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These delectable vegan desserts please everyone, no matter their diet! Try plant based treat recipes from fudgy brownies to chocolate cookies.
Vegan desserts can be some of the most rich, creamy, chocolatey and decadent treats out there! It can hard to find something that fits with everyone’s diet choices. So here we’ve collected our best crowd-pleasing vegan dessert recipes that are sure to please everyone! In fact, most people might not know these plant-based treats are vegan.
Want more vegan recipes? Try our top 50 Easy Vegan Recipes, or these Vegan Breakfast Ideas, Vegan Soups, Vegan Appetizers, or Vegan Dinners.
And now, best vegan desserts to try!
Outrageously good is the only way to describe these vegan chocolate chip cookies! They’re chewy with crispy edges, sweet with just the right nutty intrigue in the flavor, and studded with dark chocolate chips and a sprinkle of flaky sea salt. They are easy to make with simple ingredients: no vegan substitutes! Plus, there’s no dough refrigeration or wait time (required for cookies, to us). Try them warm out of the oven and you will absolutely melt.
One of our favorite vegan desserts? Try these moist, rich zucchini brownies! Stop what you’re doing and gather the ingredients for this recipe that will have your friends and family running for another piece. The brownies come out ultra moist and gooey, with a deep, rich chocolaty flavor. (Make sure your chocolate chips are marked "vegan" on the package.)
Next up in our vegan desserts....chocolate cake. This incredible, decadent vegan chocolate cake is fully plant based, from the rich, moist chocolate cake to the light and fluffy buttercream filling. Oh, and did we mention a dark chocolate ganache topping? You’re going to want to stop what you’re doing and run to the kitchen to make this: NOW! It's dark chocolatey, just sweet enough, and a soul-mate type of cake.
Looking for a delicious dessert that no one will know is plant-based? This vegan apple crisp! Crisps and crumbles are simple to make into vegan treats, and this one is an absolute flavor explosion. Juicy, caramelized apples mingle with a golden oat topping, and topped with melty vanilla ice cream, it’s truly sensational.
Bliss bites are one of our most popular of vegan desserts! They’re basically a homemade peanut butter cup combined with a no bake cookie, and people all over the world make and love them! Made with maple syrup, coconut oil, and oats, they’re naturally sweet, vegan, and gluten-free. Keep them in the freezer or refrigerator and nibble all week long.
Craving vegan ice cream? There are lots of great vegan ice cream brands out there these days. But the best we’ve found is actually homemade! Try this Vegan Ice Cream recipe: it’s creamy, delicious, and made with all whole foods: no additives or preservatives. It has a luscious creamy texture and it tastes like real vanilla ice cream
This vegan chocolate pudding is so creamy and rich, you’ll think it’s the real thing! The flavor is pure rich chocolate, and it gives you all those nostalgic Snack Pack-style vibes. The best part: there are no weird “tricks” to this dairy free chocolate pudding. Ever made pudding with avocado or tofu and while it’s good, deep down part of your brain is not quite convinced? This one tastes like the real thing — and it’s made with real ingredients, just like a traditional pudding.
Wow is all we can say about these vegan oatmeal cookies: outrageously chewy, full-flavored, and so delicious no one would guess they are plant-based. This spin on our popular vegan chocolate chip cookies might be even tastier (if that’s possible!). They’re loaded with hearty Old Fashioned oats, seasoned with cinnamon, and have got just the right chewy texture.
Calling all cookie dough lovers! We present…the ultimate edible vegan cookie dough! Yes, this tasty mixture has the best cookie dough flavor and texture. Even better, we’ve done all the hard work for you to find out what makes the absolute best flavor.
We’re chocoholics over here, so one of our top treats to make is Chocolate Bark! This one is our ideal: sweet and salty with a confetti of colorful ingredients and absolutely irresistible. Here’s our perfect chocolate bark recipe: with a smooth, shiny sheen on the chocolate and just the right crisp crunch when you bite into it.
Here’s a simple vegan dessert that’s easy but impressive: Strawberry Sorbet! The flavor is like taking a bite of 100 strawberries at once: sweet, pure, and tangy. The frosty texture is like an Italian strawberry gelato: cold and creamy, with just the right robust vibrancy to each bite. We dare you to serve this to someone who doesn’t exclaim, “Wow!”
When it comes to dessert, what’s your ultimate cookie? These vegan peanut butter cookies are where it’s at for us! They’re soft but perfectly crumbly, and salty sweet. Decorated with the classic criss-cross pattern, they’ve got a sparkle of sugar. And a chocolate icing drizzle makes them look even more festive.
Looking for a vegan dessert that takes 5 minutes and comes out absolutely irresistible? Try this Double Chocolate Vegan Mug Cake! Wow, is this one decadent. It’s rich and fudgy, with a beautifully moist chocolate cake and gooey chocolate chips. It takes just a few minutes in the microwave to make this two-serving dessert: though you’ll probably want to eat the whole thing yourself.
Here’s our new favorite vegan treat that’s simple, healthy, and ultra delicious: Chocolate Covered Bananas! The crunch of a crisp dark chocolate coating around an icy banana makes magic. It gives you a healthy treat in the freezer anytime a chocolate craving hits.
Here’s a vegan dessert that’s pure perfection in its simplicity: the classic Italian affogato! Two ingredients come together in the most exciting flavor pairing: creamy vegan vanilla ice cream and bitter, rich espresso. Like you’d expect from Italian cuisine, it’s essentialism at its finest. Use purchased vegan ice cream or this homemade version.
Wow. That’s what what you'll say when you taste this Vegan Strawberry Crumble! There’s the strawberry filling, scented with orange zest and vanilla until the berries pop. There’s the crunchy crumble topping, hearty and homey with oats and walnuts. It’s simple, but all together it makes a true symphony of flavor. Even better: you can make it using fresh or frozen berries! Follow the vegan variation in the recipe to use refined coconut oil or vegan butter.
Imagine: creamy, tropical-scented ice cream that requires no ice cream maker or ingredients other than the blackening fruit on your countertop. When you’ve got ripe bananas, this is one of the best ways to use them! It’s a fun recipe for kids that doubles as a grown up treat (especially with mix-ins). Here’s how to make this simple and wholesome banana ice cream recipe!
Next in the vegan desserts lineup: more cookies! Featuring dark chocolate, tahini (sesame paste), maple syrup, and sea salt, these vegan cookies are a salty sweet combination that you’ll go crazy over. We’ve served them at parties and this plant based dessert disappears in a flash! They're best right out of the refrigerator, or freeze them for instant vegan dessert bites throughout the week.
This chewy pumpkin oatmeal cookies recipe will quickly become a favorite for your family! These cookies are perfectly chewy, decorated with a simple powdered sugar icing. They taste like an oatmeal cream pie (hello, nostalgia!) and they’re vegan oatmeal cookies so eaters of all kinds can enjoy them. They're full of pumpkin spices: cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg, with a vegan icing drizzled in a lacy pattern over the top.
Here’s a dessert that’s fast, easy, massively flavorful and pleases everyone: Mango Sorbet! It’s irresistibly creamy and frosty, with a pure honey-sweet tropical mango essence and a pop of lime on the finish. It’s so refreshing, and there’s almost no one who will turn this down.
These fudgy vegan brownies are insanely fudgy. And they’re filled with good for you ingredients! These brownies are filled with almond butter and sweet potato to make them extra chewy and fudgy, then topped with chocolate chips! These super plant-powered vegan brownies are irresistibly delicious.
Need a vegan dessert that takes literally 5 minutes to make with ingredients you have on hand? Meet the ultimate Vanilla Mug Cake! This one is so moist, so sweetly vanilla-scented, it feels like it’s a fancy from-scratch baking project. Except it’s a cake made in the microwave. It’s usually a single serving dessert: but top it with ice cream and make it a dessert for two! Use the vegan variation in the recipe and opt for refined coconut oil.
Want an easy vegan dessert? Try these sauteed apples! There’s no baking necessary, and no advanced preparation. Just slice up some apples, sauté them in butter and spices, and bam! Eat it warm topped with vegan vanilla ice cream, and there’s really not much better. In fact, why even make apple crisp or apple pie at all?
Wow, is the homemade version of this flavor sublime! The soft, salty sweet bits of dough with pops of chocolate are abundant in the creamy, frosty vanilla cream. You can also make just the dough (vegan butter or coconut oil variation) and throw it into purchased ice cream: a fun trick that lets you have any flavor base you want!
This nostalgic dessert is pure bliss. Ripe, juicy peaches star in a vanilla-scented gooey filling that’s covered with just the right ratio of crunchy golden crumbles. Top with a dollop of melty vegan ice cream and it’s summer dessert heaven! If it's not peach season, use unsweetened canned peaches or frozen peaches.
These homemade peanut butter cups are truly perfect! This recipe shows you how to temper chocolate to get a glossy sheen and make a mouthwatering peanut butter filling. Using dark chocolate makes this recipe vegan.
This easy blueberry crisp recipe is everything: it’s simple to make, it’s got a healthy spin, and it tastes SO, so good. The filling tastes like pure blueberry. And guess what: there’s no sugar in the filling! The topping has the perfect amount of sweetness: just enough so that the blueberries shine. Follow the vegan variation in the recipe to use refined coconut oil or vegan butter.
Also try: Blueberry Crumble
You've got to have an ice cream recipe in our vegan desserts! This salted chocolate vegan ice cream is impossibly creamy. The secret to this creamy non-dairy ice cream? Full-fat coconut milk and cornstarch. Simmering the mixture until it is thick and using liquid sweetener like agave or maple also helps for a creamy texture. The flavor comes out salty, chocolatey, rich and creamy.
Want to make a show-stopping apple pie…that’s vegan? It’s 100% possible…and delicious. Meet this Classic Vegan Apple Pie! No one would guess that this pie is fully made of plants, because it’s so satisfying. A flaky, golden crust encloses a filling that’s so full of cozy spiced flavor, you won’t want the bite to end.
Love citrus? Then you’ll be head over heels for this Lime Sorbet! The flavor is zesty and pure: icy with a bright zing on the finish. It’s like frozen glass of limeade, and each frosty, refreshing bite will leave you wanting for more.
Last up in our vegan desserts: perfectly chocolate dipped strawberries! The crunch of the crisp chocolate yields to the sweet tart tender fruit inside. It’s quick to put together and there are loads of fun topping ideas for any occasion. Use dark chocolate to keep these vegan.
More plant based desserts
Outside of these vegan desserts, here are a few more favorite plant based recipes we love to make:
- Try Healthy Peanut Butter Buckeye Balls or Maple Vegan Blondies
- In summer, go for Peanut Butter Popsicles or Watermelon Sorbet
- Try Chocolate Peanut Butter Mousse or Mint Chocolate Tofu Pudding with a secret ingredient!
- Try frozen classics Mint Chocolate Chip Vegan Ice Cream or Mocha Dairy Free Ice Cream
- Mix up a skillet of Bananas Foster with a Perfect Flambé
- Blend up Berry Banana Ice Cream
- Make fan-favorite Raw Brownies
Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies
This vegan chocolate chip cookies recipe is outrageously good! It’s easy to make with simple ingredients and has the best rich flavor, chewy with crispy edges. No one will know they are vegan!
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 18 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: Vegan
- Diet: Vegan
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup neutral oil (grapeseed, canola or vegetable)
- ¼ cup refined coconut oil (at room temperature)
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ¾ cup light brown sugar, firmly packed
- ⅓ cup unsweetened applesauce
- ½ tablespoon vanilla extract
- ⅛ teaspoon almond extract
- 2 cups [280 g] all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons dark chocolate chips (we used 63% Guittard)
- Flaky sea salt, optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper, or omit if using non-stick cookie sheets (we swear by these).
- In the bowl of a stand mixer (or a large bowl), add the neutral oil, coconut oil, brown sugar, and granulated sugar. Mix with the paddle attachment (or an electric mixer) on Medium speed until fully combined, about 1 to 2 minutes. Add the applesauce, vanilla extract, and almond extract and mix until combined, a few seconds.
- In a separate bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda and kosher salt. Turn on the mixer and gradually add the flour mixture, mixing until just incorporated. Add 1 ¼ cups chocolate chips and mix on low for a few seconds until mixed in. The dough will feel slightly oily, but this is as expected.
- Scoop nine 3-tablespoon-sized balls of dough onto the prepared cookie sheet, leaving a few inches between each cookie for spreading (using a cookie scoop is helpful; we overfilled our 2 tablespoon scoop). Bake one batch for 12 to 13 minutes, or until just golden (baking one batch at a time makes the most even bake). Press 3 to 4 chocolate chips into the top of each warm cookie, then sprinkle with sea salt. Cool cookies on the baking sheet for 10 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack to cool fully. They taste great warm after cooling on the rack for about 10 minutes, or fully cooled.
- While the cookies cool, portion out and bake the second batch of dough; don’t refrigerate the dough in between. Store in a sealed container at room temperature for up to 5 days or refrigerated for 3 weeks (bring to room temperature before serving).
Just made these peanut butter and chocolate no bake cookies for the first time – they are INCREDIBLE! Thank you for making great vegan recipes!
You’re welcome!
Let us know if you have any questions!