This allergy-friendly restaurant was reviewed by guest blogger, Claudia Mokbel. Born and raised in Toronto, Claudia is excited to see dairy- and egg-free restaurants popping up all over the city so she can visit them with her vegan husband. She enjoys being active in her spare time to compensate for all the eating. All opinions are her own. 

Anyone who follows a vegan or gluten-free diet is no stranger to the name Bunner’s Bake Shop. The original 300-square foot bakery is nestled in the centre of the Junction, while a newer and bigger version opened in another favourite Toronto neighbourhood: Kensington Market.

When I first walked into the Junction location, I was greeted by the sweet smell of desserts and baked goodness, followed by two sweet smiles from behind the counter. While Bunner’s is known for their heavenly cinnamon buns, they have a variety of other pastries like cookies, butter tarts, donuts, muffins, cakes and breads.

The truth is, I couldn’t help but wonder: How on earth could they make CINNAMON BUNS without dairy, eggs and wheat?! And more importantly, how would they taste?? While I had my heart set on one of their yummy-looking cookies, I was glad my friend ordered their famous bun. I made sure to interrogate her as she nibbled away.

“Well, the topping is creamy and rich in flavour, and the bun is loaded in gooey cinnamon deliciousness. Exactly what you’d expect of a cinnamon bun,” she assured me. “While I can definitely tell that something is different, I would have attributed it to their own unique recipe, rather than a few missing ingredients. I give it a thumbs up.”

Apparently, when it comes to their allergen-free cinnamon buns, nothing is amiss. (Groan.)

I, on the other hand, had the pleasure of being able to sink my teeth into their (super) large Supersonic cookie. Easily one of the juiciest trail-mix type of cookie I have ever tasted, the cookie brought together some of my all-time favourites with chunks of chocolate, tangy cranberry and three types of seeds: sunflower, flax and pumpkin. What a bargain at $2.50 a piece!

It’s worth mentioning that while we were there, the clerks were happy to remind us that nothing in the store contained eggs, dairy or gluten. And while they do try to ensure their facilities are allergen-free, some of their flours and raw materials are manufactured in facilities that process nuts—you’ll find this boldly displayed on the website in case you need a reminder. So while they do not bake with nuts and have no nuts onsite, they are careful to warn patrons that “trace elements may be present.”

While the storefront is plentiful, the actual shop is small, and is designed for a grab-and-go customer experience, so don’t plan on spending much time in there after they hand you your scrumptious snack. They also take pre-orders for celebratory cakes and might even deliver depending on your location and how much advance notice you give them.

If you’re ready to fall in love with a dairy-free cinnamon bun, be sure to stop by Bunner’s! And, if you like a good love story, you’ll be happy to know it was a boyfriend & girlfriend duo that opened the bakeshop after seeing a need for vegan and gluten-free goods in the city. Ah, love.

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Friendly. Supportive. Encouraging.

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Restaurants that appear on AllergyBites may have updated their menu or changed management since a review was posted. Please confirm that they are still allergy-friendly & that menu items don’t contain your allergen(s) before visiting or placing your order.