Bernardo Buontalenti, an Italian stage designer, engineer, artist, and architect who lived during the 1500s, is often credited with the invention of gelato. The story goes that Buontalenti, who lived in Florence, was tasked with creating a magnificent banquet by Cosimo I de’ Medici, the Grand Duke of Tuscany. After a little bit of experimentation, he came up with a new dessert for the table, which was the sweet, frozen, intensely flavored cream that we now know as gelato.
Centuries later, gelato is still enjoyed all over the world. Buontalenti’s creation is very similar to ice cream, but there are some key differences (which we’ll get into below) and it is possible to make it vegan, too. Here’s what you need to know about dairy-free gelato, plus some of the best places to find it in the US (and the best brands!).
What is gelato?
While the terms “ice cream” and “gelato” are often used interchangeably, they are not actually the same thing—although they are extremely similar. Both are frozen, sweet, and creamy, but while ice cream tends to be smooth and fluffy, gelato is a little silkier and softer.
“Two of the main ingredients in both ice cream and gelato are milk and cream, but it is the amount of each that results in differing desserts,” explains chef and food writer Jessica Harlan for The Spruce Eats. “As the name implies, ‘ice cream’ contains more cream than milk, whereas gelato is made with a greater proportion of whole milk to cream.”
Another key difference is egg and fat content. While ice cream is often made with eggs and is high in fat, gelato is usually egg-free and a little lower in fat content.
What is vegan gelato made of?
Milk and cream are central to gelato recipes, but these ingredients don’t have to be made with dairy. Many shops and brands have worked out how to get the same silky, soft, tasty result using alternative milks and creams, like coconut or cashew milk, for example. If you want to make it at home, this recipe from Food Nouveau will walk you through the steps of using unsweetened full-fat coconut cream to make delicious velvety gelato.
Is gelato dairy-free in the US?
Like most places, generally, gelato is not dairy-free in the US, as it’s made with cow’s milk and cream. However, there are some specialty gelato shops or brands that offer dairy-free or vegan options made with alternative ingredients such as coconut milk or almond milk.
Here, we’ve gathered just a handful of the best vegan-friendly gelato places to try across the US (listed in no particular order). It’s also worth noting that plenty of ice cream and gelato makers offer vegan flavors now, so it’s always worth checking in with your local shop to see if they have anything dairy-free (and if there’s no vegan gelato, you can’t go wrong with a sorbet!).
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Where to find delicious, silky vegan gelato
Craving gelato? Satisfy your tastebuds with these scoops and pints.
Bacio di Latte
1 Bacio di Latte
Los Angeles and Newport Beach, CA
This popular California gelato spot is expanding. It already has locations at the Westfield Mall in Century City, Brentwood, Larchmont Village, and Fashion Island in Newport Beach. And itt’s also planning to open more stores soon While none are totally vegan, the gelateria does offer gelato-inspired plant-based options, like Aranica Rossa and Cioccolato Belga.
FIND IT HERE
An’s Dry Cleaning
2 An’s Dry Cleaning
San Diego, CA
Don’t be confused by the name, this really is a gelato shop (the founders just couldn’t bear to change the name of a building that was loved by so many, so they kept it the same). The popular menu is always changing, but there are often vegan options to choose from.
FIND IT HERE
Awan
3 Awan
Los Angeles and West Hollywood, CA
Okay, so this one is sort of cheating because it’s not technically gelato, but because the texture is so similar, we think you’ll love it anyway. Awan makes creamy frozen desserts inspired by Indonesian cuisine using ingredients like coconut cream and Balinese vanilla beans. And the best part? It’s all vegan!
FIND IT HERE
Botolino Gelato Artianale
4 Botolino Gelato Artigianale
Dallas, TX
This family-owned gelato shop has three outposts: one on Greenville Avenue, one on North Bishop Avenue, and one on Royal Lane. It has a number of dairy-free sorbets to choose from, but if it’s that milky, gelato taste you’re after, give hazelnut a try. The totally dairy-free dessert is made with organic soy milk and authentic Italian hazelnuts.
FIND IT HERE
Bottega Italian Seattle
5 Bottega Italiana
Seattle, WA
All of the gelatos at Seattle’s Bottega Italiana are handmade every day using fresh ingredients. The menu changes regularly based on what it’s in season, but the brand confirms on its website that it usually has vegan and gluten-free gelato flavors in store, which are fruit-based.
FIND IT HERE
Float Dreamery
6 Float Dreamery
Philadelphia, PA
Float Dreamery is a vegan gelato-lover’s dream. The Philadelphia eatery offers several velvety, creamy, delicious dairy-free gelato options, including Carot Cards with cold brew coffee gelato and frosted carrot cake bites, and Strawburly with strawberry gelato and black tahini swirls.
Find it here
Gelato Boy
7 Gelato Boy
There’s one very good reason we awarded this brand “Best Vegan Gelato” in our Vegan Ice Cream Awards; honestly, it’s melt-in-your-mouth delicious. It’s not a totally dairy-free brand, but it does have many outstanding vegan flavors, including Coffee Fudge Swirl and dark chocolate.
find it here
Villa Dolce
8 Villa Dolce
Popular Italian-owned, family-run gelato brand Villa Dolce doesn’t want anyone to miss out on its exceptional dessert, so it offers two ultra-tasty vegan options: vegan chocolate gelato, which is made with some of the best chocolate in the world (according to Villa Dolce) and vegan vanilla gelato.
find it here
Doozy Pots
9 Doozy Pots
If you prefer to buy from brands that don’t use any animal products at all, this doesn’t mean you have to skip out on great-tasting gelato! Doozy Pots’ gelato is totally plant-based, organic, and totally delicious. Available in retailers across the US, its flavors include chocolate mint chip, Banana Cinnamon Date Swirl, and Smooth Coffee.
find it here
For more on vegan ice cream, read:
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Charlotte is a VegNews editor and writer based in sunny Southsea on England's southern coast.
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