Just in time for Valentine’s Day, PETA has selected the Top 10 Vegan Sweet Treats from restaurants and bakeries across the U.S., and Asheville’s Plant has secured a spot on the list, thanks to its delectable cannolo.
The award-winning pastry features candied-orange vegan ricotta tucked inside a handmade anise shell, accompanied by rich chocolate sauce and a scoop of vegan chocolate-cardamom ice cream.
“Plant’s all-vegan menu is inspired by bold, delicious flavors from all over the world, and its delightful orange cannolo is no exception,” says PETA President Ingrid Newkirk. “PETA’s new ‘dessert directory’ will help diners indulge in the best compassionate confections from coast to coast.”
Not only are vegan desserts free of saturated animal fat and cholesterol, they also spare animals immense suffering: In the dairy industry, calves are torn away from their mothers shortly after birth, and in the egg industry, parts of chickens’ beaks are cut off with a hot blade when they’re just a few days old.
Rounding out PETA’s list are treats from America’s first gourmet vegan restaurant, the iconic Sublime Restaurant & Bar in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, as well as Divine Treasures in Manchester, Connecticut; Nami in Phoenix; Timeless Coffee in Oakland, California; Venerable Bean Bakery in Morgantown, West Virginia; Detroit Vegan Soul in Detroit; NuVegan Café in Washington, D.C.; Mud Pie Vegan Bakery & Coffee in Kansas City, Missouri; and Morels Cafe in Louisville, Kentucky. Each eatery will receive a framed certificate.
PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to eat”—also offers free vegan Valentine’s Day dessert recipes on its website, along with a selection of sweet gifts from the PETA Catalog.
For more information, please visit PETA.org.