In honor of Earth Day, we’re sharing recipes you can make at home instead of buying packaged, store-bought alternatives. Yay for reducing plastic! And though it might not be feasible to make everything from scratch in today’s world, by choosing just one or two things, you can make a difference! Swap the pre-made granola, bread, tortillas, canned beans and more for homemade. Bonus? Homemade usually tastes better!
(Note: Dietary symbols listed throughout for easy navigation!)
Incredibly rich, dairy-free creamer made with just 3 ingredients and simple methods. The perfect alternative to dairy creamer for your daily cup of coffee, matcha, or tea.
A mixture of the 4 basic golden milk spices so you can easily prepare golden milk whenever the craving strikes. Perfect for both iced and hot golden milk.
Extra-crunchy coconut granola with slivered almonds, dried blueberries, and rolled oats! 9 ingredients, naturally sweetened, butter-free, and the perfect healthy breakfast or snack.
9-ingredient granola infused with cocoa powder, naturally sweetened, and full of plant-based protein and fiber! The perfect plant-based breakfast or snack.
An easy-to-make, 1-bowl, 5-minute raw version of granola with dates for natural sweetness, nuts for crunch and protein, and plenty of seeds for healthy fats!
A step-by-step guide for how to make your own nut butter. An easy and delicious way to save money, create your own blends, and enjoy nut butter at home!
Easy, 9-ingredient seeded whole grain bread with oats, sunflower seeds, and flaxseed. Naturally sweetened, hearty, wholesome, and SO simple to make! Mix, rise, bake.
THE BEST Vegan Gluten-Free Waffles made with 10 ingredients in 30 minutes. Fluffy on the inside, crispy on the outside, perfectly sweet and delicious! Top with maple syrup and fruit for the ultimate cozy breakfast.
Fluffy vegan eggs made with mung beans! A delicious egg alternative made with 9 real, wholesome ingredients. Perfect for scrambles, omelets, frittatas, and more!
Unbelievably simple applesauce made right on the stovetop with 3 ingredients. Ready in less than 30 minutes, no added sugar, delicious applesauce every time.
Incredibly delicious apple butter made in 1 pot with 5 wholesome ingredients! Apples turn to sauce then caramelize and thicken into a spread that’s perfect for toast, oats, baked goods, and more!
5-ingredient, 10-minute almond ricotta! Blanched almonds blended with nutritional yeast, salt, and lemon. The perfect plant-based alternative to ricotta!
How to make hummus from scratch with simple methods and 6 wholesome ingredients. Creamy, garlicky, hearty, and big in flavor! Customizable, easy to make, and a classic recipe to have on hand!
The easiest vegan pesto in 5 minutes! Cheesy and flavorful despite being dairy-free, plus an option for lower oil/fat. It’s the perfect plant-based spread for Italian dishes and more!
Fluffy, tender, vegan naan made with 7 simple ingredients! The perfect snack or side for Indian dishes like curry, lentil soup, or chutney. Also makes a delicious wrap!
An easy-to-make gluten-free pizza crust that's perfectly crisp on the edges and tender in the center. Just 10 ingredients required, easy methods, and so delicious! Plus, it's yeast-free and vegan!
Produce – Think about whether your produce really needs a plastic bag for transporting. Bell peppers — probably not! Sweet potatoes — nah! Apples — nope. Bananas — definitely not! And for those that do, reach for paper bags or reusable!
Buy in bulk – Bring reusable jars to the grocery store and fill up in the bulk section. Most bulk sections have nuts, seeds, grains, beans, dried fruits, spices, and more. Bonus? It’s usually a lot cheaper! If you forget jars, reach for paper bags whenever possible.
Straws – If you like using straws, try reusable metal or glass straws.
Water – Carry a reusable water bottle with you wherever you go. You’ll save money, reduce single-use plastic consumption, and maybe even drink more water! Yay, health (yours and the planet’s)!
Thermos – When traveling or running errands we always bring a reusable coffee/tea thermos just in case a craving for coffee or a matcha latte strikes!
Leftovers – We recently started bringing a reusable metal container with us whenever eating out so we can bring leftovers home without consuming more plastic. Also great for toting snacks around on busy days or when traveling. Find more eco-friendly containers here.
If you give any of these recipes a try or find these tips helpful, let us know! Leave a comment, or take a picture and tag it #minimalistbaker on Instagram. Cheers, friends!
Great tips! Everyday is earth day! I too hope we can continue move away from single use plastic, I believe this is how we get there by sharing and voting with our dollar. Thank you for all you share with everyone who reads this. 💙
Some of my favorites on this list! My kids live the pizza and we have fun make your own night.
Happy earth day everyone.
First let me say that I love your blog, I’ve been a fan for years, and you’re doing a great job!
However, I would like to point out that almonds are not exactly “earth friendly”. Did you know it takes 80.4 gallons of water to produce 1 oz of almonds? Because 80% of the world’s almonds are grown in California, and the state has experienced record droughts in recent years, this is a problem. This is a great article to learn more if you’re interested https://www.motherjones.com/environment/2015/01/almonds-nuts-crazy-stats-charts/ Other nuts in comparison use far less water, such as peanuts (2.7 gallons/oz) and pistachios (18.8 gallons/oz). Thanks for reading and I hope you find this information valuable to your brand.
I would recommend to bring reusable bags/meshbags for bulk sections in supermarket, because many can’t subtract the weight of jars?!!!
So lightweight bags are the best options for normal bulk sections in supermarkets if they cant (or wont) substract weight… or if you dont know if the can.
(I also reuse all kinds of paper bags I get to buy bulk. If you reuse paper bags at least 3 times they even have a better fooprint than plastic bags if you count the production of bags…)
Thanks for the tips, Jule! We haven’t encountered that problem, but so good to know! At the co-ops we’ve shopped at, you can take the jars to the front to have them weighed and marked before filling them.
Ah yeah Good to know you did not have any problems with jars.. I guess in CoOps and of corse Zero Waste Stores or maybe more eco minded supermarkets this is normally no problem, but in normal supermarkets with bulk bins (at least in Europe) they can not subtract the weight at check out and dont have any scale to weigh jars either :)
I love this post! I love trying to create a more sustainable lifestyle. Reusable paper towels and napkins have also made a huge difference. They are machine washable, and come in all different cute styles.
Regarding tips to reduce plastic, I would like to see more products packaged in something other than plastic. Today I made cookies and the flours, sugars, and chocolate chips all came in a plastic container. Everything from flours to frozen fruit to dishwasher tablets, all come packaged in a zip-top plastic bag. It doesn’t appear they are easily recyclable as they are #7/other. And the clamshells containing greens are another big concern. I try to use my mesh produce bags but it seems that the shift needs to start with the manufacturers to change their packaging. Thanks for listening! -Jill
That would be very nice! Buying flours, sugars, and chocolate chips in bulk whenever possible would be our recommendation =) Thanks for sharing your thoughts!
Katrina says
Great tips! Everyday is earth day! I too hope we can continue move away from single use plastic, I believe this is how we get there by sharing and voting with our dollar. Thank you for all you share with everyone who reads this. 💙
Some of my favorites on this list! My kids live the pizza and we have fun make your own night.
Happy earth day everyone.
We’re so happy you enjoyed the post, Katrina! Make your own pizza sounds SO fun! xo
Laura says
First let me say that I love your blog, I’ve been a fan for years, and you’re doing a great job!
However, I would like to point out that almonds are not exactly “earth friendly”. Did you know it takes 80.4 gallons of water to produce 1 oz of almonds? Because 80% of the world’s almonds are grown in California, and the state has experienced record droughts in recent years, this is a problem. This is a great article to learn more if you’re interested https://www.motherjones.com/environment/2015/01/almonds-nuts-crazy-stats-charts/ Other nuts in comparison use far less water, such as peanuts (2.7 gallons/oz) and pistachios (18.8 gallons/oz). Thanks for reading and I hope you find this information valuable to your brand.
Thanks for sharing, Laura! In writing this post, we were more in the mindset of how to reduce plastic consumption, but you have a great point!
Jule says
Love to see this topic here!!
I would recommend to bring reusable bags/meshbags for bulk sections in supermarket, because many can’t subtract the weight of jars?!!!
So lightweight bags are the best options for normal bulk sections in supermarkets if they cant (or wont) substract weight… or if you dont know if the can.
(I also reuse all kinds of paper bags I get to buy bulk. If you reuse paper bags at least 3 times they even have a better fooprint than plastic bags if you count the production of bags…)
Thanks for the tips, Jule! We haven’t encountered that problem, but so good to know! At the co-ops we’ve shopped at, you can take the jars to the front to have them weighed and marked before filling them.
Jule says
Ah yeah Good to know you did not have any problems with jars.. I guess in CoOps and of corse Zero Waste Stores or maybe more eco minded supermarkets this is normally no problem, but in normal supermarkets with bulk bins (at least in Europe) they can not subtract the weight at check out and dont have any scale to weigh jars either :)
Tara says
I love this post! I love trying to create a more sustainable lifestyle. Reusable paper towels and napkins have also made a huge difference. They are machine washable, and come in all different cute styles.
We’re so glad you enjoy the post, Tara! xo
Jill says
Regarding tips to reduce plastic, I would like to see more products packaged in something other than plastic. Today I made cookies and the flours, sugars, and chocolate chips all came in a plastic container. Everything from flours to frozen fruit to dishwasher tablets, all come packaged in a zip-top plastic bag. It doesn’t appear they are easily recyclable as they are #7/other. And the clamshells containing greens are another big concern. I try to use my mesh produce bags but it seems that the shift needs to start with the manufacturers to change their packaging. Thanks for listening! -Jill
That would be very nice! Buying flours, sugars, and chocolate chips in bulk whenever possible would be our recommendation =) Thanks for sharing your thoughts!
Elena says
Thank you so much for the recipes and tips! This is incredible.
So glad you enjoy it, Elena! xoxo
June says
I love this! Thanks for these great tips/recipes.
Yay! Thanks for letting us know, June! xo
Elle says
That’s a great article. Thanks!
We’re so glad you think so! Thanks for sharing, Elle! xo