I get a lot of emails. I have a page on FAQs which really does answer most Frequently Asked Questions. Nobody reads that, though. I'm convinced of it. But I so want you to be successful, and I so want you to see that it's really not very hard to bake gluten free. So when you email me and ask where I buy this or that, or where you can find this or that, this is the link you'll receive. It may take some time to get back to you, but the response will be super nice. Unless you're mean or demanding, and then I'll be pretty mad at you. Hint: don't end your email with “please advise.” It's too bossy.
*ETA: Apparently, “please advise” can be meant to be deferential! Who knew? Don't worry – when it's a respectful email in general, I don't nitpick.
Before you read on, please understand a few things:
- I am not affiliated with any of the sources I mention, other than perhaps having developed a nice rapport with the proprietors since I've called them to make sure their products are safely gluten free or to make sure they have something in stock before I open the floodgates. In fact, I don't even really love nuts.com that much, even though I buy a lot of individual flours from them. Their customer service has been lacking at times, and their shipping costs are too high. And, to drive home the fact of my lack of affiliation, I was even careful not to include any amazon affiliate links in the list (and few actual links at all).
- You do not have to buy any of these products. This is an FYI.
- These are not the only sources for these products. These are simply my sources. Do you have a better source? Let us all know in the comments!
- Wondering what to do with all of the individual gluten free flours? Check the Gluten Free Flours Page. It's all there. Wondering how to use the flour blends? I've got that covered too.
- Don't want to make your own all purpose gluten free flour blend? Don't! Unless indicated otherwise, Better Batter gluten free flour (buy it directly from the company and get the best price) and Cup4Cup gluten free flour work in all of my recipes. Wondering how the main commercial blends work? Check out the results of the extensive testing I did a while back.
Well, then. Here's a peek inside my Gluten Free Pantry:
How To Stock Your Gluten Free Pantry for Baking
Ingredients
GLUTEN FREE BAKING FLOURS
Superfine white rice flour (I buy Authentic Foods brand, on amazon.com because I have a Prime membership so shipping is free)Â *ETA: I just learned that Vitacost.com just started carrying Authentic Foods flours! Great news. Thanks Erin!!
Superfine brown rice flour (I buy Authentic Foods brand, on amazon.com because I have a Prime membership so shipping is free) *ETA: I just learned that Vitacost.com just started carrying Authentic Foods flours! Great news. Thanks Erin!!
Superfine sweet white rice flour (ditto the Authentic Foods info above)
Tapioca starch/flour (I buy it online at nuts.com)
Potato starch (I buy it online at nuts.com)
Xanthan gum (I buy it online at nuts.com)
Potato flour (I buy it online at nuts.com)
Sweet white sorghum flour (I buy it online at nuts.com)
Teff flour (I buy it online at nuts.com)
Cornstarch (I buy it online at nuts.com)
Yellow cornmeal (I buy “gluten free corn meal” online at nuts.com)
Masa harina corn flour (I buy “gluten free masa harina corn flour” at nuts.com)
Certified old fashioned gluten free rolled oats (I buy it at Trader Joe’s, and I grind some of into oat flour sometimes, or pulse it in a food processor a bit to make more like quick-cooking oats – I do not buy any other, more processed oats because I’m cheap)
Dutch-processed unsweetened cocoa powder (I buy Rodelle brand for a relatively reasonable price on amazon.com)
Natural unsweetened cocoa powder (I usually buy Hershey’s regular cocoa powder, and/or Hershey’s Extra Dark cocoa powder (a blend of natural and Dutch-processed that I like mostly because it’s very dark in color, and sometimes I want that), and find them both at my local grocery store (although I’ve been having trouble finding Special Dark lately))
Whey protein isolate (I buy NOW Brand online at amazon.com, and it costs 73¢ per ounce—not the $1 million dollars per ounce some angry people would have you believe)
Expandex modified tapioca starch (I buy it from Montana’s Gifts of Nature – full information on my Gluten Free Resources page)
Ultratex 3 (I buy it from willpowder.net – full information on my Gluten Free Resources page)
Coconut flour (I buy it online at nuts.com)
Blanched finely-ground almond flour (I buy it online at either nuts.com or honeyville.com (much better price, slower shipping)—*ETA: According to a reader below (thanks, Patty!), Honeyville almond flour is available on amazon.com for the same price as on honeyville.com, and you can get it in 2 days with free shipping if you are an Amazon prime member; great tip!)
Arrowroot powder/starch (I buy it online at nuts.com)
OTHER BAKING INGREDIENTS
Cream of tartar (I buy McCormick brand at my local grocery store)
Kosher salt (I usually buy Diamond Crystal brand at my local grocery store)
Baking soda (I buy Arm & Hammer brand at my local grocery store)
Baking powder (I buy Rumford brand (aluminum free) at my local grocery store)
Ground cinnamon (I buy McCormick brand at my local grocery store)
Pure powdered pectin (I buy Pomona brand online from pomonapectin.com – you use it without the calcium packet) *ETA: I just learned that amazon.com now carries Pomona pectin, and you can even buy it in bulk for a better price. Thanks, Allison!
Nonfat dry milk (I buy Carnation Instant Nonfat Dry Milk, and find it at my local grocery store, but you can order it online from soap.com, and many other online and brick-and-mortar retailers)
Instant yeast (I buy Red Star brand quick-rise instant yeast; I find it at my local grocery store sometimes, and otherwise I order it online at amazon.com (just search for “red star quick rise yeast”))
Sugars: Granulated sugar, confectioners’ sugar, light brown sugar (I buy Diamond brand at my local grocery store or my wholesale club)
Turbinado cane sugar (I buy Sugar in the Raw brand at my local grocery store)
Granulated coconut (palm) sugar (I buy it online at nuts.com, and in my local Trader Joe’s)
Honey (I usually buy clover honey at Trader Joe’s, but when I plan to bake with a lot of it (like making candy), I use something milder, like wildflower honey)
Semi-sweet chocolate chips (I buy Nestle brand, usually at my local grocery store)
Dairy-free gluten-free chocolate chips (I buy Enjoy Life brand online at amazon.com when I find a sweet deal – and then I stock up; a reader recently told me how much she loves Rice Dreams dairy free chocolate chips so I tried .. .and I agree!)
Bittersweet baking chocolate (I usually use Scharffen Berger 70% cacao dark chocolate, and buy it on amazon.com)
Dipping chocolate (for pre-tempered chocolate for molding and dipping, I love Chocoley.com—perfect for my upcoming book Gluten Free Classic Snacks!)
Spectrum nonhydrogenated vegetable shortening (I buy it at my local health food store or online at amazon.com, but only in the cool months or it melts during delivery! If you are concerned about the sustainability of Spectrum’s product, Tropical Traditions is a much better choice)
Unsalted butter (I buy it at my local Trader Joe’s, but it’s frequently on sale at the traditional grocery store)
Organic virgin coconut oil (I buy it at my local Trader Joe’s)
Eggs (I buy cage-free eggs at my local Trader Joe’s)
Pure vanilla extract (I buy McCormick brand at my wholesale club or at my local grocery store)
Gel food coloring (I buy Americolor brand, as it’s all gluten free, and I order it from amazon.com)
Whole raw almonds (I buy them at my local Trader Joe’s)
All other nuts, seeds and dried fruit, I buy online at nuts.com (Trader Joe’s has them, but they’re usually made on shared equipment, etc.)
Instructions
Stock up as little or as much as you like. These are not the only sources for these products. These are just my sources for these products. I am thorough and pretty experienced, but far from all-knowing. If you have better sources for any of these products, please by all means share in the comments below! Especially if you’re outside the U.S. and have found sources, please tell us.
Elena, Age 11 says
the whole almonds are cheaper at Jewel. my mom and i figured that out since we’re cheap, also:)
Emma says
I’m quite new to gluten free (only a couple of months in) but as a massive baker I love your blog! Unfortunately I find it hard to get most of the things on your list, I’m in the UK and a student so being able to find things I can afford that are gluten free is very difficult but I have found that Doves Farm is a great brand if you aren’t in America, they sell lots of different blends and yeast, all kinds of things and most of the time it works like a charm! Just like regular flour, I’m still working on making pastry though if you have any tips! :D
Jennifer says
HI Emma, I had issues with pastry too. However if you google for gluten free shortcrust pastry you should find a link about 3 or 4 down the first page to the thismorning website. I’ve tried it and it’s as near as I’ve got yet (haven’t tried any of the lovely recipes here yet!)
Alison Stevens says
Hi, me too am new to G/F and live on (Canary Island) I have not baked anything yet, although I did make an amazing chocolate cheesecake last week.
I have made cheese sauce to go with my fish pie, which I used Rice flour and Rice Milk.
I have purchased SCHAR different flours, they do a bread one, pasta, and cake flour, obviously more expensive but was surprised to see their range.
I have found on you tube how to make own coconut flour and almond flour, which could work out cheaper, again have not made but have purchased fresh coconuts, and (almonds that are imported from U.S.A) still trying to figure out why I cannot find fresh almonds here we have plenty of almond trees.
I searched different sites (google) and have subscribed to a couple of G/F pages who send recipes direct to your inbox.
All the best (any baking tips please send and disasters so we know what not to do).
Still cannot purchase Arrowroot here yet?
Dawn says
Hi Nicole, Thanks for the “Glass Jar” info I should have no trouble finding a 1 liter mason jar. I have been looking at the isolate whey protein while I am in the city, there are so many options to choose from, do you have any tips to help me get the best product. % of each ingredient etc. Thanks, Dawn.
Nicole Hunn says
Hi, Dawn, there shouldn’t be many options for whey protein isolate. There are other types of whey (whey powder, sweet dairy whey, etc., and even whey protein concentrate), but whey protein isolate is different. For every 28 grams of product it should be about 25 grams protein.
Sona Bran says
Nicole could you speak to why isolate and not concentrate? It is very confusing as I have read the islolate strips some nutrient (cant remember now) from it.
Dawn says
Well I am off to the big towns today, can you tell me what size “big Glass Jar” I should look for.
Nicole Hunn says
If you are referring to the glass jar used in Bakes Bread for the sourdough starter, I usually use a 1 liter glass jar and it’s fine.
Tabitha Tschudin says
I have a question about the pectin.? Can I use Ball brand 30 min instant pectin . I tried to make banana bread and it turned out really gummy and fell flat
Nicole Hunn says
No, you can’t use Ball pectin, Tabitha. It has other additives.
Dana Schwartz says
Wow, Nicole, this is awesome! Thanks for putting this together, it’s nice to have it all in one place :) A one stop research resource!
-Dana
Becca Wright says
Thanks – I did call them and he was just as sweet as advertised. The shipping was less than the cost of the Expandex, which at least consoles me a bit.
Su Norris says
Hi, Can you use your bread on a shoestring receipes in a bread machine please? Thank you Su
Nicole Hunn says
Hi, Su, I don’t use or recommend use of a bread machine. They differ significantly from brand to brand and provide inconsistent results.
Su Norris says
Thanks for that I regret having bought my bread machine, bread nice for one day then goes heavy and solid and not that nice out of the freezer either.
Mary Garrard says
Hi, I have found a Hodgson Mills GF all purpose flour mix that has only millet, sorghum, and brown rice flours in it. I’ve been using it and it works great. I got it, believe it or not, at Walmart. My local Walmart, not a superstore, just a grocery, has a GF section with a number of products at decent prices, like Tinkyada pastas, and they even have a GF orzo!
I don’t bother with superfine flours (waaaay too expensive!), and I have found that my baked goods turn out just fine with the regular ol’ stuff. I’ve never had a gritty anything–cookie, bread, muffin, pie-crust–nothing. Actually, the one thing gritty I have made was cornbread, but that was from the cornmeal, which was a little more coarse than usual and didn’t soften up enough while baking. Otherwise, I have great results from Bob’s brown rice flour and Trader Joe’s ground almonds, as well as teff and sorghum from Bob’s (I live in the Portland, Oregon, area, so I can go buy my GF flours from their bulk bins). I make my own buckwheat and oat flour in the coffee grinder, and if I’m out of ground almonds, I make that in the coffee grinder too.
Nicole Hunn says
I’m glad you found something that works for you, Mary. I would just like to mention for others’ benefit that using rice flour that is not superfine will not make the baked goods fail to work. And if you don’t taste a grittiness, then it works for you. But other readers should understand that, if you plan to bake for anyone else, they may very well detect the grittiness (I know I do, as do most other people). You simply cannot get a superfine consistency using any regular personal home appliances.
Jenny says
Hi, does anyone know if it’s possible to get Expandex or an equivalent modified tapioca starch in the UK?
Emma F says
I ordered ultra tex 3 from modernistpantry.com and they shipped it to Australia for me. Didn’t take long either and you can buy a small amount to start off with.
Bernadette says
Fantastic resource – thank you! For those who use Enjoy Life chocolate chips and chunks, vitacost generally has them at a really good price (we are dealing with multiple food allergies here, so I can hit the minimum for free shipping on vitacost in a heartbeat). FWIW, I actually prefer Enjoy Life chocolate chunks to most other chocolates – can’t say that about too many allergy friendly prepackaged foods! :)
Nicole Hunn says
I agree, Bernadette! The Enjoy Life chips are much, much higher quality than any other chips. I use them in everything now! Good to know about Vitacost. I had been ordering them on amazon.
April says
I have a question about the instant yeast. Is the Red Star quick-rise yeast the same as say.. Fleischman’s Instanty Dry Yeast? Google results are inconclusive, and I figured you would be the best person to ask. :) My only reason for the question is because the Fleischman’s brand on Amazon is way cheaper than Red Star, and you get a lot more. of it. Any info is appreciated! I have come to depend heavily on your books when it comes to baking! :) Thank you!
Nicole Hunn says
That sounds like a great idea, April. The names of yeast do tend to differ slightly from brand to brand, and there doesn’t seem to be much of a standard to count on, I’m afraid. But that’s an instant yeast (which really just means that it has a greater concentration of live yeast), and it should work just fine!
Patty says
Fyi… if you have an Amazon Prime account, the Honeyville Blanched Almond Flour is the same price as on the Honeyville site, but you get it in 2 days for “free” with the Prime shipping…
Nicole Hunn says
Ooooh I did not know that, Patty! That’s a great tip! Thank you so much. Oh how I love my Prime shipping, and I will be doing that forever more!
Becca Wright says
I’ve been looking around at Expandex, and when you add in shipping it gets pretty expensive. Is it absolutely necessary for your bread blend or can I just use regular tapoica starch?
PS: I love loved your cornbread recipe, we made it last night and it’s my favorite cornbread ever, gluten free or not.
Nicole Hunn says
Hi, Becca, Yes, it is absolutely necessary. It behaves nothing like regular tapioca starch, I’m afraid. If you are particularly concerned about the cost of it, try using Ultratex 3 in its place. You use less of it, so it is less expensive. However, you do use a bit more whey protein in its place. Please see #6 on this page of resources for information on how to do it.
Adaptagirl says
The cheapest shipping on Expandex I’ve found is at Montana’s Gifts of Nature (http://mtgfnakedoat.com/). Yes, you have to call them, but the guy is as sweet as can be.
Kim says
Thanks for the cookbooks and just got onto your blog. My son just recently found out he has Celiac disease. He is 16, and this has been hard adjusting to gluten free foods. But your books have been a blessing to us. Thanks again.
Nicole Hunn says
Hi, Kim. I have to imagine that 16 is a hard age to all of a sudden have to make these sort of changes. If he’s missing things like Pop Tarts and Girl Scout cookies, I have recipes for copycat versions of many of those on the blog (just use the search function). Does he have a favorite food that he can no longer have? Maybe I already have a recipe for it, or can develop one. Hang in there, and I hope you’ll keep coming back to the blog! xo Nicole
jswwrites says
This is great, thanks! I have only been GF for a little over 3 weeks. So far so good, except 2 accidental glutenings. Baking GF is of particular interest – good thing I love a challenge! We’re moving next week, so I haven’t tried anything yet, but that’s the first thing on my list once we’re settled. I did find the Trader Joe’s GF oats the first week, and have guarded it from my oatmeal loving husband with my life. He’s going GF with me, but he’s using up all the oatmeal and cereal we already had, so hands off mine!
Nicole Hunn says
Definitely protect what’s yours, jsw! I’m so grateful that Trader Joe’s carries those white-labeled oats. Great, great resource!
Kelly says
Thanks so much for everything! I have found that I can buy organic coconut oil at Costco. It comes in a big tub and has been the cheapest per oz of the stores in my area.
Nicole Hunn says
Good to know, Kelly!
Heather says
Thanks, Nicole! I wanted to let you all know that Navan Foods does have Expandex back in stock. I bought some on 12/29.
Also, I’m able to get Madhava organic coconut sugar at my local Super Walmart for way less than I was buying it from Vitacost. It’s not always in stock so when it is I usually buy 4-5 bags of it since we use it for our coffee in our house.
Happy shopping:)
Nicole Hunn says
That’s all great info, Heather! I will update my resources page to reflect that Navan is back in stock. Expandex abounds! And that’s also great info about coconut sugar, as it can be kind of spendy. I will keep an eye out for it elsewhere!
Candice says
Thank you so much for this resource. It is nice to see everything in one place for easy reference. Thank you for your recommendations for high quality flour. Time is just as important to me as money, so some things I just buy. :)
Do you know of a pre-made brand that doesn’t contain Xantham Gum? A few of you recipes call for it. Just curious. Thanks again.
Nicole Hunn says
Hi, Candice, There are some blends that don’t contain any xanthan gum, but the ones that I have tried (King Arthur Flour all purpose and Tom Sawyer gluten free flour) are both very high in starch, and I don’t really care for them. The basic blend is so, so simple though (just superfine white rice flour + potato starch + tapioca starch/flour) that I don’t mind mixing it up when I need it. Plus, I use tapioca starch/flour quite often in other recipes as well (especially Against the Grain style bread recipes) that I buy quite a lot of it anyway.
Candice Krogh says
thank you this list. It is very helpful. And thanks for the pre-made GF flour suggestions. I know making them saves money, but my time is money as well. :) Knowing there are high quality products out there helps in this transition to a GF life.
Nicole Hunn says
Absolutely! I never advocate one method or the other, as which way to go is such an individual decision. I, too, am grateful to have multiple options these days.
Christine says
Thanks so much for the pantry information! I have been transitioning to GF for a few months because of health and it is not an easy task! Your books and site have been a huge source of information. Question about the Whey Isolate..I ordered a 5 pound container off of Amazon, visulizing a 5 pound bag of sugar LOL! The container is huge! I divided up the Whey into freezer bags and was wondering if it is okay to freeze for storage? 5 pounds is a lot of Whey!! I have all three of your books and have learned so much!
Erin Lowery Baerwaldt says
Christine, i was also shocked how large my container of Whey isolate was!! Thank you for asking this question because i haven’t been sure what to do with it all!
Nicole Hunn says
Yes, it’s a very big container, Christine and Erin, because it is light as a feather, so it takes up a fair amount of space! You can definitely freeze it. I never do, since I go through it very, very quickly. You can even premake some bread flour, and then put that in containers and freeze those.
Nicole Hunn says
Thanks, Louanne!
Natalie says
I think you SHOULD post your affiliate links! You work so hard and give us so much good info for free. You should get a lil somethin’ somethin’ extra in return! You know, other than BUYING ALL THE BOOKS!!!
<3 You rock, BTW ;)
Nicole Hunn says
Thanks, Natalie! That is so kind of you to say, and it truly means a ton to me. I’m definitely not at all against affiliate links, in fact, I’m in favor of them as I believe that bloggers, like everyone else, should get paid for their work. But I avoided them specifically in this post just to avoid even the hint of bias in the products I mention that I stock, right down to the fact that I don’t love nuts com but find them to be a necessary evil at least for now!
You rock, too. :)
Nicole Hunn says
So interesting, Bev. That’s great info. I wasn’t aware of it at all. Thanks for adding that!
margeryk says
Thanks so much for posting this. I have been trying to find a way to get Authentic foods superfine flour up here in Canada, and this company, unlike Amazon.com, will ship it internationally.