Whether you call it “The Big Apple,” “The City of Dreams,” or simply “Home,” New York City is home to some of the best vegan food in the world. NYC has over 27,000 restaurants, and close to 150 plant-based eateries offering all types of different food.
The first time I visited NYC, I was blown away at the sheer amount of options I had to choose from. I couldn’t wait to go back. A month ago, I finally had the chance to return!
I stayed in a quaint Air BnB in Brooklyn, a bureau that’s known for having a large vegan community. From there, I made it my goal to check out at least ten different vegan bakeries during my week-long stay.
In today’s post, I’m going to show you some of the best vegan bakeries in NYC! Whether you live there or you have a trip planned in the near future, all of these are worth checking out and grabbing a sweet treat from.
Is New York Good For Vegans?
Believe it or not…
New York City is one of the best cities in the world for vegans and plant-based eaters!
It’s not just my opinion, either. PETA officially ranked NYC as one of the best places to live and visit for vegans.
So, what makes New York such a great spot for vegans?
Here are some of the top contributing factors to New York’s incredible vegan ratings:
- They have a high percentage of vegan eaters (6%, compared to the national average of 0.5%).
- There are close to 150 vegan restaurants and pastry shops in NYC.
- There are thousands of restaurants that offer vegan-friendly food, even if they’re not exclusively vegan.
- New York’s culture is very open, inviting, and accepting of vegans, vegetarians, and plant-based eaters.
The only other city I’ve been to where I felt quite as accepted as I did in NYC was San Francisco, which is another one of the top-rated vegan cities in the U.S.
Don’t believe me? Check out vegan YouTuber, Avante Garde Vegan’s review of the top vegan eateries in the city:
The Best Vegan Bakeries In NYC (2024)
Whether you’re looking for the best vegan cookies, fresh-baked vegan bread, cake, vegan brownies, or virtually any other popular vegan pastry, NYC is the best place to find it!
1) Happy Zoe Vegan Bakery
- Website: https://www.happyzoeveganbakery.com/
- Location: 102 B Nassau Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11222
- My Favorite Dish: Vegan Vanilla Chocolate Pink Strawberry Cheesecake
Before visiting Happy Zoe Vegan Bakery in NYC, I’d never actually had a vegan cheesecake that I enjoyed before. Happy Zoe changed my mind, though.
Located just a five-minute walk away from my Brooklyn Air BnB, this friendly vegan bakery offers some of the best vegan cheesecakes in the world!
Whether you’re looking for a basic vegan cheesecake or you want an exotic fruit-topped cheesecake that’s covered in chocolate, Happy Zoe offers both.
They also offer a variety of different cookies, vegan cinnamon rolls, angel food cake, coffee cake, and more.
The cakes here are truly works of art. Definitely recommend this spot for a date or if you’re looking for a great vegan cake for a special event.
2) Clementine Bakery
- Website: https://www.clementinebakery.com/
- Location: 395 Classon Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11238
- My Favorite Dish: Vegan Maple Pecan Pie
Clementine Bakery is another awesome Brooklyn-based vegan bakery. They’re not quite as fancy as Happy Zoe, but the quality of their treats is just as good.
They offer vegan cakes, vegan cookies, and vegan pie (which is what I went for). I tried the Vegan Maple Pecan Pie, which was quite literally… to die for!
When I went, they also had vegan pumpkin pie, sweet potato coconut pie, and apple pie. They make all of their pie crusts in-house, using fresh, delicious vegan ingredients.
If you’re feeling extra-hungry, Clementine Bakery also offers vegan sandwiches, pizzas, and other vegan-friendly deli favorites.
They also double as a neighborhood grocery store, where you can stock up on vegan-friendly house goods and even buy houseplants.
3) Rawsome Treats
- Website: http://www.rawsometreats.com/
- Location: 158 Orchard St, New York, NY 10002
- My Favorite Dish: Moo Moo Pie Vegan Ice Cream Sandwich
Located in Lower East Side Manhattan, I had to take the train across town to Manhattan to find Rawsome Treats.
This guilt-free vegan bakery was recommended to me by a friend who told me that they had some of the best vegan ice cream sandwiches they had ever had. So, I had to find out for myself.
When I first walked into the cute little bakery, I was like, “There’s no way this is the right place… Everything looks so non-vegan.”
As it turns out, I was in the right place! They offer vegan ice cream sandwiches, pies, cakes, and some delicious fruit-based pastries. They all looked delicious, but I was mostly there for the ice cream sandwiches.
I tried both the Moo Moo Pie and the Carrot Cake Ice Cream Sandwich. They were both amazing, but the Moo Moo Pie was truly one-of-a-kind. It was super-sweet, ultra-creamy, and tasted like real ice cream (even though it’s made using house-made vegan cashew ice cream).
4) [plant-baked]
- Website: https://www.yelp.com/biz/plant-baked-new-york
- Location: 117 E 7th St, New York, NY 10009
- My Favorite Dish: Kouigh Amann
If you’re looking for a light, bready coffee shop-style pastries, then [plant-baked] is a great place to check out. They offer a number of different vegan croissants, cookies, and scones which are excellent with a cup of hot coffee in the morning.
However, the real reason I stopped by [plant-baked] was to try their signature pastry – kouign amann.
Have you never heard of it? Me neither until I researched it. Apparently, it’s an ancient Celtic/Britain pastry that dates back to Old England. It’s a slightly sweet, slightly spicy baked dough pastry that’s kind of like a cross between a scone, a cookie, and a croissant.
It’s made using light vegan pastry dough and is toasted into a flaky pastry. If you’re looking for a light pastry, I highly recommend it, as you probably won’t find it anywhere else in the city.
5) Bleu Neige Vegan Patisserie
- Website: https://www.bleuneigeny.com/
- Location: 2191 3rd Ave, New York, NY 10035
- My Favorite Dish: Vegan Raspberry Chocolate Donuts
Bleu Neige Vegan Patisserie is one of NYC’s newest vegan bakeries and just opened the week that I arrived in town, so I had to check it out! They offer a wonderful selection of vegan donuts, cupcakes, cakes, and cookies.
I’d made it a personal goal to find a great vegan donut shop, and this fit the bill. Let me tell you… they have so many amazing vegan donuts that it was almost impossible for me to choose.
I ended up getting a variety pack of vegan donuts that included Vegan Nutella Donuts, Vegan Raspberry Chocolate Donuts, and Green Tea With Matcha White Chocolate Glaze Donuts.
Of the three flavors, I’d say the Vegan Raspberry Chocolate Donuts were my favorite. I’d never had vegan donuts that were so rich in flavor. They honestly tasted better than any of the non-vegan donuts that I remember from my younger days!
Vegan Bakery NYC Delivery: Are There Any Options?
Yes! Some of NYC’s vegan bakeries offer in-house delivery and catering. However, the easiest way to get fresh vegan pastries delivered to your front door is to order through DoorDash or UberEats.
Sure, you’ll have to pay a bit extra in tip and delivery fees… but it’s worth it if you don’t want to leave the house!
Conclusion – What’s the Best Vegan Bakery In NYC?
If I had to choose one vegan bakery to go back to again, I’d go with Happy Zoe Vegan Bakery. I loved the vibe there and they had so many delicious treats that I’d never run out of new things to try.
If you’re a fellow traveler, then be sure to check out my list of the best vegan eats in San Diego next!
