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The Top Spots for Vegan Ice Cream Nationwide

Cool off this summer with vegan ice cream from the top-voted spots across the nation.

Kate's Ice Cream
Food & Drink

Kate's Ice Cream

Cool off this summer with vegan ice cream from the top-voted spots across the nation.

Whether you’ve been vegan for years or are just starting to venture into dairy alternatives, there’s never been a better time for vegan ice cream! There’s coconut ice cream, cashew ice cream, oat milk ice cream, soy-free and gluten-free ice cream, and every vegan variation you can imagine. Here are the top spots for vegan ice cream nationwide.

1. Ben & Jerry’s

Multiple Locations

Vegan-Friendly

Taking home the #1 spot on this list for the second year in a row, Ben & Jerry’s is the most widely accessible option for vegan ice cream in the country. Whether you’re looking for a pint at your local grocery store or are in search of a vegan option at a scoop shop, Ben & Jerry’s has you covered. With more than 20 vegan flavors available in pints and at least one vegan flavor available at most scoop shops, Ben & Jerry’s makes it easy to find vegan ice cream no matter where you are.

Ben & Jerry's

Ben & Jerry’s

2. Van Leeuwen

Multiple Locations

Vegan-Friendly

Van Leeuwen started out as a food truck selling small-batch craft ice cream in New York in 2008. Since then, the brand has expanded into retail spaces and has dozens of scoop shops scattered across the country. Van Leeuwen focuses on making ice cream with whole ingredients and minimal preservatives, and their vegan options are made from a base of coconuts, cashews, or oats. Van Leeuwen is available at select retailers nationwide, where you can find popular flavors like Passion Fruit Layer Cake, Churros & Fudge, and Sicilian Pistachio.

Van Leeuwen

Van Leeuwen

3. Hug Life

Southern California

This fully-vegan scoop shop dubs itself the anti-dairy ice cream shop and has three locations in the greater Los Angeles area. All shops offer rotating flavors, milkshakes, root beer floats, brownie sundaes, and cookie sandwiches filled with your flavor of choice. Customer favorites include unique flavors like Thai Tea, Mango Chamoy, and Cookie Butter. Hug Life offers a variety of ice cream toppings, including vegan marshmallows and a vegan chocolate shell.

Hug Life

Hug Life

4. Kate’s Ice Cream

Portland, OR

Kate’s Ice Cream started out as a small pop-up in the Portland area and has since expanded into a brand new brick-and-mortar location in the Boise neighborhood. Kate’s Ice Cream shop is 100% vegan and gluten-free and focuses on creating flavors using local ingredients. The shop frequently collaborates with other local businesses to create new flavors and products, and you can find pints of the vegan ice cream at several local retailers.

Kate's Ice Cream

Kate’s Ice Cream

Cayla White

she/they

Cayla has been writing for VegOut since 2020 and has been plugged into the LA vegan food scene since Veggie Grill was pretty much the only vegan restaurant in the city. Aside from writing articles, Cayla enjoys embracing their inner 85-year-old by listening to classical music, making playlists for their friends, and staying active through swimming, hiking, cycling, and yoga. In their free time, Cayla likes writing poetry, learning about outdoor survival and alternative lifestyles, and is always searching for the best loaf of sourdough bread.

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