I’ve been a cookbook collector for a long time.

All kinds of cookbooks fascinate me because I love food—eating it, preparing it, making it for other people, reading about it and especially writing about it. That’s why I’m really excited to share this list of hip, exciting vegan cookbooks.

Years ago, it used to be that the vegan cookbooks were all blah compendiums on the delights of lentils. They all had very beige covers and looked like they were written by people who wore nothing but hand-knit ponchos and lived on communes back in the 70s where everyone bonded over dishes of brewer’s yeast.

Luckily, vegan cooking (and cookbooks) have come a long way since then. A vegan diet is vibrant, energetic, full of creativity, exotic flavors and a whole lot of fun. These 15 unconventional cookbooks prove that vegan cooking is a so much more than bowls of brown rice.

It’s about waffles and cupcakes, smoked cauliflower, backyard BBQs, soul food, parties, chocolate and pizza, but most of all being a vegan is about loving what you eat, loving your body and loving your planet.

Here are 15 Fun and Exciting, Unconventional Vegan Cookbooks:

Cookin’ Crunk: Eatin’ Vegan in the Dirty South by Bianca Phillips.

I’ve always thought that soul food represented a celebration of the South’s bounty of produce and this book is a perfect example of that. With plenty of southern sass and spirit, Phillips stays true to the culture and roots of soul food, while proving that meat and dairy aren’t necessary to the tradition.

Dirt Candy: A Cookbook by Amanda Cohen.

Part memoir, part graphic novel and all vegan cookbook, Dirt Candy is Chef Amanda Cohen’s story of creating one of the most popular and innovative vegan restaurants in the world—and it includes all of her best loved recipes.

Vedge: 100 Plates Large and Small by Rich Landau and Kate Jacoby.

Landau and Jacoby are true vegetable artists and they show off their unrivaled skills as vegan chefs at their Philadelphia restaurant Vedge. In their cookbook by the same name, you’ll find a huge variety of unique, yet amazingly uncomplicated ways to prepare vegetables.

Vegan Lunchbox by Jennifer McCann.

I fell in love with McCann’s imaginative blog where she photographed the fun, playful vegan lunches she packed for her son each day. McCann inspired me and I was overjoyed when her cookbook, complete with plenty of photos, was published a few years ago. This book is a must have for any vegan with children or without. Warning: you will find yourself obsessively shopping for Bento boxes after reading this book.

Grilling Vegan Style: 125 Fire-Up Recipes to Turn Every Bite Into a Backyard BBQ by John Schlimm.

To me, no summer is complete without BBQs and for many people, BBQing is synonymous with meat. With Schlimm’s recipes, no one, not even the most dedicated carnivores, will miss the animal protein.

Vegan Junkfood: 225 Sinful Snacks that are Good for the Soul by Lane Gold.

Sometimes vegans need to pig out too, in moderation of course, and this book is all about comfort food. Lane Gold will show you how to make the familiar foods you love into delectable vegan meals.

Lick It! Creamy Dreamy Vegan Ice Creams Your Mouth Will Love! by Cathe Olson.

The title of this book says it all. Filled with imaginative recipes and traditional favorites, Olson’s non-dairy frozen treats are sure to delight.

Party Vegan by Robin Robertson

This book contains over 140 vegan recipes, but it’s more than simply a cookbook. Party Vegan will help readers plan meat and dairy free celebrations for every occasion.

Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World: 75 Dairy Free Recipes for Cupcakes that Rule by Isa Chandra Moskowitz and Terry Hope Romero.

Life isn’t complete without cupcakes and this cookbook has them all from classic chocolate to chai latte.

Isa Does It: Amazingly Easy, Wildly Delicious Vegan Recipes for Every Day of the Week by Isa Chandra Moskowitz.

With 150 simple recipes that even the busiest vegan can throw together at a moment’s notice, this is your perfect weekday cookbook.

The Oh She Glows Cookbook by Angela Liddon.

Popular vegan blogger Liddon shares her best and healthiest dishes. Liddon’s recipes are packed with super-foods and this book is allergy-friendly with lots of gluten-free options too.

Vegan Chocolate: Unapologetically Luscious and Decadent Dairy-Free Desserts by Fran Costigan.

A guilty pleasure cookbook for chocoholic vegans, but it’s okay because chocolate has anti-oxidants, right?

Bake and Destroy: Good Food for Bad Vegans. by Natalie Slater.

Slater has a fantastically quirky sense of humor that really comes across in her recipes. She’s been described as “Martha Stewart meets Iron Maiden,” and her recipes are one of a kind.

Vegan Pizza by Julie Hasson.

Hasson proves that going vegan doesn’t mean giving up delicious pizza and in this creative cookbook, Hasson redefines and puts a refreshing new spin on the old crust and sauce stand-bys.

Vegan Eats World: 300 Recipes for Savoring the Planet. by Terry Hope Romero.

I love the play on words in the title and how it sums up what vegan cooking should be about. Eating our vegetables should be as much about savoring life as saving the world and Terry Hope Romero spreads that message in the best possible way with her delicious and different multicultural meals.

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Editor: Travis May

Image: Wiki Commons