When a person makes the decision (or is forced) to go gluten-free, there are probably a few treats and indulgences that they safely assume they’ll no longer be able to enjoy. Pastries. Pies. Cookies. Whether you or someone you know is gluten-free for health reasons or by choice, adhering to this diet often means giving up many of these guilty pleasures.
Pie in the Sky Bakery here in Boulder aims to open these doors back up for our local gluten-free folks. With a goal of breaking down many of the supposed restrictions that come with a gluten-free diet, Pie in the Sky Bakery boasts a large menu of “I-can’t-believe-this-is-gluten-free” sweet and savory treats that are 100% gluten-free and 100% delicious.
Pie in the Sky founder David Segal began musing about creating his own gluten-free treats when he and his wife began a gluten-free lifestyle about ten years ago.
“We realized there were not a lot of good gluten-free treats out there,” says Segal. Gluten-free baked goods and desserts were hard to come by and, when they existed at all, they were still very distinguishable flavor-wise as being gluten-free. Having owned a smoothie and juice bar café in Boulder for a number of years and being known as the “Smoothie Guy” around town and at the Boulder Farmers Market, Segal began baking. His first experimentation, a gluten-free key lime pie, was a hit, and Segal officially shifted to becoming Boulder’s “Pie Guy” when Pie in the Sky Bakery opened in 2010.
Pie in the Sky specializes in a variety of products including multiple varieties of cheesecake, from blueberry to chocolate and more, and varied biscotti cookies as well. Their products can be found in various store locations in Boulder and across the Front Range, including Whole Foods, Natural Grocers, King Soopers, Safeway, and Alfalfa’s.
For the skeptics, Segal assures that his gluten-free products have an extremely broad appeal.
“When we first started, we thought there would be some serious restrictions,” says Segal. “But in the last few years the gluten-free community has really evolved.”
While most of Pie in the Sky’s clientele are on a gluten-free diet or have celiac disease, a condition in which the body is hypersensitive to gluten, Segal emphasizes that anyone can and will enjoy his products, as they really have no distinguishable difference from their gluten-laden counterparts.
Always with their eyes on what “treat with a gluten problem” they can tackle and solve next, Pie in the Sky has a busy few months ahead as they work to get even more varieties of gluten-free treats on the shelves for their customers. The bakery just recently launched a new cookie product, the Biscotti Style Grahams, that is derived from their gluten-free key lime pie crust recipe. The bakery is likewise working with Costco to try to get their pies on wholesale shelves soon, and they hope to have their Pumpkin Cheesecake Pie available by this year’s holiday season. Lastly, Pie in the Sky is launching a mango key lime pie this summer, adding a fruity and tropical twist to their traditional and popular key lime pie recipe.
Still not convinced that there is a delicious gluten-free treat out there for you to indulge in? Check out Pie in the Sky Bakery yourself and get in on the gluten-free goodness! You can also follow them on their Facebook page and order their products online.