Pantry Meal Recipes: Breakfast, Lunch, Snacks
There are many different reasons you might need to have a supply of food in storage. Whatever the cause, these Vegan Pantry Meal Recipes for breakfast, lunch/dinner, and snacks can help keep you comfortable and able to whip up tasty and wholesome meals, no matter what life throws your way! They are all plant-based and oil-free!
These oil-free vegan pantry meals are a lifesaver during power outages, storms, or when unexpected guests arrive. Made with long-lasting pantry staples like beans, grains, and canned veggies, they’re quick, budget-friendly, and delicious. Perfect for times when fresh ingredients aren’t available!
There are so many recipes you can make with shelf-stable ingredients like our crockpot meatless chili, these hearty black bean burgers, and this delicious roasted red pepper oil-free hummus.
Reasons these recipes are helpful
- Long Shelf Life Ingredients: Pantry staples like grains, legumes, and spices have a long shelf life, making it easy to create nutritious meals anytime.
- Budget-Friendly Meals: These oil-free, plant-based pantry recipes use affordable staples like beans, rice, and canned veggies, helping you save money without sacrificing flavor.
- Quick and Convenient: Made with ingredients you likely already have on hand, these recipes are perfect for whipping up meals without a last-minute grocery run.
- Versatile and Customizable: These recipes are easily adaptable, allowing you to mix and match pantry items to suit your taste and dietary preferences.
What are pantry meals?
Vegan pantry meal recipes are plant-based dishes made primarily from shelf-stable ingredients like canned beans, grains, pasta, nuts, seeds, and spices. They’re perfect for creating quick, nutritious meals without relying on fresh produce.
Keeping your pantry stocked
I live in rural North Carolina, and there are plenty of reasons to keep a stock of food on hand that can last for as least a couple of weeks. During the winter months, we sometimes have snowstorms and, when you live 10 miles from the closest grocery store as I do, you learn to plan ahead.
That’s why we always keep canned goods and shelf-stable foods on hand…just in case.
When the refrigerator seems a bit bare, and a trip to the grocery store for fresh produce isn’t an option, these vegan pantry staple recipes can get you through the rough spot and even make it more pleasurable.
So, whether it’s an illness, snowstorm, or another unforeseen emergency, the following recipes can help with getting over the slump.
What are pantry & freezer staples?
Each of the following recipes is made with pantry and freezer ingredients like beans, lentils, potatoes, frozen veggies, grains, pasta, and seasonings that you can keep on hand any time of the year.
If you are new to a whole food plant-based lifestyle, this Beginner Guide to Plant-Based Shopping might be very useful. As a matter of fact, I have created lots of plant-based guides to help beginners when they are first getting started.
Frequently Asked Questions
Essential pantry staples for vegan meals include dried or canned beans, lentils, rice, pasta, canned tomatoes, nut butters, oats, nutritional yeast, and a variety of spices and herbs. These items can be combined in countless ways to create delicious dishes.
Use spices, dried herbs, garlic and onion powder, nutritional yeast, tamari, or soy sauce to enhance the flavor of pantry meals. Canned coconut milk, tahini, or nut butters can also add creaminess and richness.
Yes, vegan pantry meals are excellent for meal prep because they often rely on shelf-stable ingredients, which can be prepared in advance and stored easily. Many recipes like soups, stews, and grain bowls keep well in the fridge or freezer.
Main Dish Recipes
DINNERS: Pantry Meals
These healthy pantry stable dinners make it easy to keep ingredients on hand to pull together a healthy dinner with what you already have available.
This Best Black Bean Burger vegan recipe gets some of the highest reviews on this website. People love that the patties are firm and can even be cooked on the grill without falling through.
Believe it or not, chili can be made healthy without loads of saturated fat and calories with this amazing Crockpot Vegan Chili that even has meat-eaters licking their lips.
No meat? No problem! This vegan black bean chili recipe has all the taste of a hearty chili and can be ready to eat in 15-minutes or less. The convenience of a three-ingredient dish without any greasy pans to clean.
When I need a quick crowd-pleasing dish that doesn’t require any cooking, my first go-to is this simple Black Bean and Corn Salad recipe.
I believe my love of creamy potato soup developed in childhood. It’s deep-rooted comfort food for me. Even now, it doesn’t have to be cold outside. We eat the vegan potato soup recipe year-round.
This Mexican Tortilla Soup is bursting with flavor and also happens to be completely vegan and oil-free.
This amazing vegan BBQ made with soy curls is so delicious and perfect for summertime festivities and the Fourth of July because it delivers a smoky, savory flavor that rivals traditional BBQ, pleasing both vegans and meat-eaters!
Breakfast Options
BREAKFASTS: Pantry Meals
These healthy pantry stable breakfasts make it easy to keep ingredients on hand to pull together a healthy breakfast with what you already have available.
Any given Saturday morning is likely to be a vegan pancake morning at my house with these delicious banana oat flour pancakes. They are light and fluffy, sugar-free, and gluten-free!
One of the questions I get asked the most is, “What can I eat quickly for morning break at work?” For the answer, let’s talk about overnight oatmeal.
These vegan waffles are healthy, gluten-free, and delicious! They are light and fluffy on the inside and crispy on the outside.
Sometimes I want something warm for breakfast, but different than my regular oatmeal. This breakfast quinoa bowl is unique and only takes about 15 minutes to prepare. No added sugar because the fruit is all the sweetener needed.
These banana oatmeal vegan muffins are wholesomely delicious and gluten-free! They are packed with healthy ingredients like oat flour, bananas, applesauce, almond milk, and spices and can be served for breakfast, snack, dessert, or any time!
Fluffy and moist sweet potato batter swirled with apple sauce, raisins and cinnamon makes a dozen muffins that are packed with beta carotene and fiber. These vegan Sweet Potato Muffins are a welcome addition to any breakfast! Make ahead of time and freeze for quick breakfasts on the go!
In addition to the deliciously amazing flavor and texture of these vegan chocolate chip muffins, you will appreciate the simple wholesome ingredient list.
Hash browns are one of my favorites! One thing I really love is making them in a waffle iron, quesadilla maker, or panini press because it cooks both sides at one time. No flipping required!
Smoked tempeh bacon is delicious for breakfast or on a sandwich. The secret to this deliciously smokey meat substitute is the marinade that requires only 3 ingredients.
Grits are a delicious and nutritious breakfast that can be ready to eat in minutes. Making healthy vegan grits is all determined by how they are seasoned, so let me show you some awesomely flavorful options.
Desserts & Snacks
SNACKS/DESSERTS: Pantry Meals
These healthy pantry-stable snacks make it easy to keep ingredients on hand to pull together a healthy snack with what you already have available.
Sometimes, I just need a little chocolate and this dairy-free silken tofu vegan chocolate mousse recipe fills the spot without me having to wear it on my hips. It can be made in less than 15 minutes flat, with only 4 ingredients that you’re likely to already have on-hand.
This oil-free hummus with roasted red pepper requires only a handful of ingredients and a few minutes to make. If you have 10 minutes and a blender or food processor, you've got a delicious healthy snack.
Sometimes you just need a little something sweet that doesn’t require a lot of effort. Whether you’re making a snack for yourself or for a crowd, these easy stuffed dates are the perfect healthy dessert or snack.
Vegan No-Bake Chocolate Pie recipe can be made in less than 15 minutes flat, with only 5 ingredients that you’re likely to already have on-hand and a blender.
All the taste of Grandma’s cookies, but none of the fat! These Vegan Oatmeal Raisin Cookies are oil-free, dairy-free, and egg-free, with only 88 calories and 1 gram of fat per cookie!
Remember the chocolate oatmeal cookies you used to eat as a kid? Recently, I wanted some of those and decided to play around in the kitchen a bit. These vegan chocolate peanut butter cookies are what I came up with as a much healthier version.
This beautifully decadent chocolate cake recipe is not only amazingly delicious, but it also happens to be vegan and completely sugar-free (with unrefined sugar option also available). It’s perfect for birthdays, parties, and holidays!
No kidding! This healthy chocolate hummus is so easy to make. If you’ve got 5-minutes and a blender, you’ve got a delicious dessert.
Crockpot lava cake is rich, delicious, and super easy to make. It’s a chocolate lover’s dream come true!
The ultimate snack for traveling! We are loving this little crunchy, tangy, protein-packed roasted chickpea snack. Warning, you will need to make more than one batch!
Popcorn is one of the world’s healthiest and most popular snack foods. Whether binge-watching your favorite TV show or sitting down to a movie with friends, air-popped popcorn is a great snack. These are our favorite healthy vegan popcorn topping options.
If you have 10-minutes and a blender, you’ve got a crazy delish easy vegan black bean dip!
This easy vegan hummus takes only about 10-minutes to make and requires absolutely no cooking. It also happens to be completely gluten-free.
This beautifully vibrant green edamame hummus recipe is bursting with flavor! It makes a delicious dip for veggies or even a spread for sandwiches and wraps.
Shelf-Stable Plant-Based Seasoning Blends
I hope you enjoyed browsing this list of plant-based pantry meal recipes and that it has inspired you to stay prepared for storms, sickness, power outages, or any unexpected events. With these recipes, you can create delicious and nourishing meals no matter the circumstances!
About Terri Edwards
Hi guys! I am the content creator behind EatPlant-Based and a licensed Food for Life instructor with the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine. I am passionate about sharing healthy recipes and tips to empower others to get healthy. I’m so glad you’re here! Read More…