10 exceptional gluten-friendly treats to try in Vancouver
When you think of gluten-free food, you might assume it’s too crumbly, dense, gritty, dry, and tasteless.
For some people eating gluten-free is a choice, and for others, it’s a must. The great thing is, food companies and coffee shops are adapting and offering more allergen-aware options than ever before.
We’ve tried our fair share of snacks for this article and ended up with a list of some of the tastiest treats in Vancouver.
You’ll notice most of the options on this drool-worthy list, aside from those from the two certified gluten-free bakeries, are referred to as gluten-friendly, which means they run the risk of cross-contamination with gluten products. You know yourself better than we do, so with that we say, eat at your own risk.
These are 10 unreal gluten-friendly treats to try in Vancouver.Â
Gluten-free Lemon Meringue Tarts from Lemonade Bakery
Lemonade Bakery
Certified gluten-free bakery Lemonade is the brainchild of award-winning head pastry chef, Tracy Kadonoff. The star of the show at this small-box, local, neighbourhood shop is the lemon meringue tart, which consists of a tart lemon custard that’s baked into a flaky all-butter crust and topped with toasted Italian meringue.
The bakery accepts orders via its online store, or by phone between noon and 6 pm Wednesday to Sunday. Online and phone orders require 72 hours’ notice.Â
Address: 3385 Cambie Street, Vancouver
Phone: 604-873-9993
Vegan, gluten-friendly Sprinkled Ring Donut from Lucky’s Doughnuts
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The decadent baked gluten-friendly doughnuts from Lucky’s are also vegan and biting into them, you’d never know that they don’t contain wheat or dairy. We recommend the sprinkled ring which is a plain cake doughnut dipped in vanilla glaze and rainbow sprinkles. The nostalgia-inducing treats sell out fast, so we recommend calling ahead to put one, or a dozen aside.
Lucky’s accepts orders at all three of its locations, either via its online store (with a minimum order of $15) or by calling ahead. The stores operate on a pickup-only basis.
Address: 2902 Main Street, Vancouver
Phone: 604-872-4901
Address: 2198 West 4th Avenue, Vancouver
Phone: 604-420-4901
Address: 689 Thurlow Street, Vancouver
Phone: 604-620-4905
Gluten-friendly Amaretti at Elysian Coffee Roasters
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As well as sourcing, roasting, and brewing its own coffees, Elysian Coffee Roasters also offers a selection of pastries, cakes, and cookies, which are baked in-house daily. We love the gluten-friendly amaretti, a traditional Italian cookie that’s slightly crisp on the outside and soft and chewy on the inside. The amaretti at Elysian come with a dusting of icing sugar and are perfect served on the side with any one of their unique coffee blends.Â
Address: 2301 Ontario Street, Vancouver
Phone: 604-559-0510
Address: 1778 West 5th Ave, Vancouver
Phone: 604-734-1778
Address: 590 West Broadway, Vancouver
Phone: 604-874-5909
Address: 102-1100 Burrard Street, Vancouver
Phone: 778-379-1512
Gluten-friendly Salted Caramel Macarons from Thierry
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One of Vancouver’s favourite dessert spots is serving up some of the tastiest gluten-friendly treats you’ll find in the city. Thierry offers an array of seven flavours of in-house baked macarons as well as a few seasonal flavours. There’s maple pecan, chocolate pistachio, and cassis, to name a few. But there’s no doubt about it that the salted caramel is the best. Encased between two airy almond meringue cookies is the most heavenly sweet and salty filling. We recommend enjoying a few of these French delicacies with Thierry’s famous classic hot chocolate.
Address: 1059 Alberni Street, Vancouver
Phone: 604-608-6870
Address: 265 East 10th Avenue, Vancouver
Phone: 604-336-8689
Gluten-friendly Peanut Butter Cookie from JJ Bean
Sean Loughran/Daily Hive
Find yourself wandering the streets of Vancouver craving a tasty snack? JJ Bean, with its 22 locations, has you covered with this delicious gluten-friendly peanut butter cookie, served at all locations except its Granville Island store. You’d never know this one didn’t contain gluten since it’s soft, chewy, and full of flavour.Â
Gluten-friendly Baked Smoked Maple Walnut from Cartems Donuts
Cartems
Donut worry, wheat-free friends, Cartems Donuts has your back. This awesome local donut store has been serving up a-glazing (okay we’ll stop) treats for the past 10 years. It offers a selection of gluten-friendly donuts, baked in-house daily, using flours from local miller, Anita’s. We recommend the baked smoked maple walnut, which is a decadent vanilla cake donut with maple glaze and smoked maple walnuts.Â
Order ahead because these babies sell out, every day. You can order via the website or by phoning the store.
Address: 534 West Pender, Vancouver
Phone: 778-708-0996
Address: 2190 Main Street, Vancouver
Phone: 778-707-1114
Gluten-free Vegan Frosted Peanut Butter Brownie from Gluten Free Epicurean
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Smooth, whipped peanut butter frosting piped on top of a delicious baked brownie, what more could you ask for? We can hardly believe this treat is gluten-free never mind vegan as well. The frosting lends itself well to the brownie, which has the fudge-like texture that it should. It’s rich, moist, gooey, and gone in under a minute. Ordering ahead via the online store or by phoning the shop is highly recommended.
Address: 633 East 15th Avenue, Vancouver
Phone: 604-876-4114
Gluten-free Vegan Cinnamon Buns from Edible Flours
Sean Loughran/Daily Hive
Let’s take a moment to appreciate the beauty that is the cinnamon bun. Layers of sweet baked dough with a spicy cinnamon-sugar filling, topped with a heavenly sugar glaze. We don’t know how they’ve done it, but Edible Flours has managed to perfect the gluten-free cinnamon bun and these beauties sell out every day. We recommend taking one to go, popping it in the microwave for 30 seconds, and enjoying it with a hot cuppa joe.
Address: 2280 West Broadway, Vancouver
Phone: 604-734-8351
Gluten-friendly Oatmeal Sultana Cookie from Lumine Coffee
Lumine Coffee
Lumine Coffee, a gorgeous new neighbourhood spot, quietly opened its doors in the heart of Kitsilano at the end of last year. As well as serving up a rotating selection of local brews, Lumine offers an array of gluten-friendly baked goods, which are made in-house daily. We love the oatmeal sultana cookie, which is moist, chewy, and bursting with flavour.
Address: 103-1965 West 4th Avenue, Vancouver
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Gluten-free Blueberry Balsamic Ice Cream from Rain or Shine
Rain or Shine
The insider scoop is that your favourite ice cream shop has an almost entirely gluten-free menu. Rain or Shine has been serving up mouth-watering desserts for almost a decade. Our go-to is a pint of the blueberry balsamic, which pairs perfectly with some Netflix and some chillin’! The flavour is on offer at all three locations and is available for pickup only.
Address: 3382 Cambie Street, Vancouver
Phone: 604-876-9986
Address: 6001 University Boulevard, Vancouver
Phone: 604-620-2004
Address: 1926 West 4th Avenue, Vancouver
Phone: 604-428-7246
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