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Archives for March 2021

Gluten Free Lemon Crinkle Cookies

By | Published: | Posted In: Cookies

These gluten free lemon crinkle cookies are like chewy lemon sugar cookies with the beautiful crackly sugar top of crinkle cookies, and plenty of bright lemon flavor.

Closeup image of 2 lemon crinkle cookies on small metal plate

These lemon crinkle cookies remind me of the chewiest, almost fudgy sugar cookie, but with the lovely cracks and craters of the classic crinkle. And, of course, tons of bright lemon flavor and tanginess.

How to ensure a crinkly white top on these cookies

I’m a very big fan of this basic cookie form, both as gf chocolate crinkle cookies (the original) and its cousin, gf red velvet crinkle cookies. But if you’ve ever made any kind of crinkle cookies, you may have found getting that crater-like top to be rather hit-or-miss. 

There are two elements to the texture of these cookies: the separation on the top, creating craters, and the white sugar shell that (hopefully) survives the heat of the oven. I’ve got tons of tips for how to ensure beautiful, delicious results that go beyond the right ingredients (although of course those are super important, to start).

Bitten lemon crinkle cookie on small white plate

For the craters

There are two things that are essential to achieving the craters on top: dough that hasn’t been handled and smoothed too much, and the right amount of heat in the oven. With clean fingers, press in any very rough edges around the sides of the cookies, but leave the top prickly.

Particularly with this lemon recipe, preparing the dough in precisely the right form requires a rough dough, so the dough separates readily in the oven. The chocolate and red velvet varieties seem to crackle a bit more readily.

To encourage that dough separation, I also like to start with a 375°F oven that I immediately reduce to 350°F after the baking sheet is placed inside. The temperature slowly falls to a temperature that allows the cookies to bake fully but still stay soft, and the initial heat encourages the separation.

For the sugar on top

The key to getting the sugar on top to remain opaque is to double-dip the pieces of raw cookie dough. After scooping the dough, you’ll coat it twice in sugar, handling each piece as gently as possible.

You can use confectioners’ sugar for both coatings. Just pause for a few moments in between coating since the dough will absorb a bit of the sugar.

You can also coat the pieces first in granulated sugar, and then follow with confectioners’ sugar. I prefer the way the cookies taste a bit that way, since confectioners’ sugar alone can be a bit tooth-aching.

Raw mounds of lemon crinkle cookie dough with confectioners' sugar on white paper on tray

For extra credit

This is for the overachievers (I feel you)! When the cookie dough bakes in the oven, the craters clearly won’t have a white sugar crust on them. But the confectioners’ sugar on the outside of the dough can also melt into the dough in the oven.

To ensure a whiter crust, try moistening the tops of the fully prepared mounds of dough with a clean, wet finger. Then dust the tops lightly with more confectioners’ sugar, and brush off the excess with a pastry brush.

Baked lemon crinkle cookies on white paper on tray

Ingredients and substitutions

Dairy

To replace the butter in these cookies with a dairy-free alternative, I would go with my old standby, vegan butter. My favorite brands are Miyoko’s Kitchen and Melt. I would not use Earth Balance buttery sticks here.

Eggs

There are two eggs in this recipe, and you might be able to replace them with 2 “chia eggs.” For each chia egg, place 1 tablespoon ground white chia seeds and 1 tablespoon lukewarm water in a small bowl, then mix and allow it to gel.

Since these cookies are all about the texture, I’m not sure an egg replacement will produce the same results, though.

Cornstarch

If you can’t have corn, you can replace the cornstarch with potato starch or arrowroot. Be sure the confectioners’ sugar you’re using is corn-free. There are some that use tapioca starch instead of cornstarch, so look for those.

Four lemon crinkle cookies on two small white plates and a cut lemon on a small metal plate

Gluten Free Egg Rolls

By | Published: | Posted In: Appetizers, Sides

Gluten free egg rolls start with our fresh gluten free wonton wrappers; then you’re moments from crispy fried perfection!

Two egg rolls, one with bite taken, in small white square dish with soy sauce in small bowl

Start by making gluten free egg roll wrappers

As I’m writing this, no one sells packaged and prepared gluten free wonton or egg roll wrappers. If they did, I’d be the first to celebrate by buying a case. 

You can actually buy frozen, prepared gluten free egg rolls, and they’re not half bad. But they’re super expensive, and they don’t crunch like I wish they did.

For now, we begin with our recipe for gluten free wonton wrappers. You can double the recipe, if you like, particularly since if you’re new to the process, you may not roll the wrappers as thin as you might like, so you’ll have fewer egg rolls in the end.

You can also wrap the raw, unshaped dough tightly and refrigerate it for at least 4 days, or freeze it for longer. Just defrost at room temperature and work with the dough as fresh.

Simply divide the won ton wrapper dough into rectangles about 1/4-inch thick. Cut out 3½ to 4-inch squares, and then roll those squares into 1/8-inch, about 6-inch squares.

Rolling the dough a bit thicker, cutting shapes, and then rolling those shapes thinner is the easiest way to get the wrappers as thin as possible. It helps prevent them from tearing as you work. The thinner the wrapper, the crispier it will be after frying.

Overhead image of hands folding egg roll wrapper over filling with bowl of filling and more shaped egg rolls

How to shape the raw egg rolls

With a corner of the square facing you, place a bit of filling about an inch from that corner. The filling should be as dry as possible without sacrificing flavor.

Fold the corner over the filling, and fold one more turn. Make it tight, and press out any trapped air.

Whenever you’re planning to fry filled dough, be sure to eliminate any air as you go. Trapped air will allow oil to seep in during frying and the finished product will be greasy.

Raw egg roll wrapper open with filling on top, half folded, folded twice, sides tucked in, and fully wrapped

Next, fold the left and right sides, tightly, toward the center of the roll. Roll away from you once more, until the roll is sealed. Moisten your fingers as you go only as much as necessary to make the wrappers stick closed at each step.

Keep in mind that moisture makes hot oil splatter. If you allow your moistened, sealed egg rolls to sit for a moment as the oil heats to the proper frying temperature, any excess moisture should evaporate.

3 raw egg rolls beginning to fry in hot bubbling oil in miniature electric fryer

Can you use spring roll wrappers in place of egg roll wrappers?

Rice paper wrappers, used for spring rolls that only need to be moistened in warm water before using them to wrap filling, are such a delicious treat. If you’d really like to try making egg rolls but don’t have the patience to make the egg roll wrappers, you can try using spring roll wrappers instead.

Since spring roll wrappers are so thin and soft, they tend to absorb oil quickly. I’d recommend doubling them, and allowing them to dry completely after shaping before you immerse them in hot frying oil. It won’t be precisely the same, but it’s a nice place to start.

3 egg rolls frying in oil and light brown on top

Ingredients and substitutions

Eggs

There aren’t any eggs in the filling of these egg rolls, but there are 3 eggs in the wonton wrappers recipe. They provide structure for the wrappers, and I’m afraid I don’t think they can be successfully replaced.

Cornstarch

The cornstarch in the filling recipe helps absorb some of the liquid in the filling so that nothing leaks out during frying. You can replace it with nearly any neutral starch, like potato starch or arrowroot.

Honey

If you can’t have honey or would simply like to avoid it, try using an equal amount, by weight, of brown sugar. You can even leave out the sweetener entirely, but the filling doesn’t taste particularly sweet because of it.

Beef

If you use beef that’s higher in fat than 90% lean, you’ll just need to drain as much of the rendered fat as possible when you cook it before proceeding with the recipe. I’ve also made this filling with ground chicken and ground turkey, and it’s still delicious.

Frying oil

If you’d like to avoid frying oil entirely, an air fryer might work (although I haven’t tried that here). Keep in mind that an air fryer is just a small, powerful convection oven, so you don’t really need a separate, dedicated air fryer. A convection oven of any kind works similarly (even if it’s a fancy toaster oven with a convection setting).

I’ve been the most successful with an air fryer, like when we made gluten free fried won tons, by spraying oil generously on both sides of the raw dough before frying. The instructions in that recipe should be helpful in air frying these gluten free egg rolls.

Gluten Free Eggrolls with homemade gluten free won ton wrappersWords gluten-free egg rolls with egg rolls on wire rack and served in a small square white bowl with a bite taken

Parts of 5 fried egg rolls draining on wire rack atop metal baking tray

Classic Gluten Free Hot Dog Buns

By | Published: | Posted In: Breads, Memorial Day

Fire up the grill, because these soft, squishy gluten free hot dog buns are better than anything you can buy at the grocery store.

Hand holding hot dog in bun with mustard

What makes these buns special/why make instead of buy?

If you got here by searching for “gluten free hot dog buns near me,” that means you’re looking to buy buns. But wait! Give me 2 minutes to try to convince you that it’s better (and easy!) to make them yourself.

There are plenty of companies that make packaged gf hot dog buns these days. Schar, Canyon Bakehouse and Udi’s all sell gluten free hot dog buns.

But even the best among them, which I would say is probably Schar, simply don’t hold up to scrutiny. They fall apart, and they’re far from squishy.

Not everyone has time or the inclination to make homemade hot dog buns every time, of course. But this recipe makes a classic, squish bun that has a very light, browned crust and is perfectly fluffy inside. Make it at least once, so you know that the packaged kinds need to improve their product.

You may still buy packaged buns from time to time. I may, as well! But I know that they’re not good enough, and I don’t believe it has to be that way. Let’s pressure them to make them at least as good as gluten free packaged breads, which are really quite good.

White rectangular plate with 3 hot dogs in buns

How to shape these gf hot dog buns

This bread dough is pretty highly enriched, with milk, melted butter, and an egg. When it’s ready for shaping, it should be tacky to the touch, but not especially wet.

The dough should rest for at least 2 hours before you handle it. This will allow the flours to absorb the moisture in the other ingredients, making the dough easier to work with.

When you begin to shape a divided one-sixth of the dough into the shape that will become a hot dog bun, you should begin with clean, dry hands and no additional flour. If the dough is too sticky to shape like that, try letting it rest for longer and working with it a bit cold.

3 Raw Risen Hot Dog Buns in rectangular metal baking pan

How to get a nice, even rise

The moment you add additional flour to the dough, you are likely to add pleats to the dough that will separate as the dough rises and bakes. If you shape the dough without additional flour, you can pinch together any pleats or breaks in the dough, and they should disappear.

The shaping is finished on a very lightly floured surface, with a tiny bit of extra tapioca starch/flour, just to smooth the top. That gives the dough a nice smooth cloak to rise into.

Keep in mind that overproofing is not ever the result of having let your raw yeast dough rise too long. It’s the result of letting the dough rise too much.

In cold, dry weather, the dough will take longer to rise. In warm, humid weather, it will rise more rapidly. Patience is key!

If you’d like to make a New England-style gluten free hot dog bun, which is shaped more like a piece of white bread, shaped into a bun, I have a separate recipe for that. Just follow the link in the previous sentence for that recipe.

hot dog buns in rectangular metal pan with blue and white checked tea towel

Ingredients and substitutions

Dairy

If you can’t have dairy, try replacing the melted butter with melted vegan butter. Melt and Miyoko’s Kitchen brands are my favorite.

In place of dairy milk, any unsweetened nondairy milk should work. My favorite is unsweetened almond milk, since it still has some fat, and that adds welcome richness.

Egg

There is only one egg in this recipe, so I think you could replace it with one “chia egg.” Place 1 tablespoon ground white chia seeds and 1 tablespoon lukewarm water in a small bowl, then mix and allow to sit until it gels.

3 hot dogs in buns with mustard on long rectangular wooden tray

Tapioca starch/flour

There is a fair amount of tapioca starch/flour in this recipe. It’s in addition to whatever tapioca starch you’ll find in your all purpose gluten free flour (as most good GF flour blends will contain it).

If you can’t have or can’t find tapioca starch, you can try replacing it with superfine sweet white rice flour (also called glutinous rice flour). It has a similar, although not exact, sticky, stretchy quality.

Yeast

You must use some form of commercial yeast for this recipe. I always bake with instant yeast (which is also called bread maker or rapid rise yeast).

If you would prefer to use active dry yeast, you’ll need to use more, and to “prove” the yeast in some of the milk in the recipe before you add it to the rest of the mixture. The general rule of thumb is to use 25% more active dry yeast than instant yeast, by weight.

Hot dog with mustard in hot dog bun with bite on brown paper with chips

Words gluten free hot dog buns and image of hand holding hot dog with mustard stripe in bun

Gluten Free Hot Cross Buns

By | Published: | Posted In: Breads, Easter, Holidays

Warm and fragrant, these traditional gluten free hot cross buns will make your house smell like a home, and make your Easter celebration special.

Hot cross buns with frosting crosses on wire rack

What makes these buns special?

Yeasty and lightly sweet, with just the right spices (don’t skip the cardamom; they just won’t smell right), these gluten free hot cross buns will bring back memories for many. They’re like a less-eggy, differently spiced version of panettone.

These hot cross buns are made with a highly enriched dough, with plenty of unique flavors. The dough has eggs, and lots of butter, plus allspice, cinnamon, and cardamom.

The zest of a lemon and the zest of an orange brighten up the aroma and the flavors. If you really don’t care for all those flavors, though, you can omit any of them without changing anything else in the recipe.

If you don’t have all the different spices, you can use apple pie spice, which is quite similar. Or even just all cinnamon—but consider the other spices! They just smell so good.

Hot cross bun split in half with butter and butter knife on small white plate

What to expect from this bread-making experience

This isn’t a high-rising dough

Be sure to read through the whole recipe before you begin, so that you account for the resting and then rising time for the rolls. This isn’t a high-rising dough at all, despite 9 grams of instant yeast, since it isn’t a very wet dough.

After you make the dough, you should allow it to rest for 45 minutes, covered. It won’t rise much, but allowing this rest gives the flours some time to absorb the wet ingredients.

Once the buns are shaped, they will only rise to about 150% of their original size. The recipe in my bread book for gluten free hot cross buns is made with gluten free bread flour, and it rises higher.

You’ll find that the buns have quite a bit of “oven spring,” which is the rise that happens when yeast bread is in the oven. The rolls will separate at the site of their slashes, and the inside will be tender and chewy.

pastry brush placing glaze on risen hot cross bun on white paper on tray

The buns will be tender but chewy

This recipe makes buns that are tender inside, thanks to the plenty of eggs and butter in the dough. But they’re not meant to be light and fluffy.

The sweet egg glaze on the outside of the raw, risen buns helps them brown evenly and develop a crisp, thin shell during baking. Eat them sliced open and slathered with soft butter, or whole and plain.

Hot cross buns baked on white paper on tray

Ingredients and substitutions

Dairy

If you can’t have dairy, in place of milk you can use any unsweetened nondairy milk you like. My favorite is unsweetened almond milk, and since it has fat it’s not too watery.

In place of butter, you can try using your favorite vegan butter. My favorite brands are Miyoko’s Kitchen and Melt.

Eggs

There is only one whole egg in the bread dough, but there’s also an egg yolk which provides richness. The whole egg in the bread should be able to be replaced with one “chia egg” (1 tablespoon ground white chia seeds + 1 tablespoon lukewarm water, mixed and allowed to gel). In place of the egg yolk, you can try adding another tablespoon (14 g) of unsalted butter.

For the glaze, which is made with an egg, you should be able to make something similar by mixing confectioners’ sugar with heavy whipping cream. That should also help the rolls shine and brown.

Overhead image of large knife, hot cross buns on wire rack, on small plate, and on small plate cut in half with butter

Tapioca starch/flour

Tapioca starch/flour is a separate ingredient from the all purpose gluten free flour blend in this recipe. That means that, regardless of the composition of your all purpose gluten free flour (all of my recommended blends contain tapioca starch), you will need 75 grams of tapioca starch/flour.

If you can’t have tapioca starch, you can try using superfine sweet white rice flour in its place. That’s also called “glutinous” rice flour, and is made with short grain rice. I can’t promise results, though, since I haven’t tried it.

Dried currants

Hot cross buns are traditionally made with dried currants, but if you can’t find them or honestly don’t feel like bothering (I hear you), you really don’t have to use them. Any small dried fruit will work just fine.

I think they’d be great with chopped dried apricots, but of course raisins would work, too. You can also use fewer currants or other dried fruit, if you’d like a less currant-dense hot cross bun.

Instant yeast

If you don’t have instant yeast (also called bread maker or rapid rise yeast), you can use active dry yeast in its place. You’ll need more active dry yeast, and you’ll need to let it prove in the milk first.

To convert a recipe that calls for instant yeast to use active dry yeast instead, you need 125% as much, by weight. Here, the recipe calls for 9 grams instant yeast, so you’ll need (9 grams x 1.25) 11¼ grams. Just use a bit more than 11 grams and you’ll be fine.

Hot cross bun with frosting cross on small white plate with butter in background

Words Hot Cross Buns with one bun cut in half with butter, one whole on wire rack, and one whole on tray

Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Muffins

By | Published: | Posted In: Muffins

These gluten free chocolate chip muffins have that moist and tender cake-like crumb everyone loves, and just enough chips to tempt your pickiest eater. They’re just right for breakfast, or an afternoon snack.

Six chocolate chip muffins in a muffin tin with one on its side

What makes this recipe special

These gluten free chocolate chip muffins, like all muffins, have a slightly denser texture than cake. But the crumb is so tender and moist, it leans a bit closer to cake-like than is traditional.

I do have a very adaptable recipe for gluten free muffins, and it’s a great recipe. But like an all purpose gluten free flour is good for all purposes, but not ideal for certain more nuanced applications, this muffin recipe is what my dream of a chocolate chip muffin looks like.

To me, a really special chocolate chip muffin has a slightly more tender crumb. So it starts with a slightly softer batter. Here, the flour blend favors starch a bit, for softness, and of course there’s the buttermilk.

But the combination of melted butter and a neutral oil really helps keep the muffins moist, and still flavorful. And never, ever oily-tasting.

Pile of chocolate chip muffins in brown liners in a wire basket lined with blue and white striped towel

How to keep the chocolate chips from sinking

Mix-ins do have a habit of sinking to the bottom of muffins during baking. This is especially true of mix-ins that release moisture during baking, like blueberries in blueberry muffins.

It doesn’t happen much with chocolate chips, which soften during baking, but really don’t melt in the traditional sense. But if you’re concerned at all that your chips are going to sink, rather than being delightfully studded throughout these muffins, I have a couple tips.

Before you add the chips to the muffin batter, line the well of each muffin tin with a small dollop of plain, no-chip, muffin batter. Then, add the chips (you’ll probably want to stick with 4 ounces or less) to the remaining batter and divide it among the wells.

You can also try adding fewer chips, since they’re less likely to clump and sink together. Finally, reserve a few to sprinkle right on top of the muffin wells after you’ve already divided up the batter.

Just be sure to press those reserved chips into the muffins, or they’ll nearly fall off when the muffins are fully baked. The few chips on top also look pretty, and help them express themselves as chocolate chip muffins.

raw chocolate chip muffin batter in brown liners in 12-cup muffin tin

How to replace buttermilk when you’ve run out

If you knew me in life, you’d see that I’m not shy about expressing my opinions—although I do know when to stay silent. But since this is my very own recipe blog, on my own block of the Internet, there are a few cornerstone concepts that I will push and push.

I want you to have success, and that means not just that a recipe looks like it worked. I want it to actually taste great, too.

So it is in this tradition that I beg you, don’t try replacing buttermilk in a recipe with the “trick” most people seem to love of adding some acid (vinegar or lemon juice) to milk.

The same goes (oddly) for hydrating buttermilk powder. I do love buttermilk powder for baking, but I never use it, even with added water, in place of actual buttermilk.

Store-bought buttermilk is thick and rich. No doubt, it has additives that make and keep it that way, but that’s what we’re going for.

Adding a bit of acid to regular milk, dairy or nondairy, just makes slightly sour-tasting milk that’s still watery.

If you don’t have buttermilk in your refrigerator, but you want to make this recipe or any other that calls for buttermilk, you can still pretty easily replace it. Just use half milk and half plain unsweetened yogurt, by volume.

I’ve tested many of my recipes both ways, most of them in fact, and it always works just as buttermilk does. And it’s even equally applicable to nondairy substitutes.

Chocolate chip muffin with muffin liner partially peeled off on a small pewter plate and muffin basket in background

Ingredients and substitutions

Dairy

There’s a combination of a neutral oil and melted and cooled butter in these muffins. If you can’t have dairy, I don’t recommend trying to replace the melted butter with more oil.

When I tried making these muffins with all oil, the muffins looked fine, but tasted very oily to me. Instead, try using vegan butter or even Earth Balance buttery sticks (and then reduce the salt to a pinch).

In place of buttermilk, use half milk (nondairy is fine) and half plain unsweetened yogurt (again, nondairy is fine).

Eggs

There are two eggs in this recipe. I think you should be able to replace each of them with a “chia egg” (1 tablespoon ground white chia seeds + 1 tablespoon lukewarm water, mixed and allowed to gel).

Cornstarch

If you can’t have corn, try arrowroot or potato starch. If you’re using a high-starch blend, like (mock) Cup4Cup, replace the cornstarch with an equal amount, by weight, of that gluten free flour blend.

Half of a chocolate chip muffin on a small pewter plate

Words gluten free chocolate chip muffins with images of Chocolate Chip Muffins in a pile in a wire basket, in a muffin tin, and one muffin cut in half on a small pewter plate

Gluten Free Lemon Brownies | Lemonies

By | Published: | Posted In: Bars, Brownies, Easter, Mother's Day

The best gluten free lemon brownies have tons of bright lemon flavor, with or without a simple lemon glaze, and are chewy and light.

Lemon brownie with icing drizzle and some lemon zest on small white plate

What makes these glutenfree lemon brownies special?

These aren’t just blondies with lemon flavor. I’m calling them lemon brownies because they’re so similar to, and even based on, our gluten free chewy brownies, that the variation is in the flavor.

Blondies more than just brownies without chocolate. Blondies tend to have more flour, and typically have brown sugar along with granulated sugar, and that hints at the flavor of chocolate chip cookies.

The lemon flavor in these brownies has no competition. In fact, we don’t even use vanilla extract.

What we’re left with is tons of bright lemon flavor and tang, even if you don’t add pure lemon extract. Between the lemon zest and the juice, and all the sweetness you need to complement it, you’ve got lemon brownies.

These aren’t fudgy, like some brownies can be. If you make them with less flour and cornstarch, they’re denser and fudgy, but they’re also much more fragile.

Cut lemon brownies on brown paper with a small spoon with icing in foreground

How do these compare to lemon bars?

I love lemon bars, and we have a great recipe here on the blog for gluten free lemon bars. But these are not lemon bars.

Lemon bars are the bar form of lemon custard pie, really. They have a lemon-flavored, soft shortbread cookie crust that’s topped with a lemon curd-like custard, baked until firm.

Lemon brownies, on the other hand, have the texture of chewy brownies. Think of them like a cross between a brownie and a bar cookie, bursting with lemon flavor.

Overhead image of raw lemon brownie batter in square pan

Can you make this recipe with another citrus flavor?

Anything baked with lemon seems to be a universal crowd-pleaser, so I have a lot lemon-based dessert recipes here on the blog. But even if I can’t relate, we welcome all types here—even lemon-haters.

If you don’t hate lemon, but you really just love limes, I think this recipe would work really well with limes. Just be sure you’re using enough zest and juice, which may take more than 1 lime.

Oranges would likely work, too. Just be sure you’re using a juicy, flavorful orange. If your orange doesn’t have much juice because it’s ripe enough or it’s been sitting around in your crisper drawer (no judgment!), its juice may be a bit watery—and not plentiful.

Whatever citrus you use, make sure the zest is plentiful and the juice is relatively concentrated. Smell the juice after you squeeze it out.

If it’s not very strong-smelling, you can try adding more juice to it and reducing it in a small saucepan to evaporate some water and concentrate the flavors. Just let it cool completely before you add it to the brownie batter.

Baked lemon brownies in square pan with white paper lining

Ingredients and substitutions

Dairy

If you can’t have dairy, the butter is the only ingredient that you need to replace. Try using vegan butter (Miyoko’s Kitchen and Melt brands are my favorite).

I don’t generally like to bake with Earth Balance buttery sticks, since they have so much more moisture than butter. If you’d like to try using them here, try half Earth Balance buttery sticks, half vegan shortening.

Eggs

There are 2 eggs and 1 egg yolk in this recipe, and they’re really important to the structure and chemistry of this recipe. If you’d like to try replacing the eggs, you can try 2 “chia eggs” (2 tablespoons ground white chia seeds + 2 tablespoons lukewarm water, mixed and allowed to gel).

The extra egg yolk adds richness and tenderness to the brownies. You can try replacing it with another tablespoon of butter, but that will also add moisture.

Cornstarch

If you can’t have corn, you can try replacing the cornstarch with arrowroot or potato starch. Keep in mind that, if you make the simple glaze, you’ll need to make sure that your confectioners’ sugar is corn-free.

Overhead image of lemon brownies on small white plates with lemon and zester

Words gluten free lemon brownies with images of uncut lemon brownies in square pan, glazed lemon brownies cut on paper, and one lemon brownie with glaze on small white plate

Gluten Free Swedish Meatballs

By | Published: | Posted In: Appetizers, Dinner, Meat

Serve these hearty & satisfying gluten free Swedish meatballs with gravy as the classic appetizer, or over a plate of rice or gluten free egg noodles for a complete meal.

Overhead image of gravy being poured onto plate with meatballs and fork with parsley in a bowl and more meatballs on baking sheet

Are the Swedish meatballs at IKEA gluten free?

First things first: No, the Swedish meatballs from IKEA are not gluten free. 🙁

When we went to IKEA with the kids when they were little, we were always surprised by how few gluten free foods they had in their cafeteria. Not that everyone has to offer gluten free food, but it just seemed like they would.

I first had Swedish meatballs as a kid, whenever we went to my Swedish aunt’s house for a meal. I had no idea what was in those tender, flavorful mini meatballs with the deep savory flavors.

Then, they started popping up at buffets and as hors d’oeuvres as my husband and I aged into the wedding circuit time of our lives. Those never really measured up to my aunt’s, but the meatballs from IKEA at least smell like the ones from childhood, so no wonder everyone seems to love them.

Pyrex mixing cup with gravy and flat leaf parsley

What makes these gf Swedish meatballs special?

There are a few tweaks that make these glutenfreeswedishmeatballs more flavorful than the sort of gluten free meatballs that I serve with tomato sauce.

The meatballs are a little different

The meatballs have a touch of allspice (unless you really really hate allspice, leave it in you’ll love it), and a whole grated onion. That perfumes the whole mixture.

And of course, they have a mixture of ground pork and ground beef. But I’ve swapped out the ground pork with ground chicken and even ground turkey with good results, so the meat mixture isn’t as crucial.

gf breadcrumbs, egg yolks, and spices in a metal bowl

The gravy is so savory

The gravy begins as usual, with a simple gluten free roux made from butter and a basic gluten free flour blend. Whatever you do, don’t use xanthan gum or you’ll have a gummy gravy. Plus, we use less flour than we do in gluten free sausage gravy.

What makes the biggest difference is one tablespoon of gluten free soy sauce or tamari and ½ teaspoon (a touch!) of apple cider vinegar in a smooth, silky gravy. Just that bit of umami and acid, along with a few tablespoons of cream at the very end, make a light brown gravy that you’ll want to pour all over everything.

two Swedish meatballs with parsley and gravy on a small white plate with a small appetizer fork

Ingredients and substitutions

Dairy

There isn’t a lot of dairy in this recipe, and it should all be relatively easy to replace. The sources of dairy are: milk in the meatballs; butter and heavy whipping cream in the gravy.

For the milk in the meatballs, if you can’t have dairy you can use any unsweetened nondairy milk. Something with fat is always preferred, like unsweetened almond milk.

In place of the butter, try using vegan butter. Melt and Miyoko’s Kitchen brands are best, but even Earth Balance buttery sticks are fine here.

For the heavy whipping cream, you can either leave it out, or replace it with some sort of thicker, creamier nondairy milk. Canned coconut milk is the best consistency, but it will provide a bit of a coconut flavor.

Egg yolks

The three egg yolks provide richness, and also help to bind the meatball mixture together. You could try using melted butter for the richness, and increasing the bread crumbs a bit for the binding properties. You’ll have to experiment!

Meat

Swedish meatballs are typically made with a combination of half ground pork and half ground beef. I like lean ground beef since these are relatively soft meatballs and higher fat ground beef is softer. 

I often use ground chicken in place of ground pork, though, and you can barely taste the difference. You certainly can’t taste the ground chicken.

Swedish meatball gravy being poured onto meatballs on white plate

Words gluten free Swedish Meatballs with photos of gravy in measuring cup, being poured on meatballs and meatballs and gravy on small white plate with small fork

Gluten Free Fried Oreos

By | Published: | Posted In: Cookies, Holidays

Who can resist gluten free fried Oreos, made with the real deal chocolate sandwich cookies dipped in just-right batter and gently fried to crisp-tender heaven? It’s about time!

One fried Oreo sliced in half on two small metal plates

What makes this recipe for gf fried Oreos different?

Which gf chocolate sandwich cookies are the best?

Companies like Glutino and Kinnikinnick have been making gluten free chocolate sandwich cookies that look like Oreos for years. They’re expensive but no longer that hard to find, and they scratch that itch—but they’re no Oreos.

Nabisco now makes its own gluten free Oreo chocolate sandwich cookies, and they really taste like actual Oreos. They’re a tiny bit different, but not enough to matter, so we’ve literally been buying them by the case (especially the Double Stuff ones).

As usual, my opinion of Nabisco’s product isn’t sponsored in any way. They didn’t send me their press kit, any free product, or even whisper in my ear. If they know who I am at all, they respected my no-free-product ethos.

Why this recipe is special

File this recipe squarely under if-they-can-make-it-with-gluten-we-can-make-it-without. It’s the crispy fried treats, sure. But it’s also the sense of possibility, which means to me that this recipe is useful even if you never, ever make it.

Fried Oreos weren’t a thing in NY when I was growing up, so I had only heard of them as Midwest county fair food. But according to my children, they’re sold at the town pool snack stand, so they’re everywhere now.

Now my teenage gluten free son is very self-conscious of his dietary restriction (don’t worry he never reads the blog). So when he asks me if I can make gluten free fried Oreos, you’d better believe I’m going to deliver.

It turns out that the crisp outside, tender inside and melty chocolate sandwich cookie inside in a fried Oreo is not half bad. And that’s important, too.

Keep in mind that the sandwich cookies will melt inside during frying. If you’d like a firmer cookie, just allow the treats to cool for about 10 minutes after frying, and they’ll firm back up—but try at least one fresh out of the fryer.

Glass bowl of pancake batter with one Oreo on top

Can you make them in the Air Fryer?

I haven’t tried making them in an Air Fryer, so I’m not entirely sure. I’m admittedly not the biggest fan of air frying as a concept, since I think it creates unrealistic expectations of true fried taste.

An Air Fryer, I never seem to tire of saying, is just a small, powerful convection oven. In other words, it’s a hot oven with a really good oven fan, known to cook foods to crispness very efficiently.

Since an Air Fryer doesn’t actually fry foods, you wouldn’t have real fried Oreos if you use one. Plus, the batter would inevitably run through the holes in the frying basket or shelf.

If you line the basket in your Air Fryer, then the hot air can’t fully circulate around the food on all sides as efficiently. If you’d really like to make air-fried Oreos, I recommend wrapping Oreos in gluten free pie crust, rather than coating them in batter.

Two fried Oreos frying in a frying basket

How thick should the pancake batter be?

The most important logistical issue in making gluten free fried Oreos successfully is getting the texture of the pancake batter just right. The frying oil temperature is important, too, but you can measure that objectively at 350°F.

Hand holding glass bowl of pancake batter and hand holding whisk mixing the batter

Watching the how-to video is probably the best way for you to experience the appropriate thickness of the batter. The photos above can also help illustrate the thickness, too, which should be slightly thicker than heavy whipping cream.

The batter must be thick enough to continue to stick to the Oreos, but not so thick that the excess doesn’t drip off. It should fall off the whisk in ribbons, but not run off like water.

Dipping fork holding Oreo dipped in raw pancake batter held over glass bowl of batter

Ingredients and substitutions

Dairy

You can use your favorite non-dairy cow’s milk alternative for in the batter, but I recommend against anything nonfat. My favorite nondairy milk is unsweetened almond milk.

If your milk doesn’t contain any fat, it will water down the pancake batter more than milk that contains fat. I’d recommend starting with much less milk, and only continuing to add it as necessary to reach the right consistency.

Egg

There’s only one egg in the batter. You should be able to replace it with 1 “chia egg” (1 tablespoon ground white chia seeds + 1 tablespoon lukewarm water, mixed and allowed to gel).

Oats

The new gluten free Oreos from Nabisco contain oat flour in the ingredient list. Maybe try Kinnikinnick or Glutino brand gluten free chocolate sandwich cookies if you’re sensitive to oats or are concerned at all about the providence of the oat flour in the Nabisco cookies.

If you’d prefer, you can always use our recipe for homemade gluten free Oreos in place of the packaged GF Oreos. Imagine how good that would be?

Fried Oreo cut in half with melting inside on top of whole fried Oreos

Words gluten free fried Oreos with fried Oreo cut in half on small plate, cookie in pancake batter in bowl, and Oreos frying in oil

How to Make Gluten Free Choux Pastry

By | Published: | Posted In: Pastry

Gluten free choux pastry is a classic French pastry made by cooking butter, milk, and flour into a paste, then adding eggs. Bake or fry the dough into classic cream puffs, éclairs, profiteroles, or even crullers.

One cream-filled choux pastry on small white plate with confectioners sugar on top

What makes this recipe for GF choux pastry special?

Called pâte à choux in French (like I speak French (I don’t 🤣)), this recipe is for one of the basic types of pastry. It’s light and airy, kind of like popovers, but without a heaviness, even at the bottom.

Choux pastry has its own category, like pie crust and biscuits have theirs. They aren’t prepared cold, like most other kinds of pastry which rely on cold butter that puffs up in the oven for their rise. It’s raised entirely with eggs.

Choux can be made savory or sweet by adding sugar or cheese to the dough, or as fillings after. In the photos here, you see puffs split in half and filled with the most basic lightly sweetened whipped cream.

What else can you make with this basic dough?

This recipe is for the basic dough. We have plenty of other, more specific recipes on the blog that use this recipe as a base, but this is the deep dive to help you make and troubleshoot potential hiccups with any of the others.

With minor modifications, it can be made into gluten free crullers (deep fried donuts) cream puffs (like you see here), profiteroles (with ice cream instead of whipped cream), gluten free éclairs (filled with pastry cream) or even gluten free gougères (with cheese in the pastry dough).

There isn’t any sugar in this dough recipe, but you could add a bit if you like. Add a few tablespoons of granulated sugar to the choux paste that you cook in a pan.

Choux pastry paste with black mixing spoon in metal saucepan

How to make gluten free choux pastry

Recipes like this that call for only a few basic pantry ingredients are wonderful—but they often tend to be particular. That doesn’t mean that you can’t make them, no matter your experience level.

The relative fussiness means that an understanding of how each step works, and what it’s intended to do,  is essential to success. Managed expectations also help, so keep in mind that even if your cream puffs or éclairs aren’t perfectly light and airy doesn’t mean they won’t taste great anyway.

Choux pastry begins with the paste

There are four main ingredients in this recipe, and two main elements. The ingredients are butter, milk, salt, the proper gluten free flour blend, and eggs.

The elements are the pastry paste, and the eggs. The paste should be thick and soft, but never runny.

The paste is made by bringing the butter and milk to a simmer, then adding the flour blend off the heat so you have a chance to mix it before the flour clumps too much. Return the pot to the stove and, while stirring constantly, cook the paste until enough moisture evaporates.

If you use a lower fat milk, your paste will have more moisture and will likely require a longer cooking time. Just be sure your heat is low, so you don’t brown the paste.

Raw mounds of choux pastry on white paper on baking sheet with piping bag

Blend in eggs next

The paste must cool until it’s no longer hot to the touch. Remember, we’re adding eggs to it and we don’t want to cook them at all before they go in the oven.

Those eggs are going to be responsible for any rise, and hopefully the light airiness, of your choux pastry. Adding the eggs to the food processor or blender should be done relatively slowly.

The recipe calls for adding 5 eggs at first, but if you’re concerned that your pastry paste might be at all unbalanced, begin with 4 eggs. You can always add more, but you can’t remove them once they’re blended in.

Spoon placing whipped cream into hollow half of baked choux pastry on small white plate

Troubleshooting gluten free choux pastry

The first time you make choux pastry, you might suspect you have a problem right away, or you might only know when you’re less than satisfied with your results. Here’s some troubleshooting help, in case you get into a spot:

If your dough or pastries are too dense

You may know you have a bit of a problem before you’ve even piped the dough at all because your dough is too thick to pipe easily. Or maybe once baked, the pastries dough don’t have holes inside.

Those two issues usually go hand in glove. And you need more eggs. But go slowly, though.

Instead of adding whole eggs, beat another egg and drizzle it in a bit at a time, and then blend. Remember that your dough should have a sheen/shine, and you need to be able to pipe and have it hold its shape without flattening too much.

If your dough is too soft/your pastries won’t rise or hold their rise

If you place your dough in a piping bag, and it nearly runs right through without any pressure, it’s too soft. If you bake your pastries and they either don’t hold a rise or don’t rise much at all, the issue is likely the same.

Too-soft dough is harder to remedy than too-stiff dough, but not at all impossible. You’ll need to make more paste.

Begin to make the recipe again, but stop short of adding any eggs. Don’t make a full paste recipe, unless you really went overboard with eggs and/or milk.

A halved paste recipe (3 tablespoons butter + 3/4 cup milk + a dash of salt + 3/4 cup GF pastry flour) should be plenty. Or perhaps 1/3 recipe seems more reasonable.

Then, let the paste cool, and blend it into the too-soft choux pastry you’ve made. Stop when the texture is shiny and will hold its shape.

Five cream filled choux pastries with sugar on top on small white cake plate

Ingredients and substitutions

Dairy

You should be able to make this recipe dairy-free by replacing the butter and milk with dairy-free alternatives. I would try using Miyoko’s Kitchen brand or Melt brand vegan butter, and unsweetened almond milk for the milk.

Keep in mind that the higher water content of these ingredients will make your pastry paste (the dough before the eggs) softer. Try to cook the paste at a very low temperature for long enough to evaporate the extra water.

Eggs

There are so many eggs in this recipe, and they alone are responsible for the lift that is characteristic of baked choux pastry. They cannot be replaced in this recipe.

Pastry flour

For a deep dive on the components of gluten free pastry flour, and possible substitutions, please see our post on how to make gluten free pastry flour. If you use an all purpose gluten free flour instead, the pastries are more likely to be more dense and not puff up as much.

Cream puff pastry on small white plate split open and half filled with whipped cream

Words gluten free cream puffs on page with raw choux pastry dough, filled pastry, and cream on spoon falling into pastry half

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