Hello, dear readers. Your food writing queen is back!
Gosh, I’ve missed this. For the past three years, I’ve only written Yelp reviews and corny Instagram captions on my food page, and those just don’t feel the same as crafting profound and articulate play-by-plays of some of my favorite food experiences. Why not bring out the rusty food writing skills and fine tune them again?
I’m currently funemployed, so naturally I’m thinking about my next career move. And when I stare dreamily into space, I fantasize about becoming a vegan ice cream taster. You know, someone who gets paid to travel around the world for the best plant-based scoop and prove that vegan ice cream can hold its own. Trust me, not all of them are made equal.
But I guess for now, I’ll hit pause on the taster dreams and remain content with one of my favorite hobbies, which is trying a new ice cream place/brand whenever my wallet allows me to. And I can’t wait to show off my list — Melody’s list! — of the best vegan ice cream places in the country. (Which, I believe, will update periodically once I get my hands on more ice cream and travel to more states!) Without further ado, here’s the scoop.
Fifty Licks (Portland, OR)
I like this place because it’s less ostentatious than Salt & Straw. It’s authentic and no-frills, relying on excellent flavor profiles to get its name out into the world. Their range of vegan flavors is the most impressive I’ve seen for a place that’s usually known for its dairy ones — at least they don’t just slap some sorbet options on the menu for the lactose-intolerant or vegan folks. I love any place that offers creamy, decadent, illustrious flavors that don’t taste like a slushie.
And Fifty Licks delivers on that front. Dive into mango sticky rice, coconut lemon saffron, or bananas foster. When I visited, I tried two different flavors — a fragrant, spicy golden milk (cardamom, turmeric, black pepper, cinnamon) that offset the richness of a chocolate caramel scoop. Also…gluten free waffle cones? I’m in.
Salt & Straw (Portland, OR)
Salt & Straw is a celebrity name in the country these days, especially on the West Coast. Their ice cream is delicious, but they usually have only like 2-3 vegan flavors available. There’s a regular flavor of mint chocolate made with local TCHO cocoa, and it’s refreshing, a little bitter, and generous with the chocolate flakes.
Kate’s Ice Cream (Portland, OR)
I remember hearing about them for the first time when they were a humble farmer’s market stand. One scoop of their popular marionberry crisp flavor made me a fan for life. I love how everything is gluten and dairy free, which perfectly suits my needs! Since then, they’ve opened a small storefront and will open a bigger brick-and-mortar location soon, and I love seeing small businesses like Kate’s thrive. Their mint chocolate, dare I say, is even better than Salt & Straw’s — just a little less bland, even more trigger-happy with chocolate flecks, and so, so creamy.
NadaMoo! (Austin, TX)
During all my time in Texas, I never found a vegan ice cream that could rival NadaMoo’s. Our introduction is a little funny — my friends brought over NadaMoo’s cookies & creme flavor (also gluten free) when I was moping about a boy in college, and that ice cream brought me back to life. Then a visit to the scoop shop in Austin, TX converted me even more, especially once I tried a zesty strawberry lemonade flavor after a long, hot hike on the Greenbelt.
My love for Nadamoo! runs deep. At the beginning of the pandemic, a friend sent me 8 free pints from a giveaway, so I’ve tried almost every flavor under the sun. When M and I got married, we saw it on sale at Sprouts and bought as many as we could fit in our mini fridge’s freezer. We’re loyal to CCC (Caramel, Cookies & Cold Brew), Rocky Road, Vanilla, Mint Chip, and Birthday Cake Cookie Dough.
Jeni’s (Columbus, OH)
Jeni’s is the one place that all of my friends love. It’s a brand that M and I both love as well, and we don’t agree on ice cream very much. I haven’t heard anyone say bad things about Jeni’s.
I had the pleasure of meeting Jeni herself at a pop-up in Houston before she opened her Houston location. (She first started in Ohio!) Jeni wore a brilliant pink jumpsuit and chatted easily about her ice cream, and I was a little starstruck. The vegan flavors aren’t always gluten free, unfortunately, but I have always immensely enjoyed Jeni’s dairy-free dark chocolate truffle flavor. It’s robust, creamy, and decadent — like sticking chocolate truffles from Costco (which all Asian parents buy for their friends during Christmastime) in the freezer, then enjoying them nice and frozen. Come winter season, Jeni’s sometimes offers a sparkling wine and berry flavor that tastes like a frosty spritz you’d down in minutes at a party.
Frankie & Joe’s (Seattle, WA)
My first time here was with my best friend, during one weekend trip to Seattle in college. This place embraces the health & wellness vibe since everything is plant-based, gluten free, and refined sugar free. They use essential oils for flavoring their ice cream, including the peppermint cacao I tried (see, they don’t even use regular chocolate). It was not an indulgent version, by any means. But the mint was sharp, and the cream itself had a wonderfully dense texture.
As a random aside — I’m just realizing that I eat a lot of mint chocolate chip ice cream. But it’s not even my favorite flavor. It’s one that I always coax myself to give it more chances, so when it delivers — it really feels like a victory.
Lastly, I give F&J full marks on their flavor creativity. It’s not outlandish like Salt & Straw sometimes (olive oil? Crushed insects? No thank you) or simple like NadaMoo!, which elevates classic favorites. The second time I went to F&J, there was rooibos tea and cookies as a flavor; I was truly so excited, since these are two of my favorite things. I enjoy both almost daily. There was also a guava jam and vanilla cake flavor that sounded intriguing, so I got both flavors in a cup and felt like I was enraptured by a summer garden party.
Wanderlust Creamery (Los Angeles, CA)
The only LA ice cream I’ve liked so far is Wanderlust Creamery. It prides itself on creating flavors based on various countries’ cuisines and famous eats. For example, I saw royal milk tea tiramisu, pandan, daifuku strawberry, and even a Kinder Bueno bar option. There’s a location that’s walking distance from my apartment, and their passionfruit cacao is one of the most unique vegan flavors I’ve ever had. The ice cream itself carries passionfruit’s vibrant, mustard yellow hue, but when I dived into it — I tasted the subtle tones of cacao as well. I’ve also had the gianduja, which is basically a glamorous Nutella. It wasn’t as creamy as I thought it would be, but it was satisfying anyway. The marriage of hazelnut and chocolate has always stood the test of time. It’s like the faithful, old married couple who’ve been together for 65 years; it’s a comforting flavor that can do no wrong.
Now that I’ve gone on and on about ice cream — your turn! If you find yourself in any of these cities, try some vegan ice cream and let me know your thoughts. (And if you have other suggestions, I’m all ears.)
weathering your appetite 