14 NYC Vegan Ice Cream Shops You Can’t Miss
Whether it’s a bad day or a good one, a celebration or defeat, you really don’t need a reason for a scoop (or two) of vegan ice cream! There was a time when the moo-free delight was subpar, but today those grainy and lackluster flavors have been kicked to the curb for ultra-creamy, and creative concoctions made with various plant-based milks swirled with endless treats.
This is especially the case when you’re in a place like NYC.
The NYC vegan scene is epic and includes multiple fully vegan ice cream shops and many vegan-friendly ones that you won’t want to miss. Don’t miss these NYC vegan ice cream shops the next time you’re craving a scoop of decadent chocolate packed with fudgy brownies or fresh strawberries.
The Best Vegan Ice Cream Shops in NYC
#1 Orchard Grocer
78 Orchard St. NY, NY 10002
Whether it’s -10 or 110, this fantastic vegan deli and grocery are constantly swirling up a selection of irresistible vegan soft-serve flavors like peanut butter, lavender, and of course, a traditional chocolate and vanilla twist. You can keep it plain or top it with house-made strawberry or peanut butter magic shells, sprinkles, cookie crumbles, and much more! But the fun doesn’t stop there! They also can whip up ultra-creamy milkshakes topped with fluffy whipped cream — if you’re a coffee lover, don’t miss their cold brew shake swirled with caramel!
#2 Whipped Urban Dessert Lab
95 Orchard St, New York, NY 10002
Holy smokes will be the first words out of your mouth once you see these epic oat milk ice cream creations! The Black female duo behind this brand has set out to create a luxury “Ice Crème” experience with their line of soft serve, hand-packed Ice Crème, and Ice Crème truffles.
For the decedent soft-serve experience, start with one of their soft-serve flavors, add one or two decadent sauces (chocolate and peanut are my go-to’s), then coat it in a sweet crumb concoction made of cookies, pretzels, nuts, and more! In addition to the creative soft-serve sundaes, they also have a line of house-made Ice Crèmes like Coffee Waffle Crunch, Strawberry Shortcake, Chocolate Peanut Butter Pretzel, and more.
#3 Pressed (Also known as Pressed Juicery)
Multiple locations throughout NYC (not all serve ice cream, check the location before you go)
Add on a mint chip freeze with your green juice order the next time you pop into this juice shop! Pressed is well known for its giant selection of antioxidant-packed juices and wellness shots, but it also has a healthy plant-based soft serve that’s perfect when you’re looking for a sweet, healthy treat. The soft serve comes in a few flavors like vanilla, chocolate, mint, and acai, which can be enjoyed on its own or loaded with fresh fruit, granola, chocolate chips, coconut, and more!
#4 Seed + Mill
409 W 15th St, New York, NY 10011
Located inside the Chelsea Market, this cute artisanal shop specializes in everything sesame seed — tahini, halva, and soft-serve vegan ice cream! The oat milk soft serve is topped with a tangy tahini drizzle and halva crumbs for an out-of-this-world flavor combo! This is a fantastic spot to check out for a unique treat.
Bookmark These NYC Vegan Eats!
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The Best Vegan Bakeries & Dessert Spots in Brooklyn
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The Most Creative Vegan Sushi Spots in NYC
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#5 Dreamery
299 Greene Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11238 (Inside Clementine Bakery)
The founders of Clementine Bakery and Le Petit Mostre, have dreamed up even more delicious sweets with their new vegan ice cream venture! Right in the heart of Clinton Hill, Brooklyn, this bright pink spot is swirling and scooping up sweet treats with its house-made gelato and soft serve. You can enjoy the creamy treat on a waffle cone, in a decadent sundae, or in an ice cream sandwich! In addition to ice cream, they also have vegan candy — it’s a real Willy Wonka adventure, vegan-style!
Vegan-Friendly Ice Cream Shops in NYC
#6 Van Leeuwen
Multiple Locations throughout NYC
It’s hard not to run into a Van Leeuwen location as you’re wandering NYC; they are everywhere! Which is good for us because their vegan lineup is spectacular. The rich flavors are made with oat, cashew, and coconut bases to make them super creamy, blended with an outrageous selection of sweets — you won’t find anything boring or lackluster here. A few standout flavors include Churros and Fudge, Cookie Crumble Strawberry Jam, and Peanut Butter Brownie Honeycomb.
#7 Ice Cream House
Multiple locations throughout Brooklyn
This Brooklyn-based ice cream shop always has multiple vegan and kosher options! In addition to ice cream, they also create beautiful ice cream cakes made with sorbet and fruit smoothies. Some of the non-dairy ice cream cakes are pre-made but order ahead of time for something special.
#8 16 Handles
Multiple Locations throughout NYC
Another fantastic vegan-friendly creamery that you’ll find all over NYC! 16 Handles is well-known for its giant selection of delicious soft-serve flavors, including a lineup of vegan options you won’t want to miss. The oat and fruit-based ice creams range from tart green apple and blue raspberry sorbet to decadent Oatly chocolate peppermint, cinnamon bun, chai tea, and more. They’ve created 25 different flavors, but every location has a different variety.
#9 Crème & Cocoa Creamery
1067 Nostrand Ave., Brooklyn, NY 11225
This Black-owned vegan-friendly ice cream shop is bringing a taste of Jamacia to NYC (which is perfect in January)! You won’t find a vegan flavor lineup as unique as this anywhere else! Their options include boozy and non-boozy flavors like Passionate for Mangos (mango and passionfruit sorbet), Soursop (coconut milk ice cream blended with tangy soursop), or Margarita Mama (lemon and lime sorbet blended with tequila). Their boozy flavors are perfect for a fun get-together or after a long day!
#10 Blossom Ice Cream
226 Atlantic Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11201
Have you ever tried rolled ice cream? Usually, it’s not vegan-friendly unless you come to this fantastic Hawaiian-inspired spot. They are rolling up coconut-based ice creams in flavors like key lime, cookies and cream, mango, and more! In addition to the unique vegan ice creams, they also have two savory vegan poke bowl options — an excellent place for lunch and a treat!
#11 OddFellows Ice Cream Co.
44 Water St, Brooklyn, NY 11201
This retro ice cream shop focuses on creating small-batch artisanal flavors that always include delicious vegan options! Depending on the day, you may be delighted with Chocolate Peanut Butter Pretzel, Lemon Berry Oatmeal, Lemon Basil, and more! You can eat it straight up or load it up with a variety of toppings — they mark which are vegan! Hooray!
#12 Davey’s Ice Cream
Multiple locations throughout NYC
I just happened to stumble past this colorful spot and while the rainbow colors are eye-catching, what really caught my attention was the chalk board sign professing “vegan options!” All of their flavors are handmade, and they rotate their vegan options to include seasonal inspiration. Depending on when you visit, you may find blueberry lavender sorbet, chocolate peanut butter, chocolate chip cookie, along with many others.
Vegan-Friendly Honorable Mentions — Two Great Sorbet Spots
Although these creameries aren’t blowing our minds with a selection of creamy oat or cashew-based ice creams, their lineup of sorbet is top-notch! Hopefully, their vegan options will continue to grow!
#13 Morgenstern’s Finest Ice Cream
88 W Houston St, New York, NY 10012
This old-school ice cream shop has a terrific selection of house-made sorbets like raspberry papaya, chocolate chip, raspberry lemongrass, coconut guava, and more! The flavors are also available by the pint in case you want to take more home for later!
#14 FIGO Il Gelato Italiano
178 Mulberry St, New York, NY 10012
You don’t have to go to Italy to sample ultra-luxe sorbets; this shop has brought them to NYC! You’ll always find at least eight options which include mixed berries, pear, lemon, passionfruit, dark chocolate, strawberry, mango, and banana.
