The holidays are quickly approaching. If you’re in charge of the desserts this year, you may have to consider a family member who has an allergy. When you’re not used to substituting ingredients or reading labels, the baking process can seem daunting. But, with a little care and preparation, you can slay the baked goods and be a hero to your loved one.
How many people are affected by allergies?
About four percent of people over the age of 18 in the U.S. have a food allergy. That’s about nine million people. In children, the number is a little higher; about eight percent or 5.9 million children have food allergies. To put this in perspective, these numbers mean about one in 13 children will have an allergy or about two in every classroom. Taking it a little further, about 30 percent of children who have an allergy are allergic to more than one food.
More than 170 foods in the U.S. have been reported to cause an allergic reaction. Milk, egg, peanut, tree nuts, wheat, soy, fish and crustacean shellfish are the eight major food allergens. Sesame is a growing concern for health officials and has caused severe reactions, including fatal anaphylaxis.
Milk, egg, and peanut account for the majority of allergic reactions in young children.
If you or a loved one has an allergy, it can be a big deal. And one that’s probably top of mind as you shop and cook for them.
Are any of your cupcakes allergen-friendly?
Of course, we recognize that allergies are a concern for our customers. Whether you have an allergy yourself, have a child who does, or otherwise know someone who is allergic to a food, finding a suitable cupcake or dessert can be hard.
While we are NOT a gluten-free or nut-free facility, we do our best to avoid cross-contamination by washing and sterilizing our equipment in between every use.
We have gluten-friendly cupcakes available every day in our display and also have nut-free products daily. The flavor rotates each day. Check the Baker’s Choice Calendar to see what’s available! Right now, we do not carry dairy-free or sugar-free options.
However, even though we have nut-free and gluten friendly products, we can’t guarantee there is no cross-contamination. We process gluten and nut products on a daily basis.
Baking with food allergies
The three most difficult food allergies to cook for are wheat, milk, and eggs.
Of course, if you are cooking or baking for someone with an allergy one of the first things to do is read the ingredients of the food label of the various products you might be using. Even if you have purchased a food multiple times, it’s still critical you read the ingredients. Look for the allergen’s name in the ingredients, the words “contains” followed by the allergen, and for the allergen to be listed in parentheses in the ingredient list, e.g. albumin (egg).
You might also see a “may contain,” “processed in a facility that also processes,” or “made on equipment with,” warning label. Note that phrases like “peanut-free” and “egg-free” are not regulated and the product may still be made in a plant that processes specific allergens.
Ask your friend or family member all the different names the allergen could potentially go by. Knowing the allergen well is a critical step in avoiding it.
One major concern for allergies is cross-contamination. When proteins from two different food groups mix it causes cross-contamination. To avoid this, it’s important to clean all equipment, utensils, and surfaces with hot, soapy water before you use them.
In addition, you’ll want to wash your hands well with soap and water before touching safe foods. All surfaces need to be cleaned before preparing the food. Once a utensil or dish is clean and “safe” do not allow it to touch anything that was covered by an allergen food. For example, if you spread butter on wheat toast and then dip the knife back into the butter, the butter is no longer safe and will contain traces of wheat.
Here are some other tips for allergies and food preparation:
- When preparing a “safe” and “unsafe” food in the same meal, make the safe meal first
- Have separate utensils for “safe” meals and “unsafe” meals, or thoroughly clean them in hot, soapy water between use.
- As soon as you are done with utensils, plates, or cutting boards, put them in the sink or dishwasher
- If you are barbecuing, thoroughly wash the grill before cooking food and consider using foil or a clean grill pan
Common substitutions
If you are avoiding dairy, substitute with water or use a non-dairy milk, like soy milk, almond milk, or oat milk. If you need to use a butter substitute, try Earth Balance vegan butter, which comes in both stick form and in a tub, or I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter: Vegan Spread. Miyoko’s Creamery also offers a dairy-free European Style Cultured Vegan Butter, or just use coconut oil.
Need buttermilk? Take a one and a half cups of non-dairy milk in a bowl and add one and a half tablespoons of vinegar. Let sit for a couple minutes and use as your recipe calls for it.
For wheat flour, try substituting one cup wheat flour with any of the following:
- 7/8 cup rice flour
- 5/8 cup potato starch flour
- 1 cup soy flour, plus 1/4 cup potato starch flour
- 1 cup corn flour
Lastly, for eggs, substitute one of the following combinations for each egg:
- 1 tsp. baking powder, 1 T. liquid, 1 T. vinegar
- 1 tsp. yeast dissolved in 1/4 cup warm water
- 1 1/2 T. water, 1 1/2 T. oil, 1 tsp. baking powder
- 1 packet gelatin, 2 T. warm water. Do not mix until ready to use.
For more information, visit www.foodallergy.org.