A comprehensive guide of essential vegan pantry staples you need on hand to make cooking easy, healthy, and delicious. Plus a FREE printable!
I am a sucker for a fully stocked pantry! There is nothing better than finding a delicious recipe and having all of the ingredients already on hand. It is also nice to have grains, canned goods, and sauces readily available when you don’t have a lot of fresh produce. I believe a stocked pantry is the key to making affordable and healthy meals.
Today, I am laying it all out for you with my comprehensive list of essential vegan pantry staples. This is a great list for beginner vegans or anyone wanting to bulk up their pantry game. Many of these items end up costing pennies per serving and are a great base to start any meal. Whoever argues that “being vegan is too expensive” has yet to see this list!
Here are all of the categories of vegan pantry staples that we’ll be covering (click to jump to a specific section):
- Grains
- Legumes
- Nuts, Seeds, and Dried Fruits
- Baking and Sweeteners
- Canned Goods
- Oils, Vinegars, and Sauces
- Spices
Grains
Grains are an essential part of any healthy diet. They are extremely versatile and can either be used as a side dish or the star of a meal. Also, grains are loaded with nutrients like fiber that help keep you full throughout the day. I love starting the day off with some oatmeal, using up my fresh veggies in a noodle stir fry or adding rice or orzo to a soup to bulk it up a bit. Plus, I’m a self-proclaimed popcorn addict and buy bulk kernels, so I always have popcorn waiting to be popped!
Below are the grain staples I always like to have on hand:
- Barley
- Brown rice
- Couscous
- Corn
- Farro
- Rice noodles
- Rolled oats
- Popcorn
- Orzo
- Quinoa
- White rice
- Whole-grain bread
- Whole-wheat pasta
Legumes
If you’ve been vegan for even a short amount of time, I’ve sure you’ve heard this question, “where do vegans get their protein from?” Legumes are a big player when it comes to getting protein in a vegan diet. In fact, one cup of cooked lentils has about 18 grams of protein and 15 grams of fiber. Even 1/2 cup of beans contains about 7 grams of protein which is the same amount of protein as 1 ounce of steak. Plus, legumes are high in antioxidants and fiber, which animal proteins or not. All that to say, make sure you always have legumes on hand for a nutrient-rich meal.
Below are the legume staples I always like to have on hand:
- Chickpeas (garbanzo beans)
- Black beans
- Edamame
- Great northern beans
- Kidney beans
- Lentils (green, red, black)
- Mung beans
- Peas (split or whole)
- Refried beans
Nuts, Seeds and Dried Fruits
Nuts and seeds are great as a snack or thrown on top of things like soups, salads, or grain bowls. My two favorites to have on hand from this list are cashews and nut-butter. Cashews are extremely versatile and good on their own or made into cashew cream for pasta dishes, cream cheese, or vegan queso. The same goes for nut-butters! I enjoy a spoonful of peanut butter as a snack or add nut-butter to things like chia pudding, smoothies, or cookie dough bites!
Below are the nut staples I always like to have on hand:
- Almonds
- Cashews
- Chia seeds
- Dried cranberries
- Flaxseed meal
- Hemp hearts
- Nut-butter (almond, peanut, sunflower, etc.)
- Peanuts
- Pecans
- Pumpkin seeds
- Raisins
- Sesame seeds
- Sun-dried tomatoes
- Sunflower seeds
- Walnuts
Baking and Sweeteners
Do you ever get a craving for homemade cookies, brownies, or donuts? I’m with you! That is why it’s always nice to have the baking basics – flour, baking powder, sugar, etc. – on hand so you can easily make any baked goods you want, whenever you want.
Below are the baking and sweetener staples I always like to have on hand:
- Agave
- All-purpose flour
- Almond flour/meal
- Arrowroot flour
- Baking powder
- Baking soda
- Brown sugar
- Chocolate chips (I use the Enjoy Life brand because they are easily available)
- Cocoa or cacao powder
- Coconut sugar
- Cornstarch
- Jam or jelly
- Maple syrup
- Medjool dates
- Oat flour
- Powdered sugar
- Protein powder
- Vanilla extract
- White sugar
- Whole-wheat flour
Canned Goods
Canned goods are a lifesaver when you don’t have a lot of fresh produce on hand or when you feel like making a lazy vegan dinner. If you have a nice stockpile of canned goods, you’ll always be able to whip up something. I like to do taco bars a lot using canned beans, corn, and jalapeños, or make a homemade pasta sauce using canned tomatoes and artichoke hearts.
Below are the canned goods I always like to have on hand:
- Applesauce (preferably unsweetened)
- Artichoke hearts
- Canned beans (black, pinto, garbanzo, refried, etc.)
- Canned vegetables (carrots, corn, green beans, peas, etc.)
- Coconut cream
- Coconut milk (full fat and light)
- Curry sauce (green, red or yellow)
- Dairy-free milk (I like to get a couple of unsweetened milks for cooking purposes and a couple of vanilla flavored milks for baking and for my coffee)
- Diced tomatoes
- Enchilada sauce (red or green)
- Jackfruit in brine
- Jalapeños
- Olives
- Pasta sauce
- Pumpkin
- Tomato paste
Oils, Vinegars, and Sauces
I am a BIG sauce girl! Every meal I cook at home is accompanied by at least 3-4 sauces on the table. Additionally, an assortment of oils and vinegars is always good for baking and cooking purposes or adding some tang to a stir fry or salad dressing.
Below are the oils, vinegars, and sauces I always like to have on hand:
- Apple cider vinegar
- Balsamic vinegar
- Canola oil
- Chili paste
- Coconut oil
- Coconut aminos
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Hot sauce (Cholula, Franks, Tapatio)
- Ketchup
- Mustard (brown, dijon, yellow)
- Nutritional Yeast
- Red wine vinegar
- Rice vinegar
- Sesame oil
- Sriracha
- Soy sauce (or tamari sauce if you’re gluten-free)
- Tahini
- Vegan fish sauce
- Vegetable Better Than Bouillon
- Worcestershire sauce
- White miso paste
- White wine vinegar
Spices
Spices are what bring a dish to the next level! You could have plain vegetables and give them a whole new life with the addition of some spices. As I’ve spent more and more time in the kitchen, I’ve loved experimenting with different spices and the flavor they add. I recommend getting fresh herbs like basil, cilantro, thyme, parsley, and rosemary whenever possible, but in a pinch, dried herbs get the job done too!
Below is my full spice collection:
- Allspice
- Basil
- Bay leaves
- Cayenne
- Celery salt
- Cilantro
- Cinnamon
- Chili powder
- Chinese five-spice
- Cloves (ground and whole)
- Cumin
- Curry powder
- Dill
- Garlic powder
- Ground cardamom
- Ground coriander seed
- Ground ginger
- Ground nutmeg
- Lemon pepper
- Marjoram
- Mustard seed
- Onion powder
- Oregano
- Paprika (sweet and smoked)
- Pumpkin pie spice
- Red pepper flakes
- Rosemary
- Sage leaves
- Salt (coarse, fine, Himalayan, and Kosher)
- Star anise
- Tarragon
- Thyme
- Turmeric
- White pepper
- Whole black peppercorns
There is my full vegan pantry staples list! Comment below anything I missed that is a must-have in your home. Make sure you are also following along on Instagram and Pinterest for more food inspiration!
Wow loving this compilation, thank you!
So thorough and helpful!
this is so helpful, thank you!
Wow this list is so comprehensive and super helpful. Thanks!