Over the years, we’ve tried thousands of phenomenal vegan desserts, so when the challenge of making the ultimate dessert bucket list arose, we were all in. VegNews’ editors searched from coast to coast for the crème de la crème, so forget the main course and get ready to skip straight to dessert.
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1 Fried Softserve Pie from Magpies Softserve
Los Angeles, CA
Magpies Softserve is making magic happen with its rotating selection of frozen dessert pies. Soft-serve in flavors like ube, brown sugar-banana, and roasted strawberry are layered into a pie crust with flavored whipped creams, crumbles, sprinkles, and mix-ins. Take it from us, though, and go for the Fried Softserve Pie with corn-almond soft-serve, fried candied cornflakes, and chocolate fudge.
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2 Cannolis from Miss Vegan
Providence, RI
Pop-up bakery Miss Vegan is rolling, frying, and filling these crunchy pastries with sweet, creamy cheese in a variety of creative, mouth-watering flavors. Choose between traditional vanilla and must-trys like brownie batter, pumpkin spice, peanut butter cup, and peppermint bark.
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3 Death Bar from Valhalla Bakery
Orlando and Saint Petersburg, FL
Why do we love bars so much? Simple. They’re the best of all our favorite desserts—brownies, pies, and cookies—all in one. That’s why Floridians can’t get enough of this woman-owned bakery’s Death Bar, with a thick layer of peanut butter crunch filling on a brownie base topped with candied Oreos, chocolate chips, and fudgy ganache: it’s to die for.
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4 Croissants from L’Artisane Creative Bakery
Miami Beach, FL
Endless buttery, flaky, melt-in-your-mouth layers of pastry make each and every one of L’Artisane’s croissants—in flavors like cookies and cream, red velvet, and apple pie—an impeccable work of art.
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5Mile High Lemon Meringue Pie from Veggie Galaxy
Boston, MA
Historically, everything about lemon meringue pie is not vegan but that’s not a problem for Veggie Galaxy and its award-winning take on the diner classic with billowy swirls of egg-free meringue atop a tart and tangy lemon-passion fruit curd filling.
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6 Vegan Black ‘N White CakeShake from Black Tap
Various locations across the US
A nod to New York’s famous black and white cookie, this mind-blowing dessert starts with a chocolate shake with housemade vanilla frosting and mini chocolate chips on the rim. Then it’s crowned with a huge slice of black and white cake, whipped cream, and chocolate sauce. Talk about having your shake and eating it, too!
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7 Raw Cheesecakes from Solar Return
Los Angeles, CA
One look at these jaw-dropping psychedelic vegan cheesecakes and you’ll know you’re guaranteed to be transported to another dimension. And if you’re afraid these captivating raw cakes are all style and no substance, rest assured: Solar Return’s blend of cashews, coconut milk, coconut nectar, and dates yield a velvety, indulgent cheesecake as heavenly as the celestial bodies depicted on them.
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8 Sticky Toffee Pudding from Vedge Restaurant
Philadelphia, PA
Everything at the world-renowned Vedge is superb, but the house Sticky Toffee Pudding is what keeps countless diners coming back for more. Chef Rich Landau describes it as “sweet with a touch savory, warm and cold, and both creamy and sticky, with flavor combinations ranging from cedar ice cream and hazelnut wafers, banoffee ice cream and coffee crumb, bourbon ice cream and crunchy pecans, and cardamom and pistachio tulle.” We’ll take one of each.
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9 Kouign-Amann from Passion Flour Patisserie
Salt Lake City, UT
Imagine a croissant, but stepped up with a caramelized, almost-crunchy sugar crust and a buttery interior that’s both dense and light, all folded into a muffin-like shape. That’s the French kouign-amann Utah’s premier vegan bakery and we need about a dozen.
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10 Stuffed Doughnuts from Peaceful Provisions
Beacon, NY
Don’t look for simple sprinkles or ordinary jelly here—Peaceful Provisions specializes in stuffing everything from pistachio halva to half-baked funfetti cookies to sweet corn pudding into their gigantic, yeast-raised doughnuts.
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11 Peanut Butter Bomb Cake from Vegan Treats
Bethlehem, PA
From cake pops to sticky buns to cheesecakes-on-a-stick, everything from Vegan Treats tastes divine but none more than its iconic crown jewel of chocolate cake, mounds of fluffy peanut butter mousse, and Belgian chocolate coating.
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12 Eggloo Rose from Eggloo
New York City, NY
Manhattan dessert shop Eggloo has cracked the code to veganizing Hong Kong’s famous puffy, snackable egg waffle, and breakfast-slash-dessert lovers are rejoicing. Hungry New Yorkers can order this fun-filled dessert with a scoop of vegan ice cream shaped into a pretty rose and a shower of decadent toppings (we like coconut flakes and mochi) to finish it off.
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13 Salted Chocolate Chunk Cookies from Dark Hall Coffee
Phoenix, AZ
There’s nothing as satisfying as a classic chocolate chip cookie. Except maybe this fresh-out-the-oven, crisp-yet-chewy chocolate chunk cookie topped with melted dark chocolate and flaky sea salt.
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14 Beignets from CyBelle’s Front Room
San Francisco, CA
This San Francisco pizzeria is flipping expectations with an array of piping-hot, fluffy Louisiana-style beignets. The ones your Instagram followers won’t be able to get enough of? The Unicorn Beignets, complete with pipettes of salted caramel sauce, rainbow sprinkles, and pink crystal sugar.
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15Season’s Cinnamon Rolls from Modern Love
Omaha, NE & Brooklyn, NY
Whether it’s summer in the City That Never Sleeps or autumn in Omaha, you can always count on a warm, fresh bun to satisfy. Our advice? Delve into the flavors of spring with the Warm Blackberry Cinnamon Roll with lemon icing and blackberry sauce.
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Check out the full feature of The 20 Vegan Desserts to Eat Before You Die in the 2020 Best of Vegan Issue of VegNews Magazine!