Once upon a time, one of the hardest things about going vegan was giving up dessert.
Pies, cakes and pastries all work to make our lives that little bit sweeter – but tend to contain just about everything that's not vegan-friendly.
Fortunately, times have changed and now if you're after a sweet animal-product-free treat, London has plenty on offer.
The capital is full of pop-up bakeries and ice cream parlours, if you know where to look. To give you a hand, we've rounded up some of the best vegan-friendly sweet spots.
Vida Bakery
This enchanting all-vegan bakery has just reopened their cafe in Brick Lane, where you can treat yourself to a dairy-free soft serve scoop with a slice of their rainbow cake.
Upon request, the lovely ladies there can also make cakes for almost every occasion.
139 Brick Lane, Shoreditch, vidabakery.co.uk
Cookies and Scream
This fun little vegan and gluten-free bakery on Holloway Road does terrific pies and brownies, with their peanut butter creme pie and ice cream cookie sandwiches among the favourites. Don't forget to try one of thick and silky "scream" shakes.
130 Holloway Road, Highbury East, cookiesandscream.com
Yorica
Yorica is a completely allergy-free ice cream parlour serving creamy shakes and ice cream with enough toppings to sink a ship – definitely a rite of passage for any first-time vegan.
130 Wardour Street, Soho, yorica.com
Ms Cupcake
Ms Cupcake hails itself as being London's firstly entirely vegan bakery. Pop in for one of their cupcakes – the peanut butter and red velvet ones are our favourites – cookies, muffins and yes, even sandwiches.
408 Coldharbour Lane, Brixton, mscupcake.co.uk
VX
Famous for their vegan take on junk food classics such as hamburgers, ribs and hotdogs, VX also do plenty to satisfy those with a sweet tooth. Their menu changes frequently, but the jumbo sized eclairs, filled with delectable vegan cream, are a must.
73 Caledonian Road, King's Cross, vx-london.com
Cupcakes and Shhht
Worth visiting for the Instagram opportunity alone, this adorable little cafe in Elephant and Castle sells cupcakes complete with what is quite possibly the prettiest icing on earth. They also specialise in wedding cakes.
10 The Artworks, Elephant Road, Elephant and Castle, cupcakesandshhht.com
Doughnut Time
Gourmet doughnuts are having a moment, and vegans needn't miss out on all the fun.
Doughnut Times's menu changes every week, but they always makes sure they have a selection of vegan treats in their arsenal.
Across London, doughnuttime.co.uk
Crosstown Doughnuts
Another one for doughnut lovers, a selection of all-vegan flavours are available all-week round at this pop-up. Just in time for the cold weather, they've just released their Spiced Pumpkin flavour, filled with a spiced pumpkin vegan custard, topped with a pumpkin glaze and polished off with a cinnamon and pumpkin seed crumble.
Across London, crosstowndoughnuts.com
Canvas Cafe
The Canvas cafe in Shoreditch are famous for their freakshakes, which see vegan ice cream topped with soya whipped cream and homemade cakes. They're a perfect Sunday morning indulgence.
42 Hanbury Street, Shoreditch, thecanvascafe.org
Black Milq
Black Milq's ice cream is award-winning and so creamy it's hard to believe it's made without dairy. They're based in Hackney but can be found at various pop up events across London.
Studio 11, Containerville 35, Corbridge Crescent, Hackney, E2 9EZ, blackmilq.com
