Gluten-free bakeries may sound like an oxymoron to some. After all, isn’t flour supposed to be the star of the show? Determined to set the record straight, dedicated GF bakeries around the state, however, are deftly baking delicious gluten-free delectables—from cakes and muffins to cookies and scones—ratcheting up competition with traditional bakeries. These dedicated GF bakeries and their bakers are defying this notion and delivering the best products, so even non-celiacs will obsess over their tasty baked goods.
Joanna Chaves of 7 Muffins A Day in Midlothian wants to make sure her gluten-free bakery’s products are just as good as non-gluten-free baked goods.
“Psychologically and physiologically, the immediate impact of walking into a dedicated gluten-free facility like ours is therapeutic in my view. I see customers relax and breathe a sigh of relief when they confirm with us that yes, we are dedicated gluten-free,” Chaves explains, priding herself in providing an important, sweet haven to those with a gluten allergy.
7 Muffins A Day
11307 Polo Pl., Suite B, Midlothian
AnnaB’s Gluten Free Bakery
7426 Brady Creek Dr., Mechanicsville
BMC Bakes
157 N. Main St., Unit 100, Harrisonburg
Gluten-free and accommodating to other restrictions, like peanut allergies and vegan diets. BMCBakes.com
The Difference Baker
20937 Ashburn Rd., #130, Ashburn
All products are certified free from: gluten, peanuts, tree nuts, soy, fish, sesame, and crustaceans. TheDifferenceBaker.com
Corbin’s Confections
18 E. Main St., Salem
Gluten-free, peanut-free, and tree-nut-free bakery. Facebook.com/CorbinsConfections
Sun Flour Cafe
1400 Kempsville Rd., Suite 124, Chesapeake
Gluten-free, with accommodations for other restrictions. Facebook.com/SunFlourCafeGF
Featured illustration by Victoria Borges. This article originally appeared in the April 2025 issue.
