The Vegan, Gluten-Free Sweet Treat Showdown

When you hear about a gluten-free, egg-free, dairy-free, sweet treat… it can’t possibly taste good, right? What if it’s also free of corn, soy, and refined sugar? Does that type of treat even exist? Indeed it does. But, does it taste good? Oh, yes.You see, there exists an incredible little spot on South Street in Philadelphia called Sweet Freedom. And they are masters of all things free. They seem to have perfected gluten-free, vegan, allergy-friendly baking. It’s incredible. Jana and I took a little trip there over the weekend and sampled 5 delicious treats. It was really tough to pick just 5. Now, we are no food experts, but we’re going to share our thoughts on each one!

But first, a little tip from our friends at Sweet Freedom. I asked their manager Jen how the heck they do what they do. Her response?

Jen’s recommendations for alternatives: Coconut oil for fat; coconut milk for dairy; and agave, maple, molasses or coconut sugar for cane sugar.

Now for the treats! I love that the Sweet Freedom website lists out all the ingredients for most of the items they sell. I included the ingredients below for those that were available. :)

Flavorful, moist, and an excellent consistency — this brownie was delicious. It had mini chocolate chips throughout, which was quite the pleasant surprise with every bite!

Ingredients: Sorghum flour, potato starch, chocolate chips (evaporated cane juice, chocolate liquor, non-dairy cocoa butter), unsweetened applesauce, coconut oil, agave nectar, cocoa powder, arrowroot, vanilla extract, cream of tartar, baking soda, xanthan gum, sea salt.

This was my second favorite of all — what a treat! The inside had a consistency similar to raw cookie dough, and the outside was just… absolute chocolate perfection.

Though we’re not totally sure of the ingredients, Jana and I could definitely taste something fruity in this cupcake… like figs or dates. The icing was my favorite part — it had a taste that was reminiscent of sugar cookie batter!

This was Jana’s favorite. With a buttery taste and a softer-than-expected consistency, this was an all-around excellent chocolate chip cookie. Even in the absence of butter, eggs, and whatever else… there was absolutely nothing lacking here.

Ingredients: Garbanzo bean flour, potato starch, tapioca flour, sorghum flour, fava bean flour, coconut oil, coconut sugar, chocolate chips (evaporated cane juice, chocolate liquor, non-dairy cocoa butter), unsweetened applesauce, flax meal, vanilla extract, xanthan gum, baking soda, sea salt.

My favorite! Hands down. No, you guys, this bar was nothing short of magic. It was dense and chocolately and coconutty, and a million other things. All flavors and consistencies came together in perfect harmony. Sheer genius, this thing.

Ingredients: Brown rice flour, chocolate chips (evaporated cane juice, chocolate liquor, non-dairy cocoa butter), coconut oil, maple syrup, shredded coconut, coconut sugar, vanilla extract, sea salt.

Be sure to check out Sweet Freedom’s website! And if you aren’t able to visit one of their two locations (Philadelphia, PA & Collingswood, NJ), visit their online store, where they ship most of their products throughout the US! (Order the magic bar! Order the magic bar!)

To stay up to date with all of their sweet creations, follow Sweet Freedom on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram.

For more vegan, gluten-free goodness, check out our restricted diet series from Beth of Tasty Yummies!

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