This is an installment in a multi-part series. 

A dairy-free, gluten-free, and vegan cookie is bound to raise culinary questions. For something so small, it sparks quite the controversy in the world of desserts.

Andy Morlan doesn’t just challenge those questions; he takes them, breaks them into a million gluten-free pieces, reassembles them in his kitchen, and bakes them into something so satisfying, even the most traditional pastry-enjoyer forgets to ask what it’s made of.

At a buzzing Iowa City Farmers Market on a Saturday morning, Andy’s Pastry Shop might look like any other baked goods stall. Trays of cookies, slices of pie, flavored muffins, and generous scoops of powdered puppy chow all sit neatly atop a table, backed by a friendly, patient vendor.

But upon closer look, you’ll notice the quiet disclaimers: gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan. These aren’t the average diet-culture desserts, though — there’s nothing overtly trend-following or self-righteous about them. They’re the pastries that make people double-check the label, simply because they taste too good to be “missing” anything.

“It’s really just good, homemade food,” Cody Ruth, an Iowa City local, said. 

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Ruth was browsing the market with his wife, Augwenda Ruth.

“Recently, our company ordered from here, and everyone thought it was wonderful,” Augwenda said.

Before starting his business, Morlan worked at University of Iowa Health Care as a surgical technologist. During his time there, he frequently cooked and baked on the side, experimenting with new reicpes.

 After enough friends and coworkers urged him to “do something” with his talent, he got licensed, took a leap, and started selling out of his home kitchen.

Andy’s Pastry Shop’s baked goods don’t only sell at the market, Morlan said. They can be spotted at Hy-Vee stores, Bread Garden Market, Midnight Coffee, and ABC Acres in Cedar Rapids. The baker has come a long way from his side hobby.

Morlan’s interest in alternative baking came when his wife went dairy-free. Like many people with newly discovered food sensitivities, she didn’t want to give up her favorite treats, and Morlan didn’t want her to either. So, he began experimenting with substitutions. 

Soon after, his friends began to request recipes catered toward their own food sensitivities. That’s when Morlan realized this was more than a personal project — it was a need in the community.

What sets Morlan’s pastries apart isn’t just the dietary labels, though. The nostalgic, homemade flavors, soft and moist texture, and unmistakable love poured into every sweet treat define them, according to their website. 

Each batch is made by hand in Morlan’s home kitchen, with help from his wife and kids, making Andy’s Pastry Shop a truly family-run labor of love. It’s also a dedicated gluten-free facility, which means customers with celiac disease or serious allergies can shop with peace of mind — a detail that hasn’t gone unnoticed.

“They have such a wide variety of sweet treats, and the fact it’s a dedicated gluten-free facility is cool, too,” Ariana Chapas, a local shopper strolling through the market with friends, said. 

Still, it’s not always easy being the “alternative” bakery stall, especially not when posted up right next to a bakery with buttery croissants and traditional, sugary chocolate chip cookies. Morlan knows that, and he embraces it. 

Morlan reminds customers a cookie isn’t defined by the ingredients it “must” contain, but by the joy it brings. And joy, as it turns out, doesn’t require dairy or gluten.