For the lactose intolerants, dairy-allergic and vegans baking under this mid-summer heat, vegan ice cream is the answer. There is one vegan ice cream store in my hometown of Boston: FoMu. But there are several vegan ice cream shops throughout NYC - which is why, when I visited New York last week, I was ecstatic and determined to try them all! Limited by time and my wallet, I visited 4 locations with plenty of dairy-free ice creams. Here are my tried-and-tested, honest opinions.
Sweet Jane’s in Astoria, Queens
Closest stop: Astoria Ditmars Blvd
Price: $4.50 with tax/scoop (1 flavor)
Sweet Jane’s is a small ice cream shop in the far off Astoria suburb of Queens, at the end of the N/Q train. For a cute neighborhood ice cream shop that serves up regular and allergan-conscious ice cream, they offer an impressive number of both dairy and dairy-free options. It's also one of the most affordable options in the city.
After sampling many vegan options, I've determined that Sweet Jane's ice cream is not as sweetened or creamy as some other vegan options in the city. My favorite flavors are Mai Tai, which tastes like passionfruit, and Peanut Butter, which complements well with crunchy coconut flakes. Unfortunately, their serving size was disappointingly small; as you can see in the photo, my scoop was dwarfed by the cup and spoon. For almost $5 a pop, I was expecting more. I also noticed they didn't offer water on the side, which other ice cream shops did.
DF Mavens in East Village, Manhattan
Closest stop: Astor Place
Price: $4.90 with tax/cup (1 flavor)
DF Mavens, which sells its ice cream by the pint in Whole Foods, recently opened its first store on the grungy-hipster corner of St. Marks Place. You can buy your smoke pipe, get a tattoo, sip on boba and eat vegan ice cream all on one street. DF Mavens is a godsend for us dairy-freeks who miss the feeling of being able to walk into a store and order anything from the menu. They’re entirely dairy free, so you can blindfold yourself, pick out anything from the menu and hey, it won't give you diarrhea!
For nearly $5, the ice cream was delicious and the portions were fairly generous, relative to what other vegan ice cream shops serve. But: it just wasn't mind-blowing. Admittedly, I'm a mint ice cream snob who judges vegan ice cream shops by their mint ice cream, and I found their Mint Almond Cookie to be on the sweeter side with not enough mint. What will keep me coming back are the good vibes, fair amount of seating and the plethora of options to try.
Alchemy Creamery @ Smorgasburg in Williamsburg, Brooklyn
Closest train: depends on which Smorgasburg you visit
Price: $5/pre-made push pop; $6/cup (1-2 flavors); $7.5/cone
At a somewhat scary $6 per cup, Alchemy Creamery's ice cream might as well come topped with solid gold sprinkles. Speaking of toppings, their ice cream comes with free toppings (For the price, though, why shouldn't they?!). When I visited, they were offering approximately 5-6 flavors of ice creams and sorbets.
Alchemy Creamery's ice cream is the kind of delicious that you never want to end and that you remember forever. What struck me about their ice cream was just how wonderfully creamy it was; I doubt a dairy-lover could tell the difference. I got the Peanut Butter (incredibly rich, peanut butter lover's dream come true) and Chocolate Chai (mostly chai, with a hint of chocolate).
But alas, the price! The price is too steep for my student budget. A treat from Alchemy Creamery will be reserved for those really special days.
Closest train: Bergen St
Price: $5.25 with tax/regular cup or cone (1-2 flavors)
Van Leuuwen functions as an ice cream shop and truck that sells both dairy and vegan ice cream. They have several locations; I visited the one on Bergen Street, which is conveniently located just steps from the train.
At $5.25 for a cup, this is easily one of the pricier vegan ice cream options. The portions are smaller, but their ice creams pack a flavor punch.
What’s makes them one of my favorites is that all flavors are simplistic, but really well made. I’m not sure how to explain this, but Van Leuuwen manages to capture the essence of the flavors. For instance, their Mint Chip deals a minty kick; their Dark Chocolate is rich with a dark chocolate bitterness; the Pistachio was nutty and the Salted Caramel was actually salty. It just tastes so satisfying. Flavors tasted like how they should taste, and even better. I sampled all five and loved them all. There's no artificiality or overbearing sweetness here.
Can't wait to try
Blythe Anne's
Oddfellows Ice Cream Co.
The Ice Cream House
Healthy Nibbles
Klein's Ice Cream House
Sustainable NYC
Thanks for reading!
Sincerely,
A Slightly Broke Vegan Ice Cream Connoisseur Wannabe
Sweet Jane’s in Astoria, Queens
Closest stop: Astoria Ditmars Blvd
Price: $4.50 with tax/scoop (1 flavor)
Sweet Jane’s is a small ice cream shop in the far off Astoria suburb of Queens, at the end of the N/Q train. For a cute neighborhood ice cream shop that serves up regular and allergan-conscious ice cream, they offer an impressive number of both dairy and dairy-free options. It's also one of the most affordable options in the city.
 |
| Peanut butter with toasted coconut |
 |
| Mint almond cookie |
DF Mavens in East Village, Manhattan
Closest stop: Astor Place
Price: $4.90 with tax/cup (1 flavor)
DF Mavens, which sells its ice cream by the pint in Whole Foods, recently opened its first store on the grungy-hipster corner of St. Marks Place. You can buy your smoke pipe, get a tattoo, sip on boba and eat vegan ice cream all on one street. DF Mavens is a godsend for us dairy-freeks who miss the feeling of being able to walk into a store and order anything from the menu. They’re entirely dairy free, so you can blindfold yourself, pick out anything from the menu and hey, it won't give you diarrhea!
For nearly $5, the ice cream was delicious and the portions were fairly generous, relative to what other vegan ice cream shops serve. But: it just wasn't mind-blowing. Admittedly, I'm a mint ice cream snob who judges vegan ice cream shops by their mint ice cream, and I found their Mint Almond Cookie to be on the sweeter side with not enough mint. What will keep me coming back are the good vibes, fair amount of seating and the plethora of options to try.
Alchemy Creamery @ Smorgasburg in Williamsburg, Brooklyn
Closest train: depends on which Smorgasburg you visit
Price: $5/pre-made push pop; $6/cup (1-2 flavors); $7.5/cone
At a somewhat scary $6 per cup, Alchemy Creamery's ice cream might as well come topped with solid gold sprinkles. Speaking of toppings, their ice cream comes with free toppings (For the price, though, why shouldn't they?!). When I visited, they were offering approximately 5-6 flavors of ice creams and sorbets.
Alchemy Creamery's ice cream is the kind of delicious that you never want to end and that you remember forever. What struck me about their ice cream was just how wonderfully creamy it was; I doubt a dairy-lover could tell the difference. I got the Peanut Butter (incredibly rich, peanut butter lover's dream come true) and Chocolate Chai (mostly chai, with a hint of chocolate).
But alas, the price! The price is too steep for my student budget. A treat from Alchemy Creamery will be reserved for those really special days.
Price: $5.25 with tax/regular cup or cone (1-2 flavors)
 |
| Dark chocolate and Mint Chip |
At $5.25 for a cup, this is easily one of the pricier vegan ice cream options. The portions are smaller, but their ice creams pack a flavor punch.
What’s makes them one of my favorites is that all flavors are simplistic, but really well made. I’m not sure how to explain this, but Van Leuuwen manages to capture the essence of the flavors. For instance, their Mint Chip deals a minty kick; their Dark Chocolate is rich with a dark chocolate bitterness; the Pistachio was nutty and the Salted Caramel was actually salty. It just tastes so satisfying. Flavors tasted like how they should taste, and even better. I sampled all five and loved them all. There's no artificiality or overbearing sweetness here.
Can't wait to try
Blythe Anne's
Oddfellows Ice Cream Co.
The Ice Cream House
Healthy Nibbles
Klein's Ice Cream House
Sustainable NYC
Thanks for reading!
Sincerely,
A Slightly Broke Vegan Ice Cream Connoisseur Wannabe
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