Easy Gluten Free Desserts

Gluten Free Desserts

Before preparing gluten free desserts prevent cross-contamination

Keep cross-contaminants out of gluten free desserts by using dedicated cookware and utensils. This protects eaters with more intense reactions to gluten than the average. Cases of Celiac disease this sensitive are uncommon, but you should be extremely careful if you are cooking for guests with a severe diagnosis. These diners can still enjoy the wonders of gluten-free treats.

Thai Banana Custard: gluten free desserts – Recipe #1

An exotic but simple dish that will please the tongues of gluten-intolerant guests is a banana custard from the Thai cooking tradition. This dish is simple to make and perfect for those cravings that demand something moderately sweet.

You will need require: 1 can of coconut milk, 3 tbs arrowroot (or substitute cornstarch), ½ cup glass noodles (bean flour noodles) or substitute with available noodles, 2 to 3 bananas (ripe), 5 tbs boiled water, tsp vanilla extract, 1/16 tsp sea salt and ¼ cup organic brown sugar.

When you are ready to begin, preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Next, soak or boil the noodles until they are soft. This takes approximately 10 minutes. While the noodles are boiling, mix arrowroot with 5 tbs boiled water. Pour the resulting arrowroot mix and coconut milk into a bowl with the bananas, vanilla, brown sugar and sea salt. Add the drained noodles in when they are ready, and stir this thoroughly. Transfer the full mix into a casserole dish, and bake on 325 degrees for approximately 1 hour. Your fork tests should produce a clean retracted utensil before you remove it from the oven. This dish may be served with coconut milk ice cream to increase the sweetness without losing the flavor balance.

Peanut Butter Cookies: gluten free desserts – Recipe #2

Cookies do very well assuaging sweet cravings, and they take very little time to prepare. Their shelf-life makes them a good treat to bake in bulk for easy trips to the cookie jar.

To make these cookies you will need: a ½ cup peanut butter, ½ cup organic sugar, ½ cup organic brown sugar, 1 tbs arrowroot (or cornstarch) liquefied with 2 tbs boiling water, 1/3 cup rice flour, 1/8 tbs baking soda, ¼ tbs baking powder, 1/8 tsp salt and optional turbinado sugar to garnish.

To start, mix the peanut butter and sugars together. In a separate bowl, add your arrowroot to 5 tbs boiled water until properly creamy. Combine the sugared peanut butter with the arrowroot mix. After thorough stirring, set it aside. Sift the dry ingredients before combining with the wet. You will need to place the resulting dough in the refrigerator for 15 minutes to set it. When your dough is ready, roll it into small separate balls. Place these dough bits far apart on a greased cookie sheet. Optionally, you may sprinkle turbinado sugar over them as garnish. Place the cookie sheet in the oven to bake for 12 minutes, or until the cookies are very slightly brown at the edges.

Blackberry Rhubarb Crumble: gluten free desserts – Recipe #3

Crumbles are delicious treats for warm and cold seasons alike. This crumble is especially suited to the spring and summer seasons.

To create this dish gather: 2-3 cups Blackberries, 1 ½ cups diced rhubarb , 1 cup quinoa flakes, ¾ cup millet flour, 1 cup organic sugar, a pinch of sea salt, a dash of lime juice, ¾ cup Earth Balance butter or other vegan margarine (this avoids secret and potentially harmful additives)

Once you have rounded up your ingredients, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Mix the blackberries and rhubarb bits, then add to a lightly greased casserole dish. In a side bowl, mix together the quinoa flakes, millet, organic sugar, Earth Balance, dash of lime juice and sea salt. The results should be crumbly when it is ready. Add the crumbles, in sprinkles, to the top of the fruit in the casserole pan. Bake this until browned or bubbling slightly. 35 to 40 minutes of baking time render a softer fruit within the crumble; 20 to 25 minutes will keep the fruit juicier.

Tips and Warnings for substitutions in gluten free desserts

Be sure your arrowroot is not a mislabeled variation of tapioca flour. Tapioca flour is usually tolerable, but there are some gluten free eaters who have experienced challenges consuming it. Experimenting with different gluten-free options is strongly advised to gain awareness of what suits you best. Potato flour, rice flour, and chickpea flour are old standbys for wheat-free households. Be wary of malt, soy sauce, oats that are not labeled as gluten free, caramel coloring and the notorious ‘natural flavorings’ standby on ingredient labels. A keen eye can make sure gluten free desserts are just that.