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Gluten-Free Cheesecake Pancakes

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Gluten-Free Cheesecake Pancakes

Dotted with small piece of cream cheese, these gluten-free cheesecake pancakes are a decadent way to begin a lazy weekend morning. These pancakes would make a great savory side dish. Replace the cream cheese with  soft goat cheese and add a some freshly ground black pepper. For savory pancakes, reduce the sugar from 1/4 cup to 2 tablespoons.

 

Gluten-Free Cheesecake Pancakes on a white plate.
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Gluten-Free Cheesecake Pancakes

For savory pancakes, replace the cream cheese with goat cheese, reduce the granulated sugar from 1/4 cup to 2 tablespoons, and add a generous pinch of freshly ground black pepper.
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 3 minutes
Total Time 18 minutes
Servings 4
Author Elizabeth Barbone GlutenFreeBaking.com

Ingredients

  • 1 cup white rice flour (4 ounces; 113 grams)
  • 1/2 cup cornstarch (2 ounces; 57 grams)
  • 1/2 cup sweet rice flour (2 ounces; 57 grams)
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar (1 3/4 ounces; 50 grams)
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon xanthan gum
  • 2 large eggs (about 4 ounces, 100 grams)
  • 1 cup milk (8 ounces; 226 grams)
  • 1/4 cup vegetable oil (1 3/4 ounces; 50 grams)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 ounces cream cheese, cut into 1/2 teaspoon size pieces

Instructions

  1. In a medium bowl, whisk together white rice flour, cornstarch, sweet rice flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, salt, and xathan gum. Add eggs, milk, vegetable oil, and vanilla extract. Whisk until smooth.
  2. Lightly oil a flat griddle pan. Heat griddle over medium-high heat. Pour batter, approximately 1/4 cup, onto griddle. Batter should "sizzle" when it hits the pan. Dot the surface of each pancake with a few pieces of cream cheese.
  3. Cook for approximately 3 minutes. Flip pancakes when bubbles appear all over the surface of the pancake and begin to pop. The pancake should begin to look almost dry. Flip and cook another 1-1 1/2 minutes.

Gluten-Free Cream Cheese Pancakes: How bad cheese turned into a beautiful breakfast.

One morning, in an attempt to use some leftover ricotta cheese, I decided to make ricotta pancakes. My ricotta turned out to be well past its prime. Basically, it had turned into a mini-science experience. Even though I ditched the ricotta, I didn’t let the idea of a cheese-studded pancake go. Instead I grabbed some cream cheese.

Unlike ricotta, which melts gently into pancakes, dense cream cheese holds its shape and creates lovely little pockets of warm, oozing cheese throughout the cooked pancakes. Since pancakes are sweet enough, especially when topped with syrup, you don’t need to add any sugar to the cream cheese. Simply cut cold cream cheese into cubes, place a few pieces on a cooking pancake, as you would do with berries or chocolate chips, and you’re done!

 

How to Make an Easy Gluten-Free Apple Pie

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Rustic apple pie on a baking sheet.

Thanks to cold storage, apples are available all winter long. Sometimes even longer! That means that almost anytime is a good time to make a rustic gluten-free apple pie! It’s easy to make this rustic gluten-free apple pie. You roll out one piece of pie dough, pile cinnamon-sugar coated apples in the center, and fold the dough over the edges of the apples. That’s it!

Rustic Gluten-Free Apple Pie: As Easy as Pie!

I think of this apple pie as a weeknight pie. It’s so easy to make that I can even whip one up on a busy workday. While that’s good for my tastebuds, it’s not great for my waistline. BUT LET’S NOT GO THERE. (ahem)

Gluten-free flour and butter mixture in the bowl of a food processor.

Start by combining the dry ingredients in the bowl of your food processor. If you don’t have a food processor, no problem! Whisk them together in a large bowl. Then add the butter. Pulse the food processor until no large pieces of butter remain. A few small nibs are fine but large pieces are a no-no. If you’re doing this by hand, use a pastry cutter to work the cold butter into the flour.

Gluten-free pie dough in a food processor bowl.

Add the cold water and run the food processor until a dough forms. Or stir the water into the flour mixture with a wooden spoon. Easy-peasy!

Gluten-free pie dough on wood counter.

Dust your countertop with some white rice flour and pat the dough into a disk. Chill the dough for at least two hours. I like to make this dough the night before I plan to bake a pie. Or, if you are a great planner, you can make up a batch or two of this dough, wrap it well, and freeze it for up to three months. (Be sure to let the dough thaw before you use it.)

Gluten-free pie dough rolled out into a round.

Roll the dough out on a piece of parchment paper. This is key! Once you’ve rolled the dough out, slide the parchment, with the dough still on it, onto a rimmed baking sheet. You’d think the rim would get in the way but it doesn’t. If you move fast enough, the parchment and dough slide right over the rim of the baking pan.

Easy Gluten-Free Apple Pie, unbaked on a sheet pan.

Pile the apples into the center of the pastry and fold the crust onto the edges of the apples. If you want, you can brush the dough with a beaten egg and sprinkle on a little coarse sugar. Feel free to totally skip that step!

 

Rustic apple pie on a baking sheet.

Bake until the apples are brown and the edges of the crust turns golden brown. Allow the pie to cool on the pan. Then cut into slices and enjoy! (Use a large metal spatula to lift the pie from the pan and onto your cutting board.)

BTW, can somebody pass me some vanilla ice cream? I think I need a scoop to go with this pie.

Easy Gluten-Free Apple Pie, unbaked on a sheet pan.
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Easy Gluten-Free Apple Pie

You want to use a tart baking apple, like Granny Smith for this recipe. If you use a soft apple, it's hard for the pie to hold it's shape.
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Servings 6
Author Elizabeth Barbone GlutenFreeBaking.com

Ingredients

For the Crust

  • 1 cup finely ground white rice flour (4 ounces; 113 grams)
  • 1/4 cup sweet rice flour (1 ounce; 28 grams)
  • 1/4 cup tapioca starch (1 ounce; 28 grams)
  • 2 tablespoons granulated sugar (3/4 ounce; 25 grams)
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 stick butter, chilled and cut into six pieces (1/2 cup; 4 ounces, 113 grams)
  • 1/4 cup water, cold (2 ounces; 56 grams)

For the Filling

  • 3 medium Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and sliced into 1/4-inch slices (about 3 1/2 cups)
  • 2 tablespoons cornstarch (1/2 ounce; 14 grams)
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar (1 3/4 cup; 50 grams)
  • 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • Extra granulated sugar for sprinkling

Instructions

  1. For the Crust: In the bowl of a food processor, combine white rice flour, sweet rice flour, tapioca starch, granulated sugar and salt. Pulse to combine. Add butter. Pulse to combine until no large pieces of butter remain and mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs, about 8 to 10 one-second pulses.
  2. Add water and run food processor just until mixture comes together in a ball, about 5 seconds.
  3. Turn dough out onto a lightly white rice floured counter. Pat into a round and wrap tightly in plastic wrap. Chill two hours or overnight.
  4. To Assemble the Galette: Adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat oven to 425°F.
  5. Remove dough from refrigerator. Allow it to sit on the counter for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, stir apple slices and cornstarch together with a wooden spoon. Be sure all apple slices are lightly dusted with cornstarch. Add sugar, lemon juice and ground cinnamon. Stir to combine.
  6. Place dough onto an 16.5 x12.5-inch piece of parchment. Generously white rice flour top of dough. Roll dough into a 12-inch circle. Slide parchment and dough onto a rimmed baking sheet.
  7. Pile filling into center of crust, leaving a 3-inch border around filling. Fold dough border over apple filling; dough will pleat as you do this. The dough will not cover the filling completely; the center remains uncovered. (You can always slide your hand under the parchment paper and lift it to help you fold the dough onto the apples.) Generously sprinkle granulated sugar on edge of crust.
  8. Bake for 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F. Bake for an additional 20 minutes or until crust is golden brown and filling bubbles.
  9. Remove pan from oven. Allow galette to cool on the pan before transferring to a serving plate.

Individual Gluten-Free Apple Pie

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Individual Gluten-Free Apple Pie

These cute individual gluten-free apple pies are a snap to make! You sandwich apple pie filling between two pieces of gluten-free pie dough, crimp with a fork, and bake. If you feel like it, brush the top with a beaten egg and sprinkle on a little coarse sugar. The crunch of the sugar adds a nice touch to these adorable pies. The best part? You don’t need to invest in mini pie pans to make these handheld treats!

 Individual Gluten-Free Apple Pie: How a Bad Crop Started a Sweet Tradition

One of the awesome benefits of living in upstate New York is that I’m sitting right in the heart of New York’s apple country. There are dozens of fantastic orchards just a few miles from our home. And, around here, the fall apple crop is big news. How big? A few years ago, the front page of my carried this headline: “Slim pickings for area’s apple crop.” The combination of warm March temperatures and an April freeze led to a poor apple-growing season and early fall apples. How early? Some pick-your-own-orchards opened in early August that year! August! 

Not wanting to miss the apple crop, I did what any apple-loving baker would do. I made pie. In August. Which, let me tell you, just felt weird.

Instead of baking a traditional pie, I decided to make individual gluten-free apple pies since the petite size makes them easy to enjoy while dining outdoors–as we tend to do in August. And, thus, a new tradition was born!

Ever since, I’ve made individual gluten-free apple pies in the fall. Even when the apple crop is awesome, as it was this year!

Individual Gluten-Free Apple Pie: How to Make ‘Em

Back when I was baking with wheat, individual pies were especially fun to make. You simply took a round of pie dough, plopped in some apple filling, and folded the dough over the filling. The gluten-free pies, however, weren’t as fun or easy to make at first.

Since the dough lacks the elasticity that gluten provides, it tore each time I tried to fold it over the apple filling. Instead of a smooth pastry, each pie had many deep cracks that leaked filling during baking. To fix this, I tried allowing the dough to reach almost-room temperature before baking, thinking that a warmer dough would give easier as it folded over the apples. No luck. Then I tweaked the dough itself. This yielded a dough that tasted more like a vanilla cookie when baked than pie crust. And it still broke as I folded it.

Finally I ditched the idea of a turnover. I grabbed two round cutters, cut dough rounds, filled them, and attempted to seal the dough. Again the top piece of dough tore as it went over the chunky filling. This time, there was an easy solution to the problem: use a larger cutter for the top pastry. The slightly larger piece of dough covers the filling easily. No tugging required! This simple adjustment again made it easy to make individual pies.

Who knew that such a sweet tradition would be born from such a bad apple season?

Gluten-Free Apple Hand Pies on a white platter.
5 from 1 vote
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Individual Gluten-Free Apple Pie

You need two round cookie cutters to make these individual gluten-free apple pies, one slightly larger than the other. One 3-inch and one 3 1/2-inch cutter make the perfect bottom and top for the crust. Be sure to use the larger cutter for the top crust. This allows it to easily drape over the apple filling without tearing.
Prep Time 45 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Servings 12
Author Elizabeth Barbone GlutenFreeBaking.com

Ingredients

For the Crust

  • 2 cups white rice flour (8 ounces; 226 grams)
  • 3/4 cup tapioca starch (3 ounces; 85 grams)
  • 3 tablespoons granulated sugar (1 1/2 ounces; 42 grams)
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum
  • 2 sticks cold, unsalted butter, cut into tablespoon-size pieces (1 cup; 8 ounces; 226 grams)
  • 4 to 6 tablespoons water (2 to 3 ounces; 56 to 85 grams)

For the Filling

  • 2 large apples, peeled, cored, and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
  • 3 tablespoons dark brown sugar (1 1/3 ounces; 36 grams)
  • 2 tablespoons juice from 1 lemon
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 2 tablespoons white rice flour (1/2 ounce; 14 grams)
  • 1 large egg beaten
  • granulated or coarse sugar

Instructions

  1. In bowl of food processor, combine white rice flour, tapioca starch, granulated sugar, salt, and xanthan gum. Pulse to combine. Add butter. Pulse until no large pieces of butter remain. Add 4 tablespoons water. Pulse until dough forms. If dough does not form, add two additional tablespoons water.
  2. Lightly white rice flour your counter. Divide dough into two even balls and shape each into a disk. Wrap and chill dough for at least two hours or overnight.
  3. Preheat oven to 375 °F. While oven preheats, prepare filling. Toss together apple pieces, dark brown sugar, lemon juice, and cinnamon. If desired, add more sugar to taste. Toss apple mixture with white rice flour.
  4. Remove one dough round from the refrigerator. Allow to stand for about five minutes. Lightly white rice flour countertop. Roll dough out to approximately 1/8-inch. While rolling, occasionally run a long, thin metal spatula under the dough to prevent it from sticking to the counter.
  5. Using the 3-inch cutter, cut dough into 6 pieces. (These will be the pie bases.) Gather dough and gently gather into a ball. Reroll. Now use the 3 1/3-inch cutter and cut out another 6 pieces. (These will be the pie tops.) Place the six 3-inch dough cut-outs on parchment-lined baking sheet. Top with approximately one tablespoon of apple filling. Brush edges with beaten egg. Cover filling with 3 1/2-inch dough round. If dough tears, lightly pinch it back together. Crimp edges together with fork. (To keep dough from sticking to the fork, dust it with white rice flour before crimping.) Chill pies for five minutes.
  6. Brush pies with beaten egg and generously sprinkle with granulated or coarse sugar. Pierce top twice with fork to allow steam from the filling to escape. Bake until filling bubbles and crust is golden brown, about 25 minutes. While one pan of pies bakes, form second pan. Bake second pan of pies in the same manner.
  7. Allow pies to cool on baking sheet. Store, covered, at room temperature for up to three days.

Gluten-Free Banana Whole Grain Pancakes

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These gluten-free banana pancakes are made with whole grains. The combination of banana and whole grains make for a hearty breakfast that somehow manages not to be too heavy.

Gluten-Free Banana Pancakes on a plate, topped with syrup and banana slices.

Gluten-Free Banana Pancakes

Last week I faced a bit of a culinary quandary: to make banana pancakes or not to make banana pancakes. In the pro-banana pancake column: two super ripe bananas on my kitchen counter and my love of any type of banana baked good. In the con column: my husband dislikes banana baked goods as much as I love them.

Reasoning that the bananas needed to be used ASAP, the pancakes won. I mashed them with some brown sugar and allowed the mixture to sit for a few minutes, the same way I handle batter for banana bread. Instead of my standard pancake flour mixture, I whisked together some brown rice flour and sweet rice flour. Since bananas add body to baked goods, I skipped the cornstarch. The batter smelled good…to me at least.

My husband wandered up, coffee cup in hand, and asked, “Did you put bananas in the batter?” I wanted to lie. Badly. There were only two bananas! Maybe he wouldn’t notice? Thanks to my food allergies, I’m totally unable to lie to someone about what’s in food they’re about to eat. (And, you know, feelings of general decency, etc.) I admitted that, yes, bananas somehow fell into the batter. His response: “I think I’ll have eggs.”

I made myself a batch, threw a few chocolate chips in one of the pancakes, flipped it, and offered Greg a bite. To humor me, he took one. And then another. Then he wandered over to the stovetop and cooked himself a batch. I might have done a little happy dance in my chair.

 What won him over was the texture. The pancakes are really fluffy. And unlike banana bread, they don’t have an aggressive banana flavor; it’s more of a banana whisper. The nutty brown rice flour worked well in the recipe but so would sorghum flour or quinoa flour. To up the whole grain factor, you could also add some ground flax meal. However, don’t add more than two tablespoons of flax or the batter becomes too viscous. To finish the pancakes, consider topping them with some sliced bananas, blueberries, chopped nuts, or chocolate chips! All complement the pancakes nicely.
 
Gluten-Free Banana Pancakes on a plate.
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Gluten-Free Banana Pancakes

Light and fluffy, these pancakes are great on their own. However, sliced bananas, blueberries, chocolate chips, and chopped nuts also pair well with the pancakes. Note: If desired, replace the sorghum and quinoa flour for the brown rice flour called for in the recipe. You can also add up to two tablespoons of ground flax meal for an additional nutty flavor.
Course pancakes
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Servings 4
Author GlutenFreeBaking.com

Ingredients

  • For the Pancakes
  • 2 large ripe bananas
  • 1/4 cup dark brown sugar (1 3/4 ounces; 50 grams)
  • 1 cup brown rice flour (4 ounces; 113 grams)
  • 1/2 cup sweet rice flour (2 ounces; 57 grams)
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon xanthan gum
  • 1 cup milk (8 ounces; 226 grams)
  • 2 large eggs (about 4 ounces; 100 grams out of shell)
  • 1/4 cup vegetable oil or melted butter (1 3/4 ounces; 50 grams)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For Serving, optional

  • maple syrup or golden syrup
  • butter
  • sliced bananas
  • blueberries
  • chocolate chips
  • chopped nuts

Instructions

  1. In small bowl, mash together bananas and sugar with a fork. Allow to stand for ten minutes. In a medium bowl, whisk together brown rice flour, sweet rice flour, baking powder, salt, and xanthan gum. Add milk, eggs, vegetable oil, vanilla extract, and banana mixture. Stir until batter forms. If batter is thick, add an additional tablespoon of milk.
  2. Lightly oil a flat griddle pan. Heat griddle over medium-high heat until hot but not smoking. Pour batter onto griddle into rounds approximately 1/4 cup each. Cook until bubbles appear all over the surface of the pancake and begin to pop, approximately 3 minutes. (If desired, add a sprinkle of chocolate chips or blueberries to the cooking pancakes.) Flip pancakes and cook another 1 to 1 1/2 minutes.
  3. Serve with butter, syrup, and, if desired, sliced bananas, blueberries, or a sprinkle of chopped nuts.

10 Cozy Gluten-Free Recipes to Make During a Blizzard

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Snowed in? Here are ten eleven recipes to make while you’re stuck inside.

Stay safe, friends!

-E.

Baked Chocolate Doughnuts

Baked gluten free chocolate doughnut on cooling rack.

A lazy morning with chocolate doughnuts? YES, please!

Get the recipe HERE.

Cinnamon Bun Waffles

Gluten-Free Cinnamon Bun Waffles with sugar glaze.

Doughnuts not your thing? How about cinnamon bun waffles?

Get the Recipe HERE.

Fluffy Pancakes

Stack of gluten-free pancakes with pat of butter and drizzle of syrup.

It wouldn’t be a snowy day without pancakes. They make a great breakfast, of course, but I LOVE to make breakfast for dinner during a storm. (True story: I love breakfast for dinner anytime. A snow storm is just a good excuse!)

Get the Recipe HERE.

Pot Roast

Searing Paleo Pot Roast.

Maybe you bought a piece of chuck before the storm? (Or did you only buy milk and gluten-free bread?) If you do have a piece of chuck in the house, make this pot roast. It’s so good and so easy!

Get the Recipe HERE.

American Chop Suey

Gluten-Free Goulash in pan.

This is one of my favorite winter dishes! Whether you call it American Chop Suey, Goulash, or Pasta with Beef, this meal takes only minutes to make. (Leaving you more time for, you know, shoveling.)

Get the Recipe HERE.

Fresh Pasta 

Fresh gluten-free pasta on sheet pan.

Speaking of pasta…why not try your hand at making fresh pasta? Think of the story you can tell your friends! “Yeah, during the storm, I made fresh gluten-free pasta. No big deal.”

Get the Recipe HERE.

Sweet Potato Soup

Paleo Sweet Potato Soup in a bowl.

This sweet potato soup has a nice spicy kick! I’ll just cross my fingers that you have a few sweet potatoes in the pantry.

Get the Recipe HERE.

5 Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies

Gluten-Free Flourless Peanut Butter Cookies on a white platter.

Now, time for the sweet stuff! You don’t even need to have flour in the house to make a batch of these peanut butter cookies! The recipe is crazy-easy! CRAZY!

Get the Recipe HERE.

Cut-Out Cookies

Gluten-Free Cut out Sugar Cookies on a Plate.

Did you not have time to make cut-out cookies during the holiday season? Why not make a batch now? And if you did make cookies during the holiday season, I bet they’re gone by now. So…go make more cookies!

Get the Recipe HERE.

Whoopie Pies

Gluten-Free Whoopie Pie on a plate.

Whoopie! It’s a blizzard out there! (See what I did there?)

Get the Recipe HERE.

Hot Chocolate

Dairy-free hot chocolate in two mugs. Small plate of chocolate chips on the left.

And I can’t complete this list without including a recipe for hot chocolate! That makes eleven recipes, not ten. Oh, well. WORTH IT!

Get the Recipe HERE.

How to Make Dairy-Free Hot Chocolate (aka The World’s Richest Hot Chocolate.)

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Dairy-free hot chocolate in two mugs. Small plate of chocolate chips on the left.

What do you get when you combine a dairy-free truffle mixture and hot coconut milk? You get the world’s best dairy-free hot chocolate! And, seriously, no one would guess that it’s dairy-free. No one! In fact, I’ve shared this with dairy-loving friends and they all raved about it!

Hot Chocolate vs. Hot Cocoa: Which Team Are You On?

We need to discuss something. It’s serious*. And very important*. The difference between “hot chocolate” and “hot cocoa.” Yes. There’s a difference.

*If you love chocolate.

Hot chocolate: made by combining chocolate with hot milk or cream.

Hot cocoa: made by combining cocoa powder with hot milk or cream.

Is one better than the other? Not really. I mean, I don’t drink either on a regular basis. So when I sit down for a cup of hot chocolate, I want hot chocolate. But, I have to admit, there’s something nice about a cup of hot cocoa with a homemade marshmallow bobbing around in it. Basically, if you offered me one or the other, I wouldn’t turn you down.

Scoops of dairy-free hot chocolate mixture.

Dairy-Free Hot Chocolate: The Work is Worth the Reward

Today, though, we’re leaving the cocoa powder alone!  We’re going to make the world’s richest dairy-free hot chocolate. And it all begins with a ganache.

Ah, ganache! How I love thee. If you aren’t familiar with the term, let me introduce you to this chocolate delight. A mixture of chocolate and cream (or in our case, coconut milk.), ganache can be used to make everything from truffles to whipped chocolate icing. Today it takes a staring role in hot chocolate.

You might be wondering why I use ganache in my hot chocolate instead of just stirring chocolate into hot coconut milk. When I’m in the mood for a mug of hot chocolate, I don’t want to futz with making a big pot of it. But it’s hard to make a just one serving of true hot chocolate. So what’s a hot chocolate lover to do?

Answer: make hot chocolate balls!

If you make a small batch of ganache and scoop it into balls, you can make hot chocolate whenever the mood strikes. Great, right?

It’s easy to make a dairy-free ganache. You bring full-fat coconut milk to a boil, add some dairy-free chocolate, and stir. In a minute or two the mixture turns dark and shiny. After the ganache chills for a few hours, scoop it into balls. Then put those hot chocolate balls in a freezer bag. When you crave hot chocolate, grab a hot chocolate ball, plop it into a glass of hot coconut milk and stir. That’s in! In only a minute or two, you’ll be enjoying the richest hot chocolate EVER.

How easy is that?

Dairy-Free Hot Chocolate: Variations

  • Peppermint Hot Chocolate: Add a drop or two of pure peppermint oil to the warm ganache.
  • Less Rich Hot Chocolate: Use low-fat coconut milk when making the hot chocolate. (Don’t use low-fat coconut milk for the ganache. It won’t work.)
  • Hot Chocolate for a Crowd: Heat a hot of coconut milk and add one hot chocolate ball per person to the pot. Whisk until the hot chocolate balls melt completely.
How to Make REALLY Rich Dairy-Free Hot Chocolate!
Dairy-free hot chocolate in two mugs. Small plate of chocolate chips on the left.
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Paleo Hot Chocolate (aka The World's Richest Hot Chocolate.)

This dairy-free hot chocolate might be the richest (and best!) hot chocolate you've ever tasted. Enjoy!
Prep Time 2 minutes
Cook Time 3 minutes
Total Time 5 minutes
Servings 1 serving
Author Elizabeth Barbone GlutenFreeBaking.com

Ingredients

  • 8 ounces coconut milk full fat or low fat, whisked smooth
  • 1 hot chocolate ball see recipe below.

Instructions

  1. Heat coconut milk until warm. (I often do this in the microwave in a 2-cup measuring cup.) Add the hot chocolate ball. Stir. Heat until chocolate ball melts. Enjoy!
Dairy-free hot chocolate in two mugs. Small plate of chocolate chips on the left.
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Paleo Hot Chocolate Base

For this recipe, I recommend using Enjoy Life's chocolate chips.
Prep Time 15 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes
Servings 8 hot chocolate balls
Author Elizabeth Barbone GlutenFreeBaking.com

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup full fat coconut milk, whisked until smooth (or heavy cream if you aren't dairy-free) (4 ounces; 113 grams)
  • 1 1/3 cups dairy-free chocolate chips (8 ounces; 226 grams)

Instructions

  1. Heat the coconut milk over medium heat in a small heavy bottomed pot. When it reaches a boil, turn off the heat and add the chocolate. Stir the mixture with a wooden spoon until the chocolate melt. You want the mixture to be nice and shiny.
  2. Pour the chocolate mixture into a square baking pan. Allow to cool on the counter for about 30 minutes. Cover with plastic wrap. (Press the plastic wrap right onto the surface of the chocolate mixture.) Chill for three hours or overnight.
  3. Scoop mixture into balls, about three tablespoons each. Place the hot chocolate balls into a freezer bag and freeze until ready to use.
  4. Use as directed above.

Paleo Chocolate Chip Cookies (Grain-Free & Dairy-Free)

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Paleo Chocolate Chip Cookies on a baking sheet.

All hail the king of cookies! These paleo chocolate chip cookies are a new take on an old favorite. The honey and maple syrup combine to create an almost caramel-like flavor. I prefer my chocolate chip cookies without the addition of chopped nuts. However, if you like nuts, go ahead and stir in a half-cup of your favorite. Walnuts are a traditional addition, but any chopped tree nut will work!

Paleo Chocolate Chip Cookies: The Important Stuff

If you’re reading this, I know one thing about you! (grabs crystal ball) You’re pondering making paleo chocolate chip cookies!  I don’t want to keep you from that pursuit. So here’s everything you need to know about this recipe!

Does this recipe make crisp or soft chocolate chip cookies?

Crisp! There’s a recipe for soft-baked chocolate chip cookies in my new book. affiliate link That one uses coconut flour. This recipe, made with almond flour, bakes up nice and crispy.

Why isn’t there coconut oil or butter in the recipe?

It doesn’t need it! The almond flour brings enough fat to the party. This means you can dump all the dry ingredients into a bowl, add the wet ingredients and stir. No need to cream a fat, like coconut oil or butter, with a sugar to start. You save a step!

What’s up with using both honey and maple syrup?

Ah! Good question! The combination of honey and maple syrup tastes a little like brown sugar when baked and you don’t need to use molasses or brown sugar. If you only have one on hand, go ahead and use it. The recipe still works.

Are chocolate chips paleo?

That depends on how you define paleo. On this site, I use the term paleo to mean grain, legume, and dairy-free. I avoid refined sugar but I do use sweeteners like honey, maple syrup, coconut sugar, and evaporated cane juice. For this recipe, I used Enjoy Life chocolate chips. The chips are gluten-free (actually, they are free of gluten, peanut, soy, casein, potato, wheat, tree nut, fish, sesame, dairy, and egg!) and are sweetened with evaporated cane juice. That works for me!

What’s the history of the chocolate chip cookie?

I’m SO glad you asked! Read this story!  (Story warning: you’ll want a chocolate chip cookie by the time you’re done reading it.)

Paleo Chocolate Chip Cookies: The Shopping List

Here are the tools and ingredients I used to make this recipe. I hope you find this helpful!
The above are Amazon affiliate links. If you use them to shop, I’ll earn a small commission which helps support the site.

Ingredients

Almond Flour (I’ve made this recipe with both Bob’s Red Mill and Honeyville. They each work GREAT!)
Tapioca Starch
Honey (Buy local honey!)
Maple Syrup
Chocolate Chips

Tools

Mixing Bowl <—I LOVE these bowls. For this recipe, I used the second-to-the-largest bowl.
Whisk
Wooden Spoon
Baking Sheet 
Parchment Paper
Cookie Scoop <–The best cookie scoop EVER.
Cooling Rack
Cookie Spatula <–Yup. I actually use this. Someone gave it to me as a gift and, wouldn’t you know it, I LOVE the thing.

and…of course…The World’s Easiest Paleo Baking. This recipe comes right from my new book. I’d love it if you picked up a copy!

 

Paleo Chocolate Chip Cookies

 

Paleo chocolate chip cookies on a pan.
5 from 3 votes
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Paleo Chocolate Chip Cookies (Grain-Free & Dairy-Free)

Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Servings 12 cookies
Author GlutenFreeBaking.com Elizabeth Barbone

Ingredients

  • 1 1/4 cups 1 1/4 cups finely ground almond flour (5 ounces; 142 grams)
  • 1/4 cup tapioca starch (1 ounce; 28 grams)
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder, homemade or grain-free store-bought
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 3 tablespoons honey (2 1/4 ounces; 63 grams)
  • 2 tablespoons dark maple syrup
  • 1 egg yolk (about 1/2 ounce; 15 grams)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup dairy-free dark chocolate chips or chopped dark dairy-free chocolate (3 ounces; 85 grams)

Instructions

  1. Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
  2. Whisk the almond flour, tapioca starch, baking powder, and salt together in a medium mixing bowl.
  3. Add the honey, maple syrup, egg yolk, and vanilla and stir with a wooden spoon to combine. Stir in the chocolate chips.
  4. Drop dough by the tablespoonful onto the prepared baking sheet, spaced about 2 inches apart to allow for spreading.
  5. Bake until golden brown, about 10 minutes.
  6. Allow the cookies to cool on the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
  7. Allow the baking sheet to cool, and repeat with the remaining dough.
  8. Store on the counter in an airtight container for up to 4 days, or freeze, wrapped in plastic wrap and
  9. placed in a freezer container, for up to 6 weeks.

How to Make Gluten-Free Macaroni and Cheese

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Creamy gluten-free macaroni and cheese! YES! Oodles of cheese and a sweet rice flour-roux combine to make this a creamy, dreamy mac and cheese. The recipe uses both Cheddar and Colby cheese—the Cheddar brings the classic flavor of macaroni and cheese while the Colby makes it creamy. If you prefer all Cheddar (or all Colby) go ahead and substitute to suit your tastes!

Gluten-free macaroni and cheese on a plate.

Gluten-Free Macaroni and Cheese: How a frozen dinner turned me into a fan.

Macaroni and cheese never grabbed me. Crazy, right? The few times I tried the American comfort classic, made with a cheddar sauce, I found it dry and unappealing. Then Stouffer’s happened.

Years ago, I watched a friend zap a pan of frozen Stouffer’s macaroni and cheese in the microwave. Like me, she generally prefers homemade to store bought. As she ate, I saw the appeal: the creaminess of the sauce. It looked AMAZING. In the name of food research, I swiped a forkful from her plate (I wasn’t gluten-free at the time.). My reaction? Well, thank goodness for willpower. It kept me from grabbing her plate, running off, and eating the whole thing in one quick go.

If a frozen macaroni and cheese achieved a creamy sauce, a homemade one could too, right?

But they never did. I tried several recipes. One recipe called for eggs in the sauce, making it more custard-like, while another used evaporated milk and half-and-half, creating a rich sauce that muted the flavor of the cheese. One version even used Velveeta, and the result was creamy but I didn’t like the flavor. Was it impossible to make a macaroni and cheese at home that was both flavorful and creamy?

Then, one day at the hairdresser (not kidding!), I flipped through an old copy of Cook’s Country magazine and saw a promising recipe for a creamy macaroni and cheese. Creamy, you say?

The amount of cheese in the casserole startled me a little. It called for….(wait for it) one and half pounds of cheese!  CAN YOU EVEN?!! Since there was more cheese than pasta (it used one pound of pasta) I worried it might be too rich but I decided to try it anyway. I converted it to gluten-free by replacing the wheat flour needed to thicken the sauce with sweet rice flour and the wheat pasta with brown rice pasta. Everything else I left the same.

As promised, the sauce, even after baking, stayed creamy.

Had I finally found the winning recipe? Yes! But this didn’t stop me from tinkering with it. One time I reduced the amount of whole milk and bumped up the chicken broth. Another time I swapped the ratio of Colby to Cheddar, using more Cheddar because I like its sharper flavor. Finally, because as much as I like macaroni and cheese, I don’t need a 9×13-inch pan of it; I reduced the recipe by half.

Finally, I’d found a gluten-free macaroni and cheese recipe I loved and boy, oh boy, was it creamy and dreamy!

Gluten-Free Macaroni and Cheese: How to Make It

Roux for gluten-free macaroni and cheese.

This recipe starts with a cooked mixture of sweet rice flour and butter. This is called a roux. When you first add the flour to the butter, it will seize and get clumpy. This is totally normal. Just let the mixture do its thing while you do yours. And your thing is to stand their and stir. You want to cook the sweet rice flour until it turns a light shade of beige. This takes a minute or two. Don’t walk away from the pan or the flour-butter mixture will betray you and burn.

Cooked cheese sauce for gluten-free macaroni and cheese.

Once you’ve cooked the roux, it’s time to add the broth and milk. The roux thickens the second a little broth hits it. Add the broth in a slow and steady stream, whisking as you add the liquid. Do the same as you add the milk. The roux will relax and you’ll be left with a nice smooth sauce. Cook the mixture until it thickens a little. I love watching this happen!

Cheese sauce for gluten-free macaroni and cheese.

As soon as the sauce thickens, add your grated cheese. Now, don’t add it all at once or it’ll clump and make you sad. You want to add a handful (about 1/2 cup) at a time. Stir the sauce gently after each addition and allow the cheese to melt into the sauce. If you stir the sauce too fast, the cheese might break and make the sauce oily. Don’t stress about this too much. If you go slow and steady, you’ll be fine. Add cheese, one handful at a time, until you’ve added all of it.

Stirring cooked macaroni into gluten-free cheese sauce.

At this point, your pasta should be ready to drain and add to the sauce. If the pasta isn’t ready yet, reduce the heat under the cheese sauce to low and stir it occasionally while you wait. When the pasta’s ready, drain it, and stir the pasta into the sauce.

Gluten-Free Macaroni and Cheese in pan topped with breadcrumbs and parmesan cheese.

Transfer the macaroni and cheese to a 9×13-inch pan, sprinkle breadcrumbs over the top, and bake until bubbly.

 

Gluten-Free Macaroni and Cheese: Variations

Sauce: Replace the chicken broth with gluten-free vegetable broth for a vegetarian macaroni and cheese. If you want a rich sauce, omit the broth and use all milk; for a (slightly) lighter-tasting sauce, use reduced fat (2%) milk. Skim milk doesn’t work as well.

Pasta: When cooking the pasta, boil it until it’s al dente or it will overcook and become bloated and mushy in the casserole. Look for your pasta to be firm but yielding. If it crunches when you bite into it, cook it a little longer.

Cheese: The combination of cheddar and Colby provides great flavor and creaminess. If you prefer to use all cheddar or all Colby, go ahead. Or use any combination of the two.

Topping: You’ll sprinkle gluten-free breadcrumbs over the macaroni and cheese before baking. If you don’t have gluten-free breadcrumbs on hand, replace the breadcrumbs with grated Parmesan cheese.

Gluten-free macaroni and cheese on a plate.
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How to Make Gluten-Free Macaroni and Cheese

If you like a slightly less cheesy gluten-free macaroni and cheese, reduce the cheese from 12 ounces (total) to 8 ounces (total). Feel free to do this as you please, reducing either the Cheddar, the Colby, or both!
Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes
Servings 8 to 10
Author Elizabeth Barbone GlutenFreeBaking.com

Ingredients

  • 8 ounces gluten-free elbow macaroni
  • 3 tablespoons butter (1 1/2 ounces; 42 grams)
  • 1 clove garlic, minced or put through a garlic press
  • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • 3 tablespoons sweet rice flour (3/4 ounce; 21 grams)
  • 1 1/4 cups chicken broth, homemade or reduced sodium (10 ounces; 283 grams)
  • 1 cup whole milk (8 ounces; 226 grams)
  • 8 ounces Cheddar cheese, grated
  • 4 ounces extra sharp Colby cheese, grated
  • 3 tablespoons cup dried gluten-free breadcrumbs
  • 1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions

  1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat oven to 375°F.
  2. Fill a medium (3 quart) pot 3/4 full with water. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat. When water reaches a boil, add one teaspoon salt and pasta. Stir frequently with a wooden spoon during the first few minutes of cooking. Set a colander in the sink drain the pasta.
  3. As soon as you start your pasta, begin your sauce. In a large (5 1/2 quart) pot, melt butter over medium heat. Add garlic and mustard. Cook, stirring constantly, until garlic is translucent, about one minute
  4. Switch to a wire whisk. Add sweet rice flour. Cook, whisking constantly, until thick and light brown, about three minutes.
  5. In a slow and steady steam, add chicken broth and milk. Whisk until mixture thickens. Cook until mixture is thick and beings to bubble. Add cheese, one handful at a time, until incorporated. Stir gently using a wooden spoon until cheese melts. Sauce should be smooth. Reduce heat to low.
  6. Check pasta. When it’s almost tender, drain and return to cooking pot.
  7. Add pasta to sauce. Stir to combine. Pour into an 8x8-inch baking pan. Sprinkle breadcrumbs and Parmesan cheese evenly over the top of pasta.
  8. Bake until sauce is bubbling and edges are starting to turn golden brown, about or 25-30 minutes. Remove pan from oven and allow to cool for ten minutes before serving.

How to Make Fudgy Gluten-Free Brownies

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This recipe makes a 9-by-13-inch pan of fudgy, gluten-free brownies with a thin, crackled top. Since no baking soda or baking powder is present, the brownies get a slight lift from creaming the butter and sugar. However, this lift is really slight, and although the brownies will puff up in the oven, they sink down to a dense, fudgy texture as they cool.

Classic Gluten-Free Brownies

Gluten-Free Brownies: The Flour Blend

Most brownie recipes use more cocoa powder than flour. This recipe…does not. To make these brownies, you’ll need one cup of white rice flour, half cup of cornstarch and and (only) a half cup of cocoa powder. At first glance, that might not seem like enough cocoa powder. It is. I promise!

See, when you use mostly cocoa powder, you get really rich brownies. REALLY rich. And richer is always better, right? Well…(hmmm) When we’re talking about a bank account, then yes, richer is always better! When we’re talking about brownies, I don’t think so. To test this theory, I baked one batch of brownies that used more cocoa powder than flour. Then I baked this recipe. I put them side-by-side and let my tasters have their way with them. Guess what happened?

They preferred the brownies made with less cocoa powder. Why?

I think at some point, the cocoa powder becomes a little too intense. You lose all the nuance that makes a brownie a brownie and not a chocolate bar. The white rice flour and cornstarch, actually, allow the cocoa powder to shine. It’s one of those rare times when using less gives you more.

More flavor. More chocolate. More YUM.

Gluten-Free Brownies: The Cocoa Powder

Since cocoa powder brings all the chocolate flavor to these brownies, you might wonder if you should reach for natural cocoa powder or Dutch process when mixing up the batter. In this recipe, both work!

Natural cocoa powder is acidic. It also isn’t as dark in color as Dutch process cocoa powder. In recipes that call for baking soda, you’ll often see natural cocoa powder used because the acid in the cocoa powder activates the baking soda. Dutch cocoa powder, on the other hand, has had it’s acid neutralized. This process darkens the cocoa powder. It also helps to bump up the intense cocoa flavor. Since the acid has been neutralized, recipes that use Dutch cocoa powder use baking powder as the leavener. Unlike baking soda, which requires an acid to activate it, baking powder contains both an acid and a base. As soon as you add liquid to baking powder, it will bubble.

These fudgy gluten-free brownies call for neither baking powder or baking soda. Therefore, you can use whichever cocoa powder you prefer!

Gluten-Free Brownies: Making Them Your Own

People tend to squabble over whether or not brownies should be cakey or fudgy. But if you really want to get them going, ask if they like their brownies with nuts or without. Or with chocolate chips or without.

I must confess that I like my brownies plain. No nuts. No chocolate chips*. No ‘nuttin. That’s just me. If you like nuts or chocolate chips in your brownies, stir in one cup of each. (Be sure to chop the nuts before adding them to the batter.)

Gluten-Free Brownies: Baking and Cooling

Once you’ve made the batter, spread it into a nine by thirteen pan.  Place the pan into a preheated oven and bake. Done!

As you can see, I didn’t mention lining the pan with foil. Ahem. I HATE lining pans with foil. For some reason, I was not born with this skill. Each time I try, I end up ripping the foiling and swearing at the pan or myself or something. It isn’t pretty. If you have the awesome skills to line a pan with foil, I envy you. Also, go ahead and line the pan with foil. It makes clean up easier. (Or so they tell me.)

When a cake tester inserted into the center of the brownies comes out with just a few moist crumbs clinging to it, the brownies are done. Usually my nose tells me when the brownies are done, about 30 minutes after I put the pan into the oven.

Place the pan on a wire rack and allow the brownies to cool in the pan. This is one of the few baked goods that you let cool in the pan.

Cut the brownies into (generous) squares and enjoy!

Two gluten-free brownies on a white platter.
5 from 1 vote
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Fudgy Gluten-Free Brownies

This recipe makes "better than box" gluten-free brownies!
Course bar cookies, brownies
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Servings 16 brownies
Author GlutenFreeBaking.com

Ingredients

  • 1 cup white rice flour (4 ounces; 113 grams)
  • 1/2 cup cornstarch (2 ounces; 57 grams)
  • 1/2 cup cocoa powder, either Dutch-process or natural (1 1/2 ounces; 42 grams)
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon xanthan gum
  • 2 cups granulated sugar (14 ounces; 396 grams)
  • 2 sticks butter, softened (1 cup; 8 ounces; 226 grams)
  • 4 large eggs (about 7 ounces; 200 grams out of shell)
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 cup chocolate chips, optional (6 ounces; 170 grams)
  • Gluten-free cooking spray

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Lightly spray a 9 x 13-inch baking dish with gluten-free cooking spray.

  2. In a medium mixing bowl, white rice flour, cornstarch, cocoa powder, salt, and xanthan gum. Set aside.

  3. In a large mixing bowl, cream together sugar and butter. (Use medium-high speed with a handheld mixer or medium speed with a stand mixer.)

  4. Add eggs. Mix until combined. Reduce mixer speed to medium. Add dry ingredients and vanilla extract. (Add chocolate chips if using.) Mix until a batter forms. Spread batter into prepared pan.

  5. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes. A cake tester inserted into the center of the brownies should come out clean or with just a few moist crumbs clinging to it. Remove pan from the oven and place on a wire rack to cool. When cool, cut into squares.

Paleo Brownies (Grain-Free/Dairy-Free Recipe)

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This recipe for paleo brownies tastes like a cross between the best chocolate cake you’ve ever had and a piece of decadent fudge. They contain both cocoa powder and melted chocolate, making for a powerful chocolate punch. And one more piece of good news: they only require one bowl to make! (In fact, you don’t even need an electric mixer to make them.)

Paleo brownie on a brown piece of parchment paper.

Paleo brownies cut into squares.
5 from 2 votes
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Paleo Brownies (Grain-Free/Dairy-Free Recipe)

If you are unable to find Dutch-process cocoa powder, replace it with natural cocoa powder and replace the baking powder with 1⁄4 tea- spoon baking soda.
Cuisine paleo
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings 12 servings
Calories 163 kcal
Author GlutenFreeBaking.com Elizabeth Barbone

Ingredients

  • 57 grams (1/2 cup) finely ground almond flour
  • 50 grams (1/2 cup) Dutch-process cocoa powder* (see note above)
  • 85 grams (1/2 cup) coconut sugar or evaporated cane juice
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder , homemade or grain-free store-bought
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 113 grams (about 2/3 cup) chopped dairy-free dark chocolate or chips, melted
  • 57 grams (1/4 cup) coconut oil or unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
  • 85 grams (1/4 cup) honey
  • 3 large eggs (about 150 grams out of the shell)

Instructions

  1. Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Spray an 8-inch square cake pan with nonstick cooking spray. Cut a piece of parchment paper as wide as the pan and long enough to overhang the edges of the pan by 2 inches. Place the parchment in the pan, running your finger along the edge so it fits snuggly. Spray the parchment with nonstick cooking spray or brush with melted coconut oil.
  2. Whisk the almond flour, cocoa powder, coconut sugar, baking powder, and salt together in a medium mixing bowl. Switch to a wooden spoon and stir in the melted chocolate, melted coconut oil, and honey. The batter will be thick. Add the eggs one at a time, stirring well after each addition. After you add the last egg, stir the batter until smooth. Spread the batter into the prepared pan.
  3. Bake until a cake tester inserted in the center of the pan comes out clean, about 25 minutes.
  4. Allow the brownies to cool in the pan. Remove the brownies from the pan using the parchment over- hang and cut into squares.

 

 

(This post contains Amazon affiliate links. If you click on them and purchase an item, I make a small commission that helps to support the site! I only recommend tools I love and use. That’s a promise!)

 

 

Paleo Brownies with Text

Paleo Naan (Grain-Free Recipe)

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Paleo Naan on a sheet pan with dip.

Paleo naan in minutes? Yes! When the recipe is yeast-free, naan in just 30 minutes is totally possible. This bread makes a great accompaniment to thick stews, curries, and other hearty meals. Note: This paleo naan tastes best the day it’s made.

Paleo Naan: Mixing It Up

All you need to do to mix this dough is combine all the ingredients in a large bowl, stir with a wooden spoon, and wait. And you know that’s the most important part? Waiting. Yup! Waiting. This dough requires a short, five minute rest. For wheat-based baking, the rest would give the strands of gluten time to relax. Since our recipe is gluten-free, we don’t need to allow the gluten to chill. Rather, we want the tapioca starch to absorb the eggs and coconut oil. If you try to knead the freshly mixed dough, it’ll be too soft and tender. During the five minute rest, magic happens. The dough stiffens enough for you to knead it. So don’t skip that five minute rest.

Paleo Naan: Knead and Roll

To knead this dough, you need one thing: tapioca starch.  This dough loves nothing more than to stick to the counter. With enough tapioca starch, this won’t happen.

“Elizabeth, what’s enough tapioca starch?”

Good question. I have NO idea! “Enough” tapioca starch will depend on how humid the day is and how much starch you kneaded into the dough when you made it. Here’s how  to get to “enough”. Generously dust your counter with tapioca starch, about one tablespoon, and then dust the top of the dough with a little starch. Knead the dough gently. If it doesn’t stick to the counter, it’s enough. If it sticks to the counter, gather up the dough, re-roll it, and start over with more starch than you used the first time.

I wish I could give you a precise measurement. This is one of those baking things that’s more of an art than a science.

Once you’ve kneaded the dough for a minute or so, gather it into a ball and cut into six pieces. Again, dust your counter with tapioca starch. And rub a little starch onto your rolling pin while you’re at it. Roll each piece of dough out, about five inches across. Put the rolled naan onto a baking sheet that’s either lined with a piece of parchment paper or dusted with tapioca starch. Then it’s time to bake the naan.

Paleo Naan: Baking

One of the great things about this dough is that you don’t need to turn on the oven to bake it. You make it right on the stovetop. In fact, that’s one of the many things I love about this bread. While you don’t need an oven, you do need a heavy pan or griddle. (While developing the recipe, I tested it on a flat cast iron griddle.)

To make the naan,  get your griddle nice and hot. It should be almost smoking. Drop a teeny amount of water on the pan to test it. The water should sizzle and evaporate right away. If it does, you’re ready to cook. Place the naan on the hot, oiled pan and cook. It’ll puff as it bakes, which I just LOVE to watch.

If you don’t have a cast iron skillet, use the heaviest skillet you own. If all of your skillets are non-stick, you won’t be able to heat the pan as hot. Non-stick pans should only be used with medium heat and never heated above 500 degrees F. This means that naan cooked in a nonstick skillet won’t get those lovely dark spots on the surface. Nor will it have as crisp a crust.

Paleo Naan: Storing

This bread tastes best the day it’s made. It tends to dry out overnight. That said, I’ve been known to heat up a leftover piece for breakfast the next morning. I toast it for a few minutes, just long enough to heat it up without further drying it out.

Paleo Naan: The Ingredients and Tools I Used

Here are the ingredients and tools I used to make this recipe.
The following links are affiliate links. GlutenFreeBaking.com earns a commission when you use them to shop.

Ingredients

Honeyville Almond Flour
Bob’s Red Mill Tapioca Starch
Bob’s Red Mill Coconut Flour
Coconut Oil

Tools

Mixing Bowl
Wooden Spoon
Rolling Pin
Cast Iron Griddle

 

This recipe comes from the World’s Easiest Paleo Baking. I’d love it if you picked up a copy.

 

Paleo Naan
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Paleo Naan (Grain-Free Recipe)

Chewy, flavorful naan is the perfect bread for soaking up sauces and curries. At my house, only crumbs are left by the end of a meal. Be sure to get your flat griddle VERY hot before putting the dough on to it. A hot griddle gives you the classic mottled appearance that makes naan so appealing.
*If you don’t own a cast-iron griddle or 10-inch skillet, you can use an 8-inch nonstick frying pan. Naan cooked in a nonstick pan won’t be as dark or puff as much as bread cooked in cast iron, but it’ll still taste great.
Course bread
Cuisine paleo
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 4 minutes
Total Time 34 minutes
Servings 6 flatbreads
Author GlutenFreeBaking.com Elizabeth Barbone

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups finely ground almond flour (6 ounces; 170 grams)
  • 1/2 cup tapioca starch, plus more for kneading (2 ounces; 57 grams)
  • 2 tablespoons coconut flour (1/2 ounce; 14 grams)
  • 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder, homemade or grain-free store-bought
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 tablespoons coconut oil, melted and cooled slightly, plus more for cooking (1 ounce; 28 grams)
  • 2 large eggs (about 4 ounces; 100 grams out of the shell)

Instructions

  1. Whisk the almond flour, 1/2 cup tapioca starch, coconut flour, baking powder, and salt together in a medium mixing bowl. Stir in the melted coconut oil and eggs with a wooden spoon. Cover dough with plastic wrap and allow to rest for 5 minutes.

  2. Dust the counter with 1 tablespoon tapioca starch. Turn the dough out onto the counter and knead it until firm. The dough should not stick to your hands. Sprinkle with more tapioca starch if it does (Depending on the humidity of the day, sometimes you need a little more tapioca starch and sometimes you need a lot.)
  3. Pat the dough into a circle and cut it into six equal pieces. Lightly dust your counter with tapioca starch. Round each piece of dough and roll into a circle about 5 inches across.
  4. Heat a cast-iron griddle or 10-inch cast-iron pan (* see note above) over medium-high heat. Brush the griddle with a little melted coconut oil.
  5. When the griddle is very hot but not smoking, place the naan on it. Don’t crowd them. On a large griddle, cook two or three at a time; in a skillet, cook one at a time.
  6. Flip the bread when the surface bubbles and puffs, after about 3 minutes. Cook until golden brown on the second side, about 1 minute. Repeat with the remaining dough.

Paleo Doughnuts (Grain-Free/Dairy-Free Recipe)

· 2 Comments

Paleo Doughnut Recipe

These paleo doughnuts were inspired by my grandparents, who, I’m sure lived their entire lives without ever trying a grain-free treat! But they did know they’re way around a bakery. See, each morning (at least it was each morning in my memory!), they’d go to a little bakery in Burlington, Vermont. They called it….“The Bakery” and to this day I don’t know what the place was actually called!  Along with their morning cups of coffee and conversations with the locals, they ate old-fashioned cake doughnuts—or, as the sign proclaimed, “donuts.” The doughnuts they enjoyed were dense, cake doughnuts. They weren’t coated in sugar or iced with pink icing. Nope. Those doughnuts were simple and perfect.

To mimic the texture and flavor of those doughnuts, this recipe combines coconut flour and tapioca starch. The batter comes together in one bowl and, I promise, is really easy to make.

Paleo Doughnuts: Mixing the Batter

Okay. Here’s the thing. I wrote the book on Easy Gluten-Free Baking. affiliate link So when I turned my attention to grain-free/paleo baking, I wanted it to be easy. Most of the recipes in the World’s Easiest Paleo Baking affiliate linkonly require one mixing bowl! And this is one of those recipes. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the coconut sugar (you can use evaporated cane sugar if you’d prefer), coconut flour, tapioca starch, baking powder, salt, and nutmeg. Then melt some coconut oil. If you aren’t dairy-free, go ahead and use butter. Let the  melted coconut oil or melted butter cool a little, we’re talking a minute or so here, and then add it to the bowl along with the eggs, milk (I used coconut milk), and vanilla extract.

Stir everything together. Since the recipe contains coconut flour, it gets thick quick. You want to spoon the batter into doughnut pans. If you have a piping bag and a large pastry tip in the kitchen, go ahead and use that.

After you fill the pans, tap it on the counter–this helps get rid of any air bubbles and bake. That’s it!

Paleo doughnuts coming out of a bakery bag onto a red checkered tablecloth.

Paleo Doughnuts: Baked not Fried

As you noticed the second I mentioned a doughnut pan, this recipe makes baked doughnuts. 🙂 I know. I know! Some people believe that unless it’s fried, it’s not a doughnut. To those folks I say…

Umm, a recipe for fried paleo doughnuts is on my list.  I also say, let me explain. (Because I get it. I love fried doughnuts too!)

When I created this doughnut recipe for my cookbook, I wanted the recipe to be really easy. To me, frying isn’t easy. It’s putzy. It takes time. And it stinks up the house. Don’t get me wrong, sometimes it’s totally worth! But not for this recipe. When baked, you end up with wonderful cake-style doughnuts. No having to pull out the fryer. And no lingering odor in the kitchen. Win-win!

To bake doughnuts, you do need a doughnut pan. affiliate link Which means that at least one person will ask me, “Do I really need a doughnut pan?!” For me, it’s totally worth it. Even if I only bake doughnuts a few times a year, I like them to look like, well, doughnuts. For some folks, it isn’t worth the investment. Only you can make this decision. 🙂

You can always bake doughnuts in a muffin pan. Since a muffin pan doesn’t have the center heating rod like a doughnut pan, the finished texture isn’t the same. Doughnuts baked in a muffin pan taste like…muffins. But they still taste good!

If you do decide to buy a doughnut pan and it only has six cavities, no problem! Bake six doughnuts. Allow them to cool in the pan as directed, then turn them out onto the rack. Wipe out the pan and grease it again. Repeat using the remaining batter.

That’s it! In about 25 minutes, you’ll have baked doughnuts. My goodness, it doesn’t get much better than that!

Paleo Doughnuts: Shopping List

Hello! (waves!) Starting with this post, I’m adding a “shopping list” to each recipe post. I don’t know about you but I like to know exactly what someone uses when they create something. The list you’ll find with each recipe are the ingredients and tools I used to make the recipe. (For example, in this recipe, I used Bob’s Red Mill coconut flour and Madhava’s coconut sugar.)  If you have any questions, let me know!

The following are are affiliate links. GlutenFreeBaking.com earns a commission if you use the links to make a purchase.

Here’s what I used to make this recipe:

The Ingredients

Coconut Flour
Coconut Sugar
Tapioca Starch
Coconut Oil

The Tools

Kitchen Scale
Mixing Bowls
Whisk
Doughnut Pan

 

And, of course, the book! This recipe comes from my latest book, “The World’s Easiest Paleo Baking.” I’d be thrilled if you picked up a copy!

Paleo Doughnuts on a wire rack. Text on Image: Paleo/Grain-Free Donuts.
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Paleo Doughnuts (Old Fashioned Cake Doughnuts)

This recipe makes classic bakery-style cake doughnuts. Paleo and grain-free, of course!
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Servings 12 doughnuts
Author GlutenFreeBaking.com Elizabeth Barbone

Ingredients

  • 2/3 cup coconut sugar or evaporated cane juice (3 1/2 ounces; 100 grams)
  • 1/2 cup coconut flour (2 ounces; 57 grams)
  • 1/2 cup tapioca starch (2 ounces; 57 grams)
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder, homemade or grain-free store-bought
  • 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 cup coconut oil or unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly (2 ounces; 57 grams)
  • 2 large eggs (about 4 ounces; 100 grams out of the shell)
  • 3/4 cup milk, dairy-free or traditional (6 ounces; 170 grams)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

  1. Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and preheat the oven to 350ºF. Grease two 6-cavity doughnut pans with nonstick cooking spray, melted coconut oil, or melted butter.
  2. Whisk the coconut sugar, coconut flour, tapioca starch, baking powder, nutmeg, and salt together in a medium mixing bowl. Add the melted coconut oil, eggs, milk, and vanilla and whisk until smooth. The batter will be thick.
  3. Spoon the batter into the prepared pans, filling the cavities about three-quarters full. (If you have a piping bag and large plain pastry tip kicking around the kitchen, use those instead.) Lightly tap the pans on the counter to settle the batter.
  4. Bake the doughnuts until they are golden brown and spring back to the touch, about 15 minutes.
  5. Allow the doughnuts to cool in the pans on a wire rack for 5 minutes, then turn them out onto the rack to cool completely.
  6. Doughnuts are best enjoyed the day they are baked. Freeze leftovers, wrapped in plastic wrap and placed in a freezer container, for up to one month.

Homemade Gluten-Free Bisquick Recipe

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Homemade Gluten-Free Bisquick

Homemade gluten-free bisquick mix in a bowl.

If you read my post about bisquick coffee cake, you know that my mom LOVED baking with bisquick. She always kept a box in the pantry and, seemingly on a whim, she’d whip up a coffee cake or biscuits for Chicken à la King.

So when General Mills introduced a gluten-free Bisquick a few years ago, I ran out and bought a box. My reaction, “…are you frickin’ KIDDING me?”

The box was a mere 16 ounces for around $4.50* and…AND it didn’t contain shortening. Here’s the thing, bisquick, the glory of bisquick, if you will, is that the flour already contains cut-in shortening. Without the shortening, it’s just flour and leavening. That’s not exciting! And it doesn’t save time. I could NOT BELIEVE that they sold a box of bisquick sans shortening. I mean, c’mon! 

* Regular gluten-filled bisquick sells for $4.00 for a 40 ounces box! FORTY OUNCES!

Even Betty Crocker says that you can’t substitute gluten-free bisquick for the regular stuff. This is from their “Ask Betty” column.

 In general, Gluten Free Bisquick should not be substituted in recipes calling for Original Bisquick and/or Heart Smart Bisquick. The product formulas are different and each performs differently. Success is ensured by using recipes specifically developed for Bisquick Gluten Free.

Then, um, what’s the point? 

I never bought a box again. Then the other day, I missed the bisquick coffee cake my mom used to make. I tinkered in the kitchen a bit and, after a good bit of trail and error, came up with a recipe that works just like original bisquick! And, of course, it contains shortening. You didn’t think I’d leave that out did you?

Four Reasons to Make Homemade Gluten-Free Bisquick

Homemade gluten-free bisquick mix in measuring cup.

  1. It includes the shortening, unlike the Gluten-Free Bisquick sold at the store.
  2. It’s cheaper. WAY cheaper. The stuff at the store is about $0.33 per ounce. And that’s without the shortening! Making gluten-free bisquick costs about $0.19 per ounce–with the shortening!
  3. It’s customizable! Go ahead and swap half the white rice flour for millet flour or a different whole grain flour. Want to use butter and not shortening? Go for it!
  4. It’s “measure and go.” After you make it, you can follow regular recipes that call for Bisquick. No need to stop and add other ingredients to the Bisquick before you even start the recipe.

How to Make Gluten-Free Bisquick

Gluten-free bisquick mix in a food processor.

  1. Place the dry ingredients into the bowl of a food processor. Don’t have a food processor? No problem! Whisk the ingredients together in a large bowl.
  2. Add the shortening. Run the food processor until no large pieces of shortening remain. If you’re doing this by hand, rub the shortening into the flour mixture with your hands or use a pastry cutter. This takes a minute since we’re making such a large batch of gluten-free bisquick.
  3. Store it! Place the gluten-free bisquick in an airtight container for up to six weeks.
Homemade gluten-free bisquick mix in measuring cup.
4.85 from 13 votes
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Copycat Recipe: Homemade Gluten-Free Bisquick

This recipes makes homemade gluten-free Bisquick that you can substitute cup for cup in your favorite Bisquick recipes.
Prep Time 5 minutes
Total Time 5 minutes
Servings 7 cups homemade Bisquick
Author GlutenFreeBaking.com

Ingredients

  • 4 cups finely ground white rice flour (16 ounces; 455 grams)
  • 2 cups tapioca starch (8 ounces; 226 grams)
  • ¼ cup granulated sugar (1 3/4 ounces; 50 grams)
  • 3 tablespoons baking powder
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 2 teaspoon xanthan gum
  • 1 cup solid vegetable shortening (6 ½ ounces; 185 grams)

Instructions

  1. Place white rice flour, tapioca starch, sugar, baking powder, salt, and xanthan gum in the bowl of a food processor. Run food processor for about one minute to combine. Add shortening. Pulse to combine, about five medium pulses. No large pieces of shortening should remain.
  2. Store mix in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 8 weeks.

Your Favorite Gluten-Free Recipes of 2015

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Top 10 Recipes of 2015

Hello! Woah. What a year it’s been. For me, 2015 marked a year of tremendous professional and personal growth. I wrote a new cookbook.affiliate link I focused on being more intentional with my time. And….

I redid GlutenFreeBaking.com! “Redid” feels like an understatement. We went from a membership-based site to this lovely new space. Basically, I tore everything down, page by page, and built this new site. The project was exciting, overwhelming, and scary–often all those things at the same time.

But, my goodness,  it was worth it! Now we have recipes that are easy to print, a search the works (yay!), and a site that’s easy to navigate. (BTW, if you ever have trouble with the site, let me know!).

With all those changes, I couldn’t wait to see what the top recipes were of 2015.

Let’s take a look!

10. Gluten-Free Graham Crackers

Gluten-Free Graham Crackers made into a s'more with marshmallow and chocolate.

Oooh! We’re starting out strong. What can you do with graham crackers (besides just eat them?) S’mores? Yup! Graham cracker crust? Got it. Chocolate-covered graham crackers? Ah-huh! And gluten-free graham crackers aren’t just a summer treat. They are lovely in the winter dipped into a glass of thick hot chocolate. Trust me on this. Trust me.

Get the recipe: Gluten-Free Graham Crackers

9. Gluten-Free Gnocchi

Gluten-free gnocchi on a baking pan.

Gnocchi topped with tomato sauce is one of my favorite comfort food meals. On nights when you want something really simple, try this: make gnocchi according to the directions. Melt some butter in a small skillet. Allow the butter to brown slightly. (You don’t want it to burn.) Add the gnocchi and cook until crisp. Chop some fresh herbs, sage works especially well, and sprinkle over the gnocchi along with some coarse salt. Enjoy!

Get the recipe: Gluten-Free Gnocchi

8. Gluten-Free Sandwich Bread

Gluten-free sandwich bread, sliced on a red cutting board.

Ah! THIS BREAD. I LOVE IT SO MUCH. Sorry I’m yelling! I worked on this recipe for months and am really happy with it! It tastes great on it’s own. It’s soft, not heavy, and is loved by gluten-free and gluten-eaters alike.

If you love bread, this recipe is for you. If you’ve never made bread before, this recipe is for you. Basically, if you want a great loaf of bread, make this gluten-free bread!

Get the Recipe: Gluten-Free Sandwich Bread

7. How to Freeze Frosted Cupcakes

Gluten-Free Spice Cupcakes

What’s better than a cupcake? Nothing. That’s what! The next time you make a batch of cupcakes, frost a few, and freeze ’em. It’s easy. Then when (notice I didn’t say “if”, I said “when”) a cupcake craving strikes, you’ll be all set.

Get the Recipe: How to Freeze Frosted Cupcakes

 

6. Gluten-Free Peanut Butter Pie

Filling gluten-free peanut butter pie.

I love that you love this pie. What’s AMAZING about this rich, fluffy pie is how easy it is to make. (You only need five ingredients!) Maybe make the pie for New Year’s Day? It would make for a sweet New Year tradition.

BTW, if you’re allergic to peanut butter, replace it with almond butter or sunbutter. affiliate linkThe recipe works great with either.

Get the Recipe: Gluten-Free Peanut Butter Pie

5. Paleo Slow Cooker Pot Roast

Searing Paleo Pot Roast

I wrote this recipe for my friend Rachel and you love it. I understand why! The recipe makes a tender and flavorful pot roast with just a few ingredients. This year I’m updating the recipe for the pressure cooker! Stay tuned!

Get the Recipe: Paleo Slow Cooker Pot Roast

4. How to Steam Potatoes

Steamed Potatoes Smile

Have you ever tried steaming potatoes? Yes? Then you know how creamy and delicious they turn out. If you’ve never made them, put them on your list! They sound so boring but, oh my, they are SO tasty!

Get the Recipe: How to Steam Potatoes

3. Gluten-Free Shortbread

Gluten-Free Shortbread on a white platter.

Butter + flour + sugar = the most amazing cookie. I love the simplicity of a good shortbread cookie. This year, Walkers introduced a line of gluten-free shortbread. That’s great; I’m grateful that they’ve given us an option. But trust me when I tell you there’s nothing like homemade shortbread. Nothing.

Get the Recipe: Gluten-Free Shortbread

2. Gluten-Free Gingerbread House

Gluten-free gingerbread house.

Eeeeee! You made gingerbread houses this year! WOOT! They’re so fun to create and one gingerbread house will make the house smell so good!

Get the Recipe: Gluten-Free Gingerbread House

1. Gluten-Free Flour Tortillas

Gluten-free flour tortillas on a plate.

Tortillas are so versatile that it’s no surprise that this was the number one recipe this year! These gluten-free tortillas, made with a simple flour blend, taste just like the wheat tortillas. JUST LIKE them. Of course, I use these for savory recipes but when I have a few left over? Well, I melt a little butter in a skillet, add some brown sugar and cook just until the sugar melts. Then I flop a tortilla into the pan and cook until crisp, turning the tortilla once during cooking. It’s such a simple but tasty dessert. You can enjoy it on it’s own but it also tastes amazing with a scoop of vanilla or cinnamon ice cream.

Get the Recipe: Gluten-Free Flour Tortillas

 

That’s this year’s list! You guys makes good choices!

BTW, lots of good things are coming to GlutenFreeBaking.com in 2016. I can’t wait to see what next year’s top ten will look like!

Happy New Year!

Elizabeth

 

Gluten-Free Cheesecake Brownies

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Gluten-free cheesecake brownie ingredients.

You know what I love better than brownies? Gluten-free cheesecake brownies! It’s a classic culinary combo and I think I love it even more than either plain cheesecakes or plain brownies. But before I can be sure, I should probably sample all three. You know, for science!

These cheesecake brownies lend themselves really well to using a mix. To start this recipe, I grabbed a Betty Crocker mix. Use whatever brownie mix you love, just be sure it makes an 8×8 square. You don’t want to use the mix that makes a 9×13 or you won’t have enough cheesecake topping. And who wants that to happen?

Let’s make a batch!

How to Make the World’s Easiest Gluten-Free Cheesecake Brownies

 

Gluten-free brownie batter in purple bowl.

The original mix calls for two large eggs. Since I wanted my brownie base to be more cakey than fudgy, I added an extra egg. (Side question: how do you like your brownies? Cakey or Fudgy?)

 

Gluten-free brownie batter in 1/2 cup measuring cup.

You want to reserve 1/2 cup of the brownie batter. We’ll use this later to create a pretty swirl!

 

Gluten-free brownie batter spread in pan.

Add the remaining batter to the pan. I love how this mix includes chocolate chips. They’re like, “Here! Have some extra chocolate.” And I’m all, “THANK YOU KINDLY!”

Gluten-free cheesecake batter over chocolate brownie batter.

Isn’t that glorious? I make a wee bit more cheesecake topping than most people. I mean, I want these to taste like cheesecake brownies. Not “hint of cheesecake” brownies. Basically, I want Sofia from the Golden Girls to find these brownies and acceptable alternative to the Girls regular cheesecake. (Please tell me you’re familiar with the best show of all time, aka The Golden Girls.)

Gluten-free cheesecake batter in pan.

Spread the cheesecake batter evenly onto the brownie batter. Don’t stress too much about this. If you don’t cover the top of the brownie fully or if some of the cheesecake and brownie batter swirl together, it’s all good.

Gluten-free cheesecake brownie. Chocolate batter dots the top.

Drop the remaining brownie batter into the pan.

Gluten-free cheesecake brownie batter in pan.

Swirl the two batters together with a knife or small offset spatula. This gets addicting. Try to stop before the cheesecake brownie completely disappears into the brownie batter. 🙂 As you can see, I only barely stopped in time.

Gluten-free cheesecake brownies in pan.

Bake until the edges are golden brown and the whole thing looks AMAZING.

Allow the brownies to cool for a couple of hours. Things to do while waiting for the brownies to cool: tap fingers. read a book. wait. curse the slow passage of time.

 

Gluten-free cheesecake brownie on white plate.

 

Cut into squares and enjoy!

Gluten-free cheesecake brownies in pan.
5 from 1 vote
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Gluten-Free Cheesecake Swirl Brownies

Use your favorite gluten-free brownie mix to make these easy and over-the-top brownies!
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings 12 to 16 bars
Author GlutenFreeBaking.com

Ingredients

  • 1 (16 ounce) box gluten-free brownie mix
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1/2 stick unsalted butter, melted (1/4 cup; 2 ounces; 57 grams)
  • 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
  • 1/3 cup granulated sugar (2 1/3 ounces; 65 grams)
  • 1 large egg (about 4 ounces; 50 grams)
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray an 8x8-inch pan with nonstick cooking spray or line pan with aluminum foil.
  2. Combine brownie mix, eggs, and butter in a large mixing bowl. Stir until smooth. You can do this with a wooden spoon or electric mixer.
  3. Reserve a 1/2 cup of batter. Spread remaining batter into the prepared pan.
  4. Combine cream cheese and granulated sugar in a medium bowl. Beat until smooth. Use a handheld mixer for this. Be sure to use room temperature cream cheese or your batter will be lumpy. Add the egg and vanilla extract. Stir until batter is smooth.
  5. Spread cream cheese mixture evenly over the brownie batter. Drop the remaining 1/2 cup of brownie batter evenly over the cheesecake topping. Swirl batters together with a knife of offset spatula.
  6. Bake until golden brown, about 35 minutes.
  7. Allow brownies to cool for several hours. Cut into squares and serve. Store, wrapped, on the counter for up to three days.

 

 

 

Gluten-Free Cheesecake Brownies

Gluten-Free Baked Chocolate Doughnuts

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Baked gluten-free chocolate doughnuts on wire rack.

For a long time, a doughnut pan sat on my shelf gathering dust. Maybe I used it once, I don’t know. But I do know why I hesitated to use the pan: I thought baked doughnuts were simply doughnut-shaped muffins. And when I want a doughnut, I want a fried affair, not a masquerading muffin.

Then an enticing chocolate glazed doughnut recipe from “Buns in My Oven” appeared in my Facebook feed. I clicked on it. My mouth watered. I wanted that doughnut. Then I noticed the recipe made baked, not fried, doughnuts. My mouth and my mind were in opposition. Was it finally time to take the baked doughnut plunge? Yes, yes it was.

The recipe called for all-purpose flour. So it needed a gluten-free makeover to fit my diet. Since I’m baking more with whole grain flours and less with rice, I replaced the all-purpose flour with oat flour and potato starch. Why oat flour? Well, even though the cake doughnuts I bought in my pre-gluten-free days were probably made from white flour, they have a grain-like sweetness in my memory, and I wanted to chase that flavor.

The batter came together quickly. You simply whisk the dry ingredients together and add an egg, milk, and sour cream—no electric mixer required. At first, the batter seemed a little thin. I wondered what would happen if I let it sit on the counter for five minutes. Would it thicken? It did! The batter didn’t become really thick, but the flour seemed to hydrate a little, adding some body. Even after standing for five minutes, this still isn’t batter you could fry—it’s too thin. But it’s perfect for baking.

 I filled the doughnut pan cavities about halfway and baked. I hoped muffin-shaped doughnuts wouldn’t emerge from the oven, but if I’m honest, I wasn’t entirely confident. Ten minutes later, the doughnuts were ready. After they cooled, I dipped them in a simple glaze and took a bite. It was dense like a doughnut, but not heavy. The oat flour added that nutty sweetness I love in a chocolate doughnut. And, the best part, it wasn’t muffin-like at all! Two bites in, I was total convert to baked doughnuts, which is great news for that little-used doughnut pan.
 
Gluten Free Chocolate Doughnuts

 

Baked gluten free chocolate doughnut on cooling rack
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Gluten-Free Baked Chocolate Doughnuts

Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Servings 12 doughnuts
Author GlutenFreeBaking.com

Ingredients

For the Doughnuts

  • 3/4 cup gluten-free oat flour (2 1/2 ounces; 70 grams)
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar (3 1/2 ounces; 100 grams)
  • 1/4 cup potato starch or tapioca starch (1 ounce; 28 grams)
  • 1/4 cup cocoa powder (3/4 ounce; 22 grams)
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon xanthan gum
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 large egg (about 1 3/4 ounces; 50 grams out of shell)
  • 6 tablespoons sour cream (3 ounces; 85 grams)
  • 1/4 cup milk (2 ounces; 56 grams)
  • 1/4 cup vegetable oil (1 3/4 ounces; 50 grams)
  • nonstick cooking spray

For the Glaze

  • 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar (6 ounces; 170 grams)
  • 6 tablespoons whole milk (3 ounces; 85 grams)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 teaspoon lemon extract, optional

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Whisk together oat flour, granulated sugar, potato starch, cocoa powder, baking soda, and xanthan gum in a medium bowl. Add egg, sour cream, milk, and vegetable oil. Whisk until batter is smooth. Allow batter to stand for five minutes. Lightly coat pan with nonstick cooking spray. Fill cavities about halfway with batter.
  2. Bake until doughnuts spring back to the touch, about ten minutes. Turn doughnuts out onto a wire rack to cool. Repeat with remaining batter. Allow doughnuts to cool completely. Place a wire rack into a parchment-lined baking pan. Whisk together powdered sugar, milk, vanilla, and lemon extract in small bowl. Dip doughnuts, one at a time, into glaze. Shake off excess glaze. Place dipped doughnuts onto wire rack. Store doughnuts covered at room temperature for up to three days

 

Gluten-Free Bisquick Coffee Cake

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Gluten-Free Bisquick Coffee Cake

My mother’s always been an avid baker. She makes pies and sugar cookies (and tomato sauce) from scratch, always. For other things, she’s not above grabbing a mix. It’s a nice balance. Her behavior around baking is one of the many reasons I don’t judge people who use mixes. In fact, I find people who insist that everything must be made from scratch insufferable. If you want to make everything from scratch, go to it! But don’t make other people feel bad about how they bake and eat. (steps off soapbox.)

One of the things that my mom never made from scratch was her “quick” coffee cake. She made a sour cream coffee cake from scratch. She’d make it for Tupperware parties, baby showers, and funeral gatherings.

For us, on a Wednesday, she’d make a Bisquick coffee cake.

To me, it was pretty much the best thing ever. What I didn’t realize was that it was also the easiest thing ever.

Unlike my mom, we need to make homemade, gluten-free Bisquick. (If you’re wondering why, since Bisquick sells a gluten-free version of their classic pantry staple, it’s because classic bisquick comes with the shortening included. The gluten-free bisquick, at this writing, does not include the shortening. You need to add butter or shortening yourself. Well, if I have to do that, I might as well save some dolla billz and mix up my flour blend too.)

Once you whip up a batch of homemade gluten-free bisquick, this cake is incredibly easy to make. INCREDIBLY.

It’s so easy that I don’t mind making a pan on Christmas Eve or, just as my mom did, on any random weeknight when I want “a little something.” You know that mood, right?

The only downside to this recipe is that it doesn’t keep really well. After two days, it tends to dry out a little. Confession: this doesn’t bother me in the least. I eat the slightly dry coffee cake with a cup of coffee of tea. However, if you don’t like dry cake, slice the cake as soon as it cools, wrap well and freeze. When you’re in the mood for coffee cake, thaw a slice for a few seconds in the microwave.

Gluten-free bisquick coffee cake next to a cup of coffee.
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Gluten-Free "Bisquick" Coffee Cake

There's a hidden layer of streusel in this simple coffee cake. Feel free to add chopped nuts, about 1/3 cup, to the streusel if you'd like.
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Author GlutenFreeBaking.com

Ingredients

For the Streusel

  • 1/3 cup homemade Bisquick™ (1 1/2 ounces; 40 grams)
  • 1/3 cup packed brown sugar (2 1/2 ounces; 70 grams)
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 2 tablespoons butter or coconut oil, cold, cut into 1-tablespoon pieces

For the Cake

  • 2 cups Homemade gluten-free Bisquick (8 1/2 ounces; 240 grams)
  • 2/3 cup milk or water (5 1/3 ounces; 150 grams)
  • 2 tablespoons granulated sugar (3/4 ounce; 24 grams)
  • 1 large egg (about 1 3/4 ounce; 50 grams, out of shell)

Instructions

  1. Heat oven to 375°F. Grease 9-inch round pan with nonstick cooking spray.
  2. Prepare the streusel: In a small bowl, stir together homemade Bisquick, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Add butter. Rub together until no large pieces of butter remain. Mixture will be crumbly. Set streusel aside.
  3. Prepare the cake: In a medium bowl, combine homemade Biquick, milk, granulated sugar, and egg. Whisk to combine. Spread half the batter into the prepared pan. Sprinkle half of the streusel mix evenly over the top of the cake. Spread remaining batter into pan. Sprinkle remaining streusel over the top of the cake.
  4. Bake cake until golden brown. A cake tester inserted into the middle of the cake should come out clean, about 18 to 22 minutes. Allow cake to cool in pan.

 

 

Gluten-Free Peppermint Bark Cookies and a KitchenAid Giveaway

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Gluten-free peppermint bark cookie ingredients.

 

This virtual cookie swap post and giveaway are sponsored by Glutino. 

What special treat do you always want in the house this time of the year? Around here, it’s a plate of cookies and a tin of peppermint bark.

The other day while deciding how to spend some calories, I was faced with an impossible decision: peppermint bark or cookies. Hmmm…(spoiler: I ate a little of each, slapped on my yoga pants and called it a day.)

And THEN, in a flash of inspiration, I thought, “Why not peppermint bark cookies?” Yes, self, why not?

I grabbed a box of Glutino’s Sugar Cookie mix and headed into the kitchen.  (Glutino’s sugar cookie mix is my go-to mix for times when I’m too busy to make a batch of cookies from scratch. In fact, you’ll also always find their cake and brownie mix in my pantry.)

While the oven preheated, I whipped up a batch. Have you ever used this mix? It’s SUPER easy.

Butter being mixed in a kitchen aid mixer.

You start by creaming the butter until light and fluffy. I did this in my Kitchen Aid mixer. Do you have a Kitchen Aid? No? Hmm…you might want to read to the bottom of this post. #hint #justsayin’

When creaming butter, start with softened butter. This is key!  If you use cold butter, it won’t get nice and fluffy. And fluffy butter= amazing cookies.

Gluten-free peppermint bark dough in a mixer.

Then add the cookie mix and blend until combined. It’ll look dry and sandy. Totally normal! In fact, that “dry and sandy”  step gives Glutino’s sugar cookies their amazing texture. See, when you cream together butter with flour, the flour coats the butter. As the cookies bake, the little nuggets of flour-coated butter melt, leaving behind a teeny-tiny pocket of air. Those pockets give us an incredibly light cookie. Yay! Baking science!

Gluten-free cookie dough in stand mixer.

In went the eggs and vanilla. And then? Magic.

Gluten-free peppermint bark cookie dough.

Drop the cookies onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. These cookies spread; so space them about two-inches apart.

Gluten-free peppermint bark cookie dough on a pan.

Lightly press down on the cookies. You want to flatten them just a little. If the dough sticks to your hand, dust your hand with a wee bit of white rice flour or Glutino’s all-purpose gluten-free flour.

Gluten-free peppermint bark cookies cooling.

Allow the cookies to cool on a wire rack. Once they’re cool, things get REALLY fun.

Small candy canes in a plastic bag.

Place a few candy canes into a plastic bag. (Always check that the candy canes are gluten-free.)

Now, you know all that low-level tension you feel during the holiday season? It’s time to work that out!

Crushed candy canes in small plastic bag.

Smash those candy canes! Go head, really whack ’em! Ahhhh. I feel better! Don’t you?

One cup of melted chocolate.

Melt some dark chocolate candy coatings. I do this in the microwave. It’s easy! Place your chocolate in a glass microwave-safe bowl (I used a measuring cup). Microwave for 30 seconds. Remove the chocolate, give it a stir and repeat until the coatings are melted. The reason I use candy coatings is because they don’t require tempering. This means you can melt the coatings and it will set. Regular chocolate needs to be tempered before it sets correctly. And tempering a long, involved process. (It’s doable but more work than I want to do!)

If you don’t like dark chocolate, go ahead and use milk or white! The cookies taste great with any type of chocolate. <—isn’t that true of anything made with chocolate?

Gluten-free peppermint bark cookies with candy cane pieces.

Dip the cookies into the melted chocolate, sprinkle on the crushed candy canes, and place the cookies on a parchment-lined baking sheet to set. That’s it. Seriously. That’s IT. Can you even?

Gluten-free peppermint bark cookies on parchment paper.

I dipped these cookies halfway in melted chocolate. I just liked how that looked. If you want to fully dip the cookies, go for it!

After I made the cookies, I boxed them up and gave them out to friends. You know what happened? They all LOVED them and no one could believe the cookies 1. were gluten-free 2. came from a box mix!

They are THAT good.

I mean, what could be better than peppermint bark cookies?

Oh, a KitchenAid mixer giveaway? Is that what you said?

I agree!

The kind folks at Glutino are giving away….(drum roll, please)

 

Red Kitchen Aid stand mixer.

KitchenAid® Artisan 5 Qt Stand Mixer!

One lucky winner gets not only the mixer but they’ll also receive:

  • $50 Worth of Glutino Products
  • Stone Pie Dish
  • Mason Jar Measuring Cup
  • Red Baking Spatula

Awesome, right? In the spirit of the holiday, Glutino isn’t stopping there!

Nine (9!!) other folks will receive “runner up” prizes. That prize pack includes:

  • $50 Worth of Glutino Products
  • Stone Pie Dish
  • Mason Jar Measuring Cups
  • Red Baking Spatula

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Begins at 12:00 am EST on 12/16/15 and ends at 11:59 p.m. EST on 01/01/16. Open to legal residents of the United States, 18 years of age and older. Void where prohibited. One (1) potential Grand Prize winner and nine (9) runner up winners will be selected in a random drawing held within 1 week of sweepstakes ending date from among all eligible entries received and combined throughout the Sweepstakes Period. Odds of winning the Grand Prize depend on the number of eligible entries received throughout the Sweepstakes Period. Sponsored by Glutino Foods. 

Glutino’s Virtual Gluten-Free Cookie Swap! 

You know what’s even better than peppermint bark cookies and a KitchenAid Giveaway? MORE COOKIES!

The following awesome bloggers participated in this virtual cookie swap. You need to go check out their recipes, like, right now.

 
 
 
Gluten-free peppermint bark cookies with candy cane pieces.
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Gluten-Free Peppermint Bark Cookies

Glutino's Sugar Cookies make the base for these peppermint bark cookies. To make life easy, I like to dip the cookies into Merckens Dark Chocolate Coating. This way, I don't have to worry about tempering the chocolate. If you use regular dark chocolate, store the cookies in the refrigerator.

Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings 24 cookies
Author GlutenFreeBaking.com

Ingredients

  • 1 (15 ounce) box Glutino's Sugar Cookie Mix
  • 6 tablespoons butter, softened (3 ounces; 85 grams)
  • 2 large eggs (3 1/2 ounces; 100 grams)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 4 to 5 standard size peppermint candy canes crushed
  • 1 pound Merckens Dark Candy Coatings or 1 pound dark chocolate chopped or (see note above)

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
  2. In a large bowl, cream butter until light and fluffy. Add cookie mix. Blend to combine. Mixture will look dry and sandy. This is normal. Add eggs and vanilla. Mix until a soft dough forms.
  3. Drop dough, about 1 tablespoon each, onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Space dough about two inches apart as cookies spread during baking.
  4. Bake cookies until the edges are golden brown, about ten minutes. Remove cookies from oven and allow to cool on the pan for about three minutes. Transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.
  5. Once cookies are cool, melt the chocolate. Place the chocolate into a 2 cup glass cup. Microwave for 30 seconds. Remove chocolate from the microwave and stir. It won't look melted at this point. That's fine. Stir it anyway. Repeat until chocolate has melted.
  6. Dip cookies into chocolate and place onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Immediately sprinkle cookie with crushed candy canes. If you are using candy melts, allow the cookies to set up at room temperature. If you are using dark chocolate, place the cookies in the refrigerator to harden.
  7. Store cookies in an airtight container for up to one week.

Recipe Notes

Gluten-Free Peppermint Bark Cookie Variations

Double Peppermint Add a few drops of pure peppermint oil to the dark chocolate before dipping the cookies. Pure peppermint oil is strong. Add a drop or two (seriously, use an eyedropper) and stir. Taste the chocolate. Add more peppermint oil if needed.
Double Chocolate 
Add one cup chocolate chips to the cookie dough before baking. Stir in the chocolate chips with a wooden spoon after the dough has come together.