GREENSBORO, N.C. — The week before Christmas is observed as “Gluten-Free Baking Week.” The goal is to help raise awareness about gluten intolerance.
Lauren Mardeusz is a registered dietitian and the owner of Salt + Honey Nutrition, LLC.
“Baking is such an important part of the holidays with cookies and cakes,” Mardeusz said. “It’s a way for us to connect and each other’s company, but gluten can be something people are sensitive to.”
Gluten is a protein found in wheat, rice, and barley products.
“Some people try to avoid it because either they have an intolerance for it or they have celiac disease which is a complicated allergy,” Mardeusz said.
Mardeusz said there are misconceptions about what gluten is and its impacts.
“A common misconception is that gluten is bad for you and that you need to avoid it because it’s inflammatory and it’s bad for your gut,” Mardeusz said. “That’s not true. If you have celiac disease it is something you need to cut completely from your diet, but fully cutting gluten from your diet can be really restrictive. We just don’t want to put that on everybody as a general health term.”
Mardeusz shared three simple gluten-free baking recipes to try this holiday season.
Gluten-Free Cinnamon Roll Cake
Ingredients:
For Cake:
- 1.5 cups gluten-free flour (see images above for my favorite!)
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 2 tsp gluten-free baking powder
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup milk (or dairy-free milk)
- 1 egg (or flax egg to make it vegan)
- 1 tsp gluten-free vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup melted butter (or dairy free butter)
For Cinnamon Swirl:
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup melted butter (or dairy-free butter)
- 1 tsp cinnamon
For Cinnamon Glaze:
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 2 tbsp milk (or dairy-free milk)
Instructions:
Preheat over to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Pre-butter an 8" round or square baking pan.
In a large mixing bowl, add gluten-free flour, salt, baking powder, cinnamon, and sugar. Mix thoroughly.
In the same mixing bowl, add milk, egg, vanilla extract, and melted butter. Mix until completely incorporated.
Pour batter into the baking pan.
Now make the cinnamon swirl. In a small mixing bowl add brown sugar, cinnamon, and melted butter. Mix thoroughly.
Slowly drizzle the cinnamon swirl over the batter.
With a knife, chopstick, or another similar tool, gently swirl the cinnamon mixture into the batter.
Place pan in the oven and cook for 26-28 minutes (if you are using a square pan, you may need to cook for even less time. I recommend checking the cake at 23 minutes and using a wooded toothpick to check if the middle is cooked through). The cake will also be cooling inside the pan so it is okay if it is just slightly under-baked when removing from the oven. As it cools in the hot pan it will continue to bake.
While the cake is baking, prepare the cinnamon glaze. Add powdered sugar, cinnamon, and milk to a bowl and mix thoroughly.
Once the cake is finished baking, remove from the oven and allow to cool for about 10 minutes.
Drizzle the cinnamon glaze over the cake and serve!
Gluten-Free No Bake Cookies
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup (115 grams) butter (sliced into pieces)
- 2 cups (400 grams) granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) milk
- 1/4 cup (20 grams) unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/2 cup (125 grams) creamy peanut butter
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 3 cups (300 grams) quick-cooking oats
Instructions:
Before getting started, make sure to gather all of your ingredients and measure everything out. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
Combine the butter, sugar, milk, and unsweetened cocoa powder in a large saucepan and heat over medium heat, making sure to stir often until the butter is melted and everything is well combined. Bring the mixture to a rolling boil and allow it to boil for 60 seconds (make sure to set a timer!) stirring occasionally.
Remove from the heat, and stir in the peanut butter and vanilla extract until fully combined. Stir in the oats and mix until all of the oats are coated with the mixture and everything is well combined.
Drop spoonfuls of the mixture onto the prepared baking sheets (I like to use a 1.5-tablespoon cookie scoop). Allow to cool for 20 to 30 minutes, serve, and enjoy!
Guten-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients:
16 tablespoons (227g) unsalted butter, softened 1 cup (213g) light brown sugar or dark brown sugar, firmly packe1/2 cup (99g) granulated sugar2 teaspoons vanilla extract 1 teaspoon table salt2 large eggs2 1/3 cups (364g) 1:1 gluten-free flour1 teaspoon baking powder1 teaspoon baking soda2 cups (340g) chocolate chips
Instructions:
Beat the butter, sugars, vanilla, and salt till fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, being sure to scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl midway through to make sure everything is well combined. Whisk together the flour or flour blend, xanthan gum, baking powder, and baking soda. Beat the dry ingredients into the butter mixture, then blend in the chocolate chips and nuts. Again, scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl to be sure everything is well blended. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a couple of baking sheets or line with parchment. Scoop tablespoon-sized balls of dough onto the prepared baking sheets; a tablespoon cookie scoop works well here. Leave space between the cookies so they can spread. Bake the cookies for 9 to 11 minutes, until golden brown. Remove from the oven and let rest on the baking sheets for 5 minutes, to set, before transferring to racks to cool completely. Or allow them to cool right on the baking sheets.