The Best Places in Los Angeles for Vegan Ice Cream
Vegan ice cream—yes, it’s a thing that sweet dreams are made of, and we are swimming in it here in Los Angeles. We explored the city to find places where you can keep your cool while being kind and cruelty-free.
Besties Vegan Paradise
Dip into the "Best Vegan Grocery Store in America" (as voted by VegNews) for a swirl of soft serve you'll not soon forget. Besties Vegan Paradise go with the seasonal flow so take whatever is on tap, go big with the magic shell chocolate and don't forget the sprinkles.
Dear Bella Creamery
Opened as Cocobella in 2017, Dear Bella Creamery serves up dozens of luscious seasonal flavors, decadent signature sundaes, classic and deluxe shakes, root beer and nitro cold brew floats, and a deliciously gluten-free waffle cone. The ice cream is made with "proprietary blends of oatmilk, coconut milk, or nut butters" and the portions are generous. Reflecting the Taiwanese heritage of owners Alice Cherng and Belinda Wei, AAPI-inspired flavors are always in the rotation, such as Mango Sticky Rice and Taiwanese Pineapple Cake. Summer 2023 flavors include Campfire S'mores, Lemon Blueberry Pound Cake and Vietnamese Coffee.
Located just a few blocks from Hollywood Boulevard, Dear Bella's spot in the same shopping center as Doomie’s and Doomie's NextMex makes this strip mall a vegan destination.
Happy Ice
Happy Ice makes classic Philly water ice, a frozen dessert that makes everyone happy - nut-free, dairy-free, vegan, kosher and full of flavor. Mix and match up to three flavors, or pick a combo like the Time Machine: Cherry Bomb, Mango Madness, Pineapple Potion. Check out their Melrose location, or look for the rainbow-covered truck at gatherings across the city by following @happyice on IG.
Magpies Softserve - Silver Lake
Years ago, vegan soft serve was hard to come by, but this Silver Lake sweet shoppe (also in Highland Park and Tarzana) offers a buffet of flavors and toppings, which explains why there’s often a line out the door. The Fried Softserve Pie (corn almond soft serve layered with vegan fudge, honeycomb, topped with non-dairy whipped cream and fried cornflake streusel) is perfect for parties or celebrations. Not everything is vegan, so study the menu or ask the friendly staff questions before ordering.
Monty's Good Burger
The fun fast food local vegan chain known for its burgers and tots gets even cooler with signature Oatly-based milkshakes. Ten flavors to choose from (including Travis' Oat Matcha Latte Shake, Banana Split and Neapolitan), all perfect for soda floats.
Pressed
If you like drinking Pressed juices, you’ll love eating them frozen and whipped into a creamy frenzy. Flavors include Ube Freeze, Acai Freeze, Dragon Fruit Freeze and Vanilla Freeze. Customize your order with toppings like coconut chips, blueberries and granola. With locations from Downtown LA to the Valley and the Beach Cities, there's sure to be a Pressed near you.
Scoops
This locally-owned chain of mom and pop shops, while not 100% vegan, was a pioneer in the L.A. alternative ice cream world by always offering several non-dairy options. Each Scoops location (Highland Park, Chinatown, Torrance) offers sweetness with a smile.
Van Leeuwen
With locations across the country, Van Leeuwen offers a cashew-based vegan menu of classic and inventive flavors. Warning: pints of Churros & Fudge and Cookie Crumble Strawberry Jam may not make it home. Along with half a dozen brick and mortar LA locations, their pastel-colored truck scoops on Abbot Kinney most weekends.