gluten-free Valentine Archives - Great gluten free recipes for every occasion.

Gluten Free Grasshopper Brownies

By Nicole Hunn | Published: February 14, 2020 | Posted In: Bars, Brownies, Desserts, St. Patrick's Day

Gluten free grasshopper brownies are decadent double layer fudgy brownies filled with a simple mint-flavored fudge. Inspired by the classic chocolate mint cocktail, and perfect for a special occasion.

Gluten free grasshopper brownies stack of 3

A new and improved grasshopper brownie recipe

I used to make these grasshopper brownies the “classic” way, with a brownie bottom, mint filling, and a chocolate ganache topping. It tasted great, but the chocolate topping made the brownies much more fragile and messy to eat.

If you think about it, where you are supposed to hold a brownie with an exposed ganache topping? I thought about making them much more often than I actually made them, considering the mess.

This version of gluten free grasshopper brownies is truly “new and improved.” We begin with our super fudgy gluten free brownies recipe because it bakes very evenly, with no visible dome.

Divided among two pans and baked for slightly less time, these fudgy brownies are perfect for layering around a simple mint fudge filling. Just be sure to chill the assembled brownie, with the fudge layer, until the fudge is firm. Patience, grasshopper.

Gluten free grasshopper brownies on side

Ingredients and substitutions

These fudge-filled brownies have a lot of ingredients you might be wondering about. The recipe is quite simple (make a brownie recipe divided between two pans, bake the layers and let them cool, fill with an easy fudge mixture).

But since it has two parts and they’re each rather specific, I’m going to help you navigate different dietary concerns as much as possible. The result is worthwhile, but if you’d prefer a simple chewy gluten free brownie recipe, don’t let me stand in your way. ?

Grasshopper brownies raw in pans.

Dairy

There is dairy in both the brownie and the filling recipes. I’ve successfully replaced the dairy in the brownies, but I haven’t tried the filling—although I have some suggestions.

For the brownies, replace the butter with an equal amount by weight of Earth Balance Buttery Sticks, the cream with nondairy milk, and make sure your chocolate is dairy free. And skip the salt, since Earth Balance is very salty.

For the filling, you can try replacing the sweetened condensed milk with a dairy free variety. You can make your own sweetened condensed milk, but I’ve also seen store bought varieties. For white chocolate, I recommend using my recipe for vegan white chocolate to make your own.

Eggs

You can try using one “chia egg” (1 tablespoon ground white chia seeds + 1 tablespoon lukewarm water, mixed and allowed to gel) in place of each egg in this recipe. I haven’t tried this substitution, though, so you’ll have to experiment.

Gluten free grasshopper brownies sliced overhead

Gluten Free Flour Blend

This recipe calls for 3/4 cup of my basic gum-free gluten free flour blend, a simple mixture of superfine white rice flour, potato starch, and tapioca starch/flour. You can use another gum-free blend if you like, and it shouldn’t matter too much. But you want to avoid xanthan gum.

Cocoa powder

If you don’t have Dutch processed cocoa powder, use natural unsweetened but add 1/8 teaspoon baking soda to neutralize the acid.

Food coloring

I use Americolor brand gel food coloring, because it’s good quality and reliably gluten free. I buy it on Amazon (I have this neat little set (affiliate link)), and you really don’t need more than a few primary colors in small squeeze bottles.

If you’re against food coloring as a rule, feel free to leave it out. It’s absolutely inessential, and a white mint layer will still taste, well, minty if you’ve added the flavoring.

If you’re interested in a food coloring debate, this is the face you should imagine my having: ?

Mint flavoring

Peppermint extracts tend to vary widely in the strength of the mint, so begin with less extract and taste the fudge with a spoon before you add more. I prefer to use crème de menthe flavoring because it has a more balanced sweet mint taste.

LorAnn brand flavoring oils are gluten free. I find them on Amazon, and in my local craft stores (JoAnn and Michael’s). A little goes a long way.

Gluten free grasshopper brownies bitten

Easy Flourless Chocolate Cake

By Nicole Hunn | Published: April 3, 2017 | Posted In: Cakes, Desserts, Flourless Baking

A flourless chocolate cake is one of those restaurant-style desserts that it’s tempting to think is too fussy to make at home. It’s naturally gluten free, and easy to whip one up at home anytime.

A slice of flourless chocolate cake on a plate with a fork, whipped cream, and strawberries

How do you make a flourless chocolate cake?

Although of course I tell you exactly how to make a flourless chocolate cake in the recipe below, the general idea is to melt chocolate and butter together, then set them aside to cool.

Whip egg whites until they form peaks. Beat some whole eggs with sugar and cocoa powder, then mix in the melted butter and sugar. Finally, fold in the whipped egg whites.

Is a flourless chocolate cake gluten free?

Yes! Unless one or more of the basic pantry ingredients that you source contains gluten, it will be naturally gluten free.

How do you store a flourless chocolate cake and do you refrigerate it?

It can be served at room temperature or chilled in the refrigerator. It can be frozen for longer storage. It freezes really well—just wrap it tightly! Then defrost in the refrigerator and served slightly chilled.

Is it really flourless?

Unlike some other desserts that some like to call “flourless,” this decadent chocolate creation is actually without flour of any kind. There are no grains or anything ground into a flour-like powder at all used in the making of this cake.

If it calls for almond flour, it’s not flourless. Oats or oat flour? Again, not flourless. If you have some chocolate, butter, eggs, sugar and cocoa powder, you can have flourless chocolate cake.

Since there are so few ingredients in this recipe, the quality of the chocolate and cocoa powder matters quite a lot. Use the best you can come by.

Using Dutch-processed cocoa powder will make for a smoother, less acidic cake. And remember that the melted chocolate is the star of the show, so its quality will shine through as well.

A flourless chocolate cake is one of those restaurant-style desserts that it's tempting to think is too fussy to make at home. It's naturally gluten free, and you can whip one up at home any time!

What pan, what method?

This recipe doesn’t call for a water bath or any other sort of fanciness. It’s not a cheesecake, but it’s going to fall and crack a bit after it’s baked. It’s meant to. I promise.

You can make the cake without beating the egg whites separately and folding them into the batter. Simply beat the sugar egg whites and eggs vigorously until pale yellow in color before whisking in the cocoa powder and the melted butter and chocolate. Your cake will be more dense and even more fudge-like.

The truth is, for flourless chocolate cake, for cheesecake or anything else, I hate using springform pans. I’ll do almost anything to avoid them.

They tend to leak, they’re confusing to assemble if you’re not really on your game (which is the top, which is the bottom, for crying out loud?), and they’re just crazy hard to clean. But for this cake, you’re best off using one.

If you don’t have a springform pan, though, just use a round cake pan.I do recommend that you chill the cake for at least an hour in the refrigerator before transferring it carefully to a serving dish.

That’s true whether you use a springform pan or not. Once it’s chilled, the cake will become much more firm and stable.

A slice of flourless chocolate cake on a plate with a fork with cake on it

Rise and fall

If you’ve never made a flourless chocolate cake before, you may find its tendency to rise like a regular cake and then fall abruptly after it is removed from the oven rather alarming. No worries. That’s what it is meant to do.

If you do use a springform pan that is dark in color, start watching it closely at 20 minutes as it will have more of a tendency to burn. You’re less than an hour away from creating the ultimate restaurant-quality, naturally gluten free flourless chocolate cake in your very own kitchen.

Ingredients and Substitutions

Dairy

If you’d like to make this cake without dairy, it’s relatively easy to find a dairy free dark chocolate. The only other dairy containing ingredient is the butter in this cake, and it can easily be replaced with Earth Balance buttery sticks. The cake may rise a bit and fall a bit more, due to the extra moisture, but it will still be rich and fudgy.

Eggs

Once this cake is dairy free, it’s a short step to making it vegan if you replace the eggs. However, that’s a tall order.

There are not only three eggs, but two egg whites in the recipe. The two egg whites can possibly be replaced by aquafaba, although I haven’t experimented with that replacement.

Generally, my favorite replacement for whole eggs is one “chia egg” (1 tablespoon ground chia seeds mixed with 1 tablespoon lukewarm water until it gels). But I generally only recommend replacing up to 2 eggs per recipe with chia eggs.

Chocolate

Haha just kidding this is a rich chocolate cake. No making it without chocolate, silly! If you’re making a gluten free chocolate cake, it’s going to have chocolate in it!

Gluten Free Tiramisu

By Nicole Hunn | Published: February 7, 2013 | Posted In: Cakes, Desserts

Classic gluten-free creamy and rich chocolate and coffee flavored tiramisu, dusted with cocoa powder and sprinkled with shaved dark chocolate.

A piece of cake on a white plate

If you really are tight on time and/or patience, Schar makes packaged lady finger cookies & I’ve found everywhere from Whole Foods Market to most of the larger grocery stores near me.

The package costs nearly $6.00 for about 15 cookies, but for a special occasion I think it’s a-o-kay. I’ve tried them, and they’re not too shabby. They aren’t as good as homemade, but your gluten free tiramisu will still taste like you spent all day in the kitchen when really? Just about 15 minutes to assemble this humble-yet-totally-impressive dessert.

A piece of tiramisu on a white plate

I used the gluten free chocolate lady fingers that we made yesterday, but there is no shame in buying a package of Schar’s lady fingers. They cost $6.00 for about 15 cookies, but they are readily available.

Beaten egg and cream cheese in a bowl Tiramisu filling in a bowl Close up of Tiramisu filling

There are raw eggs in here. I have been eating and tasting recipes with raw eggs for decades and literally have never gotten sick. If you are concerned, just use pasteurized eggs and you’ll have no worries no worries at all.

Close up of a chocolate cookie

Be sure not to soak the lady fingers or they will be, well, soaked and soggy. Just dip. Like a lady. Finger.

Overhead view of tiramisu on white plate
Your Valentine your guest your child your husband … will be duly impressed. If you’ve never made tiramisu and maybe thought it was fussy, now is the time! No fuss at all. Celebrate with gluten free tiramisu!

Pink “Black & White” Cookies for Valentine’s Day (from the Shoestring Cookbook!)

By Nicole Hunn | Published: January 29, 2013 | Posted In: Cookies, Desserts, Holidays, Valentine's Day

If it’s not too much trouble, I’d like you to be my glutenfree Valentine. And I’m gluten-free. But if you’re busy, it’s okay and I totally get it. Before you answer, please keep in mind that I spend, basically, all of my time baking your favorite comfort foods. The ones you thought you and your family might never ever have again because, well, because of the gluten. Step One in my Be-My-Valentine Campaign is to exert undue influence with these true black & white cookies, adapted from page 198 of my first cookbook. I say “true” black & white cookies (even though they’re actually pink & white) because they are iced. NOT FROSTED. For the love of all things holy, accept no frosted “black & white cookies.” I’m from New York. Which makes me an expert on these cookies, by birthright. You can trust me.

Overhead view of Pink and white cookies on tray

When my husband* walked in the house as these were baking, he said, “it smells like a bakery in here.” Black & white cookies are the very essence of bakery cookies. And they’re totally impressive, despite being simple to put together.

Raw cookies on tray Muffins in muffin tray

The cookies are super tender as they’re made with sour cream right there in the batter.

Cookies with white frosting on tray Close up of a cookie with white frosting on a tray

This seems like as good a time as any to mention that you have my littlest Valentine, my son, to thank for the fact that there isn’t a .gif (you know those pictures that shift from one image to another and back again?) showing you how these cookies go from half white and half plain to half white and half pink.

Pink and white cookies on a tray

I thought the .gif was cool. My son pointed out, “Cool, Mom, but don’t you think that would get, like, really annoying really fast?” Smart kid.

A close up of Pink and white cookies on a tray

*Lest you think that my plea to make you my Gluten-Free Valentine was empty and hollow, my husband is going to be out of town on Valentine’s Day. With my kids. Save me from gifting cookies to my dogs. For the first time in 15 years, I’ll be all alone. Will you be my Valentine?

Red Velvet Whoopie Pies with Strawberry Cream Cheese Filling

By Nicole Hunn | Published: February 13, 2012 | Posted In: Cakes, Cookies, Desserts, Frosting/Icing, Holidays, Valentine's Day

Gluten free red velvet whoopie pies with naturally pink strawberry cream cheese filling

A close up of red whoopee pie

Dear Valentine, please be mine.

If you will be mine, I will make you Red Velvet Whoopie Pies. I will find your heart.

Chocolate whoopee pies on tray

I have heard that your stomach is the fastest way to get there.

I will be guided in my search for your heart by Strawberry Cream Cheese Filling. With real strawberries.

A close up of a chocolate whoopee pie

Real strawberries that have been freeze dried, and then ground, are very intelligent when it comes to finding hearts.

A close up of batter in a bowl

Here’s how I will make these whoopie pies, so you know how serious I am. The batter will be thick but nearly pourable.

A close up of cake batter

I will pipe it in 1 1/2 inch rounds on a parchment lined baking sheet, about 1 inch apart as they will spread when baking.

A close up of a whoopee pie

But they won’t spread too much. They will be done when the cake springs back when pressed gently in the center. They’ll cool while I make the filling.

A close up of strawberry filling

To make the filling. I will cream both butter and cream cheese until fluffy, and then add the confectioner’s sugar and ground freeze-dried strawberries (mine will come from Trader Joe’s).

A close up strawberry filling

The filling will be very thick. Too thick for piping.

A close up cream being poured

I’ll thin it with a few tablespoons of heavy cream.

A close up of filled whoopee pies

Then I will pipe it with a medium star tip on the underside of half of the cooled cookies.

A close up of a whoopee pie on marble surface

Then I will match up cookies to make the pies.

Dairy-Free White Chocolate Fudge for Valentine’s Day

By Nicole Hunn | Published: February 9, 2012 | Posted In: Candy

Dairy Free White Chocolate Fudge on wooden surafce

Valentine’s Day can be so easy. Don’t you think?

Dairy Free White Chocolate Fudge in white dish Anything homemade and chocolatey, or even anything homemade and not chocolatey, says “I love you,” if you package it just right.

stack of Dairy Free White Chocolate Fudge

For example, I would like to direct your attention to this Dairy-Free White Chocolate Fudge.* I made it just for you. Will you be my Valentine?

[Read more…]

Mini Chocolate Peanut Butter Whoopie Pies – with Salted Caramel Filling

By Nicole Hunn | Published: January 23, 2012 | Posted In: Cakes, Cookies, Desserts

Close up of a Mini Caramel Chocolate Whoopie Pies with Salted Caramel Filling Are we talking about Valentine’s Day yet? Just in case, let’s begin like this: Anything you pipe out of a pastry bag can be made into a heart shape.

Overhead view of a Mini Caramel Chocolate Whoopie Pies with Salted Caramel Filling

Lookey here! A heart. Big whoop? Or Whoooopppiiieee?

Are you afraid of piping something out of a pastry bag? I used to be afraid, too. Couplers were a source of shame and confusion. I figured them out, right before I realized that you don’t usually need them. Maybe you’d like to read this post about how I fill a pastry bag.

Mini Caramel Chocolate Whoopie Pie with Salted Caramel Filling on beige surface

Also, anything sweet that’s placed into a nice little box & tied up pretty can be for Valentine’s Day. Oh, and if you’re just into straight-up classic Chocolate Whoopie Pies, I’ve got you covered. If you’re into it, and you kinda like that chocolatey-peanutbuttery-caramel thing, you’re gonna l-o-v-e today’s recipe.

Whoopie pie batter on beige surface

When you pipe out a dollop of whoopie pie dough like this, you’ll have a stick-up situation.

Raw whoopee pie batter

Just press it down with a wet finger (this batch was swirls, ’cause I felt like it).

A close up of whoopee pie batter

This is a heart. Waiting to be smoothed out.

whoopee pie batter on beige surface

No problemo.

You’ll need to whip up a batch of this Simple Caramel Sauce recipe from Savory Sweet Life (& to add some coarse salt because it’s so surprising and delightful in cooked sugar). Why reinvent the wheel. Alice already did all the process photos for caramel sauce. It’s much like the Butterscotch Sauce we made for Butterscotch Krimpets, but with white sugar instead of brown sugar.

Whoopie pies being frosted

Then blend the sauce into some buttercream frosting, and pipe it on. I used a 2D pastry tip to make these a little extra fancy. But only because it was my husband’s 40th birthday yesterday. He’s not so into the frilly, but he has 2 little girls. So, you know.

Mini Caramel Chocolate Whoopie Pies with Salted Caramel Filling on beige surface

He was loving the taste. And he wasn’t complaining. Snickers in Whoopie Pie form! Huzzah!

Mini Chocolate Peanut Butter Whoopie Pies with Salted Caramel Filling

Recipe Type: Dessert

Author: Nicole @ Gluten-Free on a Shoestring.com

Prep time: 10 mins

Cook time: 8 mins

Total time: 18 mins

Serves: 20

Gluten-free mini chocolate peanut butter whoopie pies with salted caramel filling

Ingredients

1 3/4 cups (245g) all-purpose gluten-free flour (I use Better Batter)
3/4 teaspoon xanthan gum (omit if using Better Batter)
2/3 cup (53g) unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup (109g) packed light brown sugar
1/3 cup (67g) granulated sugar
1/2 cup (128g) smooth no-stir peanut butter (or other nut butter)
4 tablespoons (56g) unsalted butter
4 tablespoons (48g) nonhydrogenated vegetable shortening
1 1/4 cups milk (low-fat is fine, nonfat is not, nondairy is fine)
2 extra-large eggs at room temperature
FOR THE FILLING
8 tablespoons (112g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups (173g) confectioner’s sugar
1 recipe Savory Sweet Life {Simple Yet Glorious} Caramel Sauce: http://bit.ly/32rAia, cooled & salted with coarse salt (lightly flaked sea salt, kosher salt, or (best) fleur de sel), to taste

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper and set them aside.
In the bowl of your stand mixer, place the flour, xanthan gum, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, salt and sugars. Whisk to combine, working out the lumps in the brown sugar as best you can.
In a small saucepan, place the butter, shortening, and peanut butter. Place over medium heat, and stir frequently until everything has melted and is smooth (1 to 2 minutes). Remove from the heat, add the milk to the mixture and stir to combine.
With the mixer on low speed, slowly and steadily pour in the nut butter and milk mixture. Once the dry ingredients have absorbed the wet ingredients, turn the mixer up to medium speed and beat until a bit lighter in color (about 2 minutes). Add the eggs, and mix again to combine well. The batter will be thick, and will begin to pull away from the sides of the mixing bowl.
Onto the prepared baking sheets, either pipe batter in tall rounds about 1 inches in diameter, or spoon about as much batter (a bit less than 1 tablespoon of batter) at least an inch apart. They will spread a bit during baking.
Place one baking sheet at a time into the center of the preheated oven and bake, rotating once during baking, for about 8 minutes, or until a pie regains its shape when you press it gently in the center.
Remove from the oven and allow the cakes to cool for about 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
While the cookies are cooling, prepare the filling. Place the 8 tablespoons of butter and the confectioner’s sugar in the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat on high speed until light and fluffy. Lower the mixer speed to low, and drizzle in about 1/2 cup of the caramel sauce. Add more sauce by the tablespoon until the mixture is light brown in color (almost peach-colored) and smells and tastes of caramel. Allow the filling to cool to room temperature (or put it in the refrigerator for a few minutes to firm up).
Once the cookies are completely cool, buddy up the cookies that appear the most like one another, add about a tablespoon of filling {either with a pastry bag or with a spoon or knife}, and close like sandwiches. Serve chilled or at room temperature.
Refrigerate the rest of the caramel sauce in an airtight container.

Notes

When piping the cookie dough onto the baking sheets, for a round cookie with a dome top, hold the tip about 1/4 inch from the parchment paper, and squeeze the pastry bag. Do not move the tip until you have piped enough filling for one cookie. Then stop pressing the bag, wait a moment, and lift the tip straight up and off. Once you have piped all the cookies, press down the center gently with wet fingers.
For a swirled cookie, circle the tip in a swirl as you press down and end in a similar manner.
For a heart-shaped cookie, see the photo. Trying to put it into words is making my head hurt.
Just for fun, rather than using a plain pastry tip to pipe in the filling, I used a 2D tip for a ribbon-like effect.

Okay, your turn. What’s your favorite Valentine’s Treat?

Love,
Me

P.S. P.S. If you haven’t yet, please pick up a copy of my cookbook, Gluten-Free on a Shoestring Quick & Easy! I can’t make this the best gluten-free blog without your support.