Sweet Theory

by ERIN THURSBY
Says Riehm: “I’ve always had a dairy allergy, then I decided to eliminate eggs. I enjoyed the challenge of baking with not-so-typical ingredients.”
There are plenty of others with the same needs: vegans who go animal-product free, folks with allergies and people with dietary restrictions. Riehm “saw that larger cities had baked goods like this” and thought, why not Jacksonville? As evidenced from the pastries’ fast disappearance from their cases, there’s certainly an untapped market for it.
I sought out the bakery myself because of a health-ordered diet: no dairy, no soy. Having been on the diet for a month, I lamented the lack of ready-made baked goods. Then I discovered Sweet Theory. I’ve eaten ersatz in the past, however this bakery takes purity to the next level, all without including ingredients I can’t pronounce. Even my husband, who doesn’t put up with any fakery in his bakery, cautiously sampled a giant cookie sandwich. Pronouncing it “decent” he devoured the whole thing and didn’t let me have a bite.
So what do they put in their goods? Coconut milk
and fat replaces milk and butter. Eggs aren’t as essential
as you might think to the baking process, so they’re cut
out as well. Flour is used, but they do have gluten-free
options every day. Generally though, all their treats are
free from eggs, dairy, soy and peanuts. They use all-natural or organic ingredients wherever possible.
There’s enough that’s gluten-free on their menu that they were featured on glutenfreejacksonville.com. According to the blog, anything gluten-free is “made in a designated gluten-free area with designated utensils.”
The bakery case is small and demand is high, so if there’s something very specific you’re hunting for (like their savory gluten-free biscuits) it’s a good idea to call ahead. They generally have cupcakes, they can’t keep their doughnuts on the shelves, and the cookie sandwiches are yummy.
There’s always something delish to delight you, fresh from the oven!