I don’t know anyone who doesn’t love a good dessert. The only problem is with how many great desserts either require milk, eggs, gelatin, or butter in some capacity.
None of these ingredients are allowed in a strict vegan diet, and therefore, if you want to stick to your restricted diet, you have to be extremely careful about the desserts that you eat.
A lot of the time it’s easier just to make your own.
Luckily, we have here a collection of our favorite vegan-safe desserts, from no-bake cookies to 3-ingredient vegan ice cream.
We love no-bake recipes because of how simple they are to put together, but also because they’re more accessible.
Whether you don’t have access to an oven, you’re trying to bake with small children, or you simply don’t have the time to put the oven on, a no-bake recipe makes things a lot more simple.
For another great no-bake cookie recipe, we have what might be one of our favorites.
These chocolate and peanut butter no-bake cookies come together really easily and are surprisingly packed full of flavor and even nutrients.
Peanut butter is a great source of protein, especially when you’re on a vegan diet, so finding ways to include it in your desserts or meals in general is a great idea – Plus, it helps that it tastes so nice.
This is a great recipe if you want to make a dessert for a group of people, not all of whom are vegan.
The best thing about this recipe is the fact that unless someone tells you, you wouldn’t even know that these brownies are vegan, because of how gooey and chocolatey they come out.
It just goes to show that you should never settle for a subpar dessert just because you follow a vegan diet.
What would life be without ice cream? Whatever it is, we don’t want to think about it.
Luckily, the good people over at Love and Lemons have us covered with this amazing 3-ingredient vegan ice cream recipe.
Using just coconut milk, maple syrup, and tahini, you’re able to create the best vegan ice cream we’ve ever tasted! And what’s better is that this is just a base recipe. You can include any vegan additions that you like (perhaps even the vegan brownies from above)
For more delicious vegan chocolate desserts, let’s move on to the best vegan chocolate cupcakes around. Or so Nora Cooks claims – though we’re inclined to agree with her.
These cupcakes are mouthwateringly moist and fluffy – sure to put a smile on your face, whatever the occasion.
Our favorite thing about these cupcakes is how versatile they are – just like the ice cream, you can top them with any kind of candy or treat that you like the best.
And, if the cakes don’t come out right, you could always add more coconut milk and icing and create vegan cake pops instead!
When we think of potlucks and picnics, we think of chocolate tart. This has to be one of the most underrated desserts out there because we rarely hear anybody talking about how superior a chocolate tart is compared to other similar desserts.
Anyway, back to the recipe! This dish contracts sweet, salty, and bitter perfectly in a way that we think is perfect for family outings, but also fancy grown-up dinners – the bitter dark chocolate might take a little bit to get used to, but it’s so worth it once you are.
Butternut Squash is another one of those underrated desserts that we would love to see get more popular. It works just as perfectly in puddings and pie as a pumpkin, but has a longer season, meaning that you can get them throughout the year, and they don’t end up costing as much.
We love this butternut squash pudding recipe because it is so creamy and simple to make – you’ll find yourself buying a butternut squash at every grocery shop just so that you can keep these puddings in your fridge.
A parfait is great as a light dessert after a large meal or as a light bite by itself. We even enjoy these easy vegan yogurt parfaits for breakfast when we’re feeling particularly decadent.
You can either make your vegan yogurt (which is incredibly easy, by the way) or you can buy a storebought brand, whichever is your preference.
Our favorite thing about this recipe is the fact that the author has already got articles explaining how to make every part of this dish at home if you want to go the extra mile!
This lemon posset recipe is impossibly easy to put together, only uses 4 ingredients, and gets served in an actual lemon! How cool is that?
We love the presentation of this dessert and how light and refreshing it ends up being. If you don’t want anything too indulgent but still need something sweet, then this lemon posset is perfect for you!
Now, we know that sweet zucchini bread might sound like one of those made-up recipes that people would use to make fun of vegans, however, we swear by this recipe if you’re looking for a sweet bread as a light snack or simple dessert.
You can add chocolate chips or bananas to add more flavor, though we think it tastes just fine on its own.
We also love how you can swap in applesauce if you want to make this recipe oil-free as well.
Paula Deen is pretty much the queen of desserts, so we’re happy that we’re able to include one of her recipes within this list.
These almond cookies use no animal products, and so long as you make sure that you’re using vegan chocolate for the chocolate chips, then you can be sure that this recipe is safe for your diet!
Make sure that you check the label on your almond butter, however, as sometimes they add honey or other non-vegan sweeteners to enhance the taste.
Rachael Ray is another celebrity chef we look up to, so we wanted to make sure that we included a couple of her recipes as well.
These cookie dough balls are fantastic, and a great addition to any snack table or late-night feast.
Something that we love about this recipe is the fact that it includes protein powder, meaning that you could have these as a post-workout snack and they would be beneficial for you.
How can you possibly make a dessert with just one ingredient? Well, Rachael Ray knows how. Using just vegan-safe, bittersweet chocolate and an (admittedly complicated) preparation method, Rachael Ray creates this vegan-friendly dessert that can be enjoyed by everyone.
We love how preparing this dish makes us feel like real pastry chefs.
Pumpkin pie is one of those staple foods that nobody wants to miss out on during the fall or Thanksgiving. That’s why we love that Rachael Ray has created a vegan-friendly version of a pumpkin pie that you can serve with confidence and your next sit-down dinner. Just prepare to be hounded for the recipe.
The final recipe from our collection is an adaptation of a famous Ina Garten French apple tart recipe.
We love how this recipe takes all the traditional flavors of an apple tart, and makes it accessible for people on vegan or other restricted diets because everyone deserves a delicious slice of apple tart.
Final Thoughts
There is no reason why you should sacrifice taste and quality just because you want to eat a vegan diet, so hopefully you’ve found something that excites you that’s going to be perfect for your next sit-down dinner or movie night.
Make sure that you always check the label on any ingredients that you’re using to ensure that they are completely vegan-safe.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why Isn’t Gelatin Vegan?
Because gelatin is made out of the ground-up bones, skin, and ligaments of various animals. Typically, this is pigs or cows, but you can get kosher gelatin that’s made from fish. I’m sure you can understand why this isn’t considered vegan.
What Storebought Candy Is Vegan?
There’s quite a lot of store-bought candy that is safe for vegans including Sour Patch Kids, Warheads, and Twizzlers. If you don’t know, make sure that you check the label to find out for certain whether or not your candy is safe.
I'm Barbara Hunt, the founder of WomenChefs.org. Being a mom of two, I understand the challenges of meal planning and the monotony it can bring.
That's why I created WomenChefs.org, a platform dedicated to showcasing the skills and delicious dishes crafted by amazing women. My goal is to provide a space where women can find delectable recipes that tantalize their taste buds and ignite their senses.
I hope you'll join me in exploring WomenChefs.org and discovering your next favorite recipe. Let's embrace culinary diversity and try something new together!
