Gluten Free Food Reviews

Yes, my blog has a different look- again! I am hoping this will be my temporary look until I can get a designer to help me tweak it just the way I want. I know it is a little, well, boring, but at least I can post reviews again.

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Amy’s gluten free pizza is found in the frozen foods section, and I wanted to compare it to Glutino’s spinach and feta pizza that I just LOVE ( as soon as I can find it locally, a review will definitely be posted!). This medium sized pizza could feed about two hungry people and cost $6.19. Kind of pricey, but I hoped it was worth it.

Well, right away I was disappointed. the actual pizza fresh from the box seemed to lack cheese in a huge way- much less coverage than I expected. But really, I guess I shouldn’t bee too surprised, since most packaging tried to make the product look good enough to buy it. I guess I was a sucker it his regard.

After i baked the pizza for 13 minutes, I noticed a strong garlic scent. Hmm, maybe this wouldn’t be so bad after all . . .

. . .or, maybe it was.

The crust on this Amy’s gluten free pizza tasted mealy and coarse, although it baked very soft, comparable to a warm slice of rice bread with a touch of crispness on the outer edges thanks to a touch of olive oil.

The toppings boasted an overpowering fresh spinach flavor with tangy tomato sauce. So-so- flavor -not super yummy, but definitely edible. The soy based mozzarella and ricotta cheeses were just “OK” as well, si nce i am used to the flavor of dairy based cheeses. The pizza could definitely use more cheese since it seemed more like a garnish than an actual topping. The cheese also requires broiling for it to really melt and cook. The funny thing is, I thought this pizza tasted better cold than fresh from the oven.

Overall, this pizza was average for a gluten free pizza. I would eat it if I were really hungry, but I wouldn’t consider it a staple in my freezer for a quick meal option. I guess I am just really picky.

PROS: fresh topping flavors, 8 grams of protein per serving, 4 grams of fiber

CONS: crust is too soft and coarse, high in fat- 20 grams per serving

Rating: 3 stars

Since the ingredient list so sooo long, click HERE to view it and see the packaging as well!

To purchase this pizza, your best bet is to check your local grocery store’s natural foods section or a local natural foods store.
Read what PaperGirl, Lisa B. from Vegsource.com, Ken from Vgean Lunchcast, Roseann from Supervegan, Jenny from LivingVegan, and Jim from EZ GFCF have to say about this gluten free pizza product!

Also, feel free to check out my review on Amy’s Rice Crust Cheese pizza!

While visiting the Twin Cities area in my home state of Minnesota, I loaded up on goodies from a local shop called the Bittersweet Gluten Free Bakery. I was eager to try their Bittersweet Pancake/ Waffle mix, since I am a huge fan of pancakes, but have yet to find a gluten free pancake that I truly adore. My attempts at homemade gluten free pancakes were just awful thus far, so I don’t even bother trying anymore. I got sick of the mushy rice taste and texture.

This mix arrived in a simplistic white glossy bag with marigold letters and is priced at $5.75. The mix makes about dozen smallish/ medium pancakes. And I’ll be honest, I was not impressed at first. To prepare the mix, add eggs, oil, water, brown sugar, and vanilla. I made the pancake mix exactly as stated on the package and the mixture was so thick and hard to work with- it was driving me crazy! Even after adding a few spoonfuls of water, I had to spread the mixture in the pan with the back of a spoon. I cooked the pancakes in a bit of butter on medium heat to crisp the edges.

The pancakes cooked unevenly and appeared bumpy with mounds of pancake rising into little peaks and valleys. Surprisingly, the pancakes had a pleasant and unique texture; they were dense, but not pasty or grainy like other gluten free mixes. In fact, I would say this mix is the closest thing to a “regular” pancake texture that I have found thus far. The flavor is surprisingly sweet and pairs really well with fresh fruit and whipped cream. I imagine if the mix was thinned out enough, it would make some pretty tasty crepes. I will be in Minnesota again for my sisters wedding in December and plan to try it out!

PROS:excellent flavor and texture- yummy!

CONS: difficult to spread in the pan- verrryyy thick! Appearance isn’t so great, you have to add quite a few ingredients yourself.

Rating: 4 stars

This mix may be purchased at various locations around the Twin Cities; however, you’ll get the best prices at their main location on Cliff Road in Eagan. Please check their website for more information.

 They do not ship at this time, but maybe, just maybe, if you call them and beg they may make an exception.

Ingredients: white rice flour, potato starch flour, tapioca flour, baking powder, sea salt, psyllium powder, xanthan gum

I really like lemon, almost as much as pumpkin, and since I still haven’t found a really great lemon bar recipe or mix, I thought I’d give this lemon bar a try from the Bittersweet Bakery in Eagan, Minnesota. It is conveniently located by my parents’ home off of Cliff Road, and the half empty pan in their display case convinced me that they must be pretty good, if so many were gone by 11 a.m. So I splurged, purchased a generously sized bar for $2.25 and went on my merry way.

The bottom layer is a vanilla-tasting yellow cake. My piece was quite dry and crumbled profusely. The top layer of icing is a sour lemon flavor that is brittle and cracks when cut with a knife or fork. It tasted a bit old and stale. As an afterthought, I realized warming this cake in the microwave could have helped. Because I like this bakery so much, I think this product deserves another chance. However, overall I was really disappointed with this product experience.

PROS: Umm, it’s gluten free

CONS: dry cake, sour icing, the combination of the two tasted strange

Rating: 2 stars

For more information on Bittersweet Bakery’s products, click HERE.

To read the review for their yummy pumpkin bar cake, click HERE

This amazing pumpkin cake/bar is brought to you by a local gluten-free bakery in my hometown of Eagan, Minnesota. The Bittersweet Bakery is located at 2105 Cliff Road. My family told me about this small bakery when I was visiting in June. I just had to stop in and explore, since I have never been in GF bakery before, and I was excited to see what they offered. It was wonderful to walk in the door with greetings of breads, rolls, hamburger buns, cakes, cookies, and sweet rolls. They even have pancake and cornbread mixes! It was a pleasure to buy just one hamburger bun for my family’s cookout that evening. No bun o’ lettuce for me that night! Along with my bun, I just had to get the pumpkin bar to try. I love most anything pumpkin when it comes to baking, so this was an easy one to say “yes” to.

The pumpkin bar is generously proportioned ( pictures above is only half!), and at $2.25 a bar, you get your money’s worth. The pumpkin cake is super moist and doesn’t taste anything like a gluten free product. The cake is also soft and full of flavor without too much sweetness or crumbling. The frosting on top was a thick cream cheese/vanilla concoction that was really sweet. So sweet, that I scraped a portion of it off my pumpkin bar. Just a little was perfect for me.

Unfortunately, they do not ship at this time ( plans for nationwide shipping are in progress for this fall, according to store employees), but I hope anyone passing through or local will stop in and give their products a try. There is nothing I like better than to support a local business that has quality products. In the upcoming weeks I will have reviews for their other products as well.

Becky, I know you are in Minnesota, you’ll have to let us know if you have been here, and what you thought of their products.

PROS: moist and delicious, does not taste gluten free, great value

CONS: frosting is too too sweet

Rating: 4 stars

Visit Bittersweet Gluten Free Bakery’s website for more information!