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What Is Gluten?


Gluten is the protein found in wheat, spelt, rye and barley. Although oats do not naturally contain gluten, the method in which they are produced in the United States results in gluten cross contamination. Gluten is what gives elasticity to breads and texture to most baked goods.


Why Gluten-Free?


There are several reasons why people follow a gluten-free diet. For those with Celiac Disease, it is the only means of treating this auto immune disease. Many others suffer from wheat and/or gluten allergies or sensitivities. A gluten free/casein free diet is part of the treatment regimen for many on the autism spectrum. Some people choose a gluten-free diet to eliminate or reduce inflammation which affects many with colitis, arthritis, fibro myalsia, lupus and other auto immune disorders and disease states. Some of our customers eat gluten-free for no other reason than they simply feel better.


What is Celiac Disease?


Celiac Disease is a severe auto immune disorder in which gluten triggers the body to attack the lining of the small intestine. This compromises the immune system and may result in some or all of the following: severe gastrointestinal distress, mal-absorption of nutrients, miscarriages, infertility, anemia, osteoporosis, skin rashes, as well as other auto immune diseases and increased risk of certain cancer types. Once thought of as a rare childhood disease, celiac disease is the most common hereditary autoimmune condition in the United States today. It is believed that as many as 3% of Americans are affected with Celiac Disease….millions of people. In addition, it is estimated that 7 million Americans are allergic to wheat or suffer from gluten sensitivity.


Are you a "dedicated" gluten free facility and why is that important?


Dee’s is a “dedicated” gluten free facility, meaning we bake strictly gluten-free products. Gluten is not allowed on premise under any circumstances. Our staff meals are prepared daily at the bakery, preventing gluten contamination through home prepared bagged lunches. Flour dust is ever present in a bakery, in the air, settling on every surface and ventilation system. It is impossible to guarantee a product is gluten- free if it is made in a kitchen where gluten flours are used. For those who suffer from Celiac Disease or gluten sensitivities, eating food that has been cross contaminated may cause severe reactions. We are proud to offer a truly gluten-free experience our customers can trust.


Why do you also bake dairy/soy/peanut/tree nut and egg free?


Through the process of developing and testing recipes while creating the business, many tasters informed Dee of additional food allergies or sensitivities they had, lactose/dairy being the greatest allergen. It was discovered that the remaining allergens were common to many of her tasters. It made sense to offer as many allergy free options as possible


Are you a "dedicated" allergen free bakery?


We are “dedicated” gluten, soy, peanut and tree nut free. All of our products are dairy free with the exception of the lactose free sheep cheese we use on some of our pizzas. We are not a “dedicated” egg free facility, although 95% of our product is available in an egg free version for those who are egg allergic or vegan. We also dedicate Wednesdays to egg free/vegan bread baking, baking our array of breads with eggs the remaining days we are open to the public. Rest assured, although we are not a dedicated egg free facility, we understand the importance of providing safe, egg free alternatives. Our staff is fully trained and we take every preparation and safety precaution to eliminate the possibility of cross contamination.


How do you bake without flour?


We do bake with flour, just not wheat flour. Our baked goods are made with a combination of flours, those combinations vary, depending on the item. The most commonly used flours in the bakery are brown rice, sorghum, garfava bean , millet, teff and oat.


I thought oats aren't gluten free?


Oats do not contain gluten, but the process in which they are manufactured in the United States creates a significant cross contamination in most oat products. Oats are typically grown, harvested, transported and milled alongside wheat, rye or barley. We purchase certified gluten free oats from a single crop farmer in Wyoming who only farms gluten free oats.


Do you accommodate other dietary restrictions?


Yes. In recent years, we have converted most of our recipes to be corn free, as corn appears to be the newest and fastest growing food allergy. We often have requests for yeast free products. The only items which contain yeast in the bakery are our bread products and pizza dough. We do make yeast free quick breads as well as brown sandwich bread. We also make a variety of cane sugar free items, sweetened with organic agave nectar, a plant based, low-glycemic sweetener. We label all of our packaged products, such as breads, pizzas, cookies and bars, and offer ingredient labels on every product we make. If you have a food allergy or sensitivity to something other than those we commonly address, please inform our staff. We are happy to assist you to determine what products are safe for you.


What types of sugar do you use?


We do not use white, refined sugar at the bakery, with the exception of the fondant used in creating art for some of our specialty art cakes. We bake with organic evaporated cane juice, organic powdered evaporated cane juice, organic brown sugar and organic raw agave nectar.


Do you use artificial colors or preservatives?


WWe do not use preservatives in our products. Approximately 90% of our ingredients are organic. We use all natural, plant based food coloring to decorate our cakes, cupcakes and specialty cookies.


Do your gluten free products taste good?


Although we are surprised when asked, it is understandable, since we’ve all purchased gluten free items that were not …good. We use the very best ingredients from our finely ground gluten free flours to organic spices and sugars to Belgian dark chocolate. We hear daily that our goodies are better than their “gluten filled” counterparts, the best gluten-free they’ve ever had. If you want to hear from customers, read the testimonials or go onto Yelp.com to read unsolicited reviews.


How far ahead should I order a cake?


We recommend placing your order 3 to7 days in advance, more for special event cakes which require significant art work. Although we often accommodate requests in 2 days or less, we can’t guarantee the ability to meet that a request. As a general rule, it is best to order your cake no later than Tuesday or Wednesday for orders to be picked up on Friday or Saturday of that week. Our production schedule fills up quickly during the holidays. Cake orders are limited for the week of Thanksgiving and orders should be placed 1 to 2 weeks in advance.


How often do you bake bread?


Our bread is baked fresh daily from well before the sun rises until late morning. We rotate the several varieties we bake each day, although you’ll always find sandwich bread, cinnamon swirl bread and 3 other varieties on a daily basis. Egg Free/Vegan bread and crumpets are baked each Wednesday. We also bake breads, which we hand slice and place in the retail freezer case, to provide a wide variety from which to choose on any given day.


Do you make wedding cakes and deliver them?


Yes, we make wedding cakes, wedding cupcake towers and wedding dessert buffets. We recommend calling the bakery to arrange a wedding consultation to discuss your wedding options. We deliver wedding cakes throughout Connecticut and Massachusetts.


Are all of your Egg Free products Vegan?


All of our breads and pastries that made Egg Free are also Vegan. There are some Egg Free items that are not Vegan, such as our Soups that are Egg Free but contain animal protein or some of our Pizzas that are Egg Free, but are topped with sheep cheese or turkey pepperoni. In addition, the sugars used in the bakery are unrefined, organic, vegan sugars.


non-gmo* BAKERY

Devoted 100%!

Dee's One Smart Cookie is the only non-gmo* bakery in New England that is devoted 100% to the production of gluten free, dairy free, tree nut free, peanut free and soy free products!


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Wedding Cupcakes

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Birthday Cakes

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I've even gotten vegan cakes here and they are so good you'd never know they were vegan. My favorite treat is probably the vegan raspberry breakfast bar. It's delicious! The woopie pies are great too.
Quincy V. - Naugatuck, CT

Yum! I finally got a chance to come here and I thought this was a great little place! I came here on a Wednesday, which is their egg-free day. I had an egg-free chocolate chip whoopie pie and it was delicious.
Nicole M. - Windsor Locks, CT

I made my first visit to Dee's over the weekend and I will certainly be a repeat customer. No one in our family has food allergies, so out visit was based purely on recommendation and my review based solely on taste buds. We will definitely be back!
Maureen L. - Middletown, CT.

I stopped in for gluten-free cupcakes this past weekend. I STILL LOVE THIS PLACE. Lemon cupcakes, people. Amazing. No one - NO ONE - would know these are gluten free.
Stefanie J. - Glastonbury, CT

Dee's is without a doubt one of the best bakeries around. It specializes in gluten free baked goods, and makes them so well it doesn't seem like they are!!

I went to Dee's for the first time last week and was pleasantly surprised by the amount and selection of baked goods and the kindness of the staff.

Everything is made daily. (Check out the Dee's Facebook page to see what they've mixed up that day--the pictures will entice you to go and will make your mouth water!!) They offer a wide range of treats, from unique flavor cupcakes to cookies and bars to pizza. The coconut pineapple cupcake--top with a slice of pineapple--was so delicious and light. The tastes of each treat are just enough and do not overwhelm you.

The blondies, filled with a hint of dark Belgian chocolate bits, melt in your mouth. They are so, so good!! You definitely must try one. I haven't had a blondie that has tasted so delicious and is so light!!

Everything is so fresh and so delicious. It is all made with natural ingredients and leaves you feeling good after you treat yourself!!

The staff at Dee's is simply wonderful. They are extremely kind and very hardworking. When I went in for the first time last week, several of the staff welcomed me as soon as I walked in, quickly helped get my cupcakes, and helped me to check in on their app (Perka). (This app allows you to accumulate points to use for more treats in the future--a great reward system!!) As you pay for your treats, you can see right into the kitchen, with the cooks mixing together goodies.

The quality of the baked goods is simply outstanding, as is the staff. I absolutely enjoy going to Dee's, with its fresh and light treats and its fantastic service.
Brigit C. - West Hartford, CT

Best gluten free bakery I've been too so far. Not only excellent selection, but all delicious with gluten free and many other dietary needs met. You could never tell the difference with this place. Not only good for those in need of 'special' treats, but anyone who enjoys a good bakery with good variety.
Paul M. - Plainville, CT

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