FAQs
What is PastryBase?
PastryBase is a woman-owned small business located in Richmond, VA, founded by Pastry Chef Jill Donaldson. We create all-natural, vegan and GF Baking Mixes & Baking Kits which contain our mixes, unique pastry tools, and natural decorations such as sprinkles dyed with vegetable colorants and organic fondant; essentially, everything you need to bake a fun seasonal dessert in a box!
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Do you have a storefront?
PastryBase does not have a storefront open to the public at this time, but our products are for sale at a growing number of retail stores, and available here on our website for nationwide shipping!
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What are our core beliefs?
PastryBase is passionate about changing the notion that baking is too difficult, arduous, and time-consuming for the home cook. We love to see families and friends together in the kitchen, creating fun memories! To do our part in encouraging both beginners and pastry mavens to get baking more often, we strive to provide baking mixes made with extremely high-quality ingredients that may be difficult for the home-baker to source, and to pair these mixes with tools, decorations, and tutorials to take the worry out of baking! The quality of our ingredients is our other passion...see below!
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What are our ingredients?
We take pride in the quality of our ingredients and in keeping everything pure and all-natural. We use ingredients such as raw sugar, non-GMO aluminum-free baking powder, and real dried vanilla beans, just to name a few. We do not use 100% organic ingredients at this time, because we love some of our small local suppliers whose product is of the highest quality and remains all-natural & non-GMO, though not officially certified as USDA Organic. We will support small local business whenever possible. Full ingredient lists can be found in product descriptions.
What are the black specks in your vanilla products?
These are actual ground vanilla beans!! We don't use flavorings or extracts, and we hope you enjoy the taste of the real thing!
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Do you have vegan options?
Yes!! All of our Baking Mixes are vegan! We always include vegan and non-vegan preparation instructions with our products; usually this boils down to choosing to add butter vs. vegetable oil and milk vs. non-dairy milk.
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How do I prepare vegan versions of your Keto mixes?
It's super easy! Just use a "flax egg" to replace a regular egg! To make a "flax egg," just combine 1 tablespoon flaxseed meal (ground flax seed) with 2.5 tablespoons water!
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Do you have gluten-free options?
Yes! Our entire line of LillyBean by PastryBase Baking Mixes & Kits is Gluten-Free as well as vegan!
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Are PastryBase Baking Boxes suitable for children?
Yes!! Our baking mixes and kits are suitable for teaching baking fundamentals and professional decoration and plating techniques for all ages and skill levels.
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What do I need to provide to bake with PastryBase Mixes?
We include instructions inside all of our kits for vegan and non-vegan preparation, and the ingredients you will need to provide are also listed at the bottom of each particular product page when you're shopping on our website. Usually, it's as simple as providing butter, eggs, and your choice of milk. For vegan preparation, it's usually oil, vegan butter, and non-dairy milk.
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What about allergies?
We are thrilled to share that our products are made in a top 9 allergen-free production facility! Our aim is to reduce any cross contamination with allergens as much as possible; all of our products are top 9 allergen-free.
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Are there items which require refrigeration in PastryBase Boxes?
Nope! Our mixes and decorations don't require refrigeration!
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When will my shipment arrive?
Orders will be processed in 3-5 business days and then shipped via USPS 2-3 Day Priority Mail or UPS Ground. If you need faster/overnight shipping, contact us for a quote.
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Do you accept returns?
It is our goal for our customers to be 100% satisfied with our product. Please contact us with any problems so that we can do our best to rectify them.
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As always, feel free to contact us anytime with any additional questions!