Vegan food near you.
Being vegan in the ‘90s (and, hell, even in the 2000s) was tough. While everyone else at the ice cream store was enjoying their rocky road and strawberry cheesecake, you were lucky to get a cup of sad lemon sorbet. Now, there are tons of vegan ice cream shops in Portland to choose from, featuring fun flavors like salted peanut butter brittle, pink rosé and watermelon sorbet, and many more. Below, our 12 favorite places to grab vegan ice cream in Portland.
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Nostalgia is in the air at Kate’s Ice Cream, where you can grab a scoop of vegan cotton candy in a gluten-free cone. In fact, everything on the menu is plant-based and gluten-free, so you can sample orange creamsicle to pistachio and beyond (and grab a pint or two to bring home).
3713 N. Mississippi Ave., Portland | katesicecream.com
What’s the only thing better than a big scoop of vegan ice cream? A big scoop of vegan ice cream on top of a slice of vegan sour cherry peach pie, of course. Everything at Petunia’s is entirely vegan and gluten-free, so you can order absolutely everything on the menu (and believe us, you’ll want to).
610 SW 12th Ave., Portland | petuniaspiesandpastries.com
While this ice cream chain is not exclusively vegan, Salt and Straw offers an admirable spread of vegan options, including chocolate plum and hazelnut shortbread, freckled mint chocolate chip and our personal favorite, peanut butter brittle caramel fudge (yum).
Multiple locations in Portland | saltandstraw.com
While not everything at Eb & Bean is vegan, there are always several plant-based options available with a variety of bases, including almond milk, coconut milk and our personal favorite, oat milk. Don’t snooze on the black currant tea.
Multiple locations in Portland | ebandbean.com
There are two types of people in this word: People who love soft serve, and people we don’t want to associate with. Get your vegan soft-serve fix at this magical food truck, then indulge in toppings like puffed quinoa, coconut sugar caramel and magic shell.
1401 SE Division St., Portland | ramblinrose.express
Plain vanilla? Snore. This vegan paleta (aka ice pop) and soft serve shop is serving eclectic flavors like Thai tea, Dole whip, pumpkin pie and, yep, pickle. Best of all, you can also find Ice Queen’s prepackaged paletas in markets and shops all over Portland.
2012 SE 11th Ave., Portland | icequeenyouscream.com
If you thought you had to book an expensive flight to get authentic Hawaiian shave ice, think again. Wailua Shave Ice, which also has an outpost in Kauai, is serving heaping cups of literal sunshine in Portland, and we are here for it. (Keep in mind that some flavors contain milk, so check the menu or ask for a vegan version if you’re unsure.)
1022 W. Burnside St. Unit O, Portland | shaveiceorderspdx.com
If you’re bored of ice cream in a cone, we’d like to introduce you to rolled ice cream. It’s basically a liquid “base” that’s swirled on a frozen steel plate, then carefully scraped up to create cute little ice cream rolls that are then popped into a paper cup with toppings. Not everything on the menu is vegan, but there is a vegan pineapple sorbet base at some locations that tastes amazing topped with strawberries.
Multiple locations in Portland | my22below.com
This cute ice cream cart makes all of its ice cream on location, from scratch. The menu, which changes frequently, usually features at least a handful of vegan flavors, all with a coconut base. Will it be pecan almond, orange, French roast or pineapple?
SE 13th Ave. & SE Lexington St., Portland | hurrybackicecream.com
It’s best known for its pizza, but did you know Virtuous Pie’s ice cream is just as legendary? When we think “vegan ice cream in Portland,” these pints jump to the top of our list. The base is a creamy mix of cashew and coconut milks, and the flavors are unmissable: Marionberry cheesecake, cookies and cream, and ballpark (pictured), featuring popcorn, caramel, chocolate and peanuts.
1126 SE Division St., Portland | virtuouspie.com
Why have one dessert when you could have two? Grab a scoop of vegan birthday cake ice cream in a salted blue corn waffle cone (you heard us), then order a maple twist donut for the road.
4110 NE Sandy Blvd., Portland | doedonuts.com
The menu at this local chain offers both vegan and non-vegan options, so read the menu carefully. But this self-proclaimed “dope-ass ice cream” doesn’t disappoint. We’re partial to the bananas foster, mango sticky rice and coconut lemon saffron, all made with coconut milk.
Multiple locations in Portland | fifty-licks.com
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