Even as the weather cools down, ice cream remains a popular treat for many students. A variety of dietary restrictions make it challenging for some to enjoy creamy desserts, given the few vegan options available. There are some great options, however, and The Daily Texan has compiled a list to aid in the quest for delicious vegan ice cream in Austin. 

NadaMoo! Scoop Shop

As the name implies, NadaMoo!, located on South Lamar, is completely a dairy-free ice cream shop. Each flavor is crafted using coconut milk to achieve a creamy texture. NadaMoo! offers a variety of flavors, including seasonal flavors that allow the customer to continue trying new variations of vegan ice cream. 

In addition to the traditional scoops of dairy-free ice cream, NadaMoo! also serves milkshakes, sundaes and espresso. Each order is prepared to the customer’s request, with the option of adding toppings 

Everything served at NadaMoo!, including the toppings, is vegan-friendly. These creamy treats are also available for  purchase in pints to take home. 

Gati Ice cream truck

Gati sells flavors made from a coconut milk base at various locations around Austin. Most of the  flavors contain four ingredients or less to keep the ice cream  simple and flavorful. 

According to their website, Gati was started by the owner of Thai Fresh when she ordered too many mangoes and decided to turn them into ice cream. Due to the popularity of the Thai coconut milk ice cream, Gati opened as an ice cream truck, and the business is soon expanding to include a brick-and-mortar location. There are 40 different rotating ice cream flavors at Gati, all of which are vegan.

Parked outside of Spider House, Milky Way Shakes is an ice cream truck that offers vegan milkshakes made from a blend of almond milk and coconut milk. Everything at the shop is made in-house, including syrups and sauces, and all ingredients are vegan. 

There are currently six milkshakes on the menu with either a chocolate or vanilla ice cream base, but customers also have the option of building their own shake. Milky Way Shakes changes out their specialty shakes on the 1st and 16th of each month.

SPUN Ice Cream

SPUN, although not entirely vegan, does have vegan options. Located on East 7th Street, it offers two vegan ice cream flavors: horchata and coco strawberry. SPUN offers freshly made ice cream using liquid nitrogen to flash freeze the desired liquid in minutes. Liquid nitrogen provides an alternative way to make fresh ice cream without the use of preservatives, stabilizers or emulsifiers. In addition to the two vegan ice cream flavors, there are two vegan toppings: the salted chocolate shell and strawberry puree.

Amy’s Ice Creams

Amy’s Ice Creams has 12 locations around Austin and offers more than 350 rotating flavors of both dairy and vegan ice cream. This makes it an ideal spot for a group of friends who may not only be looking for vegan options. Different locations may vary in vegan options both in number and in flavor, but it is guaranteed that there will be vegan ice cream at any Amy’s location. These flavors may also be subject to change based on season or demand.