Meet the 24 Most Exciting New Foods You’ll Try In 2024

It’s been an exciting month since the beginning of 2024, and we’re settling into the year with all of the amazing vegan food that lies ahead. 

The plant-based food market in the United States is expected to balloon to $19 billion by 2030, a jump from $8.9 billion in 2023, according to predictions by market research firm Research and Markets. 

What does that mean? More exciting vegan food will be on the way for years to come. Let’s dig into the 24 most exciting vegan foods you’ll try in 2024.

Ben & Jerry’s

1Ben and Jerry’s 

Vermont ice cream company Ben & Jerry’s is reworking all of its vegan ice cream to be made with oat milk. The first flavor made with this switch in mind was Strawberry Cheezecake: a spot-on version of the traditional, complete with a sweet and tangy flavor profile that we couldn’t stop eating.

Our spoons are ready for whichever vegan oat milk flavors Ben & Jerry’s might churn out in 2024.

Eat Just

2Just Mayo and Just Ranch

Four years ago, we all felt a collective sense of sadness when Just Mayo was pulled from shelves. Fast forward to 2024, and the condiment is headed back to stores in Original and Chipotle flavors to make all of our vegan BLT dreams come true.

Plus, Eat Just is bringing back Just Ranch (also in original and chipotle flavors) for all our salad and pizza-dipping needs.

Bel Group

3Laughing Cow cheeses

We’ve been patiently waiting for Laughing Cow wedges since we first learned that Bel Group would be remaking some of its iconic cheeses with vegan formulations.

After a few snafus, plant-based Laughing Cow wedges are finally coming to Whole Foods Markets—completing the trifecta of vegan Babybel and Boursin. 

Peter McGuinness

4Impossible Corn Dogs

This year, Impossible Foods is rolling out a beef hot dog that nails traditional baseball franks but without any animal products. We’re already thinking of how we’ll dress these bad boys up this summer with ketchup, mustard, and relish (or maybe some sport peppers for Chicago-style flare). 

And while this new product is an exciting development for 2024, we know an Impossible corn dog is also on the way as the company previewed its newest launch at Slutty Vegan late last year. The thought of a warm corn coating over a snappy hot dog is enough to get us through the winter blues. 

Big Box Vegan

5Trader Joe’s pepperoni

Around here, pizza is life and the best topping is, hands-down, pepperoni. Lucky for us, a vegan pepperoni is hitting shelves at Trader Joe’s this month. 

What are we using this one for? We’re making a vegan meat-lovers pizza akin to the one Trader Joe’s unceremoniously discontinued a few months ago. 

New Culture

6New Culture’s vegan cheese

This year, we’re sure that even more people will realize that cows are no longer needed to make dairy. Case in point? New Culture makes its dairy-identical mozzarella cheese using microbes. After years in the making, the company is readying its debut at Pizzeria Mozza, which is owned by acclaimed chef Nancy Silverton.

You know who else can’t wait to try it? According to a survey conducted by New Culture, 80 percent of respondents who identified as omnivores were excited about this cow-free cheese. 

Ikea

7Ikea’s plant-based marketplace

Last year, Ingka Centers—the sister company of furniture giant Ikea—revealed plans to open its Saluhall concept in three cities, including stateside in San Francisco. While the food hall menu is still taking shape, we’re excited about the vegan options that might be on offer as the entire thing will open as 80-percent plant-based with an eye on getting to 100 percent.

In the meantime, there’s plenty to nosh on inside San Francisco’s new Ikea store, including vegan Swedish meatballs, plant-based hot dogs, and cinnamon rolls.

Andrea D’Agosto

8Prime Roots’ Koji-Foie Gras

We’re so happy to leave traditional foie gras in the past with its cruel production methods of force-feeding ducks and geese until their livers get engorged. 

In 2024, we have so many options that don’t require this level of ick. A great one comes from California company Prime Roots which recently partnered with charcuterie giant Three Little Pigs to distribute its delectable Koji-Foie Gras.

This version of the delicacy is made with koji, an umami-packed Japanese fungus, and we’re going to spread it all over our vegan bánh mì—just the way its creator, Kimberlie Le, intended. 

Oatly

9Carvel’s oat milk desserts

Soft serve? Ice cream cake? Flying saucer ice cream sandwiches? We’re officially over the moon for the new desserts at Carvel made in partnership with Oatly. 

This summer, find us at the 95-year-old chain eating our way through Oatly soft serve flavors (chocolate, mint, and cold brew) and chasing them with scoops of oat milk-based peanut butter ice cream. 

Carvel does note that these desserts, which are made without animal products, are not certified vegan due to cross-contamination. 

Veggie Grill

10Veggie Grill’s new menu

If you haven’t heard, Next Level Burger has acquired Veggie Grill to form a mega vegan fast-food chain that’s sure to shake things up in 2024. We’re excited to see what this move will mean for the new Veggie Grill menu. 

NLB is listening closely to Veggie Grill fans in making menu decisions. This means that sometime soon, we can all be noshing on old-school Veggie Grill favorites such as the All Hail Kale salad and onion rings. 

Starbucks

11Starbucks Hazelnut Oatmilk Shaken Espresso 

This hazelnut-flavored espresso drink is built around oat milk and joined Starbucks’ permanent menu this holiday season. 

While the iced beverage is exciting to sip on in the winter, we’re waiting for warmer weather to really give the Hazelnut Oat Milk Shaken Espresso its time to shine.  

Maybe by then, Starbucks will give us a little vegan treat to pair with the drink. 

Green Wolf Foods

12Green Wolf’s vegan salami

Charcuterie boards these days are more versatile than ever—no longer are we limited to the basic dairy cheese and animal meats. There are so many textures and flavors to play with, including a new vegan salami, called “Vegami,” from Green Wolf Foods. 

We’re thinking about pairing the Tomato Basil Vegami with briny vegan feta. Sweet apricots would go great with the greens-forward Spinach Kale Vegami. As for the Brown Mushrooms Vegami, a board with salty olives would play up its umami. 

We’re already making plans for Green Wolf’s vegan caviar, which the startup plans to launch sometime in 2024. 

The Kraft Not Company

13Kraft NotMac & Cheese

A classic blue box of Kraft mac and cheese is our favorite nostalgic lazy dinner. This year, Kraft’s vegan version of the original—made as part of its joint venture with Chile’s The Not Company—will surely comprise a good portion of weeknight meals. 

We’re sprucing these noodles up with parsley, vegan bacon, and a few oven-roasted tomatoes. And we wouldn’t be made if a few slices of vegan Kraft singles magically appeared on top.

Bareburger

14Armored Fresh’s oat milk cheese

At fast-casual chain Bareburger, a new vegan cheese just hit the menu. Made by South Korean brand Armored Fresh, this oat milk-based cheese looks so melty. Bareburger is serving it as part of two Impossible Meat-stuffed options, plus giving us the option of adding the oat cheese to anything on the menu.

Armored Fresh’s vegan oat cheeses—in pepperjack and cheddar flavors—are also available in several stores in the New York City area meaning that this year will be all about grilled cheese.

Unlimeat

15Unlimeat’s baby bundt cakes 

Another South Korean brand, Unlimeat, is also making its mark on the US market with a variety of products. While it might be best known for its plant-based meat and frozen kimbap, we’ve got our eye on its other “K-vegan” offerings, particularly the chapsaruni. 

Shaped like a baby bundt cake, this gluten-free dessert is made from glutinous rice which imparts a chewy, mochi-like texture. Plus, the vegan cakes feature various fillings such as matcha, Earl Grey, carrot, peanut, cinnamon, and chocolate. We’ll take 10, thanks. 

Krispy Kreme

16Krispy Kreme doughnuts 

Krispy Kreme is synonymous with doughnuts and our summer travels this year will be purely informed by the vegan options we can’t get in the US. This means a trip to the United Kingdom is in order. Why? That’s where Krispy Kreme offers vegan doughnuts by the dozen. And summer birthday babies can get their vegan Krispy Kreme’s personalized. 

Despite Krispy Kreme’s origins in North Carolina, the doughnut chain has yet to add a vegan option to its US stores.

Beyond Meat

17Pizza Hut’s Beyond Pepperoni pizzas 

Pizza Hut is also lagging in vegan options stateside, so our hop across the pond will also include a stop into Pizza Hut UK to sample its new Beyond Pepperoni pizzas.

Here, there are three meaty options: The Big New Yorker, Beyond Pepperoni Feast Pizza, and the Beyond Pepperoni Melt, which can all be ordered with vegan cheese for a full plant-based experience. 

Unreal Deli

18Unreal Deli’s bacon

You know how we know that BLTs in 2024 will be the best? Unreal Deli’s new vegan bacon is coming to stores. Crafted by Jenny Goldfarb—the visionary behind Unreal Deli’s vegan deli meats that impressed Mark Cuban on Shark Tank—the new vegan bacon is made from simple ingredients such as fava beans and butternut squash. 

Even more exciting is that this new vegan bacon will be featured at Walt Disney parks. Find us near the teacup ride with a Dole Whip in one hand and Unreal Bacon in the other. 

Alpha Foods

19Chicken Run vegan nuggets

The sequel to Chicken Run is now on Netflix and chances are that after you see it, you’ll be craving vegan chicken nuggets. This March, vegan brand Alpha Foods will satisfy that craving with plant-based chicken nuggets outfitted in Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget packaging. 

A few batches of these straight out of the air fryer with an array of vegan sauces is what we call a perfect movie night.

Kernel

20The menu at Kernel

We can’t wait to eat our way through the meatless menu at Kernel, a new concept by Chipotle founder Steve Ells. The idea here is a restaurant mostly run by robots, which will prepare meatless burgers, chicken sandwiches, and salads to order. 

The first Kernel opens in Manhattan on February 12, with 15 locations anticipated in the next two years. 

Daiya Foods

21Daiya’s new vegan cheese

We’ve been ride-or-die Daiya fans from the beginning, when it created the first vegan cheese that actually melted. The Canadian company has been tweaking its formulas since and the newest iteration of its vegan cheeses uses oat cream and age-old fermentation techniques.

This year, we will be putting Daiya’s new mozzarella to the melt test in calzones, piling on the Mexican shreds into tacos, and giving the cheddar slices a go atop breakfast sandwiches. 

Woop4

22Woop4’s piranha sushi 

Vegan sashimi has really come a long way but the creativity of Woop4’s piranha sushi really swam into our hearts. It’s made from konjac (a Japanese root veggie) so zero fish are hurt in making this predator-inspired vegan sushi. 

While people do eat piranhas, Woop4 imagined the plant-based version of this fish to have a tropical yellow flesh, perfect for adding color to a rainbow roll. 

Oshi Foods

23Oshi’s whole-cut salmon 

Just a few years ago, the idea of a whole-cut vegan salmon filet felt like a pipe dream. But here we are in 2024, waiting patiently for Oshi to unveil the 2.0 version of its vegan salmon filet in NYC.

What’s different? The company took customer feedback to the drawing board to improve the oceanic taste and flakey texture of the all-vegan filet. The new version is set to hit select restaurants in NYC this month. 

Taco Bell

24Taco Bell’s value menu 

Just when we thought Taco Bell exhausted its tactics in luring us into its doors, the fast-food chain announced a $5.99 Veggie Build-Your-Own-Cravings box. Since we can’t resist a good deal, we’re excited to build a vegan box of our dreams: a Black Bean Crunchwrap, Cheesy Fiesta Potatoes (hold the dairy), and a Mountain Dew Baja Blast. 

The only thing that could make this value meal better is if Taco Bell brought back that tasty vegan nacho sauce. Maybe 2024 is the year?