[See more of Toronto’s best vegetarian and vegan restaurants here.]
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Cosmic Treats
The sign reading “VEGAN ICE CREAM” gets ’em in the door at this atomic-60s-themed Kensington café: “We have all these meat eaters who discovered us through a happy accident,” server Alexis Goetze says when I stop in one day. The cashew milk-based PB&J or maple-cookie scoops are indeed stellar, but don’t overlook the full menu: tofu done “southern-fried” or covered in crushed Doritos, addictively crisp-crusted mac and cheese balls and a brunch menu that features a standout vegan scramble.
207 Augusta, at Baldwin, 647-352-2207, cosmictreats.ca
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Bunner’s Bakeshop
Bunner’s is a name you’re undoubtedly familiar with if you fall into any of the following groups: 1. You’re vegan 2. You’re gluten-free or 3. You love cinnamon buns. The sticky, spiraly treats are what this Junction-based bakery made a name on now also in Kensington Market, it does every kind of baked sweet treat imaginable, plus soft-serve in the summertime and big trays of lasagna, macaroni and cheese, shepherd’s pie and other hot, gooey comfort eats to go.
3054 Dundas West, 647-352-2975 244 Augusta,647-350-2975, bunners.ca
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Tori’s Bakeshop
There’s no dairy, eggs or refined sugar in a single thing at this button-cute Beaches bakery – not in the picture-perfect cookies ’n’ cream or margarita-flavoured cupcakes, not in the cinnamon buns, not in the seasonal fruit pies, not in the iced donuts… I could go on. Bonus for the gluten-free crowd – you get to enjoy their butter tarts, scones and a whole slew of other treats.
2188 Queen East, at Balsam, 647-350-6500, torisbakeshop.ca
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Through Being Cool Bakery
1277 Bloor W, Toronto, OntarioIn addition to sharing its name with arguably the best early-period Saves the Day album, Amanda Somerville’s Blansdowne bakery does some truly top-shelf dairy-free treats. The donuts made the place famous, with at least 20 flavours available in their vintage pastry case daily. But don’t stop there: There’s oozy pizza buns, towering cake slices, beefy (I use that term loosely) made-to-order sandwiches, vegan Taco Bell-style crunch wraps socked full of soyrizo, and freezers full of ready-made eats like tofu ricotta-stuffed pasta shells and pizza dough.
1277 Bloor West,at Lansdowne,416-998-3321, facebook.com/tbcvegan