Cooking for Special Diets: Where to Get Halloween Loot

Editor's note: Alissa Malerman's explored ways to enjoy Halloween while catering to special diets.This is Part 2 of that column.

Baking up holiday treats is a little outside the gluten-free cake mix box for me, I must admit. I'm not a baker, but still in anticipation of a fun-filled Halloween with no frightening food repercussions. We will be coming up with ways to dress up special diet treats in time for the graveyard smash.

But special dieters don't need to be tricky when it comes to buying a few treats for Halloween: There are a lot of sweet holiday items close to home. Here are a few I discovered while stocking up last week:

• Candy: Take a look at this list and be amazed at all the candy varieties available to special dieters. Check out some pretty neat candy stores nearby and take a list of "safe" candy with you. I've been to in Clawson to stock up on holiday treats, and let my own special dieter pick out a few items to put in his candy bag. The in Ferndale is also a great candy shop with many nostalgic and fun candy offerings.
• : Check out the vegan brownies, gluten-free goodies and everything you need for a full Halloween buffet. I picked up some Jelly Belly candy corns right off the Halloween display and a few boxes of organic fruit snacks on sale. But there was no need to stop there. By the Zingerman's vegan bakery case, there is a gluten-free section with plenty of offerings from Rumi's Passion. Organic, gluten-free and vegan alternatives to just about everything on your list can be found here.
• : Speaking of Rumi's Passion, check out Westborn's offerings in Berkley. I picked up some Halloween-decorated sugar cookies after stopping by the freezer section for some gluten-free Udi's bagels. There are also gluten-free Kinnickinnick doughnuts available in the freezer section.
• Celiac Specialties: This one-stop shop located in Rochester Hills and Novi has just about everything you need. Gluten-free and dairy-free doughnuts, cookies, cake, pizza, baking supplies, breadcrumbs, pie crusts – you name it! The facility is also nut-free, so everyone can enjoy a few holiday treats.
• : I like to make a trip to the Troy store once a month for a few items, and this month is no exception. Check out the natural candy and gummy options for spook night. Also, check out its blog on Healthy Halloween, which includes some dinner options for the big night. Yum!

writes weekly on Cooking for Special Diets. Check out her Saturday column on , and past columns she's written. If you have suggestions for Alissa, you can email her at amalerman@sbcglobal.net