Dedicated Gluten-Free Bakeries

BabyCakes NYC
My first love. The day I knew this place existed, was the day I knew I would not have to die alone and cupcake-less. BabyCakes offers all natural, organic and delicious alternatives free from the common allergens: wheat, gluten, dairy, casein and eggs. Located in the tiniest of spaces in the Lower East Side, this bakery has become a safe haven for those avoiding gluten in their diet. But even my boyfriend (the pickiest eater of all time who also happens to be suspect of anything not caked in flour) couldn't resist the bite-size brownies.

While BabyCakes is known for it's variety of cupcakes, I am personally a huge fan of the Cinnamon & Sugar Toasties. It's a deliciously moist cake reminiscent of the Cinnabon-days gone by. I'll also happily swear by the Blueberry Crumb Cake...mmm, delicious.

http://www.babycakesnyc.com/
248 Broome Street
New York City, NY 10002
212.677.5047














Mariposa Baking Co.
Upon returning home from my first trip to BabyCakes, you can imagine how I must have felt. I thought my days of gluten-free goodness were over...and that's when I found Mariposa, right in my own backyard. All of their sweets and savories are GF, wheat-free, preservative-free, and some even dairy and nut free. As I now consider it my local joint, I compare all GF goodies to the delicious array of baked goods at Mariposa. And you know what? Mariposa often wins.

- Morning Muffin (GF, DF): Made with fresh carrots, sweet coconut, dried apples, juicy raisins, and tender walnuts. It somehow makes you feel good about eating a giant muffin...and has just the right amount of sweetness.

- Pumpking Muffin (GF, DF, NF): Made with pumpkin spices and sweet mini chocolate chips. You might as well know this about me now...if it looks like a pumpkin, smells like a pumpkin or tastes like a pumpkin - I automatically love it. This muffin is no different.

- Pizza (GF, DF, NF): Sold both frozen or fresh, these pizzas are topped with a variety of healthy options including mozarella cheese, tomatoes, spinach, etc. Being able to bring home a frozen pizza, pop in the oven and serve it like it came from Poppa Murphy's? Priceless.

- Bagels (GF, DF, NF): Available in various seeded versions, cinnamon raisin, chocolate chip and garlic. This is the closet you can come to your regular ol' morning (or whenever) bagel.

And, to top it off, they often have seasonal goods and provide shelf space for other local GF merchants. Cupcakes are courtesy of Miglet's Gluten-Free Cakery, and seasonal cakes - incl my personal fave, the pumpkin pie - are courtesy of Hanna's.

http://www.mariposabaking.com/
5427 Telegraph Ave, Unit D3 (corner of 55th & Telegraph)
Oakland, CA 94609
510.595.0955










Gluten-Free Creations Bakery
Far be it for me to discourage ANYONE from venturing into the GF baking arena (esp. those that hand out free samples), but I can't say I was 100% impressed with the offerings. The donuts had an unnatural chewy consistency, and the snickerdoodle cookies just seemed like they were trying too hard. They were very large and thick - characteristics that are generally fabulous for normal cookies...but let's get it straight...gluten-free cookies aren't normal...and you don't want a large, thick bite of un-normalness in your mouth. I think the cookies would have been better off served in a smaller, more manageble size.

But then it gets weirder. In their frozen section, they have GF burgers and sausage/egg sandwiches. I don't think the world is ready for a GF McDonald's. Don't get me wrong, I ate both of them AND I will definitely be back the next time I'm in Phoenix. They are a certified and recognized GF bakery, after all - and they've been around since 2001! Maybe I just had a bad batch...

http://www.glutenfreecreations.com/
2940-b E. Thomas Rd.
Phoenix, AZ 85016
602.522.0659











The Sensitive Baker
Priding itself on being "LA's premiere gluten-free bakery," this little shop has a lot going for it. All of their ingredients are GF and certified kosher, meaning no milk derivatives of any kind. Being the day after Valentines's Day, I scooped up a few of their heart-shaped, glazed cookies which are not only GF and casein-free, but also egg-free/vegan. I also tried their famous Chocolate-Zuchini muffin as well as their seasonal Banana-Walnut muffin. Both were extremely moist...so much so that I was sad to see them go (in my stomach).

The bakery's frozen section was filled to the brim with other goodies, including hamburger buns and vegan mac & cheese. I didn't actually get a chance to sample the mac & cheese, but if the cookies/muffins were any indicator...I'm sure it's mm mm good.

http://thesensitivebaker.com/
10836 1/2 Washington Blvd.
Culver City, CA 90232
310.815.1800











Tia's Bakery
Unfortunately, Tia's doesn't have it's own bakeshop yet - but their goods can be found at both Erewhon Natural Food Market and Pacific Coast Greens in Los Angeles. And, better yet, Paul is often in the stores providing free samples! Tia's baked items are sugar-free, grain-free, gluten-free and vegan...and delicious. They're apparently known for their Chocolate-Bean Brownies but, to be frank, I'm not a fan of gooey, fudgey brownies. Blasphemous, I know. But I was able to sample their Sweet Potato Pie...now THAT was delicious. Within 5 minutes of buying my 4" pie, I had eaten the entire thing...and I hadn't even left the store yet! I may be biased as the pie triggered my pumpkin obsession. Either way, I went back to Paul's stand to tell him the good news (yay, I just ate an entire pie! wait...is that good news?), and he was so happy for me that he gave me an entire second pie for free! When my flight out of LAX was delayed 2 hours and I was surrounded by Burger King and sandwich counters...that little pie saved my life...again. Thanks Paul!

http://tiasbakery.com/