Where to Find Vegan Milkshakes in Austin

My journey to discovering the best vegan shakes in town led me to ponder one fundamental question: what makes a good milkshake?

When on the hunt for a milkshake, location is often the first question in mind: what’s near me? And how quickly can I have it in my hands? When the milkshakes are dairy-free, it’s important to consider what type of milk is used, or what milk options are available. Then there’s variety, quality, and overall bang for your buck to consider. Lucky for you, I’ve kept all of these factors in mind.

The hard part about reviewing ice cream is that so much comes down to personal flavor preferences. To eliminate as much ordering bias as possible, I followed a strict regime when deciding which flavor to choose: asking whichever employee is serving me what’s good. My hope was that in doing so, I’d sample a variety of vegan milkshake flavors across Austin, and that they’d generally be one of the better options that the establishment has to offer. With that, I present to you the findings of my search for the best vegan milkshake in town.

Project Pollo

1401 Rosewood (pick-up window)
2438 W. Anderson
2209 S. Congress (inside River City Market)
hours vary by location
Prices start at $5.50

I’ll admit to some bias here: going into this project, Project Pollo had my favorite vegan milkshake in Austin. After conducting a thorough investigation, I stand by the statement that oat milk simply is the best milk for a vegan milkshake (or any milkshake). Naturally thick and creamy and with a nice neutral flavor, it offers the perfect taste and consistency for a quality shake. Project Pollo’s chocolate shake is just fantastic – the chocolate ice cream is enriched with the addition of chocolate sauce, chocolate cookie crumbles, and coconut-based whipped cream — and at $5.50 for a 20oz shake, it’s the best deal of the bunch. With the option to order ahead online, or to sit inside at their North Austin brick-and-mortar, it doesn’t get much more convenient than that. (Actually, it does – I’m actively praying for a drive-thru.)

The Yard Milkshake Bar

3400 Esperanza Xing (Domain)
Mon.-Fri. 1pm-9pm, Sat.-Sun. 12pm-9pm
(Vegan) prices start at $17

A worthwhile gimmick. I don’t frequent the Domain, but splitting one of their monster milkshakes with friends at 8pm on a Monday provided probably the most joy the shopping center’s ever given me. Be warned: these are hefty shakes with hefty price tags. Their only vegan offering is $17 and features chocolate chunk oat milk ice cream combined with chocolate soy milk and chocolate chip cookies and topped with whipped cream, chocolate drizzle, and, of course, more chocolate chip cookies. It’s presented in a 16oz commemorative jar, permanently planting the shake’s memory in your heart and your kitchen cabinet. The shake’s flavor wasn’t anything outstanding, but its novelty was oddly endearing and enjoyable to share with friends.

Milky Way Shakes

2324 E. Cesar Chavez (food truck)
Tue.-Thu. 5-9:30pm, Fri. 5-10:30pm, Sat. 3-10:30pm, Sun. 3-9:30pm
Prices start at $5.75

Be warned: all shakes contain almond milk. For those without tree nut allergies, this milkshake was something special – the one that begs me to return. By employee recommendation, I ordered the Buzz Aldrin (coffee and almond toffee, $6.75 for a 12oz) with chocolate ice cream (you get the choice of chocolate or vanilla), and it was memorably delicious, just the right amount of sweet. The shop uses a blend of almond and coconut milks which, I concluded, is almost as good if not as good as oat milk for vegan shakes: it has the creaminess of coconut milk without its distracting flavor. Located in an East Austin food truck park, it’s not the most convenient (no option to online order), but my shake was made quickly and was definitely worth the wait. The park also houses locally loved Vegan Nom and Nom Burgers, so if you’re already there grabbing a vegan bite, stop by Milky Way for a shake – you won’t regret it.

Fat Cats

7020 Easy Wind Dr.
Wed.-Fri. 9am-4pm, Sat.-Sun. 8am-4pm
Prices start at $5.95

Fat Cats felt like a wild card. Its website describes the business as a “coffee shop and bakery,” so I was skeptical of its spot on the milkshake map. Sweet Ritual, which I’d originally intended to include on this list, was temporarily closed at the time, and Fat Cats sells its ice cream, so I had to visit. Immediately upon entering, I was taken by how cute the all-vegan shop was. The display cases were filled with savory and sweet pastries, and happy baristas crafted lattes. The only ice cream flavors left were Roasted Strawberry and Sunflower Chocolate Chip, and I decided to mix the two with oat milk (given the choice of oat, almond, soy, hemp, and coconut). The price rang in at $5.95 for 12 ounces of creamy deliciousness. I’d call this shake the underdog of the group – I went in with no expectations and was surprised by how tasty it turned out to be.

Yummi Joy

409 W. Second (downtown, ice cream unavailable at Hyde Park location)
Mon.-Thurs. 11am-7pm, Fri.-Sat. 10am-10pm, Sun. 10am-9pm
Prices start at $6.50

This was, perhaps, the big kahuna. Yummi Joy combines the rich variety of Sweet Ritual flavors offered by Fat Cats, the downtown location of Whole Foods, the bang-for-your-buck of Project Pollo, and a flavor I didn’t encounter anywhere else. Via staff recommendation, I ordered a mango milkshake, which combines their mango ice cream with a coconut-soy vanilla soft serve, and it might’ve been my favorite of this whole experiment. Topped with rainbow sprinkles but lacking the decadence of whipped cream, the shake was delicious without being overly indulgent, like a birthday cake bought from a local bakery rather than a grocery store. I’m not usually one for sherbets or fruit-based ice creams, but this was unlike any I’d ever tasted, and, at $6.50 for 16 oz of incomparable flavor, I’m already itching to return.

Next Level Burger

525 N. Lamar (inside Whole Foods)
Mon.-Sun. 11am-9pm
Prices start at $6.45

I don’t live downtown, I’m not a Whole Foods shopper, and I’ve never eaten the food from Next Level Burger, but this milkshake might just bring me back. I ordered the seasonal strawberry cheesecake shake ($6.45 for a 12oz), and it was delicious. When ordering, I had the option to choose between coconut or soy milk. I opted for coconut and didn’t feel that the coconut flavor distracted from the strawberry cheesecake – if anything, it complemented it. NLB certainly gets points for variety – there are eight flavors available on their online menu, in addition to the in-store special. I enjoyed the convenience of being able to grab a few groceries during my short wait for my shake, and, if I was a downtown-Whole Foods shopper, I’d definitely take advantage of that.