Even if you’re not looking to go fully vegan, January is a great time to explore new diets and healthy options around town. Baton Rouge has seen a slow rise in vegan cafes and offerings over the past few years. And alongside all the mushroom burgers and cauliflower wraps, diners will even find vegan treats to satisfy a sweet tooth—all us- ing alternatives to dairy and eggs.
Sure, we don’t have the popular vegan ice cream shops you’ll find in larger cities like New York City and Austin just yet (hint to all our restaurant industry readers, though). But while we wait, all the dairy-free cookies and cakes around town make pretty good substitutes.
MJ’s Cafe
Just reopened in a new space on Government Street, MJ’s Cafe is perfect for sugar hounds, with all sorts of vegan and gluten-free desserts made fresh daily. We picked up a warm chocolate chip cookie, with chunks of melt-in- your-mouth chocolate and crumbly cookie dough. mjscafebr.com
The Dish
In the bustling White Star Market on Government Street, this new- ish food stall is pretty much a vegan dessert mecca. The options available during our fall visit included pumpkin cheesecake and vanilla fruit cake, and the restaurant is sure to have more seasonal items this winter. Find it on Facebook
Magpie Cafe
This popular cafe in the Perkins Road overpass area always has an enticing variety of cakes, buns, cookies and pies in its dessert case, including pastries that are vegan, Paleo or gluten-free. Try the generously sized vegan chocolate chip cookies flecked with sea salt. magpiebrla.com
Where else do you like to get vegan desserts in Baton Rouge? Tell us in the comments!
