To brighten up the grey we are celebrating Veganuary 2023 by sharing some of our tips, tricks and insider intel on how to make super easy and utterly delicious vegan and gluten free cakes.

Going vegan and gluten free does not need to mean going without the gooiest and naughtiest of treats. Here at Honeybuns we firmly believe that “free from foods can be every bit as indulgent as regular foods….if not better….”

How the gluten free food scene has improved in the UK

Since I started baking in a tiny student kitchen back in 1998, we have remained dedicated to baking our iconic traybakes and cake slices without any wheat or gluten. Polenta, ground almonds and ground flax are our favoured “go to” gluten free ingredients.

Harking back to the UK food scene in the 1990s it is fair to say anything “gluten free” was treated with a degree of suspicion and ignorance. Back then we didn’t explicitly market our cakes as gluten free for fear of putting people off. Gluten free foods definitely had an image problem – the packaging often looked pharmaceutical and unappealing. Indeed, a lot of gluten free foods were only available on prescription. Crazy to think how very basic the food offering was back then – free range eggs were not even on the radar. You’d be forgiven for thinking that shop bought cakes were made in a laboratory rather than a bakery judging by the amount of additives listed. Food had not evolved much from the seventies through to the nineties. Artificial colours and shelf life extenders were the norm and traditional baking methods had largely given way to mass food production.

Happily there is now a plethora of tasty foods, sweet and savoury, available both in supermarkets and in the independent sector (health food stores and farm shops) to cater for coeliacs and those wishing to avoid gluten. The food industry has responded to customer demand for “clean label” products. Fruit and vegetable juice based colourings and natural preservatives are now standard. Packaging has improved too, with innovative companies realising that everyone deserves exciting and attractive foods. Since the late 1990s there has also been an explosion of food start ups with a more artisan ethos.

Issues eating out as a coeliac

Arguably, there is still room for improvement out on the High Street. Our resident coeliac, Catheryn, still reports back that some coffee shop chains have sparse wheat free offerings:

“…..it has always been incredibly difficult to be able to grab a savoury snack or lunch on the go. It’s great that more and more establishments now offer cakes/sweet treats or a full cooked meal but it remains rare to find savoury alternatives. Even crisps can be hard to come across as you’ll find that most small cafe’s etc will stock Walkers crisps which aren’t gluten free. I had previously relied on M&S for being able to grab a sandwich or a wrap but with so many of their stores now closing it has become even more difficult. I haven’t really been out of Dorset and nearby areas so it may be different in cities but this is an issue that is generally across all establishments”.

For advice and info on eating out safely as a coeliac we recommend the Coeliac UK website.

How easy is it to eat vegan in the UK?

Vegan foods have been on a similar journey. I can remember seeing vegan cakes and savouries at Glastonbury Festival 25 years ago. Back then veganism was very much regarded as a fringe, “hippy” movement. Even at Glastonbury the vegan food stalls were tucked out of the way in the Green Fields and were far from the main thoroughfares. Anyone remember seeing the bright pink “Queen Delihla ” caravan serving the most amazing dairy free carrot & walnut cake?

It’s brilliant to see so much plant based choice now – from Starbucks to Lidl , everyone has got in on the act. Veganism has moved from counter culture to now properly mainstream.

Here at Honeybuns we are on a mission to make vegan and gluten free cakes as tasty and accessible as possible. We recognise that it is still challenging to find foods that can be tasty, gluten free and vegan all in one. Fortunately you can now find our cakes in Waitrose Cafes, John Lewis Cafes, independent coffee shops as well as online. Perfect for when you’re in need of a treat whilst out and about.

Tips on making the tastiest cakes from flapjacks to free from brownies

Making gluten free, dairy free and vegan Flapjacks

Your standard ingredients for a flapjack are oats, syrup, sugar, butter and any other additions such as fruit and nuts you want to include.

For a vegan, gluten free and dairy free flapjack you need to use:

– Gluten free oats. There is still quite a bit of confusion over whether oats are safe for coeliacs to eat. Some coeliacs find that even gluten free oats can cause an unwelcome reaction. All oats contain a protein called avenin which can cause similar issues to gliadin – the protein found in gluten. For more info this article on the Coeliac UK website is super helpful.

Please, please do check on pack if the oats are described as gluten free. Although oats do not contain gluten/gliadin they can become contaminated in the field and in the milling process. We buy our oats from Glebe Farm in Cambridgshire who give this assurance.

Can I swap the oats for another gluten free flaked cereal?

Yes absolutely. Millet, rice, quinoa all come in flake form, are gluten free and can be used instead of oats if you prefer. Both of our cook books are packed full of useful recipes using a whole host of similar gluten free flours and cereals.

What is the best vegan alternative to butter when making flapjacks?

Our standard flapjacks are gluten free and are made with lashing of butter which is melted together with the sugar and syrup. We swap the butter for refined coconut oil when we need to make the flapjacks dairy free and vegan. If you use refined coconut oil you do not get a discernible coconut flavour coming through. If you are after a full on coconut experience then you need to use the unrefined version. Refined coconut oil is one of our favourite butter alternatives because:

We love the buttery richness and “mouth feel” of this oil. Some dairy free, vegetable oils can taste quite thin and lack substance.
The oils are all natural and although you can use margarine or vegan “butters” they are highly processed and have a long list of composite ingredients – which we aim to avoid wherever we can.
Coconut oil is a nutritional powerhouse – we use the Healthline website for evidence based pros and cons to ingredients.

Are there any disadvantages to using coconut oil in baking?

Coconut oil is a white solid substance up to 25°C – so things can get messy on a hot summer’s day if you have got a warm flapjack in your pocket! Just remember to store baked goodies in the fridge if you get close to this melting point.

A super easy dairy free, vegan and gluten free flapjack recipe

One of our best selling vegan and gluten free cake slices is an intensely fruity Oaty Raspberry Bar. Buy in our online shop or take a look at our quick and easy recipe to make at home.

Tips on making vegan and gluten free chocolate brownies

Coconut milk is our go to secret ingredient and do not worry if you do not enjoy the flavour of coconut. Once mixed with ooodles of intensely dark vegan chocolate all you pick up is the smooth creaminess rather than a “Bounty bar” result.

Our recipe is ridiculously simple and contains just five store cupboard ingredients:

Coconut milk
Vegan chocolate
Sugar
Gluten free flour
Cider vinegar

Find our vegan brownie recipe here.

Just remember, as always to double check each ingredient states it is gluten free and suitable for vegans.

Can you make a decent vegan chocolate caramel shortbread?

Yes you absolutely can. All it requires is a little thinking outside of the box.

For instance, the caramel layer can be just as rich and indulgent as it’s dairy counterpart if you get a little creative. Try mixing almond butter with maple syrup and date paste. We’ve got a beautifully simple recipe here.

Our recommended egg replacer to make a vegan sponge cake is plant based milk with lemon juice added which then curdles and mimics the action of beaten egg. Other alternatives include cider vinegar added to plant milk, aquafaba, flaxseed mixed with water, and some food producers use pea protein.

Are dairy free and vegan the same thing?

In a word-no. The Wikipedia definition of “Dairy products” is as follows,

“Dairy products or milk products, also known as lacticinia, are food products made from milk. The most common dairy animals are cow, water buffalo, nanny goat, and ewe. Dairy products include common grocery store food items in the Western world such as yogurt, cheese and butter”

A dairy free cake may well still contain eggs and other non vegan ingredients.

A word of caution regarding surprising non vegan ingredients

Due to food processing practices which are not widely broadcast it is possible to get caught out with ingredients you would automatically assume were free from any connection to animals. One such example is sugar which is usually vegan but not always. This is due to the filtering process which can sometimes use animal bone char.

The harvesting of coconuts can also prove controversial. Quoting the PETA website,

“Just because coconut products don’t contain animal-derived ingredients doesn’t always mean they don’t cause harm. As the investigation into the Thai coconut industry revealed, monkeys may be abused and exploited for coconut picking so that these products can end up on our shelves.”

For help in assuring products and ingredients are in fact vegan the following websites are super helpful:

Vegan Friendly – They have a really informative “is it vegan” section.

The Vegan Society.

More vegan, dairy free and vegan recipes and inspiration can be found in our recipe blogs. Each recipe is filtered under various categories making it easy for you to find all recipes that are vegan, dairy free etc.

Take a look at our two cook books for all the inspiration and advice you need to make your baking gluten-free and gorgeous!

Seeking a gluten free and vegan Birthday cake? Try one of our gorgeous Celebration Cake Stacks. Each kit comes complete with everything you need to create a truly magnificent celebration cake.

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You might also be interested in this quick and easy vegan chocolate brownie recipe.