Mexican food was built on corn, beans, squash and chiles long before anyone brought pork or cheese to the table. That is why vegan Mexican cooking can work so well. The tricky part is the rest of the menu: lard in the beans, crema on the enchiladas, chicken stock in the rice.
This guide looks at seven print cookbooks for cooks who eat vegan or vegetarian, or who cook for someone who does. They do not all follow the same rules, so we state plainly where each one stands. Some are vegan throughout, one is vegetarian, one is plant-forward with meat and dairy options, and for two we say what we could and could not confirm. We also say which books have a named review and which rest on the publisher’s and authors’ own details.
Julia’s earns a commission on purchases made through links on this page, at no cost to you. Recommendations are based on what a Mexican kitchen looks for in a cookbook, publisher information and published reviews, which we name.
Quick verdict: the best vegan Mexican cookbook to buy
Start with Alexa Soto’s Plantas: fully plant-based, reviewed by Publishers Weekly, and it teaches the basics along with the dishes. For a larger strictly vegan book, choose Dora Ramírez’s Comida Casera. If you eat vegetarian rather than vegan, choose Margarita Carrillo Arronte’s The Mexican Vegetarian Cookbook, with 400 recipes.
The other four suit a shorter read, quick swaps, weeknight dinners and a table of mixed eaters.
Five vegan and vegetarian Mexican cookbooks side by side
Five of the seven, one for each kind of cook, with the details each publisher gives. All seven are described in full below.
| Cookbook | Best for | Diet | Length | Buy on Amazon |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Plantas, Alexa SotoBest overall
|
One vegan book that does it all | Vegan | 256 pages, hardcover | View on Amazon |
Comida Casera, Dora RamírezBest for depth
|
Deep, serious vegan cooking | Vegan | 336 pages, hardcover | View on Amazon |
The Mexican Vegetarian Cookbook, Margarita Carrillo ArronteBest vegetarian
|
Vegetarians who want a reference | Vegetarian, with some vegan dishes | 416 pages, hardcover | View on Amazon |
La Vida Verde, Jocelyn RamirezBest short book
|
A short, personal first book | Plant-based; check each recipe if strict | 160 pages, paperback | View on Amazon |
Comemos, Alejandra GrafBest for mixed households
|
Vegans and omnivores at one table | Plant-forward, with meat and dairy options | 208 pages, hardcover | View on Amazon |
Cover images from Amazon. Page counts and formats are for the editions linked; other editions differ.
Our picks for the best vegan Mexican cookbook, book by book
We have not cooked our way through these books. Where we describe a book’s strengths, we say whose view that is.
1. Plantas, Alexa Soto – Traditional Dishes, Fully Vegan
If you want one vegan Mexican cookbook, start here. Alexa Soto is a Mexican-American recipe creator behind the blog Fueled Naturally, and the argument of her debut book is the one Publishers Weekly picked out: “Mexican cooking is rooted in plants.” Her publisher says the book takes traditional dishes from breakfast to dessert and adapts them to plant-based cooking, and she shot the photographs herself.
Publishers Weekly describes a book that opens with basics, including how to season a molcajete and an olla de barro, then flour and corn tortillas, lime mayonnaise and several Mexican rices. The stand-ins are clever: mashed chickpeas for tuna in quesadillas, hearts of palm for shrimp in ceviche, oyster mushrooms for pork in chicharrón tacos. Chocoflan, churros and cucumber margaritas round it out.
The review called it “a heartfelt guide for vegans and those wishing to adopt a plant-based lifestyle.” Its publisher lists VegNews and Tasting Table among the outlets that named it a best cookbook of 2024. This is strictly a plant-based book, so nothing needs adapting.
Why we like it
- Reviewed by Publishers Weekly
- Named on VegNews and Tasting Table best-of lists, per the publisher
- Teaches basics such as tortillas and seasoning a molcajete
- Vegan versions of dishes from breakfast to dessert
Key specifications
| Author | Alexa Soto |
|---|---|
| Publisher | Voracious (Little, Brown) |
| Year | 2024 |
| Pages | 256 |
| Format | Hardcover |
| Recipes | Not stated |
| Focus | Vegan versions of traditional dishes |
| Best for | Vegans who miss the classics |
Why we recommend it
It has the strongest outside support of the vegan books here, and it teaches the kitchen basics as well as the swaps. It suits both full-time vegans and cooks who simply want more plants on the table.
Skip it if you would rather eat vegetables as vegetables. Much of the book is about replacing meat and fish in familiar dishes.
Pros and cons
Pros
- Fully plant-based
- Named review and best-of lists
- Covers basics, mains, desserts and drinks
Cons
- Publisher gives no total recipe count
- Relies on stand-in ingredients such as hearts of palm
2. Comida Casera, Dora Ramírez – Vegan Home Cooking in Depth
Comida Casera is the biggest strictly vegan book here. Hachette Go promises more than 100 vegan recipes over 336 pages, in chapters that run from everyday comfort food to fine dining. It also includes Indigenous recipes developed with traditional cooks, and it draws on Mexico’s markets and street vendors.
Dora Ramírez was born and raised in Mexico and is a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America. Her publisher calls her a James Beard Award winner. She runs Dora’s Table and is the author of Vegan Tamales Unwrapped, so if tamales are your goal this author has form. Our guide to tamales covers the basics.
Sample recipes from the publisher include almond queso fresco, green chilaquiles, chilorio burritos, pumpkin seed enchiladas and vanilla flan. Endorsements on the publisher’s page come from cookbook writers including Joe Yonan and Toni Okamoto. What we say here rests on the publisher’s and author’s own details.
Why we like it
- More than 100 vegan recipes, per the publisher
- Born in Mexico and trained at the Culinary Institute of America
- Includes Indigenous recipes developed with traditional cooks
- Runs from everyday food to fine dining
Key specifications
| Author | Dora Ramírez |
|---|---|
| Publisher | Hachette Go |
| Year | 2025 |
| Pages | 336 |
| Format | Hardcover |
| Recipes | More than 100 |
| Focus | Vegan Mexican home cooking |
| Best for | Cooks ready for a big, serious book |
Why we recommend it
Choose it when you want one thick book to cook from for years, with recipes that go beyond the usual tacos and bowls.
Skip it if you want quick dinners only. A book that reaches fine dining will ask for more time on some nights.
Pros and cons
Pros
- Strictly vegan
- Longest vegan book here
- Author with restaurant training
Cons
- Our view rests on publisher and author details
- Larger hardcover, less handy for quick weeknights
3. The Mexican Vegetarian Cookbook, Margarita Carrillo Arronte – Four Hundred Meat-Free Recipes
This one is vegetarian, not vegan, and that is the first thing to know. Phaidon calls it a guide to vegetarian Mexican home cooking, including vegan, gluten-free and dairy-free dishes, so vegans will need to choose among its recipes. Publishers Weekly says each recipe lists its region, its timing and its dietary status, which makes that easy.
At 400 recipes it is much the largest book on this page. Carrillo Arronte is the chef behind Phaidon’s Mexico: The Cookbook, and this book covers breakfast through dessert, with a chapter on pulses and sections on breads, drinks, sauces and staples such as corn tortillas. The publisher says it uses accessible ingredients and suits cooks of all skill levels.
Publishers Weekly praised the range but found little in the way of headnotes, saying that “readers should expect a reference rather than a personalized guide.” The publisher also quotes the Washington Post, which called it “just as indispensable” as her first book, and Bon Appétit named it a best cookbook of 2022, according to the same description.
Why we like it
- 400 recipes, by far the largest book here
- Recipes list region and dietary status, per Publishers Weekly
- Named a Bon Appétit best cookbook of 2022, per the publisher
- Includes a chapter on pulses
Key specifications
| Author | Margarita Carrillo Arronte |
|---|---|
| Publisher | Phaidon |
| Year | 2022 |
| Pages | 416 |
| Format | Hardcover |
| Recipes | 400 |
| Focus | Vegetarian Mexican, with some vegan dishes |
| Best for | Vegetarians and flexible eaters |
Why we recommend it
This is the reference on the shelf for any meat-free Mexican dish. It is the first choice for vegetarians, and vegans can still use the labeled recipes.
Skip it if you need every recipe to be vegan, or you like a writer’s voice in the headnotes.
Pros and cons
Pros
- Huge range, all meat-free
- Dietary status listed on each recipe
- Strong named reviews
Cons
- Vegetarian, not strictly vegan
- Few headnotes, per Publishers Weekly
4. La Vida Verde, Jocelyn Ramirez – A Grandmother’s Dishes, Plant-Based
La Vida Verde is short and personal. Jocelyn Ramirez is the chef and founder of Todo Verde, a plant-based catering company in Los Angeles, and the publisher says these 60 recipes are plant-based versions of dishes she grew up making with her grandmother.
The recipes include queso fresco, árbol chile salsa and handmade tortillas, then mains such as jackfruit carnitas tacos, tortilla soup and mushroom mole verde. Our guide to mole explains the family of sauces that last dish belongs to. The publisher pitches the book at vegans and meat-eaters alike. It is sold as plant-based, but we could not confirm every recipe from the description alone, so check the ingredients if you are strict.
Endorsements on its description come from Gustavo Arellano of the Los Angeles Times and from Jenné Claiborne, who called it “the vegan Mexican cookbook of my dreams.” Those are endorsements, so treat this as resting on the publisher’s and author’s own details. It was sold by a third-party seller when we checked, so look at who is selling.
Why we like it
- 60 recipes from a Los Angeles plant-based chef
- Rooted in family recipes
- Covers staples such as queso fresco and tortillas
- Paperback and compact
Key specifications
| Author | Jocelyn Ramirez |
|---|---|
| Publisher | Page Street Publishing |
| Year | 2020 |
| Pages | 160 |
| Format | Paperback |
| Recipes | 60 |
| Focus | Plant-based family dishes |
| Best for | Cooks who want a shorter first book |
Why we recommend it
At 160 pages it is the easiest book here to read through, and it has a clear personal point of view.
Skip it if you want hundreds of recipes, or you only buy from Amazon directly. It came from a third-party seller when we checked.
Pros and cons
Pros
- Compact and personal
- Author runs a plant-based food business
- Staples and mains in one book
Cons
- Third-party seller when we checked
- Our view rests on publisher and author details
5. Make It Plant-Based! Mexican, Andrea Aliseda – Vegan Versions of Favorites
This is a focused, friendly entry in Workman’s Make It Plant-Based! series. The subtitle promises more than 50 recipes for vegan soups, tacos, tortas and sweets, and the publisher says they rely on pantry staples, fresh produce and meat- and dairy-free alternatives.
Andrea Aliseda is a Los Angeles food and culture writer and plant-based recipe developer, whose work has appeared in the Los Angeles Times, Bon Appétit and Epicurious. Sample recipes include cabbage and poblano flautas, squash blossom tempura, zucchini Baja fried “fish” tacos and tortilla soup, and a plant-based tres leches.
The book covers starters, mains, masa-based meals, tacos, desserts and salsas in 192 pages. What we say here rests on the publisher’s and author’s own details.
Why we like it
- 50-plus vegan recipes, per the subtitle
- Uses pantry staples and fresh produce
- Includes masa-based meals and salsas
- Written by a published food writer
Key specifications
| Author | Andrea Aliseda |
|---|---|
| Publisher | Workman Publishing |
| Year | 2025 |
| Pages | 192 |
| Format | Hardcover |
| Recipes | 50-plus |
| Focus | Vegan versions of favorite dishes |
| Best for | Newer vegan cooks |
Why we recommend it
It is a short route to the dishes you already crave, from a writer who knows the food. It works well as a first vegan Mexican book.
Skip it if you already own Plantas. The two overlap in purpose, and Plantas is longer.
Pros and cons
Pros
- Vegan throughout, per the title
- Approachable size
- Good spread of courses
Cons
- Fewer recipes than most books here
- Our view rests on publisher and author details
6. Plant Powered Mexican, Kate Ramos – Fast Plant-Focused Dinners
Kate Ramos writes the Mexican-inspired food blog ¡Hola! Jalapeño, and this book carries the subtitle Fast, Fresh Recipes from a Mexican-American Kitchen. It has more than 70 recipes, and listed examples include al pastor winter squash and jackfruit tinga grain bowls.
Library Journal covered it, describing a fresh, plant-focused look at Oaxacan and southern Mexican food. The linked paperback dates from 2025; the book first appeared in hardcover in 2021.
A note on diet. The book is plant-focused, and one reader on NetGalley described it as vegetarian and vegan, but we could not confirm that every recipe is strictly vegan. If you avoid all animal products, check each recipe’s ingredients before you commit to it.
Why we like it
- More than 70 recipes from a Mexican-American home cook
- Covered by Library Journal
- Built around fast, fresh dinners
- Paperback, sold new by Amazon when we checked
Key specifications
| Author | Kate Ramos |
|---|---|
| Publisher | Harvard Common Press |
| Year | 2025 (this paperback) |
| Pages | 192 |
| Format | Paperback |
| Recipes | More than 70 |
| Focus | Plant-focused Mexican dinners |
| Best for | Weeknight cooks |
Why we recommend it
The word fast is in the subtitle, and that is why it is here. It suits a cook who wants vegetables at the center of dinner on a working night.
Skip it if you need a guarantee that every recipe is vegan.
Pros and cons
Pros
- Quick by design
- Plant-focused throughout
- Sold new by Amazon when we checked
Cons
- Strict vegan status not confirmed
- Fewer recipes than the largest books here
7. Comemos, Alejandra Graf – One Table, Vegans and Omnivores
Comemos is plant-forward, not strictly vegan, and that is the whole idea. Alejandra Graf is vegan and her family is not, and she spent years cooking for both. Her publisher says she set out to create recipes that appeal to vegans and omnivores alike, and the 85 recipes come with variations for vegans, vegetarians and non-vegans, often with dairy and meat options.
Graf was born in Mexico and grew up in Mexico City, and she runs the blogs Piloncillo y Vainilla and AleCooks. Chapter openers and headnotes place each dish in Mexican culture, and the sections run from Los Básicos through Desayuno, Botanas, La Comida, Para el Fin, Sobremesa and Bebidas.
Published in September 2026, it is very new. Endorsements on her site come from Pati Jinich and Mely Martínez, among others. Those are endorsements, so this pick rests on the publisher’s and author’s own details.
Why we like it
- 85 recipes, each with variations, per the author
- Written by a vegan cooking for a meat-eating family
- Headnotes on Mexican food culture
- Sections run from basics to drinks
Key specifications
| Author | Alejandra Graf |
|---|---|
| Publisher | Gibbs Smith |
| Year | 2026 |
| Pages | 208 |
| Format | Hardcover |
| Recipes | 85 |
| Focus | Plant-forward Mexican, with meat and dairy options |
| Best for | Households that eat differently |
Why we recommend it
If one person at your table is vegan and the others are not, this is the book written for exactly that dinner.
Skip it if you want a strictly vegan book. Plantas or Comida Casera will suit you better.
Pros and cons
Pros
- Solves the mixed-table problem
- Strong cultural context
- Sold new by Amazon when we checked
Cons
- Plant-forward, not strictly vegan
- Our view rests on publisher and author details
Vegan, vegetarian or plant-forward: where each book stands
Vegan: Plantas, Comida Casera and Make It Plant-Based! Mexican are sold as vegan books.
Plant-based, check the details if you are strict: La Vida Verde and Plant Powered Mexican. Both are presented as plant-based or plant-focused, but we could not confirm every recipe.
Vegetarian: The Mexican Vegetarian Cookbook has no meat but is not fully vegan. It includes vegan dishes.
Plant-forward: Comemos is not strictly vegan. Its recipes come with variations, often including dairy and meat options.
Whose word each pick rests on
Named reviews or press: Plantas (Publishers Weekly, with VegNews and Tasting Table lists cited by its publisher), The Mexican Vegetarian Cookbook (Publishers Weekly, plus the Washington Post and Bon Appétit as quoted with the publisher’s description) and Plant Powered Mexican (Library Journal).
The publisher’s and authors’ own details: Comida Casera, La Vida Verde, Make It Plant-Based! Mexican and Comemos. Some of these carry endorsements from other food writers. That is not a mark against them. It only means that what we say here comes from the people who made them.
How to choose a vegan Mexican cookbook
1. How strict are you?
Read the diet section above first. A plant-forward book can be a poor buy for a strict vegan and a great one for a mixed household.
2. Do you want stand-ins or vegetables?
Plantas and Make It Plant-Based! Mexican lean on swaps such as mushrooms for pork and hearts of palm for shrimp. If you would rather eat beans, squash and greens as they are, a book such as The Mexican Vegetarian Cookbook may suit you better.
3. How will you handle corn and masa?
Tortillas and tamales are vegan-friendly foundations, as long as the fat in the dough is. Our guides to masa harina for tamales and corn and flour tortillas are good starting points.
4. Can you find the ingredients?
Dried chiles, epazote and hoja santa make the difference in a lot of Mexican food. Our guides to Mexican chiles and Mexican herbs explain what each one does.
5. Do you want a big book or a small one?
La Vida Verde is 160 pages, and The Mexican Vegetarian Cookbook is 416. Decide whether you want a book to read or a reference to look things up in.
How we picked these seven cookbooks
We searched Amazon’s book listings for vegan, vegetarian and plant-based Mexican titles, then kept print books from named authors at established publishers. We left out anonymous and AI-looking self-published titles and Kindle-only editions. We also left out the two plant-based books already on our other cookbook pages, Provecho and The Texas Mexican Plant-Based Cookbook. Every book on this page showed as in stock on Amazon in the United States when we checked. Page counts, formats and dates come from the Amazon listing and publisher details.
Vegan Mexican cookbook questions, answered
What is the best vegetarian Mexican cookbook?
The Mexican Vegetarian Cookbook by Margarita Carrillo Arronte. It has 400 recipes, and Publishers Weekly says each one lists its region and dietary status.
Is Mexican food easy to make vegan?
Much of it starts from plants, but watch for lard, chicken stock, cheese and crema. Our guide comparing charro and refried beans shows where meat and lard often come in.
Which book should a new vegan start with?
Plantas if you want a full book, or Make It Plant-Based! Mexican if you want something shorter. Both give you vegan versions of dishes you already know.
Is Comemos a vegan cookbook?
No. It is plant-forward. The author is vegan, but the recipes often come with dairy and meat options for the people she feeds.
Why is Provecho not on this list?
It is a fine book, and it already has its place in our guide to the best Mexican cookbooks. We kept this page to seven other titles.
Our choice for a first plant-based Mexican shelf
Start with Plantas. Add Comida Casera when you want more depth, or The Mexican Vegetarian Cookbook if dairy and eggs are still on your table. For the wider shelf, see the best Mexican cookbooks and, if you are new to the cuisine, the best Mexican cookbooks for beginners.
Related guide: Best vegetarian cookbook.
Related guide: Best tofu press.
And when you would rather someone in Houston did the cooking, see the menu or call to order.