By the Lee Brothers and childhood best friend Jeff Kim at Pixlcat Coffee & Butter Mochi — the first butter mochi café in the United States, baking seven flavors fresh every morning in San Francisco and Boston.
The gluten-free bakery landscape has changed dramatically. A few years ago, your options were limited to whatever your local health food store carried. Now, some of the best GF bakeries in the country ship directly to your door. Here are the ones worth knowing about. Looking for gift ideas specifically? See our guide to the best gluten-free desserts to gift in 2026.
Pixlcat Coffee — Butter Mochi (SF, Boston & Now Shipping Nationwide)
The world’s first butter mochi café. Pixlcat bakes seven flavors of naturally gluten-free butter mochi fresh daily — Classic, Ube White Chocolate, Matcha, Chocolate, Black Sesame, S’more, and Breakfast (bacon and cheddar). Gift boxes are available at their San Francisco and Boston locations. Now shipping nationwide via UPS ground from Boston (Mon–Wed) at pixlcatbuttermochi.com — BYO 6-piece online boxes start at $39 across six flavors (Classic, Chocolate, Matcha, Ube White Chocolate, Black Sesame, S’mores). Butter mochi is made with mochiko rice flour and has always been gluten-free — no modification needed. Note: Pixlcat is not a dedicated GF facility.
Baked by Melissa — Mini Cupcakes (NYC, Ships Nationwide)
Bite-sized cupcakes in both regular and gluten-free versions, with their GF line baked in a dedicated facility. Flavors rotate but always include chocolate, red velvet, and cookie dough. Ships frozen with ice packs. The cupcakes are tiny — think two-bite portions — which makes them fun for parties and gifting.
Fairytale Brownies — GF Brownies (Phoenix, Ships Nationwide)
Dense, fudgy brownies made without wheat flour. Their GF line comes in cream cheese and chocolate chip flavors, individually wrapped. These ship well and have a long shelf life, making them one of the most reliable GF gift options for sending across the country.
Maison Villatte — French Pastries (Monterey, Ships Select Items)
High-end French pastry with several naturally GF items including flourless chocolate cake and macarons. Not a dedicated GF bakery, but the quality of their naturally gluten-free items is exceptional.
Modern Bread and Bagel — GF Everything (NYC, Ships Nationwide)
A fully dedicated gluten-free bakery in Manhattan. Everything — bagels, bread, cakes, cookies, brownies — is GF. They ship their baking mixes nationwide and select baked goods. If you need a dedicated facility for celiac-safe items, this is one of the best options.
What to Look For in a GF Bakery
When choosing a gluten-free bakery, consider whether they use a dedicated GF facility (critical for celiac disease), whether the items are naturally GF or modified recipes, and how well they ship. Butter mochi, brownies, and macarons all ship well. Delicate pastries and bread less so.
Looking for butter mochi specifically? Here’s how to buy it →
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