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Make a salted caramel sauce and raspberry filling in #ABiteToEat with Vegan East in Saint Paul, Minnesota.
How did you get started?
I started (non-vegan) baking for friends and family over 5 years ago. One day while working my corporate job, I started to watch sugar documentaries, half listening. Then I stumbled upon one talking about growing your own foods, and talking about plants and how they thrive not consuming meat. I was thinking to myself, when will they talk about sugar? At the end of the video it talked a little about animal exploitation and factory farming, and said, "the real question should not be why we (vegans) don't eat meat, but why do you eat meat?" That changed it all for me. I started asking myself, and then I went vegetarian a week after that. Then became vegan a year later.
Shortly after becoming vegetarian, I challenged myself to make the best vegan cupcakes. In October 2016, we debuted our cupcakes at the Twin Cities Veg Fest. We sold out within a few hours on both days of the festival. We've been growing everyday since then.
Where are you located?
We are currently a home based bakery operating from our home. We don't have cupcakes available on demand. Although sometimes we have an "Available Now" feature, where we sell extra cupcakes we have from other orders. We're on the East Side of St. Paul, MN, but are open and always seeking out other opportunities.
What are your specialities?
We specialize in vegan cupcakes and cakes. Our most popular cupcake/cake would be the chocolate peanut butter with cookies, followed by the salted caramel.
What's your personal favorite thing on the menu?
I personally love the cherry almond. I love almost all things cherry flavored. My husband Reid also helps run the business. His favorite is the Carrot Cake with cream cheeze icing and candied walnuts.
What's on the stereo?
Oh goodness, I have a bunch of different things I listen to on repeat while working. I barely listen to the radio, so I play what's on Amazon Prime. I like pop and dance music.
Where else should we visit in your area?
If you're looking for all vegan food, go to J. Selby's in St. Paul. Ease of ordering without worrying about if they prepared it vegan. If you're looking for pizza, go to Pizza Nea in Minneapolis. They can make any pizza on their menu vegan. If you're looking for vegan meats and cheeses, head over to The Herbivorous Butcher also in Minneapolis. I love their cheeses! If you're into Farmer's Markets, check out Root to Rise at two different Minneapolis location.. They have a delicious Mac n Cheeze egg roll and beautiful drinks.
Do you host any special events?
We currently do not host any special events, but we do donate our goodies to special events for farm sanctuaries and animal advocacy groups.
Is there anything else you'd like us to know?
I would like to send out a general message for anyone who is curious about being vegan. I've been meat free for two years now and it feels great! If you try one thing and don't like it, try another. Don't let one bad experience ruin a potentially great one!
Do you have a favorite cafe, restaurant or bar in your town that we should feature? Send us a message!
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