My line of baked goods, bethennybakes, was created to appeal to a captive audience: people with food allergies. I was running a health-food restaurant chain, and I was astounded by the amount of people who were allergic to wheat, dairy, and eggs.
Since so many of us have a sweet tooth and baked goods are such a delicious part of our lives, this is daunting to some people. Every birthday, holiday, and even many everyday meals end with something sweet. Allergies are even more devastating for children who may feel ostracized and "different" when they can't have a cupcake at a Halloween party.
My goal was to create baked goods that taste delicious with no sacrifice in flavor or texture. Parents (even if they don't have children with allergies) love these recipes, because they haven't been corrupted by artificial, processed, and unhealthy ingredients.
Simply put, allergy-free baking is chemistry and substitution. Through a process of elimination and substitution, anyone can make almost any dessert they can dream of. More importantly, they'll love it.
How to substitute
Take your favorite treat; let's say it's a chocolate chip cookie. Look at the recipe: Undoubtedly, white flour, sugar, butter, eggs, and chocolate chips are there. So what to do? One by one, make substitutions. Oat flour is an excellent substitution for white flour. Arrowhead Mills makes a great brand that I often use. Oats are high in fiber, don't spike your blood sugar, and they keep you feeling full longer. If you can't find this product, finely grind oats into a meal. Oats are often cross-contaminated with wheat, so for gluten allergies, this doesn't apply—I'll get to that later.
As for the eggs, I substitute with mashed bananas or applesauce. They act as a binder, add nutrients, and, as a bonus, keep the total cholesterol down. For one egg, use 1/3 mashed banana. Since you will be eliminating butter (if you're allergic to dairy), then you need to use a non-flavored oil or a softened vegan shortening (found in health-food stores).
Health-food stores and most supermarkets sell dairy-free chocolate chips; look for semisweet or dark chocolate chips (for added antioxidants) without milk. If your recipe includes milk, substitute soy, rice, or almond milk.
