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 five 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
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
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
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
5. Kula Ice Cream
San Diego, CA
In 2021, Kula Ice Cream became San Diego’s first vegan ice cream shop and wasted no time in winning San Diego’s “Best Overall Ice Cream” later that year. The scoop shop is fully vegan and gluten-free and offers ice cream sandwiches; milkshakes topped with house-made whipped cream; floats with root beer, kombucha, or cold brew; and even dog-friendly ice cream. Pints of Kula Ice Cream can be found at various retailers in San Diego and the Inland Empire.
Kula Ice Cream
