Vegan ice cream in Toronto: where to find dairy-free scoops, gelato and soft serve
The most reliable vegan ice cream in Toronto sits in the west end, with Honey’s Ice Cream, M!LK Vegan Gelato, Death in Venice and iHalo Krunch among the spots that keep dairy-free scoops on the menu year round in 2025 and 2026. Kensington Market, Etobicoke and parts of the GTA add a few more.
This matters more than it used to. Per Statistics Canada’s 2023 Food Consumption Survey, about 42% of Canadians are actively trying to eat more plant-based, and the Canadian Community Health Survey put plant-based or flexitarian eaters at 9.4% of the population, up roughly 167% since 2018. Toronto’s frozen-dessert scene has kept pace, and the dairy-free options are no longer an afterthought.
Quick answer: top vegan ice cream spots in Toronto
If you only have time for one stop, Honey’s Ice Cream is the safest bet for a fully vegan scoop in 2026. The table below sorts the rest by what you are in the mood for.
| If you want… | Go to | Area |
|---|---|---|
| The most reliable dairy-free scoop | Honey’s Ice Cream | Dundas West / Leslieville |
| Small-batch gelato and sorbetto | M!LK Vegan Gelato | West end (Pizzeria Du window) |
| Adventurous rotating flavours | Death in Venice | Multiple locations |
| A fun cone for photos | iHalo Krunch | Yonge and Eglinton |
| A nut-free, gluten-free option | Bunner’s soft serve | Kensington Market |
How vegan ice cream is actually made
Most of Toronto’s best dairy-free ice cream is built on a cashew and coconut base, because those fats mimic the richness of cream. That is the combination Honey’s owner Ashley Wittig settled on after two years of home experiments, as she told The Globe and Mail in July 2025.
The hard part is protein. Douglas Goff, an ice cream scientist who teaches an annual ice cream technology course at the University of Guelph, told the same paper that fat and sugar are easy to source, and the real question is “what are you using for a protein that’s going to give you a nice foam?” Milk protein normally traps the tiny air bubbles that make ice cream creamy, so plant versions lean on cashew and coconut fats plus stabilizers to get there. It is worth knowing why an oat-milk soft serve feels lighter than a cashew scoop: it is the base doing the work, not the brand.
Where to find vegan ice cream in Toronto, spot by spot
Each entry below is a working spot as of early 2026. Hours and flavours rotate often, so confirm before a long trip.
Honey’s Ice Cream (Dundas West and Leslieville)
Honey’s is the only strictly non-dairy ice cream shop in the city, run by Ashley Wittig, a co-founder of Bunner’s Bake Shop. The first storefront opened in 2020; there are now two, at 1448 Dundas Street West and 1026 Queen Street East in Leslieville. Between shops and wholesale, the kitchen turns out around 500 pints a day in flavours such as tiger tail, double pistachio and peanut butter with saltines. Speaking to CP24 in May 2026, Wittig said, “I think it’s the best ice cream in Toronto. But it’s absolutely the best dairy free ice cream.”
- Order: cookies and cream, an ice cream sandwich, or a pint to take home.
- Good to know: many flavours are gluten-free, and a share of monthly profits goes to Indigenous-led organizations.
M!LK Vegan Gelato
M!LK is a small-batch operation working out of the plant-based Pizzeria Du takeout window, run by Roger Yang. Per Streets of Toronto, it sells 24 coconut-milk gelato flavours plus four sorbettos, from dulce de leche to hibiscus. Pints are made for taking home rather than scooping in a parlour.
Death in Venice
Run by Madellena Fuller and her partner Kaya, who won the 2015 Chopped Canada title and used the prize money to buy an Italian Carpigiani gelato machine. The vegan rotation runs bold: think balsamic-berry cheesecake or mango Tajin sherbet. Not everything is vegan, so check the day’s board.
iHalo Krunch
Near Yonge and Eglinton, iHalo Krunch serves vegan soft serve in charcoal-black Hungarian chimney cones. It is the most photogenic stop on this list and a reliable choice for charcoal vanilla or chocolate swirl.
La Diperie
La Diperie’s signature is a dipped bar: vegan soft serve frozen, then coated in a hard chocolate shell and rolled in toppings. Several locations across the city carry the dairy-free option, so ask staff which base is in rotation that week.
Bunner’s Bake Shop (Kensington Market and Roncesvalles)
Bunner’s, Toronto’s first vegan and gluten-free bakery, makes an oat-milk soft serve that is safe for people avoiding nuts. It is creamy with a lighter, airier finish than the cashew-based scoops, which is exactly what the oat base does. A practical pick for mixed groups with allergies.
On Third Thought Gelato (Etobicoke)
On Third Thought makes Italian-style gelato with a strong allergy-aware streak and coconut or oat bases for its dairy-free flavours. Worth the trip if you are already west of the core.
Creamery X
A tiny small-batch maker producing frozen custard and vegan ice cream that takes three days per batch to cure. Restocks land Mondays at 9:30 am and sell quickly, so plan around the drop.
Vegan ice cream in Kensington Market
Kensington Market is still the easiest neighbourhood to walk for vegan frozen treats. Bunner’s anchors it with nut-free oat-milk soft serve, and the surrounding blocks have long drawn coverage from outlets like Toronto Life, NOW Magazine and Canada.com. The market’s vegan reputation runs deep enough that ChooseVeg once called it a vegan neighbourhood worth moving to.
One note for anyone working from older lists: a few Kensington dessert spots that earlier write-ups recommended have since closed, including the vegan dessert bar Cosmic Treats at 207 Augusta Avenue, which Toronto restaurant news reported shutting after four years in the market. The live options above are the ones to plan around today.
Vegan ice cream cakes and frozen treats to order ahead
If you need a vegan ice cream cake in Toronto, order ahead rather than walking in. Honey’s makes ice cream pies and pre-packed sandwiches and bars, and several bakeries assemble dairy-free ice cream cakes to order with a few days’ notice. For a frozen treat without the trip, Honey’s pints turn up at independent grocers and cafes across the city, so a phone call usually beats a guess.
Vegan ice cream beyond downtown: the GTA and Mississauga
Coverage thins out fast once you leave the core. Etobicoke has On Third Thought, and Mississauga shoppers tend to rely on pints from independent grocers rather than dedicated scoop shops. As Help! We’ve Got Kids has noted in its GTA round-ups, the best move outside Toronto proper is usually a grocery freezer plus one weekend trip into the city. If you are searching for vegan ice cream near you in the suburbs, check store stock before driving to a parlour that may not carry a dairy-free base.
Toronto vegan ice cream spots compared
Bases and gluten-free status are the two questions that trip people up most, so they get their own columns below.
| Spot (area) | Base | Gluten-free | Best known for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Honey’s (Dundas West, Leslieville) | Cashew and coconut | Many options | Scoops, pints, ice cream sandwiches and pies |
| M!LK Vegan Gelato (Pizzeria Du) | Coconut milk | Ask in store | 24 small-batch gelato flavours and sorbettos |
| Death in Venice (various) | Mostly coconut and oat | Some options | Bold rotating gelato made on a Carpigiani machine |
| iHalo Krunch (Yonge and Eglinton) | Coconut | Cones not GF | Vegan soft serve in Hungarian chimney cones |
| La Diperie (multiple) | Coconut | Ask in store | Dipped vegan bars with a hard chocolate shell |
| Bunner’s (Kensington, Roncesvalles) | Oat milk | Fully GF | Nut-free oat-milk soft serve |
| On Third Thought (Etobicoke) | Coconut and oat | Allergy friendly | Italian-style gelato, allergy aware |
| Creamery X (small batch) | Coconut | Ask in store | Frozen custard, Monday restocks at 9:30 am |
Interesting facts about Toronto’s vegan ice cream scene
- Honey’s makes about 500 pints a day across two shops and wholesale, per the Globe and Mail.
- The base most local makers swear by is cashew plus coconut, chosen because those fats mimic the body of dairy cream.
- Death in Venice bought its gelato machine with Chopped Canada prize money after winning in 2015.
- Bunner’s uses an oat-milk base specifically so its soft serve is nut-free, a rare thing in a cashew-heavy category.
- Canada’s dairy alternatives market was worth about USD 1.13 billion in 2025 and is growing at roughly 12% a year, which is part of why scoop shops keep adding dairy-free bases.
Accessibility and getting there
Older venues in Kensington and along Augusta can be tight for wheelchairs and strollers, something access reviewers such as Euan’s Guide have flagged for the area’s narrow storefronts. The newer west-end shops like Honey’s tend to have easier entrances, but it is worth checking step-free access and seating before you go if that matters to you.
Frequently asked questions
Common questions about dairy-free ice cream in Toronto, with short answers for anyone deciding where to go.
For a fully dairy-free shop, Honey’s Ice Cream is the most consistent pick in 2026, with two locations and a cashew-coconut base across most flavours. For gelato, M!LK and Death in Venice are the strongest.
The west end has the densest cluster: Honey’s on Dundas West and Queen East, plus M!LK and La Diperie nearby. Kensington Market has Bunner’s oat-milk soft serve. Outside the core, look for pints at independent grocers first.
Yes. Bunner’s makes an oat-milk soft serve that avoids nuts, which is useful because most local vegan ice cream is cashew-based. Always confirm with staff, since shared equipment can carry traces.
Yes, with notice. Honey’s offers ice cream pies and packaged treats, and several bakeries assemble dairy-free ice cream cakes to order. Call a few days ahead rather than expecting walk-in stock.
About this resource
This page is an independent editorial resource about plant-based desserts in Toronto. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or connected to any restaurant, cafe, bakery or business mentioned here. All trademarks belong to their respective owners. Details were accurate at the time of writing in 2026 and may change.