As the weather has been warming up this spring, I have been on the hunt for the best vegan ice cream in Greenville! Admittedly, there have been a few duds. But there have also been some really fantastic options for anyone needing their dairy free ice cream fix!
My Top Picks for Vegan Ice Cream in Greenville, SC
Top Picks:
Hub City Scoops
Molly and Myles
Sidewall Pizza
Blueberry Frog
Additional Options:
Bruster's Ice Cream
Kilwins Chocolates, Fudge & Ice Cream
Baskin Robbins
TCBY
Creme Shack
Marble Slab
Hub City Scoops
158 E Main St.
Spartanburg, SC 29306
Vegan Flavor Options: 7 on the day of our visit
Taste: 10/10!
Experience: 10/10
Outdoor Seating: A few small tables out front along Main Street in downtown Spartanburg
Our Experience:
I know that Hub City Scoops is technically half an hour outside of Greenville, but there’s a reason it sits at the top of my vegan ice cream list… the taste, the variety, and the overall experience make Hub City Scoops the place to go if you’re looking for that quintessential summer ice cream shop experience.
I had never been to Spartanburg, and found the downtown really quaint, friendly, and up and coming. Okay, but back to ice cream. When we walked in, we were the only ones there. After we got our ice cream, the shop had a steady trickle of customers. It was beautiful Tuesday afternoon during the school year.
I asked about the non-dairy flavors and was shown two flavors that were sitting in the case, as well as an entire mini-menu of vegan ice cream options. Here’s what they had available while we were visiting…
- Chocolate Soy
- Vanilla Soy
- Carrot Mango
- Butter Pecan
- Ultimate Oreo
- Passionfruit Italian Ice
- Raspberry Lime Italian Ice
The woman working said that the raspberry lime was her favorite, but that did not even sound the least bit enticing to me! I wanted ice cream… with the cream! But if Italian Ice is your thing, apparently the Raspberry Lime is a good one!
As you can imagine, we had a pretty difficult time deciding. And I definitely knew this was a time when Elsie and I would require our own separate ice creams. Sometimes, especially when the flavors are scarce, we share. Not today.
As we were deciding, Elsie spotted a wooden board with four plastic ice cream scoops in each of the circles that were carved out of it. She asked what it was, and I told her it was decoration. Well, I was wrong.
They offer a tasting paddle of ice creams… genius! I really don’t know why more ice cream shops don’t do this for the indecisive ice cream desirers like us!
In the decorative display, each of the ice cream scoops were tiny. Perfect. There are only two of us, and one of us is a little less than 4 years old. They were probably about 2 inches in diameter each.
We ordered Oreo, chocolate, butter pecan, and carrot mango.
When she went to fill up the paddle, she started scooping, and kept scooping, and kept scooping! Apparently you get a full single scoop for each of the flavors you order for your paddle. That means a double scoop for each of us. That is a lot more ice cream and sugar than we had anticipated, and I wasn’t sure I was up for the challenge.
But there we were, 4 scoops of ice cream sitting in front of us, and I came to peace with the fact that we probably wouldn’t finish it all. And that was okay for the sake of being able to try four different flavors.
The paddle cost $8, and I would definitely get it again if we return with Brent.
We took our seat. They have some “adult” tables and some “kids” tables, and of course Elsie insisted on both of us sitting at one of the kid tables.
Overall, the ice cream was delicious. Creamy. Not sickeningly sweet. Flavorful. We finished the entire thing. Elsie didn’t eat much dinner that night.
The Carrot Mango was somehow both refreshing, tangy, sweet, and creamy all at once. I was super curious about this flavor, but didn’t expect it to be my favorite. I think it tied for 1st in my eyes, though!
The Butter Pecan is what I expected to be my favorite, and it was goood. It could’ve used a bit more of the “butter” flavor, but when I hit those spots it was delightful.
I didn’t try the Oreo because I know Oreos have gluten in them, and due to a few reasons I’ve been avoiding gluten for a while. But Elsie polished it off all by herself. The Oreo flavor was everywhere, and it wasn’t just a chunk here and there.
The Chocolate was surprising as well. I’m not usually a huge chocolate person when it comes to cakes and ice cream, but this one was almost like eating a bar of chocolate. Incredibly rich, strong on the cacao flavor, and not too sweet. I would actually consider getting it again!
So if you have the time to head east for 30 minutes, or find yourself in Spartanburg for one reason or another, I’d definitely recommend stopping by Hub City Scoops for some quality, reliable vegan ice cream!
Molly and Myles
2123 Augusta St.
Greenville, SC 29605
Vegan Flavor Options: 5 on the day of our visit
Taste: 9/10
Experience: 11/10
Outdoor Seating: A few tables in a large section between the storefront and the parking lot
Our Experience:
This place just screams - FUN!
All the special touches of Molly and Myles have me wanting to come back for more. For the adults who are into comic book characters - this place is for you. For anyone who is a kid, or is a kid at heart - this place is for you.
In addition to the bold, bright colors of this place, there are fidget spinners all along the que line for kids to play with. Every child that gets an ice cream also gets a token for the prize dispenser. There are pads of paper and colored pencils at every table. We could’ve spent a really long time here doing a lot of things other than eating our ice cream!
But alas, we were there for the ice cream. On the day that we visited, there were two ice cream flavors, one sorbet flavor, and two italian ice flavors. Their ice cream flavors are almond milk based, so I would’ve been curious to try these. In past experiences, almond milk ice creams can be a bit on the “icey” side, but I’ve yet to see what Molly and Myles has to offer!
The ice cream was mostly for Elsie, so I let her decide. She surprisingly did not want the Oreo flavor, and instead went with the Raspberry Sorbet… the “pink one”.
The Raspberry sorbet was incredibly tasty, with just enough creamy and just enough sweet. For a single scoop, it was on the large side. With tax it totaled to $4.32 before tip… well worth it for the entire experience in my eyes.
The woman working was beyond helpful, and explained the flavors to me before I saw the super helpful sign at the cash register. She also brought waters out to us after we were seated.
They are in a strip mall of sorts, but there is still a large outdoor seating area that doesn’t feel too busy next to the parking lot. There was also a high chair available inside if you’re there with a really little one.
One downside is that they don’t open until 3pm on weekdays, which is actually why it took us a while to try this place.
Additional Locations:
Cherrydale Location
3225 N Pleasantburg Dr.
Greenville, SC 29609
Sidewall Pizza
3598 Pelham Rd
Greenville, SC 29615
(This is not their main location, just the one most convenient for me!)
Vegan Flavor Options: 0-2 on the days of our visits
Taste: 10/10
Experience: 8/10
Outdoor Seating: Picnic benches along the side of the building, but close to busy Pelham Rd
Our Experience:
A quick tip for Sidewall: If you’re really banking on getting some vegan ice cream and don’t have a back up plan, make sure you call ahead. We have been to the Pelham road location three times now.
On the first visit, they had two vegan flavors available. On our second visit, they didn’t have any vegan flavors, so we ended up at EarthFare and bought some vegan doughnuts. On our third visit, they only had a vegan vanilla.
The Pelham road location has a side patio with a number of picnic tables available. It’s still fairly close to busy Pelham road, so there is a bit of road noise. But it’s pretty spacious, and is set to be in the shade in the afternoon, which’ll be perfect for those hot summer afternoons.
Since it’s mostly a pizzeria, it tends to be pretty quiet mid-afternoon during prime ice cream time. All the staff have been extremely helpful and friendly, and it’s proven to be a relaxing place to retreat to for an afternoon sugar hit.
On our first visit, they had a Pumpkin Pie Flavor, as well as a Strawberry Chocolate flavor available. Elsie immediately chose the Strawberry Chocolate, which ended up being strawberry ice cream with rather generous chocolate chunks mixed in. It was delicious, creamy, and bursting with flavor.
On our third visit, Vanilla was the only option. But wow, it was a vanilla to impress! Incredibly creamy, vanilla-y, and bursting with flavor despite being “just” vanilla.
The single scoop is just enough for the two of us to share without spoiling our dinners, and costs $4.00 before tax and tip.
Overall, my mouth is watering just thinking about that ice cream. If you’re ever near a Sidewall and in the mood for some seriously quality vegan ice cream, be sure to stop in.
Additional Locations:
Greenville - Cleveland St.
99 Cleveland St
Greenville, SC 29601
Traveler’s Rest
35 S Main St
Travelers Rest, SC 29690
Simpsonville
117 SE Main St
Simpsonville, SC 29681
Five Forks
2615 Woodruff Road
Simpsonville, SC 29681
Spartanburg
187 N Church St
Spartanburg, SC 29631
Blueberry Frog
624 S Main St
Greenville, SC 29601
Vegan Flavor Options: 2
Taste: 9/10
Experience: 10/10
Outdoor Seating: Tables out front, or walking distance to Falls Park
Our Experience:
If you ever find yourself in the West End of downtown Greenville, Blueberry Frog cannot be missed. The DIY frozen yogurt shop just screams “Kid Friendly!”. And the vegan frozen yogurt is pretty top notch as well.
Elsie and I arrived on a beautiful spring day at the end of March. They open at noon, and we were arriving right around opening. There is quite a bit of free 2 hour on-street parking available, and we found a spot not too far from the shop. Don’t worry, most spots are angled parking, so no parallel parking skills necessary!
When we left later, parking was definitely filling in more, but there seemed to be quite a few side streets with 2 hour parking available as well. So if you’re after free parking, be sure to drive around a bit. Otherwise, there was paid parking across the street, next door to Cook’s Station.
At Blueberry Frog, you pay by the weight of your creation. For vegans, they had two options on the day of our visit. A Blueberry Pomegranate Sorbet and a Vegan Cake Batter Frozen Yogurt.
We of course went with the cake batter. We perused the toppings, and there were a few available for vegans, including some specifically labeled vegan carob chips. I appreciated the vegan labeling, as well as the non-caffeinated option! There were also quite a few nut options, as well as some shredded coconut, which we added to our creation.
In total, our ice cream was $3.48, and plenty for the two of us to share. The frozen yogurt was creamy, sweet, and just what you would expect from a frozen yogurt. I never would have guessed it was vegan, and it hands down beats vegan TCBY frozen yogurt.
There is some nice outdoor seating that provides for some excellent people watching spots, but the inside of the shop is just so fun. So of course Elsie chose to eat her ice cream in the dining area. I don’t blame her.
Nick Jr was playing (silently) on a tv, there was upbeat music playing over the speakers, there were bright orange couches to sit on, and there was a bucket of chalk available for kids to decorate just about anything in the room! And I mean everything. Brick walls, bathroom doors, and even the light fixtures were covered in chalky artistic creations.
One of the best things about this location is its proximity to Falls Park on the Reedy. It’s about a 2 minute walk to the park, and your frozen yogurt could even be enjoyed while watching the ducks float down the river.
Elsie and I spent our post-ice cream time watching the ducks, running down the grassy hills, and finding rocks to climb. It was a perfect afternoon’s activity and I imagine we’ll be repeating it sometime soon.
Additional Vegan Ice Cream Options in Greenville, SC
Bruster’s Ice Cream
3841 Grandview Dr.
Simpsonville, SC 29680
Vegan Flavor Options: 5 (2 coconut ice cream, 1 sorbet, 2 italian ices)
Taste: 6/10
Experience: 8/10
Outdoor Seating: Tables out front, a bit away from the busy road
Our Experience:
On our return to Greenville after a hot day spent hanging out at Cedar Falls Park, some vegan ice cream was a must. We stopped at Bruster’s in Simpsonville.
There was quite a line up for the drive through when we arrived, but no one was at the walk up window. There was a list of flavors on the left that are the regular flavors. The right hand list of the day’s flavors includes the sorbets, the italian ice, and the vegan flavors. That day’s selection was chocolate chip or cookies n cream. Both good options in my opinion.
I gave Elsie the option, and she chose the chocolate chunk. When I approached the window, a sign reminded me that kids under 4 get a free scoop! Score! Elsie and I usually share, but I’m never one to turn down free vegan ice cream.
We ordered our ice creams (we both got the Chocolate Chip), and I paid the $3.23 for my single scoop.
Their vegan ice cream is made from coconut milk, but somehow had that “icy” characteristic that almond milk ice creams tend to have. The flavor was there, but the texture was a little lacking. The chocolate chunks were also a little thin and flavorless.
It’s in a fairly busy area, with a Dollar Tree next door, a hotel on the other side, the highway entrance nearby, and Kohl’s, Michael’s, and Ingles just across the busy road. But, it was nice to sit in the sunshine and enjoy our vegan ice creams.
Overall, if you’re looking for an “ice cream shop” experience, I’d still do it. If you’re looking for delectable, creamy, rich ice cream, I would skip it.
Of course, as always, Elsie didn’t mind and devoured her entire cup of ice cream. And let’s be honest, my bowl ended up empty as well.
Additional Locations:
Greenville
207 Pelham Rd., Greenville, SC 29615
1850 Woodruff Rd., Greenville, SC 29607
6412 White Horse Rd., Greenville, SC 29611
Greer
405 S. Buncombe Road, Greer, SC 29650
Easley
5152 Calhoun Memorial Hwy., Easley, SC 29640
Spartanburg
100 Peachshed Rd., Spartanburg, SC 29307
1644 John B White Sr Blvd, Spartanburg, SC 29301
Kilwin’s
220 N Main St #202
Greenville, SC 29601
Vegan Flavor Options: 2 Sorbets
Taste: 8/10
Experience: 9/10
Outdoor Seating: Tables in a courtyard with a view over Main Street
Our Experience:
It was one of those rare February days in Greenville. 70 degrees, sunny, and definitely calling for vegan ice cream. Especially after a day filled with zoo visits and playgrounds.
Kilwin’s is in the north end of downtown Greenville. It’s pretty close to Methodical Coffee, which is one of our favorite go-to’s for coffee and a vegan treat.
If you don’t find parking on the street (there are some 2 hour parking spots in the area, but most available spots tend to be just 30 minute spots), the Richardson Street Garage is free for the first hour, $2 for the second hour, and $1 for each subsequent hour...so not bad for the convenience.
Kilwin’s in downtown Greenville is in the same courtyard as a Starbucks, Roost Restaurant, and the Hyatt Regency hotel. It provides for a nice, open area to enjoy your ice cream and do some people watching. There are plenty of chairs and tables set up and barely any were occupied when we visited.
Did they have vegan ice cream? Yes. Kind of. They had sorbet. Not really my favorite, especially when you’re expecting some creamy deliciousness. Especially from a chocolatey delectable place like Kilwin’s. When you walk in to the aroma of melting chocolate, having raspberry and lemon sorbet as your options are a bit of a let down. Maybe you feel differently about sorbet?
Elsie didn’t seem to mind. She chose the “pink” one, aka Raspberry Sorbet. As far as sorbet goes, it was good. But it was also $5 for a single scoop.
Despite my underwhelm with the options, if you’re downtown and looking for something cold on a hot day, it’s definitely an option. And it seems like a consistent option that they always have available. You then have the option to find some of the Mice on Main, do some window shopping, or walk down to Falls Park.
Baskin Robbins
1 Ray E Talley Ct
Simpsonville, SC 29680
Vegan Flavor Options: 2
Taste: 8/10
Experience: 8/10
Outdoor Seating: One picnic table out front
Our Experience:
I usually prefer local shops and businesses over chains, but for the sake of research, I decided to check out the vegan ice cream at Baskin Robbins. We headed to Baskin Robbins in Simpsonville, which is just around the corner from the Bruster’s Simpsonville location.
It wasn’t exactly a beautiful day when we visited. A little cold, cloudy, and dreary. That being said, we were the only ones there. When we arrived, I asked about their dairy free flavors, as the signage on their ice cream flavors didn’t indicate any vegan options.
She pointed out a daiquiri flavor. Not really my thing. But to my luck, the manager overheard my question and said he had a “chocolate extreme” not yet opened. If we gave him a moment, he would open that for us. I left it to Elsie, and she of course chose chocolate extreme.
We got a single scoop of Chocolate Extreme for $3 even with tax. When the bowl came, it was chocolate ice cream, with chocolate chunks, and some kind of fudgy/brownie swirl. It was actually pretty darn good. And a generous portion for a single scoop.
I was impressed with the customer service at this location, and was relieved to have that chocolate option to choose from, rather than just the daiquiri.
For warmer days, they do have a picnic bench outside. But other than that, it backs up to a pretty busy road, and there aren’t a whole lot of outside places to sit. That wasn’t a problem for us on our dreary ice cream day, though.
TCBY
Sutton Place Location
7 Brendan Way
Greenville, SC 29615
Vegan Flavor Options: 2 on the day of our visit
Taste: 7/10
Experience: 7/10
Outdoor Seating: Small tables out front, next to the parking lot
Our Experience:
After an especially long wait at the post office across the street, and after a rain filled day when the sun finally decided to make its presence known… Elsie and I walked across the street from the post office to TCBY. It’s kiddie corner to the post office parking lot and an easy walk across some parking lots.
I didn’t have very high expectations, but not having known that TCBY even had vegan ice cream flavors, I was curious to try them out. They have a few different options listed on their website, and when we arrived, this location had a Chocolate Almond Soft Serve and the Psychedelic Sorbet hand scooped ice cream.
The Psychedelic Sorbet is a yellow and pink swirl of orange and raspberry flavors. Sorbet is not really my thing, but I would’ve been willing to have Elsie give this one a try if she wanted, seeing as the colors were pretty fun and enticing.
When I peeked into the display case, I noticed a chunk of chocolate ice cream (non-vegan) sitting in the sorbet tub. I wasn’t in the mood to ask for the sorbet and then specify to please avoid the cross contamination. I wanted easy… so we went with soft serve.
The Chocolate Almond soft serve was nothing to come running back to, but certainly worth a do-over if you’re ever in an ice cream pinch. It wasn’t overly chocolatey, and did have a creamy consistency.
Elsie got the 3oz kids scoop, and the total came to $2.44 with tax.
Like I said, nothing to come running back to, but we may just pay a return visit one day after another lengthy post office wait.
Additional Locations:
Clemson
1390 Tiger Blvd DA Department Head
Clemson, SC 29631
Creme Shack
120 N Main St
Greenville, Sc 29601
I’ve also heard that Creme Shack in downtown Greenville has some vegan ice cream available that isn’t listed on their website. I think they offer vanilla and chocolate almond based flavors with available toppings.
We’ve yet to try it out. If you’ve been, I’d love to hear about your experience! Let me know in the comments below, or feel free to email me!
Marble Slab Creamery
651 S Main St Ste A
Greenville, SC 29601
Rumor has it that Marble Slab Creamery also has some vegan options and a few vegan toppings! I have yet to go, but when you go to their online ordering menu, there are 6 non-dairy pints available in some fun sounding flavors like PB Crunch, Cold Brew Coffee, and Mint Choc Chip.
If you've visited, let me know. I'd love to hear about their options, the taste, and your experience... and I'm sure other readers would as well! If it's good, it seems like it would be a welcomed addition to the downtown scene!
Additional Locations:
108 N. Main Street
Greenville, SC 2 9 6 0 129601
Where NOT to find Vegan Ice Cream in Greenville, SC
Carol’s Ice Cream
Rumor has it that Carol’s Ice Cream was the place to go for vegan ice cream in Greenville. Handmade nitro ice cream made right in front of you… and everything vegan. Sounds perfect, right? Unfortunately, her brick and mortar shop didn’t survive 2020.
Then, there was word going around Facebook that she had set up a stand outside of The Commons. I had never heard of the Commons, but when I looked it up, I discovered it to be a pretty cool place. An old industrial building with a Methodical coffee location, a bar, a couple of restaurants, and a bakery. You get your food from any of the businesses and you sit at the picnic benches outside. There is also some seating inside for bad weather days.
The day of our attempted visit, the air was screaming, “Spring is coming! Spring is coming!”. Our stomachs were screaming, “I want ice cream! I want ice cream!”
We arrived, and The Commons was quite under construction. I think they’re working on a park with a walkway to the Swamp Rabbit. It’ll be really nice based on the photos they have posted on the fence. But for today, it was a bit busy and noisy. Elsie of course didn’t mind. Rubble was there! (Shout out to all the fellow Paw Patrol fans out there!)
And… there was no “Carol” to be found. I didn’t blame her. Where would she go with all that construction? Our ice cream dreams were dashed, but neither of us really minded.
Elsie almost immediately spotted her regular focaccia at the Methodical counter. “Mommy! Mommy! That’s the same one I always get! Mommy! Mommy! Tell him I’ve that same one before!” She was happy to say the least.
Don’t worry, I wasn’t left out. I went across the hall to Community Tap and got myself a nice cool glass of wine. I would say white wine, but I actually was encouraged to try an orange wine. Apparently orange wine is white grapes with the skins left on. Much like how a rose is made from red grapes. I was certainly intrigued.
It wasn’t really my cup of tea… or my glass of wine. I can’t put my finger on it. It wasn’t bad, but I probably wouldn’t go for it again. It was still refreshing, and after a long playground day, it felt good to sit down and relax with my favorite little one.
All that being said, if you’re looking for Carol’s ice cream at the Commons, come with a backup plan. I’ve since even checked Facebook and tried to find a website for her. I thought that maybe she would have updates on her whereabouts much like food trucks do. But I couldn’t find any information on her! I’m starting to think I imagined her name and all the information about her!
Rocky Moo
I had scoured the Greenville Vegan Society Facebook group for ideas of vegan ice cream places to check out. A lot of people had posted about Rocky Moo. It’s actually just across the street from the Sidewall location on Pelham Road, but I had never given it much thought, because I mean, it has the word “Moo” in the title… not exactly a vegan friendly sounding place.
So Elsie and I drove over there on one of our “I need a treat” days… aaaand they didn’t have any vegan flavors at that location. This is also the day that we then walked across the street to Sidewall and they didn’t have any vegan ice cream flavors. So we ended up walking over to Earthfare, buying some doughnuts, and eating them in the car, ha!
Maybe some locations do have vegan ice cream flavors, but I would probably have a backup plan if you’re in the need for an ice cream treat.
So, did I miss anything? Are there other options for vegan ice cream in Greenville that I may have missed? Let me (and all other vegan ice cream seekers) know in the comments below!
For more vegan and kid friendly options in Greenville, check out these other articles about Greenville.
