Creating your own gluten-free baked goods is a special treat – and definitely something to share with your family and friends.
The holiday season is the time to get into the kitchen and bake your heart out!
Here are some more tips to get you
in your baking groove:
#1 Use the BEST ingredients you can
find and afford.
Gluten-free baking can get expensive. Yet, it’s less expensive to bake your own than buying pre-made goodies. Use non-GMO and organic ingredients; grass-fed butter and dairy; coconut oil over canola or vegetable oils; superfood cacao over-processed cocoa.
Spices and flavorings add additional benefits and flavors to your baked goods. Try cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves – beautiful holiday spices to fill your home with fantastic aromas.
#2 Try a packaged gluten-free flour combination
These are of good use if you don’t want to buy multiple flours and combine them yourself.
Yet, they do come with downfalls: they’re typically quite expensive, and they usually have xanthan gum added, which can wreak havoc on your intestines. (See my previous post for more information on xanthan gum)
#3 Do not over mix your gluten-free flour dough
Using gluten-free flour is a bit different from your typical white/wheat flour. Mix to incorporate the ingredients. But, don’t over mix, which may cause a gummy final product in some recipes.
#4 Allow your gluten-free mixture to sit for a few minutes before using
Many gluten-free flour mixes start to thicken once mixed with all the ingredients in the recipe, which can sometimes make the final product unappealing or gummy, especially if using tapioca flour.
Grainy flours like white rice flour need time to sit to get rid of the sandy texture. Overall, allowing your batter to sit, especially cupcakes and cakes, for 5-30 minutes before baking will often yield better results.
#5 Pay Attention to your baking times and temperatures
Gluten-free recipes sometimes call for a longer bake time, or a different temperature. Pay attention to the recipes and follow what’s noted. Always watch the temperature of your oven, as differing temperatures can cause quite a different outcome.
Bonus Tip:
Don’t let gluten-free baking scare you!
Many people are astounded that I use SO MANY different flours – sometimes in just one recipe. Yes, this was something I had to get over as well.
At first, fear set in to purchase all the flours needed. But, I use them all the time, and it’s much easier and cost-effective to mix them myself. This gives you more control over the ingredients as well as which flours to match together.
See what method works for you – I am certain you will bake some incredible gluten-free goodies in no time!
If you haven’t yet, go back and read my previous post-Top Tips to Create Irresistible Gluten-Free Baked Goods for more gluten-free baking tips you can try this holiday baking season!
Have you tried my Gingerbread Cookies yet?
Join us over in our Gluten-Free Moms
Facebook Group to build a gluten-free
life you LOVE: