6 Philly Spots to Get Festive Gluten-Free and Vegan Holiday Sweets Right Now

Gingerbread Smoothie Ice Cream // Photo via Sip-N-Glo

Come December 1st, it’s just about impossible to go anywhere—the local coffee shop, office kitchen, grocery store—without seeing a gingerbread cookie or a peppermint-frosted brownie or some type of sweet treat cut in the shape of Santa Claus. The only problem? Unless the resident gluten-free guy in your office made said Santa Claus-shaped goodies, they’re probably not gluten-free. And the same goes for vegan.

Satisfying your holiday cravings can prove a bit more difficult when you’re gluten-free or vegan (this is both a blessing and a curse), but not to fear, friend: We’ve got your holiday sweet tooth covered. From peppermint hot chocolate ice cream to gingerbread cookies, here are six delicious gluten-free and/or vegan (a few of these treats fit into both categories) holiday sweets to try around Philly. Enjoy!

Gingerbread Smoothie Ice Cream at Sip-N-Glo  // Vegan
932 South Street, Bella Vista.

The folks at Sip-N-Glo teamed up with Fishtown’s Little Baby’s Ice Cream to concoct the ice cream version of their beloved Gingerbread Man smoothie, made with all sorts of good stuff like almond milk, cashews, banana, gingerbread cookies (duh) and more. You can scoop up a pint of this vegan deliciousness at the South Street shop.

Organic Chocolate Truffles at P.S. & Co. // Vegan and Gluten-Free
1706 Locust Street, Rittenhouse.

This all-organic Rittenhouse spot is serving up all sorts of truffles for the holiday season. They’ve paired up with Art in the Age to whip up chocolate truffles made with the company’s Root and Snap (as in gingersnap) liquors, and they’ve also got the non-boozy truffle options of chai tea and earl grey. Welp, I think my Christmas shopping just got a whole lot easier—how about you? Oh! And for the chocolate averse, they’ve got pecan-cashew toffee, made with a coconut-sugar and coconut-oil base. Yum.

Magic Bar with Candy Canes at Sweet Freedom Bakery // Vegan and Gluten-Free
Locations in Rittenhouse, Collingswood and Bryn Mawr.

This gluten-free and vegan bakery offers up a good selection of seasonal treats to tame your holiday cravings, but the Magic Bars (which National Foundation for Celiac Awareness founder Alice Bast named the best gluten-free dessert she’s ever had) are not to be missed. During the holiday season, they top the chocolatey, coconut-y bars with crushed candy canes. Um, yes, please.

Gingersnap Cookie at Pure Fare // Vegan and Gluten-Free
119 South 21st Street, Rittenhouse, 1609 South Street, Graduate Hospital.

The two-outpost eatery has kept it simple but oh-so-satisfying with their holiday offerings. Because sometimes, all you want is a plain ol’ (yet totally delicious) gingersnap cookie.

Macarons at Kermit’s Bake Shoppe // Gluten-Free
2204 Washington Avenue, Graduate Hospital.

This bake shop has a pretty large selection of gluten-free sweets (and pizzas, too!), from snickerdoodle cookies to salted caramel brownies and more, but the real star on your holiday dessert plate will be their gluten-free macarons. The rotating options include red velvet, coconut and salted caramel. Can you say YUM?

Peppermint-Hot Chocolate Ice Cream at Little Baby’s Ice Cream // Vegan and Gluten-Free
2311 Frankford Avenue, Fishtown, and 4903 Catharine Street, West Philly.

Vegan and gluten-free peppermint hot chocolate ice cream is a thing, you guys. And yes: There are vegan marshmallows involved. Insert mic drop, here. (This ice cream is in Little Baby’s rotation during the holiday season, so if you get a hankering for it, call ahead to make sure it’s on the menu that day.)

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