Need A Thanksgiving Gluten-Free Or Vegan Pie? Here's Where To Buy One (or Many) In LA

You may be already fantasizing about what you’re going to eat on Thanksgiving (and those tasty leftover sandwiches you’re going to make afterwards). One of the biggest stars, if we’re being honest, are the pies.

Apple, pecan, sweet potato and pumpkin — there’s something for everyone, right? Yup, unless you have specific dietary restrictions like celiac disease or gluten intolerance, or a health condition or a plant-based diet, in which case you’ll probably look at the pies longingly and say the well-rehearsed sequence of four words — “I can’t eat that.”

If you can’t eat traditional pies, or would like to make your Thanksgiving dinner more inclusive for all your guests, here’s where to find gluten-free and vegan pies this Thanksgiving. Please note some places are not 100% gluten-free, so if you have celiac try at your own discretion.

Sinners and Saints

Gluten-free, vegan

Gluten-free vegan rustic pumpkin pie, Sinners and Saints.

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Erik Fischer Photography

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Courtesy of Sinners and Saints

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Sinners and Saints is a bakery in Venice that offers both traditional and gluten-free desserts, brought to you by the same people behind the gluten-free eatery, 401K Food and Wine. Their playful name captures that, with Sinners referring to decadent desserts and Saints referring to gluten-free delights.

Their Thanksgiving menu has an impressive array of gluten-free options and a handful of vegan options, including:

• Gluten-free pumpkin pie. 
• Gluten-free vegan rustic pumpkin pie.
• Gluten-free chocolate bourbon pecan pie.
• Gluten-free vegan old-fashioned apple pie.

If you’d like to try your hand at your own recipe, you can also purchase one of their gluten-free pie crusts and have a blank canvas to work with.

Thanksgiving order deadline: Monday, Nov. 20 by 3 p.m.

Erin McKenna’s Bakery LA

Gluten-free, vegan, kosher, dairy-free, egg-free, soy-free 

Pumpkin pie, Erin McKenna's Bakery LA.

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Courtesy of Erin McKenna's Bakery LA

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Erin McKenna, the eponymous founder of Erin McKenna’s Bakery is what I’d call a pioneer and a trendsetter in the gluten-free and vegan dessert space. Starting all the way back in 2005, the first bakery opened in New York.

Earlier this year, I happened to stop by while on a trip to N.Y. and enjoyed an exquisite gluten-free donut. As someone with celiac, it’s always nice to find a fully gluten-free bakery so I don’t have to worry about the potential for cross-contamination (which I’ve definitely experienced).

The good news is you don’t have to travel to enjoy these gluten-free, vegan, kosher, dairy-free, egg-free, soy-free sweets. In fact, the L.A. location on Larchmont has been around for a decade.

So if you have to eat differently due to allergies, an autoimmune disease, or a vegan diet this is the place to go. For Thanksgiving, the store is offering two classic pies:

• Pumpkin pie.
• Dutch apple pie. 

And if you need a side to go with that? You can pick up some biscuits too.

Thanksgiving order deadline: Monday, Nov. 20

Sweet Laurel

Gluten-free, grain-free, refined sugar-free, dairy-free

Tucked away in the Pacific Palisades on Sunset Boulevard is Sweet Laurel, a bakery that is a haven for people who eat differently. The store is lauded by celebrities and offers bakery items that are all gluten-free, grain-free, refined sugar-free, and dairy-free.

So if you have celiac disease or are diabetic or paleo, you can safely enjoy the treats at Sweet Laurel. There are also many vegan and keto options as well. Most impressive is the fact that many of the items have fewer than five ingredients.

Baker Laurel Gallucci started this journey after being diagnosed with an autoimmune disease and had to say goodbye to traditional cake. Determined to find an alternative, her experiments led to the creation of Sweet Laurel.

Now you can reap the benefits and get pies for Thanksgiving that are a great option for a range of conditions and preferences. You can get:

• Pecan pie.
• Apple crumb pie.
• Get both with a holiday pie bundle.

Thanksgiving order deadline: Tuesday, Nov. 21 (for pick-up).

Cake Monkey

Gluten-free by request, vegan 

Butterscotch Pudding Pie, Cake Monkey

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Courtesy of Cake Monkey

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Honey Braised Pumpkin Tart, Cake Monkey

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Courtesy of Cake Monkey

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Cake Monkey was started by entertainment industry veteran Lisa J. Olin who parlayed her producing skills to create this venture. As the name suggests, the bakery’s primary focus is cakes, but this Thanksgiving you can also take advantage of their pies.

The bakery offers traditional baked goods with gluten-free options available for some items. Since the bakery has both items, on their website there’s a note that says they’re not a celiac-safe gluten-free facility. So if you want or need to eat gluten-free but don’t have celiac disease, this could be a good option for you.

This Thanksgiving, the store is offering the gluten-free version (by request) of three pies and one vegan pie including:

• Honey braised pumpkin tart (GF version). 
• Butterscotch pudding pie (GF version). 
• Chocolate cake pudding pie (GF version).
• Vegan pumpkin caramel pie. 

Their main storefront is located in Mid City, but there is a North Hollywood location that is pick-up only.

Thanksgiving order deadline: Monday, Nov. 20 by noon.

Winston Pies

Gluten-free, vegan 

Southern pecan pie, Winston Pies.

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Courtesy of Winston Pies

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Founder Brianna Abrams is a former attorney turned baker who started Winston Pies, with a name that is an homage to her hometown of Winston-Salem, NC. Her passion for pies comes from a deep reverence for the women in her family, who for generations baked together. What started as a small home kitchen operation blew up, and now the bakery has four locations in Brentwood, West Hollywood, Santa Monica, and Marina Del Rey.

For Thanksgiving, Winston Pies has some classic options for those who are gluten-free, vegan, or both including:

• Mixed berry crumble (gluten-free and vegan). 
• Southern pecan pie (gluten-free). 
• Harvest apple pie (gluten-free and vegan versions available). 
• Fall pumpkin (gluten-free version available with 24-hour notice). 

You can also pick up a gluten-free, vegan version of the Harvest Apple with a Bake at Home pie at the Brentwood or Marina Del Rey location.

Thanksgiving order deadline: Friday, Nov. 17 by noon

Top Tier Treats

Vegan

Pumpkin pie, Top Tier Treats.

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Courtesy of Top Tier Treats

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Jamaica Crist, the founder of Top Tier Treats, held a number of restaurant positions growing up before she eventually found her true love with desserts. She took baking classes in college and later met her future husband, James. They opened the bakery in 2005 and have continued to grow since. Now the couple works as a team, with James heading the business side and Jamaica as the baker and visionary behind the sweet treats.

Top Tier Treats has a range of Thanksgiving vegan pies available by request including:

• Pumpkin pie. 
• Pecan pie. 
• Apple pie.
• Mixed berry.

Those are the more traditional Thanksgiving options, but other vegan options include chocolate cream, coconut cream, banana cream, and peanut butter cream pies. You must place a special order to get the vegan option. Also, it’s important to note that there are no gluten-free or sugar-free options available.

Thanksgiving order deadline: Friday, Nov. 17 (though there will be some ready-to-go pies available a few days before the holiday)