Meet Southern Roots Vegan Bakery
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In 2018, halfway through What the Health, Marcus hit pause and quietly made a decision:
“I’m going plant-based.”
At the same time, I had just stepped away from my corporate healthcare career to be a full-time caregiver for my then 96-year-old grandmother, Mary Lee. I’ve been baking since my Easy-Bake oven days, so I did the only thing that made sense—I went straight to the kitchen.
If Marcus was going plant-based, he wasn’t going without dessert.
Batch by batch, I rewrote every recipe so he could still have the donuts, cookies, and cakes he loved. Grandma Mary Lee was our first official taste tester, sitting at the kitchen table, telling the truth with every bite. When we carried a box to our church’s business and children’s ministries, they did the same.
They tasted.
They told the truth.
And then they pushed us: “Start the business.”
That’s how Southern Roots Vegan Bakery was born.
From one kitchen table to our first customers
Back then, it was just the two of us—husband and wife, one plant-based decision, one determined baker, and a grandmother with very high standards.
We enrolled in Break Fast & Launch with LaunchSA to learn how to actually build a business, not just bake for friends. We signed up for farmers markets, loaded up our car, and set up our table before sunrise.
Pretty soon, we started seeing the same faces every week.
Then those faces started bringing cousins, coworkers, and neighbors.
Our first employees? Our cousins.
It was literally family serving family.
Every sale, every repeat customer, every “you have to try these” moment at the booth nudged us closer to a bigger vision: a bakery that could ship allergy friendly joy from our San Antonio kitchen to doorsteps all over the country.
The moment everything went viral
In January 2020, we met Tabitha Brown.
She was the first big champion to really see us, love us, and share us with her community. When she posted about Southern Roots Vegan Bakery in February 2020, the internet did what the internet does.
Orders poured in.
Messages from all over the country:
“I found you through Tabitha.”
“I saw you on her page and had to try you.”
We stayed up late baking and packing, answering DMs, and watching a small, family-run bakery suddenly ship nationwide. And here’s the part that means the most: we still have customers today who first heard about us from Tabitha’s post.
That moment was our first taste of going viral—and a clear sign that people were hungry for desserts that were plant-based, inclusive, and genuinely delicious.
Six years in: from vision boards to legacy dreams
Since 2019, we’ve shipped thousands and thousands of boxes across the country. We’ve checked off vision-board goals—like being featured in Oprah Daily and other national outlets—and collected awards along the way.
Our Vanilla Cake Donuts were named Best Donut in the 2025 Good Housekeeping Best Snack Awards.
Our Sweet Potato Pie has been recognized among the best vegan sweet potato pies in the country.
But the real dream isn’t just press or trophies.
We want Southern Roots Vegan Bakery to be a legacy brand:
- A name your kids grow up recognizing in the pantry.
- The bakery your family asks for on birthdays, holidays, and “just because” days.
- The box your team gets excited to see in the break room.
We started as a family-owned, family-run bakery—our cousins by our side—and our goal is to become a family favorite for your household, too.
What we bake (and why people come back)
Today, our menu is built around the treats people reach for first and reorder again.
- Vanilla (award-winning)
- Lemon
- Red Velvet
- Pumpkin Spice (seasonal)
- Assorted Cake Donuts
Dense, hearty layers with homemade buttercream, in flavors like:
Pies (local only)
Our longtime promise is simple: “So good you won’t believe it’s vegan.”
We design every recipe to stand on taste first—from the lemon-lover to the chocolate-devoted.
How we bake: inclusive on purpose
We bake without dairy, eggs, or nuts, and we keep things soy-free when it’s natural to the recipe.
That means:
- Kids with allergies can finally say yes to cake.
- Your plant-based friend and your “I could never go vegan” uncle can eat from the same box.
- Offices don’t have to juggle multiple dessert options to keep everyone safe.
Our reviews tend to repeat the same themes:
“I didn’t know plant-based baking could taste like this.”
“My dad has allergies—he finally got to enjoy the cake with us.”
“These donuts changed the tone of our whole meeting.”
That’s why we do this.
Bundles that make celebrating easy
We built bundles so you don’t have to overthink it—you just match the moment and click.
- 1 dozen donuts
- 1 dozen cookies
- 1 Naked Cake
It’s an instant celebration in a box: birthdays, promotions, “you did it” moments, and weekend gatherings.
- 8 dozen cake donuts
This one was designed for trainings, all-hands meetings, and ongoing morale. It’s also available as an annual plan, and here’s the best part: it’s a cheat code for anyone with a big group to feed. One order, dozens of donuts, done.
You’ll also find Bestsellers and assorted dozen options so you can send a mix of our most-loved treats in a single shipment.
How your order shows up
Every nationwide order is:
- Individually wrapped to stay fresh in transit
- Packed in custom branded boxes that feel special right away
- Finished with your gift message on top
It looks like you planned ahead—because you did.
We ship across the country with careful timing and insulated packaging when needed, and we offer free local delivery in San Antonio with preorder so you can focus on the people in the room, not the logistics.
Homes, offices, celebrations—we bring it to your door.
Where we’re headed (and how you’re part of it)
We’re six years in and just getting started.
Southern Roots Vegan Bakery is still a husband-and-wife team, still rooted in family, still inspired by Grandma Mary Lee’s honesty at that kitchen table. Our dream is for your family to know us by name, for your team to ask for us by brand, and for our boxes to show up in your memories for years to come.
We’re here for the long haul—the bakery you introduce to your favorite people and return to all year for birthdays, milestones, and those “you crossed my mind” moments.
Ready to celebrate with us?
Start with our Bestsellers, click into the Party Bundle, or set up a Corporate Bundle and let Southern Roots Vegan Bakery handle the rest.
