Whether you're craving an indulgent cake, a refreshing sorbet, or anything in between, these vegan desserts are guaranteed to satisfy your sweet tooth.
These vegan desserts are here to prove that you don’t need butter, eggs, or cream to create something that’s sweet, rich, and decadent. Once you stock your pantry with a few simple ingredients, making knockout vegan desserts couldn’t be easier. Keep coconut oil on hand to take the place of butter, start reaching for ground flaxseed instead of eggs, and invest in a bottle of pure maple syrup. You might be surprised to find that you don’t miss the dairy or eggs one bit!
Below, you’ll find my 30 best vegan desserts. I include plant-based twists on classic recipes as well as creative frozen treats, crisps, cakes, and more! No matter what you’re craving or the occasion you’re cooking for, you’re guaranteed to find a sweet treat you love.
Vegan Cookies and Bars
Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars
One of my all-time favorite vegan desserts! A sprinkle of flaky sea salt makes the nutty, chocolaty flavors in these no-bake cookie bars pop.
Vegan Peanut Butter Cookies
These are the best peanut butter cookies I’ve had, vegan or not! They have chewy middles, crumbly edges, and fantastic nutty flavor.
No Bake Cookies
Warning: these cookies are SUPER addictive and dangerously easy to make! With a handful of ingredients and 5 minutes of prep, they’re chewy and rich, with a delicious peanut butter/chocolate flavor.
Tahini Almond Cookies
Pomegranate arils add juicy pops of sweetness to these chewy, warmly spiced cookies.
No-Bake Oatmeal Bites
It’s hard to eat just one of these cookie dough bites, but who cares? They’re filled with good-for-you ingredients like flax, almond butter, and oats.
Apple Oatmeal Cookies
Imagine the best oatmeal cookie you can think of. It’s soft, spiced with cinnamon, and studded with fruit and nuts. These vegan apple cookies check every box! Trust me, you want to make them ASAP.
Pistachio Oat Squares
You only need 6 ingredients to make these crispy, toasty, lightly sweet treats. What are you waiting for?!
Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies
These cookies, made with oat flour, may be healthy enough for breakfast, but they’re delicious enough for dessert too!
Vegan Date Brownies, page 245 of Love and Lemons Every Day
These vegan brownies will give any regular brownie recipe a run for its money. Medjool dates and cashew butter give them a crave-worthy fudgy texture, while cocoa powder and chocolate chips infuse them with rich chocolate flavor.
Chilled Vegan Desserts
3-Ingredient Vegan Ice Cream
It’s rich, decadent, and every bit as good as the real thing.
Avocado Chocolate Pudding Pops
Unlike the store bought pudding pops of my childhood, these frozen vegan desserts get their creamy texture from avocados and almond butter. They’re fudgy, rich, and just the right amount of sweet.
Creamy Butternut Squash Pudding
The first time I made this pudding, I couldn’t stop eating it out of the blender! Cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and maple syrup infuse it with warm, spiced flavor, and coconut cream makes it rich and velvety. It’s 10 times easier than pumpkin pie, and if you ask me, it’s 10 times better, too.
Vegan Raspberry Cheesecake
A tart raspberry layer, a creamy lemon layer, and a toasty walnut crust make this vegan dessert fresh, decadent, and so, so good.
Tart Cherry & Mint Sorbet
Serve this ultra-refreshing sorbet as soft serve straight from the blender, or freeze it for a few hours for a firmer texture. It’ll be lightly creamy, tart/sweet, and downright delicious either way.
Vegan Pumpkin Pie Parfaits
Toasted pecans take the place of crust in these pie-inspired parfaits. Instead of traditional pie filling, I top the pecans with a rich, maple-sweetened pumpkin mousse. Finish them with a dollop of coconut whipped cream to take them over the top!
Creamy Vegan Lemon Bars, page 247 of Love and Lemons Every Day
It couldn’t be Love and Lemons without a lemon bar recipe, right? Thanks to maple syrup and Medjool dates, these creamy, decadent bars are refined-sugar free. I like to keep a stash in the freezer for a zingy afternoon pick-me-up!
Fruity Vegan Desserts
Easy Vegan Apple Crisp
If you ask me, fruit crisps are the best vegan dessert recipes. They’re easy to toss together, and there’s nothing more delicious than nutty crumble topping over soft, juicy fruit. This spiced apple crisp is one of my favorites. It tastes wonderful, and it’ll make your kitchen smell amazing too!
Easy Peach Cobbler
Naturally sweet and brimming with peachy flavor, this cobbler is an essential late summer treat. Don’t skip the (vegan) ice cream for serving!
Strawberry Crumble
A splash of balsamic vinegar adds a zingy pop of flavor to this crisp’s sweet, juicy strawberry filling.
Peach Crisp
Use whatever summer fruit you have on hand in this easy crisp recipe! The nutty, oat-y topping is delectable over peaches, a mix of peaches and berries, or any combination of stone fruit.
Cake and Loaf Vegan Desserts
Chocolate Cake with Sweet Potato Frosting
If there’s any recipe that lets you have your cake and eat it too, it’s this one. It’s moist, fudgy, and topped with luscious chocolate frosting, but wholesome ingredients are hiding inside it. I swap maple syrup for refined sugar and use a mix of white and whole wheat flour in the cake. Last but not least, I make the rich frosting with a secret veggie ingredient: sweet potato!
Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread
I’d take a slice (or two) of this zucchini bread any day. It’s moist, warmly spiced, and topped with a big sprinkle of chocolate chips. What’s not to love?
Pumpkin Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting
I especially love these bars in the fall, but I wouldn’t blame anyone for making them at another time of year. Pumpkin puree, coconut oil, and almond flour make them wonderfully moist, and cinnamon, cardamom, and nutmeg fill them with warm, spiced flavor. Enjoy them plain as a lightly sweet treat, or top them with vegan frosting for a more decadent dessert.
Healthy Banana Bread
With its perfect moist texture and spiced banana flavor, you’d never guess that this banana bread is totally dairy- and egg-free! I like to fold in walnuts for crunch, but stirring in a handful of chocolate chips wouldn’t be a bad move either.
Roll and Muffin Vegan Desserts
Cinnamon Rolls
Whether you call them breakfast or call them dessert, you have to try these cinnamon rolls! They’re soft, gooey, and brimming with brown sugar and cinnamon.
Meyer Lemon Muffins
On their own, these ultra-moist lemon muffins are a fantastic breakfast or snack. But top them with a dollop of vegan cream cheese frosting, and they transform into a bright vegan dessert!
Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins
I have a soft spot for chocolate chip muffins, especially when they’re as moist and flavorful as these are. To keep myself from eating four in one sitting, I bake a batch, enjoy one, and freeze the extras to have on hand for quick vegan desserts throughout the week.
Double Chocolate Zucchini Muffins, page 269 of The Love and Lemons Cookbook
I have this recipe on repeat from the first day I see a zucchini at the farmers market until the last one disappears in the fall. Puffy, moist, and chocolaty, they’re the perfect everyday treat.
More Favorite Vegan Recipes
If you love these vegan desserts, find over 85 delicious vegan dinner recipes here!
Vegan Desserts: Peanut Butter Cookie Bars
Ingredients
- ½ cup plus 2 tablespoons creamy peanut butter
- ¼ cup plus 1 tablespoon melted coconut oil
- ¼ cup plus 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- Heaping ½ teaspoon sea salt
- 2½ cups almond flour
- 2½ tablespoons maca powder, optional
- 1 cup vegan chocolate chips
Cacao Layer
- 1½ cups walnuts
- 2 tablespoons cacao or cocoa powder
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- 10 soft medjool dates
- 2 tablespoons water
- Flaky sea salt for sprinkling on top, optional
Instructions
- Line an 8x8-inch baking pan with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, stir together the peanut butter, coconut oil, maple syrup, vanilla, and salt until combined. Add the almond flour and maca, if using, and stir to combine (the mixture will be thick). Fold in the chocolate chips and press into the pan. Place in the freezer so that it firms up a bit while making the next layer.
- In a small food processor, pulse the walnuts, cacao powder, and sea salt until the walnuts are well chopped. Add the dates and pulse to combine, adding 2 tablespoons water if the blade gets stuck. Process until smooth, then spread onto the cookie layer. Sprinkle with sea salt if desired. Freeze for 30 minutes (this will help them firm up, making them easier to cut). Remove and slice into bars. Store remaining bars in the fridge.
Is there an alternative flour I can use? Almonds are a migraine trigger for me, so almond flour is off the table for me.
Hi Nic, you could try pulsing another nut (walnuts or pecans) into flour, just the blender or food processor before they turn into nut butter.
Hi! I’m making this for my mom and I have all-purpose flour and I have olive oil. Can I use these instead?
Hi Morgan, no, not in this recipe. The almond flour is necessary since these don’t bake, and the coconut oil helps the bars firm up.
You can use olive oil and AP flour in this vegan chocolate chip cookie recipe that’s baked: https://www.loveandlemons.com/vegan-chocolate-chip-cookies/
Hi! I’m so excited to make this for my family. Is it possible to sub another oil? A neutral one? Thank you!
yep, you can use any neutral oil.
Super easy and so delicious! Thank you
My first attempt at vegan cooking, this recipe was easy and absolutely delicious.
Amazing recipe! So easy to make and fun too:)
I was asked from a few friends to share it as I made it for a donation event. Most of the children asked their mums to make it tomorrow for them :))
Also, made the vegan pistachio slices, that too was a big hit!
Thank you
I’m so glad you’ve been enjoying the desserts!
I made just the peanut butter layer, and made it into balls. It’s delicious! Really satisfying and just the right amount of sweetness. And it took less than 10 minutes to make.
I’ll make both layers next time. Thank you for a great recipe!
This recipe is delicious! I absolute love the date topping, topped with sea salt! It’s a perfect combination of sweet and salty. After eating you will feel completely satisfied with all of the fiber and protein that is in it. Overall, a perfect guilt-free treat!
Sounds amazing!! But what can you substitute for dates? I don’t have any at the moment 😭
Hi Iliana, their stickiness binds the crust together so they’re necessary here.
Wow! These turned out very delicious, even my mother who is a picky eater and allergic to eggs enjoyed these!
Thanks for such a lovely article about the vegan desserts. Really informative and helpful contents.
Did you used refined or unrefined coconut oil? Could I use unrefined?
Hi Rob, you could use either one – unrefined will have a stronger coconut taste.
Do you have a substitute for the walnuts? They hut my family’s mouths. Excited to try these for my mama friend who can’t do dairy or soy!!
Hi Bevin, the walnuts are blended to make the chocolate layer so they’re very smooth (not nutty and chunky). If there’s an allergy and you still wanted to skip the walnuts, I suggest making this recipe where we rolled the base layer into balls instead: https://www.loveandlemons.com/edible-cookie-dough/
Thank you for sharing these recipe
These are absolutely amazing. Love them so much. I have never had any dessert quite like these bars. Thank you for sharing. Very extraordinary
I’m so glad you loved them!
Hi! I only have a 9×9″ pan…So, can you please recommend changes for it to fit in that tin?
Hi Laurie, it should work, they’re just going to be much thinner and a little bit more difficult to press to the edges of the pan. Since these are no-bake, I don’t have any other modifications to the recipe.
I have all the ingredients except almond flour. I have coconut flour. I will save a trip venturing out and substitute. Hopefully all will turn out. ❤
Hi Tanya, I’m afraid coconut flour won’t work – these will be very dry since coconut flour requires a different liquid ratio in recipes.
Amazinggg!! Being healthy has never been so SWEET! 😉
thank you for all of these, now what to choose for Valentine’s Day?
Wow! what a wonderful line up of goodies:) We’re spoiled for choice!