Do you find yourself searching out bakeries with a yearning for a post-dinner indulgence, wanting a hot treat from the oven to pair with a steamy cup of chai? Summer is coming to an end, but undoubtedly, Fall is the best time to curl up with a novel and a warm slice of banana bread, or to meet your friends for dessert and coffee on a rainy day. Here is this week’s #5For5 of the freshest establishments that offer baked goods that are all either totally vegan or offer amazing vegan options.
Edible Flours
Cookie selection | @edibleflours
This natural vegan bakery prides itself on serving up the best organic, dairy-free, egg-free treats. The shop has got you covered whether you need a birthday cake, items for a party or special event, or their impossible-to-eat-just-one chocolate chip cookies. All of the delicious items are free of refined sugars but are bursting with irresistible flavour. Edible Flours has truly mastered the symbiotic relationship between baking and natural, vegan ingredients. There are also gluten-free, soy-free and wheat-free options, so everyone can enjoy the delectable delicacies they have to offer.
Fairy Cakes
Delightfully light cupcakes | @fairycakesvancouver
Fairy Cakes is dedicated to catering to vegans and those who have food allergies or sensitivities. The delicious cupcakes and many other decadent treats are freshly baked using organic, local and fair trade ingredients. The bakery even use separate mixers for gluten-free baking and do not allow eggs, dairy, peanuts or tree nuts in the facility, so you can “have your cupcake and eat it too!” Soak up the last sunny days of summer with the organic fruit popsicles and be sure to take home a few of the deliciously light cupcakes for a late night indulging.
Two Daughters Bake Shop
Fresh seasonal fruit pie with lattice top crust | @twodaughtersbakeshop
The owner and creator of Two Daughters Bake Shop was on a quest to provide wholesome food that did not interfere with her daughter’s severe allergies. As a result, she decided to make vegan, gluten-free baking her niche. After baking all her life with what she thought were staple ingredients, she found ways to rework her recipes without the use of dairy, eggs or wheat flour. The North Vancouver bakery makes all the scrumptious delights you can imagine from cookie dough, to fresh loaves of bread, to professional level cakes and pies and even savoury pizza dough. Plus, if you are pressed for time and cannot make it to the North Shore, try the convenient online ordering to have it delivered right to your door.
Aphrodite’s Organic Café and Pie Shop
Delicious lunch date | @aphroditesorganiccafe
Aphrodite’s Café is known for their fresh fruit pies, made with all organic ingredients, including ripe local berries. The vegan, gluten-free pies are packed with seasonal fruit and surrounded by a flaky crust that melts in your mouth. The café works directly with local farms in an effort to create a menu with the smallest ecological footprint possible. Aphrodite’s also has an amazing brunch or dinner menu with vegan options, and are more than happy to substitute ingredients to cater to your needs. But do not even think about leaving without a slice of pie for dessert.
Cartems Donuterie
Donuts! | @cartemsdonuts
Donuts are my number one weakness. A friend and I went to Mighty-O, a 100% organic and vegan donut shop in Seattle and they were so fresh and delicious that I thought I was ruined for life back in Vancouver. That is until I found Cartems Donuterie. The skilled pastry chefs bake all their donuts from scratch every morning without using preservatives, stabilizers or a pre-mixed recipe. All the ingredients are locally and ethically sourced, including flour from Anita’s Organic Mill in Chilliwack and spices from Gathering Place Trading Company on Cortes Island. Cartems makes a fun variety of flavours either from their signature recipe or from a vegan, gluten-free option. My favourite flavour is the Earl Grey donut, but you will have to try them all to find which suites your palette.
Bountiful Bakeries
You no longer have to dream about cookies that are so soft they melt on your tongue, or a raspberry rhubarb pie so rich with fresh fruit you close your eyes and savour every bite. From donuts to cookies to cheesecake to cupcakes, whatever your favourite treat may be, there is a wonderful baker pulling the hot tray out of the oven as you read this that is full of cruelty-free goodies.
The post 5For5: Best Vegan Bakeries in Vancouver appeared first on BLUSH Vancouver Magazine.