PETA’s Guide to Making an Epic Vegan Ice Cream Sundae
You don’t just throw together an epic vegan ice cream sundae by accident. No, these things take strategy, time, and skill. You’ll probably have more options than you know what to do with, and you might spiral into a panic if you try to go it alone.
But there’s no need to because we—the pros at finding vegan ice cream and decadent toppings—will walk you through it. Come, let us join spoons and create a vegan sundae masterpiece using this guide!
Step 1: Choose Your Ice Cream
Sure, it’s easy to be tempted by all the chunky, funky, chippy, monkey flavors out there. But when it comes to making indulgent sundaes, a plain base like the chocolate or vanilla options below will show you the true meaning of “less is more.”
Organic Vanilla Bean or Organic Chocolate would go great in a sundae. For a wildcard scoop (because YOLO), we recommend the Marshmallow Stardust pint or the Caramel Cold Brew & Cookies.
Chocolate Walnut Brownie and Madagascan Vanilla Bean are a sundae’s best friends, but do yourself a favor—don’t miss out on this brand’s Mint Chip Galactica flavor. Yum!
We recommend going with the nondairy Chocolate Fudge Brownie or Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough pints.
All of Oatly!’s frozen dessert flavors would be perfect in a sundae, including its Chocolate Chip, Oat, and Salted Caramel ones.
- Make Your Own
Nuzest’s Kids Good Stuff can be combined with vegan milk to make an ice cream treat that kids will love. Check out the Vanilla Caramel Nice-Cream recipe to see just how easy it is to add Kids Good Stuff to desserts.
Here’s our full list of vegan ice creams to try.
Step 2: Choose Your Sauce
A sundae without sauce? Sacrilege. Any sundae worth its sugar comes with a slathering of chocolate, caramel, or strawberry syrup. And hot fudge is non-negotiable. Good thing many mainstream brands like the ones below make delicious options.
- Hershey’s sells “accidentally vegan” strawberry and chocolate syrups (including a less-processed chocolate version).
- Whole Foods 365 Everyday Value offers accidentally vegan chocolate syrup.
- Coop’s Microcreamery makes vegan hot fudge.
- Nature’s Charm is a vegan brand that makes Coconut Caramel, Butter Scotch, Salted Caramel, Matcha, and Chocolate Fudge sauces.
- Smucker’s vegan ice cream toppings include pineapple and strawberry sauces and strawberry sundae syrup.
Step 3: Choose Your Whipped Cream
It’s not a matter of whether or not to add whipped cream, it’s a matter of how much. And the answer is a lot. Eating a sundae counts as a life experience, so make it memorable! Try one of the brands or products below.
- Reddi-wip Non-Dairy Coconut or Almond
- Soyatoo
- 365 Everyday Value Plant-Based Whipped Topping
- Trader Joe’s Coconut Whipped Topping
Check out our list of vegan whipped creams.
Step 4: Pick Your Toppings
This is the part where you really put it all on the line. Is your sundae going to be basic or something to behold? That’s up to you, friend. The only limit to your sundae topping achievements is the size of your dish, so make sure to use a big bowl, mmkay?
- Bits of fruit such as strawberries, bananas, pineapples, or mango
- Chopped nuts, including peanuts, pistachios, walnuts, or pecans
- Unreal‘s dark chocolate gems (these are like a vegan version of M&M’s)
- Dandies vegan marshmallows
- Biscoff Cookie Butter and cookies
- Whole Foods 365 Everyday Value chocolate sprinkles and rainbow sprinkles
- Enjoy Life vegan chocolate chips
- Oreo cookies
- Crushed Nabisco Grahams Original flavor crackers
- Crushed Nutter Butter Bites
- Abe’s fudge brownies
- Justin’s Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups
- EatPastry vegan cookie dough
- A cherry on top
Step 5: Share your sundae on social media to inspire the world, then enjoy!
*****
Vegan sundaes are better than dairy-based ones, obviously. They don’t contain milk that was stolen from mother cows who wanted only to nurse their babies. They don’t involve isolating and immobilizing male baby animals in cramped pens before slaughtering them. And they don’t require people to stick their arms and tools into the anuses and vaginas of restrained female animals and artificially inseminate them. Vegan sundaes are better than dairy-based ones. Obviously.
Are you screaming for vegan ice cream but not in the mood to build your own sundae?
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