30 Vegan Desserts That Are Truly Top-Notch

You don't need a trip to the vegan bakery to get an incredible dessert that's free of all animal products! These dairy- and egg-free recipes, including everything from decadent vegan ice creams to fluffy vegan cakes, are all able to be whipped up in your own kitchen. Many of the recipes rely on common vegan substitutes, like non-dairy milk or coconut oil and margarine in place of butter. These swaps help to make great desserts, like comforting plant-based cookies and even fudgy brownies. For a truly classic dessert that can please anyone (non-vegans, too!), bake up a batch of these vegan sugar cookies. They have the familiar flavor and texture of other classic sugar cookies — crisp edges, a soft center and slight chew — but contain no animal products. A touch of baking powder ensures the cookies puff slightly without spreading too much. Top them with a simple confectioners' sugar glaze and decorate with sprinkles for any holiday or festive occasion throughout the year.

Simple and perfectly sweet, this vegan strawberry shortcake is layered with a shortcake, homemade vegan coconut whip and ripe strawberries. Topped with toasted coconut, you'll love every bite of this dessert. Serve it as the dessert for your cookout or barbecue, and you'll have everyone asking for seconds!

Brownies can be difficult to adapt for different dietary needs, but we've cracked the case. Creamy almond butter contributes to the fudgy texture, while almond flour keeps them from becoming cakey. Decadent and prepared with wholesome ingredients, they're free for anyone to enjoy!

This fluffy vegan carrot cake has warm hints of cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger, plus an extra-generous portion of shredded carrots for sweetness and moisture. The layers are satisfyingly tall, thanks to applesauce, which reacts with the baking soda and baking powder to help the cake rise. Eggs typically add structure to baked goods, but this recipe has enough flour and shredded carrots to compensate.

This vegan alternative to ice cream is rich and creamy, thanks to velvety coconut milk, smooth almond butter and the secret ingredient...chickpeas! We promise you won't taste the chickpeas one bit; they're simply included for texture and body. There's even three layers of chocolate for some welcomed sweetness. Serve with an extra sprinkle of toasted coconut chips for a delicious, plant-based treat.

We adore these vegan cookies for several reasons, including their golden-brown edges, soft centers and generous portion of dairy-free chocolate chips in each. Vegan brown sugar and a touch of vegan molasses are included for a hint of caramel-like flavor in each bite. Also good: The cookie dough can be baked immediately, no refrigeration or chilling required first, making these treats as convenient to make as they are delicious to eat.

These sweet desserts are a perfect treat for you and friends and family, whether you're vegan or not. The pavlovas themselves are made with aquafaba — the liquid from a can of chickpeas (instead of the usual egg whites). They bake up wonderfully crisp on the outside and with a fluffy marshmallow-like interior. We added a touch of unsweetened cocoa to the base and topped it with a whipped coconut cream and lightly sweetened strawberries.

A vegan key lime pie bursting with bright citrus flavor, hints of coconut and a salty-sweet crispy crust? Absolutely! The secret to the silky-smooth filling is to soak cashews in coconut milk, rather than water, until completely softened and blending until creamy. This sunny treat comes together with minimal effort and results in zesty flavors that will transport you straight into summer!

There are no tricks to these satisfying dairy- and egg-free cupcakes. Be sure to use refrigerated soy or almond milk instead of the shelf-stable kind — there are fewer additives, which can greatly affect the final texture and taste of a recipe. The fluffy frosting comes together with margarine, powdered sugar, vanilla extract and just a touch of vanilla almond milk.

Use fresh or frozen peaches for this sweet, delicious dessert. Amy says, "When using ripe, succulent fruits, this cobbler bakes for just 20 to 25 minutes. If your fruit is not perfectly ripe, I suggest covering the cobbler and baking it until the fruit is easily pierced with a knife, 10 to 15 minutes. Then uncover and bake until the topping is beginning to brown around the edges."

Like our favorite traditional lemon bars, these vegan ones are tangy, not too sweet and super lemony. But as the topping (a combination of vegan sugar, flour, cornstarch and cashew milk) is egg-free; it’s boiled rather than baked on the shortbread base. The sunny color comes from a pinch of turmeric in lieu of egg yolks (don’t worry, you won’t taste it). Using a virgin coconut oil in the base lends a lovely coconut note.

We combined the beloved ingredients in pumpkin bread (creamy pumpkin puree, warm fall spices and a generous pour of vanilla) but omitted any dairy or eggs for a completely plant-based seasonal treat. Vegan dark chocolate chips stirred into the batter and scattered on top add extra flavor and texture. We found the pumpkin bread to be easiest to slice at room temperature, but feel free to enjoy a piece while it’s still warm if you can’t resist!

These decadent chocolate cakes feature the most wonderful surprise: a creamy tahini center that perfectly complements the cocoa richness of the cake. They're best served warm so our recipe makes a smaller batch of just 4 individual cakes.

This creamy vegan ice cream comes together easily with a base of store-bought oat milk. The addition of cashew butter and coconut oil gives the ice cream its creamy texture, and instead of using traditional egg yolks to thicken the base, we use tapioca starch (sometimes referred to as tapioca flour). The vanilla flavor is deepened and warmed from using cashew butter, maple syrup, and optional bourbon (which also helps keep the ice cream from setting up too hard in the freezer).

We love local spring cherries, but our cobbler works equally well with fresh or frozen cherries. We chose easy drop biscuits for the topping since they allow the jewel-like cherry juices to bubble up around them — a great visual showcase for a simple desert. Baking the cherries first without the topping gives them time to soften in their own juices, and dropping the biscuits on hot filling helps them cook through — no soggy bottoms. Almond goes beautifully with cherries, so we use almond extract in both the filling and topping, plus a little almond flour in the topping as well.

It took a few tries to get the perfect crispy, crunchy, flavorful vegan shortbread, but this recipe finally nailed it. Using a combination of olive oil and vegan butter mixed with mashed banana creates just the right texture and flavor.

These tartlets are the perfect way to please everyone at the table. As with most vegan and gluten-free tarts, they're best served the day they're made, but you can press the crusts and freeze them ahead of time to give yourself a head start. The toasted-almond milk for the filling and the cranberry topping can be made up to 3 days in advance. Just bake the crusts and cook the filling the day you're serving the tartlets.

These gluten-free, vegan chickpea blondies taste just as they should: like soft bar cookies with a touch of vanilla and load of chocolate chips. Because there’s no egg or wheat-based flour in this recipe, we added a touch of aquafaba (liquid from canned chickpeas) to provide structure to these delicate treats. Instead of butter or oil, we use almond butter, which gives the blondies a nutty flavor and craveable richness.

Extra-virgin coconut oil is a great substitute for butter in both the pie dough and the apple filling to make this all-American fruit pie vegan-friendly. We use a mix of apples for the filling: The Golden Delicious keep their shape and are a nice contrast to the soft McIntoshes, and the Granny Smiths give a nice tartness. Be sure to look for granulated sugar that's labeled as vegan; not all options are!

Aquafaba is the cooking liquid from chickpeas — that thick, viscous water you drain out of the can. It acts just like egg whites in many recipes, so it's the perfect ingredient for mkaing chewy almond macaroon cookies vegan. This batter does needs to rest for at least 4 hours (even better, overnight), so plan accordingly when making these chewy treats.

Fans rave that this vegan banana bread is "so moist and chocolatey" and "more like a cake than bread" — which is why this is one of our favorite vegan treats to serve up after dinner. With any luck, there will be a slice or two leftover that can be enjoyed for breakfast the next morning!

This dairy- and egg-free classic is creamy and satisfying, thanks to the combo of silken tofu and vegan cream cheese. Silken tofu is softer and more fragile than regular tofu, so it's perfect for desserts like this. Just like classic cheesecakes, it's rich, creamy, and utterly delicious.

You'll never drain chickpea liquid down the sink again! The viscous goop chickpeas bob around in can be whipped up into the most delightful vegan meringues. Our tasters even preferred their malty flavor over regular egg white meringues. If you like, fold in chocolate chips or flavor with a little of your favorite extract.

This popular seasonal North Indian dessert is made with carrots because they’re abundantly available during the wintertime. The dessert itself has a delicate flavor and isn’t too sweet. It’s traditionally made with milk and ghee but turns out just as lovely with coconut oil and almond milk instead.

If you're a fan of all things sweet-and-salty, this will become your new go-to cookie. White miso gives these treats a mellow nuttiness — but it also brings a nice pop of saltiness that elevates the flavor of the vegan chocolate.

This vegan ice cream is actually easier and faster to make than the cream-and-egg version. There's no extended time spent over the stove awaiting the moment the custard thickens and no reason to worry that you'll scramble the eggs. Infusing the milk with vanilla bean adds great flavor but can be skipped in a pinch. Try it with your favorite mix-ins, like peanut butter, berries, or chocolate chips!

These gingerbread treats are bursting with flavor, perfectly chewy on the inside, crisp on the outside…and vegan to boot! The dough can be made up to a week in advance and refrigerated. It's also perfect for building vegan gingerbread houses — just bake the dough forty-five minutes longer than the suggested baking time for cookies.

We use a few vegan-friendly stand-ins for this can't-believe-it's-vegan pie. Unrefined coconut oil provides a flaky, buttery texture for the crust, and silken tofu lends creaminess to the filling. Serve it with dairy-free whipped cream for a truly decadent treat!

This banana bread is eggless and dairy-free, but you'll hardly notice the difference. The crumb is moist and tender, and the flavor gets better each day (if it lasts!). Almost every ingredient, with the exception of vegan soy yogurt, is a pantry staple you're sure to have on hand. A great loaf of banana bread is never too far away!