Craving something in particular? Searching on Google or using a popular hashtag on your favorite social media site is guaranteed to yield hundreds if not thousands of recipes. Need some recipe inspiration? Type in something generic or follow a favorite recipe developer, and you can scroll for hours watching videos of recipe tutorials, each more mouthwatering than the next. Given today’s technology, cookbooks aren’t a necessity. And yet, they endure.
Cookbooks ground us. They tell stories a caption just can’t capture. And practically speaking, they help keep our devices free from splatters. They won’t be lost in your endless feed of saved posts or forgotten as a new reel lights up your brain. These authors poured countless hours into their respective books, and we all benefit from supporting their work.
All of these vegan cookbooks were written by Black authors, and the contents range wildly. There are produce-focused books like Bryant Terry’s Vegetable Kingdom, health-focused books from Tracye Lynn McQuirter, and family-friendly works by Tabitha Brown and Charity Morgan.
Plant-based cookbooks by Black vegan chefs and authors
There’s always a bit more room on the shelf for a quality vegan cookbook. Listed in no particular order, here are 28 works by Black authors to check out right now.
1‘Island Vegan’ by Lloyd Rose
In Island Vegan, Lloyd Rose brings the vibrant flavors of the Caribbean to plant-based cooking. With recipes inspired by the rich culinary traditions of Haiti, Jamaica, Trinidad, and beyond, this cookbook proves that island cuisine can be just as bold and satisfying without meat. Enjoy dishes like Salt Phish, Pulled Jerk BBQ Sliders, Barbi Fried Chick’n, and the refreshing Piña Colada Ice Cream.
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2‘Eat What Elephants Eat’ by Dominick Thompson
As the name suggests, Dominick Thompson’s cookbook is inspired by elephants, the world’s largest land herbivores. The idea of eating like these powerful yet gentle animals came to him while serving time in federal prison. Now free, Thompson is committed to a life of kindness and wellness, helping others embrace nutrient-dense, plant-based eating. His cookbook is packed with flavorful, approachable recipes like Really Good Tofu Scramble, Watermelon Gazpacho, and the Mushroom Ramen Bowl.
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3‘Badass Vegan’ by John Lewis
John Lewis’ Badass Vegan is more than just a cookbook—it’s a manifesto. Alongside nourishing recipes, the book offers practical advice on breaking free from the Standard American Diet and embracing a plant-forward lifestyle. It provides thoughtful tips on transitioning gradually to a whole-food, plant-based diet, making the shift both accessible and sustainable.
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4‘Vegan Soulicious’ by Charlise Rookwood
Charlise Rookwood’s debut cookbook is a celebration of her Jamaican and Mauritian heritage. Blending food and storytelling, Vegan Soulicious features mouthwatering recipes like Jamaican Bread Pudding and Green Banana Porridge, alongside personal reflections on her upbringing in London. Part cookbook, part memoir, this collection offers a deeply personal and flavorful journey through Rookwood’s culinary roots.
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5‘Savoring’ by Murielle Banackissa
Savoring is a beautifully crafted plant-based cookbook by Murielle Banackissa. A celebration of slow, intentional cooking, it blends influences from the Republic of Congo, Russia, Ukraine, and Montreal, and offers tasty recipes like Coconut-Crusted Tofu, Peanut Butter and Sweet Potato Stew, and Fried Banana Beignets—each accompanied by stunning photography.
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6‘Cooking From the Spirit’ by Tabitha Brown
What started as a viral video in 2018 has bloomed into a full-fledged career. Tabitha Brown’s rave review of the Whole Foods TTLA vegan sandwich has led her down the path of influence and entertainment in media, from her Emmy-award winning children’s show to her Target collections to this joyful vegan cookbook. Here, Brown shares hearty, wholesome, and family-friendly recipes for the home cook, sans measurements (but don’t fret, just cook from the spirit!). Expect plenty of vibrant salads, nourishing breakfast options, and kid favorites like sloppy joes and Mexican pizza.
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7‘Eat Plants B*tch’ by Pinky Cole
Famed restaurateur and philanthropist Pinky Cole Hayes added cookbook author to her resume in 2022, but some may be surprised by its contents. Cole Hayes’ restaurant, Slutty Vegan, is known for its over-the-top sandwiches stacked with multiple patties, fried vegan seafood, and the infamous Slut Sauce (her version of secret sauce). Readers will find a good handful of Slutty Vegan adjacent eats, but the book is overwhelmingly full of more nourishing, healthier options—things Cole Hayes eats every day. Look for stewed chickpeas with mango salsa and plantains; Brussels rigatoni carbonara, and vegetable-based Barbecue Beet Loaf.
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8 ‘Black Rican Vegan’ by Lyana Blount
Lyana Blount is the founder of the New York City pop-up Black Rican Vegan, but if you can’t make it to the Big Apple to sample her delicious plant-based family recipes, we highly recommend ordering her cookbook instead. Expect to find 60 flavor-packed recipes, spanning from birria tacos to Bronx Fried Oyster Mushrooms.
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9‘Blk + Vegan’ by Emani Corcran
Food blogger Emani Corcran knows that going vegan doesn’t have to mean giving up your favorite comfort foods, and in this cookbook, she’s sharing her knowledge and deliciously satisfying (and protein-packed) vegan recipes with the wider world. Waffles, jambalaya, and Caribbean rice and beans are just a few examples of the tasty recipes you can find inside Blk + Vegan.
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10‘Forage & Feast’ by Chrissy Tracey
This cookbook from forager and chef Chrissy Tracey offers more than just delicious recipes. Through identification guides, nature photographs, and tips, Tracey will have you finding and cooking with wild ingredients, including dandelions and pawpaws, in no time.
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11‘Makini’s Vegan Kitchen’ by Makini Howell
Before Plum Bistro officially shuttered its doors in January 2025, the Seattle restaurant had been a favorite among vegans and non-vegans alike for two decades. Chef Makini Howell first shared her cult-favorite restaurant recipes nearly 11 years ago. This 10th-anniversary edition brings the chef’s cuisine right into your kitchen, so you can continuing savoring the delightful flavors of Plum Bistro.
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12‘Simple Goodness’ by Makini Howell
In her most recent title, chef Howell shares more than 140 plant-based recipes designed to “fit seamlessly into your lifestyle.” From cheesy beef taquitos to portobello gyros to eggplant parmesan with alfredo rigatoni and lemon olive oil arugula, Howell guides you through creating exquisite, flavor-packed recipes with ingredients you already have in your kitchen for truly “fuss-free” cooking.
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13‘Plentiful’ by Denai Moore
Jamaican food is often generalized into meat-heavy dishes. But, as with any cuisine, there are nuances. Author Denai Moore covers the spectrum of Jamaican dishes in this cookbook, from rice and pea arancini to heart of palm-based salt fish paired with fried savory green plantains. We also love the chapter titles in this book—“Salads That Aren’t Lame,” “Dessert as a Lifestyle,” and “Sides That Have Main Event Energy” immediately grabbed our attention.
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14‘Vegan Africa’ by Marie Kacouchia
This pan-African cookbook draws from the flavor traditions of 15 nations represented in over 70 recipes. Savor dishes such as Rwandan vegetable soup, atakilt wat (Ethiopian cabbage, potatoes, and carrots), vegetable mafe (Malian peanut stew), and more. Author Marie Kacouchia also includes plenty of appetizers, beverages, and desserts like coconut rice pudding and plantain pancakes. Even if you don’t cook from this book (though we hope you do), it’s a wonderful read to learn more about these food traditions and broaden your culinary knowledge.
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15‘Unbelievably Vegan’ by Charity Morgan
After batch cooking for an NFL team, author Charity Morgan knows her way around the kitchen. She prepped massive meals for many of the Tennessee Titan players when her husband—linebacker Derrick Morgan—played for the team. Her recipes satisfy both hungry athletes and families alike, from Buffalo Chick’n Tacos and loaded fries to chickpea-based vegetable omelets and jerk-spiced lentils.
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16‘Vegan Soul Food Cookbook’ by Nadira Jenkins
Chef Nadira Jenkin’s cookbook debut doesn’t disappoint. Expect to drool over Cajun Fried “Chicken” and Bacon-Lover Salad, but not before reading the introductory pages that offer a history of soul food cuisine and its staple ingredients.
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17 ‘By Any Greens Necessary’ by Trayce Lynn McQuirter
Trayce Lynn McQuirter’s first full-length work is more than just a cookbook—it’s a resource for inspiration and a direct letter to Black women. The book’s subtitle—A Revolutionary Guide for Black Women Who Want to Eat Great, Get Healthy, Lose Weight, and Look Phat—makes it a first of its kind. The book details McQuirter’s personal plant-based journey and provides over 40 excellent recipes that nourish the body and satisfy the soul.
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18‘Ageless Vegan’ by Trayce Lynn McQuirter
McQuirter’s second cookbook came to fruition as a mother/daughter project. Co-authored by McQuirter’s mom, Mary, Ageless Vegan focuses on foods for longevity and overall wellness. The book includes 100 plant-based recipes from divine maple French toast with strawberries to spicy Cajun quinoa with okra and tomato.
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19‘Vegan Soulfood Guide’ to the Galaxy by Afya Ibomu
Before you raise an eyebrow, the space-themed title does not entail freeze-dried hush puppies or “just add water” mac and cheese. Think of it as your comprehensive guide to vegan soul cuisine. From incredible recipes to grocery lists and eating-out tips, you’ll gain more than just a stellar collard green recipe from this book.
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20‘Vegan Hippie Sol’ by Dominique Williamson
Chef Dominique Williamson’s debut cookbook offers the beginner cook an entry into the wonder of vegan soul food. Each recipe offers tips and capitalizes specific directions to ensure the dish is always a success. The fifty-page primer includes all the Southern essentials—from smoked sausage gravy to Southern loaded cheddar grits.
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Bryant Terry
21‘Vegetable Kingdom’ by Bryant Terry
When an author has been named one of San Francisco Magazine’s “11 Smartest People in the Bay Area Food Scene” and Fast Company’s “9 People Who Are Changing the Food World,” we buy the cookbook. Vegetable Kingdom is James Beard-award-winning chef Bryant Terry’s fifth book, and it doubles as a reliable cooking resource and a gorgeous coffee table book. Recipes include standout dishes such as barbecue carrots with slow-cooked white beans and millet roux mushroom gumbo.
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Bryant Terry
22‘Afro Vegan’ by Bryant Terry
Terry’s fourth book focuses on the foods of the African diaspora. As the now former Chef-in-Residence of the Museum of African Diaspora in San Francisco, Terry is an expert in the cuisine. The 100-plus recipes present vegan twists on traditional dishes such as muscovado-roasted plantains and peanut stew with winter vegetables and corn dumplings.
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23 ‘Sweet Potato Soul’ by Jenné Claiborne
This beautifully photographed, comprehensive work of Jenné Claiborne’s recipes deserves to be a part of your everyday repertoire. Claiborne insists and proves that soul food doesn’t have to be celebration food—it’s everyday food, and it’s not just mac and cheese and fried foods. Yes, there are fluffy biscuits and sweet potato pie, but Claiborne also includes nourishing recipes such as Georgia watermelon and peach salad and Caribbean steamed cabbage.
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24‘Sweet Potato Soul Vegan Vibes’ by Jenné Claiborne
Need more Claiborne in your kitchen? The talented recipe developer released another vegan cookbook in February 2025. Vegan Vibes brings another 100 vibrant, flavor-packed, plant-based recipes from Claiborne, each inspired by her Southern roots and global flavors. It offers everything from curried red bean tacos to miso caramel banana pudding—proving that eating plants is as fun as it is delicious.
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25‘Rachel Ama’s Vegan Eats’ by Rachel Ama
Loyal fans of Rachel Ama’s popular plant-based recipe blog and YouTube channel practically did cartwheels when this vegan maven debuted her first cookbook in 2019. In cadence with Ama’s homemade-made-simple style, the book highlights dozens of one-pot-wonders, foolproof British classics, quick homey meals, and comforting classics from her Caribbean and West African roots. Cook your way through Caribbean dumplings to sticky toffee pudding!
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26
‘Vegan Soul Foodie Recipe Guide’ by Brooke Brimm
Rev. Dr. Brooke Brimm has made it her life’s work to help others live healthier, happier lives, and she does so through her spiritual counseling, yoga retreats, and this mindful vegan cookbook. The recipes prove that while soul food can be the celebratory dishes we tend to associate with the cuisine—such as macaroni and cheese, cobbler, and fried vegan chicken—it can also be healthy, fresh, and vibrant. Savor the balance this book provides between the vegetable-infused decadent dishes and the delicious everyday eats.
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27‘A Southern Girl’s Guide to Plant-Based Eating’ by Cametria Hill
Aimed at the beginner vegan, this personable plant-based resource guide offers more than recipes; Hill provides her best tips on eating out, grocery lists, plant-based alternatives, and cooking basics. Her recipes are both creative, accessible, and affordable, making the transition to vegan eating possible for everyone. Look forward to frying up banana nut hush puppies, Fiya Fiya CamBalaya, Carrie B’s Cornbread Dressing, and even gluten-free sweet potato pie. We’re already salivating.
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28‘Vegan Nigerian Kitchen’ by Tomi Makanjuola
Author Tomi Makanjuola will make your mouth water with over 100 plant-based Nigerian recipes from spicy soups and stews to delightful sweets and savory snacks. Given this many recipes, it’s hard to decide what to make first, but we highly recommend starting with the decadently soft and pillowy gurasa bread and pairing it with efo riro (leafy green stew) to sop up all the flavor. Note: the amount of scotch bonnet peppers you use is up to you!
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