Gluten Free Food Reviews

Honest reviews of gluten free products for a tastier life

Product Review: The Pure Pantry Wholegrain Oatmeal Spice Cookie Mix

Posted on | January 21, 2012 | No Comments

I always try to have one of these gluten free spice cookie mixes on hand from The Pure Pantry. These oatmeal spice cookies are a favorite amongst my gluten eating children and their friends.

Normally this gluten free cookie mix retails for $6.99 at my local grocery store. Ouch, I know, very expensive! However, occasionally it will go on sale for $4.99, so I will pick up a couple for my pantry. This  mix makes approximately one and a half dozen  cookies.

These cookies were incredible easy to make. I simply added the egg and butter, gave it a whirl in my kitchenaid mixer, then scooped by the spoonful onto a cookie sheet.   They made my house smell so good while in the oven! A nice aroma of cinnamon and nutmeg filled my kitchen.

These gluten free oatmeal spice cookies are soft and chewy with a crisp outer edge fresh from the oven. After cooling and storing, the crisp edges soften up into a soft and chewy edge and the cookies retain their moist texture.

The flavor of these cookies tastes quite robust , featuring the  spices I smelled during bake time. The oatmeal flavor was also there and blended nicely with the spices.  The flavors are strong, but balanced.  The evaporated cane juice sweetened these cookies nicely without that overly-sugary taste some cookies can have. Nothing bland about these moist cookies at all! The texture is wonderful, no grittiness or graininess that can occur with gluten free cookies. Quite simply, they don’t even taste gluten free.

My children and their friends like these cookies so much, we rarely have any cookies lingering in my kitchen for more than a few hours.

Rating: 5 stars

Pros: wonderful flavor, does’t taste gluten free, allergy friendly, nice texture, moist

Cons: Can be pricey

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Ingredients: gluten free oats, evaporated can juice, brown rice flour, potato starch flour, white rice flour, organic corn flour, tapioca flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, xanthan gum

Allergy friendly

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Want to try these fantastic cookies?

This gluten free cookie mix may be purchased individually from The Pure Pantry website by clicking HERE

or

it may be purchased from amazon.com:

Product Review: Amy’s Organic Soups – Chunky Vegetable & Fire Roasted Southwestern Vegetable

Posted on | January 21, 2012 | 1 Comment

Here are two more organic soup samples sent to us from  Amy’s.  After loving their hearty style soups, I was interested to discover how other types of soup compared.

I first tried the chunky vegetable, pictured to the left. When I read “chunky,” I envisioned large vegetable pieces with minimal broth. I was disappointed when I noticed relatively small  vegetables pieces. The carrots pictured were the biggest vegetables in the  soup!Definitely not what I would consider chunky.

However, like the other Amy’s soup, the vegetables were cooked well and contained a nice variety with tomatoes, carrots, green beans, corn, peas, spinach, and celery. The broth was seasoned well with a pleasant tomato flavor.

The second soup I tried was the Fire Roasted Southwestern Vegetable soup. I was impressed to see char marks on the corn, onion, and green peppers. This soup contains tomatoes, potatoes, corn, black beans, carrots, green bell peppers, and green chiles.

This soup is a bit spicy. I had to drink milk a couple times to calm down my mouth. With the chipotle peppers added, it is bound to be! I preferred this soup of the two.

Both soups are tasty, with good flavor, and a great mixture of vegetables. This would be perfect on a nice, cold, snowy day.

Rating: 4 Stars

Pros: Broad variety of vegetables, robust flavor, microwave and serve

Cons: Small vegetables

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Ingredients:

(Chunky Vegetable) filtered water, organic tomatoes, organic carrots, organic green beans, organic corn, organic peas, organic spinach, organic onion, organic celery, sea salt, organic cracked black pepper

(Southwestern Fire Roasted Vegetable) filtered water, organic tomatoes, organic roasted potatoes, organic fire roasted corn, organic black beans, organic fire roasted onions, organic carrots, organic fire roasted green bell peppers, organic celery, organic green chiles, organic extra virgin olive oil, sea salt, chipotle peppers, spices, organic onions, organic balsamic vinegar

Nutritional Snapshot:

(Chunky Vegetable) 80 calories, 0g fat, 13g carbohydrates, 5g sugar, 3g protein

(Southwestern Fire Roasted Vegetable) 140 calories, 4.5g fat, 23g carbohydrates, 5g sugar, 4g protein

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Want to try these Amy’s soups?

Amy’s soups can be found in many grocery stores.  If you need to locate a store in your local area that carries Amy’s products, click HERE.

If you to purchase individually, you may visit vitacost.com. (I think shipping starts around $5.)

If you want to buy in bulk and take advantage of free shipping, visit amazon.com:



Product Review: Boulder Granola

Posted on | January 18, 2012 | No Comments

This “groovy” granola was provided complimentary by Boulder Granola. Their slogan is “Unleash Your Inner Hippie”  and their granola comes packaged in a resealable bag featuring a colorful and whimsical label.  Hmm, would this granola be as interesting and fun as it sounds?

If you remember, I am a granola girl. I would eat it for breakfast, lunch and dinner. I love the crunch of the oats, and the sweetness of the dried fruit. I was a little put off when I first looked at this gluten free granola. I did not see regular looking oats, or dried fruit. I  only saw seeds. I looked at the ingredients and saw that oil is the second ingredients. Yikes.

The grains included were oats, flax seeds, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, and oat bran.  A few partial and whole almonds were present, but not many. There was no dried fruit added, and the flavor of sunflower seeds seemed fairly strong.  The other flavors I noticed was coconut and a bit of maple syrup, which added sweetness.

I added milk to the granola and noticed how mild the flavor was. I first experienced the subtle taste of the grains, and then a hint of coconut. There is a slight crunch to it. However, the granola softened and lost its crunch quickly in milk because the grains are so small. When milk is added to this granola, I suggest eating it quickly.

Since the granola is so mild tasting I would suggest pairing it with fresh fruit, yogurt, or even fortifying this gluten free granola adding your own dried fruits and nuts for a custom granola experience..

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Rating: 3 stars

Pros: Variety of grains, low sugar, dairy free

Cons: Gets soggy quickly, very mild tasting

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Ingredients: Organic certified gluten-free rolled oats, organic expellerpressed canola oil, organic golden flax seeds, organic sesame seeds, organic rice milk powder (organic rice syrup powder, organic rice starch, organic rice flour), organic almonds, organic sunflower seeds, certified gluten free oat bran, organic coconut, organic Vermont maple srup

Nutritional Snapshot: 190 calories, 14g fat, 15g carbohydrates, 2g sugar, 5g protein

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If you would like to try this gluten free granola from Boulder, please Click HERE to visit their website. Their gluten free granola is located in the middle of the ordering page. They do offer gluten granola, so be careful when ordering.

Review provided by Kristina

Product Review: Chebe Focaccia Bread Mix

Posted on | January 17, 2012 | 1 Comment

Another winner from Chebe!

Chebe sent me this focaccia mix to test, and it was pretty tasty.  To prepare this gluten free flatbread,  I added olive oil, shredded sharp cheddar cheese, eggs, and milk.  I kneaded it by hand until all the ingredients were integrated and the dough felt fairly smooth.  I pressed the dough evenly  into a greased 9 inch pan and baked it for 35 minutes. When slightly warm, I cut the bread into wedges.

The result was a soft and flavorful flatbread that my gluten eating family gobbled up with our pasta dinner.  This focaccia looked great- nice and brown on top without looking overdone. It had a nice texture and mouth feel, but was not crumbly or coarse like other gluten free breads can be.  The flavor was pretty intense as well- lots of rosemary and basil aroma and flavor that paired well with the sharp cheddar cheese. This is definitely not a bland gluten free bread.

Rating: 5 stars

Pros: great flavor, nice texture, easy no-fuss prep

Cons: not much nutrition

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Ingredients: manioc (tapioca) flour, modified manioc starch, iodine free sea salt, cream of tartar, sodium bicarbonate, rosemary, basil

Nutritional Snapshot ( mix only): 0 g. fat 150 mg sodium, 0 g. fiber, 0 g. protein

* Free of: gluten, soy, corn, rice, potato, yeast, peanut, tree nut, dairy, egg, iodine, sugar, non GMO

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Want to try this gluten free focaccia mix for yourself?

Click HERE to find a local store that carries Chebe products

To purchase online inidivdually:

Chebe Focaccia (Italian Flatbread) Mix
from: glutenfree.com

To purchase online in bulk via amazon.com with free super saver shipping:

Product Review: Udi’s Classic Hamburger Buns – dairy free

Posted on | January 14, 2012 | No Comments

Gluten Free hamburger Buns

Thank you Udi’s for saving me at my tailgate parties this fall!

My family started a tradition of tailgating at our college alma mater home football games this year. It’s a fun time to spend together, playing sports and tasting some great cookout foods.  Typically I would bring a  Kinnikinnick hamburger bun, drizzle it with olive oil and grill it on the grill with our burgers to minimize crumbling and the bun breaking part.  Thanks to Udi’s, I don’t have to do that anymore.

I found Udi’s gluten free hamburger buns in my local grocery store’s freezer case for $4.50 for a pack of 4 buns.  Pricey? Yah, but after eating gluten free for so many years, I am past the sticker shock. It is what it is.

I am quite pleased with the versatility of these gluten free hamburger buns.  I can throw a frozen one in our cooler for tailgating, and by the time our burgers ready to eat a few hours later the bun is thawed and ready for a thick hearty burger, loaded with toppings and sauce.  I’m not a dainty burger eater- the more toppings the better! This Udi’s bun really stood up and held it together. In fact, the way the bun looks, it actually looks like a gluten hamburger bun in size and color. It was so nice not to feel different or left out for once.  However,  it is slightly more dense than a gluten bun, but is soft and smooth with very little graininess. It also has a mild”white bread” flavor that doesn’t detract from your burger or sandwich fillings.

At home, I simply defrost a bun in the microwave for 30 seconds if I want to have a burger, a mini hoagie sandwich, or pulled pork sandwich, with great results. For me, it defrosts evenly and doesn’t leave a frozen center that some other buns have when I defrost them in the same manner. It’s very convenient when you are the only gluten free consumer in the home.

Overall, this is a product I keep stocked up in my freezer. Thanks Udi’s!

Rating: 5 stars

Pros: great appearance, flavor, defrosts evenly, stands up to sauces and hearty toppings with ease

Cons: Can’t really think of any

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Ingredients: filtered water, tapioca starch, brown rice four, sunflower oil, egg whites, resistant corn starch, cane syrup, tapioca maltodextrin, potato flour, evaporated can juice, tapioca syrup, yeast (yeast, potato starch), sugarcane fiber, salt, gum ( xanthan gum, sdium alginate, guar gum), mold inhibitor ( cultured corn syrup, citric acid), xanthan gum, emzyme (calcium sulfate enzymes.

Nutritional Snapshot: 190 calories, 5 g. fat, 310 mg sodium, 4 g. fiber, 4 g. sugar, 5 g. protein

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Want to try these gluten free hamburger buns?

Check your local grocer’s freezer case for your best price, or they may be individually or in bulk purchased from Udi’s directly via their website. But beware, the shipping costs are pretty high- more than $22 for 2 day shipping to ensure they arrive fresh.

You may also buy in bulk from amazon.com. The price is a bit higher for the product but shipping is free.

Product Review: Heartland’s Finest Macaroni & Cheese

Posted on | January 13, 2012 | No Comments

On the list of comfort food, mac and cheese is at the top. I saw this gluten free macaroni and cheese mix from Heartland’s Finest for on clearance for 99 cents and decided to give it a try. I hoped it was better than their white cheddar flavor.

I found that preparing this mac and cheese was very similar to the Kraft variety. I began by boiling the noodles,  melting 1/4c butter, and adding 1/4c milk with the dried cheese packet. When I added the dried cheese  it quickly clumped up. I used a whisk and a fork to try to get rid of them, but some of the clumps stayed. You can see a couple of clumps in the picture.

I was nervous about the noodles because they are made partly from navy beans. However, the taste of these noodles seemed so mild that I could hardly taste them. The noodles did not mush or break apart, but remained whole. This made the star of the show the cheese. The cheese sauce reminded me exactly of Kraft mac and cheese. It had a nice cheese taste, and coated the noodles nicely.

This is a perfect remedy for those people with Celiac who love and miss boxed Mac and Cheese.

Rating: 4 Stars

Pros: Tastes similar to Kraft mac & cheese, great cheese taste, noodles stay together and do not overwhelm the overwhelm

Cons: Dried cheese clumps, and does not completely smooth out

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Ingredients: Navy bean flour, yellow corn flour, whey, cheddar cheese (milk, cheese culture, salt, enzymes, artificial flavor), food starch-modified (waxy maize & potato starch) butter, buttermilk solids, salt, sodium phosphate, carrageenan gum, natural flavor, lactic acid, yellow 5 and yellow 6

Nutritional Snapshot: 260 calories, 4.5g fat, 46g carbohydrates, 9g protein

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Unfortunately, this company went out of business, and their products are not available anymore.  I guess that explains why I got this for 99 cents!

Product Review: Kinnikinnick Bread Crumbs Panko Style -Dairy free, Nut free

Posted on | January 13, 2012 | No Comments

I found these 12.3 ounce box of gluten free panko style bread crumbs from Kinnikinnick at my local Harmon’s grocery store on sale  for $4.49. I was anxious to try them out, since I have a few recipes that call for them.

This is another comfort food that I have missed. There is nothing quite like fried (baked) chicken!

I found these bread crumbs very easy to work with. Per the instructions on the packaging, I dredged the chicken first in rice flour, then dipped in egg, and coated it with the panko style bread crumbs. The gluten free bread crumbs coated the chicken well and stayed put. I placed the chicken in the oven for 35 minutes in a 375 degree oven.

When I pulled the chicken out of the oven the first thing I noticed was how crispy the bread crumbs looked. They had browned up a bit, and did not get soggy at all. Even the bread crumbs that were on the bottom side of the chicken stayed crunchy. But, the crumbs did not have much of a flavor, and tasted bland. I would recommend adding seasoning to the crumbs before it is coated on the chicken. A nice benefit of lack of seasoning is that you can customize the flavor palate you want depending in your recipe.

Product Image for Gluten Free Nut Free Panko Style Bread Crumbs

Rating: 5 stars

Pros: Coated chicken well, stayed crispy

Cons: Bland

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Ingredients: Water, tapioca starch, pea starch, white rice flour, sugar, whole egg powder, inulin, sunflower and,or canola oil, sodium bicarbonate, cellulose, mono calcium phosphate, pea fibre, cream of tartar, sodium acid pyrophosphate, yeast, salt, xanthan gum, mono and diglycerides

Nutritional Snapshot: 110 calories, 1g fat, 24g carbohydrates, 1g protein

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Want to try these gluten free panko style breadcrumbs from Kinnikinnick?

Individual boxes may be purchased directly from Kinnikinnick’s website by clicking HERE.  Or, they may be purchased in blk from amazon.com:


Review provided by Kristina

Product Review: Augason Farms Buttermilk Pancake Mix

Posted on | January 13, 2012 | No Comments

I love pancakes, and enjoy trying different recipes and mixes to find the best pancakes out there. I found this Augason Farms gluten free buttermilk pancake mix at my local Harmons on sale for $2.99.

The pancakes were very easy to prepare. I mixed one cup of the pancake mix with 3/4 cup water. The batter at first appeared thin, but as it sat it thickened considerably. The first pancake I cooked was too thick, so with the remaining pancakes I spread the batter out as I put it on the pan. The pancake batter did not bubble, as normal pancake batter does, so I had to guess when it was ready to turn. Some of the pancakes broke and crumbled as I turned them.

When I initially took a bite of these gluten free  pancakes, I tasted a hint of buttermilk.  Unfortunately, this was quickly overtaken by the thick, mushy texture of the pancake. The flavor of the buttermilk vanished as the texture deteriorated. I added pancake syrup, in the hopes that it could rescue these mushy pancakes.  No such luck. They just didn’t taste good, and the texture was so disappointing that I don’t plan to use this mix again.

Gluten Free Buttermilk Pancake Mix 58 oz #10 Can

Rating: 2 Stars

Pros: Easy to prepare, comes together quickly

Cons: Crumbles and mushes in your mouth, lacks flavor

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Ingredients: White rice flour, dextrose, sugar, soy flour, soybean oil, buttermilk powder, whole eggs (whole eggs, sodium silicoaluminate), corn starch, baking soda, sodium acid pyrosphate, salt, monocalcium phosphate, natural maple flavor

Nutritional Snapshot: 140 calories, 1.5g fat, 330 mg sodium, 28 g carbohydrate, 3g protein

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Interested in trying this pancake mix for yourself?

Auguson Farms mixes may be purchased in various local grocery stores in Utah, or their outlet location 3431 West 500 West in Salt Lake City. Click HERE for their retail store locator.

Their gluten free mixes and gluten free grains may also be purchased in bulk on their website HERE.

Review provided by Kristina

Product Review: Amy’s Organic Soups Hearty Spanish Rice and Red Bean

Posted on | January 9, 2012 | 1 Comment

This hearty spanish rice and red bean soup was provided complimentary by Amy’s Kitchen. I have tried many of their products before, including their chicken noodle soup and burritos. I loved both of those, so I was excited to see how this soup measured up.

The first thing I noticed when I opened the can was the aroma. There is a mixture of spices that reminded me of Spanish dishes. When I poured the soup into the bowl I saw how hearty it was. I immediately noticed red beans, brown rice, and corn. These ingredients far outweighed the broth, which was minimal in comparison.

I popped the soup into the microwave for three minutes to cook. When I took it out I could see cilantro, tomatoes, and bell peppers. I ate a spoonful and noticed how perfectly flavored it was. It had a bit of spice, but not overwhelming. I felt the heat in the back of my throat, but I felt no need to drink milk or water to lower the heat. All the spices give it the Spanish taste I expected. All the ingredients are cooked perfectly as well. The beans and rice were soft, not mushy, and kept their shape. I loved all the vegetables in the soup! There are tomatoes, bell peppers, zucchini, and corn.  Who doesn’t want more vegetables in their diet?

I enjoyed eating a soup that is hearty, but still healthy. It filled me up without having cream or other fattening ingredients. One can of soup is enough for one person, or two if you added sides to it.

Rating: 5 stars

Pros: Seasoned well, a great assortment of vegetables with rice and beans, perfecty portioned

Cons: None that I could find

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Ingredients: filtered water, organic tomatoes, organic onions, organic red beans, organic bell peppers, organic zucchini, organic corn, organic brown rice, organic green chiles, organic garlic, sea salt, organic high oleic safflower and/or sunflower oil, organic cilantro, organic spices, organic extra virgin olive oil, organic cracked black pepper

Nutritional Snapshot: 140 calories, 2.5g fat, 24g carbohydrates, 5g protein / vegan, dairy free, soy free, nut free, kosher

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Want to try this soup for yourself?

Click here for Amy’s store locator to find a local retailer


Review provided by Kristina, Karen’s awesome younger gluten free sister

Product Review: Hodgson Mill Gluten Free Bread Mix

Posted on | January 9, 2012 | 1 Comment

This mix was purchased on sale at my local grocery store for for a mere $2.50 ( regular price $4.50). This mix makes one loaf of gluten free bread.

I am always a little hesitant to make gluten free bread. I was diagnosed with Celiac Disease 19 years ago. Back then there was only one grocery store in my area that sold GF bread. Sometimes, when we went to the store, we saw the bread was already moldy. Yummy, right? My mom tried to make bread, but it looked strange. It didn’t really rise, and had many lumps, and crumbled easily. It tasted awful too. I still have to tell myself sometimes that there is good GF bread out there. Which leads me to this product, Hodgson Mill gluten free bread mix.

To prepare this bread mix,  I added milk, eggs, cider vinegar, melted butter, and yeast (provided) to the mix. The directions recommended that you do this in a heavy duty mixer. I only have a hand held, which turned out to be interesting. The dough was very thick, so the dough crawled up my little hand held. Therefore it did not get mixed the full three minutes.

The directions recommend giving the dough thirty minutes  to rise. Mine took closer to an hour. I then placed it in a 375 degree oven, and read in the directions that the bread should take an hour to bake. The gluten free bread continued to rise in the oven. It doubled in size while baking!  After thirty minutes, not only was my bread completely baked, but it was starting to burn on top.

After waiting for the bread to cool, I added some butter to a piece and took a bite. It was delicious! The inside of the bread was soft and chewy, while the crust was crisp, like a good bread crust should be. Because the bread mix has different flours and starches it tasted like multi-grain bread. I did not want to stop after the first bite. It was so good!

The next day I ate a piece with peanut butter, and again later with a sandwich. The bread was still soft and chewy, with the multi-grain flavor I enjoyed. I did, however, notice a slight aftertaste. I believe it was from the bean flour. It wasn’t very strong, more of a whisper of a taste.

After two days the bread became dry, not as easy to cut, and not as soft. This bread is definitely meant to be eaten quickly for the best flavor and texture.

Rating: 4 stars

Pros: Crisp crust, soft in the middle, multi-grain taste

Cons: Dries out after two days, slight aftertaste

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Ingredients: garbanzo bean flour, corn starch, sorghum flour, tapioca starch, organic raw cane sugar, fava flavor, rice starch, xanthan gum, flake salt, soy lecithin, ascorbic acid

Nutritional Snapshot: 120 calories, 1g fat, 26g carbohydrates, 2g protein

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Hodgson Mills Gluten Free Bread Mix 16oz

Want to try Hodgson Mills gluten free bread mix?

If you can’t find it at your local grocery store, it may be purchased individuality at plummarket.com, or purchased in bulk from walmart.com (pack of 4), or via amazon.com (pack of 8):


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