sweet freedom bakery

sweet freedom bakery
1424 south street
philadelphia, pa
(215) 545 1899
www.sweetfreedombakery.com

type of cuisine: bakery
culinary excellence: 8
vegan friendliness: 10
*recommended*

i feel so embarrassed that a vegan bakery opened up in philly in january and it is march and i'm just now finding out about it. i didn't waste any time getting to it though. sweet freedom bakery is an adorable little pastry shop that specializes in egg-free, dairy-free, gluten-free, corn-free refined sugar-free and soy-free delights. one of the owners helped me at the counter, recommending their most popular items. i settled on the following: a slice of cinnamon sugar loaf, some oatmeal raisin cookies, a chocolate chip cookie sandwich with vanilla icing, a carrot cupcake, a banana chocolate chip cupcake with chocolate icing and a magic bar. lovely readers, these baked goods taste like they are made with faerie sugar. everything is so lovely and gentle, you actually feel innocent eating them. and i don't mean innocent as opposed to guilty for eating sweets, i mean innocent as in purity of soul. like you've never done anything wrong in your life, never felt pangs of longing or regret, never known black depression... just clean, sun-kissed happiness. my favorite bites of the bunch were the cinnamon sugar loaf and the banana chocolate chip cupcake. the loaf was sweet and light with echos of coconut and the cupcake was perfectly flavored - just rich enough but without any heaviness whatsoever. the oatmeal cookies tasted the most like their traditional counterparts. the cookie sandwich had a fruit-sweetened taste, kind of like i remember frookies to be, but less cloying. the magic bar was delicious, though i wound up brushing off some of the pretty coconut flakes on top. the carrot cupcake was my least favorite because it was a bit bland. the icing didn't have much of a taste at all. next time i'm in the city i plan to sample plenty more of sweet freedom's goods. they are not vegan treats by a long shot, but where they lack in peanut butter bombs, they make up for in wholesomeness and adorableness. plus, i love the idea that kids who have food allergies, who are excluded from having birthday cake at parties and unable to eat at nearly every restaurant, can come in and get anything in the entire bakery.