Birthdays are fun, and so are cupcakes—but food allergies, on the other hand, are not. And for parents and children alike, food allergy statistics are looking gloomy.

According to the Food Allergy Research and Education (FARE), an estimated 15 million Americans suffer from food allergies, affecting 1 in 13 children, with related medical costs estimating to be nearly $25 million. Basically, for parents, that means lots of ER trips and sleepless nights.

Allergic reactions range from mild yet uncomfortable symptoms like skin rashes or mouth itchiness to more dangerous ones like stomach aches, diarrhea, heavy breathing, trouble swallowing, dropping of blood pressure, chest pains, and even fatality. What’s more, food allergy reactions can be triggered by simply touching or coming into proximity of those “no-no” foods, making it a hard situation for both suffers and caretakers.

Name Those Foods

Although researchers don’t really know the underlying reason behind food allergies, studies do help define seven top allergens:

• Milk
• Eggs
• Peanuts
• Tree nuts
• Gluten
• Fish
• Shellfish

Could it be the increased usage of genetic modified foods (GMOs)? Could it be the antibiotics in livestock feeds? It might be the increased usage of chemicals during food processing. Fact is, when your children suffers from these foods, the reason is no longer as important. And unfortunately for most sensitive communities, you just have eat with extra awareness.

In a way, though, that’s good news, narrowing food choices to only the healthiest, purest snacks, like our bars made with only a fruit and a fruit! And with health conscious population on the rise, lots of allergen-friendly recipes are available for DIY mom’s. Yes, that means you can make a delicious cake that your food sensitive child can enjoy, too.

Here’s a vegan cupcake recipe, adapted from Vegan Cupcakes Take Over The World, with a That’s It. blend:

Allergy-Friendly Cookies ‘N’ Cream Muffin

Ingredients needed for 12 regular-sized cupcakes:

• 1 cup of organic soya milk
• 1 teaspoon of raw apple cider vinegar
• ¾ cup of organic cane sugar
• ⅓ cup of organic canola oil
• 1.5 tsp of alcohol-free vanilla extract
• 1 cup of organic oat flour
• ⅓ cup of cocoa powder
• ¾ teaspoon of baking soda
• ½ teaspoon of baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon of salt
• 4-5 That’s It. bars, pick your flavors, finely chopped

Preparation directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and line or grease your cupcake tin
2. In a large bowl, combine vinegar with soya milk and set aside to curdle
3. Then combine sugar, oil, and vanilla into the vinegar and gently mix
4. In another bowl, sift together oat flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt, and add this to the wet ingredients gradually; mix until lump-free
5. Fold in chopped That’s It. bars gently (feel free to add more if needed)
6. Bake for 18-20 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean

Enjoy and, if this is for a birthday, happy birthday!

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