If you’re vegan or have a lactose intolerance, you don’t have to sacrifice having ice cream anymore. There are so many places in Toronto where you can indulge in dairy-free, egg-free ice cream. And, there’s nothing boring about them either. In fact, these vegan ice cream parlours are just as epic as their dairy counterparts. [Feature image: Nanashake]
This Kensington Market vegan ice cream shop is a dairy-free taste of Mexico. Seven Lives Paleteria offers vegan soft serves and paletas (Mexican popsicles) in flavours like watermelon, lime-kiwi, dulce de leche, infused froot loops, and more. They have other creations, too, like the Mangonada, a dairy-free mango soft serve topped with mango juice and chamoy – a pickled fruit sauce. There are also whip floats, sundaes and aguas frescas (a pureed fruit beverage).
Not only are Pleasantville Creamery’s ice creams dairy-free, but they’re made with organic ingredients and free of soy, gluten, refined sugar and nuts, too. They’re made with a base of hemp hearts (raw-shelled hemp seeds that have a nutty taste) and cold-pressed virgin coconut oil. Their flavours include: vanilla bean Ice Ice Baby, cacao mousse Double Trouble, butter and salted caramel ribbon Blondie, cold brew coffee with cinnamon French toast Up & Atom, peppermint with heirloom cacao butter and nibs Richie Rich, and white cake batter with white frosting and sprinkles It’s My Party.
This vegan restaurant – complete with a fun space-themed interior – is a sweet tooth’s paradise. On top of all-day vegan breakfast and comfort food, Cosmic Treats has some epic desserts. Their homemade ice creams are made with a base of cashew, and flavours include cookies ’n’ cream, earl grey chocolate, lavender, and minty chocolate. They also have guilty pleasure ice cream desserts like sundaes, sandwiches, banana splits, and more. Plus, they have vegan frozen yogurt made with organic, non-GMO, Ontario-grown soybeans that are blended with fruits like blueberries, mangos, strawberries, cherries and peaches.
Apiecalypse Now is known for its delicious vegan pizzas and Simpsons doughnuts (a lemonade flavoured pink-glazed doughnut with sprinkles on top). But, they also keep things cool with their soy-based soft serve chocolate and vanilla ice cream. Top it on one of their delicious doughnuts, have it in a cone or cup, or turn it into a sundae with toppings like Oreos, nuts, chocolate syrup and sprinkles.
At Eative, you can watch your dairy ice cream or vegan sorbet be made before your eyes in a Kitchen Aid mixer with liquid nitrogen. Their sorbets are made with fruit purées and are low in fat and free of gluten, dairy and eggs. There are so many flavours to choose from, like passion fruit and guava, grapefruit and honey, strawberry and cranberry, and acai and young berry, to name a few.
This Kensington vegan and gluten-free bakeshop has organic soy-based soft serve ice cream available from spring until fall. They come in the standard vanilla and chocolate, or twist of both flavours, but sometimes they have different flavours like the Pumpkin Spicecream in October. Plus, there’s nothing like a soft serve ice cream sandwiched in between two cornflake cookies. You can even ask for it in a cup, walk down to Café Novo a few steps next door and pour their espresso on top for an affogato creation.