Laurel Gallucci is the Co-Founder and CEO of Sweet Laurel. After she was diagnosed with an aggressive autoimmune disorder and put on a strict diet by her doctor, she started creating delicious recipes free of grain, refined sugar and dairy. In 2015, she turned her test kitchen into Sweet Laurel with creative partner Claire Thomas. Laurel leads business and product development at Sweet Laurel. Claire and Laurel have co-authored two cookbooks: Sweet Laurel: Whole Food, Grain Free Desserts and Sweet Laurel Savory. Today, Sweet Laurel products are available in grocery stores nationwide and at www.sweetlaurel.com. Born and raised in Los Angeles, Claire Thomas' unique approach to design, food, and storytelling has been the hallmark of her career. Working as a commercial director with clients such as Visa, McDonalds, Kraft, Claire's experience and knowledge base in food and storytelling led to her partnership with her friend Laurel Gallucci, and the beginnings of Sweet Laurel. Claire is Sweet Laurel's creative director, focusing on the visual aesthetic, branding and story.

Claire and I founded Sweet Laurel back in 2015. At the time I was battling Hashimoto’s Disease, and as a final straw, had begun addressing my autoimmune issues via diet. My doctor put me on a grain-free, dairy-free, and refined-sugar-free diet, and I found my inflammation began to subside. Quickly, I discovered I would need to make all my own food – and desserts! I started to create recipes that were centered around five core ingredients: almond flour, coconut oil, Himalayan pink salt, 100% maple syrup, and organic eggs. The baked goods I made for friends and family were receiving rave reviews, and one day I brought a Chocolate Caramel Cake to my dear friend Claire Thomas’ house. After taking one bite, Claire turned to me and said, “What are we doing with this!?” That is when Sweet Laurel was born. And our Chocolate Caramel Cake is our bestseller to this day!

Our approach to food is simple. We start with whole food based, nourishing ingredients and use them to create the most delicious and nourishing treats. Everything we do is completely grain free, dairy free and refined sugar free, so we’re here for those with dietary needs and also for those who just want a feel good option that doesn’t sacrifice flavor!

There’s nothing like gathering with loved ones around the table! I enjoy setting a table with gorgeous florals, linens and vintage china. Sweet Laurel always is on my dessert table, and last year we launched our own dessert plates! Depending on the event, it’s always nice to delegate something to your guests, whether it’s the drinks, the music playlist or some appetizers! It takes a bit of a load off and is fun to have others participating as well!

We don’t! I’m at a place of embracing seasons of life and making sure to create space for the things I value, when I can. The pressure of “self care” and “balance” sometimes feels like yet another thing women can fail at/beat themselves up about. So instead of pressuring myself about doing it all, all at once, and badly, I know that this is the season of life I’m in - work + family. To help us unplug a bit, my son came up with the idea of “no phone day” every Sunday, and he gets to lock my husband and my phones in a drawer; we go to the farmer’s market every weekend as a family, and we play family card games at least a few nights a week. I’ve also taken up knitting to combat two-screening.

We love partnering with like minded brands! Cleobella’s approach to fashion in a beautiful, sustainable and feminine way is what we love most! The design of the apron and oven mit looks just perfect with our pretty, pink mixes!

Claire and I would tend to our gardens and make flower arrangements every moment of the day if we could, although you can find us out there a good amount, especially if we have a photoshoot or event coming up. We both raise chickens and get delicious and colorful eggs daily, which make egg collecting the perfect job for our littles. The #sweetlaurelcottage is net zero in terms of energy use and we are constantly working on ways we can make our garden give back to the community and earth, by planting pollinator gardens and native plants.

We have a very exciting limited edition holiday product coming out… Our Pumpkin Olive Oil Cake Mix! We are so excited to share this exciting twist on olive oil cake with our community. It also makes the perfect hostess gift! Our blog has an abundance of seasonal recipes .. everything pumpkin, gingerbread, peppermint and more! We don’t mess around when it comes to holiday baking!

You can find our cookbooks wherever books are sold (though Amazon is a popular choice). Our mixes are available at Sprouts nationwide, Erewhon, Bristol Farms, Gelson’s in California. Sweet Laurel Cookie Dough can be found at Whole Foods in Southern California and numerous independent markets across the country.

Laurel and I both adore history - I’m currently reading “The Fairy Tellers” which is the history of the creators of our favorite fairy tales. I’m particularly fascinated by the 18th century women who wrote so many classics - Sleeping Beauty and Cinderella.