As a vegan who bakes, the bane of my existence is having someone tell me: “this is so good, I can’t even tell that it’s vegan!” But as annoying as this is for me, I’m sure that the workers at Mud Pie Vegan Bakery & Coffeehouse, hear that phrase much more often than I do.
Located on 39th Street, Mud Pie is basically every vegan’s dream; they offer a wide assortment of baked goods, and multiple coffee (and non-coffee) drinks that can be made with one of five different types of non-dairy milk (hemp, almond, soy, rice and coconut). While most coffee shop/bakery hybrids have the usual muffin-and-bland-biscotti selection, Mud Pie has a variety of different cookies, cupcakes, bars and scones.
Although I had a difficult time choosing what to order, I ended up getting a 12 oz. hot chocolate with almond milk and a coffee chocolate chip muffin. After paying a fair price ($3.25 for the drink and $3 for a pretty large muffin), I received my muffin and waited for my hot chocolate. The wait was no longer than five minutes, and considering several people had ordered drinks before me and that there were only two people making drinks, it was a pretty short time to wait.
Mud Pie not only functions as a coffee shop and bakery, but also as a really nice study spot. As I was waiting for my drink I walked around the house, which is separated into the main room with the cashier, drink station and display of baked goods, and two other rooms for seating. The other two were brightly painted and filled with different couches and chairs, and even a large flat screen to watch TV. It was quiet enough so that it would have been easy to concentrate on work, and the couches were damn comfortable.
When I finally got my drink I added a bit of nutmeg and cinnamon for flavor from Mud Pie’s spice rack, but after my first taste, the drink hardly needed it. Perhaps it was the fact that I haven’t been able to find a hot chocolate since adopting veganism, but it was probably the best hot chocolate I’ve ever had. It was smooth and creamy, but thick enough to the point that I could tell it was made with real melted chocolate, rather than a mix. Although soy milk would have made it even creamier, the almond milk added a nice, subtle almond flavor that complemented their choice of chocolate superbly.
Between sips of hot chocolate I began nibbling at my muffin. And let me tell you, that muffin may have been the Second Coming. Eating the muffin was like cracking open a geode; the outside was crunchy and crispy (something I would have never thought a muffin needed), and the inside of the muffin practically melted in my mouth it was so moist. If I were to find any fault with the muffin, it would be that the coffee taste wasn’t as strong as I would have liked; the dark chocolate chips, however, more than made up for the lack of coffee.
The second I walked out of Mud Pie, I knew I would be coming back. It was that good. The atmosphere was warm and friendly, the service was fast and efficient and the food was phenomenal. For every vegan in Kansas City who has a hard time finding good vegan food, you clearly aren’t looking hard enough. From their delicious crunchy muffins to real hot chocolate, Mud Pie has definitely gained a loyal customer.
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