Vegan Bakeries in London: Pastries, Cakes, Doughnuts, and Sweet Stops

Updated 25 October 2026. London’s vegan bakery scene covers flaky viennoiserie, celebration cakes, gluten-free bakes, sourdough bread, cookies, doughnuts and coffee stops. The best choice depends on what you want to buy, whether you need a fully vegan kitchen, and how far you are willing to travel for a fresh item.

What you’ll find in this guide

Compare bakery fits by pastry, cake, doughnut and allergy needs; match products to neighbourhoods; check gluten and cross-contact risks; and build a realistic bakery crawl with stock and timing backups.

Featured image: illustrative bakery display. Photo: Tatiana via Pexels.

How to choose a London vegan bakery

“Vegan bakery” can mean a fully plant-based business, a bakery that sells vegan products alongside conventional ones, or a delivery shop whose menu changes every week. That distinction matters for cross-contact, product range and what you can expect to find when you arrive.

Choose the product first. A bakery that is excellent for a birthday cake may not sell walk-in croissants. A doughnut chain may have vegan flavours in every store but its full range only at selected locations. A small artisan bakery may sell out before lunch and have no online stock list.

London vegan bakery shortlist

This is a fit-based shortlist, not a permanent ranking. Product availability, branches and service windows can change quickly.

Okja: vegan laminated pastries in East London

Okja’s official site describes a plant-based bakery and lists its cafés, including a Toynbee Street location opposite Liverpool Street Station. Its online ordering page also supports same-day delivery or pickup from Toynbee Street. Current coverage reports a second site at 31 Liverpool Street, London EC2M 7PP, while the original is at 29 Toynbee Street, London E1 7NE. Check the official café links before setting out because location pages and service hours can change.

Okja is a strong choice when you want a croissant or laminated pastry rather than a standard cupcake. Current descriptions highlight croissants, pain au chocolat, filled swirls, cookies, savoury buns, specialist coffee and matcha. Its vegan status means you can browse the pastry case without negotiating dairy, but it does not make every product gluten-free or safe for every allergy.

How to plan an Okja stop

1. Choose Toynbee Street or Liverpool Street based on your route.
2. Check the current online order page or café notice for that day’s menu.
3. Arrive early for the widest pastry choice, especially at weekends.
4. Ask about nuts, soya and gluten if those matter to you.
5. Use pickup or delivery if you need a guaranteed box rather than a spontaneous single pastry.

Beaten by a Whisker in Walthamstow

Beaten by a Whisker describes itself as an artisan small-batch bakery behind St James Street Station in Walthamstow. Its official site highlights sourdough bread, cakes, sandwiches, coffee and plant-based milks, while its philosophy says nothing is sold that is not delicious and labels the business “incidentally vegan.”

For a traveller, that means a different experience from an all-vegan pastry counter. It is useful for a morning bread and coffee stop, a cake slice or a savoury focaccia sandwich, but the exact counter selection can change with the bake. Check the official menu, social updates or contact details before making it the only food stop in your day.

What to expect

• Small-batch production rather than a large all-day menu.
• Sourdough bread and savoury items as well as sweet bakes.
• Plant-based milk for coffee, but ask about the individual food item.
• A Walthamstow location that pairs well with a local neighbourhood walk.

Vida Bakery: free-from cakes and celebration orders

Vida Bakery’s official site positions it as a free-from bakery that is 100% free from gluten, dairy and egg. The online shop currently lists celebration cakes such as Victoria Sponge and Double Rainbow Cake, with size and price options shown on the product pages. Those details are useful for planning, but stock, collection rules and delivery availability should be confirmed for your date.

Vida is better suited to a planned cake, cookies or celebration order than an improvised pastry crawl. Ask about notice periods, flavour, decoration, collection point, delivery area and storage. “Free from gluten, dairy and egg” is a valuable published claim, but guests with severe allergies should still ask about the bakery’s controls and other allergens such as nuts or soya.

Questions for a cake order

• What is the minimum lead time for the size and design you want?
• Can the bakery deliver to your accommodation, and during what time window?
• Which flavours are currently available?
• How should the cake be transported and stored?
• Are there additional allergens in the filling, decoration or toppings?

Cream Dream: a central vegan and gluten-free bakery-café

Cream Dream presents itself as more than a café, with desserts, Ukrainian dishes, breakfast, coffee and wine. Its Bedford Street order page currently lists an 08:00–20:00 service window and categories including croissants, pastries, tarts, cakes, éclairs, macarons, focaccia sandwiches and hot drinks.

The current menu identifies plant-based products such as almond croissants and lists gluten-free options on individual items. The same menu also advises customers to speak with the team about allergens and cross-contamination. That makes Cream Dream useful for a central stop, but not a reason to skip the conversation if you have coeliac disease or a serious allergy.

Best fit

Choose Cream Dream for a central breakfast, cake-and-coffee break, or a box that includes both sweet and savoury items. Check stock before walking across town, especially for plain croissants, filled pastries and seasonal specials.

Crosstown vegan doughnuts

Crosstown’s official vegan doughnut page says every location serves a selection of vegan sourdough doughnuts, while the fullest plant-based range is available at selected stores including Marylebone, Brockley Market and Victoria Park Market. Its site also explains that vegan products are made separately in several stages but are produced in facilities that handle non-vegan products, so traces cannot be guaranteed for severe allergies.

That distinction is important. Crosstown is convenient because you can find vegan doughnuts in many parts of London, but it is not a fully vegan bakery. The current menu may include flavours such as homemade raspberry jam, Tongan vanilla bean glaze, cinnamon sugar, chocolate and strawberry, or limited editions. Check the official product page and store locator rather than relying on an old flavour list.

How to get the best selection

1. Use the store locator and choose a branch on your route.
2. Check the current vegan doughnut list online.
3. Order ahead if you need a box or a specific flavour.
4. Ask about nuts, wheat, soya and shared facilities if needed.
5. Eat the doughnuts on the day, as Crosstown recommends for best quality.

Where to find pastries, cakes and doughnuts

Do not treat a bakery’s strongest category as its complete menu. A doughnut shop may not have bread. A celebration-cake bakery may require preordering. A café may have vegan milk but only one vegan pastry. Match the venue to the product, then confirm the item.

Plan by neighbourhood

East London: Okja’s Toynbee Street and Liverpool Street options make Spitalfields and the City convenient for pastry stops. Beaten by a Whisker adds a Walthamstow destination if you want sourdough and a neighbourhood bakery experience.

Central London: Cream Dream’s Bedford Street location is easier to combine with Covent Garden, the Strand, theatres and museums. Crosstown stores can also work as a portable dessert stop between attractions.

Brick Lane and Spitalfields: Vida Bakery is a strong lead for planned gluten-, dairy- and egg-free cakes, while Okja is suited to fresh vegan pastries. Confirm addresses and current collection details before travelling.

Marylebone and markets: Crosstown’s official page identifies Marylebone as a location with a fuller vegan range. Market branches can have different stock and opening patterns, so check the day’s listing.

Gluten-free and allergen checks

Vegan does not mean gluten-free, nut-free or safe from cross-contact. Okja’s pastries contain wheat unless the venue says otherwise. Crosstown states that its products are made in facilities that also handle dairy, egg, nuts, wheat, sesame and soya. Cream Dream’s order page explicitly directs customers to speak with the team about allergens and cross-contamination.

For a severe allergy or coeliac disease, ask before ordering and repeat the requirement at collection. If the answer is vague, choose a venue with clearer controls or a packaged product with a full ingredient list.

Freshness, opening hours and preorders

Bakery timing changes the experience. Pastries are often best early, cakes may require days of notice, and doughnuts are made fresh but can sell through a limited store allocation. A venue’s “open” status does not promise that the product you want remains in stock.

1. Check the official location page the night before.
2. Look for a current menu or order page rather than an old review.
3. Arrive early for laminated pastries and small-batch bakes.
4. Preorder cakes, large boxes and specific doughnut flavours.
5. Keep a second bakery in the same neighbourhood.

If you are travelling by Tube or rail, allow time for a branch to be walk-in only, sold out or closed for a private event. Save the address and a backup café offline.

A practical London vegan bakery crawl

1. Choose one hero product: croissant, cake, doughnut, cookie or sourdough.
2. Choose a route: East London for Okja and Walthamstow, central London for Cream Dream, or a Crosstown branch near your sightseeing.
3. Check the official menu: confirm the item, opening hours and collection rules.
4. Order ahead when failure is costly: especially for cakes and group boxes.
5. Ask about allergens: vegan labels do not answer every safety question.
6. Carry a backup: a packaged snack or second bakery can save a long detour.

Example half-day routes

• City and Spitalfields: Okja at Toynbee Street or Liverpool Street, then a walk through Spitalfields Market. Add Crosstown only if the current store route works.
• Walthamstow: Beaten by a Whisker in the morning, followed by local market or neighbourhood time. Check the bakery’s service days first.
• West End: Cream Dream near Bedford Street, then Covent Garden or theatre plans. Preorder if you need a cake rather than a counter pastry.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best vegan bakery in London?

There is no single best choice for every traveller. Okja is a strong starting point for fully vegan laminated pastries, Beaten by a Whisker for sourdough and café bakes, Vida Bakery for free-from cakes, Cream Dream for a central vegan and gluten-free café, and Crosstown for doughnuts across London.

Where can I find vegan croissants in London?

Okja and Cream Dream are useful current leads for vegan croissants and laminated pastries. Check the branch menu and stock on the day, because pastries sell out and seasonal products rotate.

Is Vida Bakery gluten-free?

Vida’s official site describes its bakery as 100% free from gluten, dairy and egg. Confirm the current product, ordering lead time and any additional allergens before placing a celebration order.

Does Crosstown have vegan doughnuts at every store?

Crosstown says a selection of vegan doughnuts is available across its locations, while the fuller plant-based range is available at selected stores. Use the current store locator and product page before travelling.

Is Beaten by a Whisker fully vegan?

Its official site uses the phrase “Incidentally Vegan” and highlights plant-based milks, sourdough, cakes and sandwiches. Treat the current menu as the authority for each item rather than assuming every future product will be vegan.

Can I order vegan bakery delivery in London?

Yes. Okja supports online ordering for pickup or delivery from Toynbee Street, Crosstown offers delivery across selected areas, and Vida and Cream Dream provide online ordering routes. Confirm the postcode, delivery window, product availability and packaging.

Are vegan bakery products safe for coeliac disease?

Not automatically. Vegan products can contain wheat, and mixed facilities can create cross-contact. Ask the bakery directly, read the allergen information and choose a business with controls that match your needs.

Useful Sources And Verification

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