Whether you’re serving cookies, pies or challah, many holiday traditions are centered around food. But what if someone at the table can’t dig in with the rest of you?
For those whose diet requires that they avoid gluten, breaking bread is off the table.
But a handful of D.C.-area bakeries have treats that are safe for your gluten-free friends and loved ones — the reason they’ve cut the ingredient can include celiac disease, an intolerance or an allergy.
Dedicated gluten-free bakeries
These bakeries are dedicated gluten-free facilities, and oftentimes can accommodate other common allergies such as milk and nuts. The Celiac Disease Foundation defines gluten as the proteins found in wheat, rye, barley and triticale.
Keeping any gluten out of the bakeries prevents any chance for flour (or other forms of gluten) to contaminate treats that would otherwise be safe for gluten-free people.
Depending on the severity of the restriction, using a cutting board to prepare food for both gluten-free and gluten-loving guests could turn the holidays into a blue Christmas.
“Especially during the holiday season, you don’t want to sit down and look at your plate and go ‘Prayers’,” said Patrick Esteve, owner of Say Vrai in Montgomery County, Maryland. “You want everybody to enjoy the meal.”
Click to jump to a bakery:
- The Difference Baker in Loudoun County, Virginia
- Honey & Ivy Gluten Free in Prince William County, Virginia
- Rise Bakery in D.C. and Loudoun County, Virginia
- The Happy Tart in Fairfax County, Virginia
- Say Vrai in Montgomery County, Maryland
- Sanctuary: Modern Kitchen in Frederick County, Maryland
- Sweet Crimes Bakery in D.C.
Gluten-free people say ordering from a dedicated bakery also takes some of the stress out of checking every individual ingredient in dishes to look for gluten — which could be hidden in more discrete ingredients or additives such as “natural flavor” or “modified food starch” along with the more obvious places like “wheat flour.”
“I’ve read the ingredient labels 100 times myself, so that everybody else doesn’t have to, and you can just come eat here safely,” said Emily Hamby, who owns Honey & Ivy Gluten-Free in Prince William County, Virginia.
The Difference Baker — Certified free from gluten, peanuts, tree nuts, soy
Stores in Ashburn, Virginia, and on George Mason University’s Fairfax campus
Pop tarts, dinner rolls, crescent rolls and Christmas cookies are some of the menu items at The Difference Baker.
In addition to being gluten-free, the kitchen doesn’t use any peanuts, tree nuts, soy, fish, sesame or crustaceans — and it’s got the certification to prove it.
“The cookies that you would normally get that are filled with nuts and peanuts and soy because of the chocolate. We make our versions of it,’” said business owner Alyssa Sobecki said.
Many of the bakery’s products are free from the top nine allergens — milk, eggs, fish, crustacean shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, soybeans and sesame.
The bakery has freshly fried items, a Krispy Kreme dupe that’s dipped in glaze right out of the fryer, along with jelly doughnuts and apple fritters. It serves savory items too, including pizza, Stromboli and pretzel dogs.
Having all those options can make some customers with food allergies emotional.
“On a daily basis, we experience cries and hugs,” Sobecki said.
The bakery looks to give options to people whose diets are limited by food allergies or restrictions.
“It’s just a perfect opportunity for really anybody who has food allergies to eat,” Sobecki said.
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First-time customers oftentimes get emotional, she said.
“When they look at the amount of options, especially during the holidays, we’re looking at about 117 different finished product items that they can choose from,” she said. “They’re overwhelmed with joy and just over the moon appreciative.”
The bakery has locations in Ashburn and on George Mason University’s campus in Fairfax. It also offers shipping.
Honey & Ivy Gluten Free has ‘good hearty sides’ and festive sweets
Storefront in Manassas, Virginia, and pop-ups at local farmers markets
At Honey & Ivy in Old Town Manassas, there’s no shortage of comfort food on its holiday menu: mac and cheese, dinner rolls and green bean casserole.
“Kind of those good, hearty sides that so many of us gluten-free people miss out on for the holidays, as well as some sweet options,” said Hamby, who has celiac disease and has eaten gluten-free since the age of 12.
Your sweet tooth won’t be neglected either. Pies, Swiss rolls and a fan-favorite — the berry crumble (which is also vegan).
December’s “cookie of the month” is fit for the holidays: gingerbread snow cookie.
And on weekend mornings, the line is at times out the door with customers lined up for a treat that’s gold for gluten-free people — doughnuts. Specifically, of the Boston cream, glazed and chocolate strawberry-filled varieties.
The store is offering single servings too, for those who might be looking to feed just one gluten-free guest. While the food is all gluten-free, Honey and Ivy oftentimes offers vegan items, too.
Custom orders for cakes and sugar cookies should be placed two weeks in advance while doughnut preorders can be placed closer to pickup. The bakery doesn’t ship.
Say Vrai: ‘Are you sure this is gluten-free?’
Storefront in Damascus, Maryland — also found at Virginia farmers markets
Owners Patrick and Erica Esteve, both trained chefs, started their business out with a focus on pasta but have since expanded Say Vrai’s menu to sweets and pastries.
Patrick’s personal favorite is straight out a Hallmark movie: the gingerbread Bundt cake.
Say Vrai makes a number of staples that can be hard to find gluten-free for the holidays, including gravy, stuffing and cornbread.
Outside of the holiday-specific items, Patrick said the business’ pretzels fill a void for gluten-free customers.
“Some people haven’t had a pretzels in like, 30 years, which is crazy to think about,” said Patrick, who has no dietary restrictions, though his wife, Erica, has celiac disease.
There are ham and cheese scones and sweet chocolate chip scones.
“The scones are just ridiculous, in my opinion, better than regular scones,” said Patrick.
All of Say Vrai’s items are made from scratch, and are nut-free and gluten-free. Patrick said the eatery also offers dairy-free and vegan options.
“Sometimes we get emails like, ‘Are you sure this is gluten-free?’” he said. “It’s very humbling, obviously puts a lot of pressure, too.”
The bakery’s storefront is in Damascus, Maryland but you can also pickup pastry orders at several local farmers markets in Northern Virginia. Any cake orders should be placed at least a week ahead of time.
Sanctuary: Modern Kitchen has cookie tins (free from gluten, wheat and nuts)
Storefront in Frederick, Maryland
Sanctuary: Modern Kitchen’s baked goods include cherry pies and cheddar biscuits.
The bakery is certified gluten free and all products are made from scratch. The business is also wheat and nut free, and offers vegan and soy-free options. Some recipes can be adjusted recipes to be dairy-free or vegan when requested.
To customize your holiday, check out the kits to decorate gingerbread men or build gingerbread houses. The business also has classic cookie tins — which are dairy free as a bonus. The cookie flavors included are lemon shortbread, thumbprint, linzer, chocolate peppermint, butter cookies and chocolate crinkle.
“Free of allergens but not the nostalgic flavors our customers know and love!” owner Kelly Boyer wrote in an email.
Outside of baked goodies, the women-owned business also serves hot meals such as chicken tenders and is stocked with frozen grab-and-go items like lasagna.
Holiday orders are due by Friday, Dec. 13.
Rise Bakery — Gluten-free bread galore
Stores in Sterling, Virginia, and Adams Morgan D.C.
When it comes to bread, Rise should have you covered with its extensive menu including a variety of items that hard to find gluten-free on grocery shelves.
It serves up sweet options such as challah, chocolate babka loaf and cinnamon raisin loaf. On the savory side, there’s jalapeño cheddar buns and buttermilk biscuits.
For breakfast, Rise has cinnamon rolls, chocolate croissants and a variety of different bagels.
The business asks that customers make sure to call at least 48 hours ahead if you have a large order. As far as allergies beyond gluten, Rise notes if its items contain dairy, eggs, soy or nuts.
Rise has a storefront that serves hot meals like sandwiches in Adams Morgan. It also has a location in Sterling where you can pick up pastries. It ships as well.
Classically Christmas desserts at The Happy Tart
Store in Falls Church, Virginia
For showstopping dessert, The Happy Tart’s menu features strawberry éclairs, snickerdoodle cookies and more.
Some of its pies include Boston cream, key lime and apple.
For $8, you can also order a pie shell to customize a dessert. Or order a kit to build a gingerbread house.
The bakery has a classically Christmas dessert — the Buche de Noel. The chocolate sponge cake has a raspberry jam filling and is available dairy-free.
If you’re looking for individual servings, a cinnamon twist, buttery pecan tart or almond raspberry cupcake could satisfy your gluten-free guest’s cravings.
The bakery asks customers to place orders at least four days ahead of time. Located in Falls Church, the bakery offers in-store pickup or shipping.
Taste the holidays at Sweet Crimes Bakery
Sweet Crimes has a dedicated holiday menu including a pastry gift box and cinnamon buns to share.
It’s pulled on flavors that taste like the holidays with Buche noel and cookie parcels that include snickerdoodles, pecan snowballs, gingersnaps and mint chocolate.
The bakery has all things gingerbread: gingerbread people, a build-your-own gingerbread house kit and even gingerbread eggnog tiramisu.
For cakes, it offers a tree cake, candied cranberry cake and rum cake.
The bakery offers information about other common allergens that might be in its products.
You can pick up holiday orders at the Southeast storefront anytime the bakery is open from Dec. 10 to Dec. 31, New Year’s Eve. Or scoop up your order in Columbia Heights on Dec. 19, 2024.
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