Discovering Jennifer Lee's Dedicated Bakery

Boston and Worcester got lucky on the gluten-free front

I’ve mentioned before that my nieces have celiac disease, so whenever I see them, we have a gluten-free extravaganza. I don’t mean that we spend all our time eating — on my latest visit, they took me to their favorite rock-climbing gym! — but treats are definitely on the agenda. While I usually bring cupcakes from Erin McKenna’s bakery in New York, that doesn’t mean we don’t explore the options in Massachusetts, where they live. On my most recent visit, that meant discovering Jennifer Lee’s together.

Jennifer Lee’s is a dedicated gluten-free bakery. It’s also free of the top nine allergens — in addition to no gluten, that means no eggs, dairy, peanuts, tree nuts, fish, shellfish, soy, or sesame. Everything is vegan as well. I won’t lie: when I see an establishment that rules out so many ingredients, I wonder what they’re actually using to bake… and what it tastes like. Jennifer Lee’s story fascinates me, because she actually started her first bakery at the age of 17 and won an entreprenuerial award for it when she was 20. It was a regular bakery — meaning one that baked with wheat flour and dairy — and it was a huge success. But after a workplace injury and an extended recovery in which she kept breaking out in hives, Lee was told to avoid gluten and dairy.

While it later turned out that she didn’t have celiac disease, Lee was deeply affected by the idea that such basic ingredients were off-limits to so many people. That led to her experimenting with gluten-free flours and ingredients, and opening up a temporary stall at Boston Public market in 2016.

That stall turned into a permanent location in Boston, and two years ago Lee opened up a second location in Worcester, Massachusetts. The menu at both locations includes a variety of sweet treats — cakes, cupcakes, donuts, brownies, and more — as well as hot savory offerings like the “Philly Cheezesteak” (made with portobello mushroom, because this is a vegan joint) and a spicy avocado sandwich with a chickpea patty atop panini. My favorite treat was a chocolate donut topped with pretzel pieces — a lovely mix of sweet and savory in every bite.

Jennifer Lee’s ships nationwide, so you don’t need to be in Massachusetts to try it — though if you are in the neighborhood, they do offer classes at both the Boston and Worcester locations!

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Some Gluten-Free Guidebook news: to celebrate the new year, I’m having a sale on paid newsletter subscriptions! Sign up by January 30th and get 20% off paid membership for 2024. This is perfect timing because my first video Q&A for paid subscribers will be in the first quarter of this year. I hope you’ll join me!