We’ve all been there as new vegans looking for easy vegan recipes that are actually beginner-friendly. These 75 vegan recipes are quick and easy, made with plant-based ingredients, and don’t require a Culinary Arts degree to whip up.
Here are easy vegan recipes to make for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and everything in-between. If you’re a new vegan, save these simple vegan recipes for the next time you’re unsure what to make.
Easy Vegan Breakfast Recipes
If you ever wondered what vegans have for breakfast, we usually find a way to veganize classic breakfast recipes like pancakes.
Every new vegan should learn how to master an easy vegan pancake recipe. This pancake recipe only requires 7 simple ingredients and takes about 20 minutes to make. No eggs or dairy required to make these fluffy vegan pancakes.
3. Chunky Monkey Breakfast Quinoa Bowl
Quinoa for breakfast? Yes! Like oats, quinoa is a versatile grain that is high in protein. In fact, quinoa is a complete vegan protein that contains all nine of the essential amino acids (source: Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health).
It has a mild nutty flavor, so it can easily be sweetened with fruit and maple syrup for a creamy, hearty, and high-protein breakfast.
Quinoa breakfast bowls are also easy to meal prep and reheat each morning. There is no easy vegan breakfast recipe like one that you can simply pop in the microwave.
4. Strawberry Cheesecake Smoothie
Hash browns for breakfast, anyone? While potato recipes are usually vegan-friendly as is, this one has a healthy twist since it is made with sweet potatoes, which are a great source of vitamin A, vitamin C, potassium, and magnesium for vegans (source: My Food Data).
If you have trouble getting enough veggies in your diet, you need to make this easy veggie hash recipe for breakfast. You likely already have the simple ingredients, and it only requires 5 minutes of prep time and 15 minutes of cooking time. So easy!
If you think you will miss eggs on a plant-based diet, a tofu scramble is the perfect vegan alternative to eggs. Pro tip: Add black salt (aka “Kala Namak”) to achieve that sulfuric egg-like flavor.
Use this in vegan breakfast burritos for an epic breakfast on the weekends.
8. Vegan Banana Blueberry Crumb Muffin
10. Chocolate Chia Overnight Oats
Making overnight oats is a life hack that more people should know about. Oats are a rich source of complex carbohydrates, fiber, protein, iron, zinc, and magnesium for vegans (source: My Food Data).
Since the oats need to soak overnight, this easy vegan recipe is ready to go in the morning.
Easy Vegan Lunch Recipes
Can you make mac n’ cheese without dairy products? Yes! Vegans have come up with all sorts of creative ways to make dairy-free mac n’ cheese.
This easy vegan mac n’ cheese recipe comes together in less than 13 minutes. It’s easy to make and can be meal prepped for quick vegan lunches throughout the week.
12. Vegan Buddha Bowl With Tofu & Edamame
13. Spiced Chickpea Grain Bowls & Creamy Tahini Dressing
15. Instant Pot Mexican Quinoa
Make a big batch of this easy vegan recipe at the beginning of the week and use it in veggie bowls, tacos, burritos, etc. It’s made with quinoa, which is a richvegan protein source, and only takes 10 minutes to cook.
16. Vegan & Gluten-Free Mexican Pasta Salad
17. Vegan Kidney Bean & Chickpea Pasta
Chilled pasta salads are perfect for new vegans looking for a refreshing summer recipe.
This bean, pasta, and veggie salad recipe is hearty, delicious, and nutritious. It contains all three of the macronutrients: protein from the black beans, carbohydrates from the pasta and veggies, and healthy fat from the tahini dressing.
It is important that easy vegan meals are balanced and full of nutrients. New vegans should make an effort to learn the basics of vegan nutrition to ensure they are getting a wide variety of vitamins and minerals.
19. Lavash Wrap
20. Chickpea Avocado Salad Sandwich
21. Super Simple Vegan Burrito Bowls
Burrito bowls are a staple in vegan households. They are comforting, high in protein, and satiating. When you need a meal that comes together quickly and will fill you up, try this easy vegan recipe for burrito bowls.
This recipe even teaches you how to make a creamy avocado sauce using plain non-dairy yogurt.
Easy Vegan Dinner Recipes
22. Cauliflower Chickpea Curry
There are a few vegan recipes that everyone should master, and curry is one of them. The great thing about vegan curry recipes is they are extremely versatile. You can make a simple veggie curry or pull all the stops with authentic Indian or Thai ingredients.
An easy curry recipe only requires a few vegetables, spices, and other ingredients. Serve over a bed of basmati rice and top with cilantro for a quick 30-minute meatless dinner that looks and tastes like it took a lot longer.
24. White Bean Chili
25. Easy Vegan Instant Pot Black Bean Soup
An Instant Pot pressure cooker is a nifty kitchen appliance in many vegan households. It’s the quickest way to make beans, rice, soup, chili, etc. There are even vegan cookbooks that are filled exclusively with vegan Instant Pot recipes.
With an Instant Pot, you can make soup effortlessly every night of the week. Simply dump all of your ingredients in the pot, select the right program, and wait for your house to fill with the delicious aromas of vegan black bean soup. This easy soup recipe only cooks for 25 minutes. If you don’t want to stand over a hot stove for half an hour, you need to get an Instant Pot.
28. Vegan Jambalaya
29. Vegan Sheet Pan Gnocchi and Vegetables
30. Soy Chorizo
You may have seen packages of vegan soyrizo at the grocery store. Now, you can make your own soy chorizo using a block of tofu and a variety of spices. Who said vegan cooking is plain? This easy vegan chorizo recipe is full of flavor and plant-based protein.
Make a big batch of vegan chorizo for Mexican-inspired meals throughout the week: tacos, breakfast burritos, sauteed potatoes, stuffed peppers, and so on.
31. Sweet Potato Black Bean Burrito
Nuts like walnuts are not only a tasty source of healthy fat and protein, they are also a hearty meat substitute for vegans and vegetarians. Vegan influencer and comedian Tabitha Brown has shown millions of viewers how to make vegan tacos using plant-based foods like pecans, mushrooms, and walnuts. People are shocked how meaty walnuts can be!
While it may not sound very beginner-friendly, making vegan walnut meat tacos is the perfect easy vegan recipe to start with. From start to finish, this recipe only takes 20 minutes and minimal ingredients. The best part is you can build your veggie tacos however you’d like. Add beans, rice, and veggies for a balanced meal.
34. Sticky Vegan Orange Chicken
36. Instant Pot Butternut Squash Curry
Easy Vegan Side Dish Recipes
37. Easy Healthy Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes
38. Vegan Instant Pot Mexican Rice
Plain rice goes with almost everything, but it gets boring. To get excited about your new vegan diet, jazz up those bags of white rice and brown rice that have been sitting in your pantry.
One way to spice things up is by making Mexican rice. Using an Instant Pot makes this recipe even easier since it only takes 5 minutes to cook. Pair with spicy black beans, soy chorizo, and fajita veggies for a filling dinner.
39. Vegan Mexican Soup With Chickpeas
Zucchini is one of those vegetables that many people love when eating out at a restaurant but rarely make for themselves. If you’re going vegan, challenge yourself to master the art of cooking vegetables at home.
A beginner-friendly way to use up zucchini and squash is to make zoodles. You’ll need a veggie spiralizer to make this recipe, and you’ll be glad you invested in one. Use this recipe for a low-carb pasta alternative or as a nutritious side dish.
42. Instant Pot Vegetable Chow Mein
43. Mean Green Vegan Couscous Salad
45. Vegan Chickpea Squash Fritters
Your vegan grocery list likely has a bag of potatoes on it. There are many ways to make easy vegan recipes with potatoes: fries, wedges, mashed potatoes, baked potatoes, etc. Plus, potatoes of all varieties are an affordable source of calories and nutrients.
One mistake that beginners make is overdoing it on the vegetable oils. These potato wedges are oil-free, making them a perfect low-fat snack or side dish.
Easy Vegan Snack Recipes
Need easy vegan meal ideas that are also healthy? Many Americans struggle to eat enough servings of vegetables (source: CDC). Fortunately, easy plant-based recipes like this one are full of them.
New vegans and kids will love these veggie pinwheels because they are so bright, colorful, and enticing. Having visually appealing foods will encourage you to eat healthier. These are also balanced with protein and fat from the hummus and carbohydrates from the veggies and wheat tortilla.
50. Chocolate Peanut Butter Energy Balls
52. Roasted Sriracha Chickpeas
53. Spicy Tofu Jerky
Beef jerky is a popular snack that is high in protein and low in carbs. For vegans looking for a healthy replacement, turn your attention to this spicy tofu jerky recipe. You only need five simple ingredients: tofu, soy sauce, liquid smoke, sriracha sauce, and garlic powder.
This simple recipe only requires 10 minutes of prep time, but you’ll need to plan ahead since the jerky needs to cook on low for about 3 hours. At the end, you’ll have a sheet full of delicious vegan jerky that you can snack on throughout the week. This is perfect for school or work lunchboxes.
54. Homemade Vegan Granola Bars
56. Rainbow Fruit and Veggie Platter With Hummus
57. Healthy Vegan Queso Dip With Chips
Learning how to make a vegan queso or nacho cheese recipe will make your tortilla chips a lot more interesting. Make a chip and dip spread with hummus, guacamole, queso, and bean dip at your next party. Or make it for yourself on a weekday night because it doesn’t have to be a special occasion to make delicious (dairy-free) cheesy goodness.
Easy Vegan Dessert Recipes
58. Vegan Gluten-Free Baked Chocolate Doughnuts
You may have heard of dessert hummus before and been skeptical. Time to take your skepticism to the kitchen and try this easy vegan recipe for yourself. This healthy dessert is high in protein since it is made with a base of chickpeas. It also calls for cocoa powder, which can boost immunity and reduce inflammation (source: WebMD).
61. Chewy Vegan Snickerdoodles
If you’re missing cookies on a vegan diet, you need to try this vegan snickerdoodles recipe. Baking can be difficult and some even refer to baking as a science, but this vegan cookie recipe takes the intimidation out of making baked goods. You’ll need quite a few ingredients, but you’ll have a sheet of freshly baked cookies in less than an hour.
62. Vegan Chickpea Cookie Dough
64. Vegan Chocolate Peanut Butter Milkshake
Vegan milkshakes are hard to come by. If you don’t live near a restaurant that makes vegan desserts, you can make a vegan shake at home.
This dairy-free milkshake only takes 2 minutes to make, so it’s the perfect easy vegan recipe to call on when you’re having cravings for something sweet. You’ll need non-dairy ice cream to make this recipe. Fortunately, there are many vegan ice creams on the market.
65. Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookie Dough Balls
Can you even celebrate without cake? Vegans eat cake, too. This easy vegan cake recipe was written by an award-winning food blogger, so you know it will be good.
67. Vegan Rocky Road
Easy Vegan Drink Recipes
69. Strawberry Lassi
Lassi is a yogurt-based drink that is often flavored and sweetened with fruit. It is popular in India, though it usually contains dairy.
If you’re missing your favorite Indian beverage, try this non-dairy lassi recipe. It’s easy to make and calls for simple, healthy ingredients.
You can make this strawberry lassi for dessert, breakfast, or snacks.
70. Vegan Orange Hot Chocolate
There are many non-dairy milk alternatives to choose from, though almond milk remains one of the most popular. Since processed store-bought almond milk can be expensive and sometimes contains unwanted ingredients like sugar, salt, gums, flavors, and lecithin and carrageenan, many have turned to making homemade nut milk themselves.
Making almond milk is easy. Simply soak the nuts, blend with water, and strain for a smooth and creamy consistency. If you don’t have time to soak and strain, you can blend water with nut butter for instant almond milk.
72. Apple Pie Vodka
73. Easy Maple & Smoked Salt Latte
Oat milk lattes are all the rage. Many of them are vegan-friendly since oat milk is a non-dairy milk alternative, but all those trips to the coffee shop add up quickly.
Since oat milk lattes are easy to make, you can enjoy one daily. You can make this easy oat milk latte recipe in 10 minutes or less. Make this easy coffee recipe to impress your friends. Non-vegans love it, too!
74. Grapefruit Gin Fizz co*cktail With Cucumber
75. Celery Rosemary Health Tonic
Conclusion
Vegan cooking doesn’t have to be complicated. Many vegan recipes call for hard-to-find ingredients, require a lot of time spent in the kitchen, and intimidate true beginners.
If you’re not savvy in the kitchen, try these 75 easy vegan recipes for beginners. Most can be made in 30 minutes or less and only call for a small handful of easy-to-find ingredients.
