9 Best Ice Cream Chains For Vegans Nationwide
Gone are the days when vegans had to resign themselves to sorbet when visiting an ice cream shop with friends. With plant-based ice creams now existing nationwide, everyone in the friend group can enjoy a scoop without having to stare jealously at the cone in someone else's hand. Indeed, vegan ice creams have come a long way over the past decade or so, and in many cases, they have become nearly indistinguishable from their dairy-based counterparts. That's great news not only for vegans but also for the lactose intolerant. To help you find the best easily available vegan ice cream and know what to order, I've developed this list of the best ice cream chains for vegans nationwide.
As someone who has followed a vegan diet since 2017, I've sought out opportunities to try non-dairy scoops at each of the ice cream shops on this list. It's no secret among those who know me that I love ice cream. More than ice cream, I love ice cream shops and the joy they elicit, so much so that I once worked a second job at a scoop shop in New York City. I've developed this list based on the flavor and mouthfeel of each chain's non-dairy ice creams, which some brands call non-dairy desserts. I focused specifically on vegan ice cream, not taking into account products like sorbet in my reviews. More notes on methodology can be found at the end of this guide.
Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams
There's a fascinating story of how Jeni's ice cream was born over 20 years ago, when it arrived on the scene in Columbus, Ohio, in 2002. It has since evolved from one counter in a public market to a chain with dozens of locations across the United States. Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams produces some of the best non-dairy flavors in existence. Jeni Britton, the founder of the chain, even won a James Beard award in 2012 for baking and desserts.
The superb nature of this vegan ice cream lies in its rich, creamy texture. The Texas sheet cake flavor is divine, and the chain offers other interesting vegan varieties, like caramel pecan sticky buns and banana cream pudding. Popular dairy flavors like the brambleberry crisp and brown butter almond brittle are available for those who prefer "real" ice cream, but encourage your friends to sample the non-dairy flavors and they might not be able to tell the difference. If you don't have a scoop shop nearby, look for Jeni's in a grocery store or have a few pints shipped to your doorstep.
Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams does more than just make fantastic desserts; it is also among the more socially and environmentally conscious ice cream brands. As a Certified B Corporation, the company sources Fair and Direct Trade ingredients where possible. Several partners are clearly listed on Jeni's website so that customers can learn more about the origins of the blackberries, peaches, strawberries, coffee, milk, and spirits used in the ice cream.
Multiple locations nationwide
Salt & Straw
Since its founding in 2011 as a single ice cream cart run by two ambitious cousins, Salt & Straw has received national recognition. While it is more ubiquitous on the West Coast, scoop shops exist nationwide, including in Miami and New York City. Thankfully, if you don't live in one of these areas, you can order pints online.
In addition to year-round vegan flavors (my favorite is the peanut butter brittle caramel fudge), Salt & Straw has a wide selection of rotating flavors that reflect seasonal ingredients, like vegan sweet potato casserole. Frequently, these flavors may introduce you to an ingredient you have never eaten before. For example, pandan, a staple in Indonesian cuisine, was featured in Salt & Straw's inaugural 2013 vegan ice cream flavor, coconut milk with cashew brittle and pandan. Surprising ingredient combinations are also a hallmark of Salt & Straw. For instance, scoop shops recently carried a blackberry tamales flavor. The sky's the limit for Salt & Straw, which has cranked out hundreds of flavors over the years.
Not all Salt & Straw flavors are vegetarian (as demonstrated by this month's turkey stuffing and cranberry sauce special), much less vegan, so make sure you understand what you are ordering. Even so, 20% or more of the menu will be vegan at all times, according to the company website. In my experience, vegan flavors are clearly marked, and while the waffle cones are not vegan, the sugar cones are.
Multiple locations nationwide
Ben & Jerry's
Having built a reputation for serving reliably delicious ice cream since 1978, Ben & Jerry's means many things to many people. It's the nostalgic, whimsical ice cream shop where you can forget about your worries for a little while. It's the socially and environmentally conscious brand that advocates for equality and justice. It's the pint you reach for in your freezer when you're feeling low. It's also a pioneer of high-quality vegan ice creams.
While Ben & Jerry's previously relied entirely on almonds and sunflowers to craft its non-dairy line, Ben & Jerry's recently introduced a new oat base for its non-dairy ice creams. Oat milk has made the flavors better than ever by lending each flavor a richer texture without overshadowing its distinct tasting notes. A handful of flavors with almond and sunflower bases are still available if you'd like to do a taste test yourself, but soon, every pint will feature oat milk.
But, oh, which flavor to choose? While many grocery stores carry a large selection of Ben & Jerry's non-dairy flavors (there are around 20 in all), most of the scoop shops I have visited keep only two or three in the case at a time. The chocolate chip cookie dough seems to be a scoop shop staple, and while I love it, I recently tasted the new strawberry cheezecake flavor and was duly impressed. If you ever get the chance, I highly recommend visiting the Ben & Jerry's factory in Waterbury, Vermont to learn more about the brand and the art of ice cream.
Multiple locations nationwide
Van Leeuwen
Van Leeuwen was founded in 2008 in New York City, when the ice cream was sold out of a truck. Today, over two dozen scoop shops can be found across town, in addition to locations in nine states and Washington, DC. The list of shops is rapidly expanding, but if your area doesn't have a location yet, fret not: Vegan pints, and even vegan ice cream bars, can be shipped to your house. What's more, Van Leeuwen now ships its iconic ice cream sandwiches nationwide, so you can easily get your hands on a vegan double chocolate vanilla or vegan honeycomb snickerdoodle ice cream sandwich.
Creative flavors abound at this ice cream chain, which boasts seasonal menus that will make your head turn. Vegan specials have included an autumn sweet potato flavor and the springtime amaretto and matcha-flavored planet Earth ice cream. On the regular menu, you'll find several other vegan flavors, such as banana bread pudding with fudge swirls, peanut butter brownie honeycomb, and strawberry shortcake. Meanwhile, the hot fudge, rainbow sprinkles, and cookies and cream crumble are all vegan toppings. Vegans can opt for a sugar cone, but not a waffle cone, as the latter contains milk and eggs.
Van Leeuwen's success among vegans is not just attributable to these fun flavors, though. Depending on the flavor, coconut, cashews, and/or oats are used to create the non-dairy base, which is subtle and creamy. You'll get nearly the same mouthfeel when chowing down on a scoop of Van Leeuwen's vegan ice cream as you do when savoring one of the brand's dairy-based French ice creams.
Multiple locations nationwide
Cold Stone Creamery
Cold Stone Creamery was founded in 1988 in Tempe, Arizona, making a name for itself by preparing all its ice cream in-house. Today, it's located nationwide and in almost 30 countries. Although sorbets have been on the menu for a while, they are fruity and lack what makes Cold Stone Creamery's ice cream so uniquely rich: high butterfat and low air ratios. Additionally, tart sorbets aren't conducive to the plethora of toppings for which Cold Stone Creamery is famous.
Luckily, in 2022, the chain released the Silk® chocolate Almondmilk frozen dessert, and it's everything you would want to find in its dairy-based counterpart; it imparts a creamy mouthfeel when it melts and has just the right amount of bitterness from cocoa. Plus, the large serving size doesn't disappoint. A chocolate Silk shake is also available as one of the best plant-based options at popular fast food chains.
The creamery is famous for offering what it calls "Creations" — a menu category in which a variety of toppings are chopped into ice cream on a granite slab before your hungry eyes. Vegans can choose between two signature Creations: Don't Cry Over Spilled Silk, which includes banana, roasted almonds, and peanut butter, and The Very Berry Non-Dairy, which features strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries. Customers can also craft their own symphony of flavors; ingredients like fresh fruit, apple pie filling, Oreo cookies, coconut, graham cracker pie crust, peanut butter, and pretzels are all vegan. While the sugar cone is vegan, the waffle cones and bowls both contain milk and eggs.
Multiple locations nationwide
Carvel
Tom Carvel began selling ice cream from a truck in 1929, and since then, the business has evolved to specialize in several unique ice cream products, which can be found at hundreds of Carvel shops worldwide. Many people and businesses played roles in developing the soft serve ice cream we know today, among them Carvel. Besides soft serve, though, Carvel is particularly famous for its ice cream cakes.
As of January 2024, the chain became one of the only places in America where you can purchase a vegan ice cream cake. In fact, customers can make any cake vegan — though they may need to contact the shop directly rather than order online. There are also two wonderful set menu items available. The Oatly Lil Love frozen dessert is a pink and white ice cream cake serving two to four people. It features a layer of Carvel's chocolate crunchies between two layers of Oatly-based chocolate and vanilla soft serve. If you are feeding a party, though, or if you just really love ice cream cake, opt for the Oatly round cake; it's the same dessert, but feeds 10-12 people. Carvel's Oatly frozen desserts can be purchased in about 300 shops across the United States, so make sure your location is one of them before heading out the door; there are nearly 350 shops nationwide, so a handful have yet to join the party.
The good news doesn't end with ice cream cake, however. Strawberry soft serve, scoops of chocolate peanut butter and cookies and cream, and ice cream sandwiches are available in Oatly varieties as well, depending on location. You might even find an Oatly strawberry shake at your neighborhood Carvel.
Multiple locations nationwide
Ghirardelli
You can find Ghirardelli chocolate shops in over a dozen locations, from Anaheim to New York City. Ghirardelli's most famous store, however, is its flagship location in San Francisco (circa 1893); indeed, San Francisco's historic Ghirardelli Square is the modern-day chocolate factory we all deserve. While you may know the brand for its chocolate squares, bars, and hot chocolate mixes, all Ghirardelli chocolate shops can give you the ice cream fix you need, even if you are vegan.
In 2021, the brand added Coconut Bliss ice cream to its menu, allowing customers to veganize some of their favorite Ghirardelli sundaes, such as the banana split and the strawberry hot fudge sundaes (making modifications to other ingredients as needed). The vanilla ice cream offered by Ghirardelli is now known under the brand name of Cosmic Bliss; it features all-organic ingredients and Madagascan vanilla beans, and it is simple and refreshing.
Then, in 2022, the brand's signature non-dairy hot fudge sundae arrived on the scene. Coconut vanilla ice cream is paired with non-dairy chocolate and an almond-based vegan whipped cream. The latter provides a luxurious touch that can be difficult to find in sundaes elsewhere. In addition to a cherry on top, you'll find diced almonds and one of Ghirardelli's famous 72% dark chocolate squares. Customer reviews of the sundae are generally favorable, but a few people have noted that the non-dairy hot fudge can unfortunately acquire a somewhat gelatinous texture once its heat dissipates. It's also a large serving, so you may want to consider sharing it with a friend.
Multiple locations nationwide
Dairy Queen
Since 1940, Dairy Queen has been the home of blizzards, burgers, fries, and chicken sandwiches — in other words, a one-stop shop for American comfort food. Vegans have a few options here, like the misty slush, side salad, and pretzel sticks sans queso, and to finish off the meal, the chain now offers a sweet treat for the plant-based community.
Admittedly, Dairy Queen lives up to its name pretty well and only offers one non-dairy frozen treat, but that option is so delicious and popular that the chain has more than earned its spot on this "best of" list. The non-dairy Dilly bar is Dairy Queen's vegan spin on its best-selling original Dilly bar, which was released nearly 70 years ago, in 1955. The dairy version consists of vanilla soft serve and comes in three flavors: chocolate, cherry, and butterscotch. Meanwhile, the plant-based version, which was released in 2020, features a coconut-based soft serve ice cream that is blanketed in a crisp layer of chocolate and served on a stick. In terms of texture, the non-dairy Dilly bar is very similar to the original dessert, albeit with a slightly icier texture. While the coconut flavor is just barely discernible, I enjoy it. I highly recommend trying a non-dairy Dilly bar, but if you are hesitant, you can purchase just one bar at a time. Otherwise, go all in and buy a pack of six. Note that the bars are gluten-free, but do contain soy and tree nuts.
Multiple locations nationwide
Bruster's
Bruster's specializes in premium, slow kettle processed ice creams, and it's where you should go when you're hankering after a hard scoop. Bruster's was founded in Pennsylvania in 1989 and began to expand to new locations in 1993. Today, almost 200 stores are divided between 22 states, each one making its ice cream in small batches and offering a minimum of two dozen flavors at any given time. That way, returning customers get to taste more of the over 150 flavors in the brand's repertoire. Additionally, other products like ice cream cakes, sorbets, sherbets, and Italian ices are available, not to mention the cute doggie sundaes that are kept aside for customers' four-legged companions.
In total, the chain offers over 20 non-dairy ice cream flavors, which, like their dairy counterparts, are made in-house and therefore vary by location. You may find creative flavors along the lines of peach melba or white raspberry truffle, or something more familiar like vanilla or mint chocolate chip. No matter what flavor you choose, it will taste absolutely delicious, especially since the chain gave its non-dairy menu an oat milk makeover in 2022. While the coconut milk used previously certainly hit the spot, it couldn't quite measure up to the flavor or texture offered by oat milk, so this was a welcome change.
Multiple locations nationwide
Methodology
As mentioned at the beginning of this article, I generally follow a vegan diet. However, given the flexibility I allow myself while traveling and living at my second home in India, I remain familiar with traditional, dairy-based ice cream. I therefore consider myself a fair judge of how well non-dairy ice creams measure up to their dairy-based counterparts, and I drew upon this expertise while creating this list.
I judged each chain primarily on the quality of its vegan ice cream(s), not taking into account products like sorbet. Flavor and mouthfeel were top considerations, while the number of flavors offered was a secondary concern. Scoop sizes and prices were not relevant at all. Finally, because taste preferences vary, I focused instead on whether the vegan ice creams' base flavors were subtle enough to allow the intended flavors to shine; for instance, a coconut-based chocolate chip ice cream should not impart an overwhelming coconut flavor.