Laurel Gallucci

Laurel Gallucci, one of seven children, has baked delicious treats since she could turn on the oven: chocolate chip cookies for her brothers, beautiful layer cakes for community events. Even at an early age, Laurel liked to keep things simple. She always had an experimental eye, removing elements that seemed unnecessary and only using the best and most wholesome ingredients. When she was struck with an aggressive auto-immune disorder, her doctor put her on a strict elimination diet, and told her "you'll never eat chocolate cake again." Because of her deeply emotional connection to food, Laurel struggled. After months of baking treats for her family and friends she couldn't touch, she finally said, "enough is enough" and started tinkering with the ingredients she could eat. When she shared her grain-free and refined sugar-free goods with friends, they were blown away. Laurel’s baked goods were tender and moist and full of flavor. They were the opposite of the pasty, brick-like gluten free and vegan goods that her friends had been used to eating. Excited by their reactions and encouragement, Laurel turned her test kitchen into Sweet Laurel Bakery so that everyone can enjoy healthful, simple treats.