Best Gifts for Vegans
The old mentality that veganism is a diet of limitations has never been more untrue, and you'll discover that when you begin shopping for gifts for vegans. With numerous culinary resources at their fingertips, today's vegans have proven themselves to be fiercely creative and innovative in the kitchen, continually developing new recipes and techniques to find joy in their meat-free journey.
And this is good news if you're searching for great gifts for vegans, as it's easier than ever! In fact, it's no surprise that many vegans are dedicated foodies, and they love what every other foodie loves: gadgets, cookbooks and truly great (non-dairy) cheese.
Whether you're a fellow vegan yourself or someone who's barely acquainted with aquafaba and tempeh, you're sure to find this guide to the best gifts for vegans helpful. So, let's jump into our lineup of vegan foodie gifts for your favorite plant-based person.
Cooking Classes
One of the best vegan foodie gifts isn't something that you can wrap or put in a box. The perfect gift for vegans is often an experience gift.
Whether the foodie in your life is a veteran vegan or a newly minted sprout, they will love attending a hands-on cooking class with a culinary professional. No matter their current level, they can learn how to take their plant-based culinary skills to the next level.
Conveniently, there are options across the U.S. and beyond, from cooking classes in NYC or New Orleans to experiences in Singapore, Mississauga and more.
via Cozymeal
Online Cooking Classes
If the foodie you're gifting would prefer to learn new recipes from home, gift them an interactive online cooking class. Your giftee can take one of these online vegan cooking classes from the comfort of their own kitchen while learning tips and tricks from a professional chef. Whether they need online cooking classes for beginners or something more advanced, this experience is sure to improve their plant-based culinary skills.
Private Chef Experiences
Treating the plant-based foodie in your life to a fine-dining meal created by a professional chef is one of the most thoughtful and unique gifts for vegans. This is the perfect way to elevate any date night or dinner party with gourmet vegan fare, from comfort food classics to contemporary culinary creations and beyond.
They can choose the cuisine, date and time, and a local chef will source the finest plant-based ingredients to prepare an incredible vegan meal for them. The chef will even clean up at the end. Simply browse private chefs near you to offer your friend or family member one of the best vegan foodie gifts money can buy!
via Cozymeal
Online Mixology Classes
Barring a bacon-garnished Bloody Mary or whiskey sour with egg whites, vegans love a good cocktail pairing. Allow them to master the art of cocktail making from home with one of the more out-of-the-box vegan gift ideas: an online mixology class.
Under the guidance of a knowledgeable professional mixologist, they'll learn all about the history of certain cocktails while receiving expert advice on everything from stirring and shaking techniques to the best flavor combinations. They can even discover how to pour perfectly, select the best tools and equipment, and more.
Virtual Wine Tasting
If your vegan foodie friends love learning all about wines, they'll really love an immersive virtual wine tasting experience. These live classes, led by some of the best-rated sommeliers in the industry, are a perfect way to indulge their love of wine.
Each carefully curated menu includes a variety of wines from around the world, complete with appetizers, tapas or small plates that perfectly pair with each bottle. Just remember to confirm that all wines being consumed are vegan, as some are filtered with animal products.
Foodie Gift Card
Sometimes the best gift idea for vegans is something they choose themselves! With a foodie gift card, they can do just that by selecting their favorite culinary experience or chef-approved cookware from the Cozymeal shop. You can purchase gift cards for $10 and up and they never expire.
Plant-Based Milk Frother
If your foodie friend is always looking for the best vegan coffee house, why not give them the tools they need to be their own barista? One of the best kitchen gifts for vegans in this category is the Aerolatte Milk Frother with Stand. This steam-free, battery-powered milk frother will have them whipping up soy, coconut or oatmilk lattes worthy of any coffee shop in no time.
Pasta Maker
Freshly made pasta tastes quite different than the boxed stuff — something you've probably experienced firsthand if you've ever dined at a fine Italian restaurant. Sure, it's possible to make delicious rustic pasta at home with nothing more than a knife, a rolling pin and some elbow grease.
But the vegan foodie in your life is probably looking to skip the arm workout and instead longing to craft paper-thin ribbons or Instagrammable shapes like bow-ties.
Now's the time to level up their equipment with a pasta-making tool, such as the useful Fante's Cousin Elisa's Cavatelli Maker. It's one of the most undeniably useful food gifts for vegans, especially if they are just learning how to make fresh pasta with plant-based ingredients.
Cutting Board and Knife Set
Of all the vegan foodie gifts, a knife and cutting board set, such as the Joseph Joseph Nest Boards Plus 6-Piece Knife & Chopping Board Set, is practically a necessity in the kitchen. Without a cutting board and good knives, almost no prep can be done.
This handy set comes with three cutting boards, along with six stainless steel knives. The cutting boards are all different colors, which can be useful if your vegan foodie lives with someone who cooks with animal products. They can both choose a color and avoid any pesky cross-contamination.
Mandoline
Essentially, much of a mandoline's work can be accomplished with a steady hand and a sharp knife. However, when slicing up zucchini ribbons and shredding Brussels sprouts, mandolines cut prep time down significantly and promise consistent, even results, which is why they make one of the best food gifts for vegans. And they're fun to use!
Most mandolines, such as the Benriner Mandoline Slicer, come with three or four slicing blades beyond the basic blade. These allow the user to slice at many thicknesses, from paper-thin to thick julienne (think French fries).
Blender
A quality blender, such as the Zwilling Enfinigy Personal Blender, is a small kitchen appliance that's essential to the vegan home cook. This cooking gift for vegans can transform bananas into ice cream, nuts into nut butters, beans into dips and more!
Of course, it's also great for smoothies, and the blender cup turns into a to-go cup for busy mornings on the go. Needless to say, a good blender is a vegan foodie gift that will be used daily.
Paella Pan
A large cast-iron skillet for paella is a great gift for vegans who love feeding a crowd. Contrary to popular belief, you don't need meat or seafood to make this Spanish staple dish — simply load up your rice with fresh vegetables, mushrooms, herbs and other aromatics for a plant-based version even meat-eaters will love.
A heavy-duty skillet like the Staub 13" Fry and Paella Pan serves well as part of any foodie's culinary arsenal, vegan or otherwise, and is one of the best paella pans on the market. This vegan kitchen gift is great for a range of other dishes as well, and can easily be transferred from the stove to the table for serving.
Kitchen Scale
Using the best kitchen scales ensures that recipes turn out just the way you want them to every time. When cooking vegan cuisine or baking plant-based treats, precise measurements are especially important to ensure dishes turn out just right.
If this sounds like something the vegan foodie in your life could use, the Zwilling Kitchen Scale is a solid and dependable little workhorse of a tool. It's accurate to 0.1 ounce (1 gram), making it one of the most precise scales on the market.
Vegans are certainly no strangers to spending time in the kitchen. Whether they're experimenting with flavors, trying out meat substitutes or practicing their plating, your plant-based special someone could surely use a hand.
From cooking classes to kitchen gadgets, let this list be your jumping-off point for some thoughtful food gifts for vegans. And you never know — you may just get served up a spectacular vegan meal as a thank you!