Looking for Vegan Recipes Using Pantry Staples? I really don't think we should be panic buying, but as we'll all be eating at home for the foreseeable future, there's never been a better time to expand your cooking repertoire. And anyway, it's always good to have some recipes under your belt that can be made using just a handful of store cupboard staples!
So I've put together a collection of 100 Vegan Recipes Using Pantry Staples, split into dinners, lunches, breads, breakfasts, desserts and snacks. The focus is on quick and easy, simple ingredients, big flavours, and nutritious food. I've included specific substitution tips alongside each recipe in this list, as well as general guidelines for all recipes in each section.
For more ideas and tips on making food last for longer, check out my 28 Vegan Freezer Meals post.
What are pantry staples?
For the purposes of this post, we are counting the following as pantry staples:
- anything that has a long shelf life
- anything that is dried
- anything that can be frozen
- anything that comes in tins.
The breads, breakfasts, desserts and snacks recipes can all be made exclusively from ingredients that can be stored for a long time in the pantry, but some of the dinners and lunches do call for ingredients that have a slightly shorter shelf life. These ingredients include onions, garlic, ginger, herbs and vegetables.
Top tips on cooking with onions, garlic, ginger, herbs and vegetables
Onions, garlic and ginger can keep in the pantry for a good few weeks (and longer if you keep them in the fridge). But you can also use store-bought garlic and ginger paste, make your own by storing it in the freezer in single-use portions or sub garlic or ginger powder. You can also buy frozen pre-diced onions, or dice your own onions and store them in the freezer.
Fresh herbs can be replaced with dried herbs, or if you keep pots of herbs in your kitchen or if you have a herb garden then you can use fresh herbs. Fresh herbs can also be bought in packets in the supermarket, you can chop them up and freeze them and use them bit by bit.
Some vegetables like potatoes and sweet potatoes can also keep for a long time, especially in the fridge. But you can substitute freely when it comes to vegetables - you can replace one with another very easily, just make sure to adjust cooking time if necessary as cooking times can vary between different types of vegetables. You can also replace fresh vegetables with tinned or frozen vegetables - just make sure to adjust cooking time accordingly.
Top tips for cooking with pantry staples:
- Don't be scared to substitute freely when it comes to savoury recipes.
- If you don't have every single spice/herb in the list, it doesn't matter. You can swap it out!
- Garnishes/serving suggestions aren't necessary!
- Be careful when making substitutions for desserts and baking recipes. It's best not to make any alterations to the ingredients or their quantities in these recipes unless you are completely confident that you understand the "science" behind the swap.
Easy Dinner Recipes
Here are all the easiest dinner recipes that can be made using pantry staples. They can all be rounded out into a full meal without requiring side dishes.
General substitution tips for all of these easy dinner recipes:
- Fresh garlic can be replaced with garlic paste (store-bought or frozen) or garlic powder.
- Fresh ginger can be replaced with ginger paste (store-bought or frozen) or ginger powder.
- Fresh onion can be replaced with frozen pre-diced onion.
- All vegetables can be replaced with any other fresh, tinned or frozen vegetables.
- Fresh herbs can be replaced with dried or frozen.
- All plant-based milks can be used interchangeably.
- All oils can be used interchangeably.
- All nut and seed butters can be used interchangeably.
- All pasta types can be used interchangeably.
- All rice types can be used interchangeably - except for when making risotto (see below).
- All beans, chickpeas etc can be used interchangeably.
Spicy Tofu
This Spicy Tofu is salty-sweet, so flavourful and seriously easy to make! It tastes just as delicious as takeout but is much healthier.
Substitution tips:
- Sriracha can be replaced with any type of hot sauce or sweet chilli sauce, or omitted.
- If you don't like/can't use tofu, you can use any type of lentils, beans or chickpeas and omit the process of coating in cornflour/cornstarch.
How to make it into a full meal: Double the amount of sauce and add fresh, frozen or tinned vegetables of choice!
Similar alternatives:
Pesto Pasta
You can't go wrong with a Pesto Pasta - it's super easy and the whole family will love it!
Substitution tips: Use store-bought vegan pesto.
How to make it into a full meal: Double the amount of pesto and add protein of choice like white beans, green lentils and fresh, frozen or tinned vegetables of choice!
White Bean Chili
This White Bean Chili is super flavourful, comforting and healthy. A subtly spiced, rich white sauce filled with creamy white beans and nutty sweetcorn.
How to make it into a full meal: Add extra fresh, frozen or tinned vegetables of choice!
Pho
This Pho is super quick and easy to make and has the most flavourful broth. The perfect comforting yet healthy plant-based dinner.
How to make it into a full meal:
- Add extra fresh, frozen or tinned vegetables of choice.
- Add tofu for protein.
Similar alternatives:
Creamy Miso Pasta Sauce
This Creamy Miso Pasta Sauce is rich, perfectly flavourful and super easy to make.
How to make it into a full meal: Add protein of choice such as firm tofu, edamame or chickpeas, and extra fresh, frozen or tinned vegetables of choice!
Spanish Chickpea Stew
This Spanish Chickpea Stew is super easy to make, healthy yet satisfying.
How to make it into a full meal: Add extra fresh, frozen or tinned vegetables of choice!
Scrambled Tofu Tacos
These Scrambled Tofu Tacos are really easy to make, fresh and flavourful and super nutritious!
Substitution tips: If you don't like/can't use tofu, you can use any type of lentils or mashed up beans or chickpeas.
How to make it into a full meal: Add extra fresh, frozen or tinned vegetables of choice!
Curried Chickpea Burger
This Curried Chickpea Burger is super flavourful, hearty and filling, and really nutritious!
Substitution tips:
- Grated carrot can be omitted or replaced with frozen or tinned peas or sweetcorn.
- Can be eaten with rice if you can't get hold of burger buns.
Similar alternatives:
Rice Casserole
This Rice Casserole is super easy to make, creamy and flavourful.
How to make it into a full meal: Add protein of choice such as red lentils, green lentils or chickpeas, and extra fresh, frozen or tinned vegetables of choice!
Cashew Alfredo Sauce Pasta
This Cashew Alfredo Sauce Pasta is ready in 30 minutes, super rich and creamy and seriously comforting!
How to make it into a full meal: Add extra fresh, frozen or tinned vegetables of choice!
Potato Pea Curry
This Potato Pea Curry is a great general recipe for an easy store cupboard curry.
How to make it into a full meal: Add extra fresh, frozen or tinned vegetables of choice. Add any protein or choice such as tofu or any type of beans or pulses.
Spanish Risotto with Crispy Chickpeas
This Spanish Risotto is so easy to make, super colourful and paired with the most flavourful crispy chickpeas!
Substitution tips:
- Replace fresh tomatoes with 1 teaspoon tomato paste/purée.
- If possible, I would recommend using risotto rice, paella rice or Japanese rice for this.
Similar alternatives:
Chickpea Kedgeree
This Chickpea Kedgeree is easy to make, super flavourful and so nutritious!
How to make it into a full meal: Add extra fresh, frozen or tinned vegetables of choice.
Similar alternatives:
White Bean Mac and Cheese
This White Bean Mac and Cheese is luxuriously creamy, so comforting and most importantly, quick and easy to make.
Substitution tips: White beans can be replaced with cooked red lentils or chickpeas but wouldn't recommend replacing them with anything else.
How to make it into a full meal: Add extra fresh, frozen or tinned vegetables of choice.
Chickpea Sweet Potato Peanut Curry
This Chickpea Sweet Potato Peanut Curry is unbelievably easy to make, comforting and packed with flavour.
Similar alternatives:
Miso Brown Rice Soup
This Miso Brown Rice Soup is warming, comforting and filling, whilst also being 100% healthy and super easy to make!
Substitution tips: Tofu can be replaced with any lentils, beans or chickpeas.
How to make it into a full meal: Add extra fresh, frozen or tinned vegetables of choice.
Similar alternatives:
Thai Green Curry Rice Soup - especially if you have Thai curry paste!
Easy Lunch Recipes
Here are some easy lunch recipes that are cheap, family-friendly, quick to make, filling and nutritious.
Corn Chowder
This Corn Chowder is sweet and creamy, super easy to make, and nutritious and filling!
Bonus: It reheats well so you can make a big batch to eat over a few days.
Similar alternatives:
- Creamy Tomato Soup
- Sweet Potato Peanut Soup
- Pumpkin Soup - especially if you have tins of pumpkin purée!
White Bean "Tuna" Salad Sandwich
This White Bean Tuna Salad Sandwich is super easy to make, so satisfying and really nutritious!
Substitution tips: Works with any type of bread or wraps. If you can't get hold of any, make your own - see recipes below!
Similar alternatives:
Chickpea Mayonnaise Salad Sandwich
Lazy Falafel
This Lazy Falafel is super easy to make, will take up less than 30 minutes of your time, and tastes every bit as delicious as the traditional version!
Substitution tips: Works with any type of bread or wraps. If you can't get hold of any, make your own - see recipes below!
Similar alternatives:
Easy Bread Recipes
Can't get hold of bread? No problem - it's easy to make your own, and most can be made using pantry staples. I have a ton of different gluten-free vegan bread recipes on my site using all different types of flours, so I'm sure you'll be able to find something that suits whatever you are able to get hold of! These ones are all yeast-free and no-knead, so they're super quick and easy to make!
General substitution tips for all of these bread recipes:
- All plant-based milks can be used interchangeably.
- Plant-based milk can be replaced with water.
- All oils can be used interchangeably.
- All sweeteners can be used interchangeably.
- White rice flour can be replaced with a gluten-free flour blend.
- Gluten-free flour blends (or white rice flour) can be replaced with normal flour if you're not gluten-free.
- Ground almonds (almond meal) and ground sunflower seeds/ground walnuts/ground pumpkin seeds can all be used interchangeably.
- Baking powder and bicarbonate of soda (baking soda) are necessary and can't be omitted or replaced.
- Don't swap out flours for each other - try to stick to the recipe! I have loads of recipes using different types of flours so you should be able to find something that suits what ingredients you have.
- Vinegar can be replaced with lemon juice.
Gluten-Free Vegan Wraps
These Gluten-Free Vegan Wraps are super easy to make, flexible and bendy, and perfectly chewy. They're also yeast-free, and a good source of protein and fibre.
Similar alternatives:
- Buckwheat Crepes - only 2 ingredients!
- Gluten-Free Vegan Crepes
Gluten-Free Vegan Cornbread
This Gluten-Free Vegan Cornbread is super easy to make, sweet and buttery and moist and fluffy!
Similar alternatives:
Gluten-Free Vegan Bread
This Gluten-Free Vegan Bread is no-knead, yeast-free, super easy to make and just like the real thing! This recipe uses chickpea flour, but see more recipes below that use different flours!
Similar alternatives:
- Flaxseed Bread
- Oat Flour Bread
- Pumpkin Seed Bread
- Rice Flour Bread
- Sunflower Seed Bread
- Walnut Bread
- Oat Bread
- Almond Bread
- Buckwheat Bread
- Coconut Flour Bread
Gluten-Free Vegan Biscuits
These Gluten-Free Vegan Biscuits are moist and fluffy and super easy to make!
Similar alternatives:
- Dinner Rolls - made using ground almonds.
- Bread Rolls - made using rice flour.
Easy Breakfast Recipes
Quick, easy, filling and nutritious breakfasts to get you through the day!
General substitution tips for all of these breakfast recipes:
- All plant-based milks can be used interchangeably.
- All oils can be used interchangeably.
- All sweeteners can be used interchangeably.
- All nut and seed butters can be used interchangeably.
- All nuts can be used interchangeably.
- Gluten-free flour blends (or white rice flour) can be replaced with normal flour if you're not gluten-free.
- Ground almonds (almond meal) and ground sunflower seeds/ground walnuts/ground pumpkin seeds can all be used interchangeably.
- Baking powder and bicarbonate of soda (baking soda) are necessary and can't be omitted or replaced.
- Don't swap out flours for each other - try to stick to the recipe!
- Vinegar can be replaced with lemon juice.
Oat Flour Pancakes
My most popular pancake recipe - these Oat Flour Pancakes are soft and fluffy, slightly chewy and nutty, and super satisfying.
Similar alternatives:
- Gluten-Free Vegan Pancakes - made using ground almonds.
- Oatmeal Pancakes - with added oats.
- Coconut Flour Pancakes
Peanut Butter Overnight Oats
These Peanut Butter Overnight Oats are super creamy, satisfying and nutritious. They're the best make-ahead breakfast and are easily customisable to suit your dietary needs and preferences.
Granola
This Gluten-Free Vegan Granola is crunchy and crispy, filling and satisfying and perfectly sweet.
Easy Dessert Recipes
Most of my dessert recipes can be made using pantry staples as the fruit can generally always be replaced with frozen fruit, tinned fruit or dried fruit. But as this is a collection of easy vegan recipes using pantry staples, I've decided to keep it simple and just included the simplest desserts I have that use the fewest ingredients and are the easiest to make.
General substitution tips for all of these bread recipes:
- All plant-based milks can be replaced with any other.
- Plant-based milk can be replaced with water.
- All oils can be replaced with any other.
- All sweeteners can be used interchangeably.
- White rice flour can be replaced with a gluten-free flour blend.
- Gluten-free flour blends (or white rice flour) can be replaced with normal flour if you're not gluten-free.
- Ground almonds (almond meal) and ground sunflower seeds/ground walnuts/ground pumpkin seeds can all be used interchangeably.
- Baking powder and bicarbonate of soda (baking soda) are necessary and can't be omitted or replaced.
- Don't swap out flours for each other - try to stick to the recipe!
Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars
These Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars are fudgy and chewy, perfectly salty-sweet and covered with a thick layer of silky peanut butter-infused chocolate!
Oatmeal Cookies
These Oatmeal Cookies are perfectly chewy and pleasantly satisfying.
Substitution tips: Dried cranberries can be omitted or replaced with any other dried fruit or chocolate chips.
Similar alternatives:
No-Bake Brownies
These No-Bake Brownies are rich and fudgy, really indulgent and secretly healthy! They're really easy to make and require just 5 ingredients!
Similar alternatives:
Chocolate Mug Cake
This Chocolate Mug Cake requires just 5 ingredients and takes only 5 minutes to make!
Similar alternatives:
Cookie Dough
This Cookie Dough is rich and fudgy, perfectly sweet and 100% edible!
Chocolate Truffles
These Chocolate Truffles are the most delicious treat - they're melt-in-your-mouth silky, super creamy and perfectly sweet.
Similar alternatives:
Almond Butter Cookies
These Almond Butter Cookies are soft and fudgy, perfectly chewy and super easy to make! They require just 3 ingredients!
Similar alternatives:
Chocolate No-Bake Cookies
These No-Bake Chocolate Cookies are fudgy, chewy, rich and satisfying. They're super easy and take just 15 minutes to make!
Black Bean Brownies
These Black Bean Brownies are seriously fudgy, rich and indulgent and are the best healthy dessert!
Similar alternatives:
- Gluten-Free Vegan Brownies - made using tofu.
- Pumpkin Brownies - made using pumpkin purée.
- Sweet Potato Brownies - if you've got sweet potatoes!
Rice Pudding
This Rice Pudding is rich and creamy, perfectly sweet and subtly spiced. It's the best easy, comforting dessert that can be enjoyed hot or cold!
Similar alternatives:
Bread Pudding - if you've got bread, or you can make your own bread!
Chocolate Fudge
This Chocolate Fudge is seriously indulgent, perfectly rich and creamy and secretly healthy. An easy no-bake dessert!
Similar alternatives:
Chocolate Mousse
This Chocolate Mousse is super rich and creamy, seriously indulgent and melt-in-your-mouth velvety!
Similar alternatives:
Healthy Snickers Ice Cream Bites
These 4-ingredient Healthy Snickers Ice Cream Bites taste deceptively indulgent and are unbelievably quick and easy to make!
Easy Sweet + Savoury Snacks
Protein Bars
These Protein Bars are perfectly chewy, filling and satisfying, and super nutritious.
Substitution tips:
- You can use any type of nut or seed butter.
- You can omit the protein powder.
Similar alternatives:
Energy Bars - if you don't have oats!
Gluten-Free Vegan Crackers
These Gluten-Free Vegan Crackers are crispy and crunchy, super easy to make and full of flavour!
Substitution tips:
- Poppy seeds can be omitted.
- You can use dried rosemary (or any other herbs) instead of fresh, or omit.
Granola Bars
These Granola Bars are chewy, nutty and perfectly satisfying.
Substitution tips:
- You can omit the desiccated coconut.
- You can use any nuts.
Similar alternatives:
Energy Balls
These Energy Balls are fudgy, chewy and super satisfying! They're really easy to make and require just 3 ingredients!
Substitution tips:
- You can replace the walnuts with any other nuts or seeds.
- You can use any type of nut or seed butter.
- You can replace the dates with raisins, prunes or dried apricots.
Similar alternatives:
- No-Bake Energy Bites - made with oats.
- Protein Balls - if you've got protein powder!
Candied Nuts
I seriously cannot recommend these Candied Nuts enough: an incredibly moreish and satisfying snack that takes less than 10 minutes to make!
Cashew Cheese Ball
This Cashew Cheese Ball is creamy, tangy and full of flavour!
Substitution tips:
- Omit the dried herbs.
- Omit the covering ingredients or cover with whatever chopped nuts or dried fruit you like.
Hummus
This Italian Hummus is made with creamy white beans and flavoured with fragrant rosemary, but you can also make it using chickpeas (or any other beans or pulses) and omit the rosemary!
Similar alternatives:
- Pumpkin Hummus - if you've got pumpkin purée.
- Sweet Potato Hummus (without a blender!) - if you've got sweet potatoes.
If you try out any of these vegan recipes using pantry staples, I'd really love to hear any feedback! Please give it a rating, leave a comment, or tag a photo @rhiansrecipes #rhiansrecipes on Instagram! Thank you.
gerrie
thank you. i really appreciate all you do.
Rhian Williams
Thank you so much, so happy to hear that!