Summer Survival Guide: 15 Spots to Get Dairy-Free Vegan Ice Cream in Philly

Look no further, dairy-free ice creams fans: We have compiled an extensive list of spots that serve vegan ice cream, soft serve and sorbets all over the city.

Get ready, folks! Today and tomorrow are going to be hot, hot, hot. With temperatures landing in the 90s, we have to prepare the only way we know how — by scouting out where, exactly, we can get our hands on ice cream, of course!

Nothing beats that cold and creamy sweetness gracing your lips on a hot day, an experience vegans and dairy-averse folks sometimes miss out on. But not anymore: We’ve rounded up 16 spots in Philadelphia and the ‘burbs where you can score a refreshing serving of dairy-free vegan ice cream. So take note, then swing into one of these spots to make your walk home a whole lot cooler. 

All The Way Live Cafe
6108 Germantown Avenue, Germantown

This cafe serves up a 100 percent raw and vegan menu of sandwiches, pasta, veggie burgers and, fortunately for us, desserts. All The Way Live has a pretty extensive dessert menu of cakes, pies and puddings, all of which can be topped with a scoop (or two or three!) of their house vanilla ice cream. Think: two-layered apple cake with a hearty scoop of ice cream to top it all off, totally vegan, completely raw and absolutely mouthwatering.

B2
1500 East Passyunk Avenue, Passyunk Square

B2 can fulfill your fro-yo needs with their soy-based frozen yogurt option, which is a great addition to any of their smoothies but is also flawless on it’s own.

Ben & Jerry’s
1726 Sansom Street, Rittenhouse

We were VERY excited when Ben & Jerry’s became vegan-friendly. Now, you can grab some of your favorite flavors, sans dairy. Right now, at their Rittenhouse location, Ben & Jerry’s is serving up the vegan version of PB & Cookies — a vanilla base with chocolate sandwich cookies and crunchy peanut butter swirls.

Franklin Fountain
116 Market Street, Old City

Right now you can swing into Franklin Fountain for chocolate, vanilla or strawberry vegan ice cream, as well as mango, lemon and strawberry guava sorbets, which are also dairy-free.

Goldie Falafel
1526 Sansom Street, Center City

Aside from slinging vegan falafel, Goldie has a unique take on milkshakes: all of their dairy-free, vegan milkshakes are tehina-based. Take your pick of their Turkish Coffee, Coconut, Chocolate or Original Tehina flavors.

Govinda’s Gourmet Vegetarian
1408 South Street, Center City

Little-known fact: Govinda’s actually has a bunch of ice cream options! So next time you’re stopping in for their Golden Tofu Wrap and a peanut butter brownie (can you tell that’s my go-to order?), know that you can spring for a scoop of ice cream as well.

HipCityVeg
127 South 18th Street, Rittenhouse, 121 South Broad Street, Center City and 214 South 40th Street, University City

HipCityVeg is an infamous local hub for quick, but oh-so-yummy vegan eats. Aside from being known for their greats like the Curry Tofu Wrap, sweet potato fries and the Udon Noodle Salad, they also serve up monthly milkshake specials (this month’s flavor is strawberry) and three organic soy ice cream flavors: chocolate, orangsicle and vanilla. (They also have frozen banana whips.)

Linda’s Vegetarian Village
6381 Germantown Avenue, Germantown

Another spot to find some raw and vegan ice cream in Germantown, Linda’s serves cashew-based vanilla and cacao-flavored vegan ice creams, amongst other delicious vegan/vegetarian/raw menu items.

Little Baby’s Ice Cream
2311 Frankford Avenue, Fishtown, and 4903 Catharine Street, West Philly

So. Many. Vegan. Flavors. Seriously, Little Baby’s has the most extensive dairy-free ice cream menus I’ve ever seen. Just to give you an idea of the creative flavors you can score from Little Baby’s: Speculoos, Chocolate Salt Malt, Lychee Lemonande and the list goes on. You can also find Little Baby’s sold in pints all around town.

Soy Cafe
630 North 2nd Street, Northern Liberties

Aside from having a clearly labeled vegan menu, Soy Cafe’s dessert list is entirely vegan. This includes cookies, cupcakes and brownies. And guess what? That brownie can be crafted into a brownie sundae (*gasp*) with the addition of one their soy ice cream flavors (or both, no judgement). Or you can go right for the good stuff, a scoop of chocolate or vanilla, on its own.

SuTao Cafe
81 Lancaster Avenue, Malvern

This restaurant in the ‘burbs serves up a full menu of vegan dishes, best followed by a scoop of their chocolate, vanilla, almond bark, mint chocolate chip, or royal coffee vegan ice cream.

Sweet Charlie’s
711 Walnut Street, Washington Square West

Since their opening last summer, Sweet Charlie’s has really been drawing a crowd for their Thai-style rolled ice cream delights. Though they have a plethora of non-vegan options, but they also cater to the vegan crowd with their “Nada-Moo” ice cream base.

Vedge
1221 Locust Street, Midtown Village

If you’re at the plant-based spot Vedge, there’s a good chance you’re going all out — we’re talkin’ appetizer (hello, rutabaga fondue), entree and, of course, dessert. Nearly all of their desserts are paired with a creative ice cream flavor. Think: The apricot bar with pistachio ice cream and the strawberry sorrel bread pudding with lavender ice cream.

Vegan Tree
742 South Street, Bella Vista

Vegan Tree is an awesome spot to swing into when you’re walking around South Street. It’s great for a quick snack or smoothie, but also for a meal of veggie sushi or a veggie burger. Whatever you choose, wash it down with a vanilla, chocolate, mango, strawberry, almond or coconut soy milkshake.

V Street
126 South 19th Street, Rittenhouse

This vegan spot has have a rotating soft-serve ice, but you can also get your ice cream fix with their Knickerbocker Glory, which is a coconut pound cake topped with lemon curd ice cream, pineapple and a juniper-raspberry jam.

Don’t see your go-to vegan ice cream spot on the list? Let us know in the comments below!

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