35 Basic Vegan Recipes for New Vegans! | Elephantastic Vegan (2024)

Posted on Last updated:

5 Comments

Being vegan isn’t that easy in the beginning. You basically have to build up a new repertoire of recipes. This round-up includes my absolute favorite breakfast, lunch/dinner, snack, bread, milk, condiment, cheese, and dessert recipes.

35 Basic Vegan Recipes for New Vegans! | Elephantastic Vegan (1)

Whenever you adopt a new diet or lifestyle change, the first days, weeks, or months are the hardest! But I want to make things easy (or at least easier) for you and I’ve included my favorite basic vegan recipes for new vegans in this round-up! These recipes have helped me in my transition phase!

Here’s an overview:

  • Breakfast (savory like tofu scramble and sweet classics like pancakes and waffles)
  • Lunch/Dinner (lots of pasta (because quick!!), veggie balls and pulled portobello tacos)
  • Meat & Fish Alternatives (such as seitan steak, seitan sausages, banana blossom fish and crab cakes)
  • Snacks (hummus and crackers are life!)
  • Bread(A basic white bread loaf, carrot bread, naan, crispy flatbread,…)
  • Milk (almond and hazelnut milk are my favorites for drinking, coconut milk for cooking)
  • Condiment/Spreads/Dips (date-sweetened BBQ sauce, garlic sunflower seed dressing, 3-ingredient caramel sauce,..)
  • Cheese (cashew and almond parmesan, oooey-gooey nooch cheese and baked almond feta)
  • Dessert (muffins, chocolate chip cookies, cake and ice cream – the holy grail of desserts?)

Vegan Breakfast Recipes

Quick & Easy Tofu Scramble

Tofu Scramble is THE perfect vegan alternative for scrambled eggs. A special ingredient will make it taste and smell super eggy!

Get the recipe

Vegan Banana Bread Pancakes with Chocolate Chunks

Looking for a dairy-free and egg-free pancake recipe? Then you’ll love these vegan Banana Bread Pancakes with Chocolate Chunks! And you’ll never have to decide between banana bread and pancakes again!

Get the recipe

Vegan Chai Waffles

These vegan Chai Waffles topped with maple syrup taste and smell just like Christmas. These are made without eggs or dairy – but 100% flavorful. With cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, cloves, and all the typical chai spices!

Get the recipe

Vegan Gingerbread Granola

This vegan Gingerbread Granola smells and tastes just like Christmas. It’s easy to make and includes all the typical gingerbread spices: ginger, nutmeg and cinnamon.

Get the recipe

Vegan Blueberry Overnight Oats

Recipe for vegan and gluten-free Blueberry Overnight Oats. Prepare the oats the day ahead and top with warm blueberry sauce the next morning. So good!

Get the recipe

Raspberry Chia Pudding

Recipe for a vegan and gluten-free Raspberry Chia Pudding. Chia Puddings are awesome because you can make them the night before and therefore enjoy them in the morning without any hassle.

Get the recipe

Quick & Easy Lunch & Dinner Ideas

Easy Tomato Olive Pasta (Vegan)

This easy Tomato Olive Pasta Recipe is the perfect quick and fuss-free lunch or dinner! Ready in just 15 minutes and made with basic ingredients.

Get the recipe

Vegan Pulled Portobello Tacos

Pulled Portobello is a great vegetarian and vegan alternative to pulled pork. These Pulled Portobello Tacos are easy to make and absolutely delicious!

Get the recipe

Vegan Spaghetti Bolognese

Soy granule is the perfect alternative for the traditional meaty Bolognese sauce! This vegan Spaghetti Bolognese is quick to make, tastes like the real deal and no one would think it’s vegan!

Get the recipe

BBQ Couscous Bowl

Recipe for a simple BBQ Couscous Bowl with curried couscous, broccoli and tofu, slathered in BBQ Sauce. It’s the perfect healthy lunch or ideal to bring to work/school.

Get the recipe

Veggie Balls (IKEA-style)

These IKEA-style Veggie Balls are made with chickpeas, carrots, broccoli, onion, garlic, red bell pepper, corn, and peas. They are flavorful and easy to make. Packed with flavor and nutrients.

Get the recipe

Meat & Fish Alternatives

Homemade Vegan Sausages

No need to buy expensive veggie sausages anymore! These Homemade Vegan Sausages are easy to make and delicious. Thanks to two tricks, they are not tough and rubbery like seitan often is.

Get the recipe

Vegan Seitan Steak

This vegan Seitan Steak is juicy and super easy to make! You can combine all the ingredients in a food processor – so no kneading required! By adding sparkling water and canned chickpeas to the mix, our seitan is softer than many of the tough seitan cutlets you can usually buy in stores. It goes perfectly with roasted potatoes and herb butter.

Get the recipe

Vegan Tempeh Bacon

Real bacon is high in cholesterol and saturated fats! This Vegan Tempeh Bacon is a much healthier plant-based alternative. It’s quick and easy and you can make it in the pan. The tempeh slices are smoky and crispy – perfect for breakfast with some tofu scramble or in wraps, burgers etc.!

Get the recipe

Banana Blossom Vegan Fish

This Vegan Fish made with Banana Blossoms is life-changing – especially if you thought that you would never eat anything tastes like fish again! The soft and flaky texture of the banana flowers is perfect as the base!

Get the recipe

Vegan Crab Cakes

These vegan Crab Cakes are quick and easy to make. I've added all the typical ingredients for a fishy flavor: nori, dill, lemon juice, and capers to a hearty base of artichokes and chickpeas. Delicious!

Get the recipe

Vegan Smoked Salmon (Carrot Lox)

You can make delicious vegan Smoked Salmon out of carrots! Everything Bagel + Vegan Cream Cheese + Carrot Lox = HEAVEN!

Get the recipe

Vegan Chickpea Tuna Salad

Chickpeas make a great tuna-inspired sandwich filling. The dill, nori, capers, lemon juice, mustard, and tahini add to that typical flavor. The „tuna“ salad is also delicious in wraps!

Get the recipe

Easy Vegan Snack Recipes

The Best Hummus made with dried chickpeas

Say Hello to your new favorite Hummus recipe made from dried chickpeas.

Recipe yields 1 1/2 cups.

Get the recipe

Vegan Za’atar Crackers

With a few simple ingredients you can make delicious crackers. Top them with za’atar seasoning and you have the best crispy Za’atar Crackers ever! Vegan.

Get the recipe

Better-than-store-bought Vegan Breads

Basic White Bread

You can use this basic white bread recipe for all kinds of breads: bread loaves, burger buns, flatbread, pizza crust, bagels, pretzels,… Anything is possible!

Get the recipe

Mixed Flour Carrot Bread

Recipe for an easy-to-make and super flavorful vegan Carrot Bread using two kinds of flours. With lots of flax seeds and caraway seeds.

Get the recipe

Crispy Sesame Flatbread

Recipe for a crispy, yeast-free, vegan Sesame Flatbread. It’s the perfect bread to enjoy with hummus or to serve with soups! So easy to make and it’s quite addictive!

Get the recipe

Easy Vegan Naan (Indian Flatbread)

Easy Vegan Naan – if you’re into super fluffy flatbreads, then this is THE recipe for you! The dough is just a simple yeast dough, which you can keep in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Get the recipe

Vegan Sandwich Bread

Nothing is better than freshly baked, warm, homemade bread! This fluffy vegan Sandwich Bread is easy to make and smells amazing!

Get the recipe

Plant-Based Milk Recipes

Date-Sweetened Hazelnut Milk

Do you want to make your own Hazelnut Milk at home? It’s actually super easy! I have a date-sweetened recipe for you, that is super yummy and delicious. It’s great for cereals, chia puddings or for hot cocoa.

Get the recipe

Almond Milk

Recipe for homemade, from-scratch Almond Milk. Super silky and better than store-bought! Add sweeteners, cocoa powder, vanilla, cinnamon or whatever you feel like!

Get the recipe

How to make Homemade Coconut Milk

You want to make your own Coconut Milk? Great idea! It’s super easy to make and I’ll show you how! It is perfect for cooking e.g. curries.

Get the recipe

Condiments and Sauces

Vegan Peppercorn Sauce

This Vegan Peppercorn Sauce is quick & easy and you only need staple ingredients to make it. It's perfect for Thanksgiving and Christmas feasts and helps bring them to the next level!

Get the recipe

Vegan Date-Sweetened BBQ Sauce

Recipe for a vegan, date-sweetened BBQ sauce. The perfect condiment for cookouts! It’s smoky and sweet, perfect for tofu, tempeh, and grilled veggies!

Get the recipe

Vegan Mango Chutney

Recipe for an easy-to-make and delicious vegan Mango Chutney made with a fresh mango. It’s perfect to spread on papadums (crispy Indian bread) or to serve with summer rolls or crispy homemade vegetable pakoras!

Get the recipe

Vegan ‘Meaty’ Tomato Dip

This is the perfect smoky & ‘meaty’ Tomato Dip to serve with Tortilla Chips! Thanks to soy granule, no one will know that it’s actually vegan!

Get the recipe

Garlic Sunflower Seed Dressing

This raw, vegan and glutenfree Garlic Sunflower Seed Dressing can be used as a super delicious dip or on a salad as a dressing – you simply adjust the consistency by adding more or less water.

Get the recipe

Vegan (Salted) Caramel Sauce

This is the easiest vegan Caramel Sauce ever! You’ll only need 3 ingredients and 1 minute to whisk it together! Drizzle it over nice cream, pancakes, or crepes! It’s true magic!

Get the recipe

Vegan Cheese Recipes

Vegan Cashew Parmesan

Vegan Parmesan is one of the super-easy-to-make homemade staples. You’ll only need three ingredients! Make some vegan Parmesan now because it’s perfect for pasta, pizza, risotto and so much more! It keeps for a long time.

Get the recipe

Almigiano – Vegan Almond Parmesan

Recipe for a vegan Almond Parmesan, perfect over pasta, lasagna, pizza or rice-based dishes. This is not only a dairy-free alternative to traditional parmesan, but also gluten-free and free of all animal products.

Get the recipe

Nooch Cheese Sauce

Easy and quick homemade vegan Cheese Sauce. Try this Nooch Cheese Sauce with Nutritional Yeast Flakes. Perfect for Lasagne or Mac & Cheese.

Get the recipe

Baked Almond Feta with Rosemary

Recipe for a vegan Baked Almond Feta with Rosemary. Made with the leftover almond pulp from making almond milk! Perfect to crumble over pasta, lasagna, or risotto!

Get the recipe

Cashew Mozzarella

Easy recipe for a vegan Mozzarella Cheese made out of cashews. You’ll only need 7 ingredients! It’s perfect for pizza, quesadillas, or grilled cheese sandwiches!

Get the recipe

Sweets and Desserts

Soft Baked Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies

These are the best Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies I’ve ever made. They are soft with a slight crisp on the outside, slightly flaky, slightly fudgy. Plus they are really easy and quick to make. You’ll only need 6 basic ingredients!

Get the recipe

Peanut Butter Nice Cream with Magic Chocolate Shell

This Salted Peanut Butter Nice Cream topped with Magic Chocolate Shell and Chocolate Granola is a dream come true! I’ll gladly skip any breakfast/lunch/dinner for this treat!

Get the recipe

Vegan Blueberry Lemon Streusel Muffins

Recipe for vegan Blueberry Lemon Streusel Muffins. The tangy lemon streusel go perfectly well with the sweet blueberry muffins. So easy and so good! You don’t need any dairy or eggs for muffins.

Get the recipe

Vegan Rhubarb Crumble Cake

Recipe for a super fluffy vegan Rhubarb Crumble Cake – all dairy-free and egg-free. The cake consists of a simple one-bowl vanilla batter, soft rhubarb pieces and perfectly browned crumble / streusel.

Get the recipe

Vegan Blueberry Ombre Popsicles

You’ll only need 2 ingredients for these Vegan Blueberry Ombre Popsicles! They are the perfect summer treat and look so pretty!

Get the recipe

Don’t forget to bookmark or pin this page, so you’ll always have the recipes handy when you need them.

Let me know in the comments below, what are your favorite basic vegan recipes?

35 Basic Vegan Recipes for New Vegans! | Elephantastic Vegan (46)

The Beginner’s Guide to Everyday Vegan Cooking is out now!

Whether you’re trying to make the switch, a struggling vegan or just looking for a way to include more plant-based recipes in your diet – We’ve got you covered!
The book includes:
* 75+ veginner-friendly and well-tested recipes
* Bianca’s Kitchen Hacks & Sascha’s Landmine Situations
* and much more!

35 Basic Vegan Recipes for New Vegans! | Elephantastic Vegan (47)

Affiliate Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, which means I may earn referral fees if you make a purchase through my link. While clicking these links won't cost you any extra money, they will help me keep this site up and running!

35 Basic Vegan Recipes for New Vegans! | Elephantastic Vegan (2024)

FAQs

How can I be a simple vegan? ›

Or you could try changing one meal at a time, having vegan breakfasts during your first week, adding a vegan lunch during week two and so on. You could even try changing one product at a time by swapping cow's milk for almond or soya milk or butter for coconut oil or margarine.

Is Peanut Butter vegan? ›

The bottom line. Most types of peanut butter are free of animal products and can be enjoyed as part of a vegan diet. However, some varieties are made in facilities that also process animal products or contain refined sugar that was produced using bone char or non-vegan ingredients like honey or fish oil.

How to be vegan when you're broke? ›

Staple vegan foods such as oats, lentils, pasta, rice and chickpeas are among the cheapest foods and are in *a lot* of vegan recipes, so should definitely make an appearance on your list. Oh, and avoid shopping whilst hungry. You're more likely to stray from the plan...

What is the main food of a vegan person? ›

A vegan diet is based on plants (such as vegetables, grains, nuts and fruits) and foods made from plants. Vegans do not eat foods that come from animals, including dairy products and eggs.

Can you survive as a raw vegan? ›

A raw vegan diet may not be sustainable in the long term. The lack of bread, cooked grains, and cooked legumes can make it challenging to get enough calories every day without frequent meals, which may make it too restrictive to be a 24/7 thing.

What a person following a vegan diet will not eat? ›

A vegan diet is another form of vegetarianism where only plant foods are eaten and all foods from animal sources are avoided (meat, seafood, dairy, eggs and sometimes honey and gelatine).

What is a balanced vegan meal? ›

A healthy vegan diet should contain a variety of whole grains, proteins, healthy fats, and fruits and vegetables. Foods like nuts, seeds, legumes, soy products, and nutritional yeast can all help boost your protein intake throughout the day.

Where do vegans get protein? ›

Some plant-based foods, such as soybean products, seitan, beans, and lentils contain high amounts of protein. You can also find protein in nuts, whole grains like quinoa and amaranth, and hemp seeds. People following a vegan diet may need to plan in order to reach their daily protein goals.

Can vegans eat rice? ›

Yes, absolutely! Rice is a common grain in all cooking and has a significant place in the plant-based world too. Some rice dishes may not be suitable for vegans though, so if you're eating out or following a recipe make sure there are no meat, fish or other animal products being used before you tuck in!

What can vegans eat list of foods? ›

A vegan diet includes only plant foods—fruits, vegetables, beans, grains, nuts, and seeds. People who follow a vegan diet don't eat any animal foods, including dairy, eggs, and honey.

How do I start a raw vegan lifestyle? ›

How to Follow a Raw Vegan Diet. To follow a raw vegan diet, you should first ensure that at least 75% of all the food you eat is raw or cooked at temperatures below 104–118°F (40–48°C). Animal products should be avoided entirely, while fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds should be plentiful.

Can vegans drink alcohol? ›

Yes, they absolutely can. To be clear, alcohol itself is 100% vegan-friendly. It's what gets added to it that can cause issues for those on a plant-based diet. And, unfortunately, these additional animal-derived ingredients always escape the labels, making it difficult to know what you're actually consuming.

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Nathanael Baumbach

Last Updated:

Views: 6049

Rating: 4.4 / 5 (75 voted)

Reviews: 90% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Nathanael Baumbach

Birthday: 1998-12-02

Address: Apt. 829 751 Glover View, West Orlando, IN 22436

Phone: +901025288581

Job: Internal IT Coordinator

Hobby: Gunsmithing, Motor sports, Flying, Skiing, Hooping, Lego building, Ice skating

Introduction: My name is Nathanael Baumbach, I am a fantastic, nice, victorious, brave, healthy, cute, glorious person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.