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Craving some vegan desserts, Boston? Here are five shops I highly recommend you check out the next time you want something sweet.
For vegan desserts, Boston has some amazingly tantalizing options to satisfy your sweet tooth. (And if you’re looking for the best Boston vegan ice cream, you’ve definitely come to the right place!)
1. FoMu
Oh boy. Where do I begin with FoMu? It made all my dreams come true. FoMu is an entirely vegan ice cream shop, with a plethora of made-from-scratch flavors to choose from. They have both year-round flavors and a changing seasonal selection.
But your options aren’t limited to whether you prefer a cone or a cup. Oh, no. You have ice cream cookie sandwiches, frappes, sundaes, popsicles, cookie dough bars, ice cream cakes, and cookie dough (that you can buy by the pint!). FoMu is not a place for the decision-fatigued sweet tooth.
To indulge in the aforementioned flavor plethora, I narrowed it down to three and plopped them all in a zealously-sized bowl. The winners? Chocolate pudding (a dark chocolate), strawberry, and apple cider donut. All three were amazing, but the MVP was by far the apple cider donut. It was perfect. There were actual bits of donut in there. I could taste the cinnamon. It wasn’t too sweet. How could I complain?
FoMu had the best Boston vegan ice cream I tried all week, so I highly recommend you taste it, even if you’re not vegan! The main downtown Boston locations are in Fenway and the South End, with a few pop-ups sprinkled throughout.
2. Blackbird Doughnuts
When I discovered Blackbird Doughnuts was a stone’s throw from my hotel in the South End, I was overjoyed. Vegan donuts are my kryptonite and Blackbird did not disappoint. They’re not an entirely vegan outfit, but they have several options available each day.
Blackbird Doughnuts’ flavors rotate seasonally, so I got to sample their autumn selection: pumpkin pie and apple pie bismarck. If you like pumpkin pie, you’ll love the super delicious pumpkin pie donut. It really tasted like there was a layer of pumpkin pie filling on top underneath the frosting. It would have paired perfectly with a cup of coffee. It was definitely my favorite of the two.
However, I mean no disrespect to the apple pie bismarck. An actual vegan donut with filling? Unheard of. The apple on the inside was more on the tart side, but really tasty nonetheless. For any Chicagoans reading, the powdered cinnamon sugar thickly coating the outside gave me a nostalgic reminder of the powdered donut holes from Jewel.
Blackbird Doughnuts currently has six locations throughout Boston, so you have ample opportunity to give their donuts a try. And then send me some. Please.
Related: 6 vegan restaurants you should try in Boston
3. Boston Scoops
You can find Boston Scoops in the Faneuil Hall Marketplace. (It’s the very first stall inside the East entrance). They serve a variety of sweet treats, including Ben & Jerry’s ice cream and Smith Family Popcorn from Cape Cod.
They had one vegan ice cream flavor when I visited: nondairy cookie dough. It had an excellent ratio of ice cream to cookie dough and wasn’t too sweet. Pretty good in my book.
After you sample the other goodies in Quincy Market, definitely grab a scoop (or two) from Boston Scoops on your way out!
4. Gorgeous Gelato
(UPDATE: The Boston location is now closed, but you can still visit their primary location in Portland, Maine).
Located in the High Street Place food hall is Gorgeous Gelato. Although it’s within a lively food court, don’t let that deter you from giving it a try. They have a couple vegan options available among their flavor selection, so I opted for the apple pie and dark chocolate gelato.
The apple pie gelato had actual spiced apple chunks in it, adding a nice texture and burst of fruitiness. However, the apple pie was a bit too sweet for me to eat it by itself.
The dark chocolate gelato was nice and rich, with an edge of bitterness and not too sweet. Both flavors were very good, although I wouldn’t ordinarily combine apple and chocolate. The cheerfully branded cookie mounted atop my gelato bowl was a fun touch.
5. North End Creamery
The last stop on my dessert tour was the North End Creamery in, you guessed it, the North End. The shop is very quaint, and is the kind of place where you step in to buy your ice cream and enjoy it while walking through the North End or along the harbor. They had the usual flavor varieties, with some unique choices as well. For instance, fruity cereal, Thai tea coconut, and pistachio port wine were options I don’t usually see on a menu.
There were two vegan flavors: chocolate and honey lavender. Not feeling adventurous, I opted for the chocolate. It was an ideal combo of sweetness and chocolatey richness without being too much. It was a lovely third companion as I walked through a nearby park with my friend.
Overall
If you’re on the hunt for delicious vegan desserts, Boston has way more to offer than I could try on this trip. To satisfy a full appetite, there are plenty of restaurants with fantastic vegan options as well. Be sure to take a break from exploring to pick up a sweet treat!