Gluten Free Food Reviews

I purchased these chocolate chip cookies from my local grocery store for $3.39. The cookies come in an 8 ounce bag and are the perfect size for snacking.

I purchased these cookies on two seperate occasions. The first time I purchased them, they tasted sooo good that I had to get them again. The size and flavor reminded me of the Famous Amos cookies I used to enjoy. The texture was a tad crumbly and quite crunchy. Likewise, when faced with the mini-milk dunk test they held their shape in the milk bath. You can also taste the corn flour base, but it’s not a bad thing.

However, the second time I was sadly disappointed. Even though the cookies were not past their expiration date, they tasted stale and had a bad aftertaste. I may have to try these a third time and post my results, but after try #2 I am not sure if I am willing to take that chance.

Rating: 4 stars/ 2 stars ( purchase #1 vs. #2)

Ingredients: Gluten Free flour ( corn flour, soy flour, potato flour, corn starch, rice flour. potato starch, xanthan gum), organic dehydrated cane juice, organic chocolate chips ( organic sugar, organic chocolate liquor, organic cocoa butter, soy lecithin), canola oil, butter ( may contain annato), egg whites, unsulphured molases, corn starch, natural flavors, baking soda, sea salt, soy lecithin ( used as an emulsifier).

Where can I buy these cookies?

Wellness Grocer

These DeBoles penne noodles are packed in an 8 ounce box and contain enough noodles for at least 3 meals or so.

The penne is simple and quick to prepare as most noodles are. It is suggested to cook between 8 and 12 minutes, and rinse with cold water. I found that these noodles taste a bit better cooked at the 11 minute mark. I noticed that when the noodles are softer, they tend to split less and their texture is better. Undercooked ( at 8 or 9 minutes) and you’ll find them slightly tough and splitting as you try to eat them. But be careful, don’t exceed 12 minutes or you’ll get a bowl of mush! I know, kind of tricky.

The noodles hold thick sauces fairly well thanks to the ridges in the pasta, but the overall flavor seemed to be lacking. In my opinion, these noodles are “Ok”, but not something I would rave to my GF friends about.

Pros: holds sauce well, all natural, simple ingredients

Cons: tricky to cook “just right”

Rating: 3 1/2 stars

Ingredients: Rice flour and rice bran extract.

Where Can I buy This product?

Vitacost.com

I purchased this 7.5 ounce bag of Chebe Garlic & Onion Breadstick Mix at my local natural foods store for $3.19. The bag makes 6 nice sized breadsticks.

To prepare the mix, you need to add oil, eggs, and water. I mixed the dough by hand and rolled it out into individual breadsticks. I found the dough to be sticky at first, but after working with it they kept their shape fairly well.

These breadsticks are best when eaten warm and fresh from the oven. They have a yummy onion and garlic aroma that is reflected in the taste as well. The flavors balanced well and were just right. The texture is soft and chewy- very satisfying and a nice change from rice flour based products. These would be a great addition to any salad or meal. I have already purchased them a few times and wasn’t disappointed. Click HERE for additional nutritional and prep information

Pros: great aroma and flavor, nice & chewy, good texture

Cons: from prep to table took 45 minutes- it’s not a quick and easy addition to a meal.

Rating: 4 stars

Chebe Garlic-Onion Gluten-Free Bread Stick Mix

Ingredients: Manioc (tapioca) flour, modified manioc starch (100% manioc), salt, onion flakes, minced garlic

Where Can I buy Chebe Breadsticks?:

Chebe.com

Gluten free Mall.com

*cracker photo coming soon!*

I bought these crackers for $2.89 at my local grocery store. Since I love the other Nut Thins crackers, I thought these would be fun to try.

Like other nut thins crackers, these crispy snacks have a light and subtle almond taste with a great texture and satisfying crunch. The cheese flavor is from a powder like substance on the crackers- it is not baked into the cracker itself. I was also surprised at the lack of “fake cheese taste” that most cheese crackers and snacks have. There is only a slight aftertaste, but overall these are pretty darn good. I think I would buy them again, even thought the country ranch flavor is still my favorite.

Pros: great crunch, light and flavorful

Cons: cheese flavor is good, not not great

Rating: 4 stars

Ingredients: Rice flour, almonds, cheddar seasoning [cheddar cheese powder (cheddar cheese (pasteurized milk, cheese cultures, salt, enzymes), disodium phosphate), salt, maltodextrin, natural cheese flavor, (cheddar cheese (pasteurized milk, cheese cultures, salt, enzymes), yeast extract, xanthan gum), cultured whey, onion, extractive of turmeric, garlic, extractive of annatto, lactic acid, less then 2% soybean oil (processing aid)], potato starch, expeller pressed safflower oil, soy lecithin (processing aid

Where Can I Buy These Crackers?

Amazon.com

Ok ladies and gentlemen, in the spirit of competition started at  problogger.net, this is the Top 5 list for all you celiac, natural foods, and gluten free food lovers. Want to make your tongue tingle? Read on, my friends .

1) The Gluten Free Pantry Angel Food Cake Mix - The all-time best gluten free product I have tried to date. Read my review here. It is simply amazing; it is so fluffy and light, I served this to my friends and family and they swear it is better than “regular” angel food cake. You’ll feel like an angel on a cloud as you slurp up this yummy confection with some fresh cream and berries.

2. Tinkyada Pasta Joy Brown Rice Spaghetti Noodles- I loved reviewing these noodles!They are so perfect with a thick and hearty meat or veggie packed sauce. Their mild flavor and great texture makes this one an A+ winner in my book. With these, I don’t miss wheat pasta in the least.

3. Pamela’s Products Baking & Pancake Mix- now, I call this mix perfection in a bag. It is the ultimate mix for mouth watering pancakes, flavorful sweet breads and muffins, and killer cookies. I can’t believe I had to be diagnosed celiac to find this product!

4.Blue Diamond Almond Nut Thins- Ranch Flavor- Oh, my. goodness. These little round crackers are addicting! You start with one, and then before you know it the box is gone. They are perfectly crisp and the flavor leaves your taste buds begging for more.

5. Envirokidz Peanut Butter Panda Puff’s Cereal - I just had to throw in my favorite breakfast treat- a throwback to my childhood but 10 times better. This cereal is a party for your mouth. The corn-based cereal tastes amazing with the star ingredient- REAL peanut butter- can you imagine? A perfect way to start the day when you want something light and slightly sweet, all rolled into one.

Thanks to A Mom’s Life for her Top 5 list as well. I love it!

 This 5.5 ounce boxed mix  made by Thai Kitchen serves two people and is a quick and easy meal, if you have the ingredients on hand. I purchased this mix for $2.89 from my local grocery store. It is also sold at the natural foods store near where I live.

To complete this meal, you need to add vegetable oil, chicken, shrimp or tofu, water, bean sprouts and optional garnishes (cilantro, cholis, peanuts, or lime wedges). This stir-fry recipe is simple to make and is fairly foolproof. However, I would not suggest making it without the bean sprouts or protein source ( I tried this and it just didn’t taste that good!). The mix can be made in either a saucepan or wok, both with great results.  The final product had a mild peanut taste that is slightly sweet and not at all spicy. I wish it had a bit more sauce, that would have made a good product great. Overall, I liked it and have already bought it again and again.

Pros: nice flavor, easy to prepare in under 25 minutes

Cons: need lots of extra ingredients, takes longer than 15 minutes- as advertized on their package.

Rating: 4 stars

Ingredients:  Rice noodles ( rice, water), Seaoning packet (peanuts, pure cane sugar, salt, corn starch, spices, chili, cinnamon, pepper, cumin, clove, hydrolyzed soy protein, yeast extract, dried green onions, citric acid, peanut oil, silicon dioxide ( to prevent caking)

Where to buy:

Amazon.com

Most local grocery stores

I purchased this ‘Cause You’re Special mix from my local natural food store for $7.99 ( ouch!) for an 18 ounce bag. I was hoping it was good because it was pretty pricey. I found that this mix makes approximately 4 batches of 6 standard sized biscuits. The perfect size for a single meal for two to three gluten free people.

This mix makes both drop biscuits or regular ( rolled out and cut with a biscuit shaped cutter), both of which are very good. Once I mixed the dough after adding an egg, milk, and shortening, I found it to be very sticky and added extra mix to outside of the dough and the rolling pin when making the traditional version. The final product is light and fluffy and looks appealing with the gently browned exterior. The flavor is mild with just a hint of it’s rice flour base, and simply yummy. It matches perfectly with warm butter or a natural fruit spread. This biscuits are not grainy or heavy and would compliment any meal.

The biscuits kept well for another day or so in the fridge, but quickly dried out after that. I suggest eating them quick for best results. And since they are so tasty, that shouldn’t be a problem!

I’ll definitely buy this again.

Pros: light and fluffy texture, gentle flavor, appealing appearance

Cons: price, sticky batter

Rating: 4 1/2 stars

Click below to try for yourself:

Cause You’re Special Hearty Gluten-Free Biscuit Mix from Gluten Free Mall.com

Ingredients: white rice flour, potato starch, sugar, baking powder (sodium acid pyrophosphate, sodium bicarbobate, corn starch, monocalcium phosphate), salt, xanthan gum.

I purchased Pamela’s brownie mix from my local food store for $5.99. The 16 ounce package makes an 8×8 pan of brownies. 

The brownies were easy to mix, but much more challenging to spread in the pan. The batter is very thick and tends to stick to my spatula when I spread it.These brownies also contain large chuncky bits of chocolate, which help make these brownies rich and chocolately.

Fresh from the oven, the brownies are very gooey and need to completely cool in order for them to hold  their shape when sliced. The flavor seems almost seperated- I could distinctly taste the rice flour, cocoa and molasses ( not too great). However, when completely cooled and let set for an hour or so, the flavors seemed more blended and the brownies were much easier to slice and remove from the pan. Also, these cooled brownies were not nearly as gooey and seemed almost dry and cake-like.  The texture was just slightly grainy and crumbly. No wierd aftertaste was detected.

 Overall, these brownies are OK, and taste best with some vanilla ice cream. To be honest, I was a bit disappointed, since Pamela’s pother products are usually amazing.

I found it interesting that this brownie mix also included recipes for cake and cookies ( both utilizing this mix) on the side panel. They may be worth a try!

Pros: great chocolate chunks, easy to prep, nice appearance

Cons: really sweet, rice flour flavor & texture a bit strong

Rating: 3 stars

Ingredients: Molasses and honey, brown rice flour, natural process cocoa powder, white rice flour, organic chocolate chunks,(organic natural evaporated cane sugar, organic cocoa paste, organic cocoa butter, non-GMO soy lecithin/emulsifier, organic vanilla. chunks may contain traces of milk protein due to manufacturing equiptment); tapioca starch, sweet rice flour, potato starch, natural flavor ( contains corn derivitive), sea salt; Xanthan Gum; Baking soda).

Where Can I Buy These Brownies?

GlutenSolutions.com

These banana bars come in a package of five. They have a good banana taste, and is chewy like a chocolate chip cookie. But they a grainy texture and some crunchy parts. On a scale from one to five I would give it a two. They were also on the more expensive side for $3.69.

Mmmmmm, these are super yummy! I found these at my local natural foods store for $6.99 for a 14 ounce mix and I just couldn’t resist trying these. I wish I was a fabulous cook and baker, but I’m not- and that’s OK. I usually don’t have the patience to measure out 3 or 4 kinds of gluten free flour to make something tasty, so if I can find a mix I like, I am thrilled.

I found these muffins super simple to assemble and bake. I used a muffin-sized scoop to measure the batter into the muffin tin with great success. The batter was not overly thick or sticky, just right. The muffins came out of the oven looking like a little bit of heaven and smelled divine with a sweet lemon aroma in the air. It is hard to believe these muffins are gluten free!

How did they taste? The first time I made them they were perfect, nice and fluffy and the flavors balanced perfectly with minimal crumbling. However the second time I baked them I was slow to remove them from the oven. The result was a dry and crumbly muffin that left me begging for a glass of milk. The flavor wasn’t quite the same either. So, be forewarned, do NOT bake these muffins too long! I stored the muffins in a ziplock bag in my fridge and they lasted approximately two days- on the third day they were dry and crumbly.

Pros: great flavor and texture

Cons: Price, be careful not to overbake AT ALL

Rating: 4 stars

Where Can I Buy This Muffin Mix?

‘Cause You’re Special - Lemon Poppy Seed Muffin Mix
From: glutenfree.com