Try on the vegan lifestyle

Vegan offerings have become a permanent fixture all over the West, but if you’re worried about any sacrifice in taste and indulgence, try these especially sweet vegan spots in Southern California:

• KindKreme in L.A. is the world’s first raw, vegan “ice cream” shop, and even though they’ve axed the cream, it’s the best we’ve ever tasted. Raw cashews, almond milk, and coconut take the place of dairy.
• We love the “I Am Bliss” chocolate-hazelnut cream torte at L.A.'s Café Gratitude—chocolate-hazelnut mousse with whipped cream on a chocolate chip–pecan crust.
• In Tustin, try the slushy Earl Grey granita at Freesoulcaffé with a mini carrot cake, and grab a seat on the patio.

• Sensitive Sweets is tucked in a nondescript strip mall in Fountain Valley, but you’ll be glad you found it when you try the lemon blackberry cupcake.