For people who have to follow a gluten-free diet, Philly can be a tough place to eat. Hoagies, cheesesteaks and cannolis are all off limits. The minimal gluten free bread and pastries options found at the grocery store can often fall extremely short of the real thing.
But gluten-free bakery products don’t have to taste bad, and the items in these local bakeries prove it. Keep reading to learn more about what options are available for our gluten-free friends and why those who can tolerate gluten should try them anyway.
Flakely Gluten Free – 220 Krams Ave.
Flakely Gluten Free Bakery is one of only a few gluten-free bakeries in the country that offers pastries such as croissants, Danish
and baguettes.
Lila Colello, founder and executive pastry chef, was diagnosed with Celiac disease, an autoimmune disorder that causes damaging reactions in the small intestines when a person consumes gluten, in 2010. After having to quit her chief job in the food industry, she decided to re-learn baking techniques and develop gluten-free pastries that were “taste-identical” to the wheat flour versions. According to Colello, her high standards for products means that people can’t tell the difference, allowing those with gluten intolerances to eat their favorite foods again.
“It fills my heart with joy to be able to make things that people miss,” Colello said.
Flakely is located in Manayunk and is open for pick-ups and walk-ins Saturday from 12 – 2 p.m. Deliveries take place on Fridays from 11 a.m to 2 p.m. Walk-ups are welcome, but you could also place a pre-order and grab your goods during Saturday hours. The bakery also stocks products in several cafe locations around the city, including King of Prussia Bridge Club and The Chilly Banana in South Philly. Two of their pastries are featured at La Colombe as the first gluten-free product available in La Colombe cafes in Philadelphia and on the Main Line.
Flakely also offers gluten-free deliciousness to be saved for later. Bagels and croissants are sold frozen in packs for customers to reheat at home and range in price from $12.50 for four bagels to $23 for four chocolate croissants.
High Fidelity Bakery – 1929 S 17th St.
High Fidelity has a store front and also supplies many nearby cafes with gluten-free bagels, cookies, brownies, pretzel rods, quiche and tarts. Co-owners Brady Hatin and Janette Spirk created the bakery four years ago after their daughter was diagnosed with Celiac disease. Knowing how hard it can be to find food that fits a range of dietary restrictions, Hatin and Spirk have expanded their menu to include sweet and savory options.
“It’s not just sweet little doughnuts that people need,” Hatin said. “They need bigger things. They need pizza, they need quiche, they need pot pie and stuff like that.”
Their bakery in South Philly is open Thursday and Friday from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. as well as 5 – 8 p.m. on Friday where they sell pizza 5 – 7 p.m. On Saturdays, they are open 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
You can also enjoy their bakery goods at various cafes in the city, including Grindcore House and Mammoth Coffee. As an added bonus, all their products, both those made in the bakery and other stocked snacks, are
also vegan.
“Even though it’s vegan and gluten-free, anyone can enjoy it,” Spirk said.
Nothing Bundt Cakes – 333 E. Lancaster Ave.
This national chain cake store may only have one gluten-free cake option, but it does not disappoint. The flavor Chocolate Chip Cookie is only available in the gluten-free version, and it is indistinguishable from its gluten-full counterparts. Each bite has the perfect ratio of cake to chips. The cake offers sweet, dense vanilla cake with the perfect chocolate chip semi-sweetness to
compliment it.
Nothing Bundt Cakes has a quick three-hour turnaround in case you forgot to order a cake for a special event, but that also means your sweet tooth can be satisfied that much sooner. For the gluten-free cake, the store offers boxed, undecorated 8-inch bundt cakes starting at $28, decorated and themed 8-inch bundt cakes starting at $38 and individual bundtlets starting at $5.50.
The Wynnewood location’s hours are 9 a.m. to 6 p.m Monday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m on Saturday.
Crust Vegan Bakery – 4409 Main St.
Located in Manayunk, Crust offers a variety of gluten-free options in their vegan bakery. Their online menu is only a preview of their available offerings as they change frequently to account for special and seasonal items. But they always stock gluten-free rice and marshmallow treats, s’mores bars and chocolate and vanilla cakes. Their smaller treats like their s’mores bars cost $4.25. Their gluten-free cakes are around $55 to $60.
The main bakery is open Wednesday and Thursday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Friday and Saturday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Sunday 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Crust also takes orders in advance.
