As a vegan, I love that I can now walk into just about any grocery store and find all the pantry staples I need. But at the same time, I know I’m going to spend a small fortune each time I walk home with a small cart full of groceries.

Just like with the gluten-free crowd, anything labeled “vegan” seems to automatically warrant a huge price markup.

There are still some things I haven’t mastered making at home, but these four store-bought vegan foods are easy to recreate in your own home kitchen.

1. Almond Cheese

Forget buying those expensive bags of shredded almond cheese. This basic almond cheese recipe is so good, even cheese aficionados will love it. All you need is a handful of ingredients.

Ingredients

6 oz. blanched almonds

2-1/2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

2 tbsp. lemon juice

1 clove of garlic

1 tsp. salt

1 cup water

Instructions

Soak the almonds overnight.

Drain the soaking water and rinse the nuts.

Add the almonds and remaining ingredients into the bowl of a food processor.

Process on high until the almonds become smooth and creamy. Scrape the sides of the bowl, and continue processing if the mixture is still chunky after a few minutes. Add water, one tablespoon at a time if the mixure is still too thick and isn’t blending well.

Once the cheese has reached your desired consistency, place a small sieve lined with cheesecloth over a bowl and strain.

Refrigerate overnight.

The next day, preheat the oven to 325F.

Place the cheese ball onto a lightly oiled baking sheet.

Bake for 25-30 minutes.

The great thing about this recipe is that you can experiment with different flavors. Nutritional yeast and miso are my two favorite additions, but you can also add herbs and spices into the mix as well.

2. Bread

Bread is one the simplest things to make, and it’s far more economical than buying vegan bread at the store.

Commercial breads typically contain eggs, milk and other non-vegan-friendly ingredients. But if you have flour, yeast, olive oil, water and salt on hand, you can make your own bread right in your own kitchen.

Think you don’t have the time to make your own bread? That’s what bread makers are for. Just add your ingredients, and let the machine do the rest of the work for you (yes, even kneading).

Here’s what you’ll need for basic vegan bread:

4 cups flour

1 packet active dry yeast

1-1/2 tsp. Salt

2 cups water

2 tbsp. olive oil

Follow the instructions on your breadmaker, and enjoy!

3. Beans

Beans are a staple in the vegan diet, so why are you still buying them in a can? Dry beans are incredibly inexpensive, and with a simple soaking, cooking your own beans at home is easy.

Even without soaking, you can whip up a pot of beans in no time that you can use in salads, chili, burritos and more.

Here’s my go-to method for cooking dry beans:

Allow the beans to soak overnight. I usually add a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar to the water to help prevent digestive issues.

Drain the beans, and transfer to a cooking pot.

Add enough water to sufficiently cover the beans. Feel free to add aromatics, too, like herbs and spices. Just don’t add any salt to the pot just yet.

Bring the beans to a boil.

Once boiling, reduce the heat to a simmer.

Cook for an hour, and start checking for doneness.

Add salt when the beans are just starting to get tender.

Once the beans are done, I allow mine to cool in the cooking water before straining.

One pound of beans will make about five cups. They keep for about a week in the refrigerator, but they also freeze well.

4. Vegetable Stock

It’s not always easy to find true vegan vegetable stock, but making your own is easier than you think. You don’t need fancy ingredients to make delicious stock.

I make a stock about once a month, and I do it without spending any extra money. What’s the secret? Save and freeze your vegetable scraps.

Once you have a good-size collection of scraps, add them to a stock pot of water and heat for about an hour. That’s all it takes to make your own stock.

Along with scraps, I recommend adding fresh garlic, aromatics, salt and pepper.

The great thing about homemade stock is that you can make a large pot and freeze your leftovers for later.

Thanks to Joe from https://www.village-bakery.com/ for this amazing article!

Which vegan store-bought foods do you make at home? Share in the comments.

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If you have any questions whatsoever, or have some cool NCN recipes of your own, feel free to write to info@northcoastnaturals.com or find us on Instagram @northcoastnaturals.

Thank you so much, NCN Family!