Close your eyes and imagine the best dishes you’ve ever eaten. If you’re anything like us, flashes of cakes, cookies, pies, and sundaes are swirling in your mind. The world of vegan desserts has never been more mouthwateringly diverse—from the ultra-comforting and familiar to the cutting-edge and innovative—and as hard as we may try, there never seems to be enough time to try them all.
So VegNews editors scoured the globe for the best of the best and put together the ultimate bucket list of our dreams. Get ready for a world tour of sticky, syrupy, chocolaty scrumptiousness—and don’t be afraid to order dessert first.
Mildreds
1White chocolate tiramisu in London, England
In 1988, Jane Muir and Diane Thomas opened a tiny, pioneering café, where vegetarians could also indulge in the international cuisine that the worldly city of London is known for. Thirty-four years later, Mildreds has evolved into a vegan empire with five London locations.
After tucking into a dinner of Chinese gyoza, Turkish kofte, and Sri Lankan coconut curried sweet potatoes, head to Italy for dessert. Mildreds’ White Chocolate Tiramisu is a tall, flawless slice of simple satisfaction: almond sponge cake is soaked in dark, fair-trade coffee and layered with thick white chocolate mousse before being blanketed in cocoa powder—sweet and bitter notes balanced perfectly with a luxuriously creamy texture.
Floozie Cookies
2Stuffed cookies in London, England
Born in 2020, when veteran pastry chef Kimberly Lin found herself mesmerized by the stuffed-cookie craze dominating social media, Floozie began as a London vegan bakery churning out Lin’s take on the addictive, soft-and-chewy cookies.
It’s no longer fully vegan, but there are still plenty of plant-based flavors to choose from. We can’t stop dreaming about the Blackforest Cookie, for example, made with decadent dark chocolate and an oozy filling of sour cherry compote.
Land & Monkeys
3 Raspberry macarons in Paris, France
Crispy and delicate, with just the right amount of chew on the inside, macarons are an iconic French dessert. They’re traditionally made with egg whites, but at popular plant-based bakery chain Land & Monkeys, you’ll find vegan versions that are just as delicious.
Start with a bell pepper focaccia or a caprese sandwich at one of the chain’s locations in Paris, Bordeaux, or Aix-en-Provence before moving on to the Raspberry Crunch. The latter is an incredibly indulgent sweet treat, which combines two macarons with whipped vanilla ganache, raspberry confit, and fresh raspberries. Other mouthwateringly good desserts include raspberry cheesecake, lemon tart, and vanilla flan. A few visits are necessary.
Brammibal’s Donuts
4 Bienenstich doughnuts in Berlin, Germany
When in Germany, bienenstich is essential eating. This traditional, decadent German treat, which translates to “bee sting cake,” is made with honey, almonds, and vanilla cream.
Again, it’s not traditionally vegan, but if you head to Brammibal’s Donuts, you can sample a plant-based twist on the dessert: bienenstich doughnuts. They’re every bit as good as the conventional version, if not better, thanks to homemade vanilla custard, organic vanilla, and roasted slivered almonds.
Vegannata
5 Pastel de nata custard tarts in Lisbon, Portugal
If you can’t leave Germany without trying bienenstich, then you definitely can’t leave Portugal without trying pastel de nata. The iconic Portuguese dessert is an egg custard tart, beloved for its caramelized top, crispy pastry, and creamy custard filling.
If your mouth is watering just thinking about it, then Vegannata in Lisbon should be at the top of your bucket list. It specializes in one thing: vegan pastel de nata. And it’s good. It’s really, really good. Be right back, we’re booking a flight.
Away Chiang Mai Thapae
6Mango sticky rice in Chiang Mai, Thailand
Mango sticky rice has been a staple dessert in Thailand for centuries, and after you’ve had a taste, you won’t be surprised. The warm, chewy rice pairs perfectly with the sweet, juicy mango, while a creamy coconut sauce ties the whole dish together.
You can sample mango sticky rice, which is usually vegan, across Thailand, but one of the best places to try it is Away Chiang Mai Thapae, an all-vegan resort. Start with deep-fried vegetable spring rolls before moving on to vegan chicken khao soi gai. After that, the mango sticky rice is the perfect way to end the meal.
Okapi
7 Chocolate orange cakes in Goa, India
There are many reasons to visit Goa. To name a few: picturesque beaches, fascinating history, and diverse wildlife. Another one? Okapi. In fact, if you leave Goa without trying a dessert at vegan spot Okapi, it would be a mistake. In fact, many consider Okapi to serve some of the best vegan desserts in the entire state. The beautifully decorated, indulgent, and refined sugar-free chocolate orange cakes immediately caught our eye.
Sarah McLaughlin
8Soy pudding in Tokyo, Japan
After one of our editors traveled across Japan, she couldn’t stop talking about the food. Hard relate. One of the desserts that stood out for her in Tokyo? The soy puddings at Ming Teng Hao Hao in Setagaya City. They’re the perfect mix of silky, soft, and sweet, topped with Japanese sweet potato, lychee, tapioca pearls, red bean, and soy flour.
Blueberry Cheesecake at Açai Plant Based Restaurant
9Blueberry cheesecake in Rhodes, Greece
Açaí Plant-Based Hotel opened its doors last summer and quickly became a popular destination for its sustainable ethos, excellent location near the Medieval City, and impressive plant-based cuisine at its onsite restaurant, which is also open to the public.
There are plenty of outstanding sweet and savory vegan options on the menu, but the blueberry cheesecake is a must-try dessert. The dish is served deconstructed, which means every mouthful has just the right balance of chocolate crumble, blueberry cream, white chocolate, lemon gel, and fresh fruit.
Vị Lai
10 Chè dessert soup in Hanoi, Vietnam
Chè is a broad term for Vietnamese desserts, but think of it as a sweet dessert soup. For the best vegan chè, Hanoi’s Vị Lai is worth a trip. This popular vegetarian fine-dining spot offers two options: pandan leaf rice pudding and lotus seed and longan tea. If you can’t decide between the chewy green rice flakes and the nutty lotus seeds, why not get both?
Beck Hall
11 Crème brûlée in Yorkshire, England
On paper, vegan crème brûlée shouldn’t work. This traditional European dessert (claimed by the English, French, and Spanish alike) is made with a rich custard, usually featuring double cream and egg yolks, and topped with a hardened, caramelized sugar crust.
But Yorkshire’s Beck Hall, England’s first vegan hotel, never shies away from a challenge. Its plant-based twist is every bit as decadent and indulgent as the original, and well worth booking a flight for.
Hanai Vegana
12 Alfajores in Barcelona, Spain
If the combination of shortbread cookies, dulce de leche, and desiccated coconut sounds like heaven in your mouth, Hanai Vegana in Barcelona is where you need to be.
The popular plant-based bakery has not only successfully veganized this Spanish and Argentine favorite, but also created many delicious twists on the classic. Alfajores brownie, anyone? We’ll take five. Plus the alfamisu.
Gelato Gusto
13Fresh gelato in Milan, Italy
Of course, we couldn’t finish a dessert list without mentioning gelato, one of the most beloved sweet treats of all time. Milan’s Gelato Gusto is 100 percent vegan, which means you’ll be in the enviable position of having to choose a flavor. The lineup includes pistachio, mint, chocolate, hazelnut, and more. And remember: gelato isn’t just ice cream. It’s silkier, denser, more flavorful, and arguably superior—especially when it’s eaten in Italy.
For more sweet eats, read:
JUMP TO ... Latest News | Recipes | Guides | Health | Subscribe
