A stack of cookbooks is a beautiful sight. If you are looking for creative and accessible recipes, beautiful food photography, and loads of inspiration, check out five of our favorite cookbooks for delicious plant-based baking.
Plant-Based Baking is More Accessible Than You Think
Plant-based baking can seem intimidating if you’re just starting, but don’t let it scare you! Living in a small midwestern town, I thought that the ingredients I would need for plant-based baking would be out of reach, but I can get everything I need. Did you know Walmart has coconut flour, coconut sugar, vegan chocolate, flaxseed, and many, many more ingredients that may not seem “normal”? Even if your grocery store options are limited, you can still make delicious desserts with plant-based ingredients. And before you know it, those ingredients that at first seemed “weird” will be part of your regular shopping list.
Check Out These Five Fabulous Plant-Based Baking Cookbooks
Bakerita by Rachel Conners
Rachel Conners runs the beautiful Bakerita blog, and her book is just as gorgeous and full of mouthwatering recipes. Plus, she makes you feel like you could be friends hanging out in the kitchen together. The recipes in the book are delicious plant-based takes on comforting nostalgic and decadent treats, like her Iced Oatmeal Cookies or Double Chocolate Chunk Skillet Cookie. I appreciate that she lays out very clearly which diets the recipes are for (grain-free, vegan, etc.). The Mocha Chip Cheesecake is next on my to-bake list.
Incredible Plant-Based Desserts by Anthea Cheng
I’m in love with the cover of this book, as I am with most of Anthea Cheng’s Rainbow Nourishments blog and Instagram feed. What I love most about her book, though, is the wide range of plant-based desserts she creates and how accessible they are. Her chocolate cups, for example, are made with just a few easy-to-get plant-based ingredients but will make you feel so accomplished. She also teaches you how to make plant-based pantry staples, like raspberry jam or your own vegan chocolate.
Clean Desserts: Delicious No-Bake Vegan + Gluten-Free Cookies, Bars, Balls, and More by Karielyn Tillman
What exactly are “clean” desserts? Karielyn Tillman is a great person to show you. Though she’s clear that they may not be low sugar or low calorie, her tasty recipes are full of natural ingredients and will inspire you to find ways to add more plant-based foods to your baking. She makes familiar favorites with pared down, real foods, like Caramel Peanut Butter Crispy Squares (which I, no joke, dreamed about) and Buckeyes, a definite midwestern favorite.
Simply Delicious Vegan by Caitlin Shoemaker
From My Bowl blogger Caitlin Shoemaker’s book may not be just about baking, but it has earned a spot on this list because of how incredibly helpful it is, especially if you’re new to plant-based recipes (plus, savory baking is still baking!). She has a fantastic pantry list, provides great options for substituting ingredients, and considers your budget and time as well as your diet. Her recipes are creative and comforting, from the Zucchini Cornmeal “Biffins” to Cinnamon Sugar Donuts.
Vegan for Everybody: Foolproof Plant-Based Recipes for Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, and In-Between by America’s Test Kitchen
If you can’t trust America’s Test Kitchen, who can you trust? Although this isn’t strictly a baking cookbook, it has invaluable tips for improving your plant-based baking. This book is equally as great for beginners as it is for food science enthusiasts. You can read and see how different milks, like oat or coconut, affect cakes, as well as the magic that happens to your baked goods when you add cream of tartar to your aquafaba. (You can also learn all about aquafaba, or chickpea liquid that acts as an egg substitute, and whether or not other bean liquids will act the same.) If you’re going to try one recipe from this book, try the brownies. Trust me.
A Helpful Hint from Your Resident Librarian
Time to put on my librarian hat! I love investing in cookbooks, but I like to sample a few recipes before committing to a purchase. Your local library is a great way to test drive a cookbook. If you don’t see these books on the shelf at your library, chat with your librarian about how to get them. Believe me, they would like nothing more. I’ve also checked out many of these cookbooks as ebooks through my local library!
The only thing better than taking a look at these cookbooks is doing so while eating Meu’s Super Scrumptious Sugar Free, Healthy Strawberry Pancakes. What are your favorite plant-based cookbooks? Let us know in the comments!
Happy baking,
Lu