Forgo the box of chocolates this Valentine’s Day and opt for something more special, personal, and local! Sure there’s nothing wrong with a box of chocolates on Valentine’s Day, but come on people, let’s get a little more creative! This year I’m stepping up my Valentine’s Day game in a big way: by gifting my family and friends their favorite treats from By The Way Bakery. For those of you who aren’t familiar, By The Way Bakery is a dairy free AND gluten free bakery with four locations- one in Westchester, one in Greenwich, and two in the city. Keep reading to find out about the inspiring owner, why I love this bakery, and for 5 special gift ideas from By The Way Bakery!

This past Friday I stopped in By The Way Bakery to pick up an array of treats for this blog post and as an added bonus I had the pleasure of meeting with Helene Godin, the owner and founder of BTW Bakery! In my opinion, there are few things cooler than getting to partner with a brand/business that I’ve always been a fan of. BTW Bakery is one of those places! I was hooked from the very first time I stopped in their Instagram-worthy Greenwich bakery and tasted their DF/GF brownie.

There are so many stories worth telling here, like how incredible of a woman Helene is. Only a few days into her “retirement” after leaving a career in law, Helene decided to tackle the challenge of owning her own small business. It should be noted that Helene was not a lifelong baking enthusiast, as I think most would expect the owner of a bake shop to be. Instead, Helene taught herself everything she now knows only when decided to embark on this adventure.

Alright now, let’s talk sweets. You guys know I have the biggest sweet tooth around, but since I’m dairy free I don’t usually step into bakeries. It’s kind of a funny story with how I stumbled upon By The Way Bakery. I had just heard from my mom that a new bakery opened up near the top of Greenwich Ave and she wanted to go check it out. Of course I tagged along for the fun of it, having no idea what a gem I was about to discover. When we stepped inside BTW Bakery for the first time we were greeted by the nicest associates, buttercream cabinets, and countertops the color of chocolate frosting. As we browsed the display case an associate started telling us about the bakery and how it was dairy free AND gluten free. Wait what?! Now I knew I really was in heaven!

Their brownies, cookies, cakes, and other baked goods are incredible. I’ve tried lots of dairy free and gluten free sweets and these take the cake. Pun intended! When speaking with Helene, one of the things she mentioned was how she loved bringing people together through her DF/GF products. I couldn’t agree more. How special is it to be able to bring a delicious cake or assortment of cookies over for a dinner party knowing everyone can enjoy them? One of the coolest parts about BTW Bakery is that you’ll probably end up loving their products whether you have dietary restrictions or not. That’s how good their stuff is!

To wrap this post up, which I had such a fun time writing, let’s circle back to where we started: with Valentine’s Day. What’s a better way to show the people you love how much you care for them than with local, delicious desserts? The fact that they’re dairy free and gluten free just happens to be an added bonus! And if you still need a little help figuring out what exactly it is you should pick out that special someone in your life, here are some of my suggestions:

1. You can’t go wrong with an assortment of cookies, brownies, and bars.
2. Do a “Love Muffin” theme by finding a cute Love Muffin card (or make your own) along with a basket of BTW Bakery’s delicious muffins. Gift it to your friend, family member, or significant other around breakfast time on the 14th.
3. I don’t think anyone has ever been disappointed when receiving a cake. By The Way Bakery has lots of options in store daily so just drop on in, pay, and walk on out.
4. On a tight budget? It’s the thought that counts- grab a Valentine’s Day themed cupcake and you’ve got yourself the perfect present under $5.
5. Not a fan of the Love Muffin idea? How about something punny with sugar cookies? Their heart-shaped sugar cookies are perfect if I do say so myself.

Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed this partnered post with By The Way Bakery. As always, all opinions are my own!