If you are reading this with the winter storm on the way, I am sending you the biggest warm hug in the form of pantry food inspiration. With everyone rushing to the grocery store, shelves are already looking a little… bleak. So I wanted to pull together a go-to list of recipes I lean on when groceries are low but everyone still needs to eat (and be happy about it).
These are the meals that save me when I am working with canned goods, dry staples, nuts and seeds and the long-lasting produce we tend to keep around like sweet potatoes, potatoes, carrots, onions and garlic. You will find everything from cozy soups to quick tacos, snacks, breakfast, and yes, dessert. Because we are not hunkering down without dessert!
Stay warm, stay safe and let's make the pantry feel like a plan.
A Well-Stocked Pantry is Everything
Over the years I have learned that having a solid pantry is the difference between "we have nothing to eat" and "we are eating so well tonight." Even on busy weeknights, pantry staples make dinner happen fast.
Here are the basics I keep on hand so I can pull meals together without thinking too hard.
The Pantry Recipe Roundup
Below I am sharing a big list of quick + easy plant-based recipes made mostly with (if not all!) pantry staples. These are perfect for snow storms or anytime you cannot access fresh groceries for an extended period of time.
A bonus: almost all of these are super customizable. Add any veggies you have on hand, swap grains, swap beans, use what you have. Pantry cooking is meant to be flexible!
Quick Tip for Using this List
Use your browser "search" feature to find what you have. If you have a can of black beans, search "black bean" and see what pops up. Also, if you have any fresh ingredients you need to use up, be sure to use the search feature on my blog to find recipes for what you have on hand.
Another tip: Extend the shelf life of bread and even fresh fruits and veggies by storing them in the freezer until you are ready to use them.
And if you have spinach that is about to go bad, make freezer spinach cubes for smoothies later!
Pantry + Freezer Recipes for Hunkering Down
Basic Pantry Recipes/How To's
How to Cook Dry Goods
- How to Cook Dried Black Lentils
- How to Cook Dried Chickpeas
- How to Cook Dried Black Beans
- How to Cook Dried Green or Brown Lentils
- How to Cook Quinoa
- How to Cook Fluffy Quinoa Rice
- How to Make Coconut Rice
- How to Make Lebanese Rice
Potato & Sweet Potato Basics
- How to Cook Sweet Potatoes (and recipes to use cooked sweet potatoes)
- Crispy Roasted Potatoes
- Crispy Roasted Sweet Potatoes
- Crispy Air Fryer Potato Wedges
- How to Make Sweet Potato Puree
- Roasted Purple Sweet Potatoes
- Crispy Air Fryer Butternut Squash (not a potato but had to include one easy winter squash recipe since they are also long lasting - use the search feature on the blog here to find more winter squash recipes including delicata, kabocha, pumpkin, spaghetti, acorn, etc.)
How to Make Your Own Basic Pantry/Grocery Items You May Have Run Out Of
- How to Make Oat Flour
- How to Make Easy Creamy Refried Beans
- How to Make Marinara Sauce (Arrabbiata) & Homemade San Marzano Tomato Sauce
- How to Make Dairy-Free Heavy Cream (using cashews)
- How to Make Mayo (using cashews)
- How to Make Vegan Sour Cream (using cashews)
- Homemade Almond Butter
- All Homemade Condiments Here
Homemade Seasoning Blends
Homemade Milks
- How to Make Oat Milk
- How to Make Walnut Milk (or walnut coffee creamer)
- How to Make Almond Milk
- How to Make Cashew Milk
- Chocolate Hemp Seed Milk
25 Easy Pantry Dinners
- 10-Minute Chickpea Tacos
- Sweet Potato Quinoa Tots
- Easy Vegan Stuffed Sweet Potatoes
- Butter Chickpeas (serve with rice)
- Quinoa Black Bean Veggie Burgers
- Easy Greek Sheetpan Dinner (using sweet potatoes and chickpeas)
- Creamy Black Lentil Marinara Sauce for Pasta
- Creamy Carrot & Red Lentil Soup
- Mujadara (Lentils, Rice & Caramelized Onion)
- Tomato & Black Lentil Soup
- Black Bean Soup
- Walnut Taco Meat
- Creamy Loaded Baked Potato Soup
- Lentil Bolognese
- Red Lentil Veggie Pasta
- Crispy Black Bean Tacos
- Creamy Italian Cabbage Soup
- Sweet Potato Black Bean Enchiladas
- Sweet Potato Curry
- Butternut Squash Pasta
- Moroccan Harira Soup
- Moroccan Chickpeas
- Spanish Rice & Beans
- 3-Bean Chili
- Taquitos
12 Pantry Lunches
- Chickpea Salad
- Curried Chickpea Salad
- Italian Penicillin Soup
- Creamy Carrot Pasta Sauce
- Homemade Pizza (using chickpea flour + cashews for the cheese)
- Tuscan White Bean Soup
- Moroccan Quinoa Salad
- Creamy Vegan Tomato White Bean Soup
- Mexican Stuffed Sweet Potatoes
- Smashed Fingerling Potatoes served with Hummus
- Carrot Ginger Soup
- Vegan Mac 'N Cheese
15 Pantry Breakfasts
- Sweet Potato Muffins
- Best Granola
- Blended Chocolate Chia Seed Pudding
- Chickpea Scramble
- Frozen Berry Oatmeal Bake (use any frozen berry)
- Chocolate Muffins (made with oat flour)
- Crispy Air Fryer Hash Browns (using frozen shredded potatoes)
- Quinoa Breakfast Bowls
- Pumpkin Muffins
- Chocolate Protein Smoothie
- No-Bake Cereal Bars
- No-Bake Fudgy Hemp Seed Bites
- Chocolate Oatmeal
- Creamy Chia Seed Pudding (vanilla)
- Pumpkin Bread
Homemade Pantry Snacks
- No-Bake 5-Ingredient Granola Bars
- Cookie Dough Protein Energy Bites
- Homemade Heavenly Hunks
- Chocolate Tahini Bites
- Homemade Kudos Bars
- Fudgy Protein Amaranth Energy Bites
- Crispy Chickpeas
- BBQ Chickpeas
- Oat Bars
- Easy Almond Flour Crackers
- Chocolate Granola
- Date Coconut Energy Bites
- Quick & Easy Hummus
- Chickpea Flour Flatbread (Socca)
- Black Bean Dip
- Roasted Pepita Seeds
- Homemade Seed Crackers
Pantry Desserts
- Easy No-Cook Vegan Chocolate Pudding
- Oat Flour Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Chocolate Covered Stuffed Dates
- High Protein Hot Chocolate
- Blender Hot Chocolate
- Black Bean Brownies
- Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake
- No-Bake Chocolate Cookies
- Almond Butter Crunch Bars (using rice cereal)
- Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Almond Butter Chocolate Crunch Bars
- Homemade Crunch Bars (using rice cereal)
- Pecan Pie Bars
Freezer Recipes
- Freezer-Friendly Oatmeal Cups (make these now for later)
- Freezer-Friendly Breakfast Cookies (using canned pumpkin)
- Freezer-Friendly Oat Bars
- Make mashed potatoes from frozen shredded potatoes
- Crispy Air Fryer Hash Browns (using frozen shredded potatoes)
- All my smoothie recipes
- Use Frozen Berries to Make Chia Jam
Cozy, Calm, and Well-Fed
I hope you find a few new pantry staples recipes in here that bring you comfort during this winter storm. Put on your favorite playlist (and make sure you have your portable chargers charged!), pick one savory recipe and one sweet recipe, and make the house smell amazing.
Sending love to all of you. Stay warm. 💛
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