I am a full-time food journalist and eat more ice cream than anyone I know. Over the years, I've published stories about the best ice cream parlors in the United States, gourmet soft serve, ice cream sandwiches and artisan ice cream makers that began shipping their ice cream nationally during the pandemic. I've even been invited to judge gelato festivals and weighed in on new flavors by cult favorite ice cream makers at company headquarters. Last summer, I received 60 pints of ice cream from nearly a dozen different brands delivered on the same day and all the liquid nitrogen fog permeated my entire house.
Recently, I've discovered more and more great plant-based ice creams popping up. I've tasted through flavors from more than 20 different vegan ice cream brands and have learned that vegan ice cream can be just as delightful and delicious as dairy ice cream. Even if you're not vegan, trying plant-based ice creams offer unique flavor combinations you won't find in dairy ice cream.
Sure, I've tried the usual vegan ice cream suspects you find in grocery stores, but I've been truly delighted by the small-batch artisanal brands, many of which are charting new territory in the world of plant-based ice cream. Below you'll find six bespoke vegan ice cream brands that I love; many you probably haven't heard of before. If you're interested in vegan supermarket ice cream, we've also done a few taste tests.
The first and only macadamia milk ice cream
