.99 via Amazon here.

Rachel Ama’s Vegan Eats

Rachel Ama’s Vegan Eats. (Rachel Ama)

Since launching her YouTube channel in 2017 Rachel Ama has gained a dedicated following thanks to simple and affordable vegan recipes. Her book Vegan Eats takes inspiration from naturally vegan dishes combined with her Caribbean and West African roots to create full-flavour recipes. From plantain burger to tabbouleh salad and Caribbean fritters to peanut rice and veg stir-fry there’s loads to try, plus each recipe comes with a song chosen by Rachel so readers have a banging playlist to go alongside every plate of food. It’s available on Kindle and hardback from Amazon here.

Happy Vegan

Happy Vegan by Fearne Cotton. (Fearne Cotton)

Celebrity cookbooks are always a go-to for consumers and Fearne Cotton’s Happy Vegan is proving to be a popular choice when it comes to vegan recipes. The book is a branch out from her Happy brand, which includes a podcast and is described as ‘easy plant-based recipes to make the whole family happy’. It features recipes for broccoli katsu curry, tomato dahl and spiced potatoes and is priced at £6 on Amazon.

The Vegan Cookbook for Athletes

The Vegan Cookbook for Athletes: 101 Recipes and 3 Meal Plans to Build Endurance and Strength by Anne-Marie Campbell. (Anne-Marie Campbell)

This book from Anne-Marie Campbell helps people combine athletic training with plant-based meal plans to build endurance and strength. Readers can create a tailored nutrition plan and combine it with their athletic demands, from general training to an Ironman. It features more than 100 recipes that can be made in advance for on-the-go eating to give readers more time to train, provides key information on macronutrients that caters to different athletic needs and guided eating to get customised nutrition for individual athletic requirements. It’s available on Kindle and paperback from Amazon here.

BOSH! Simple Recipes

BOSH! by Henry Firth and Ian Theasby. (Henry Firth/Ian Theasby)

Ian Theasby and Henry Firth create simple and imaginative vegan recipes which are filmed and broadcast to more than one million Facebook users and have also released a book version entitled BOSH!. The best-selling book features more than 140 recipes including family favourites, quick lunch ideas, showstoppers to impress even the most staunch steak-lover, snacks, puddings and cocktails. The book is available on hardback, paperback and Kindle edition from Amazon here.

Epic Vegan: Wild and Over-the-Top Plant-Based Recipes

Epic Vegan: Wild and Over-the-Top Plant-Based Recipes by Dustin Harder. (Dustin Harder)

If you’re looking to cook some adventurous vegan recipes then look no further. Epic Vegan from Dustin Harder features classic, messy, Instagram-worthy and most importantly comfort food recipes. The book encourages readers to play with their food, starting from the ground up, so you can stop at the biscuit or go beyond to the ‘Deep Dish Brunch Pizza with Garlicky Cheddar Biscuit Crust‘. From pizza to burgers and cookie dough cakes to shakes there’s plenty of things to give a go. The book is available on Kindle or hardback from Amazon here.

One Pot Vegan

One Pot Vegan by Roxy Pope and Ben Pook. (Roxy Pope/Ben Pook)

This book introduces readers to vegan recipes with less washing-up. If that’s music to your ears then One Pot Vegan from Roxy Pope and Ben Pook features 80 recipes that use only one dish. This includes everything from pastas, curries, salads, stir-fries, noddles and puddings, with every recipe using supermarket ingredients for ‘maximum flavour with minimum fuss’. The book is available from Amazon here.

Vegan for Everybody

Vegan for Everybody by America’s Test Kitchen. (America’s Test Kitchen)

If you’re after a bit of everything then Vegan for Everybody from America’s Test Kitchen might be a good place to start. It does what it says on the cover, it’s a vegan recipe book that’s aimed at everyone to help people grasp the basic concept of vegan cooking and build their knowledge up to eventually rustle up dishes that rivals their traditional counterparts. It features more than 200 recipes including ‘cheesy’ pizza, dinner favourites, appetizers and the ultimate birthday cake. To get this book go to Amazon here.

This article contains affiliate links, PinkNews may earn revenue if you click through and purchase products through the links.

• Dec 01 2023

16 TV stars you grew up watching who later came out as LGBTQ+