In November 1944, the first of the modern-day vegans, Donald Watson, arranged a meeting with five fellow non-dairy-consuming vegetarians for the purpose of discussing such diets and lifestyles. Thus, the Vegan Society was born, creating a phenomenon in modern times that Mr. Watson would not only be proud of, but that would surprise him in ways difficult to describe. With the vegan lifestyle still in healthy, full swing – especially in socially-conscious places like Los Angeles – many non-meat-eaters have begun taking serious looks at vegan desserts to finish off their meals, and the category has exploded over the past couple of years with trendy spots catering to the healthy eater who happens to have an extreme sweet tooth. When it comes to vegan desserts in Woodland Hills, the following recommendations represent the best of the various cafes, markets and more in the whole community.

Sugar Free Markets offers hand-picked ingredients sourced by artisan bakers on a daily basis, all of which are packed into creations crafted to taste amazing while remaining wholly nutritious – with no preservatives, no chemicals and “simply healthy delicates.” What’s more, Sugar Free Markets’ treats are gluten-free, sugar-free, dairy-free, low carb and diabetic-friendly, so you can say goodbye to that sugar rush when you want to enjoy a sweet dessert. From cookies and muffins to otherworldly creations, Sugar Free Markets represents a vegan’s dream come true. The bakery is located at 22882 Ventura Boulevard in Los Angeles.

Karma Baker serves vegan and gluten-free delicious treats and transforms organic plant-based ingredients into incredible baked morsels everyone can love. Experience the difference it makes when using Earth-friendly, kind, certified kosher, wholesome ingredients without sacrificing texture, taste or satisfaction when you bite into one of Karma Baker’s scrumptious desserts. As an artist, mother, meditator and now professional baker, master chef Celine is the culinary artisan behind all the best Karma creations, using no eggs, wheat, butter or cream when she first began experimenting with healthy sweets in 2005. Today’s Karma Baker resides at 1145 Lindero Canyon Road Suite D3 in Westlake Village.

Follow Your Heart Natural Foods Market and Café is committed to the same ideals and values that its founders had back in 1970 – believing that all people deserve access to healthy food, that everyone should be compassionate to all living things and that we all have a responsibility to be good stewards of the environment. With a passion for wholesome foods and a love for baking, the Follow Your Heart staff has expanded its offerings to include hand-crafted delicious, nutritious and immensely satisfying gluten-free bakery items that will definitely knock a sweet craving out of the park. Follow Your Heart Natural Foods Market and Café is located at 21825 Sherman Way in Canoga Park.

RING: Baked Tofu Donuts was established in 2013 in Hollywood to introduce Japanese-style baked tofu donuts to the American people, made by highly-skilled Japanese pastry chefs and bursting with high-quality ingredients from all over the world. The myriad of hand-selected organic and local ingredients go into each and every tofu donut, a process that begins with making the donut batter and which ends with the treats lying in the refrigerator for 24 hours before the baking process – only then can the optimum flavor and texture be fully realized. RING is located at 6800 Owensmouth Avenue Suite 130 in Los Angeles.

The Vegan Joint was established in 2006 as a woman-owned business that has grown to include three locations in the L.A. and surrounding area, with all three stores boasting full menus loaded with foods and flavors of all types – but which are focused on Thai vegan-based recipes. However, it’s The Vegan Joint’s awesome vegan chocolate chip cookies that many returning customers come back for, an incredible treat that washes down perfectly with the aid of the restaurant’s Veggie Power Juice, VJ Fruit Smoothie, Natural Hemp Milk or Coconut Palm Juice. The Vegan Joint is located at 20855 Ventura Boulevard Suite 3 in Woodland Hills.

If the term “vegan dessert” immediately makes you think of a stale oatmeal raisin cookie, you’ve got the wrong vision – in fact, vegan desserts are, often times, so beautiful, they’re almost too good to look at. But not only are these desserts magnificent, they are made without any cruelty…and what could be more humane than that when discussing vegan desserts in Woodland Hills?