Put the ‘V’ in Vegan Valentine With PETA’s Top Desserts

This Valentine’s Day, show some love to animals by celebrating with vegan sweet treats! We’ve tried and tested this year’s top 10 most mouthwatering vegan desserts across the country.* All these baked goods are free from animal-derived ingredients. That means they’re made with vegan butter and plant-based milk instead of cow’s milk meant for baby cows and vegan egg replacements instead of eggs from hens who are killed once they’re no longer useful to the industry.

Red Velvet Pound Cake—Estella’s Vegan Cuisine & Desserts, Detroit

Estella’s is the first Black-owned vegan bakery in Detroit, and its treats are out of this world. The Red Velvet Pound Cake is a delicate yet dense cake that has a sweet chocolate flavor with a vegan cream cheese glaze. It’s one of four pound cake flavors—along with Lemon, Turtle, Sock It to Me, Carrot, and Strawberry Crunch. The bakery also sells other goodies for Valentine’s Day, like heart-shaped miniature cheesecakes and chocolate-covered strawberries.

Coconut Caramel Cruffin—L’Artisane Creative Bakery, Coral Gables, Florida

L’Artisane Creative Bakery was the first French vegan bakery in the U.S., and it serves all-day brunch and savory meals alongside its decadent desserts. We’re big fans of everything, but the vegan Coconut Caramel Cruffin stands out. It’s filled with coconut dulce de leche made in-house with caramelized coconut milk. For Valentine’s Day, the bakery will be selling special desserts, including a heart-shaped Danish filled with almond frangipane, lemon cream, and fresh strawberries; exotic petit gâteau; and assorted macarons.

Jumbo Cinnamon Rolls—Riley’s Vegan Sweets and Eats, Peoria, Illinois

We can’t resist a good cinnamon roll, and these are not to be missed. The Jumbo Cinnamon Rolls are a customer favorite at Riley’s Vegan Sweets and Eats, and they even come in other flavors such as chocolate and pecan. Each batch is kneaded by hand and gently rolled to create super-soft and fluffy bread. These cinnamon rolls were inspired by Riley’s grandmother, Rosa Lee Lewis. The first time Riley made them for her family, they couldn’t believe they were vegan! She said, “The first time my family told me that ‘these taste just like Grandma’s!’ I knew I had created something really special.” Valentine’s Day cinnamon roll preorders will be taken now until February 10 and can be sent via e-mail.

Classic Scone—SconeGrown, Bellingham, Washington

SconeGrown’s Classic Scone is a crumbly vanilla-flavored delight, served with clotted coconut cream and strawberry jam. The bakery also serves Blueberry, Chocolate Chip, and Golden Mylk scones, along with gluten-free baked goods and some savory lunch items. For Valentine’s Day, all regular menu items—as well as chocolate strawberry toaster pastries—will be available for preorder until supplies last.

Tiramisu Trifle—HaleLife Bakery, Clearwater/Tampa/St. Petersburg, Florida

HaleLife Bakery, which has three Florida locations, is serving a selection of special desserts for Valentine’s Day, including Red Rose Cupcakes and Valentine’s Day Cookie Kits. The Tiramisu Trifle is made with homemade vanilla streusel base, silky marshmallow fluff, and the bakery’s famous special recipe pastry cream, all layered between cubes of made-from-scratch gluten-free vanilla sponge cake and topped with layers of espresso vegan cheesecake, espresso crumble, and chocolate ganache sauce. Online preorders from now until February 9.

Cashew Cheesecake—Sprig & Vine, New Hope, Pennsylvania

Sprig & Vine’s Cashew Cheesecake features a ginger-cashew-oat crust and is served with vanilla-coconut whipped cream and blueberry ras el hanout (an aromatic Moroccan spice) coulis. Other flavors of the cashew cheesecake are offered throughout the year, including a kabocha squash flavor and an upcoming Meyer lemon flavor with a chamomile syrup. Other desserts for February include a Tiramisu with bourbon-chocolate coffee sauce, a Flourless Almond-Black Cocoa torte, and a Cranberry Linzer Tart with blood orange ice cream and ginger-maple syrup. Whole desserts (or slices) may be ordered a minimum of 48 hours in advance by calling the restaurant at 215-693-1427.

Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies—Jalen’s Bakery, Fresno, California

Jalen’s Bakery began in 2016 when Jalen was just 8 years old. The bakery’s Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies are fresh-baked and crispy on the outside with a satisfying soft center. Each bite is packed with vegan semi-sweet chocolate chips. Local delivery is available in the Fresno area, and thanks to Jalen’s dedicated customers and supporters from around the world, he also ships cookies and pancake mix nationwide “to put a smile on the faces of many.”

Strawberry Dream Cake—Sweet To Lick, Williston Park, New York

Long Island–based vegan bakery Sweet To Lick “has all the things you need to be a happy vegan,” including its gorgeous cakes. The Strawberry Dream Cake features three layers of strawberry cake and strawberry cream with pink chocolate poured generously over the top of the cake. Check the bakery’s Instagram account for daily menus, and be sure to get your cake order in a week in advance.

Chocolate Cake—Chaumont Vegan, Los Angeles

Chaumont Vegan is a French bakery in Los Angeles serving a variety of sweet and savory pastries. Its Chocolate Cake is intensely flavored, moist, and fluffy. It’s made with cacao powder, organic flour, and the bakery’s house-made organic cultured Proud Vegan butter and is topped with a rich chocolate pastry cream. The result is a decadent dessert that’s sure to impress. For Valentine’s Day, the bakery will also have available several heart-shaped cakes in chocolate, matcha, gluten-free rose water, and vanilla-strawberry flavors. You’ll even receive a rose with your order! Online orders for Valentine’s Day will be accepted starting on February 2.

Cupcakes—Inspired Cravings, Gainesville, Virginia

Inspired Cravings’ cupcakes come in more than 20 creative flavors, including Love Strawberry Swirls, Boldness Triple Chocolate, Forgiveness Honey (bee-free, of course!) Raspberry, Vanilla Cake with Vanilla Icing, and Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Icing and Sprinkles. The bakery also offers several variety packs for nationwide shipping, and gluten-free options are also available.

*While some of these desserts will be around only for the Valentine’s holiday, all these small businesses have tasty vegan treats that will make you smile year-round. Be sure to call ahead to confirm availability of specific items and hours of operation.

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If you want to celebrate a vegan Valentine’s Day but don’t live near any of these winners, you can locate vegan bakeries that will ship treats right to your doorstep. Or find a recipe to help you make your own right at home: