I was very excited to try out some of the gluten-free bakeries during my latest trip to Vancouver BC. I have been wanting to check out Lemonade Gluten-Free Bakery for awhile now, and have never been able to get there. The Head Pastry Chef Tracy Kadonoff has gluten intolerance, and I really appreciate her skill in creating marvelous gluten-free baked goods. This time I decided I would and I was not disappointed. They are a small place on 3385 Cambie Street. They are a dedicated gluten-free facility. Look at those lovely cakes! The non-celiac's enjoyed them too. I loved the lemon cheese cake! It had just the right balance of tart and sweet. The chocolate one was a big hit - lovely and gooey. The pumpkin pie tart was fabulous. It had a nice flaky crust and I really enjoyed the pecans. You would never know they were gluten-free.

I also tried their gluten-free crossiant. Looked so promising, but I was disappointed. It was more like a biscuit/scone in texture. The flavour was great, but I had unrealistically hoped for the soft texture of a gluten croissant. Now they may be better fresh, I bought mine late in the day. Also, I had nowhere to heat it up, so that may have made a difference. It sure looks awesome though.

The Lemondade Gluten-Free Bakery has many other gluten-free breads and treats. I wish I'd had time to try them all, but that's for another visit. You can check out their website here http://www.lemonadebakery.ca/. They also sell their own gluten-free flour mix and pancake mix.

The Gluten-Free Epicurean was hard to find, it is on a little side street (633 E 15th Ave) off of Fraser Street. I missed it the first time, and had to do a bit of driving around to come back to it. But, I was very lucky to find a parking space almost right in front of the bakery. Very cute place on a quirky street. Unfortunately, I again went in the late afternoon, and many of their goods were sold out. I really did try to get there in the morning, but my schedule just wouldn't allow it. I got their chili and cookies. Besides sweet things, they have lots of savory itmes such as quiches, lasagna, sausage rolls, curry hand pies, and breads. I really enjoyed the sprinkle cookie, I'm a sucker for sprinkles, the more the better. The lemon cookie was tasty, but could have used more lemon for my taste, and how can you go wrong with a double chocolate cookie! Next time I'm in the area, I will go early and try more of their goods. Here is a link to their website http://www.glutenfreeepicurean.ca/restaurant. Their gluten-free butter tart was perfect for me, tender flaky crust, and a lushes runny filling.

In North Vancouver there is a wonderful gluten-free bakery hidden on the first floor of 1124 Lonsdale Ave. Totally worth the trip to North Vancouver. I must apologize, as I only have a photo of the store because we were so hungry, we gobbled up the delicious flaky gluten-free sausage rolls and pizza before I thought of taking a photo!!! Sorry!

The pizza was great heated up, but not cold. Heated up the crust has a mochi type chew to it. I really enjoyed it. The sausage rolls were divine. They were the best gluen-free sausage rolls I have eaten. I loved sausage rolls, and the pastry was flaky and buttery, and the filling was seasoned to perfection. Next time I will buy more! There were many other sweet and savory pies and lovely looking bread. I tried their buns and they were delicious. Very light and since my hotel did not have a microwave, they were perfect for making sandwiches. Here is a link to their website https://mountaintopbakery.com/. They offer loads of options both savory and sweet, breads, pies, quiches, cookies and more. During regular non-covid times they have a nice cafe setup. I hope to go back and enjoy eating there.

I was only in Vancouver for a short time, so here are some links to places that are on my to visit list next time I'm in Vancouver and surrounding area. So many lovely gluten-free places to check out, I may need to move to Vancouver!

• https://www.pannerizo.com/#home
• http://delishglutenfree.com/
• http://www.eastvillagebakery.com/
• https://www.twodaughtersbakeshop.ca/

I would love to hear your favourite gluten-free bakeries in Vancouver, BC and surrounding area.

Note: These are my personal experiences and opinions. Always seek out a medical opinion for medical concerns.