Gluten Free Banana Bread Using Better Batter

I've been on a total banana kick lately...which is funny as several years ago I used to hate bananas. But now, they are the cream cheese to my bagel <3. I also recently picked up some Better Batter flour mix at Gluten Free Country Store (this is an uncompensated review, btw) that I've been itching to use. So what better than to combine the two and make banana bread!!!

I found the recipe using Pinterest (umm...hello, love that site). The original recipe can be found here.

The results didn't disappoint!!

Gluten Free Banana Bread

 (pics are from my iPhone, so sorry if they are shitastic)

1 stick of butter (1/2 cup), softened (sub dairy free if necessary)

3/4 cup brown sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

4 large overripe, mashed bananas

2 cups Better Batter Flour Mix

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1/4 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine butter and sugar until creamy. Add mashed bananas, eggs, and vanilla. Beat until well combined.

In a separate bowl, combine GF flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Add the dry mixture to the wet mixture and stir until combined. Pour into a greased bread pan.

Bake for 55 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool before removing from pan.

(again...iPhone pic. My apologies)

I can't vouch for what non-GF banana bread tastes like (see: aforementioned hatred of bananas), but to me, I can't tell this bread is gluten free! It is dense, but not spongy. It's moist, but not mushy. It has just the right amount of sweetness. The crust is the best part: a little crunchy, a little chewy. This bread is so delicious, I will definitely be making it again! And again. And again.

So far I love Better Batter's flour mix..it is a cup-for-cup substitute that stands up in recipes really well. If you haven't browsed their website yet, check out their recipe archive. So many good recipes, it leaves my head spinning!!

If you live in Arizona, the ONLY place I have been able to find Better Batter products is at Gluten Free Country Store! Check them out ASAP! Love them!

Glutenfreeda’s Frozen Burritos

I heard about these gluten free frozen burritos from Glutenfreeda a while back on Twitter. I knew they were going to be in Sprouts, but I could never find any. Finally, I found the Vegetarian Bean & Cheese and the Breakfast Burrito at the Sprouts in South Chandler, AZ. Not long after this amazing discovery, I found out they were also being carried at Gluten Free Country Store, as well as the Chicken & Cheese burrito.

The first burrito I tried, and my favorite, was the Vegetarian Bean & Cheese burrito. I’m sorry I don’t remember how much I paid for each exactly, but I think it was around $3.

Along with beans and cheese, this burrito also includes organic corn and rice, which was a lovely surprise! I really enjoyed both of those ingredients in the burrito. It helped make it a little more substantial as a meal.

The burrito itself doesn’t photograph well, but I know that I am always curious about the look of foods I haven’t tried. Texture is everything! So here it is, fresh from the microwave:

These are very simple to make: cut off one end of the package and microwave on one side for 1 minute, then flip to the other side for another minute (give or take depending on your microwave). Then fight with the package to get the burrito to slide out and on to your plate (it likes to stick). Or I guess you could probably grab some scissors and cut the package. It’s almost embarrassing that I didn’t think of that solution until now. Ha.

Texture-wise these are awesome. The tortilla is unlike any other gluten free tortilla I’ve had. It is very soft and not unlike it’s wheat-y predecessor. Flavor-wise, this burrito was good. I liked it, however, I did feel it was a little bland. Nothing a little salsa and sour cream couldn’t fix though!

I tried the Chicken and Cheese flavor and I liked it. Though the chicken wasn’t really overly noticeable. The breakfast burrito—well, I was not a fan whatsoever. I recommend skipping that one unless you’re one who needs to learn firsthand from your mistakes. :)

I love to have several of these in my freezer for something quick to grab to take for lunch or for nights where I just can bare the thought of cooking anything.

Glutenfreeda definitely accomplished something wonderful when they created these gluten free burritos!

Pamela’s Gluten Free Mini Cheesecakes

These cheesecakes are something that I had no idea even existed. So imagine my surprise and delight when I found them at Gluten Free Country Store!

Pamela’s makes these mini cheesecakes in three different flavors: Original, White Chocolate Raspberry, and Zesty Lemon. Each sell for $4.99. I am a big fan of anything lemon flavored so I decided to give it a try first.

I could barely wait to get through my dinner before I wanted to tear into this. I shared with my husband because I feel the size is a little too big for one person.

This cheesecake was fantastic. There was absolutely nothing wrong that I could find. It was rich, thick, creamy, and flavorful. The lemon was very prominent, but not overpowering. The crust is made from gingerbread, which I was slightly concerned about beforehand. I am not a gingerbread fan. However, when you are eating it, you can’t really taste it. There was probably only a few times that you could really taste the bite of the gingerbread. But for a non-gingerbread loving gal such as myself, it wasn’t terrible at all.

I really loved this cheesecake and will definitely be buying it, and the other 2 flavors, in the future!

Conte’s Gluten Free Cheese Ravioli

I have been silently pining for Conte’s gluten free cheese ravioli for a while. I found them on the internet probably close to 2 years ago. I tried to order them online, but quickly aborted that mission when I found out that shipping would be more than I make in year. I refused to EVER pay more for shipping than the actual product, and so, I lived without ravioli for 2 loooong years.

If you asked me what I missed most since being gluten free, ravioli would have be right at the top of that list. It’s one of those things that you just can’t make yourself without it being a HUGE production. Rolling my own pasta dough and stuffing it myself? No thanks. I was not interested in that at all.

That brings us the the present. The present is where I think I peed myself a little when I found Conte’s gluten free cheese ravioli in the freezer at Gluten Free Country Store. I was so excited. I think I skipped over to it, but I’ve sworn Gary to secrecy as to that embarrassing act.

…

Wait. Ah, whatever, we’re friends, right?

This pasta could not be any easier to make. You take it straight from the freezer and drop it into simmering water. Let it cook for about 8 minutes or until done.

Top with your favorite pasta sauce. We used Newman’s Own Roasted Garlic pasta sauce. Deeee-lish.

I really liked these ravioli’s. They were a little pricey ($8.99 and I think there were 12 good sized ravioli’s in the bag) but after waiting 2 years and crying over shipping prices, I was more than happy to pay the price. My only real complaint? I thought the texture of the pasta was kind of gummy. I’m not sure if I cooked it right though. I’ll have to go for round 2 to see if I get different results.

Have you tried these? What was your experience with them?

Udi’s Gluten Free Bread

Stop what you're doing. Now, go throw away all those gluten free bread mixes in your cabinet. Shred all those recipes you've printed from the internet for gluten free bread. Dig into the depth of your freezer and banish those frozen loaves to the garbage can.

I have found the end-all, be-all of gluten free bread. Udi's has created a product that will change the way you think about gluten free bread and will keep you coming back for more. Forever.

First of all, I have to give a big shout out and HUGE thank you to Gluten Free Steve for introducing me to the miracle that is Udi's gluten free bread. Thanks Steve, for spreading the word to the gluten free community about this spectacular product!

If you live in Arizona, I have fantastic news for you. Sprouts is now carrying Udi's gluten free bread in their stores!!! I have been stalking 3 different locations since the announcement was made by @udisglutenfree on Twitter on December 22nd. And today, a seemingly unassuming day, turned into the happiest day of my life. Today, I found the bread in the freezer section at Sprouts, and to top things off, it was on sale, a mere $4.49 a loaf (which is cheap for GF bread).

Udi's gluten free bread is sold frozen at Sprouts and can be thawed at room temperature. Once thawed, it is amazingly shelf stable. No refridgeration needed. You could refridgerate if you wanted to, but you won't have to. This won't last long enough in your house. But if you're skeptical about how fast you'll devour this bread, I'll ease your worries by saying you could easily leave this on your counter, fully defrosted, for 2 weeks and it'll still be soft and delicious (and not moldy) on day 14.

When your loaf first thaws, I guarantee you'll be amazed by how soft the loaf is. You'll pick up the package and squeeze--and the bread will actually give, much like those, ahem, mainstream wheaty breads. I've never known a gluten free bread to not feel like a brick. Then, you'll open the package and grab a couple of slices. The texture will blow you away! Light, airy, little holes all over!

But then, and here's the kicker. No really, you won't believe this. This is practically unheard of when it comes to gluten free bread.

You won't toast this bread. You will bypass your toaster all together. Sorry little guy, you won't be needed as much anymore.

You will go straight for the mayo and mustard, or for the peanut butter and jelly. And you know what? You'll take a bite of your finished sandwich and you will die. DIE. Because can you remember the last time you had untoasted bread? The last time you had a gluten free grilled cheese sandwich that didn't taste and feel like your Kraft cheese slices were stuck between two sponges? The last time you had just plain ol' toast with jelly in the morning? The last time you had a BLT? (*swoon*). No, you probably can't remember, and neither could I.

But Udi's has changed this gal's gluten free life. And it could change yours too!

If you're in Arizona, make it a priority to hit up a Sprouts and pick up a loaf or two. Or, if you live elsewhere, visit the Udi's website and see about ordering it online (p.s. their muffins are magnificent too). You could also talk to them on Twitter at @udisglutenfree and see if they are carried anywhere close to you. Heather at Udi's is incredibly helpful and friendly, so don't be afraid to say hello!

Oh, and WHEN you try this bread, let me know what you think! I've never been this excited about a gluten free product ever.

**** Updated to Add:

Gluten Free Country Store in Gilbert, AZ is also carrying Udi's products!!! AND they are carrying more products than Sprouts!

They have Udi's gluten free whole grain bread, blueberry muffins, lemon streusel muffins (which are amazing), and their pizza crusts (which I have heard people RAVE about)! So, if you want more selection go see the great folks at Gluten Free Country Store!

Betty Crocker Fruit Snacks Are Now Gluten Free! AND -- A GIVEAWAY!!

When Betty Crocker emailed me and offered to send me some of their fruit snacks, I was so excited!

No, not only to get free fruit snacks, but because I had NO idea these were gluten free! I’m not sure if these have always been gluten free, or if they are newly reformulated to be gluten free. I always avoided them just because I assumed they weren’t.

But LOOK:

Right on the front!! Labeled gluten free!

Let me tell you, Betty Crocker is single handedly changing my life. :)

The sample package included Fruit-by-the-foot, Fruit Roll Ups, and Gushers, and they also sent a box of Create-A-Bug fruit snacks. My personal favorite are the Fruit-by-the-foot…I forgot how delicious they were! Next grocery store shop is going to include a box or two of those!! :)

I love that all these major companies and getting on board and becoming Celiac-friendly. It sure is making my life a lot easier!

UPDATED TO ADD: GIVEAWAY!!!

The fantastic people at Betty Crocker have offered another prize pack for me to GIVEAWAY to you!!

Here is what the prize pack includes:

All you have to do to enter to win is:

Leave a comment on my blog -- What is your favorite Betty Crocker gluten free product?

OR

@ reply or direct message me on Twitter (@GF_Steph) and tell me your favorite Betty Crocker gluten free product!

Last day to enter will be in one week -- November 17th! I'll announce the winner afterward!

Kinni-Kritters Animal Cookies

I am just going to come right out and say it. I’m not going to beat around the bush or give you some long winded story about how these have been sitting in my cabinet for probably a year or more--ignored because I was convinced they would be terrible. I had no basis for expecting these to be awful other than the fact that I’ve had bad experiences with other gluten free “cookies.”

Kinni-Kitters Animal Cookies. Perhaps you’ve seen them. They look like this:

These are surprisingly FANTASTIC. They are my new favorite (way to go, Kinnikinnick, because your gluten free chocolate dipped donuts were my former favorite. Well played.)

End of story.

(By the way, I am using these as a crust for a cheese cake. I’ll let you know how that goes.)

Kinnikinnick Gluten Free Chocolate Dipped Donuts

The days of being deprived while being gluten free is O-V-E-R, folks.

I've had a running list in my head for as long as I've been gluten free of foods that I really, really miss. These are foods that I thought I'd never be able to enjoy again, mainly because I've never tried a substitution that I didn't spit out or throw out.

Within the last several months, I have found the gluten free version for ALL of them. Bread? Check. (Gluten Free Creations Honey Oat Bread.) Bagels? Check. (Gluten Free Creations. A-MA-ZING.) Cookies? Check. (Cookies From Home, and, more conveniently, Betty Crocker's new GF mix). Donuts?

I have been on the prowl for gluten free donuts. Donuts, like bagels, are something that I just refuse to make myself. Too difficult and tedious. And despite my LOVE for Gluten Free Creations (seriously love, love, LOVE them), I ordered their cinnamon sugar donuts and they were GROSS. It was like eating a churro-flavored kitchen sponge. It was nasty, and I threw them out.

I finally stumbled upon these little gems in my grocery store this weekend:



Kinnikinnick Gluten Free Chocolate Dipped Donuts. And, as you can see in the picture, they are also wheat free (obviously), dairy free, and soy free. My best friend Michelle (@ Gluten Free Gluttony) did a positive review on these a while back. Ever since then I've wanted to try them.

They were a pricey at $7.99 for the box of 6 small donuts. But I've been obsessing over donuts, so I gave in.

I made one this morning for breakfast, and for the record, they do not photograph well:

Straight from the freezer, you microwave them for less than a minute (took longer than the package stated) and then devour. They are dense, but not so bad that it ruins your donut experience. The flavor is good and the chocolated coating is very sweet! I sighed my relief and appreciation after the first bite. Finally. A good donut.

These donuts are delicious and will definitely satisfy any donut craving you might have. At the price, I probably will not keep these around all the time--just as a special treat. But you can bet that I'm not sharing the last five. :)

Betty Crocker Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookie Mix

So I had originally planned a very different review of Betty Crocker's new gluten free chocolate chip cookies.

I was going to tell you that I was disappointed by this mix. I was going to tell you that I probably would not make these cookies again. I was going to tell you that I've never had good gluten free cookies and that these were only slightly better than the dozens of cookies that have met my garbage can.

So what changed?

Well, I guess I'll start from the beginning.

Since going gluten free, I have attempted chocolate chip cookies several times, every time ending in complete FAIL. Almost everytime, my cookies tasted like I dumped sand into the batter. The flavor, texture, everything was not right. Some just fell apart. Some spread out so thin on the baking sheet, that you could even remove them without your cookies becoming nothing but crumbs. Some stayed together but were inedible. Needless to say, I gave up on cookies and resigned myself to the fact that I would never enjoy home-baked cookies again. Was I sad? Maybe a little. But I had cakes and brownies to occupy my time..

Until a few days ago. I tried the new gluten free chocolate chip cookies from a local bakery in Tempe, AZ by the name of Cookies From Home. These cookies, literally, made both my husband and I stop and say, "Wait, are we sure these are gluten free?" You could NOT tell the difference. They were soft and chewy, tasted perfect, and had no trace of the tell-tale gluten free gritty, starchy texture. They were delightful and I ate a lot (two dozen-ish) in a matter of a few days (like...two. Okay, maybe three, but does that really make it any better?)

Now I am a cookie-aholic. The Betty Crocker GF cookie mix was, by far, the mix that I was the MOST excited about trying. I eagerly baked them up this weekend.

I felt positive about the results as I was mixing it up. How could Betty Crocker be wrong? The dough seemed dry and crumbly, but the box said it would. And it wasn't nearly as bad as some other doughs I've worked with. I followed the direction perfectly--I used a cool baking sheet for every batch and let the cookies cool for at least 2 minutes before removing them from the pan.

The cookies baked out to be very thin. So thin that if you held the cookie up to the light, you could see through it in some spots. They were also very delicate; a few fell apart. But, on the flip side, some held together perfectly.

Here's why I was going to give these a so-so review: these cookies just aren't the real thing. Shocking, I know. They taste gluten free. The texture is off and despite my best efforts, I couldn't ignore at first that underlying funky taste (what was that?). When you bit into a cookie, it almost felt to your month like you were eating a bunch of crumbs that were just haphazardly stuck together--if that makes sense. To be simple--these weren't even in the same ball park of awesomeness that Cookies From Home was.

So why the change of heart, you ask? Because I ate these cookies for breakfast for two days in a row. These cookies were demolished in our house before the weekend was over. They grew on me, and frankly, they weren't bad enough not to eat. I said I wouldn't make these again, but I would. Because when it comes down to it, I LOVE cookies. Just don't expect to take these to a company picnic and have people rave over them and go back for round two or three.

Odds are, you'll like these enough as well to make in your own home. I'm just warning you beforehand, make sure your expectations aren't too high. They aren't Mom's homemade Tollhouse deliciousness. Didn't stop me from devouring them though, or from going to pick up another box....

Betty Crocker's Gluten Free Yellow Cake Mix

If there is ever a reason to eat a slice of cake before dinner, it is Betty Crocker's gluten free yellow cake.

It is no secret to the gluten free community that Betty Crocker, as of June 1st, has unleashed it's new line of gluten free mixes. There are 4 total: yellow cake, devil's food cake, chocolate chip cookies, and brownies. I have scoured the shelves for what felt like ages (what do you mean, it's only been a week??) and last night we found them at Fry's!

My local store only carried the yellow cake and brownies. So, of course, I snatched them up. They sell for $4.49 each. Today, while on my lunch break, I found the chocolate chip cookies at the Fry's across the street. Apparently Fry's does not like devil's food cake, but 3 of the 4 mixes still makes me enthusiastically happy.

Never one to have a lot of patience, I baked up the gluten free yellow cake last night.

I couldn't even wait 15 minutes after it was done before I was slathering on the frosting! We chose lemon frosting.

Here is the slice that I am eating as we speak, thus spoiling my dinner (I don't care!) :

Straight from the oven, this cake is heavenly. It is light, fluffy, and moist, with no gritty texture. The edges of the cake are slightly dry, however. But trust me, it won't stop you from devouring every last crumb. The taste is better than you can even hope for. I've had some really bad gluten free yellow cake before, so bad that I've sworn off of even trying to bake any more. But, Betty Crocker's gluten free yellow cake mix did not leave me (or my husband) disappointed.

The next day, the cake is significantly more dense. But the density doesn't ruin the cake in the slightest. The flavor is fantastic (have I mentioned that?), and exactly how I remember yellow cake to taste. This cake paired with the lemon frosting is delicious; I highly recommend it.

I am so excited to have these new Betty Crocker gluten free mixes available. I know that whenever someone in my family wants to make a gluten free dessert that I can eat at family gatherings, seeing the familiar Betty Crocker name will greatly ease their worries. I can tell you that this yellow cake will be a staple in my pantry and my first choice for birthday cakes (or even whenever cakes). :)

Can't wait to hear what everyone else thinks! I'll update on the cookies and brownies as SOON as I make them--which probably won't be long from now!

Gluten Free Creations Honey Oat Bread

For those of you who have not heard of it, Gluten Free Creations is a 100% gluten free bakery in Phoenix, AZ. I frequently complain that people on the East Coast have access to WAAAYYY more gluten free goodies than us West Coast-ers, but here I am, a gluten free bakery within driving distance that I have known existed for at least a year, and this is my first time trying ANY of their products. LOL. I finally decided that I would probably never, ever remember to find the time to drive down there, so cravings for bagels and donuts led me to their website.

Their website requires a minimum order of $30.00, but luckily shipping was not expensive at all because I live in the same state. One of my major grievances is that I can't try gluten free food from East Coast based companies because I REFUSE to pay upwards of $40.00 to ship it to me (Ahem...JOAN'S). So, I ordered up a few extra goodies to try.

I decided to try a pre-made gluten free bread (which goes against almost all of my principles...they seem to always turn out terrible) for a couple of reasons:

1. I hate spending HOURS baking gluten free bread just so I can eat a damn sandwich. I thought sandwiches are supposed to be easy?!?

2. I can never ever cut my bread slices evenly. It's so bad. The top of the slice is like an inch and a half thick, while the bottom is paper thin. Makes for a lopsided (and thus, not so tasty) sandwich.

3. I have never once finished a loaf of bread that I have slaved away making. I don't slice ahead and freeze due to my lack of slicing skills, so it goes bad in the fridge within days. And then my heart cries when I throw it in the garbage.

I ordered their honey oat bread, which for a smaller-than-average-but-average-for-gluten-free loaf cost $8.55:


Along with being gluten free, this bread also contains no dairy, nuts, or soy ingredients. It says right on the front that the oats are certified gluten free.


Here is the loaf, to show you texture, because we all know that texture is make or break for gluten free bread.

In fact, I won't even buy/make a gluten free bread if I can't see the texture of the finished product beforehand. All those nooks and crannies are key!

Oh...you wanna know how it tasted? Hmm, let me think, it was...

FREAKIN' AMAZING!!

I have every intention of ordering loaf upon loaf of this bread and freezing it so I never ever ever have to bake bread again. This is light, fluffy, doesn't crumble at all, and has a lightly sweet flavor. Once toasted, it really doesn't taste that gluten free. I say it that way because to you or I, this is wins a gold freaking star for most amazing bread ever, but you could not substitute it to a "regular" person without them knowing something's up. However, I have no doubt that my (super amazing, incredible, uber supportive) husband would willingly eat this every day for the rest of his life if I really asked him too.

Here is my panini that I made using the bread last night:

Delicious bread without all the work! It doesn't get any better than that!

Sof'ella Organic Gluten Free Chocolate Cake Mix

This cake is sold at Costco in a two pack. You get two packs of cake mix and two packs of frosting mix. It is sold for $9.99. I had eyeballed this once before, but was hesistant to buy so much of a cake mix I wasn't sure I'd like. But my mom said that she tried a sample of this on Free Food Day (that's what Brandon calls it) and she said it was really good. So she bought it to try. After hearing that she thought it was good, I picked up a box the next time I was at Costco.

Now, I haven't actually made this myself yet, so I can't tell you how simple it is. But from what I remember reading on the box, it requires few ingredients and is seems easy to prepare. My mom made the cake for me over Thanksgiving weekend. I wanted to post this review even though I don't have pictures, because I don't want anyone to pass this over in the store because they haven't heard of it.

This cake mix is by the far the best gluten free chocolate cake I have EVER had. It is so moist and fudgey. The texture is absolutely amazing. I swear, gluten eaters wouldn't even know they were eating anything different. As I was eating it, I was going on and on about how my tastebuds were exploding in pleasure. I even had myself a second slice. Awesome.

The frosting included in the package sucked though. I don't like it at all. But I don't like most of those powdered sugar and cocoa frostings. I scraped it all off. But this cake is so moist and delicious that I told my mom that you could make the cake and just leave off the frosting all together and you would miss it a bit.

Here's the bottom line. You are missing out if you do not buy this cake on your next Costco run. It is to die for.

Angel Food Cake DISASTER

So I was really craving some strawberry shortcake this weekend. I had previously bought the angel food cake mix by Gluten Free Pantry. I was very excited to try it as I have had their Decadent Chocolate Cake and Coffee Cake, and both were amazing. This was not the case with the angel food cake. I was very disappointed in this mix. The directions were easy enough; just add water and vanilla to the mix and beat with an electric mixer. I used my wisk attachment, like it directed, however, it easily took me twice as long as the box said it would. It says to beat for 10 minutes or until it reaches soft peak status. I had to beat this for at least 20 minutes to get it to be this consistency. So, with my tired arm, I put this in the oven to bake for 35 minutes. When I pulled it out, it looked great! Nicely golden brown and fluffy. When we removed it from the pan, we realized it did not smell as good as it looked. It had a really odd smell to it that did not make you want to dig in. The cake is very dense and sponge-like. The taste is not much better than the smell. We figured we'd drown it in fresh strawberries and whip cream. Even this could not save this cake, it went straight into our trash can. :-( I do not recommend this product, but DO try their chocolate cake and coffee cake! Those are downright delightful.

My next dessert escapade: GF oatmeal cream pies (with GF oats!) this weekend!