Notable edibles: Herbivore Patisserie
“The way I see it,” Brandy Walsh said, “baking is my love language, since I am not a big hugger. I started baking birthday cakes for coworkers at Scargo Café. Someone had a gluten allergy, someone was vegan, and someone else had a dairy allergy. I wanted to accommodate them all, so I Googled a lot! When I realized no one was doing vegan baked goods at the Provincetown market, I knew I wanted to be the first.”
Brandy Walsh started her current culinary career, as many do, baking cakes for friends. She was working in a Dennis restaurant seven years ago when she began baking birthday cakes for her fellow employees – to rave reviews. Her hobby soon became her passion. Walsh worked for several years perfecting recipes and, when she felt ready, took her treats to the Provincetown Farmers’ Market. Shoppers loved her baked goods, but, as she received more and more requests for vegan options, Walsh saw an opportunity. She spent two more years developing and perfecting vegan and gluten-free recipes and acquiring the necessary wholesale license, and she was ready. Two years ago, she founded Herbivore Patisserie.
Walsh moved to South Yarmouth from Reno, Nevada 15 years ago. She was in the hospitality industry in Reno, undertaking every role from server to cigarette girl to clown where her effervescent personality served her well. She loves working with the public, so offering Herbivore Patisserie popups and interacting with customers is a joy.
She focuses on vegan baked goods but will do special orders for people with gluten or other sensitivities. She keeps the food dye-free – even those colored sprinkles. What ingredients does she use? Oat milk, vegan butter (a blend of olive, canola, and palm oils, with some soy), apple cider vinegar as egg replacement, coconut cream as whipping cream, agar powder instead of gelatin, and tofu instead of cream cheese. It is not a simple feat to make these ingredients taste as fantastic as they do.
I sampled – well… devoured – a triple treat: a lemon cupcake filled with passionfruit curd and frosted with vanilla; a chocolate cupcake with cayenne chocolate frosting and ganache drizzle; and a vanilla cupcake with dye-free sprinkles. A chocoholic, I was hard-pressed to pick a favorite. They were all rich, moist, and delivered their flavor as advertised.
While a member of the Fall 2023 cohort (or class) for the local E for All program (a non-profit organization supporting budding local entrepreneurs), she installed a bright pink “Herbivore Patisserie ATM” at the Cape Cod Mall. The ATM holds brownies, cake slices, and cupcakes with some larger spots for full-size holiday pies such as apple and pumpkin. Don’t miss the “buttery” rich – and substantial – blonde brownie! I recommend heating it in a microwave for ten seconds to capture just-baked goodness.
Walsh checks the machine multiple times a day on an app that lets her know exactly what needs to be refilled. All items are dated, and she removes anything unsold after three days – which rarely happens. The weekends are always sold out, but mid-week has picked up as well. Clearly everyone loves them, vegan or not.
You can also find her baked goods at Bread + Roses Bookshop and Café in Hyannis and seasonally at pop-ups at Drummer Boy Park in Brewster. Other pop-ups are posted on her Facebook and Instagram pages. You will not be disappointed.
herbivorepatisseri.wixsite.com/herbivorepatisserie
@herbivore_patisserie
