Idle Hands Bread Company
407 Strawberry St.
Vegan ‘everything bagel’ croissant
Jay Metzler’s “dream of a French-inspired bakery using only 100% sourdough and never commercial yeast” came true in 2015, has won hearts and bloomed into something magical beyond his initial vision: Idle Hands Bread Company has become a pastry haven for both butter-eaters and those who follow plant-based diets. “I went through several different mainstream dairy alternatives, and some local, and finally decided to try and come up with something made here that would work for us,” Metzler says. “For the past 18 to 24 months, I’ve been making all of our plant-based dairy alternatives in-house.”
Other go-tos: Vegan cruffins, gluten-free scones
Buttermilk Bake Shop
257 E. Bank St., Petersburg
Vegan cinnamon-sugar doughnuts
Happy, colorful, sugary creations wink at you from behind Buttermilk’s glassy display case — perhaps none more enticing than the doughnuts. While this is a traditional bakery, owners Laura Boehmer and Ben Cronk include vegan and gluten-free options in their baking plans each day, with special orders, such as vegan tiramisu, available. The duo opened Buttermilk in 2014, wanting to bring a from-scratch bakery to Petersburg — although a little road trip from Richmond for pastries and antiques makes for an excellent Saturday.
Other go-tos: Gluten-free flourless chocolate cupcakes, vegan birthday cake macarons
Wonder City Bakery
245 E. Broadway Ave., Suite 2, Hopewell
Gluten-free chewy ginger-molasses cookie
Wonder City owner and baker Trish Honaker worked under WPA’s Rohrer before opening her adorable spot in Hopewell at the beginning of 2020. Honaker, along with her husband and fellow co-owner, Scott, supports the revitalization of the city’s historic downtown and relies on local products such as Wade’s Mill flours and Richlands Creamery dairy in the recipes. Many of Trish’s offerings are naturally gluten-free or vegan. When a wheat substitute is required, she likes a blend of rice flour, potato and tapioca flour. She prefers coconut oil to replace butter and uses flax as an egg stand-in.
Other go-tos: Gluten-free Fruity Pebbles crispy bars, gluten-free tiramisu
Anna B’s Gluten Free
7429 Brandy Creek Drive, Mechanicsville
Mini vegan chocolate Bundt cake
Sisters Angela Eby and Kimi Brown own and operate this prolific, fully gluten-free gem that produces a whopping 50-plus products, all with dairy-free and egg-free options. Anna B’s proprietary base blends gluten-free flours, oils, xantham gum and flax and excludes soy and peanut ingredients, making the shop a treat mecca for allergy sufferers. Their bread can also be found at Ellwood Thompson’s, Whole Foods and Libbie markets and it is used for gluten-free sandwiches at Garnett’s, Crossroads, Ipanema, The Continental Westhampton and Urban Farmhouse.
Other go-tos: Gluten-free cranberry-chocolate biscotti, gluten-free garlic baguette
WPA Bakery
3414 Semmes Ave.
Gluten-free caneles
The Well-Made Pastry Alliance is an apt moniker; the meticulous care put into recipes and presentations is visible in everything that comes out of the WPA kitchen. Owner David Rohrer honed his skills baking desserts at Ipanema Cafe, so when the time came to open a bakery, his love for the Works Progress Administration’s posters and murals inspired the name and logo. Experimentation with gluten-free and vegan ingredients including starches, gums and “milks” has resulted in some of the most delightfully fluffy baked goods in town.
Other go-tos: Vegan cherry-almond sticky buns, vegan biscuits with tofu scramble patties
Sunflower Gardenz
Gluten-free and vegan cinnamon swirl shortbread cookie
Owners Melanie “Mo” Monji and Kam Allen whip up a hefty selection of killer vegan and gluten-free offerings in their Randolph ghost kitchen, with snacks from the Black- and queer-owned bakery available to order online. While gorgeous desserts are at the heart of the business, their lunch and weekend brunch lineups feature gasp-inducers for restricted diets such as gluten-free, vegan fried fish or bacon, egg and cheese sandwiches. Lifelong vegans, Monji and Allen are experienced designers, so expect everything from the packaging to the cake decoration to be beautiful.
Other go-tos: Upside-down blood orange-turmeric cake, pride flag-inspired breads
Minglewood Bake Shop
3337 W. Cary St.
Gluten-free and vegan cosmic brownie
Minglewood was inspired by homeschool baking classes that the Sheehy family taught their daughter, Corri, who has wanted to open a bake shop ever since. Corri’s parents, Shannon and Chris, decided to take the leap with her, and in October, the team took over the former Guitar Works space in Carytown and put their 25 years of veganism to work. Find a massive case stocked with vegan cakes, brownies, scones, hand pies and cookies, as well as a smaller rotating selection of vegan morsels that are also gluten-free. Bonus: They offer vegan soft serve, milkshakes and espresso drinks.
Other go-tos: Vegan frosted fruit hand pies, vegan triple chocolate cookie
