Thursday, July 16, 2015

Kelly's Bake Shoppe - Cupcakes and Cookies and Brownies - Oh My!


What if I told you that there was this pretty little bakery in downtown Burlington, Ontario where you could indulge, guilt-free, in the most delicious cupcakes, cookies, brownies and other sweet treats, and... that they were all gluten-free and vegan? Not to mention they are baked using natural, fair trade and organic ingredients (think flower petals, agave, essential oils) and are peanut-free too. And did I mention, absolutely delicious? You'd likely scoff and say something like, “Pfffttt...there's no way gluten-free and vegan desserts can be that good”. Oh yes they can, I say. Yes. They. Can!

Kelly's Bake Shoppe is owned by sensational mother-daughter team Kelly Childs and Erinn Weatherbie. These two are the brains and faces (and beautiful faces, I might add!) behind this oh-so-pretty little slice of heaven on Brant Street. The popularity of the desserts at their vegan restaurant (Lettuce Love Cafe, also located in Burlington), prompted the duo to open a bakery to satisfy the demand for guilt-free desserts of their sweet tooth customers. The bakery took off and is now award-winning, including accolades such as Best Bakery in Burlington, a few times over.
   

Everything about the bakery is pretty – from the mural on the outside wall, to the décor inside where you can enjoy a Skinny Cookie (so hearty and yummy!) with a Balzac's coffee, to the pretty pink packaging that the treats come in. I'm a sucker for all things pink and this place makes my heart happy. You may also spot Kelly's Cupcake Bus around Burlington and Hamilton – I saw it just this week! (Insider tip: if you snap a photo of the bus and post it to Instagram or Twitter using hashtags #kellyscupcakebus and #kellystribe, you'll get a FREE cupcake next time you stop by the bakery!)


The menu at Kelly's includes beautiful and decadent cupcakes, donuts, cookies, brownies and so much more. They also offer vegan soft serve to eat in or take home. There are standard cupcake flavours available every day as well as daily and monthly features such as Black Magic, Lemon Raspberry, Pina Colada, Salted Caramel and Rootbeer Float, to name a few.  Kelly's will also bake you a custom cake for any occasion, including weddings. 


In exchange for this blog post, I was given some treats by Kelly's to try. And try I did. The Snickerdoodle cookie barely made it home in the car. I didn't even know I liked Snickerdoodles! I brought the cupcakes and Mile-High Brownie to share at a family birthday party and when I went to take them out of the box at dessert time, there were only crumbs left from the brownie (you know who you are...)! I can only assume that means it was scrumptious. I was already a fan and customer of Kelly's before this opportunity arose, though, and had one of their triple-layer, red velvet cakes for my birthday in April. It was to-die for.

My birthday Instagram post
The cupcakes from Kelly's are hands-down the best I have ever had. The absence of preservatives and artificial ingredients along with the abundance of flavour, sky-high icing and toppings are what make these beauties so incredible. Having dabbled in vegan and/or gluten-free baking myself (with very limited success), I can attest that it is not easy to make delicious desserts that don't taste like they are missing something (“cake-free cake” as my husband has called some of my experiments).  Kelly's has perfected this. 


Next time you're in charming downtown Burlington, why not stop in at Kelly's for a treat while browsing the unique shops or taking a stroll in Spencer Smith Park on Lake Ontario? You won't regret it. Not going to be in the area? Fear not! Kelly's Bake Shoppe will deliver anywhere in the GTA for a $15 flat fee.



Keep doing what you're doing, Kelly and Erinn. Your passion, enthusiasm and incredible desserts are appreciated and loved by many!


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