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Hello, my name is Joyce and I can’t digest dairy! I’ve never been officially diagnosed, but I think I have some form of allergy to dairy proteins. I’ve tried some lactose-free products in the past and still experienced stomachaches. I love ice cream, but I’m not a huge fan of fruity flavours and most restaurants only have sorbet as dairy-free dessert options. Thankfully there are some great options for vegan ice cream in Vancouver! Keep reading to find out my favourite places.
To find out my favourite vegan restaurants in Vancouver, click here.
PASSIONE GELATO
Located inside Parq Vancouver is Passione Gelato, an authentic Italian gelato shop. I was first introduced to Passione while attending an event at Parq and the owner, Sal, was handing out gelato samples. Sal found out about my allergy and ran down to the gelateria to bring us cups of vegan pistachio gelato. The pistachio is now one of my favourites and I truly think it’s one of the best flavours for vegan ice cream in Vancouver. Their vegan Dark Shock (dark chocolate) and coconut are strong contenders. Passione Gelato’s vegan flavours are so creamy and rich, you’d never know that it is dairy-free!
ELEPHANT GARDEN CREAMERY
Elephant Garden Creamery is a handcrafted ice cream shop on Commercial Drive. They have some of the most creative flavours I’ve seen in Vancouver! Most of their ice cream is made with dairy, but they do have a handful of vegan flavours (some rotational and some permanent). My personal favourite is one of their staples, the Mango Coconut Sticky Rice. It also happens to be their best-seller, according their staff members. I usually am not a huge fan of fruity ice cream flavours, but this one is absolutely delicious! It’s very fresh and not too sweet.
LA GLACE
La Glace is a small batch artisanal ice cream parlour located in Kits. They make premier French-style ice cream from scratch with crème anglaise and thick custard, but they also have a couple of vegan flavours. I always get the vegan coconut pandan, which is very rich and flavourful. Their ice creams also come topped with meringue (dairy-free) of your choice. Their daily menu changes, so sometimes they have other interesting vegan flavours, like guava sorbet.
INNOCENT ICE CREAM
One of the things I missed eating the most since developing my dairy allergy is ice cream sandwiches. When Innocent Ice Cream opened their store on Main Street in 2017, I rushed over to try their goodies. It was the first time I had heard of vegan ice cream sandwiches being served in Vancouver. I was so happy to find that the small ice cream shop is family-owned and run by a mother daughter team. They started with an ice cream tricycle, spreading joy along the seawall. One of my personal favourites from Innocent Ice Cream is the S’Mores ice cream sandwich, with S’mores Nice Cream sandwiched between two double chocolate cookies. Their cookies are all vegan and the ice cream menu is entirely gluten-free, with an assortment of vegan ice cream flavours. They even have vegan ice cream cakes with crunchy cookie crust! Their vegan ice cream cake makes my list of best vegan birthday cakes in Vancouver.
DOLCE AMORE
Located in the heart of Little Italy on Commercial Drive is Dolce Amore, a small-batch and artisanal gelato shop. It was recommended to me by an Italian server who overheard that I was craving vegan ice cream while I was dining out. I was pleasantly surprised to find that Dolce Amore has a great selection of vegan ice cream, with flavours like the Salted Coconut Caramel, Maple Walnut, Peanut Butter Paesano and Extra-Dark Chocolate. I loved their vegan Gianduia (Hazelnut Chocolate), which had the perfect combination of nuttiness and sweetness.
MISTER ICE CREAM
Mister Artisan Ice Cream is known for their creative concoctions and flame-torched treats. When they first opened their location in Yaletown, they didn’t have many dairy-free options, but recently they added more options as they’ve added more locations (Kits & Robson St). We love their vegan ice cream sandwiches and their Robson Street location has become one of our go-tos for vegan ice cream in Vancouver! The vegan flavours are available in sandwiches, pints and scoops.
What are your favourite places for ice cream (vegan & non-vegan) in Vancouver? Let me know in the comments below!
