08/10/2026
"Do you do gluten-free cupcakes?" or "Do you have gluten-free cupcakes?"
Was a question I was asked 5-10 times a day at the 127 Garage Sale. And a question I receive rather frequently in everyday life.
My answer is simply: No, I do not.
And it's not because I don't want to or I don't know how, it's for the safety of those consuming it.
One in 4 people in American follow a gluten-free diet, whether that is by choice or by necessity. That's 25% of the population.
It would make a lot of sense for me to offer gluten-free cupcakes, right?
I studied gluten free flours for two years while I was in high school, I even made it to the national and international level with those studies. However, along the way I learned a lot about different conditions that result in being gluten free including celiac disease.
For a quick explanation of what celiac disease is: it's an autoimmune condition that damages your intestines, resulting in your body slowly becoming unable to absorb nutrients that it needs. This happens when a person eats wheat. It also makes the person very sick after consuming wheat. The bottom line: if a person does not follow a completely gluten free diet it can eventually cause their body to not be able to absorb any nutrients at all. When a person eat wheat, it can take 2-4 months of a 100% gluten-free diet in order for their body to heal itself.
For this reason, I do not offer any gluten free products because I bake with wheat in my kitchen. I cannot guarantee that there would not be any cross contamination to the gluten free product. And I would feel absolutely horrible if someone got sick off of something that I made for them.
I would love to offer gluten-free products, but I do not feel safe in doing so, because I cannot guarantee it would be safe for them to consume.
I hope this offers a clearer explanation on why I do not offer gluten-free products rather than just a simple "no".