Vegan Pastries: Best Sweet Treats in London Without Animal Products
When you think of vegan pastries, baked goods made without eggs, dairy, or butter, using plant-based alternatives like oat milk, coconut oil, and aquafaba. Also known as plant-based desserts, they’re no longer just a niche option—they’re a full-blown trend in London’s food scene. You don’t need to sacrifice flavor or texture to eat them. A good vegan pastry isn’t a compromise. It’s a reimagining—crisp croissants that flake like butter, sticky buns with caramel that doesn’t come from cream, and tarts filled with silken cashew custard that tastes richer than the original.
What makes these treats work isn’t magic. It’s smart swaps. aquafaba, the liquid from canned chickpeas. Also known as chickpea brine, it whips up like egg whites and holds structure in meringues and macarons. plant-based butters, made from coconut, almond, or sunflower oil. Also known as vegan margarine, they melt just right and give that buttery richness without a trace of dairy. These aren’t just ingredients—they’re the foundation of a new kind of baking that’s growing fast in London. You’ll find these in bakeries from Peckham to Notting Hill, where bakers aren’t just making vegan versions of classics—they’re creating new favorites that even meat-eaters crave.
London’s vegan pastry scene isn’t about labels. It’s about taste, texture, and trust. People are walking into shops not because they’re vegan, but because they heard the chocolate croissant was unreal. Or that the lemon drizzle cake didn’t taste like cardboard. Or that the jammy dodgers actually had real jam inside. You’ll find these places because of word of mouth, not ads. And the best ones? They don’t shout about being vegan—they just bake the hell out of everything.
Below, you’ll find real reviews from real spots. No fluff. No gimmicks. Just where to find the flakiest vegan croissant, the chewiest vegan brownie, and the one place in London that makes a better apple turnover than your grandma. Whether you’re cutting out dairy for health, ethics, or just curiosity, this list shows you exactly where to go for pastries that don’t just pass the test—they win it.