My son was diagnosed with Celiac’s disease a couple years ago, and the adjustment since then has been challenging to say the least. All he could think of at first were all the things that he would no longer be able to eat. Immediately after his diagnosis, we went to a nearby Target where we bought some gluten free Oreos. I did this not only to help soothe his crumpled heart, but also to show him that there still are a lot of things he can eat that are both delicious and gluten free.
Since learning of my son’s Celiac’s disease, there have been many hurdles to overcome. It has made cooking and eating out more troublesome, especially when it comes to baked goods. Making edible homemade gluten free baked goods is not easy. There are many recipes, cookbooks, and blogs with gluten free recipes, but sifting through all of those to find the good ones takes too much time. As a busy mom, I want something I know tastes good and makes my kid feel like he is not missing out.
Luckily for us, the Knoxville area has a number of bakeries that specialize in gluten free baked goods:
Dedicated Gluten Free Bakeries
1. Benefit Your Life Bakery and Cafe
Benefit Your Life Bakery and Cafe is the only Knoxville area bakery that is fully gluten free and it’s a great place from which to grab a quick treat. It sells gluten free baked goods ranging from sweet to savory, as well as salads and smoothies. Their hours are short, so make sure to go for breakfast or lunch. All items are made on the premises, and since it is a dedicated gluten free bakery, there is no worry about cross-contamination. There is also a mini gluten free market in the store where you can buy a wide range of gluten free snacks and refrigerated or frozen goods. My son especially likes their cinnamon rolls. 
Bakeries That Offer Gluten Free Options
Kooky Cookies is as fun as it sounds. It offers a wide variety of drop cookies as well as stuffed cookies. All flavors are available in regular or gluten free — there is really something for everyone there. The bakers make all the cookies on premises, with the gluten free cookies being made in a separate room to reduce the risk of cross-contamination. The gluten free cookies are also individually packaged to keep them uncontaminated. Another bonus: all the cookies, gluten free or not, are the same price. I really appreciate that as gluten free items tend to be more expensive than regular items at most shops.
This is our new favorite donut shop in the area. They have gluten free donuts on Saturday only, but they are worth the wait. They keep the gluten free donuts in their display case to keep gluten out, and they have a range of flavors, so you (or your gluten free kids) will not feel like you are missing out. They open and close early, and their gluten free flavors sometimes sell out, so this is another great place to hit up first thing in the morning. 
This is a Knoxville classic. They have four locations in Knoxville and one in Sevierville. They offer gluten free chocolate chip cookies, which are top notch. It’s hard to feel like you’re missing out on baked goodness while biting into one of their chocolate chip cookies.
They offer a gluten free chocolate chip cookie in their bundtlet and 8″ size. The 8″ bundts are available via pre-order or you can wait 30 minutes at the store. They advertise on their website that some of their equipment is used for both gluten free and regular baked goods, so the cake is gluten free, but the environment it is baked in is not.
6. Moonshine Mountain Cookie Company
This is another local Knoxville bakery with two locations in Knoxville. They have two flavors of gluten free cookies: peanut butter chocolate chip and chocolate chip. They do not advertise their gluten free cookies and only bake them upon request. Either call beforehand or be prepared to wait about fifteen minutes for the cookies to bake.
7. Magpies
Also known as Yum City, they offer gluten free chocolate cherry cookies daily. The bakery will sometimes have gluten free cupcakes as well, but it is best to call ahead to see what options they have that day. They also take pre-orders for their gluten free cakes or cupcakes.
The Vienna Coffee House is nestled in downtown Maryville. It offers a variety of gluten free Mama C’s items including scones, cream pies, cookies, bagels, muffins, and brownies. All gluten free items are packaged individually and displayed in a separate display case. It is the perfect spot for a cozy morning or slow afternoon.
This is a cute little coffee shop with an excellent assortment of gluten free muffins, cookies, and brownies. They also have a gluten free muffin sandwich and other gluten free sandwiches including a delicious breakfast sandwich.
10. Knox Dough
Knoxville is lucky to have Knox Dough to meet all our edible cookie dough needs. Even better, they have gluten free cookie dough! They are currently serving gluten free chocolate chip cookie dough made with rice flour.
Buttermilk Sky Pie Shop now offers three gluten friendly pies: I-40, Pecan, and Chocolate Cream. Gluten friendly items need to be ordered at least 48 hours in advance and cost $31 for the 9-inch pie and $5.75 for the 4-inch pie.
12. The Donut Theory
The Donut Theory is a gluten free donut and chicken concept food truck. They specialize in old fashion style donuts. You can follow them on their social media pages to find out where their food truck pop up location will be each week. You can pre-order donuts from them here to guarantee your gluten free donut fix.
13. The French Market Creperie
The French Market Creperie offers sweet and savory crepes in certified gluten free batter, as well as a buckwheat batter and classic batter. All batters are offered at both Knoxville locations. No need to call ahead and preorder for gluten free items. You can find their full menu for both locations on their website.
14. VG’s Bakery
VG’s Bakery, while not a gluten free certified bakery, offers a couple of flourless items. Their peanut butter cookies, as well as a flourless chocolate cake are both made without flour. They can be preordered from their website by email or phone.
Happy gluten free eating!
Thank you for the list! As someone who has a an intolerance to gluten, it is great knowing where I can get a sweet treat.
Yum! Can’t wait to visit these spots wit my nieces and nephews during the holidays
I had a roommate who had Celiac disease. This list is awesome for those with it who want a sweet treat!
Is there a place to get GF Loaves of Bread? Rolls? If not, does anyone know if you can order online that would ship? We are moving to the knoxville area and have two that are GF(not ciliac) and trying to establish some new connections.