Non-dairy milks are standard across American coffee chains and independent cafés these days. However, there’s always that tiny voice reminding you of human error. What if the barista accidentally picks up the two-percent milk, or the cashier thought you said whole milk instead of oat milk? (It’s happened to us before.) The chances are slim, but there is still an inherent risk when you order at a non-vegan coffee shop.
Fortunately, vegan café culture is on the rise. At dedicated plant-based coffee shops, you don’t have to watch the barista like a hawk, and the plant-based pastries are plentiful. We’ve rounded up our favorite vegan coffee shops in the US so you can get your caffeine and pastry fix without a drop of dairy.
Vegan options in non-vegan coffee shops
Vegan coffee shops are sprouting up everywhere—even in the middle of the country like Omaha, NE—but it will still be a while until they penetrate every corner and major metropolitan area of the US. Until then, it’s helpful to know what your options are in chains that serve dairy milk in addition to plant-based alternatives.
Almond and oat milk tend to dominate dairy-free milk options, closely followed by soy milk. We’ve also seen coconut, macadamia, and a super-creamy newcomer—pistachio milk—in some chains and independent cafés.
As far as snacks, sweets, and light meals go, the humble bagel is a reliable option. From Starbucks to Dunkin’ to your local café, a plain bagel is inherently vegan and universally carried amongst coffee purveyors. Instant oatmeal is another common option along with fresh fruit and granola bars (just remember to scan labels for honey when reaching for granola).
Peet’s, a smaller yet significant chain with 300-plus stores, carries even more vegan options. The dark roast specialty shop partnered with Just and Beyond Meat to create the Everything Plant-Based Sandwich—a hearty handheld featuring Beyond Breakfast Sausage, Just Egg, and vegan cheddar sandwiched between an everything bagel thin.
If you’re in a pastry mood, seek out an independent shop. Cottage bakers will often partner with their local coffee shop to sell their vegan goods. We’ve been pleasantly surprised to find vegan cupcakes at a café in the mountain town of Big Bear, CA, and delectable plant-based brownies across independent roasters in Asbury, NJ.
The best vegan coffee shops in the US
Listed in no particular order, these all-vegan coffee shops shouldn’t be overlooked. Bookmark them for your next caffeine kick.
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Timeless Coffee
1Timeless Coffee
Oakland, CA
It’s no surprise this micro-chain was voted the Best Vegan Coffee Shop of 2024. With two cafés in Piedmont and Downtown, Timeless Coffee offers a plethora of sweet treats to pair with your cuppa. Both locations house full-scale bakeries complete with customizable celebration cakes as well as the typical tea cakes, croissants, and danishes for those on the go. Dairy-free options for coffee drinks include oat, soy, and almond.
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Grindcore House
2Grindcore House
Philadelphia, PA
With two locations in the city, Grindcore House offers a delicious range of beverages (check out the Swamp Thing iced Americano) and food options. Don’t leave without trying one of its Signature Breakfast Sandwiches. Check out the Mickey G, for example, which features baked tofu, vegan sausage, cheese, and maple compound butter, or the Grizzli, which comes on a Miss Rachel’s pantry biscuit.
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Bunkhouse Coffee Bar
3 Bunkhouse Coffee Bar
Jensen Beach, FL
Whether you prefer almond, coconut, soy, rice, oat, or hemp milk in your coffee, you’ll find it all in this breezy Florida-based coffee shop in Jensen Beach. Bunkhouse committed to going vegan in 2019 and has since expanded its line of non-dairy options as well as its sweet and savory selection. Pair your latte with a plant-based bagel breakfast sandwich or fuel up for the day with an energizing açai bowl or smoothie. Those who like it sweet shouldn’t sleep on the baked goods. The selection rotates but you can always rely on a slice of vegan banana bread or a carrot cupcake.
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Dear Diary Coffeehouse
4 Dear Diary Coffeehouse
Austin, TX
Austin vegans, cyclists, zine enthusiasts, and creatives flock to this local watering hole. The community café offers a comprehensive menu of dairy-free espresso drinks along with phenomenal baked goods and other edible and non-edible products made locally. At night, the shop hosts themed nights—like Musical Theater Open Mic. Dear Diary truly embodies work, eat, and play.
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Familiars Vegan Coffee Shop
5 Familiars Vegan Coffee Shop
Brooklyn, NY
Sister shop to the popular Toad Style in Brooklyn, NY, this neighborhood vegan café specializes in reliable espresso beverages, a small selection of inventive bagel sandwiches, and doughnuts. True to its name, Familiars is a local hidden gem and certainly a place one aspires to become a regular.
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Miffie’s
6 Miffie’s
Los Angeles, CA
This popular coffee spot used to be a coffee truck, but it has now found its permanent home in downtown Los Angeles. Check out the tight menu of signature milky coffees, like the Cookie Butter Latte, and don’t miss out on delicious treats like peanut butter energy balls and banana bread.
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Dark Hall Coffee
7 Dark Hall Coffee
Phoenix, AZ
This coffee and pastry shop may be small, but its big attitude compensates for it. Dark Hall isn’t the place to meet up with friends and stay awhile or hunker down and work. However, the dark floral wallpaper and gothic art provide this tiny café with pizazz. Plus, there are coffee and pastries, though the baked goods sell out fast. Arrive early and order a black iced coffee and a slice of cake. The combo is a little sweet, a little bitter—just the Dark Hall vibe.
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Amateur Coffee
8 Amateur Coffee
Omaha, NE
Despite the name, the baristas at Amateur Coffee know what they’re doing. The company roasts its beans on-site for customers to enjoy to-go or purchase by the bag for at-home brews. Whether you order your oat or almond beverage for here or to go, don’t expect a paper cup. All drinks are served in reusable jars. The Omaha, NE café runs an innovative jar program to reduce single-use product waste. Return the jar, and you’ll receive $1 off your next drink order. The café also serves vegan sandwiches, housemade waffles, and pastries from local vegan bakeries.
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Mud Pie Vegan Bakery & Coffee
9 Mud Pie Vegan Bakery & Coffee
Overland Park, KS
This plant-based shop is all charm. The café offers a long list of espresso and tea options. For food, expect to choose from mouthwatering options like chocolate donuts and muffins. This is the kind of café you want to become a regular of.
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Mother Fool’s Coffeehouse
10Mother Fool’s Coffeehouse
Madison, WI
Mother Fool’s has a lot going on. It’s part café takeaway, part art gallery, and part odds-and-ends grocery store. And best of all, it’s all vegan. Don’t sleep on the pre-packaged ground coffee or tea blends—it’s always nice to have backup in case you can’t get out to your favorite shop.
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Dagger Mountain Coffee
11 Dagger Mountain Coffee
Valparaiso, IN
Come for the oat milk cortado but leave with a bag of freshly roasted beans. The all-vegan Indiana coffee roaster and café prides itself on thoughtful sourcing and epitomizes everything we love about coffee culture—a homey, welcoming space, house-roasted beans, and baristas who are serious about the craft of a good pour-over. However, it’s not pretentious in any way. Dagger Mountain Coffee likes to play, which is evident in some of its unique beverages. If you’re not a coffee purist, try the Orange Latte or the Salted Maple Latte.
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Coffee and Plants
12 Coffee and Plants
Pasadena and Studio City, CA
With two locations in Southern California, Coffee and Plants is the first and only fully vegan coffee shop in the Los Angeles area. The minimal seating in this floral-forward shop is always taken, but on any sunny day, there’s always room to linger on the patio. In true LA fashion, the café offers standard espresso drinks along with superfood lattes and vegan baked goods.
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Propaganda Coffee
13 Propaganda Coffee
Lakewood, OH
This café provides an extensive sweet and savory menu, but let’s start with the coffee. The drink menu offers a bit of everything—from tried-and-true espresso drinks to an intriguing parma violet latte. On the food side, the kitchen carries breakfast sandwiches along with potato latke waffles and grilled cheese. Don’t leave without a bakery box full of desserts.
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Little Barn Coffee House
14Little Barn Coffee House
Los Angeles, CA
This Latina- and LGBTQ-owned coffee shop is the place to go if you’re in the mood for a vegan pastry. Freshly-baked vegan sandwiches, cakes, and smoothies are just a few of the treats you can expect to find at the Division Street spot.
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Jet Black Coffee Company
15Jet Black Coffee Company
Portland, OR
Walk into Jet Black Coffee Company, and you’re guaranteed to enjoy good food, good coffee, and good music. Founded by two music-loving friends, the café stocks plant-based pastries from local bakeries including Shoofly Vegan Bakery and Sweetpea Baking Company. Savory eats include vegan egg and cheese sandwiches with the option to add plant-based sausage for an extra burst of flavor.
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Wood Coffee Co
16 Wood Coffee Co
Long Beach, CA
This plant-based, queer-owned vegan coffee shop is about more than just delicious food and coffee (although that is guaranteed). The spot is also striving to be a haven for the LGBTQ+ community. “Coffee is our beginning but our hope is to evolve the space into something more than a coffee shop through hard work and listening to the wants and needs of the community,” the shop’s website reads.
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Heavy Water Coffee
17 Heavy Water Coffee
Los Angeles, CA
Located just a short walk away from vegan bakery Baker’s Bench is Heavy Water Coffee, a coffee shop dedicated to providing the neighborhood with ethically-sourced, locally-roasted, delicious coffee. Buy beans to take home or order one of the shop’s creamy lattes, matchas, or cappuccinos with dairy-free milk.
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Tanya Flink is a Digital Editor at VegNews as well as a writer and runner living in Orange County, CA.
Here at VegNews, we live and breathe the plant-based lifestyle, and only recommend products we feel make our lives amazing. Occasionally, articles may include shopping links where we might earn a small commission, but in no way does this effect the editorial integrity of VegNews.
