19 Vegan Comfort Foods To Satisfy Your Craving for Something Cozy

We all need those meals that wrap you in a warm hug, and that’s true whether you keep a vegan diet or just try to eat more plant-based from time to time. We’ve got no shortage of ideas when it comes to eating vegan, but sometimes you need something just a little extra comforting. We have plenty of dishes that won’t steer you wrong and require no animal products, but will keep you nourished and your tummy happy, whether you’re sharing them at a dinner party or eating them in jammies in front of your favorite movie. We’ve included some desserts as well as ways to make homemade “cheeses” and dishes that typically incorporate butter, because this is party is all about making everyone feel taken care of.

Shepherd’s pie makes such a natural transition to vegan, since, let’s face it, it’s all about the baked mashed potato topping. Standing in for the red meat that’s usually tucked beneath that potato blanket is a mushroom stew with peas and carrots (which comes together fast thanks to good old bagged frozen peas and carrots). This is stick-to-your ribs food that happens to be plant-based, too.

These have all the elements you want from a tostada: that crunchy fried corn tortilla base, of course, but then a hearty filling made from walnuts and black beans. Pepitas, diced bell peppers and corn add varying degrees of crunch, while avocado brings its always-welcome silken richness. Tostadas tend to be fork-and-knife food, but if you want to just treat it as finger food and bite it, we won’t judge.

We applaud the achievement of this vegan carrot cake, which bakes up to a moist deliciousness despite the eggs and is slicked with a gorgeous “cream cheese” frosting despite, well, no real cream cheese. An abundance of grated carrots provides structure and flavor (with some extra flour to make sure it all holds). The frosting is a perfectly balanced blend of vegan butter and cream cheese with sugar and salt that makes an ideal foil for the spice cake.

Nutritional yeast: For many years, it’s been the vegan secret weapon to getting that salty-umami punch that you normally get from aged cheeses. Here, Kardea Brown puts it to good use, express-seasoning a “cheese” sauce based on cashews. Once this bubbling baking dish comes out of the oven, we promise, it will make a fan out of anyone.

Sure, you can theoretically substitute your health-food-store version of vegan butter in a regular biscuit recipe. But this one cleverly employs a combination of that plus almond milk to impart just the flaky texture that you typically need butter or lard to achieve. These will complement any spread, from breakfast through dinner, so get ready for these to become your signature potluck contribution.

Vegan queso — not just an oxymoron! Here, again, cashews contribute the silky body and richness that normally come from processed cheese (is that even a dairy product anyway? We digress). Add those tortilla chips to your grocery cart, then add one more to be safe, because this will be scooped up all the way down to the last swipes.

You had us at molten lava cakes! But unlike your usual chocolate ones, these contain centers of oozing tahini, which really brings wonderful new dimensions to the chocolate notes. This recipe takes advantage of “aquafaba,” the water in a can of chickpeas. We know, it sounds a little off-the-wall at first blush, but vegans have known for a while now that this liquid mimics the meringue-qualities of whipped egg whites when beaten, and provides the same lift to this cake. Bonus — you’ve got chickpeas to toss into your meal!

Do we need to say more than just “lasagna” to entice you to make this? We know that eating sausage isn’t the point, but if you’re missing sausage, you will be pleasantly surprised at how pairing mushrooms with fennel seeds mimics that umami sausagey flavor. Tomato sauce and fresh basil here really calls to mind something a nonna would make.

We won’t say you need bacon to achieve baked-potato-soup greatness. This is a moot point for a vegan dish, after all. But you might just be shocked at how bacony the fried potato skins are, adding smokiness and crunchy texture to the top of a bowl. Pull out your oversize mugs, because this is the ultimate jammie-wearing, couch-sitting soup (no potato puns intended, we swear).

Dare we say we love a cauliflower wing even better than the original? These are crisp on the outside, but nearly molten on the inside, and collapse pleasantly upon contact. The buttery buffalo sauce really turns this into a classic.

Vegan baking isn’t always as simple as one-to-one replacing dairy with non-dairy substitutes; sometimes textures and flavors can go wonky, lost in translation. That’s why a thoughtful vegan recipe is worth its weight in gold. This one uses a genius combination of silken tofu and non-dairy cream cheese, with some lemon juice to get that tang just right and cornstarch to encourage their perfect texture.

There’s something about a vegan chili dog that seems so wrong—and yet, oh so right. Mary Berg’s version tops veggie dogs with a homemade cashew cheese that gains body from pureed potatoes. And last but not least, a smoky kidney bean chili makes it totally over-the-top.

This might make jaws drop for any vegans who long ago swore off one of the tastiest sprinkles, Parmesan cheese. This cashew-based version is ready to shake over any dish, just like the original. Give a shaker, loaded with the “cheese” as a gift to any vegan you love, along with a copy of the recipe.

You would never believe fettucine alfredo would be possible without dairy and eggs, as it famously became the target of all anti-cholesterol headlines of the 1980s. But this version (which even gets a boost of fiber from the almonds!) engineers that creamy, dreamy goodness with garlic and nutritional yeast to boost the cheesy notes and a bit of tang from soy cream cheese. The lemon is such a nice touch, you’ll always want it in an alfredo (even if you opt for a classic version from time to time).

This recipe is all about technique, rather than ingredients, since the latter are just of the ordinary store-bought variety. The tip is to cook at very low heat for longer, since vegan cheese melts much more slowly. Covering towards the end will further encourage meltage. You’ll be rewarded with that same griddled toastiness of the bread and oozy interior that makes this sandwich a timeless star.

We love what cauliflower does in chili, with a nice chew and silken yield when you bite into it. Here, it’s the main character along with hearty pinto beans and tomatoes. You’ll be amazed at the depth contributed by the coffee and cocoa powder, which we promise you won’t taste as their own singular flavors but which meld everything together into a rich and hearty dark bowl.

Here’s a bit of a revelation: Even store-bought vegetarian burger patties are candidates for smashing. And as with their beefy counterparts, the smashing results in lots of good crusty edges and the taste of the sear. With vegan cheese and a quickie sort of guacamole, these are an absolute feast.

Coconut milk is such a no-brainer non-dairy option to make a pumpkin pie. It plays so well with the pumpkin, but also with the traditional pumpkin pie spices. Coconut oil in the crust continues the tropical flavor but also results in delicious flakiness.