No, I’m not writing about gifts for vegans just so my friends and family will have a cheat sheet for the foreseeable future. That’s just an extra benefit. I’m writing it because, according to market researchers, 2018 is the year that going vegan will become a “mega trend.” If this prediction is accurate, we’ll soon be seeing countless mothers, aunts, husbands, and friends running around trying to buy birthday and holiday gifts for their vegan loved ones, and I’d like to make that easier for them!
If you’ve stumbled upon this post while searching for vegan gifts, here are the basic things you should avoid: Foods sourced from animals (i.e.: meat, dairy, eggs, honey, gelatin), fabrics made from animals (i.e.: leather, suede, wool, fur, silk, angora, down), or home or beauty products that contain animal ingredients or are tested on animals. If you aren’t vegan, I know that might sound restrictive and complicated- that’s why I wrote this post full of pre-approved gifts for vegans!
And for my readers who are already vegan, this list should help you figure out what you still need! You’ve been good lately, you deserve to splurge on some vegan gifts for yourself.
Petit Vour Cruelty-Free Beauty Subscription Box (Starting at $15/month)
Petit Vour is an online beauty and fashion brand known best for their vegan, cruelty-free (not tested on animals) Beauty Subscription Box. These boxes (delivered monthly) contain samples of high quality bath and body products for the recipient to try out! If she falls in love with any of the products, she can buy the full version from the Petit Vour marketplace.
The retail value of the products included in each box ranges from $45 – $60, so you’re getting massive savings with a subscription starting at just $15/month! I’ve been a huge fan of Petit Vour since they launched five years ago, and I’ve discovered most of my favorite beauty products through these boxes. New vegans often feel overwhelmed by the prospect of replacing all of their tried and true cosmetics, so this box can be a huge blessing!
Grab a cruelty-free vegan beauty box at Petit Vour.
A Few Really Good Vegan Cookbooks
Yes, the internet is full of free vegan recipes, but there’s nothing quite like flipping through the pages of an actual physical book. Plus, unless the online recipes have ratings, it can be hard to know which ones are good! I’ve bought and thoroughly tested dozens of vegan cookbooks over the last decade (you should see my bookshelves), and these are the top titles I’d recommend for experienced and newbie vegans alike!
Vegan 101: A Vegan Cookbook: Learn to Cook Plant-Based Meals that Satisfy Everyone
Hot For Food’s Vegan Comfort Classics
The Wicked Healthy Cookbook: Free. From. Animals.
Isa Does It: Amazingly Easy, Wildly Delicious Vegan Recipes for Every Day of the Week
Nom Yourself: Simple Vegan Cooking
Chloe Flavor: Saucy, Crispy, Spicy, Vegan
Tip: You can also shop right from my personally curated Amazon list of Favorite Vegan Cookbooks, which includes these titles and more!
Vitamix Blender
I thought people were exaggerating when they told me how much having a Vitamix would improve my culinary skills. They weren’t. I’d recommend a Vitamix for anyone who likes (or needs) to cook, but they’re especially helpful for vegan cooking. I use mine at least once a week to make a rich, creamy cashew sauce (for mac ‘n cheese, creamy soups, etc.), I don’t know what I’d do without it! Click here for a collection of my favorite vegan recipes you can make with the help of the Vitamix!
Other blenders *can* handle some of these tasks, but if you want to throw in a handful of nuts without worrying about breaking your blades or motors, you need something high powered. I also love that the motor is so strong, it can actually heat (not just warm, but heat) soups and sauces by blending them on high! The Vitamix is definitely one of the top vegan gifts I’d recommend.
You can shop from Amazon’s selection here, but if you’re looking to spend a little less, you can often find refurbished or gently used Vitamix blenders on eBay!
Grab a high powered Vitamix blender at Amazon.
Their First Vegan (Leather-Free) Bag
Chances are, if you’re buying vegan gifts for someone who’s new to the lifestyle, they’re probably still figuring out food and haven’t yet splurged on a stylish vegan bag. Personally, I was still using my old leather purse for at least a year into my vegan life- too bad none of my friends or family had this list! Fortunately, there are new vegan fashion brands popping up every day (see my Ultimate Vegan Fashion Guide for a comprehensive list), but these are some of the best and most reputable sources for vegan bags in each price range:
Under $100:
Sole Society (their bags are all vegan, but their shoes are not), Vilma Boutique, and ASOS (shop by “non-leather”)
$100-$300:
Matt & Nat (lots of styles for men!), Angela Roi, and Filbert.
$300+:
Stella McCartney and Jill Milan.
PS: If you’re buying gifts for vegans, they’re probably also in need of some other chic vegan faux leather goods. Find vegan wallets at Matt & Nat, and vegan belts at Bhava Studio or Will’s Vegan Shoes!
Winc Wine Club Membership (vegan-friendly)
If you’re not vegan (or even if you are), you might not know that not all wines are vegan! Many are produced or filtered using animal products (you can learn much more about that in my vegan wine post here). To make matters even more complicated, the vast majority of wine manufacturers don’t mention this on the label, so finding a vegan wine requires a bit of forethought.
The Winc Wine Club is a membership program that sends you four bottles of wine every month, selected based on the flavor survey you fill out. It’s important to note that while MOST of their wines are vegan, some aren’t. Fortunately, you get to approve or disapprove of the wines every month, so the recipient can reject the ones that aren’t vegan (when browsing wines, they can filter results by selecting “vegan”). I’m hoping that with enough demand (and enough people buying gifts for vegans), Winc will eventually set up a vegan only subscription!
Grab a vegan-friendly wine club subscription at Winc Wine Club.
The Herbivorous Butcher Vegan Starter Kit
The Herbivorous Butcher is a brother-sister run Minneapolis vegan butcher shop that sells their mind-blowingly delicious plant-based meats and cheeses all over the country! It can be pretty tough to find their products in grocery stores (unless you have a local vegan market), so most people order online.
This is the perfect vegan gift if the recipient likes plant-based meats. Some people prefer to avoid them, but my family and I (and Jon Stewart!!) are addicted- especially to the vegan “ribeye” steak pictured above! They offer a variety of combo packs, but the Vegan Starter Kit is the best introductory pack!
Grab the plant-based vegan starter kit at Herbivorous Butcher.
Votch Vegan Watch
Votch is one of the most popular brands of animal-friendly watches, making them a great gift for a new vegan! Votch was created after its founder acquired a horrific condition that made all of her skin fall off, an experience that made her realize she never wanted to wear another being’s skin ever again. They offer a wide range of styles and materials, my personal favorite being their eco-friendly Piñatex bands!
If you aren’t sure about the recipient’s style preferences, you can always give them a gift card! It still shows that you’re paying attention to their ethical choices, and that you put a lot of thought into respecting their values.
Grab vegan leather watches at Votch.
Osea Malibu Skincare Sets
Ask any vegan beauty blogger what their favorite brand of luxury skincare is, and you’ll most likely hear all about Osea Malibu. This family run company has been making cruelty-free skincare products for over 20 years, winning the hearts of vegan and non-vegan consumers and celebrities alike! If you’re buying gifts for vegans, I’d recommend grabbing one of the gift sets like (my personal favorite) the Hydrating and Age Defying Starter Set or the Blemish Prone Essentials Set. If you aren’t too familiar with the gift recipient’s skincare needs, you’re definitely safe with gifting either the best-selling Hyaluronic Sea Serum and/or the Ocean Lotion!
Grab cruelty-free skincare products at Osea Malibu.
Veggie Themed Kitchen Towels
Here’s the thing about vegans. We love a good vegetable pun. We’ll groan and roll our eyes, but we secretly can’t get enough of them. Thus, these adorable kitchen towels make perfect gifts for vegans. These are ideal for the new or seasoned vegan millennial who’s still decorating his or her kitchen!
Grab the Veggie Kitchen Towels at Etsy.
“Plant Eater” Stamped Fork
Gift this hand stamped “plant eater” vintage fork in a box, in a bag, or just wrapped up on the dinner table! This Etsy shop has a few other gifts for vegans (see their “Vegan Fit” fork and their “Eat Plants & Do Yoga” spoon set), but the plant eater fork would definitely be my top pick.
Grab the “Plant Eater” Stamped Fork at Etsy.
That’s it for now! As always, feel free to leave suggestions in the comments!
xoxo,
Jessica // The Tree Kisser
I love this post. You are the greatest. Makes me want another Matt + Nat bag and a vegan wine subscription, among all the other amazing things. 💛
Such a great list! I want everything! 😀