Teresa Bergen, our vegan specialist, got to try some of the unique flavors of ice cream from Salt & Straw shops. We’d say that’s a good day! What made it even better is that they were vegan flavors and delicious too. Teresa wanted to tell RealFoodTraveler.com readers about them. While Salt and Straw Vegan flavors vary by season and location, her article gives you an idea of what you’re in for.

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In my household, we are way too interested in developments in the vegan ice cream sector. So I was thrilled to learn about Salt and Straw Vegan’s new initiative to offer 20 percent vegan flavors by the end of 2019.

In case you don’t know Salt & Straw, cousins Kim and Tyler Malek founded the family-run company in Portland, Oregon in 2011. They’ve since added scoop shops in Los Angeles, Anaheim, San Francisco, Seattle and San Diego. They’re known for innovative—and sometimes downright peculiar—artisan flavors that often surprise people by tasting better than they sound. Even on a rainy January night in Portland, you might have to wait in a line that stretches out onto the wet sidewalk.

I recently got to interview chief ice cream maker Tyler Malek about why they decided to launch their Vegandulgence Series. And I got to try five flavors of plant-based ice cream.

Why Vegan Ice Cream?

Last year, Salt & Straw added more vegan flavors just for the month of January. This year, they did it again, with a promise of more dairy-free ice cream all year. Vegan ice cream lovers have turned out in droves. “We have seen a big uptick in our vegan ice cream sales this year, and I think it’s for a couple of reasons,” Malek said. “First, we’ve gotten significantly better during the last year in making these recipes, and I think the quality of these flavors is some of the best ice cream, vegan or not, in the country right now. Second, our team and customers have learned a ton over the last year about what it means to decrease the amount of dairy in their lives, and this menu allows them to keep the indulgence and festivity of ice cream while also balancing out their diet a bit.”

Malek has experienced the joy of vegans newly discovering his ice cream empire. “I’ve been brought to tears this month talking with customers who have never been able to visit Salt & Straw until now. Kim and I started Salt & Straw with the hopes of being The Happiest Part of People’s day, and this new menu amplifies that power tenfold.”

Local Partnerships with Salt & Straw

Like in all kitchen matters, the quality of the ingredients largely make or break the end product. And so Salt & Straw looks for the best ingredients, often partnering with local companies known for making something extra delicious. For their Missionary’s Meyer Lemon Chocolate sorbet, Salt & Straw use chocolate from local vegan truffle maker Missionary Chocolates. The outstanding Heidi Ho’s Lemon Chevre Cheesecake takes its cream cheese texture from a cultured cashew-based cheese made by vegan cheese maker Heidi Ho.

Partnering with trusted vegan brands also helps get the word out about the line of vegan ice creams. “Working with people like Heidi Ho vegan cheeses meant we could tap into their expertise in making non-dairy treats, while also grounding our flavors with a bit of local authenticity. I think by using our ice cream to showcase amazing artisans like that we get a multiplying effect in both the final product and the reach.”

The Salt & Straw Flavors to Dream Of

My household was in an uproar as we waited for Salt & Straw to send us samples of the new vegan flavors. And they didn’t disappoint. Here’s a rundown of the five flavors we tried so far.

Heidi Ho’s Lemon Chevre Cheesecake – This was our favorite, and the best vegan ice cream I’ve ever eaten. Salt & Straw blends the faux goat cheese with lemon and coconut, crumbles in toasted almond pie crust, and swirls it in vanilla ice cream.

Heidi Hos Lemon Chevre Cheesecake.

Toasted Coconut Milk & Cookies –This was my second favorite, and was one of two that tied for second, according to my husband. The thing that makes this coconut-based ice cream so good is the chocolate ganache, so dark and pure.

Candied Apricot Faux-yo –My husband’s other second place winner, the faux-yo is tangy with lime juice, green cardamom and cultured coconut. The candied apricots hale from B & R Farms in Hollister, California.

Salt & Straw’s vegan, Candied Apricot Faux-Yo.

The Elvis Peanut Butter Banana Split –This complicated concoction mixes coconut, banana, nut butter, marionberry jam and coconut-based bacon brittle. Very sweet and salty.

The Elvis Peanut Butter Banana Split.

Oatmeal Moon Pies w/ Aquafaba Marshmallows –Salt & Straw has managed to make convincing marshmallows out of aquafaba! As vegetarians know, ordinary marshmallows contain gelatin, a gross ingredient derived from hooves and tendons. Malek is justifiably proud of the aquafaba marshmallows. “Our team spent months devising different ways to cook the ‘bean stock’ with sugar and mimic the same marshmallow texture that we use in other flavors. From there, we ground up and baked the leftover chickpeas into oatmeal moon pies that are folded into a chocolate coconut ice cream. Technically, it’s a mind-blowing feat to pull this recipe off, and I get excited every time I eat a scoop.”

Are you an ice cream gourmet living in another part of the US? Are you troublingly far from a Salt & Straw scoop shop? Don’t dismay. You can order online and get home delivery.

Hungry for more? See what Teresa thought of the vegan food scene in Montreal.