Why “Gluten-Free” Doesn’t Mean Guilt-Free: The Truth About Today’s Desserts

Let’s be real—most desserts today are a trap.

Even the ones that wear labels like gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan, or plant-based can be loaded with ultra-processed, harmful ingredients. At Good Dough, we believe in full transparency, and that starts with exposing the uncomfortable truth: just because a dessert looks healthy on the outside, doesn’t mean it’s doing good on the inside.

The Problem with Modern Desserts

Traditional cookies and cakes are often packed with:

• Refined sugars that spike your blood sugar, inflame your gut, and crash your energy.
• Highly processed seed oils like canola, soybean, or sunflower oil—cheap oils linked to inflammation and long-term health issues.
• Artificial flavors and preservatives to extend shelf life, not your quality of life.
• Bleached white flour, which offers zero nutritional value and can wreak havoc on digestion.

Now, let’s talk about the “healthier” desserts…

“Gluten-Free” ≠ Healthy

Many gluten-free treats use refined starches like tapioca, potato, and white rice flour—ingredients that spike blood sugar just as much as white flour. Some contain gums, stabilizers, and industrial additives that aren’t kind to your gut at all.

“Vegan” ≠ Nourishing

Vegan cookies and cakes often swap butter for margarine or processed vegetable oils, and use synthetic egg replacersthat have no nutritional value. Just because it’s animal-free doesn’t mean it’s clean or wholesome.

“Dairy-Free” ≠ Clean

Sure, dairy-free sounds great—until you read the label and find hydrogenated oils, chemical emulsifiers, or low-quality chocolate alternatives.

The Hidden Ingredient Problem

Many “healthy” desserts still contain:

• Natural flavors (a loophole term that can mean almost anything)
• Preservatives like potassium sorbate or sodium benzoate
• Fake sugars that mess with your gut microbiome
• Coloring agents even in so-called “natural” products

What We Do Differently at Good Dough

At Good Dough, we make desserts the way they should be—
Wholesome. Real. Clean.

- Only real ingredients you can pronounce
- No seed oils, no preservatives, no fillers
- Naturally sweetened with low-glycemic, gut-friendly sugars
- Always gluten-free, often dairy-free and vegan—but never fake

We don’t believe in compromise. You shouldn’t have to choose between indulgence and wellness. With Good Dough, you can have both.