Gluten Free Food Reviews

Yum!

These gluten free “cookies” from the Shabtai Gourmet Bakery come in a 12 ounce box, and are more like mini pieces of cake than a cookie. You would never guess they are gluten free. Ever.  Each piece is just big enough for two bites or so.

These gluten free cookies are very moist, soft, and enrobed in a dairy free chocolate icing that really adds a sweet finish.  The texture of the center is very smooth and not crumbly.The soft cookie (or cake) layer colors are vibrant and cheerful and have a pleasant almond flavor.  These gluten free treats are supposed to have apricot and raspberry flavor in them, but I honestly could hardly taste it due to the strong almond flavoring.

Overall, this gluten free treat is a winner at my house!

Pros: moist, sponge cake center has great texture and is really yummy!

Cons: almond flavoring masks other ingredients

Rating: 5 stars

To try this product for yourself, please visit the Shabtai Gourmet website for more information (their free shipping promo is still going on- free shipping on all orders- nice!)

Ingredients: sugar, eggs, partially hydrogenated palm oil, apricot kernal, almond, cocoa, potato starch, raspberries, pectin, natural flavor, emulsion, artificial color (FD&C yellow #5, red #3, blue #1), salt.

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Click HERE for more of my Shabtai reviews!

Wanna cookie? Click HERE for my other gluten free cookie reviews!

Nature Isle sent me an assortment of unique gluten free sauces and condiments to try out, and this gluten free salad dressing was the first product I tested. I love ranch dressing and was anxious to see what a tropical twist on my all time favorite would be like.

Nature Isle’s Caribbean Ranch Dressing is just right when it comes to consistency- not too thick not too thin- it was just right for pouring on my fresh green salad.

This gluten free ranch salad dressing is definitely different. It is slightly sweet and tangy with a strong banana flavor and a hint of garlic and onion. The ingredients seem to be high quality with no processed flavor or strange aftertaste. It tasted “tropical” but it did not pair well with my green salad of lettuce, carrots, tomato and mushroom. Yuck.  I think this dressing would pair better with a fruity salad- one with strawberries, orange, or even walnuts thrown in. Now that would be tasty!

Overall, I feel this is a good quality product. However, the unique flavor may turn off some tasters, especially if paired with “regular” salad.

Pros: pleasant consistency, quality ingredients

Cons: Unique flavor may be strange at first for some

Rating: 4 stars

To try this dressing for yourself, please visit the Nature Isle website for ordering information

Ingredients: Water, canola oil, bananas, vinegar, garlic (dry), sea salt, onion (dry), spices and spice extract, xanthan gum

Did you used to love Little Debbie Swiss Cake Rolls, or Ho Ho’s? Are you annoyed that you can’t have them anymore now that you are gluten free? Well, if that is the case, this is what you have been waiting for! If you are a “foodie,” you might not be that impressed, though. This is definitely a junk food indulgence.

Shabtai Gourmet, a NY based gluten free bakery, sent me a large box of samples to try, and this hefty seven layer gluten free chocolate cake was the first product I tested. I was surprised to see that this one pound gluten free cake is also dairy free, casein free, and soy free.

This gluten free product arrived semi-frozen, wrapped in plastic, and protected in a clear plastic box like you would find most baked goods at any local grocery store bakery. I stored the gluten free cake in the freezer to keep it fresh. This cake is amazingly easy to slice when frozen, or at least semi-frozen. However, if you wait until it is at room temperature, slicing the cake tends to flatten the layers together.

The cake itself has seven thin layers of chocolate cake sandwiched between layers of creamy vanilla filling. The cake is actually slightly dry, but the layers of filling help balance any dryness that is there.  The entire cake is enrobed in a thick dairy free chocolate coating. The combination of the layers, vanilla cream filling, and chocolaty coating seemed almost exactly like a Swiss Cake Roll from Little Debbie. No kidding.  My kids loved this and had no clue it was dairy free or gluten free.

The chocolate flavor is sweet and compliments the filling nicely. I did not notice any issues with texture or flavor. It is a tasty product that one could compare the quality with any other grocery store bakery product.

Pros: yummy flavor, nice texture, freezes well

Cons: a tiny bit dry

Rating: 4 stars

Want to try this for yourself? You may order through the Shabtai Gourmet website.

Right now they are also offering a special “free shipping” promo on all orders!

Ingredients: whole eggs, sugar, potato starch, partially hydrogenated palm oil, cocoa, cottonseed oil, tapioca starch, natural flavor, vanillin salt.

Who doesn’t like a fresh, hot bagel?

Joan’s Great Bakes sent me their plain and sesame bagels to try. Each package contains five bagel shaped dough circles ready for you to bake in your own oven.  Joan’s offers the following flavors: plain, everything, poppy, sesame, egg/onion/poppy. A dairy free option is also available or all flavors.

Honestly, it took me a while to figure out how to bake these bagels- I kept getting burnt exteriors and marginally baked interiors. Not good! However, after some experimentation with high altitude baking, I think I found success. ( decrease baking temp by 15 degrees and cover with foil the last 5-8 minutes to prevent burning.) These gluten free bagels taste best lightly toasted after baking.

Here is what I noticed with the plain and sesame flavors:

Plain: These bagels reminded me of the frozen Lenders bagels I used to make in college due to the size, the flavor, and the texture. The exterior is crisp and chewy, and the inside is soft, smooth, and bread-like with a few nooks and crannies. These are close to the “real deal” with only a hint of gluten free rice flavor.

Sesame: This gluten free bagel flavor is similar to the plain variety in regard to texture and flavor. The sesame seeds on the exterior tend to be a bit messy as they easily fall off. However, enough of the seeds remain on the bagel to provide a toasted sesame seed flavor.

Overall, these are yummy gluten free bagels that will satisfy a fresh baked craving.

Pros: chewy and soft, smooth texture, subtle flavor, fresh baked at home, dairy free option

Cons: still tastes a bit gluten free (yes, I am picky!)

Rating: 4 stars

To purchase Joan’s GF Great Bakes bagels, please visit their website

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Please check out my other bagel and muffin reviews, and Joan’s GF Great Bakes product reviews.

Whether you are a kid or a kid at heart, you will absolutely love these gluten free ice cream cones by Goldbaum’s! These ice cream cones are packaged in two packs for freshness, and contains 12 cones per  1.76 ounce box and costs $3.93.

These ice cream cones taste exactly like the traditional wheat version I grew up on as a kid, and the kind I used to enjoy with my children. Now I don’t have to miss out anymore when our family splurges on a fun dessert.

These cones are light, crispy and have a subtle slightly scent although they do not really taste sweet. These gluten free ice cream cones also do not get soggy or fall apart when you bite into them and hold a healthy mount of ice cream. My children and I loved them and they asked if we could get the “ice cream cones mommy can eat” every time.

What really got me excited is the thought that children with celiac disease or with wheat/ gluten intolerance or allergies can join in with other kids and not feel left out, or that they have to make due with “special” gluten free products. That really makes me happy.

Thank you Goldbaum’s- This is an excellent product that I can’t recommend highly enough.

PROS:taste and texture and exactly like traditional ice cream cones, great price,  14 calories per cone, 0g. fat!

Cons: None that I can find!

Rating: 5 stars

Where can I purchase these gluten free ice cream cones?

Goldbaum’s Natural Foods Gluten-Free Ice Cream Cones from GlutenFreeMall.com

Ingredients: potato starch, cornstarch, demerara sugar, water, expeller pressed pal oil, salt, cocoa powder, xanthan gum, baking soda

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Please check out my other Goldbaum’s product reviews and my gluten free kid friendly product reviews!

Lately I feel like I have been on a roll- I have tried so many good products lately that I like! What a nice change from the gluten free products I have wasted my time and money on in the past.

Here we have another winning gluten free flour blend from Gluten Free Mama! The Gluten Free Mama herself sent me this 2 pound bag of this coconut flour blend to try in some of her recipes in her cookbook ( review coming soon!) Notice the bag of flour is almost gone . . . and for good reason . . . I really like it!

I used this gluten free flour blend to make cookies, treats and quick breads (chocolate chip cookies, brownies, coconut banana bread, and pumpkin bread.) I even dusted some tilapia with it for a quick pan seared meal! In all trials, this coconut flour blend worked beautifully. The coconut gave my gluten free baked products a slightly sweet and moist crumb with no coarseness. In my quick bread trials, my breads did not taste gluten free. At all. Even my super picky kids inhaled my baked goods made with this flour- and that speaks volumes since they shy away from most products that they know is gluten free.

Overall, this gluten free flour blends seems well balanced between the coconut flour and the rice flour and would be ideal for most dessert recipes.

Pros: produces smooth, light baked goods that do not taste gluten free

Cons: slightly sweet flavor in recipes that may not mesh with some recipes

Rating: 4 1/2 stars

Ingredients: white rice flour, tapioca flour, potato starch, organic coconut flour, sweet rice flour

For purchasing information, please visit Gluten Free Mama’s website.

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if you are interested in reading my other Gluten Free Mama product reviews, click here.

I simply cannot believe it- a seasoning blend that makes everything taste like bacon? Are you serious?

Apparently, JD’s is very serious about it’s natural Bacon Salt seasoning blend that is gluten free, vegetarian and kosher. I tested the gluten free “natural” flavor in my gluten free kitchen to see if it really made my food taste like bacon.

I tried this seasoning blend on hamburgers, pork chops, baked potatoes, steamed vegetables, and eggs. Of the foods I experimented with, I liked this seasoning paired with grilled meats and potatoes the best.

Honestly, it was good on everything. This hearty seasoning can replace your standard seasoned salt with it’s savory, smokey and flavorful spices. The Bacon Salt mimics the flavors you would enjoy from real bacon, but without the extra fat and salt. Another bonus: it has zero calories. Even better.

Did I think this gluten free seasoning blend tastes exactly like a piece of bacon? No, not really, but don’t let that stop you from trying it yourself. This all natural seasoning blend is really tasty, and I don’t think I will ever buy regular seasoned salt again! If you like bacon- and I really do- it is a tasty, healthier, gluten free alternative to the real deal.

Pros: flavorful, bold, smokey, savory flavor with no fat and low sodium, all natural flavors, zero calories!

Cons: doesn’t exactly taste like a piece of bacon ( but it still good!)

Rating: 4 1/2 stars

Ingredients: salt, garlic, paprika, onion, spices, natural flavors, cellulose gel, yeast extract

Please check out JD’s website for locations near you where you can find Bacon Salt!

For some entertaining reading, check out the Official Bacon Salt blog

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For more of my gluten free condiment and seasoning reviews, click HERE

What a great idea! Luvli Foods sent me 3.2 ounce samples of organic applesauce to try out, and we couldn’t be more pleased!

First, the packaging:

My children loved the concept of this pouch styled packaging, since it kept her school lunch mess free. The top of the pouch twists off for you to squeeze or “drink” the applesauce. No spoon required! The cap does take a bit of muscle to twist, but once you get the hang of it, it isn’t a big deal. The cap is also resealable, which is HUGE for me because it keeps things nice and neat. This is a great way to have a serving of fruit on the go or in a bag lunch. The cute, smiling apple on the front is also kid friendly and makes the applesauce seem more fun. (Be careful with smaller children though, since the cap is a choking hazard)

The taste:

This gluten free applesauce is a true puree- it is absolutely smooth and is ideal for children that may balk at chunky textured food. This product is made from organic apples and does not have any added sugar, another bonus in my book. The flavor is of fresh apples with a hint of tartness.

I  love the saying on the front of the package- it says “100% fruit. 100% organic. 100% yummy.” I have to agree!

Rating: 5 stars

Interested in trying this portable and fun applesauce for your family? The Smashies website has a promo going where you can buy a case of ten pouches for $10- no limit!

Ingredients: Organic apple puree, natural flavor, ascorbic acid (vitamin C)

Amy’s sent me this personal sized dairy free, wheat & gluten free pizza to try. This pizza is perfect for a quick lunch or dinner since it is ready to eat in 12 minutes from start to finish and is the perfect size for one person.

Fresh out of the package, I couldn’t hold back a feeling of disappointment at the lack of sauce and cheese on this pizza, It just didn’t look like a good gluten free pizza. However, I gave it a try. I baked the pizza for nine minutes and broiled for 60 seconds. I tried to keep an eye on it, but the edges still burned, Boo!

The pizza:

The crust has a thin, crispy edge and a soft, course textured, and mealy center. The bottom of the crust did not brown or crisp up at all. The flavor was mild and paired well with the sauce.

The sauce was sparse, but actually tasted tangy and flavorful and paired well with the crust and cheese. I really liked it! I just wish there was more of it.

The cheese was also sparse- this pizza really needed more. This soy based cheese does not really melt or spread and simply doesn’t look good. However, the taste is actually decent.

Overall, this pizza is “OK” but really needs some extra toppings to give it some “oomph.”

Pros: flavorful sauce, simple prep

Cons: seriously lacking toppings, mealy tasting crust, crust baked unevenly- soft center and too crispy edges

Rating: 2 1/2 stars

To try this pizza for yourself, check the frozen foods section of your local grocery or natural food store

For ingredients information and a picture of the product packaging, click HERE to visit Amy’s website

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Please check out my other pizza reviews and Amy’s reviews!