Blog - Gluten-Free Baking

Gluten-Free Jalapeño Cheddar Cornbread

Jan 16, 2020 · Leave a Comment

Easy-to-make sweet and spicy gluten-free cornbread. Perfect served with chili!

Cornbread is one of my go-to side dishes. It’s great with chili (of course), roast chicken, and shredded Mexican beef. But sometimes I want something just a little different than my usual pan of gluten-free cornbread: enter cheesy jalapeno cornbread.

The great thing about this recipe is that it isn’t too hot, not is it too cheesy. It’s, as Goldie Locks would say, “just right.”

Gluten-Free Jalapeño Cheddar Cornbread: The Ingredients

Gluten-Free Cornmeal

I prefer a finely ground gluten-free cornmeal when making cornbread. It gives the bread a lovely cake-like texture. If you prefer a cornbread with a bit more crunch, use a gluten-free stone-ground cornmeal.

Gluten-Free Flour

Some recipes call for all cornmeal. This isn’t one of them. The recipe uses half cornmeal and half gluten-free flour for a nice texture. Unlike some gluten-free recipes, this one isn’t picky. I used (and recommend) Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 Gluten-Free Baking flour. But any good gluten-free flour blend should do the job well.

Sugar, Baking Powder, and Salt

Three other ingredients are important to the flavor and lift of this cornbread: sugar, baking powder, and salt.

The sugar adds sweetness and color. (I love the combo of sweet and spicy!) If you want your cornbread to be a bit less sweet, reduce the sugar from 1/4 cup to 2 tablespoons.

Jalapeño

With ghost peppers and habaneros going mainstream, jalapeños now seem somewhat quaint. And, in this recipe, I guess they are. They aren’t terribly hot. They just add a pop of spice here and there. And you can control that spice by either omitting the seeds or leaving them in.

If you prefer a milder heat, remove the seeds. (The seeds contain the heat.) If you want some spice, leave the seeds in.

No matter which you prefer, with seeds or without, remember to wash your hands after chopping jalapeños. You don’t want to touch your eyes or other parts (ahem) with pepper spice on your fingers. You’ll remember the burn for a long time. Trust me.

Eggs, Milk, and Cheese

I haven’t tried this recipe without eggs. So, for our egg-free friends, I can’t say whether or not it works with an egg-replacer.

As for the milk and cheese, the recipe was tested with traditional (dairy) versions. If you’re dairy-free and have substitutes you love, they should work well.

How to Make Gluten-Free Jalapeño Cornbread

Heat the Oven.
Mix the Batter.
Bake. (It’s that easy!)

Heat the Oven

Preheat the oven while you prep the other ingredients. And if you have a cast-iron pan, throw it in the oven while the oven preheats. Pouring batter into a hot skillet gives the cornbread a lovely crust.

If you don’t own a cast-iron pan, don’t preheat the pan. (And consider getting a cast-iron pan. They’re wonderful!)

Chop the Jalapeños

I like to get this step out of the way first. Grab a jalapeño or two and cut off the stem. Now you’ve got options. If you like things spicy, leave in the seeds and chop the pepper into small pieces. Take care when chopping as seeds can sometimes make a knife slide on a cutting board.

If you prefer a milder heat, cut the jalapeño in half lengthwise. Use a spoon and scoop out the seeds. (The seeds contain the heat) and then chop.

No matter which you prefer, seeds in our out, remember to wash your hands after chopping jalapeños. You don’t want to touch your eyes or other parts (ahem) with pepper spice on your fingers. You’ll remember the burn for a long time. Trust me.

Grate the Cheese (Or Not)

I prefer the texture of freshly grated cheese but, for this recipe, pre-grated cheese works well. As always, read labels to ensure the cheese is gluten-free.

And if you want to skip the cheese, that works too.

Make the Batter

This batter combines gluten-free flour and cornmeal to make a cornbread that has a soft, cake-like texture.

Whisk together the gluten-free flour, cornmeal, baking powder, and salt together in a medium bowl. This step helps to distribute the baking powder so your cornbread rises evenly.

Then add the milk, eggs, and oil. Stir until the batter is smooth. No need to use a handheld mixer for this recipe, a wooden spoon works great. (Unless a handheld mixer is easier for you to use.)

Add the jalapeños and grated cheese. Stir until evenly distributed and you’re all set.

Gluten-Free Jalapeño Cheddar Cornbread

Easy-to-make sweet and spicy gluten-free cornbread. Perfect served with chili!

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Servings 12 slices

Ingredients

nonstick cooking spray
1 cup gluten-free cornmeal (4 ounces/ 113 grams)
1 cup gluten-free all-purpose flour (5 ounces/ 142 grams)
1/4 cup granulated sugar (2 ounces/ 56 grams)
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk (8 ounces/ 226 grams)
2 large eggs (about 4 ounces out of shell/ 113 grams)
1/3 cup vegetable oil (2 1/3 ounces / 65 grams)
2 large jalapeno pepper, diced (see note) (about 3/4 cup)
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese or Pepper Jack (3 ounces/ 85 grams)

Instructions

Heat Oven and Prep Pan. Preheat Oven to 400 degrees Grease an 8-inch square baking pan with nonstick cooking spray.
Make the Batter. Whisk together the cornmeal, gluten-free flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Add the milk, eggs, and vegetable oil. Stir until a batter forms. Add chopped pepper and cheese. Stir to combine. Spread batter evenly into prepared pan.
Bake and Cool. Bake until cornbread is set and a cake tester inserted into the middle of the cornbread comes out clean. Place pan on a wire rack and allow to cool for 20 minutes before serving. Store leftover cornbread wrapped on the counter for up to three days.

Recipe Notes

Notes:

The Cheese: Grate your own cheese or use pre-grated cheese.

The Jalapeño: The jalapeño seeds contain most of the heat. For a spicy cornbread, leave the seeds in the pepper. For a cornbread with less heat, scoop out the seeds before chopping.

Gluten-Free Jalapeño Cheddar Skillet Cornbread: Place an 8-inch cast-iron skillet in the oven as the oven heats. Remove it from the oven, grease with nonstick cooking spray and carefully spread the batter into the pan. Bake about 18 minutes.

Gluten-Free Jalapeño Cheddar Cornbread Muffins: Scoop batter into 12 paper-lined muffin cups. Bake about 18 minutes.

Freezing: Allow the cornbread to cool completely. Wrap and freeze up to two months. Allow cornbread to thaw on the counter.

Gluten-Free Peanut Butter Swirl Brownies

Jan 8, 2020 · 2 Comments

Gluten-free peanut butter swirl brownies are so easy to make. This recipe, which is loaded with peanut butter, makes the best dessert for any peanut butter cup lovers in your life.

The other day I made a batch of gluten-free peanut butter blondies and it reminded me how much I love peanut butter. I mean, why don’t I make more peanut butter treats? It’s not like they’re hard to make. One of my favorite cookies are these 5 ingredient gluten-free peanut butter cookies. Five ingredients!

And not only are peanut butter desserts easy, they’re also tasty. Super-duper tasty. Since gluten-free brownies are always popular in our household, I decided make a batch of gluten-free peanut butter swirl brownies. Good idea, right?

Spoiler: it was a great idea.

If you love peanut butter cups, then these are for you. It’s a thick swirl of peanut butter batter nestled into the the best gluten-free brownies you’ve ever tasted. (Fun fact: I made my brownies from scratch but you can always use a box of your favorite gluten-free brownie mix.)

But I have to admit that I’m biased. I love swirl brownies of all sorts. Gluten-free cheesecake brownies and gluten-free pumpkin cheesecake brownies both make my list of top ten desserts.

Why do I love swirl brownies so much? They’re:

thick and fudgy.

loaded with flavor.

so pretty!

How to Make Gluten-Free Peanut Butter Swirl Brownies

Preheat the Oven. While you make the brownie batter, preheat the oven. This way it’s ready to go as soon as you finish mixing the batter.
Line the Pan (optional) I always make this step optional but, in my opinion, it’s optional only if you enjoy struggling with getting brownies out of a pan. If you do, go right ahead and skip this step. If you prefer ease, then line your pan with parchment paper or foil.To line the pan with parchment paper, cut two long (about 12-inches by 8-inch) strips of parchment paper. Lay one sheet in the pan. Run your finger along the bottom two corners of the pan, pressing the parchment into the corners. This helps to hold the parchment in the pan. Repeat with the second sheet, going in the opposite direction, crisscrossing the sheets in the pan so all the edges are covered.
To line your pan with foil, cut a piece of foil about 12-inches long (don’t use heavy-duty foil for this, it’s too stiff.). Lay one sheet of foil in the pan. Gently push the foil into the corners of the pan and up the sides. Repeat with the second sheet, going in the opposite direction, crisscrossing the foil in the pan so all the edges are covered.
Mix the Batter. This batter comes together so easily, you can skip an electric mixer if you feel like it.
Make the Peanut Butter Swirl. After spreading the brownie batter in the pan, mix the swirl. If you make it before you mix the brownie batter, it gets too thick to spread easily. Drop the peanut butter mixture evenly over the pan and use a knife to swirl it through the batter.
Bake. These brownies take about 30 minutes to bake. A cake tester inserted into the center of the pan should come out few a few damp chocolate crumbs clinging to it.
Cool and Cut. This step is always the hardest part of making a bar cookie. You need to wait for the brownies to cool before you cut them. It’s worth the wait, I promise.

Shop the Recipe

The links below are affiliate links. GlutenFreeBaking.com earns a commission when you use them to shop.

Square cake pan. I love, love square cake pans with square, not rounded, edges. This is just a personal preference. If you like square edges, this is the pan for you.
Small angled spatula. Spreading batter evenly into the pan is important. I use this small angled spatula for the job.

5 from 2 votes

Gluten-Free Peanut Butter Swirl Brownies

Gluten-free peanut butter swirl brownies are so easy to make. This recipe, which is loaded with peanut butter, makes the best dessert for any peanut butter cup lovers in your life.

Servings 12 brownies

Ingredients

3/4 cup gluten-free flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, natural or Dutch process
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 sticks butter, melted and cooled slightly
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

For the Peanut Butter Swirl

3/4 cup peanut butter
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line an 8x8x2-inch pan with foil. Lightly grease the foil with nonstick cooking spray.
Whisk together gluten-free flour blend, cocoa powder, and salt in a medium mixing bowl. Add the melted butter, sugar, eggs, and vanilla extract. Whisk until smooth. Batter will be thick.
In another bowl, combine the peanut butter, granulated sugar, and egg. Mixture will be thick.
Spread about half of the chocolate batter evenly into the pan. Drop large spoonfuls of peanut butter all over the chocolate batter. Using a knife, swirl the peanut butter batter into the chocolate batter. Drop the remaining chocolate batter on top. Swirl lightly with a knife.
Bake until set, about 30 minutes. Allow brownies to cool in the pan and then cut into squares.

One Bowl Gluten-Free Carrot Cake

Jan 7, 2020 · 2 Comments

This easy gluten-free carrot cake recipe makes a moist and delicious cake. Add pineapple for an extra treat. Make the best cupcakes or muffins for the carrot lover in your life.

How to Make One Bowl Gluten-Free Carrot Cake

Preheat your oven and shred the carrots. You always want to bake cakes in a hot oven. Turn on the oven and, while it heats, shred the carrots. You can use either a box grater or a food processor fitted with a grater attachment. Once the carrots are grated, set them aside.
Whisk together the dry ingredients. Grab a large bowl and whisk together the gluten-free flour, brown sugar, baking powder and soda, salt, and spices. If you see any dry bits of brown sugar, break them up with your fingers.
Add the wet ingredients. You’ve basically made a homemade cake mix at this point. All you need to do now is add the oil and eggs. The batter might look thick. This is totally normal. Once you add the carrots, it loosens up.
Stir in the carrots. Use a wooden spoon or silicone spatula and add the carrots. If you’re using pineapple or raisins, add them now.
Divide the batter between two cake pans. Grease two round cake pans and pour the batter evenly between the pans.
Bake until a cake tester comes out clean. Gluten-Free carrot cake takes about 35 minutes to bake. Test it by inserting a cake tester in the middle of the cake. It should come out with only a few crumbs clinging to it.
Remove from the oven and cool. Allow the cake to cool in the pan for about five minutes. If you let it cool longer than that, it can stick to the pan. And if you try to remove it before that, the cake will be hot and delicate and can break. Five minutes is your magic number here.
Frost. Once the cake is totally cool, frost it with your favorite frosting. Cream cheese frosting is classic but you can use whatever you love.

FAQs: Gluten-Free Carrot Cake

What’s the best flour for gluten-free carrot cake?

For this recipe, use Bob’s Red Mill’s 1:1 Gluten-Free Baking Flour. It makes for a nice moist carrot cake with a tender crumb. (If you want to mix your own flours, see recipe note.)

How do I shred the carrots?

There are two ways to shred/grate the carrots for carrot cake.

Use a box grater.
Use the grater attachment on a food processor.

But! I think both of these methods have one shortcoming: the carrot shreds can be too long.

Here’s what I like to do:

If using a box grater, place the shredded carrots on a cutting board. Chop the grated carrots lightly with a Chef’s knife.

If using a food processor, you have two options. You can chop the carrots in the bowl of the food processor by removing the grating disk and inserting the food processor blade, then pulse the grated carrots a few times. (Don’t go wild or you’ll get carrot mush.) If that’s too much of a pain (the ease of this step really depends on your food processor) place the grated carrots onto a cutting board and chop.

Do I need to do this?

No, you don’t. I just think that shorter pieces of chopped, shredded carrots are more pleasing in a cake than long strands.

Can I add pineapple?

Yes! Add one 8-ounce can of crushed pineapple. Any more than that and the cake gets too moist, almost gummy.

How about raisins?

If you like raisins in your carrot cake, go for it! (Just don’t offer me a slice…)

Is this carrot cake dairy-free?

Yes! The cake contains no dairy.

What kind of frosting goes best with carrot cake?

Most of the time, cream cheese frosting is used. If you have a dairy allergy, try using a dairy-free cream cheese or finishing the cake with a classic dairy-free buttercream.

How do I make carrot cake muffins?

If you want to use this recipe, you’ll be making carrot cake cupcakes. There really isn’t a big difference between carrot cake muffins and cupcakes. If you want a recipe for carrot muffins, let me know!

Why does carrot cake turn green?

Hopefully, with this recipe you won’t have to wonder why your carrot cake turned green!

If this happened to you in the past, there are two possible culprits:

The recipe called for too much baking soda. Carrots contain a pigment that makes them sensitive to alkaline. (Baking soda is alkaline.)
The baking soda wasn’t mixed into the recipe and, therefore, came into direct contact with the carrots. To prevent this, be sure to mix the dry ingredients well before adding the eggs, oil, and carrots. That will solve this problem!

Gluten-Free Carrot Cake

Easy gluten-free carrot cake recipe makes a moist and delicious cake. Add pineapple for an extra treat. Make the best cupcakes or muffins for the carrot lover in your life.

Servings 10 servings

Ingredients

Nonstick cooking spray
2 cups Bob's Red Mill 1:1 Gluten-Free Baking Flour
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
3/4 cup canola or other vegetable oil
4 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 cups grated carrots (about 5 to 6 large carrots)
1 (8 ounce) can crushed pineapple, drained optional
1 cup coarsely chopped pecans optional
½ cup raisins optional

Cream Cheese Frosting

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese softened
1/4 cup butter softened
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
4 cups powdered sugar sifted

Instructions

For the carrot cake, preheat oven to 350° F. Grease two 8-inch round cake pans with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.
Whisk together the flour, sugars, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg. Add the oil, eggs and vanilla extract. Whisk until smooth. Stir in the carrots, drained pineapple, pecans, and raisins, if using.
Divide the batter evenly between the two prepared pans.
Bake until golden brown. A toothpick inserted into the center of the cake should come out clean, about 35 minutes.
Allow cakes to cool in the pan for 5 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely. When cool, frost with Cream Cheese Frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting

Combine cream cheese, butter and vanilla extract in a large bowl. Cream until light and smooth. Add powdered sugar. Mix until smooth.

Recipe Notes

NOTE:

To use your own flour blend, replace the Bob's Red Mill Flour with:

1 cup white rice flour
1/2 cup sweet rice flour
1/2 cup tapioca starch
1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum

Whisk together in a small bowl before using.

Pineapple and Sweetness

Because pineapple adds sweetness, you can reduce the brown sugar by 2 tablespoons if desired.

21 Gluten-Free Recipes for Christmas Morning

Dec 19, 2019 · Leave a Comment

There’s nothing quite like Christmas morning! Here are 21 gluten-free recipes to make for Christmas breakfast.

Gluten-Free Coffee Cake

This gluten-free coffee cake is an easy—and delicious—recipe for Christmas breakfast.

Get the recipe —> Gluten-Free Coffee Cake

Gluten-Free Corn Muffins

Bakery-style gluten-free corn muffins–without a trip to the bakery! These are sweet and tender. And taste wonderful toasted and spread with butter.

Get the recipe —>Gluten-Free Corn Muffins

Gluten-Free Cranberry Bread

This gluten-free cranberry bread looks festive and, if I dare say, tastes like the holidays.

Get the recipe —>Gluten-Free Cranberry Bread

Gluten-Free Beignets

Feeling ambitious? Make a batch of gluten-free beignets! These taste best right out of the fryer. So you might want to wait until after presents are opened to whip up a batch.

Get the recipe —> Gluten-Free Beignets

Easy Gluten-Free Pancakes

Fluffy gluten-free pancakes taste extra-special on Christmas morning. It’s a fact.

Get the recipe —> Easy Gluten-Free Pancakes

Gluten-Free Sour Cream Muffins

There’s nothing plain about these simple gluten-free sour cream muffins. They’re light and sweet and go great with a cup of coffee–or hot cocoa!

Get the recipe —> Gluten-Free Sour Cream Muffins

G luten-Free Soft Rolls

A gluten-free soft roll, toasted and served with a hot cup of coffee is a great Christmas breakfast for parents who spent all night helping Santa wrap presents.

Get the recipe —> Gluten-Free Soft Rolls

Gluten-Free Peanut Butter Banana Bread with Chocolate Chips

Chocolate on Christmas morning? Yes please! Especially when it’s tucked into this gluten-free peanut butter banana bread!

Get the recipe —> Gluten-Free Peanut Butter Banana Bread with Chocolate Chips

Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Muffins

Peanut butter banana not your thing? I get it. How about a batch of gluten-free chocolate chip muffins?

Get the recipe —> Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Muffins

Gluten-Free Doughnut Holes

Gluten-free doughnut holes somehow manage to taste even better than gluten-free doughnuts. I don’t know why. I just know it’s true.

Get the recipe —> Gluten-Free Doughnut Holes

Gluten-Free Pumpkin Bread

Sure we all love pumpkin bread in the fall but, happy news, it tastes just as good (maybe better?) on Christmas morning!

Get the recipe —> Gluten-Free Pumpkin Bread

Gluten-Free Blueberry Muffins

Frozen blueberries make it easy to make gluten-free blueberry muffins at the end of December!

Get the recipe —> Gluten-Free Blueberry Muffins

Gluten-Free Waffles

Santa loves gluten-free waffles. How do I know this? He told me.

Get the recipe —> Gluten-Free Waffles

Gluten-Free Panettone

Making a gluten-free panettone requires a bit of planning but it’s worth it! (What’s panettone? A classic Italian yeast bread that’s studded with dried fruit. It’s so good!)

Get the recipe —> Gluten-Free Panettone

Gluten-Free Banana Muffins

While you were busy wrapping presents, those bananas on your counter were busy turning brown. No problem! Use them up in a batch of gluten-free banana muffins!

Get the recipe —> Gluten-Free Banana Muffins

Gluten-Free Baked Chocolate Doughnuts

Did you know you can make doughnuts without pulling out the fryer? You can! These glazed gluten-free chocolate doughnuts are so easy and so tasty!

Get the recipe —> Gluten-Free Baked Chocolate Doughnuts

Gluten-Free Cinnamon Bun Waffles

“I don’t want none unless you got buns, hon.” Sir Mix a Lot was clearly talking about these gluten-free cinnamon bun waffles. 😂

Get the recipe —> Gluten-Free Cinnamon Bun Waffles

Gluten-Free Cinnamon Raisin Bread

Gluten-free cinnamon raisin bread taste great toasted and spread with butter? And! It’s also amazing turned into French toast. That’s a win-win.

Get the recipe —> Gluten-Free Cinnamon Raisin Bread

Paleo (Grain-Free) Apple Muffins

Baking for a grain-free friend on Christmas morning? These paleo apple muffins are a perfect treat!

Get the recipe —> Paleo (Grain-Free) Apple Muffins

Gluten-Free Pumpkin Scones

Scones are so pretty and so yummy! These gluten-free pumpkin scones were inspired by the ones Starbucks once sold, so you know they’re good!

Get the recipe —> Gluten-Free Pumpkin Scones

Gluten-Free Sandwich Bread

(Because sometimes you just want a piece of toast on Christmas morning.)

Did you enjoy a big meal on Christmas Eve? Then maybe you’re in the mood for a cup of tea and a slice of toast on Christmas morning. That sounds good to me!

Get the recipe —> Gluten-Free Sandwich Bread

26 Gluten-Free Christmas Cookie Recipes

Dec 11, 2019 · Leave a Comment

Christmas is almost here! That means it’s time to bake gluten-free cookies. Here are 26 gluten-free cookie recipes to make the holiday even sweeter!

Gluten-Free Cut-Out Sugar Cookies

My favorite holiday cookie! Buttery, sweet, and, best of all, easy to make!

Get the recipe —> Gluten-Free Sugar Cookies

Gluten-Free Gingerbread Cookies

Is it Christmas if you don’t have at least one gingerbread cookie? I’m not sure but I do know that the holidays taste better with a plate of these cookies.

Get the recipe —> Gluten-Free Gingerbread Cookies

Gluten-Free Peanut Butter Blossoms

The BEST gluten-free peanut butter blossom cookie recipe. Fast and easy! This classic recipe is made without shortening. Perfect for Christmas or other special occasions. Plus, you get to squick a chocolate kiss into a warm cookie!

Get the recipe —> Gluten-Free Peanut Butter Blossoms

Paleo Cutout Sugar Cookies

Paleo sugar cookies are fun and easy to make. These include almond flour; so they taste as good as they look.

Get the recipe —> Paleo Cutout Sugar Cookies

Gluten-Free Sugar Cookie Bars

All the taste of a sugar cookie with the ease of a bar cookie!

Get the recipe —> Gluten-Free Sugar Cookie Bars

Gluten-Free M&M Cookies

Gluten-Free M&Ms Cookie Recipe. Buttery Sugar Cookies studded with M&Ms. What’s not to like?

Get the recipe —> Gluten-Free M&M Cookies

Gluten-Free Pizzelles

You need a pizzelle iron for this recipe but, if you’re like me, it’s worth it! These pizzelles are thin and crisp and perfect for Christmas!

Get the recipe —> Gluten-Free Pizzelles

Gluten-Free Anginette Cookies

These cookies are a Christmas tradition in many Italian-American homes. They quickly become a favorite of everyone who tries them.

Get the recipe —> Gluten-Free Anginette Cookies

Gluten-Free Molasses Cookies

Easy gluten-free molasses cookies. Soft and spicy. Santa loves these. He told me.

Get the recipe —> Gluten-Free Molasses Cookies

Gluten-Free Snickerdoodles

This recipe makes gluten-free snickerdoodles—a simple sugar cookie coated with cinnamon-sugar—that are crisp on the edge and chewy in the center.

Get the recipe —> Gluten-Free Snickerdoodles

Gluten-Free Spritz Cookies

Gluten-Free Spritz Cookies are buttery and tender. A gluten-free flour blend– and good cookie press–makes these one of the easiest Christmas cookies to bake. They are lovely on their own or decorated with a sprinkle of colored sugar.

Get the recipe —> Gluten-Free Spritz Cookies

Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars are easy to make. Loaded with chocolate chips!

Get the recipe —> Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

4 Ingredient Peanut Butter Marshmallow Bars

These marshmallow peanut butter bars are an easy—and tasty—treat to make for Christmas. They look amazing on a cookie platter!

Get the recipe —> 4 Ingredient Peanut Butter Marshmallow Bars

Gluten-Free Peanut Butter Swirl Brownies

Gluten-free peanut butter swirl brownies are so easy to make. This recipe, which is loaded with peanut butter, makes the best dessert for any peanut butter cup lovers in your life.

Get the recipe —> Gluten-Free Peanut Butter Swirl Brownies

Gluten-Free Lemon Bars

These are the best gluten-free lemon bars! A rich and tender shortbread base with a thick, lemony topping. Not too tart; not too sweet! Lemon lovers will adore these bars.

Get the recipe —> Gluten-Free Lemon Bars

Gluten-Free Soft Sugar Cookies

This easy recipe makes soft gluten-free sugar cookies. Inspired by the famous Lofthouse brand, these cookies are topped with frosting and finished with sprinkles.

Get the recipe —> Gluten-Free Soft Sugar Cookies

Gluten-Free Cinnamon Sugar Pretzels

Easy gluten-free cinnamon-sugar pretzels. They’re a perfect sweet and salty treat.

Get the recipe —> Gluten-Free Cinnamon Sugar Pretzels

Gluten-Free Pumpkin Spice Snickerdoodles

Who says we have to leave pumpkin spice behind in the fall? These thick snickerdoodles, coated with pumpkin spice, are just as welcome at Christmas as they are in October.

Get the recipe —> Gluten-Free Pumpkin Spice Snickerdoodles

Gluten-Free Pumpkin Cheesecake Brownies

Cheesecake + Pumpkin + Brownies= A perfect holiday dessert!

Get the recipe —> Gluten-Free Pumpkin Cheesecake Brownies

Gluten-Free Cream Cheese Pretzel Bars

Got 5 Minutes? Then you can make these over-the-top cream cheese pretzel bars.

Get the recipe —> 5-Minute Pretzel Cream Cheese Bars

No-Bake Gluten-Free Chocolate Orange Cookies

You know those orange-shaped chocolate that are popular at Christmas? They inspired these easy no-bake cookies.

Get the recipe —> No-Bake Chocolate Orange Cookies

Gluten-Free Easy Sugar Cookies

These sugar cookies don’t require a cookie cutter! Make the dough. Roll them in sugar. Place them onto a baking sheet. Annnnnnd….you’re done!

Get the recipe —> Easy Gluten-Free Sugar Cookies

The World’s Easiest Cookies

You won’t believe how easy these cookies are to make. They’re just almond flour, maple syrup, and baking powder. That’s it. Seriously.

Get the recipe —> The World’s Easiest Cookies

Easy Gluten-Free Butter Cookies

These cute butter cookies take only minutes to make! The finished cookies come out of the oven already decorated with a sweet, buttery flavor.

Get the recipe —> Easy Gluten-Free Butter Cookies

Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies

Soft and tender gluten-free chocolate chip cookies. Also a favorite of Santa’s. (He has lots of favorite cookies. Lots.)

Get the recipe —> Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies

Gluten-Free Peanut Butter Blondies

Think of these gluten-free peanut butter blondies as the perfect marriage between a peanut butter cookie and a blondie.

Get the recipe —> Gluten-Free Peanut Butter Blondies

Gluten-Free Coffee Cake

Dec 6, 2019 · Leave a Comment

Gluten-Free Coffee Cake | Easy Recipe | Sour Cream Cake with Cinnamon Streusel Topping | Perfect Christmas Dessert

This recipe is an updated take on the sour cream coffee cake from my first cookbook, Easy Gluten-Free Baking.

Since there are now great gluten-free flour blends available at the market, there’s no need to mix individual flours for this recipe. (That said, if you LOVE that recipe and I know lots of you do, go ahead and make it as written!)

Gluten-Free Coffee Cake: The Ingredients

Gluten-Free Baking Flour: For this recipe, I use my go-to flour blend: Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 Gluten-Free Baking Flour. If you use a different flour blend in this recipe, the results might be different. (For the best results, be sure to use a blend that includes xanthan or guar gum.)

The Butter: Reach for softened butter when making this cake. When it’s beaten together with the sugar, it traps air. Trapped air= a light cake with a delicate crumb.

The Sour Cream: Sour cream makes this cake light and moist. For the best flavor and texture, use full-fat sour cream. (If you’re dairy-free, try a plant-based sour cream.)

The Eggs: Two eggs are needed to make this cake. I haven’t tested this recipe with an egg replacer. So I can’t say if it will work without eggs.

The Cinnamon: This is the star of the show, isn’t it? Not only does the filling and streusel include cinnamon, I add a tiny amount to the butter. This adds a whisper of cinnamon to the cake batter. You can’t really taste it but you can tell it’s there.

The Sugar: You’ll need two types of sugar to make this coffee cake. Granulated sugar for the cake batter and brown sugar for the filling/streusel. The brown sugar adds a lovely flavor that, if used in the cake batter, would impart a flavor that’s not traditionally found in coffee cake. This recipe makes a traditional coffee cake. That means it’s a vanilla-scented cake topped with a brown sugar streusel topping.

How to Make Gluten-Free Coffee Cake

Mix the Filling. This coffee cake includes a yummy ribbon of cinnamon-sugar filling. That same filling turns into the topping. It’s baking magic. (It’s butter, which, I think is baking magic.)
Make the Batter. This is a simple batter to make. You beat together some butter and sugar. Add a few eggs. Then add (separately) the dry ingredients and sour cream. Mix until the batter looks smooth and thick.
Spread Half the Batter into the Pan. The original recipe called for a bundt pan. While this is lovely, a lot of people don’t oven bundt pans. So this version of the cake is made in a 9×9-inch square baking pan.
Sprinkle the Filling Over the Batter. Sprinkle half (this is important) the filling evenly over the cake batter.
Spread Remaining Batter Over the Filling. Plop the remaining batter all over the pan. Then spread it over the cinnamon-sugar filling. Sometimes the filling makes it tough to spread the batter. This is normal–and a bit annoying!–to make this easy, spread the batter with the back of a spoon. And don’t worry too much if the filling pokes through the cake batter. The streusel topping covers it up.
Make the Streusel. Here’s where the magic happens: stir a little melted butter into the remaining filling. It’ll clump and look a bit like wet sand. Gently squeeze and crumble topping evenly over the top of the cake.
Bake. Bake until the cake is golden brown. It smells amazing while baking. Test for doneness by inserting a cake tester into the center of the cake.

Gluten-Free Coffee Cake FAQs

Is there coffee in coffee cake?

No. Coffee cake, at least in the United States, is usually a vanilla cake topped with a streusel topping. It’s served in the morning, usually alongside a cup of….coffee.

Can I make this recipe dairy-free?

Yes. Replace the butter and sour cream with dairy-free alternatives.

Can I use almond flour?

Not in this recipe.

Can I make this cake without eggs?

I haven’t tested the recipe with an egg-replacer. So I can’t say for sure.

Gluten-Free Sour Cream Coffee Cake

Gluten-Free Coffee Cake | Easy Recipe | Sour Cream Cake with Cinnamon Streusel Topping | Perfect Christmas Dessert

Course Breakfast, Dessert

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes

Servings 12 slices

Ingredients

For the Streusel

3/4 cup packed brown sugar (5 1/2 ounces; 155 grams)
1/4 cup gluten-free baking flour (1 1/4 ounces; 35 grams)
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons butter, melted (1 ounce; 28 grams)

For the Cake

2 cups gluten-free baking flour (Bob's Red Mill 1:1 Gluten-Free Baking Flour suggested) (10 ounces; 283 grams)
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar (10 1/2 ounces; 297 grams)
1 1/2 sticks butter, softened (6 ounces; 170 grams)
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 large eggs (about 3 1/2 ounces out of shell; 100 grams)
1 cup sour cream (8 ounces; 226 grams)

Instructions

Prepare Pan and Heat Oven. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Spray an 8x8-inch square baking pan with nonstick cooking spray.
Make the Streusel. Stir together the brown sugar, baking flour, and cinnamon in a small bowl. (You’ll use the butter later.)
Prepare the Cake Batter. Whisk together the baking flour and baking powder in a small bowl.
Beat together the butter and cinnamon until light, about one minute on medium-high speed on a stand or handheld mixer.
Add the granulated sugar. Beat until a thick paste forms, about 45 seconds. Stop the mixer. Scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl. Mix again for 15 seconds. (This mixes in the thick butter that was stuck to the bottom of the bowl.)
Stop the mixer. Add the eggs. Mix until combined. Stop the mixer. Scrap the bowl. Mix again for 15 seconds.
Add HALF the flour mixture. Mix until combined. Add HALF the sour cream. Mix until smooth. Repeat with the remaining flour and sour cream. Mix until batter is smooth.
Spread Batter into Pan and Add Filling. Spread half the batter into the prepared pan. Sprinkle half the streusel mixture over the batter.
Add Remaining Batter and Top with Streusel. Spread remaining batter over the filling. Stir the melted butter into the remaining streusel topping. Sprinkle the streusel topping evenly over the cake.
Bake and Cool. Bake until a cake tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, about 45 minutes.
Cool for 20 minutes before serving. Store, wrapped, on the counter for up to three days.

The Best Gluten-Free Gingerbread Cookies

Nov 20, 2019 · Leave a Comment

Easy gluten-free gingerbread cookie recipe. These sweet and spicy cookies are perfect for Christmas.

How to Make Gluten-Free Gingerbread Cookies: The Basics

Use a gluten-free flour blend. Instead of blending different gluten-free flours and starches, use a gluten-free all-purpose flour. This recipe was developed using Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 Gluten-Free Baking Flour. If you don’t have this blend on hand, be sure to use a blend that contains xanthan or guar gum (these ingredients prevent the cookies from spreading).
Use baking molasses. There’s a small amount of molasses in this recipe. Be sure to use unsulfured baking molasses. Both “robust” (dark) and blackstrap molasses are too strong for these cookies.
Scrape the bowl. While making the dough, stop the mixer and scrape the bowl at three important points: after creaming the butter and sugar together, after adding the egg, and after mixing in the flour. Scraping the bowl ensues the cookies bake evenly.
Chill the dough. This reduces grittiness and thickens the dough and prevents spreading.
Roll the dough. Generously dust your counter and rolling pin with gluten-free flour. Roll out the dough until it’s about 1/4-inch thick.
Use similar-size cutters. To prevent burning, cut cookies out with similar-size cutters. If you want to use different shapes and sizes, no problem — just put them on a different baking sheet.
Bake. Preheat the oven and bake the cookies on a parchment-lined baking sheet. These cookies don’t spread much as they bake, so you can put them pretty close together.

How to Make Gluten-Free Gingerbread Cookies: Explained

Whisk the dry ingredients together.
Gingerbread cookies start with a simple cookie dough. If you’ve ever made gluten-free sugar cookies or chocolate chip cookies, the method is similar.
Start by sifting or whisking together gluten-free flour with the baking powder, spices, and salt. Some gingerbread cookie recipes use a lot of different spices, including black pepper, but I prefer to keep my gingerbread cookies simple and ginger-forward.
The unsung ingredient here is the salt. The salt enhances the other flavors, without making the dough taste salty. I recommend baking with table salt, as it blends easily into dough.
This seems like such a simple step, doesn’t it? Why not skip it and add the ingredients directly to the mixer? But this step helps evenly distribute all the ingredients. You want to spend about 30 to 45 seconds whisking everything together.
Make the dough.
Cream together butter and dark brown sugar.
Combine butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer. The temperature of the butter is important. If it’s too soft (or worse, melted) the cookies will spread. If it’s too cold, it won’t get fluffy when creamed. That “fluff” is air, and it’s important. Along with the baking powder and eggs, this step helps the dough to rise. While we don’t often think of gingerbread cookies as rising, we want them to rise a bit to prevent them from being too hard to bite into. Use butter around 68 degrees F.
Since we’re using both brown sugar and molasses in these cookies, I prefer to use light brown sugar. It adds a nice, almost-caramel flavor without making the cookies too molassesy. (If you want a gluten-free molasses cookie, I’ve got a recipe for that.)
Cream everything together until it lightens in color. I hesitate to say how long this takes because the time varies depending on the temperature of your butter and the speed of your mixer. It took mine about two minutes, but that’s just a rough guideline, not a hard-and-fast rule.
Be sure to stop the mixer once or twice during creaming. Use a rubber spatula to incorporate the butter-sugar paste that’s clinging to the side or bottom of the bowl. If you have a KitchenAid mixer, take care to run the spatula around the ‘nub” at the bottom of the bowl.
Add the egg and molasses.
Stop the mixer and add the egg and molasses. At first, it might look curdled. Beat the mixture until it’s smooth and fluffy. This takes about 30 seconds. Again, stop the mixer. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl. (Doing this ensures you won’t get any odd-shaped cookies.) And run the mixer for a few seconds to incorporate the thick butter-sugar paste.
Ingredient note: For the molasses, use an unsulfured molasses. (I use Grandma’s Molasses with the yellow label.) Don’t use dark molasses in the recipe because it’ll make the cookies unpleasantly bitter. And please don’t use blackstrap molasses; it’s bitter and too high in sodium and won’t give you a good flavor.
Add the dry ingredients.
Stop the mixer again and add the flour. You can do this all at once. There’s no need to add the flour in stages. Turn the mixer to low. Once the flour has incorporated, increase the speed to medium and mix until a dough forms. Or not …
Knead the dough (if needed).
Sometimes the dough doesn’t come together. It might look a bit dry or crumbly. Don’t fret! This is normal — especially if you’re using a handheld mixer. If the dough looks crumbly, turn it out onto a lightly floured (use the gluten-free baking flour to dust your counter) surface and knead a few times.
Chill the dough.
After mixing the dough, you might be ready to bake, but, unfortunately, the dough isn’t. It needs to chill for at least 30 minutes.
There are two reasons for this. First, the butter can warm up during mixing. And warm dough = cookies that spread. But since we usually make gingerbread cookies in the winter, sometimes the butter stays on the cool side. So why waste time chilling? Hydration! A brief 30-minute chill allows the gluten-free flours and starches time to absorb the liquid in the recipe (in this case, the eggs, molasses, and brown sugar). They sort of plump up, giving the cookies a better texture.
Pat the dough into a flat disk, wrap in plastic wrap, and chill for 30 minutes or overnight.
Roll the dough and cut out cookies.
Roll out the dough.
After chilling, it’s time to roll. Dust your counter generously with gluten-free flour and rub flour onto your rolling pin. Cut the dough in half. (It’s easier to roll out small amounts of dough and this allows you to have more control over the thickness.) You don’t need to chill the second half of the dough unless your kitchen is exceptionally warm.
Roll out the dough to about 1/4-inch thickness. If you like your gingerbread cookies crunchy, roll out to 1/8-inch. (Rolling the cookies to 1/8-inch doubles the number of cookies you’ll get.) If the dough is the correct temperature and you use enough flour, the dough shouldn’t stick to the counter. However, I always like to check. I run a large angled spatula under the dough. This tool is commonly used for cake decorating. Do you need one? No, but if you love to bake, it’s nice to have.
Cut into shapes.
Cut the dough using your favorite cookie cutter(s) and follow this rule: One shape per pan. Different sizes and shapes of cookies take a different amount of time to bake. If you put a tiny star on the same pan with a large gingerbread boy, the star will burn long before the gingerbread boy is done. If you don’t want to stick to one shape per pan, try to keep the shapes the same size.
When cutting, nestle the cuts as close together as possible. This saves you from having to re-roll the dough several times. There’s nothing wrong with rerolling the dough, but it does take additional time and you need to make sure the dough doesn’t get too warm between rolls. If it does, pop it back in the fridge until cool.
Bake and cool.
Place the cutouts on a parchment-lined baking sheet. The cookies hardly spread during baking. So go ahead and place them close together.
Bake until the cookies are set. It’s hard to give a specific time because different sizes take different times to make. Look for the cookies to look dull (not shiny dough) and puffy. They should also smell amazing.
Cool.
Cool the cookies on the pan for about 5 minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Decorate.
When cool, go wild with decorating. (Or not. I often skip this step!) Royal icing is traditionally used to decorate gingerbread cookies because it hardens, unlike buttercream.
Store.
Gingerbread cookies seem to keep forever. They’re good for about a week after baking. If you want to keep them longer, freeze them. Place the cookies in a freezer container. (Layer with parchment paper) and freeze for up to three months.

FAQs: Gluten-Free Gingerbread Cookies

Can I use almond flour?

No. Don’t replace the gluten-free flour with almond flour. It makes the dough too rich and the recipe doesn’t work.

Can I use coconut flour?

No. The recipe will not work with coconut flour.

Can I replace the butter?

Yes! Replace the butter with either a dairy-free margarine or shortening.

Can I use dark brown sugar?

Yes. Replace the light brown sugar 1:1 with dark brown sugar. But know that the cookies might spread more during baking because of the extra molasses in the dark brown sugar.

Easy Gluten-Free Gingerbread Cookies

Easy gluten-free gingerbread cookie recipe. These sweet and spicy cookies are perfect for Christmas.

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes

Servings 24 cookies

Ingredients

3 cups Bob's Red Mill 1:1 Gluten-Free Baking Flour (15 ounces; 425 grams)
1 tablespoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground clove
12 tablespoons butter, softened (6 ounces; 170 grams)
3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar (5 1/2 ounces; 155 grams)
1 large egg (about 2 ounces; 50 grams out of shell)
4 tablespoons molasses (3 ounces; 85 grams)

Instructions

Prepare the Dough. Whisk together gluten-free flour, ground ginger, ground cinnamon, baking powder, salt, and ground clove. Set aside.
Cream together butter and dark brown sugar until a thick paste forms, about 30 seconds. Add egg and molasses. Blend until combined. Stop mixer and scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl. Run mixer for a few seconds after scraping the bowl. Add dry ingredients. Blend until a dough forms.
Chill Dough. Lightly dust your countertop with gluten-free flour. Turn dough out onto counter and pat into a round. Wrap tightly with plastic wrap. Chill for several hours or overnight.
Bake Cookies. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line one or two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside. Remove dough from the refrigerator and allow to stand for about 15 minutes. This allows the dough to soften a little, making it easier to roll. Divide dough in half and roll out to about 1/4-inch thickness on a generously rice floured countertop. Cut into shapes. Place cookies on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake until edges are golden-brown and aromatic, about 12 minutes. Repeat with remaining dough. Be sure to allow the baking sheet to cool between batches to prevent the cookies from spreading.
Cool Cookies. Cool cookies on a wire rack. Decorate as desired. Store cookies in a covered container for up to one week.

Gluten-Free Soft Molasses Cookies

Nov 13, 2019 · 2 Comments

Easy gluten-free molasses cookies. Soft and spicy. Perfect for Thanksgiving and Christmas. (Or anytime!)

Years ago, the night after Thanksgiving, I was in the mood for a gingerbread cookie. At the time I was in Lake Placid, New York, so I walked down to the local bakery. It was a magical night. When I walked in and asked if they sold gingerbread cookies, the woman behind the counter said, “We don’t have gingerbread cookies, but we have molasses cookies.”

When I declined, she said, “They’re the same thing.”

Friend, I must tell you that they’re not the same thing.

While they share some ingredients, they’re not the same cookie. Molasses cookies should be resplendent with molasses flavor. They should be crispy on the edge and chewy in the center. Gingerbread cookies, on the other hand, are spicy with ginger and pleasantly firm, not soft.

And, the biggest difference is that molasses cookies are drop cookies, like gluten-free chocolate chip cookies, while gingerbread cookies(LINK) are (usually) cut-outs.

Today we’re making molasses cookies and, as you can tell, I have strong feelings about them.

How to Make Gluten-Free Molasses Cookies: The Basics

Here’s the lowdown on making gluten-free molasses cookies.

Use a gluten-free flour blend. This recipe was developed using Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 Gluten-Free Baking flour. It’s the blend I recommend for this recipe. If you don’t have it on hand, select a gluten-free flour blend that contains either xanthan or guar gum. Molasses cookies made without xanthan or guar gum can spread unpleasantly.
Use baking molasses. The type of molasses you use is important. Use unsulfured baking molasses. Blackstrap and “robust” (dark) molasses are too strong for these cookies and will ruin the flavor.
Scrape the bowl. For even cookies, stop the mixer and scrape the bowl at three important points: after creaming the butter and sugar together, after adding the egg and molasses, and after mixing in the flour. Scraping the bowl ensues the cookies bake evenly.
Chill the dough. This reduces grittiness and thickens the dough.
Space the dough. Place the dough on a parchment-lined baking sheet about two inches apart. This prevents the cookies from sticking together as they bake.

How to Make Gluten-Free Molasses Cookies: Explained

Whisk together the dry ingredients.
These cookies start with gluten-free all-purpose baking flour. I tested the recipe with Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free 1:1 Baking Flour. You can use another gluten-free flour, but the results may vary. It’s important to whisk together the dry ingredients for about a minute or so with a whisk. This evenly distributes the spices and, most importantly, the baking soda throughout the flour. Don’t rush this step. It might seem like a minor thing, but it actually has the ability to affect the quality of the cookies. If the baking soda isn’t evenly distributed, the cookies won’t rise evenly.
Make the dough.
Cream together softened butter and brown sugar.
Combine softened butter and brown sugar in a large bowl (or the bowl of a stand mixer). Beat until it’s light and smooth. Then stop the mixer and scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl. I know this seems putzy, but there’s a good reason for it. You’ll find a sugar-butter paste clinging to the sides and bottom of the bowl. If this paste mixes into the cookie dough, it can cause several of the cookies to spread. (If you’re using a KitchenAid mixer, run your rubber spatula around the knob at the bottom of the bowl. Butter and sugar love to stick to this part of the mixing bowl.)
Add the egg and molasses.
The egg keeps these cookies soft and tender. But the star of the show is the molasses. We’re using both dark brown sugar and molasses because these are molasses cookies. The combination gives the cookies the right sweetness, flavor, and texture. If we used only molasses, the cookies wouldn’t be sweet enough and they’d spread all over the pan. And if we only used brown sugar, the molasses flavor wouldn’t be strong enough.
Ingredient note: Be sure to use unsulfured molasses and not “robust” (dark) molasses. Robust molasses is too bitter for this recipe. And definitely avoid blackstrap molasses; it’ll ruin the cookies. Blackstrap molasses is too bitter and too high in sodium to be used in this recipe. Just as we did when creaming the butter and sugar together, stop the mixer once or twice to scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl to prevent wonky-shaped cookies.
Add the whisked dry ingredients.
There’s no need to add the flour in stages. Just stop the mixer, add the flour, and turn the mixer to low. The low speed prevents the flour from “poofing” all over and making a mess. Once the flour is incorporated, turn the mixer to medium-high and mix until a dough forms. And don’t worry about overmixing — since our dough has no gluten, it won’t get tough.
After the dough forms, stop the mixer one last time and run your spatula around the edges and bottom of the bowl. You’ll often find streaks of dry flour. Stir this flour into the dough with your spatula. (It’s the last time you have to scrape the bowl, I promise.)
Chill the dough.
I know it’s a drag, but you need to chill the dough for at least two hours before baking. This does two things: it chills the butter, which can warm up during mixing (warm dough = cookies that spread), and it allows the flour to hydrate. Sometimes gluten-free flour can be gritty. Resting the dough allows the flours and starches to absorb the liquid in the recipe. Basically, that plumps the flours and starches, reducing the gritty texture and thickening the dough.
Scoop and bake.
Scoop the dough and roll in sugar.
Molasses cookies are traditionally rolled in sugar prior to baking. This adds not only sweetness, but also a nice texture to the cookies. I like to use coarse sugar because it adds a nice crunch and a pretty sparkle. If you don’t want to buy coarse sugar just for this recipe, no problem. Regular granulated sugar works just fine; it’ll add a bit of sweetness, but no crunch.
Ingredient note: For the holiday season if you’d like to use colored sugar, go for it. Just always be sure to read all labels to ensure that the colored sugar is gluten-free.
Bake.
Finally: baking! Preheat the oven and place the cookies on a parchment-lined baking sheet about an inch or so apart. The cookies spread a little during baking, so you don’t want to put them right on top of each other on the pan. Bake until the cookies are set. Since they’re dark, it can be hard to tell when molasses cookies are done. Look for the cookies to look set, not shiny.
Cool.
Allow the cookies to cool on the pan for about five minutes. This allows them to set up. If you move cookies immediately after they come out of the oven, they can break. After five minutes, transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.

Gluten-Free Molasses Cookie FAQs

Can I use almond flour?

No. Almond flour doesn’t work in this recipe.

Can I use coconut flour?

No. Coconut flour radically changes these cookies and doesn’t work.

How do I freeze gluten-free molasses cookies?

To freeze these cookies, do the following:

Allow the cookies to cool.
Place in a freezer container.
Separate layers with parchment paper or waxed paper.
Freeze for up to three months.
Thaw at room temperature.

Soft Gluten-Free Molasses Cookies

Easy gluten-free molasses cookies. Soft and spicy. Perfect for Thanksgiving and Christmas. (Or anytime!)

Servings 24 cookies

Ingredients

2 1/4 cups gluten-free all-purpose flour Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 Gluten-Free Baking Flour recommended
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
12 tablespoons butter softened
3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/4 cup unsulfured molasses
1 large egg
Topping
1/2 cup turbinado or granulated sugar

Instructions

Make the Dough. Whisk together gluten-free flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside.
Beat together the butter, brown sugar, and molasses on medium-high speed in the bowl of a stand mixer or with a handheld mixer in a large bowl until thick, about one minute. Stop the mixer. Scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl. Turn mixer to medium-low, add the egg. Beat until combined. Stop mixer. Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl. Add the whisked dry ingredients. Mix on low speed until a dough forms. One last time, scrape the bowl with a rubber spatula. Mix any dry flour into the dough with the spatula.
Chill. Cover bowl and chill for 2 hours or overnight.
Preheat oven and Bake. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside.
Roll the dough into balls, about one tablespoon each. Roll dough into sugar topping, if desired. Place dough balls on the prepared baking sheet, about 2 inches apart.
Bake until the cookies are set and slightly cracked, about 15 minutes.
Cool on a Wire Rack. Remove pan from the oven and let cookies cool on the pan for 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer cookies to a wire rack and cool completely.
Store in a sealed container for up to 4 days. Or freeze for up to 3 months.

Gluten-Free Cranberry Orange Bread

Nov 7, 2019 · 6 Comments

Easy gluten-free cranberry bread. Moist. Tender. Dairy-free.

What does this bread taste like?

This recipe makes a pleasantly sweet bread with a gentle tartness from the fresh cranberries and a hint of orange flavor. The texture is a cross between a cake and a muffin.

What you’ll love about this gluten-free cranberry bread.

Easy to make. No electric mixer required! You can stir everything together in a large bowl. (Of course, if you’d like to use an electric mixer, go for it.)
It’s moist, not gummy. Some gluten-free quick breads tend to taste gummy. Not this one! It bakes up dense and moist without any hint of gumminess.
It’s loaded with cranberries. You don’t have to go looking for the cranberries in this bread; it’s loaded with them.
Not too sweet—or too greasy. If you’ve made either my gluten-free zucchini bread or gluten-free pumpkin bread, you know that I like quick breads that are pleasantly sweet and moist but not overly sweet or oily. This bread fits the bill. It’s sweet enough to offset the tartness from the cranberries but not so sweet that you feel like you’re eating cake.

How to Make Gluten-Free Cranberry Bread

Chop the cranberries. You can do this by hand using a large knife and a cutting board or you can use a food processor. Either way, you want the cranberries to be coarsely chopped.
Make the batter. Whisk together the dry ingredients (flour, sugar, baking powder, etc.) in a large bowl and then add the wet ingredients. Stir until the batter is smooth.
Add a little batter to the pan. To prevent the cranberries from sinking to the bottom of the pan, spread a little batter, about 1/2 cup into a greased baking pan. This step is totally optional. If you don’t care if some cranberries sink, skip it.
Stir in the cranberries. Gently stir the chopped cranberries into the batter. Look for them to be evenly spread throughout the batter but stop before the batter turns bright pink.
Bake. Spread the batter into the pan and bake until set. Like most gluten-free quick breads, this cranberry bread takes almost an hour to bake.
Take the temperature. The best way to ensure the loaf is done is to take its temperature. Use an instant-read thermometer to check that it’s reached 205 degrees F.
Cool and slice. I know it’s hard but you want to make sure the loaf cools before you slice it. This gives the bread time to set up. If you slice it too soon, it will appear gummy even though the loaf is fully baked.

Baked loaf of gluten-free cranberry bread in pan. — Easy Gluten-Free Cranberry Orange Bread. Perfect for Thanksgiving.

FAQs: Gluten-Free Cranberry Bread

What’s the best flour to use for gluten-free cranberry bread?

I tested this recipe with Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free 1:1 Baking Flour and it’s the flour I recommend you use for this recipe.

If you want to replace the flour with a different blend, be sure it contains either xanthan or guar gum or the recipe might not work. As always, using a different gluten-free flour blend can alter the recipe even if it does contain a gum.

Can I use dried cranberries?

Yes but…dried cranberries are sweeter than fresh cranberries. You might want to cut back on the sugar by a tablespoon or so.

Can I use this recipe for cranberry muffins?

Yes! This recipe for cranberry bread can be used for muffins. Line muffin pan with paper liners or grease the cavities generously with nonstick cooking spray or oil.

5 from 2 votes

Gluten-Free Cranberry Orange Bread

Moist and tender gluten-free cranberry orange bread. Pleasantly sweet, loaded with cranberries, and a hint of orange.

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 55 minutes

Servings 12 slices

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups fresh cranberries (5 1/3 ounces; 150 grams)
2 cups gluten-free flour (10 ounces; 285 grams)
3/4 cup granulated sugar (5 1/4 ounces; 150 grams)
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 cup orange juice (6 ounces; 170 grams)
1/3 cup vegetable oil (2 1/3 ounces; 65 grams)
1 large egg (2 ounces; 56 grams)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

Heat Oven. Adjust oven rack to middle position. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Grease a 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 inch loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray.
Chop Cranberries. Chop cranberries coarsely with either a chef’s knife or in the bowl of a food processor. If using a food processor “pulse” the berries a few times until roughly cut. Set the chopped berries aside.
Prepare Batter. Whisk together the gluten-free flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, and baking soda in a large bowl. Add the orange juice, vegetable oil, egg, and vanilla extract. Mix until a smooth batter forms.
Spread about 1/2 cup batter into the bottom of the prepared pan. Stir the chopped cranberries into remaining batter. Smooth batter into pan.
Bake Bread. Bake until a cake tester inserted into the loaf comes out clean, about 55 minutes.
Cool on a Rack. Cool bread in pan for 15 minutes and then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Cut and Enjoy. Cut bread into slices with a serrated knife. Store bread, wrapped, on the counter for up to four days or freeze up to three months.

How to Make Gluten-Free Cornbread Stuffing

Oct 23, 2019 · Leave a Comment

Gluten-free cornbread stuffing with sausage and sage. Perfect for Thanksgiving.

Stuffing is one of the stars of the Thanksgiving table. Like my classic gluten-free stuffing, this cornbread stuffing is packed with the flavors of the holiday: sausage, sage, onions, and celery. The best part? It’s easy to make.

How to Make Gluten-Free Cornbread Stuffing

Prepare the gluten-free cornbread. (Or buy it. Whatever works for you.) Use a cornbread that doesn’t contain a lot of sugar. My gluten-free cornbread is perfect for this. You’ll need about 8 cups of cubed gluten-free cornbread.
Toast the cornbread and let it cool. This step adds flavor and prevents your cornbread stuffing from turning out mushy.
Cook the sausage. Use whatever type of sausage you love. Mild Italian is traditional, but (almost) any sausage works.
Cook the celery and onions in the sausage fat. Remove most of the cooking fat left behind by the sausage. Cook the celery and onions in about one tablespoon of the remaining fat plus a little butter.
Stir it all together. You’re going to need a large mixing bowl to stir the stuffing together. If you don’t have one, a large pasta pot (as long as it’s not too deep) works in a pinch.
Add broth (but not too much). Chicken broth (or turkey broth) makes the stuffing moist (because no one wants dry stuffing!). Add the broth slowly, about one cup at a time. You want the cornbread to be damp, not soggy.
Bake. I recommend baking stuffing in a buttered baking dish. Bake until hot and golden-brown. Yes, technically that makes this gluten-free cornbread dressing instead of stuffing.

The Cornbread

To make cornbread stuffing, you need … cornbread.

The “best” cornbread to use for cornbread stuffing is whatever gluten-free cornbread you enjoy eating. Use your favorite gluten-free cornbread recipe, or grab a mix. (Or if you have a local bakery that makes gluten-free cornbread, you can buy it.)

Dry vs. Stale

It’s important that the cornbread is dry. This helps both the flavor and the texture of your finished stuffing. When cornbread dries out, it loses moisture. That moisture is flavorless. We replace the lost moisture with flavorful stock, giving the stuffing a deep flavor.

Another reason it’s important to dry the cornbread is texture. If the cornbread is fresh, the finished stuffing can get soggy⁠—almost mushy.

While it’s perfectly fine to allow the cornbread to dry (stale) on the counter for a few days before you plan on making the stuffing, I prefer to dry it in the oven. Not only is this fast (about 30 minutes vs. several days), but it’s also another step that adds flavor. When you dry the cornbread in the oven, some bits get a little color on them⁠—like toast. And you know how good toast tastes!

Cut into Cubes and Toast

Cut the cornbread into 1-inch cubes and toast until golden brown. The cubes of cornbread break up when stirred together with the other ingredients. If you prefer large cubes of bread in your stuffing, cut into 2-inch pieces.

Cook’s tip: You can prepare and toast the cornbread up to three days before you need it. After toasting, allow the cornbread cubes to cool and then place in a bag or covered container.

The Sausage

There’s something magical about the combination of sausage and cornbread. But what sausage to use? Not to get all Ina Garten on you, but you should use “good sausage.” What do I mean? I mean to use what you love. If you’re a spicy sausage person, use it! Love the mild flavor of breakfast sausage? Go get it, friend. There’s only one type of sausage I don’t recommend: dried sausage. If you don’t need to cook it before eating, it’s not the right type of sausage for stuffing.

And speaking of cooking …

Cook the sausage before you cook the vegetables. After crumbling and browning the sausage, remove it from the skillet. Leave about two tablespoons of fat in the pan. It contains lots of flavor.

Sauté your vegetables in the same pan you cooked the sausage to get all the wonderful flavor the sausage left behind in the pan.

Cook’s tip: Carefully pour all of the fat out of the skillet into a heat-proof container. Then, using a metal/heatproof tablespoon, measure two tablespoons of oil and return it to the pan. This way you don’t have to worry about how much oil you’re leaving behind in the pan.

The Vegetables

While there’s an almost limitless variety of vegetables you can add to stuffing, I like to keep things simple and flavorful by using only sautéed onions and celery. Some recipes skip sautéing, but I find the flavor of the onions too sharp and the texture of the celery too crunchy if they aren’t cooked before being added to the stuffing.

Cook’s tip: To save time, you can cook the vegetables in advance. Cool the cooked vegetables and store in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to two days. Use as directed in the recipe.

The Herbs

Some folks insist on using fresh herbs for stuffing, but I’m not one of them. Since I only make stuffing in the winter, sometimes I don’t have access to fresh (read: excellent) sage. This means I usually reach for dried sage. When using any dried herb, make sure it’s not past its prime. Test your dried herbs by rubbing them between your fingers; they should give off a distinct aroma. If they don’t pass the sniff test, it’s time to buy new ones.

If you find excellent fresh sage, go ahead and use it. Just be sure to chop it finely before adding to the stuffing. Large pieces of herbs can be too strong if you get a mouthful in a bit of stuffing. So when it comes to herbs, remember to “Chop chop!”

The Broth

There’s one thing that makes me cringe: when people use water in their stuffing. It’s such a missed opportunity to add flavor. Chicken, turkey, or vegetable broth all work when making stuffing. For the best result, use unsalted broth and then salt to taste. Many commercial broths and stocks contain a lot of salt and can make for a stuffing that’s a tad too salty.

When adding the broth, add it in stages. Pour about one cup over the stuffing mixture, stir, and then taste. (Nothing should be raw, so it’s safe to taste the stuffing.) You want the stuffing to feel damp, not soggy.

The amount of broth you’ll use will depend on your cornbread and how dry it is. It’s always a good idea to have extra broth on hand. Sometimes stuffing sucks up broth like a sponge, and other times you only need a little.

The Eggs (Optional)

You don’t need eggs to make stuffing. Let me say that a little bit louder: YOU DON’T NEED EGGS TO MAKE STUFFING.

I’m glad we got that out of the way. It’s perfectly fine to make stuffing with just butter and broth. Eggs add a custard-like texture to the stuffing (think: bread pudding). If you like that texture, you can add eggs. If you don’t like that texture, feel free to skip ’em.

Allergy note: If the cornbread (or bread) you use contains eggs, the stuffing is not egg-free.

Baking

Since I don’t stuff my stuffing into the cavity of a bird, technically I make a dressing. (But I call it stuffing and have no plans to stop.) I know that some folks love the flavor of stuffing stuffed into the cavity of the bird. However, for the stuffing to reach a safe temperature the meat of the bird can overcook and get dry. And who wants that?

Instead put the stuffing into a buttered baking dish, cover it, and bake until hot. Then remove the foil and bake until the top is golden-brown.

Gluten-Free Cornbread Stuffing

Gluten-free cornbread stuffing with sausage and sage. Perfect for Thanksgiving.

Prep Time 30 minutes

Cook Time 45 minutes

Servings 10 servings

Ingredients

1 recipe gluten-free cornbread/, baked and cooled (about 8 cups)
2 teaspoons canola oil
1 pound sweet, mild, or hot Italian sausage, casings removed and broken into bite-sized pieces (about 4 to 6 links)
3 celery ribs, finely diced
1 medium yellow onion, finely diced
2 teaspoons dried sage or 3 tablespoons chopped fresh sage leaves
3 cups no-salt-added or low-sodium chicken stock
1/4 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
2 large eggs, whisked

Instructions

Toast the cornbread cubes: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Cut the cornbread into 1-inch cubes. Spread cubes onto a large ungreased rimmed baking sheet. Toast until lightly golden-brown, about 10 minutes. Remove pan from the oven. Gently turn cubes and toast until cubes are golden-brown and aromatic, about 15 additional minutes. Allow the toasted cornbread to cool on the baking sheet. When cool, place in a large mixing bowl. (Toasted cornbread may be prepared in advance and stored in a bag or sealed container for up to five days.)
Prepare the Stuffing: Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish. Set aside.
Cook the sausage: Place the canola oil in a large skillet and heat over medium-high heat until oil shimmers but doesn't smoke. Add the sausage. Crumble the sausage with a wooden spoon or meat crumbler. Cook until no pink spots remain, about 8 minutes. Transfer the sausage to the mixing bowl with the cornbread. Carefully pour the hot oil into a heatproof container, leaving about one tablespoon of oil remaining in the pan.
Cook the onions and celery: Reduce the heat to medium. Add celery. Cook until tender, about five minutes, stirring frequently while cooking. Add onions. Cook until tender and fragrant, about eight minutes. Add sage and salt. Stir to combine. Cook for an additional minute. Place mixture in the bowl along with the cornbread and sausage.
Make the stuffing: Gently stir together the sausage, cornbread, celery, and onions. Stir. Add chicken stock, one cup at a time, and stir gently. The cornbread will break up as you stir. When stuffing is damp, not soggy, stop adding broth. Taste. Adjust salt if needed. If using eggs, stir them in after you've adjusted the stuffing for seasoning.
Place stuffing into prepared baking dish: Spoon stuffing into the greased baking dish. (Stuffing may be covered and refrigerated for up to one day at this point.)
Bake: When ready to bake, cover the pan with foil. Bake stuffing until steaming hot, about 40 minutes. Remove the foil. Return pan to the oven. Cook until the top browns, about 10 additional minutes. Serve hot. Store stuffing covered and in the refrigerator for up to three days.

Gluten-Free Cornbread

Oct 17, 2019 · 2 Comments

This easy gluten-free cornbread is savory, not sweet. It’s perfect on its own or served with chili.

How to Make Gluten-Free Cornbread

Preheat oven. If using a cast iron skillet, place it in the oven to preheat. A hot skillet gives the cornbread a crunchy exterior. Don’t have a skillet? No problem. Use a cake pan. (Skip preheating the pan when using a cake pan.)
Make the batter. Whisk together the dry ingredients. Don’t skip this step; you want the baking powder, baking soda, and salt evenly distributed throughout the other ingredients. Add the wet ingredients and stir until the batter is almost smooth. Don’t worry about a few lumps here and there.
Bake. Pour the batter into a greased 8-inch skillet or 8-inch cake pan. Bake until set.
Cool⁠. This is the hardest step. Before serving, cool the cornbread for about 5 minutes. Cut into pieces and enjoy.

Gluten-Free Cornbread: The Ingredients

Gluten-Free Cornmeal

Note: Corn is a gluten-free grain, but some brands of cornmeal aren’t considered gluten-free by their manufacturer because of how they’re processed. Look for a cornmeal that’s labeled gluten-free.

The type of cornmeal you use affects the type of cornbread you get.

If you use finely ground cornmeal, the cornbread will have a soft, cake-like texture. If you use a cornmeal with a medium grind, the cornbread comes out cake-like but with a little crunch. My favorite type is coarsely ground cornmeal, which makes a cornbread with body and crunch. No one will confuse cornbread made with coarsely ground cornmeal for cake.

While I think coarsely ground cornmeal is the way to go, use whatever cornmeal you like. In this recipe, they’re totally interchangeable.

Gluten-Free Flour

I know, I know: Cornbread doesn’t need flour. People feel strongly about this topic—and don’t even get those folks started on the subject of sugar in cornbread. It’s a hot topic. Really hot.

I’m going to sit out the debate and just tell you what I like: I prefer my cornbread with a hint of softness. Not quite cake, but something a little more tender than an all-cornmeal cornbread provides. Because of this, I add a little gluten-free flour to my cornbread recipe. The gluten-free flour gives the cornbread a tender crumb. It also helps to keep it moist on the counter for a day or so. For me, this is a win-win. Great texture and a longer shelf life? Yes, please!

I tested this recipe with Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 Gluten-Free Baking Flour. Since there’s such a small amount of flour, any grain-based gluten-free flour should work. (Don’t replace the flour with almond or coconut flour; the almond flour makes for a heavy, greasy cornbread, and coconut flour will give you an unpleasantly spongy cornbread.)

Sugar (Just a Little)

This isn’t a sweet, cake-like cornbread, but it does contain two tablespoons of sugar. The sugar helps enhance the natural sweetness of the corn. In fact, if you try this cornbread with sugar and without, the recipe made with sugar tastes more “corn-y” than the one made without. (If you want a sweet cornbread, bake a batch of my gluten-free corn muffins; they have a nice sweetness to them.)

The sugar also helps the cornbread to brown. However, this is one of the rare baking recipes that works if you skip the sugar. (Most of the time omitting sugar from a baking recipe is a no-no.) If you don’t want any sugar in your cornbread, go ahead and leave it out.

Baking Powder and Baking Soda

This recipe uses two different chemical leavening agents: baking powder and baking soda. As you might know, baking soda requires an acid, like buttermilk or molasses, to be present in the recipe to work. But this recipe contains no acid. So why include it? Flavor. Due to its alkalinity, baking soda deepens flavor when used judiciously in a recipe. The mere 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda enhances the flavor and helps the cornbread to brown. Pretty impressive for such a small amount!

Eggs

Two eggs give the cornbread lift, moisture, and flavor. I haven’t tested the recipe with egg alternatives, so I can’t say if this recipe works egg-free.

Milk (and Its Alternatives)

Since I rarely have buttermilk kicking around the house, I stopped using it in my cornbread. Not only is this great for making last-minute cornbread, but it also benefits folks who are on a dairy-free diet. If you follow a dairy-free diet, simply replace the milk with your favorite dairy-free alternative.

Oil (or Butter)

Lots of cornbread recipes are loaded with butter. (My friend makes one with one-and-a-half sticks!) While that can be yummy on occasion, I usually don’t want that level of richness when I eat cornbread. So I use a little oil instead of butter. I find the oil keeps the cornbread moist without muting the corn flavor.

Any baking oil (corn, canola, or soy) works well. If you include dairy in your diet and prefer the flavor of butter, swap the oil for melted butter. After melting the butter, cool it before adding it to the batter.

The Pan: Skillet vs. Cake Pan

I think a cast iron skillet is one of the best pieces of equipment you can have in your kitchen. You can use it to make a steak or make a cake. (Or, in this case, cornbread.)

If you have an 8-inch cast iron skillet, use it! Pop it in the oven before you turn the oven on to preheat. A hot skillet gives gluten-free cornbread a crispy brown exterior. And if you’ve ever baked gluten-free, you know how challenging it can sometimes be to get a nice brown crumb on baked goods.

When the oven is at temperature and your batter is ready to go, remove the skillet from the oven. Grease it generously. Use either cooking oil or nonstick cooking spray. If you use vegetable oil, swirl it around in the pan to coat the pan evenly.

But what if you don’t own a cast iron skillet? Does that mean you’re destined to live a life free of gluten-free cornbread? Not at all! An 8-inch round cake pan works just fine. The baked cornbread won’t turn out as brown and crunchy; that’s the only difference.

Gluten-Free Cornbread FAQ

Does cornbread contain gluten?

Many do. Although cornbread can be made without wheat and other gluten-containing ingredients, many contain wheat flour. Unless you made it yourself or it’s labeled gluten-free, it’s a good idea to assume that cornbread contains gluten.

Is cornmeal gluten-free?

Pure cornmeal is gluten-free. However, due to how some brands of cornmeal are processed, some manufacturers don’t consider their cornmeal gluten-free. Always read labels before using.

What’s the best pan to use for cornbread?

My favorite pan to use is an 8-inch cast iron skillet. If you don’t own one, don’t worry—an 8-inch round cake pan is a great replacement.

Can you freeze cornbread?

Yes, you can freeze cornbread. Be sure to cool it completely and wrap it well before freezing.

Gluten-Free Cornbread

Easy gluten-free cornbread. Savory, not sweet. Includes dairy-free option.

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Servings 6 servings

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups coarse/medium ground gluten-free cornmeal (see note) (8 ounces; 226 grams)
1/2 cup gluten-free flour, see note (2 1/2 ounces; 70 grams)
2 tablespoons granulated sugar (1 ounce; 28 grams)
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup milk, see note for dairy-free option (6 ounces; 170 grams)
2 large eggs (about 4 ounces out of shell; 114 grams)
1/3 cup vegetable oil (2 1/3 ounces; 66 grams)

Instructions

Heat oven. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. (If using an 8-inch cast iron skillet, place into oven before preheating. Heat skillet for at least 10 minutes.)
Prepare the batter. Whisk together gluten-free cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and baking soda in a large bowl. Add the milk, eggs, and oil. Whisk until combined. Batter should look almost smooth. A few lumps remaining is normal.
Bake. If using a skillet, remove skillet from oven and place on a heatproof surface. Grease with nonstick cooking spray or brush generously with vegetable oil.
If using an 8-inch round cake pan, grease the pan lightly with nonstick cooking spray.
Pour batter into pan. Bake until set, about 15 minutes. The cornbread should spring back when touched.
Cool and serve. Allow cornbread to cool for about five minutes before cutting into pieces.
Store. Wrap cornbread and store on the counter overnight. Or cool thoroughly, wrap tightly, and freeze for up to two months. Allow cornbread to thaw on the counter.

Recipe Notes

Cornmeal

This recipe was developed for coarse and medium ground cornmeal. If you use finely ground cornmeal, the batter might be thick. If that occurs, add 1/4 cup additional milk.

Gluten-Free Flour

Bob's Gluten-Free 1:1 Baking Flour recommended.

Dairy-Free Option

Replace milk with a dairy-free alternative, such as rice milk or soy. Full-fat coconut milk is not recommended because the fat content makes for a very rich, almost greasy, cornbread.

Gluten-Free Peanut Butter Banana Bread

Oct 11, 2019 · 5 Comments

Gluten-free banana bread with a peanut butter twist. Chocolate chips optional.

It’s no secret that I love gluten-free banana bread. And gluten-free banana muffins. So I don’t know why it took me so long to create a recipe for gluten-free peanut butter banana bread.

If you love peanut butter-banana sandwiches, this bread is for you! (And if you’ve never had a peanut butter banana sandwich, what are you waiting for? Go make a loaf of gluten-free sandwich bread, grab some peanut butter and a ripe banana and you’re good to go.)

How to Make Gluten-Free Peanut Butter Banana Bread

1. Use Really Ripe Bananas. (And mash ’em)
  You need really ripe bananas for this recipe. Mash them in a small bowl (it’s easy to do this with a fork.).
2. Whisk together the dry ingredients. (don’t skip this step!)
  Start by whisking together the gluten-free baking flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. This is a quick bread, meaning it’s leavened with baking powder and baking soda rather than yeast. So it’s important to evenly distribute those leaveners evenly throughout the flour mixture. It ensures an even rise while baking.
3. Make the Batter
  
  Beat together brown sugar, peanut butter, and softened butter until it’s light and fluffy. This step captures air and helps the bread to rise. Stop the mixer once or twice and scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl. You’ll see a thick paste of butter and sugar. If that paste goes into the batter, it can cause the loaf to be flat and dense; instead of tall.
  Once the mixture is light and airy, stop the mixer and the eggs. Then beat until the mixture is light and fluffy. At first, it might look curdled. After a minute or so, it should whip up and look like a light frosting.
  Again, just as you did before, stop the mixer and scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl.
  Add the flour mixture and mashed bananas.
  Stop the mixer and add the whisked flour mixture and mashed bananas. There’s no need to add the flour in stages. Turn the mixer on to low at first to prevent the flour from flying out of the bowl. Then increase the mixer speed to medium-high. Mix until a thick batter forms.
  Use a rubber spatula to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl. You’ll often find streaks of flour clinging to the bottom of the bow. Stir this flour into the batter with a rubber spatula
  Add the chocolate chips (optional).
  Chocolate chips are a nice addition to this loaf. Stir in about 1/2 cup of chocolate chips. (Or if you really love chocolate, up to one cup.)
4. Bake
  
  Spread the batter into a prepared pan. The best pan to use for quickbreads is an 8.5×4.5-inch loaf pan. It’s the same pan I use for my gluten-free sandwich bread and gluten-free pumpkin bread. If you don’t have this pan in the house, don’t worry. A 9×5-loaf pan also works. The bread just won’t rise as high.
  While this is called a “quick bread” because of the baking powder and baking soda used in the batter. It doesn’t bake quickly. The loaf can take a little over an hour to bake. It’s best to take the temperature of the bread to ensure it’s done. Look for an internal temperature of around 205 degrees. If you don’t have an instant-read thermometer, use a small paring knife. Stick it into the loaf. It should come out clean.
5. Cool
  
  Allow the bread to cool in the pan for about 10 minutes. If you try to remove the loaf from the pan too quickly, it can bread. After about 10 minutes, turn it out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Gluten-Free Peanut Butter Banana Bread: The Ingredients

The Flour

This recipe was tested with Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free 1:1 Baking Flour. Using a different flour might alter the results.

The Peanut Butter

It’s best to use traditional peanut butter for this bread. “Natural” peanut butter varies from brand to brand and can sometimes be too oily for baking.

The Sugar

Dark brown sugar gives the loaf a deep flavor. If you don’t have any in the house, replace it with granulated sugar or light brown sugar.

The Bananas

Be sure to use very ripe but not black bananas. They should be spotty and brown all over.

FAQs

Can I replace the egg with an egg-replacer?
I’m not sure. I haven’t tested the recipe egg-free.

Can I make this without butter? Yes. Replace the butter with an equal amount of dairy-free shortening.

Can I make this with a sugar substitute?
I’m not sure. I don’t bake with sugar substitutes. Sorry!

5 from 2 votes

Gluten-Free Peanut Butter Banana Bread

Gluten-free banana bread with a peanut butter twist. Chocolate chips optional.

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 1 hour 10 minutes

Ingredients

2 cups Bob's Red Mill 1:1 Gluten-Free Baking Flour (10 ounces/ 280 grams)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup lightly packed dark brown sugar (5 1/2 ounces/ 155 grams)
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter (4 3/4 ounces/ 135 grams)
1/3 cup butter, softened (2 3/4 ounces; 75 grams)
2 medium very ripe bananas (about 8 ounces/ 226 grams)
2 large eggs (out of the shell: about 4 ounces/113 grams)
1/2 cup chocolate chips optional (3 ounces/85 grams)

Instructions

Heat the oven and prepare the pan. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray an 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 inch loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray.
Prepare the batter. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
Beat together the brown sugar, butter, and peanut butter on medium-high speed until light and fluffy. Stop the mixer once to scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl.
Add the eggs. Mix until light and fluffy. Stop the mixer once to scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl. Beat for an additional 30 seconds.
Stop the mixer and add the whisked flour and mashed banana. Turn the mixer to low. When the flour is incorporated, increase the mixer speed to medium. Mix until a thick batter forms. Stop the mixer. Add the chocolate chips. Stir into the batter with a wooden spoon.
Bake the Bread. Spread the batter into the prepared pan. Bake until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean, about 70 minutes. (Internal temperature of the bread should be 205 degrees.)
Cool the bread in the pan for 10 minutes and then turn out on a wire rack to cool completely.

Easy Gluten-Free Pumpkin Bread

Sep 28, 2019 · 4 Comments

The other day someone on Facebook asked me if I’d posted a recipe for gluten-free pumpkin bread yet. “Hrmph!” I thought. “Of course I’ve posted a recipe.”

Turns out, I hadn’t. I was thinking of the recipe from my first cookbook, “Easy Gluten-Free Baking.” Whoops!

I pulled my cookbook off the shelf and took a look at the recipe. I created it over a decade ago when I published a little print newsletter. It was a reader request. Back then, reader requests happened infrequently. I loved getting them.

The recipe was so popular that it made its way into my cookbook.

Rosie’s pumpkin bread will always have a special place in my heart. That said…if I were to create a gluten-free pumpkin bread today, it would be different from that one.

The good news? I’m in a position to create a new recipe. So I did!

Updating Gluten-Free Pumpkin Bread to Make it Easier (and Tastier!)

Inspired by the gluten-free zucchini bread I made earlier this year, I decided to update my recipe to make it a bit less sweet and oily. I also wanted the recipe to be easier to make. It took me a few tries to get it right. My first attempts came out gummy and dense. Finally, I nailed it! Here’s what I changed.

Changed the Gluten-Free Flour

The original recipe used white rice flour, cornstarch, and xanthan gum. While this is great, there are now good gluten-free flour blends on the market. I used Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 Gluten-Free Baking Flour for this recipe.

Removed the Orange Juice

I wanted to ditch the orange juice. I don’t keep orange juice in the house. Ever. And I know a lot of other folks don’t either. So I nixed the orange juice.

Reduced the Sugar

Too many pumpkin bread recipes, either gluten-free or wheat-based, use too much sugar. For example, Libby’s classic recipe uses three cups of sugar for two loaves. That’s a lot. My original recipe does this too. The new recipe contains 1 1/4 total cups. That’s about 2/3 cup per loaf. Not bad for a sweet quick bread! (Note: I’m not claiming this bread is low sugar. It just contains way less sugar than the original.)

Reduced the Oil

Along with containing too much sugar, many recipes contain too much oil or butter. This makes pumpkin breads damp and greasy. Iwas able to reduce the oil from one cup to 2/3. This 1/3 cup reduction made a big difference in terms off texture.

What I wasn’t able to change: The Pumpkin

Ok. Confession. While developing this recipe, I really, really wanted to create a loaf that used one can of pumpkin and made one loaf of pumpkin bread. Turns out, this proved impossible. The texture of the bread when made with a full can of pumpkin was unpleasantly damp— almost gummy. All the loaves had a dense line running across the bottom of the loaf. Urgh.

Therefore, like my original recipe, this one makes two loaves of pumpkin bread. If you don’t want to make two loaves, and are okay with having a half a can of pumpkin leftover, go ahead and cut the recipe in half.

How to Make the Best Gluten-Free Pumpkin Bread

Preheat oven. The batter needs to go into a hot oven. This helps the loaves to rise, as the baking powder reacts to heat, and gives the bread a nice texture. It’s a good idea to turn the oven on while you prepare the pans and mix the batter.
Whisk together the dry ingredients. This step seems like a nothing. You’re just stirring together ingredients, right? Well, yes and no. Whisking together the dry ingredients ensures that the small ingredients, like the baking powder, baking soda, and salt, mix evenly throughout the flour. If they don’t mix evenly, especially the leveners, the bread can rise unevenly. Don’t rush through this step. Take your time. Good whisking takes about 30 to 45 seconds.
Add the sugars. This bread contains both dark brown and granulated sugar. Rub the brown sugar between your fingers to break up clumps and mix it into the dry ingredients.
Add the pumpkin, oil, and eggs. Stir in the canned pumpkin, oil, and eggs until the batter is smooth. This is a thick batter. I recommend using an electric mixer. However, you can mix the batter by hand. Whether you use an electric mixer or whisk, be sure to mix thoroughly. There shouldn’t be any clumps of flour remaining.
Spread batter evenly into greased pans. Grease two 8 1/2 by 4 1/2 loaf pans generously with nonstick cooking spray (always make sure it’s gluten-free!) or grease and dust with a gluten-free flour.
Bake until set. This bread does not bake quickly. It takes about an hour. Don’t rush it. If you remove the pans from the oven too soon, the bread can have a gummy texture.
Cool on a wire rack. Allow the loaves to cool in the pan for about five minutes. Then turn out and place on a wire rack to cool.

Gluten-Free Pumpkin Bread: The (Important) Ingredients

The Pumpkin

Use canned pure pumpkin. (This is sometimes labeled 100% pure pumpkin puree.) Don’t use canned pumpkin pie filling. That’s a different ingredient and isn’t a substitute for pure pumpkin.

Is canned pumpkin gluten-free?

It should be. But, as always, read labels. Ingredients and “may contain” warnings can change. The best way to know if an ingredient is gluten-free is to first read the label and then contact the manufacturer if you have any questions.

Can I use homemade pumpkin puree?

Yes but expect different results. If you cook, puree, and drain your own pumpkin, go ahead and use it. Just know that homemade pumpkin puree often contains more water than the canned variety. The additional water can affect both the flavor and texture of pumpkin bread. And since this is a loaf of gluten-free pumpkin bread, extra water can make it gummy.

The Gluten-Free Flour

This loaf was tested and developed with Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 Gluten-Free Baking Flour. (This is not a paid placement. I don’t work with Bob’s. I just like how the flour works, the price point, and availability.)

If you replace the gluten-free flour with another blend, the results can change. Flour blends vary greatly from brand to brand. Look for a mix that contains xanthan or guar gum. If it doesn’t, add one teaspoon.

Can I use my own gluten-free flour?

Yes, but please note that using a different blend of flours can impact the final bread.

Can I make this with almond flour?

No. This loaf won’t work with almond flour. It will turn out dense and greasy because of the high-fat content of almond flour.

Can I make this with coconut flour?

No. This recipe won’t work with coconut flour. It will turn out gummy because of how coconut flour absorbs liquid.

Sugars: Brown and Granulated

Both brown sugar and granulated sugar are used in the recipe. When whisking the dry ingredients together, be sure to break up any lumps of brown sugar. If left in the batter, they form hollow, sweet dots in the loaf. While that sounds good, it affects the texture of the bread in an unpleasant way.

Can I use all granulated sugar?

Yes. You can replace the brown sugar with all granulated sugar.

Can I use all brown sugar?

You can but please be aware that the finished loaf might be denser than a loaf made with a mixture of brown sugar and granulated sugar. This is because of the molasses that brown sugar contains. If you’re okay with this, replace the granulated sugar with an equal amount of brown sugar.

Can I use honey or maple syrup?

I don’t think so. I haven’t tested the recipe with either honey or maple syrup. Since these are liquid sugars, the texture of the loaf will turn out differently than intended.

Can I use a sugar-free sweetener?

I don’t know. I don’t work with sugar-free sugars. So I can’t say if it would work or not.

The Pan: The Key to Gluten-Free Pumpkin Bread Success

There’s a huge problem in the baking world: 9×5 inch pans often aren’t 9×5-inches. Argh! Some of them are larger and smaller than others. It’s maddening.

And while x 9×5-inch pan is the standard when it comes to loaf pans, it’s not my favorite pan to use for loaves.

I prefer an 8×5 x 4.5 pan. I use it in my gluten-free sandwich bread recipe. It’s an amazing pan. And while I’m usually a “use whatever you got”-type baker, this is one pan I’d urge you to buy if your budget allows it.

If you don’t own an 8×5 x 4.5 pan, you can still make this bread. Just know that your loaves will turn out a bit shorter than ones made in an 8.5×4.5-inch pan.

FAQ: Gluten-Free Pumpkin Bread

Can I make this recipe into muffins?

Yes. Line 20 muffin cups with either nonstick cooking spray or paper liners. Fill the cups 2/3 full. Bake until the muffins spring back to the touch.

Can I add nuts?

Yes. Stir in up to 1 cup roughly chopped nuts into the batter. Pecans are traditional but use any nut you love.

Can I add chocolate chips?

Yes. Stir in up to 1 cup chocolate chips to the batter.

How can I tell when pumpkin bread is done?

Good question! Because of the high moisture content from the pumpkin and the brown sugar, these loaves take an hour–and sometimes a little longer to bake.

There are two ways to test if your loaf is done

Take the Temperature. Like my recipe for gluten-free sandwich bread, I love using a thermometer to tell when a loaf of bread–even a quick bread like this one–is done. Insert the thermometer about halfway into the loaf. You want it to reach 206 degrees F.
“Stab it and Tap it.” Great name, right? This one isn’t as precise as taking the temperature of the bread. First, use a cake tester (stab it). You don’t want any batter clinging to the cake tester. If it passes that test, go ahead and then tap it with your fingers. You want the loaf to feel dense. If it gives of feels “squishy”, it’s probably not ready.

How to Freeze Gluten-Free Pumpkin Bread

Since this recipe makes two loaves, you might want to freeze one to enjoy later. Happily, this bread freezes really well. If you have extra freezer space, go ahead and freeze a loaf.

Allow the loaf to cool completely.
Wrap the loaf in plastic wrap or place into a freezer bag. (If you’d like to slice into pieces before freezing, place a piece of parchment or wax paper between the slices. Place the slices into freezer bags.
Freeze up to three months.
Thaw on the counter.

Easy Gluten-Free Pumpkin Bread

Ingredients

3 cups Bob's Red Mill 1:1 Gluten-Free Flour (15 ounces; 425 grams)
1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup light or dark brown sugar (7 1/2 ounces; 212 grams)
1/4 cup granulated sugar (2 ounces; 56 grams)
1 (15 ounce) can 100% pure pumpkin
4 large eggs (about 8 ounces; 226 grams out of shell)
2/3 cup vegetable oil, such as canola oil (4 2/3 ounces; 132 grams)

Instructions

Heat oven and prepare the pans. Adjust oven rack to the middle position and preheat to 350 degrees F. Grease two 8.5-by 4.5-inch loaf pasn generously with nonstick cooking spray.
Combine the dry ingredients in a large bowl. Whisk together the gluten-free flour, spices, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Add the brown and granulated sugar. Break up any pieces of brown sugar. You can do this by rubbing the piece of brown sugar between your fingers and thumb or by using a fork.
Mix the batter. Add the pumpkin, eggs, and vegetable oil. Mix until smooth. The batter will be thick.
Bake the loaves. Divide batter evenly between prepared pans. Bake until set and golden brown, about 50 minutes. A cake tester inserted into the center of the loaf should come out clean or to an internal temperature of 206°F.
Cool on a wire rack. Place the pan on a wire rack to cool. Once cool to the touch, turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Store on the counter or freeze. Wrapped tightly in foil, gluten-free pumpkin bread keeps up to 3 days at room temperature. Freeze the cooled loaf, wrapped in plastic wrap and foil, for up to four months.

For Gluten-Free Pumpkin Muffins

Divide batter evenly among 20 lightly greased nonstick muffin cup. Use approximately 1/2 cup (4 ounces; 120for each muffin. Bake until golden brown and set, about 25 minutes.

Recipe Notes

The Gluten-Free Flour

This recipe was tested with Bob's Red Mill 1:1 Gluten-Free Baking Flour. Using a different flour or blend will affect the bread.

Gluten-Free Cinnamon Sugar Pretzels

Sep 19, 2019 · 2 Comments

Easy gluten-free cinnamon-sugar pretzels. Perfect sweet and salty snack. Easy recipe. Dairy-free option included.

There are easy recipes, like my gluten-free vanilla mug cake. And then there are ridiculously easy recipes, like these gluten-free cinnamon and sugar pretzels.

These are something I’ve made for so long that I can’t believe I’ve never shared the recipe on the blog. If I’m honest, I don’t really think of this as a recipe. It’s more like, “Throw some gluten-free pretzels into a bowl. Add sugar, cinnamon, and some melted butter. Bake for a bit. Eat by the large handful.”

That last part? It’s the most important. Because, friend, this is one of those recipes that people can’t stop eating. (Myself included.)

How To Make Gluten-Free Cinnamon Sugar Pretzels

Buy a bag of gluten-free pretzels. For this recipe, I like Snyder’s of Hanover gluten-free pretzels*. Why? Because they contain less fat (as of this writing, always check labels) than other brands. *Not an ad. I just like them.
Preheat the oven. You need to bake these pretzels. This step helps the cinnamon-sugar mixture stick to the pretzels. It only takes about 15 minutes but you don’t want to skip it.
Stir together the cinnamon and sugar. This is the most important step in the recipe. It helps to distribute the cinnamon evenly. If you add the cinnamon and sugar separately, you can end up with some pretzels that have a lot of cinnamon and others that have none.
Melt the butter. If you don’t include dairy in your diet, or if you don’t have some butter in the house, you can still make this recipe. Replace the melted butter with either dairy-free margarine or vegetable oil. You could use coconut oil but I don’t love the mouthfeel that coconut oil gives the pretzels. If you like coconut oil, go ahead and use it.
Toss the gluten-free pretzels with the melted butter. Grab a large bowl. You’re going to need it. If you don’t have a large bowl, use a pasta pot. It works in a pinch. Stir until all the pretzels are coated with butter. When they’re coated, they’ll shine.
Add the cinnamon and sugar. Some folks add the cinnamon and sugar to the melted butter. I hate this. Hate it. Adding the cinnamon and sugar to the melted butter takes this recipe from easy-peasy to a pain in the…well, you know. When you mix the melted butter and cinnamon and sugar, a thick paste forms. It’s almost impossible to get this paste to evenly coat the pretzels. You’re left with pretzels that are coated in gobs of cinnamon-sugar and others that have no coating at all.It’s better to toss the pretzels with cinnamon and sugar after you’ve already coated them with butter. All the pretzels get an even coating of sugary goodness. And you don’t have to swear while making them. Everyone wins.
Bake. Spread the coated pretzles onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake until the sugar almost melts. This takes about 15 minutes.
Break apart and serve. Don’t eat the pretzels as soon as they come out of the oven. This is hard. Very hard. But you’ll burn your mouth because the sugar is, what’s the term, freaking hot. Once they’ve cooled a bit, break them up–they tend to stick together during baking. You can pile them into a bowl and serve right away or put them into an airtight container. And since these make great gifts, you can spoon some into a cello bag, tie with a ribbon, and pat yourself on the back. (Don’t forget that last step.)

5 from 1 vote

Gluten-Free Cinnamon Sugar Pretzels

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 12 minutes

Servings 8 servings

Ingredients

1/2 cup granulated sugar (3 1/2 ounces; 100 grams)
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
4 cups gluten-free pretzels (about 7 ounces; 200 grams)
1/4 cup butter or dairy-free margarine, melted (2 ounces; 56 grams)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
Stir together granulated sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl.
Stir together pretzels and melted butter in a large bowl. Sprinkle the sugar-cinnamon mixture evenly over the pretzels. Stir to coat the pretzels.
Spread pretzels onto the baking sheet. Bake until sugar bubbles, about 12 minutes. Remove and let pretzels cool on the pan. Don’t eat right away. The sugar is very hot and can burn your mouth. Once the pretzels are cool, break apart.
Store pretzels in an airtight container for up to one week.

Easy Gluten-Free Zucchini Bread

Aug 12, 2019 · 3 Comments

A moist and delicious gluten-free zucchini bread. Easy to bake and freeze. Dairy-Free.

I’ve thought a lot about zucchini bread this summer. A few weeks ago, I created a new recipe for gluten-free chocolate zucchini bread. While working on it, I took a look at two of my earlier recipes for gluten-free zucchini bread.

My original gluten-free zucchini bread, which debuted six years(!!!) ago, uses a blend of millet flour and ground flaxmeal. It’s a gluten-free whole-grain take on zucchini bread. The second recipe for gluten-free zucchini bread recipe is a bit more traditional. It includes a bit of apple juice to amp up the flavor.

Here’s the thing: while both of those recipes taste great, they’re both are a bit more work than I like. For example, I don’t keep apple juice in the house. Do I want to make a trip to the store when I want to make zucchini bread? Nope!

I had to be honest, if someone wanted to make a loaf of easy, classic zucchini bread? Neither recipe would satisfy.

That needed to change! So I put “easy gluten-free zucchini bread” on my to-do list. I even underlined easy. So you know I was serious.

What I wanted the recipe to be:

Easy. Zucchini bread is fun to eat. It should also be fun to make! For this recipe, I didn’t want to call for any ingredients that aren’t always in the kitchen, like plain, unflavored yogurt, sour cream, or, I don’t know, pineapple.
Dairy-free. I eat dairy. I need to say that. So although I’m really happy that making this recipe dairy-free benefits folks who are dairy-free; it wasn’t the only reason I wanted a dairy-free bread. My main reason? Flavor! I love butter but in zucchini bread, it can overwhelm the other flavors whereas oil lets everything else shine.
One Loaf. Zucchini bread came about as a way to use excess zucchini. So it makes sense that many recipes make two loaves. But two loaves is usually one loaf too many for me. This recipe makes one loaf of bread. (If you want two loaves, double it.)

How to Make Easy Gluten-Free Zucchini Bread

Use in-season zucchini. This recipe relies on the moisture freshly grated zucchini brings to the batter. Out-of-season zucchini can be dry. Zucchini bread is best made in the summer when zucchini is fresh and abundant.
Use Brown Sugar. The flavor of zucchini bread comes mostly from the other ingredients found in the recipe. Brown sugar adds a delicate, almost caramel flavor, to the bread. Either light or dark brown sugar work.
Add cinnamon and other spices. The recipe calls for two teaspoons of ground cinnamon. If you happen to have nutmeg and cloves in the kitchen, add them. They bump up the flavor and take the zucchini bread from good to great.
Use a gluten-free flour blend. TO keep the recipe easy, I used a commercial gluten-free flour blend. It uses Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 Gluten-Free Baking Flour. If you use a different flour, your results may vary.

Can I make this recipe into muffins?

Yes! Line 10 muffin cups with either nonstick cooking spray or paper liners. Fill the cups 2/3 full. Bake until the muffins spring back to the touch.

Can I add nuts?

Yes! Stir in up to 1/2 cup roughly chopped nuts into the batter.

How about chocolate chips? Can I add those?

Yesssssss! Of course! (You could also make a loaf of gluten-free chocolate zucchini bread. That’s awesome too.) Stir in up to 1/2 cup chocolate chips to the batter.

How can I tell when zucchini bread is done?

Good question! Because of the high moisture content from the zucchini and the brown sugar, this loaf takes almost an hour to bake.

There are two ways to test if your loaf is done

Take the Temperature. Like my recipe for gluten-free sandwich bread, I love using a thermometer to tell when a loaf of bread–even a quick bread like this one–is done. Insert the thermometer about halfway into the loaf. You want it to reach 206 degrees F.
“Stab it and Tap it.” Great name, right? This one isn’t as precise as taking the temperature of the bread. First, use a cake tester (stab it). You don’t want any batter clinging to the cake tester. If it passes that test, go ahead and then tap it with your fingers. You want the loaf to feel dense. If it gives of feels “squishy”, it’s probably not ready.

How to Freeze Gluten-Free Zucchini Bread

This bread freezes really well. If you have extra freezer space, go ahead and freeze a loaf. It’s great enjoyed in the middle of the winter.

5 from 2 votes

Easy Gluten-Free Zucchini Bread

A moist and delicious gluten-free zucchini bread. Easy to bake and freeze. Dairy-Free.

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 50 minutes

Servings 1 9-by 5-inch loaf

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups Bob's Red Mill 1:1 Gluten-Free Flour (7 1/2 ounces; 212 grams)
1/2 cup light or dark brown sugar (3 1/2 ounces; 100 grams)
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs (about 4 ounces; 113 grams out of shell)
1/3 cup vegetable oil, such as canola oil (2 1/3 ounces; 65 grams)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups grated zucchini (about 7 ounces; 198 grams)

Instructions

Grease a 9-by 5-inch loaf pan generously with nonstick cooking spray. Or line the pan with a 7- by 13-inch sheet of parchment paper. Adjust oven rack to the middle position and preheat to 350 degrees F.
Whisk together the gluten-free flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Break up any pieces of brown sugar. You can do this by rubbing the piece of brown sugar between your fingers and thumb or by using a fork.
Add the eggs, vegetable oil, vanilla extract, and grated zucchini. Stir together with a rubber spatula. Batter will look dry. Set a timer for three minutes. After three minutes, stir batter gently until smooth. Spread batter evenly into the prepared pan.
Bake until set and golden brown, about 50 minutes. A cake tester inserted into the center of the loaf should come out clean or to an internal temperature of 206°F.
Place the pan on a wire rack to cool. Once cool to the touch, turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Wrapped tightly in foil, gluten-free zucchini bread keeps up to 3 days at room temperature. Freeze the cooled loaf, wrapped in plastic wrap and foil, for up to four months.

For Gluten-Free Zucchini Bread Muffins

Divide batter evenly among 10 lightly greased nonstick muffin cup. Use approximately 1/2 cup (4 ounces; 120for each muffin. Bake until golden brown and set, about 25 minutes.

Gluten-Free Chocolate Zucchini Bread Recipe

Aug 10, 2019 · 1 Comment

Gluten-free chocolate zucchini bread is moist and rich. Dairy-free and easy-to-make.

I’ve got a question for you! What does zucchini bread taste like? You probably didn’t answer zucchini.

Like pumpkin bread, zucchini bread is based on a bland, watery vegetable*. (Yes, pumpkin is rather bland. Don’t believe me? Try a spoonful of pumpkin the next time you open a can.)

*Fun fact: botanically speaking, both pumpkin and zucchini are fruits. Since they aren’t sweet, we treat them as vegetables in the kitchen.

The point of zucchini bread isn’t to celebrate the flavor of zucchini. It’s usually made for one of two reasons: 1. to use up excess zucchini from your summer garden. 2. nostalgia. Someone in your life made zucchini bread and you liked it. So when summer rolls around, you want to make a loaf. Both of these are excellent reasons to make zucchini bread.

Traditional zucchini bread tastes mostly of cinnamon and is often studded with nuts or raisins. And, frankly, when I’m in the mood for a spiced quick bread, I usually make gluten-free pumpkin bread or gluten-free banana bread.

But chocolate zucchini bread? Well, that’s a different story. This is a bread I get excited to make. Chocolate zucchini bread is dense, moist, and, compared to other chocolate cakes, lower in fat. You can eat a slice without it feeling like an overindulgence.

The zucchini almost melts during baking and leaves behind a mild vegetable-sweetness that pairs really well with cocoa powder. And the texture, especially for gluten-free quick bread, is soft. There’s not a hint of gumminess in this bread.

The Best Gluten-Free Zucchini Bread Is

Soft and tender
Rich and chocolatey
Not too sweet
Not too oily
Made with brown sugar
Easy-to-make.

How to Make Gluten-Free Chocolate Zucchini Bread

Grate the zucchini. Use in-season zucchini. The bread needs the moisture it contains. To grate, use a box grater or food processor fitted with a grating disk.
Mix together the dry ingredients in a large bowl. Whisk together the gluten-free flour with the cocoa powder and other dry ingredients. You don’t need a stand mixer for this recipe but you can use one.
Make the batter. Add the eggs, oil, and zucchini. Stir until the zucchini is coated with batter. At first, the batter might look dry. This is normal.
Give it a rest. Allow the batter to rest for two minutes. The zucchini gives off liquid during this time. Don’t skip the rest.
Bake. Spoon batter into a greased pan and bake until set.
Cool. Cool the bread, set on a wire rack, until cool to the touch.

The Best Flour for Gluten-Free Zucchini Bread

To keep things easy, I used Bob’s Red Mill All-Purpose Gluten-Free Baking Flour. It makes a bread with a very delicate crumb. If you use your own flour blend or a different brand, be sure it contains xanthan gum for structure.

Do not substitute coconut or almond flour for the all-purpose gluten-free baking flour. It won’t work.

The Best Zucchini for Zucchini Bread

Use zucchini during its growing season (in the United States, this means the summer). Out-of-season zucchini tends to be dry and when used for baking, the bread doesn’t come out well.

In-season zucchini, on the other hand, is heavy with water. The water content of the zucchini is essential to creating a smooth batter and moist loaf.

Select zucchini that’s no larger than 12 inches long. You don’t want to use overgrown zucchini. The seeds should be small and delicate. (If you do have an overgrown zucchini, slice it in half. Scoop out the seeds, and then grate.)

After you grate the zucchini, pick up a little in your hand. If it feels moist, it’s perfect for this recipe. If it’s dry, it’s better suited for making latkes.

The Best Cocoa Powder for Zucchini Bread

Use unsweetened, not Dutch processed cocoa powder.

Unsweetened cocoa powder is acidic. It works with the baking soda to leaven the bread.

How to Freeze Gluten-Free Zucchini Bread

After baking, allow the loaf to cool completely. Slice and place parchment paper between the slices. Place the slices into a freezer bag and freeze up to three months.

Gluten-Free chocolate zucchini bread freezes really well.

5 from 1 vote

Gluten-Free Zucchini Bread

Moist and rich, this gluten-free chocolate zucchini bread is an easy-to-make summer classic. Dairy-Free.

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 35 minutes

Total Time 45 minutes

Servings 12 slices

Ingredients

1 cup Bob's Red Mill gluten-free baking flour (4 3/4 ounces / 138 grams)
3/4 cup dark brown sugar (5 1/2 ounces / 155 grams)
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (1 ounce / 28 grams)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups grated zucchini (9 ounces / 255 grams)
2 large eggs
1/3 cup vegetable oil (2 1/3 ounces / 65 grams)
1 tablespoons chocolate chips, optional (1/3 ounce / 10 grams)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9x5-inch loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray.
Whisk together gluten-free flour, dark brown sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Break up any pieces of brown sugar with your fingers. Add grated zucchini, eggs, and oil. Stir until a batter forms. Allow batter to rest for two minutes. This allows the zucchini to release a little moisture. It’s an important step. You don’t want to skip it.
Stir the batter one more time to ensure no dry flour clings to the bottom of the bowl. Spread batter evenly into prepared pan. Sprinkle chocolate chips evenly over the top of the pan.
Bake until a cake tester inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean, about 35 minutes.
Place pan on wire rack. Allow bread to cool in the pan. Slide a metal spatula gently around the edges of the pan to loosen. Turn out bread. Slice with a serrated knife. Store zucchini bread, wrapped, on the counter for up to four days. To freeze: Slice bread and place parchment paper between the slices. Place the slices into a freezer bag and freeze up to three months.

Review: Red Lobster’s Gluten-Free Cheddar Bay Biscuit Mix

Aug 6, 2019 · 4 Comments

When I read that Red Lobster launched a gluten-free version of their popular Cheddar Bay biscuits, I was surprised. This is not a restaurant that’s known for its gluten-free menu.

Then I saw that Red Lobster wasn’t making a gluten-free version of their biscuits in their restaurants. No. They created a mix so you can make the biscuits yourself. At home. (As I type this, gluten-free Cheddar Bay biscuits aren’t offered in the restaurant, nor does it sound like Red Lobster has any plans on doing so.)

That’s…odd? But, still, the mix grabbed my attention. Because I love biscuits the way Oprah loves bread. (I created a recipe for gluten-free Cheddar biscuits a few years ago. Those biscuits, I must say, are pretty darn good.)

So I headed to the only place selling the mix: Wal-Mart. A box cost me $3.84. The non-gluten-free version of the mix was $1.78. As is often the case, the gluten-free version cost most. Sigh.

The Ingredients

Biscuit Mix

Rice flour, palm oil, defatted soy flour, leaving (baking soda, sodium aluminum, phosphate, monocalcium phosphate), cornstarch, food starch-modified, whey powder, salt, dextrose, buttermilk, xanthan gum, soy lecithin.

Herb Blend

Garlic powder, maltodextrin, salt, onion powder, hydrolyzed soy protein, torula yeast, natural and artificial flavors (maltodextrin, butter oil), corn oil, silicon dioxide (anti-caking agent)

The ingredients are pretty boring. A blend of rice flour, soy flour, and cornstarch. While the mix does contain milk, soy, and cornstarch, it looks to be egg-free.

Making and Baking

The back of the box calls for 1/2 cup shredded cheese. It also includes this note on the bottom: “Some shredded cheddar cheese contains gluten. Be sure to make certain your cheese is gluten-free.”

Here’s the deal: I don’t know if gluten in shredded cheese is just a rumor or if there is a brand that uses it. I’ve yet to see one. (That doesn’t mean there isn’t and you should always read labels!) But at this point, I feel like this is a rumor that’s been circulating for years without any proof. I wish someone could name a brand of shredded cheese that uses wheat. (If you know of one, let me know!)

I shredded my own cheese for the mix. Why? I like the taste better. Pre-shredded cheese is convenient but I think it’s a bit blah when it comes to taste. So I shred my own.

The mix came together easily. The box says to scoop out the dough in “about 1/4 cup” portions. So I did. And I got…nine biscuits. (My biscuits were a scant 1/4 cup each.) This isn’t the end of the world but it’s a bit annoying.

The biscuits took 16 minutes to bake. On the box, we’re directed to “bake until golden brown on top.”Hmm…the bottoms were a lovely golden brown. In fact, if I’d baked them much longer, they might have tipped into being too brown.

The top of the biscuit? Not really golden brown at all.

The day before I tested the mix, I picked up a 1/2 dozen (NON-gluten-free) Cheddar Bay biscuits at my local Red Lobster. Those babies were nice and golden brown. Look at how they compare to the gluten-free version.

I melted some butter, mixed it with “garlic herb blend” (this just smelled like garlic and onion) and slathered it on the hot biscuits. The mix says to melt 1/4 cup of butter. That’s a generous amount of butter for 9 biscuits. So I had a bit leftover.

The Taste

These biscuits were very good. Like the ones sold at the restaurant, they were rich–almost a bit too rich, they left grease on my fingers. The garlic herb butter added a really nice flavor. I’d love to mix the packet into the flour mixture before baking. I think this would add a nice even flavor throughout the biscuits.

The one thing that surprised me was the mild cheddar flavor. It’s there but it’s not terribly strong.

The Texture

The biscuits were nice and soft. None of that grit that can be present in too many gluten-free baked goods.

The bottom of the biscuits provided a nice crunch, while the inside was soft and tender. (And not gummy. Yay!)

What I liked

I really liked how easy these biscuits were to make. You add some shredded cheese, a little cold water, stir, and you’re done. I also like the texture and flavor. Did I LOVE the flavor? I can’t say that I did. I found them just a wee bit bland. They were good, not great.

What I didn’t like

The price. The box cost almost $4.00, plus the added expense of having to add your own cheese. This seems a bit pricey for a mix that’s supposed to make 12 biscuits but only made nine.

Would I buy these again?

That’s a solid maybe. While I liked them, they weren’t a total standout for me. Since biscuits are such a treat, I’d rather take a few extra minutes and make mine from scratch. This way I can use butter, instead of the palm oil that’s included in the Red Lobster Mix.

Grade: B+

Red Lobster Introduces a Gluten-Free Cheddar Bay Biscuit Mix

Aug 1, 2019 · Leave a Comment

Red Lobster Is Now Selling Gluten-Free Cheddar Bay Biscuit Mix

Do you miss Red Lobster’s Cheddar Bay biscuits? Well, I’ve got good news and bad news for you. First, the good news: you can now enjoy a gluten-free version of the famous biscuits. The bad news? You’ll have to make them yourself. At home.

Starting in August the Gluten-free Cheddar Bay Biscuit mix will be available at Wal-Mart stores. No word on whether the mix will be available at other stores or online.

The biscuits offered in Red Lobster restaurants will remain off-limits to those on a gluten-free diet.

Note from Elizabeth:

As soon as I’ve had a chance to try the mix, I’ll share my review with you.

PS: Don’t want to wait for the mix? Whip up your own batch of gluten-free Cheddar biscuits with this easy recipe.

UPDATE: Review: Red Lobster Gluten-Free Cheddar Bay Biscuit Mix

Gluten-Free Jalapeño Cheddar Cornbread: The Ingredients

Gluten-Free Cornmeal

Gluten-Free Flour

Sugar, Baking Powder, and Salt

Jalapeño

Eggs, Milk, and Cheese

How to Make Gluten-Free Jalapeño Cornbread

Heat the Oven

Chop the Jalapeños

Grate the Cheese (Or Not)

Make the Batter

Gluten-Free Jalapeño Cheddar Cornbread

Ingredients

Instructions

Recipe Notes

How to Make Gluten-Free Peanut Butter Swirl Brownies

Shop the Recipe

Gluten-Free Peanut Butter Swirl Brownies

Ingredients

For the Peanut Butter Swirl

Instructions

How to Make One Bowl Gluten-Free Carrot Cake

FAQs: Gluten-Free Carrot Cake

What’s the best flour for gluten-free carrot cake?

How do I shred the carrots?

Can I add pineapple?

How about raisins?

Is this carrot cake dairy-free?

What kind of frosting goes best with carrot cake?

How do I make carrot cake muffins?

Why does carrot cake turn green?

Gluten-Free Carrot Cake

Ingredients

Cream Cheese Frosting

Instructions

Cream Cheese Frosting

Recipe Notes

(Because sometimes you just want a piece of toast on Christmas morning.)

Gluten-Free Coffee Cake: The Ingredients

How to Make Gluten-Free Coffee Cake

Gluten-Free Coffee Cake FAQs

Is there coffee in coffee cake?

Can I make this recipe dairy-free?

Can I use almond flour?

Can I make this cake without eggs?

Gluten-Free Sour Cream Coffee Cake

Ingredients

For the Streusel

For the Cake

Instructions

How to Make Gluten-Free Gingerbread Cookies: The Basics

How to Make Gluten-Free Gingerbread Cookies: Explained

Whisk the dry ingredients together.

Make the dough.

Cream together butter and dark brown sugar.

Add the egg and molasses.

Add the dry ingredients.

Chill the dough.

Roll the dough and cut out cookies.

Roll out the dough.

Cut into shapes.

Bake and cool.

Cool.

Decorate.

Store.

FAQs: Gluten-Free Gingerbread Cookies

Can I use almond flour?

Can I use coconut flour?

Can I replace the butter?

Can I use dark brown sugar?

Easy Gluten-Free Gingerbread Cookies

Ingredients

Instructions

How to Make Gluten-Free Molasses Cookies: The Basics

How to Make Gluten-Free Molasses Cookies: Explained

Whisk together the dry ingredients.

Make the dough.

Cream together softened butter and brown sugar.

Add the egg and molasses.

Add the whisked dry ingredients.