The Ultimate Vegan Pantry Staples List (+ Printable PDF)

New to plant-based cooking? Or do you just need a well-rounded list to check off your staples? This vegan pantry staples list is the ultimate grocery list to stock up your pantry. It includes everything from plant-based protein sources, to grains, shelf-stable items, and baking essentials. Plus, it's structured the same way as a grocery store to make shopping easier.

I swear by having a well-stocked pantry at all times when it comes to plant-based cooking. Why? 1) It allows you to quickly throw together a meal with just a few staples. 2) Oils, vinegars, condiments, and spice mixes are the secret to really flavorful plant-based recipes.

Elo's philosophy

I strongly believe in a plant-first approach to eating. An approach that prioritizes plants and real whole foods, no matter what the rest of your diet looks like.

To me, food variety is key for a fun and balanced diet. A well-stocked pantry makes it so easy to eat 30+ plants per week. If you already have a large variety of grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds at home, you just need to add fresh fruits, vegetables, and herbs to meet the "30 plants" mark.

P.S. You don't need to have all the items on the list at home at all times. But it's great to rotate through them. If you buy brown rice one time. Choose wild rice the next time.

Where to buy vegan staples?

In-store: You can find most of the pantry items on this list at any grocery store. These are very basic items that are naturally plant-based. You won't find many processed foods on this list (and those are the ones that can be harder to find). My tip is to buy in bulk whenever possible to save money in the long run.

P.S. You might have to check out the Asian market for things like tamari, toasted sesame oil, rice vinegar, and miso paste if you can't find those in the Asian aisle of your grocery store.

Online: For more specific ingredients, such as nutritional yeast and clean vegetable broth powder, I recommend looking online. My favorite stores are Thrive Market in the US and Koro in Europe. Amazon can be a great resource, too.

How to use this list

1. Print out the list.
2. Go through your pantry and assess what you still have at home and what you have run out of. This is also a great time to check expiration dates and discard anything that has expired.
3. Write down how many of each item you need.
4. Head out to the grocery store or place your online order.

Whole grains and legumes

• Rice: There are so many different varieties that are great for different purposes. I like basmati and brown rice for bowls and stir-fries. Jasmine rice and sushi rice are stickier and perfect with Asian-inspired dishes. Risotto rice (Carnaroli or Arborio) is a must for risottos.
• Wild rice: Even though it's not technically rice (it's actually the seed of semi-aquatic grass), it's a great one to throw in a bowl or salad from time to time. Another great alternative is red rice.
• Quinoa: It is super high in protein and the best base for nourishing bowls.
• Millet: It is such a great alternative to wheat couscous if you're gluten-free. And if you're not gluten-free, it's a great grain to have on hand to add more variety to your diet.
• Buckwheat: In my opinion, it's such an underestimated grain and a staple for salads. You can use it cooked as you would use rice, or raw/sprouted as a topping for salads and granola bowls.
• Red lentils: I always have red lentils at home for curries and dal. Did you know that you can also use them to make 2-ingredient wraps?
• French green lentils: They are amazing for stews and salads. You should absolutely try this Mediterranean Puy lentil salad.

Canned items

• Beans: I'm not gonna lie, I don't cook dry beans from scratch. But my pantry is stocked with all types of canned beans: white beans, kidney beans, black beans, chickpeas, and even brown lentils. They are super convenient for a quick protein boost. My tip is to try to find brands with clean ingredients (preferably just beans, water, and salt).
• Canned mushrooms: It may sound weird but it's a staple for homemade veggie burgers and meatballs. Hence why I always have a few cans in my pantry.
• Canned young/green jackfruit in brine: One of my favorite meat replacers! I love that you just have to rinse it under cold water and season it to have something similar to pulled pork.
• Canned diced tomatoes: I buy these in packs of 24 because I use them every week in stews, curries, salsa, and more.
• Canned full-fat coconut milk: Another staple for curries (and baking). Look out for brands that don't use gums or stabilizers. Just water and coconut.

Shelf-stable items

• Pasta: All types of pasta!! Different shapes, different sizes, and different ingredients. I love swapping regular pasta for red lentil and chickpea pasta from time to time since they are higher in protein. Don't forget lasagna sheets, and gnocchi (technically not pasta but I'm still going to include them here).
• Noodles: rice noodles, brown rice noodles, and (gluten-free) soba noodles are amazing for Asian dishes.
• Rice paper sheets: A must for spring rolls and pan-fried rice paper rolls.
• Dry falafel mix: My favorite option when I don't know what to cook. All you need to do is add water to the mix, shape the falafels, and cook them in a pan.
• Shelf-stable firm tofu: Not all tofu has to be refrigerated! I stock up on regular and smoked tofu and prepare them in different ways. Sliced, crumbled, diced, or shredded (with a box grater).
• Soy crumbles: You may also know them as textured soy protein, soy mince, or soy chunks. They come in different sizes and textures and are a great "meat substitute" made from just 1 ingredient (soy flour).
• Crackers and rice cakes: Great for a quick snack in between or in case you run out of bread.
• Tortilla shells: Always nice to have to serve with a quick chili sin carne.

Nuts, seeds, and nut butters

• Nuts: Raw almonds and raw cashews are the base of any vegan kitchen. Whether it's a main ingredient in a recipe, blended in sauces, or used to make homemade nut milk. For more variety, I also like walnuts, peanuts, and pecans.
• Seeds: Sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds, hemp seeds, and pine nuts are such nutrition boosters. My tip is to dry-roast them in a pan without oil to give them a lovely roasted flavor.
• Flax seeds and chia seeds: They work well as an egg-replacer as they get a thick gelatinous texture when combined with water.
• Nut butter: Everyone needs almond butter and peanut butter in their pantry. They are high in protein and healthy fats. But I must say that cashew butter is another favorite of mine to make sauces such as this easy bechamel sauce. Hazelnut butter is my guilty pleasure as it reminds me of Nutella when paired with chocolate.
• Seed butter: Sunflower seed butter and tahini are amazing if you're allergic to nuts. I like adding tahini to stews and sauces to make them extra creamy.

Flavor boosters

• Pastes: Think about curry paste, tomato paste, harissa, but also miso paste. These concentrated flavor boosters may be intimidating to work with but they really elevate the way your food tastes.
• Jarred items in oil or brine: I like to keep sun-dried tomatoes in oil, red peppers in brine, olives, artichokes hearts, pickles, and capers in my pantry.
• Nutritional yeast: It's incredible how cheesy it tastes and how much protein nutritional yeast has (60g of protein/100g)! It's also the cleanest parmesan cheese substitute out there.
• Vegetable broth powder: So much easier to use than boxed or jarred vegetable broth. I use it for soups or add it to the cooking water of my grains (it's such a nice way to boost flavor!). In general, I find that vegetable broth powders are made with cleaner ingredients than bouillon cubes (but it also totally depends on the brand).
• Sauces: When time is short, it's nice to have a ready-to-use sauce in the refrigerator. My favorites are gluten-free teriyaki sauce, vegan BBQ sauce, and hot sauce. You'll never see me buy sriracha because of the insane ingredients list.
• Spice mixes: They are my favorites to make my food taste different every day! Think about a Mexican, Italian, and Indian spice mix. But also curry powder and Cajun seasoning.
• Kala namak: It's unbelievable but this pink salt (yes it's pink and not black) has a very pronounced eggy flavor. I'd say that it's a nice-to-have ingredient for more advanced plant-based cooking but it's not necessary. I use it in my tofu scramble and omelet.

Oils and vinegar

• Olive oil and avocado oil: They are my personal go-to's for cooking. Avocado oil has a pretty high smoke point and olive oil gives your food that delicious Mediterranean flavor. For salad dressings I get a bottle of higher quality extra virgin olive oil.
• Toasted sesame oil: A key ingredient for Asian cuisine that adds so much flavor and variety to your meals. It's also amazing in dressings.
• Rice vinegar: It's probably the latest addition to my pantry, but there's nothing like it when it comes to Asian-inspired sauces. It's also a must to season sushi rice for sushi bowls and nori wraps.
• Tamari: It adds a salty and umami touch to sauces, stews, dressings, and marinades. You can replace it with coconut aminos, or dark soy sauce if you're not gluten-free.
• Red wine vinegar, apple cider vinegar, and balsamic vinegar: It may sound like a lot of different types of vinegar to have but they all add different flavors to your salad dressings. Red wine vinegar is also a staple to make pickled red onions.

Baking essentials

• Oats/oatmeal: I keep thick rolled oats for baking, and thinner quick-cooking oats for oatmeal/overnight oats in my pantry at all times. Make sure they are gluten-free certified if needed.
• Gluten-free flour: Oat flour, rice flour, buckwheat flour, and chickpea flour are the ones I use the most. Mostly for cakes, but also buckwheat galettes, or chickpea flour fritters.
• Baking powder and baking soda: For leavening (especially in combination with apple cider vinegar).
• Sweeteners: I keep it simple–white sugar, brown sugar, and maple syrup are my personal go-to's. But you may also like raw cane sugar and agave syrup.
• Vanilla extract: A must for baking in my opinion.
• Chocolate: Dark chocolate chips, dark chocolate bars, cacao nibs ,and cocoa powder cannot be missing in my baking drawer.
• Coconut oil: It's a great alternative to butter for baking. Choose refined coconut oil if you don't want it to taste like coconut.
• Non-dairy milk: I like to have a few bottles of shelf-stable non-dairy milk in my pantry just in case. Soy milk, almond milk, and gluten-free oat milk are my favorites. Make sure to get some made without oil, gums, and flavorings.

Don't forget to download your vegan shopping list to stock up your pantry! And feel free to share you're own plant-based staples in the comments below!