Gluten Free Food Reviews

Gluten-Free Essentials sent me this mix to sample during cake month in August. At the time, I just tucked it in my own gluten free pantry. In my house, I have a shelf just for my gluten free products. This shelf is located across the kitchen from our regular panrty that is laden with gluten in various forms hiding in the cracks and crevices. If I spend the cash for a GF product, you can bet I will do what it take to keep it that way. Unfortunately I found out the woes of pantry cross contamination the hard way- uugggh. I am not taking any chances!

Recently I was pressed for time as I prepared dinner. I decided to pound out some chicken breasts and smother them in garlic. I also prepped a green salad ( Ok, kind of- it came in a bag), but I still needed a satisfying side dish that would be ready in 15 minutes, while the chicken grilled outside. That’s where this Gluten-Free Essentials Side Kick Italian Herb & Lemon Mix comes into the picture. The packaging boasts that the product is ready in just 10 minutes. Wha-hoo! Perfect. You can buy this 8 ounce mix online for $2.99, and it makes about four servings.

I found this mix super simple to prepare- just add butter and water and you are ready to go. Once the mix boils, you simmer for five minutes, then cover and let sit for another five minutes. That’s it- pretty simple. I was thrilled with the results! However, I found that my mix was actually ready in 15 minutes instead of 10 from start to finish.

The texure of the rice was simply perfect. The grains were seperate and somewhat fluffy- not mushy and clumpy. They tasted perfectly cooked- just the right consistency- slightly dense and chewy, but still soft. The flavor was a wonderful blend of herbs with a substantial spicy lemon kick. I felt the flavors really complimented each other, instead of competing. This mix also did not have a processed flavor, and did not have an unpleasent aftertaste, as some gluten free products tend to have. Kind of like a party in my mouth! This gluten free rice product paired well with my grilled chicken, and helped me have a hot meal on the table in under 30 minutes. I’ll definately buy this mix for a future meal.

PROS: Great texture, balanced flavor, easy prep

CONS: strong flavor may compete or clash with other dishes - be sure to pair with something mild

Rating: 5 stars

Where Can I Buy This Yummy Mix?

GFEssentials.com

Ingredients: Precooked long grain white and brown rice ( enriched with niacin, ferric orthophosphate (iron), thiamin (B-1) and folic acid, lemon juice powder (maltodextrin from corn and lemon juice), GF herbs and spices.

What a rotten week! The nasty fall viruses hit our home hard. Unfortunately, because of this I wasn’t online, and definitely was not into eating, thus no gluten free food reviews this past week. Thankfully we are finally well and getting back into our regular routine, and I will have lots of great reviews for you to check out for the rest of the month.

I had this gluten free pizza crust mix review tucked away, and I thought I’d finally share it with you to get the ball rolling.

This gluten free pizza crust mix by Kinnikinick Foods sells for $4.69, makes 2 medium sized pizza crusts, and requires you to add yeast, sugar, water, oil and eggs. To be honest, I was a little put off that I purchased the mix, and yet had to add a lot of my own ingredients. I felt like all I got for my money was a bag of rice flour and starch! When I saw the ingredients, I chuckled, because that is basically what is in the bag.

I found the pizza crust dough to be very sticky, so much so that I ended up patting out the crust in the pan with my olive oil coated fingers. Contrary to the directions, there was no possible way a rolling pin would handle the sticky mound of pizza dough. I found that my oily pizza crust circle did not rise much in the pan, and when it came time to bake the real fun started.

I was surprised to discover that this crust rose quite a bit in the oven, but baked unevenly. I had bubbles of dough rise up and bake, even though I pricked the dough with a fork before popping it in the oven; I would suggest poking lots of little holes in the crust to prevent baking bubbles. I discovered the crust also baked unevenly on the foil wrapped pan - soft in some spots and crunchy and hard in others. I ma sure baking this crust on a dedicated gluten free pizza stone would yield a better end result.

The flavor of the Kinnikinnick pizza crust is actually quite nice- very subtle and mild so it would pair with even the most flavorful sauces and toppings. The center of the pizza was soft, but not chewy, and boasted a fairly smooth texture-nothing course or gritty. The texture and flavor closely resembled a standard piece of gluten free rice bread. Overall, this gluten free pizza crust mix is just OK- it’s not bad, but definitely not great either.

PROS: mild flavor, not too crumbly

CONS: messy prep, soft in some spots, crunchy in others

Rating: 3 stars

Where Can I Buy This Gluten Free Pizza Crust Mix?

Kinnikinnick Foods Inc.

Ingredients: Sweet Rice Flour, Tapioca Starch, Corn Starch, Sodium Carboxy Methylcellulose, Salt

This mix reminded me of a hot dish my mom used to make my family when I was growing up. I think it was called tuna noodle casserole. Now, I don’t believe it was a favorite of mine, but it was a good meal after homework and playing soccer during the school year. I saw this Mrs. Leepers Creamy Tuna Pasta & Sauce Mix discounted at my local grocery store for a mere $1.39 ( usually $2.79) and thought it would make for a quick meal on a busy day. I also knew I would be eating it on my own, since my husband and kids can’t stand tuna fish in any form. I hoped it was at least edible. You don’t know until you try, right?

This mix is super easy to prepare, and resembles the traditional “Tuna Helper” boxed meals. Just add 6 ounces of tuna ( I used the tuna in the foil pouch), water, milk, and butter. From start to finish it takes about 15 minutes, just as the packaging proclaims on the front. Perfect. I like it already!

I found this mix to have a simple, uncomplicated flavor. The sauce is a thin cream sauce that tastes fairly bland, and allows for the tuna flavor to really shine through. I did not notice a processed aftertaste or excessive saltiness, as the case may be with some dinner mixes. The noodles are a mini lasagna shape made of corn. I was actually surprised at how decent these noodles were! They hold their shape well with no mushiness and grip the sauce in the rippled nooks and crannies.

I would suggest purchasing this mix only if you really like tuna, since the sauce and pasta tastes so mild , the tuna flavor really shows through strong.

Overall, the mix was just “OK.” Definitely edible and might be a good last minute alternative for a hot meal. I would strongly suggest adding extra seasoning and maybe some celery, green beans, peas, mushrooms, or topped with fresh tomato to complete the meal.

PROS: decent noodles, quick prep time, great base for a good meal

CONS: the mix itself is quite mild and bland, add veggies or extra seasoning to complete

Rating: 3 1/2 stars

Where Can I Buy This Mix?

Mrs. Leeper’s Gluten-Free Creamy Tuna- Gluten Free Mall.com

OR

Ingredients:Corn Pasta (Organic Corn Flour), Creamy Tuna Seasoning: Cream, Corn Starch, Salt, Onion Powder, Nonfat Milk, Sugar, Vitamin A Palmitate, Soybean Oil, Sodium Phosphate, Dried Parsley, Soy Lecithin, Guar Gum, Spice, Turmeric Extract, Ascorbyl Palmitate

Also check out my reviews for the following Mrs. Leeper’s gluten free meal mixes:

Mrs. Leeper’s Beef Stroganoff- gluten free/wheat free/ egg free/soy free

Mrs. Leeper’s Cheeseburger Mac-gluten free/wheat free

Today I have a house of sick and grouchy kids, and a husband that is out of town on business ( not a good combination). After coaxing saltines and sips of Sprite and Pedialite, I needed something quick, filling, comforting, and naturally, gluten free for myself. The box of Amy’s Macaroni & Cheese in my freezer seemed to fit the bill perfectly. I believe I purchased this boxed and frozen product for $3.09 at my local grocery store.

The prep for this gluten free propduct couldn’t be easier. I popped it in the microwave for a total of six minutes, pausing after four minutes for a brief stir. I was also pleased to discover this product did not splatter and mess up my clean microwave. There’s nothing I hate more than food splatters that stink up the microwave! I admit, initially the mac and cheese looked pretty scary fresh from the box:

But the final product looked a bit more appetizing!

This product actually tasted pretty yummy! The noodles were great- soft, but firm enough to hold their shape with no mushiness. The sauce was fairly thick, and stuck to the noodles in little clumps here and there. However, the texure of the sauce was smooth, it just looked a bit clumpy because it was so thick. The flavor of the sauce was also quite satisfying- it tastes like a homemade cheese sauce- no artificial or processed flavors here! If you are looking for the thin, kraft-style sauce, this isn’t for you.

Overall, this Amy’s Macaroni & Cheese frozen product is a yummy product that has a nice homemade flavor. The ingredients are high quality and the portion size is perfect for one person. Add a salad or fruit and you have yourself a nice, satisfying meal in a matter of minutes. This product really fit my needs tonight- fast, tasty and filling. I must note, though, that part of the reason it was so filling was probaly due to the high fat/saturated fat content - 16 total grams of fat per serving- yikes! However for ocasional use, I will definately buy this product again.

PROS: Great flavor and texture

CONS: sauce is really thick; high saturated fat content ( 10 grams!)

Rating: 4 stars

Amy’s Rice Mac & Cheese may be purchased at most local grocery stores in the frozen foods section ( Wegmans, Walmart, Giant, Weis etc).

Ingredients: organic rice macaroni ( organic rice flour, water), organic lowfat milk, cheddar cheese, butter, rice flour, sea salt, annato. No trans fat, added MSG, no preservatives

 Yup, you guessed it! For the rest of September I will feature gluten free mixes and products that are great for a meal after a busy day, or as a supplement to your dinner plans. If you have a mix, frozen item, or brand/company you are curious about,  please let me know what it is as a reply to this post. If I don’t get any replies, ya’ll are stuck with what I think think looks interesting!

I already have several gluten-free main dish and side dish products ready for posting, so check back soon to see which one is first!

Since I was less than impressed with a lot of the gluten free cake mixes out there- especially the vanilla/ yellow cake flavors. I thought I’d provide a few links to some recipes from all the great GF blogs and websites out there! Maybe these recipes will satisfy your sweet tooth and have great texture and great flavor.

Do you have a gluten free cake recipe you’d like to share? Post a link to your site when you make a comment, or email me the link at glutenfreefoodreviews[at]gmail[dot]com, and I will add your link to this post.

These recipes are not listed in any particular order, so take your time and browse a bit!

Gluten Free Yellow Cake from allrecipes.com

Gluten Free Chocolate Cake from recipezaar.com/ Gluten Free Mommy

Gluten Free Flourless Chocolate Cake and Sour Cream Apple Cake from Karina at glutenfreegoddess ( see more of her cake recipes HERE)

Carrot Cake from Taste.com

Bluebery Polenta Cake and Cola Cake from Gluten A Go Go

Honey Cake 2.0 from Gluten Free Bay

Pumpkin Bundt Cake from Mike at Gluten Free Blog

Vanilla Pound Cake from Land O Lakes

Lemon Cake ( 3 variations!) by Mrs. G.F.

Cardamom Date Cake by Brandon at SomethinginSeason.com

Sour Cream Banana Cake, Coconut Cake and Pound Cake by Karen at theartofglutenfreecooking.com

 I think that is good for now . . .

Ok, so It took me longer than a month, but what a month it was! The cakes and desserts category now features the following gluten free cakes and frostings:

Authentic Foods Vanilla Cake Mix

Cherrybrook Kitchen gluten free chocolate cake mix

Cherrybrook Kitchen Vanilla Frosting Mix

Cherrybrook Kitchen Chocolate Frosting Mix

Gluten-Free Pantry Old Fashioned Cake and Cookie Mix

Gluten-Free Pantry Decadent Chocolate Cake Mix

Gluten-free Pantry Angel Food Cake Mix

‘Cause You’re Special Moist Yellow Cake Mix

Dowd & Rogers Dark Vanilla Cake Mix

Bittersweet Bakery Lemon Bar Cake

Bittersweet Bakery Pumpkin Bar Cake

Kinnikinnick Foods White Cake Mix

Gluten-Free Essentials Extreme Chocolate Cake Mix

Gluten-Free Essentials Lemon Poppyseed Bread/ Muffin/ Cake Mix

Gluten-Free Essentials Kids! Bake Speedy Yella Vanilla Cake Mix

Sylvan Border Farm Chocolate Cake Mix ( my favorite!)

Pamela’s Products Lucious Chocolate Cake Mix

Glutino Sans Gluten Cake Mix- Chocolate Flavor

Lean on Me Baking Company Carrot Cake

 If you have tried any of these gluten free products, please leave a comment about your experience! The more comments and opinions that we have for different gluten free products, then better we can determine if a product really is good ( or not!). Especially since different we all have different tastes and preferences. I’d love to read what you think! Likewise, if you have a gluten free cake you would like to see a review for, email me at glutenfreefoodreviews[at]gmail[dot]com or reply to this post.

After having cookie month ( July) and cake month(August) back to back, I am ready for something not as sweet for the rest of September!

I just can’t get over how cute the packaging is for Cherrybrook Kitchen products! It is so whimsical and fun, how can you resist?

This 16.4 ounce cake mix sells for $5.39 and requires oil, water, and gluten free vanilla. ( I used Authentic Foods Vanilla Powder and canola oil)It is simple and easy to mix by hand, and amazingly enough, the batter actually tastes good when licking the spoon! I baked the nine inch cake for 25 minutes according to the package directions, and it seemed perfect. The cake, however, was less than perfect. Grrrrrr.

I found this cake to be borderline moist and smooth, with no graininess. However, the cake crumbled profusely when sliced ( very fine crumb), and was difficult to frost since the top was quite gooey and sticky. The texture of the cake was very strange- this is a sweet, dense cake that left a thick, almost powdery feeling in my mouth. It is quite rich with a dark chocolate taste. One small slice of this cake is definitely enough; it is not your traditional moist and fluffy chocolate cake. I read a review on amazon.com that suggested combining coconut oil and olive oil instead of using canola oil for a moist and yummy cake, That might be worth a try.

My family and I did not care for this cake, and ended up throwing away half of the cake because it just sat on my counter until it wasn’t edible. I was disappointed, but grateful that I at least got to make my yummy butter-cream frosting to go on it! I think that was the best part!

PROS: rich chocolate taste
CONS: dense and thick- be sure to have a drink nearby!

Rating: 2 1/2 stars

Wanna try it? You buy it!

Ingredients: Potato Starch, Evaporated Cane Juice, Natural Cocoa Powder, White Rice Flour, Tapioca Starch, Brownulated Sugar, Baking Soda, Xanthan Gum, Sea Salt

Read what AllergicGirl, The Nibble, Rica from AC,and Alison from Sure Foods Living have to say about this mix!

Yikes! I never really finished up gluten-free cake month last month and kicked off the theme for September yet. My apologies to everyone! Between Labor Day weekend, school starting, and going away this weekend, I haven’t been online as much as usual this past week. Please check back by Tuesday for my Cake Month wrap-up and belated kick off for September.

This mix caught my eye when I was searching for the Gluten-Free Pantry’s chocolate version. Since I haven’t found a decent yellow or vanilla cake mix yet, I thought I’d give this a try since most of their products are decent and reliable. I purchased this 15 ounce mix for $3.99, and it makes one eight inch cake.

Mixing this batter was incredible easy. I used my stand mixer to whip up the added butter, eggs, milk, vanilla and mix. The batter was thick and the consistency resembled thick pudding. This made it easy to spread in the pan with little mess, which I appreciated since I can get my kitchen pretty messy when I cook or bake. According to the directions, I baked this cake for the designated 28 minutes, and for once this seemed to be perfect.

The first thing I noticed when cutting this cake it that it is very crumbly and a bit fussy to work with when frosting or serving. The cake was perfectly moist and had a fine texture with a hint of the rice flour it contained ( you know that rice flour taste and texture- if you eat gluten-free, you know what I am talking about). The cake did rise some, but I would not consider it fluffy or spongy.

The flavor is quite neutral with the slightest hint of vanilla, and would pair well with any frosting or topping. It is just sweet enough to be good, but not so sweet you couldn’t smother it in a good chocolate butter-cream frosting if the craving hit you. I used Cherrybrook Chocolate Frosting Mix to make the pictured creation and turned out really yummy. I think this mix would also make a great base for different cake variations since the flavor is so mild. Really, the options are endless!

Although I wouldn’t use this cake mix for a formal affair ( sorry, Kristina, no wedding cake winner here), it would be great for a casual birthday or dessert with a homemade touch. I also plan to try the cookie recipe that is printed on the box- it looks like it would be good.

PROS: moist and not too sweet, pairs well with all frostings & flavors, affordable price

CONS: very crumbly!

Rating: 4 stars

Hey, That looks good! Where Can I Buy this Mix?

Gluten-Free Pantry - Old Fashioned Cake & Cookie Mix
From: glutenfree.com

Ingredients:White Rice Flour, Sugar, Potato Starch, Sodium Bicarbonate, Xanthan Gum, Salt, Sodium Acid Pyrophosphate, Monocalcium Phosphate.