Gluten Free Food Reviews

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.

This review will kick off a series of reviews for Bread of Life fresh baked goods. Since many of their products are packaged individually and have a shelf life of 7 to 10 days or so, I thought they would be a great option for gluten free traveling. They may be purchased online for $2.79, or in select natural foods stores in the southwest.

Bread for Life Gluten Free Bakery was started by two homeschooling families in 2002 and is based out of Missouri. Their products do not contain any rice flour ( gasp! is that possible in a gluten free product?!?) and feature wholesome, rich, high quality ingredients. (Click HERE to read their amazing story of how the Bread of Life bakery came to be). Their dedicated bakery is free of wheat, gluten, rice , oats, rye, peanuts and tree nuts.

First of all, these hefty and filling gluten free chocolate chips muffins are incredibly soft and scrumptious. As I gingerly sliced the muffin in half, I expected it to crumble since it was so soft and moist. Nope, not the case- hardly a crumb! These muffins have a smooth texture and mild pleasant flavor that screams ” I’m homemade!” The body of the muffins are not grainy or gritty like some gluten free baked products, and do not taste gluten free at all. Seriously. They are that good.

It is obvious high quality ingredients are used. The fact that free range eggs and sorghum flour also make this gluten free product appealing. The muffin was mildly sweet, flavorful and was perfect paired with a big glass of ice cold milk. The best way I can describe the flavor of this gluten free chocolate chip muffin is simply delightful, sinfully rich and lip-smacking good.

Although the body of the muffin is soft, smooth and moist, the topping threw me for a loop. A thick, sweet coating on top helped me crunch my way through the muffin. I do like a bit of sweetness with my muffins, but I found the sugary topping to be overwhelming at times. So, I simply brushed off the excess and was satisfied with the result.

The chocolate chips in my muffin also seemed a bit sparse- but the chocolate that I did taste was flavorful and seemed balanced with the overall flavor of the muffin.

Thanks to Bread of Life for the muffins. This is a great gluten free product from a great start-up that I am happy to support. Look for more muffin, cookie, and bread reviews this month from Bread of Life. You’ll be in for a treat!

PROS: soft, moist, flavorful, do not taste gluten free! Individually packaged for freshness, high quality ingredients

CONS: crunchy sweet topping may be overwhelming,

Rating: 5 stars

Where Can I Buy Bread of Life Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Muffins?

Click HERE to visit the Bread of Life website for ordering information

(BONUS! If you order $39 or more before May 1st, your shipping is free!)

Ingredients: Sorghum flour, organic evaporated cane juice, potato starch, butter, non-gmo sunflower oil, chocolate chips(cocoa butter, sugar), free range eggs, tapioca flour, baking powder, xanthan gum, baking soda, sea salt

**please note nutirional analysis is not yet available

Ahhh, more bagels, Since I enjoyed the plain Glutino bagels so much, I just had to try their sesame flavor. Now, my sister Kristina swears by the Kinnikinnick bagels ( a review of them will be along soon!) I have found these to be chewy and satisfying. One of my old bagel favorites was the fresh baked sesame flavor from Wegmans. If you have ever tried their fresh artisan breads, bagels and muffins before going gluten free, you know what I mean.

These bagels come five to a package and are double packaged for optimum freshness. I purchased m ine for $5.89 at my local grocery store. These bagels are quite large and filling!

The overall texture and density were comparable to the plain flavor ( click HERE to read the review for more details). The only difference was the generous coating of sesame seeds on the exterior of the bagel. No kidding, I would cut, bite or slice the bagel and the sesame seeds would be EVERYWHERE. For maximum flavor and texture, this bagel should be toasted. The toasted sesame seeds add a nice flavor, and I would definately buy these Glutino sesame bagels again.Â

PROS: nice chewy texture, yummy sesame flavor

CONS: sesame seeds fall off everywhere, needs to be toasted for best results

Rating: 4 1/2 stars

Where can I buy these yummy bagels?

Glutino - Premium Sesame Bagels
From: glutenfree.com

Ingredients: Corn mix (corn starch, skim milk powder, evaporated cane juice, salt, glucono-delta-lactone, pectin, sodium bicarbonate, sodium alginate, modified vegetable cellulose), water, tapioca starch, sesame seeds, margarine (palm and palm kernel oils, soy lecithin), skim milk powder, evaporated cane juice, liquid edd whites, safflower oil, liquid yolks, guar gum, yeast, salt, thiamin, niacin, vitamin B6, riboflavin, iron, calcium.

Before going gluten free 18 months ago, I lived on bagels. Loved them. Especially with cream cheese and sliced strawberries, peanut butter, or strawberry jam . . . yummm. And before last week, I hadn’t tried a gluten free bagel because I convinced myself a decent tasting replacement just wasn’t possible. I am not sure why I picked up this package of Glutino Sans Gluten Free Premium Plain Bagels and plopped it in my basket, but I did. And boy am I glad!

These bagels are sold in packages of five for $5.79 in the frozen foods section of my local grocery store, and are double packaged for ultimate freshness.

I first thawed my bagel in the microwave for 40 seconds before slicing it and placing it in my preheated oven on a piece of tin foil ( I don’t have a dedicated gluten free toaster in my home- yet.). I baked it until it was golden brown on the top. I removed it and immediately smothered it with cream cheese, as I used to do before my celiac diagnosis.

Yum.

I found the bagel to have the perfect thickenss and size for a satisfying breakfast or snack. The exterior was crisp and crunchy, the interior soft and chewy, but a bit of a springy texture. However, this did not take away from the product. I found the flavor to be gentle and perfect for spreads and toppings. I did not detect any dryness or graininess.

I don’t miss my “old” bagels anymore. The only thing I like better is the sesame flavor! (Look for the review tomorrow!)

However, on the down side, this bagel must be toasted for maximum flavor and texture. If thawed and sliced, it crumbles more and resembles a typical piece of rice bread- slightly dry and grainy. Therefore, if you wish to make a bagel sandwich, please toast the entire bagel. You’ll be glad you did. This gluten free product is also high in fat- 16 grams of fat per bagel. Note the nutritional information of the package is for 1/2 a bagel, but I don’t know anyone that just eats a half, after thawing and toasting . . .

PROS: Crunchy and chewy when toasted, pleasant but mild flavor, closely resembles a “regular” bagel

CONS: untoasted eating is not recommended, high in fat

Rating: 4 1/2 stars

Where Can I Buy Glutino San Gluten Free Premium Plain Bagels?

Glutino - Premium Plain Bagels
From: glutenfree.comIngredients: Corn mix (corn starch, skim milk powder, evaporated cane juice, salt, glucono-delta-lactone, pectin, sodium bicarbonate, sodium alginate, modified vegetable cellulose), water, tapioca starch, margarine (palm and palm kernel oils, soy lecithin), skim milk powder, evaporated cane juice, liquid egg whites, safflower oil, liquid yolks, guar gum, yeast, salt, thiamine, niacin, vitamin B6, riboflavin, iron, calcium Read what Gluten Free For Me  , Going Gluten Free, or Ellen from I am Gluten Free  say about these bagels!

This mix was graciously sent to me from Gluten-Free Essentials to review. I haven’t had any form of lemon poppyseed anything for ages, so I looked forward to trying this mix. Initially I thought this was a muffin mix, but the final product ended up as a lemon poppyseed tea cake. So, viola! The next installment for gluten free cake month!

Preparing the batter for this mix turned out to be quite interesting, thanks to the poor packaging and mix directions. First, the front of the package inidicates that this is a bread and muffin mix. However, when you look on the back for prep directions, it lists the ingredients for “Lemon Poppyseed Tea Bread.” Huh? Where did the “tea bread” description come from? A little confusing.

Second, it specifically says you will need to add butter, applesauce and eggs. Yet, as you read thr0ugh the directions, it also requires club soda, water or milk. Why isn’t this listed in the “You will need” portion of the directions? Because I didn’t have milk or club soda on hand, I used water, although it would have been fun to experiment with the club soda. Third, there are baking directions for two loaf pans or a 9×13 cake pan- NO MUFFIN BAKING DIRECTIONS, even though it claims it is a muffin mix on the packaging. There is also a recipe for a lemon glaze under the directions that I used for my 9×13 pan of tea bread, although to me it seemed more like a cake.

Anyway, I easily prepared this mix by hand and the batter had the consistency of cool whip when it was ready for the pan- very light and fluffy. Fresh from the oven after 33 minutes and topped with the very tangy and sweet lemon glaze, this product looked amazing- the light lemon cake was speckled evenly with poppyseeds. The cake itself is not very sweet and boasted a mild lemon flavor. Immediately upon testing, this cake seemed to be very spongey and squishy- way too moist for my preferences. I think a longer baking time would suit this product better- closer to 37 minutes would be idea, depending on your oven. It had a medium density that gave it substance without feeling too heavy. I also noticed that after cooling for a few hours, the texture seemed to improve and wasn’t as spongy, and tasted even better the next day. My gluten eating husband and family especially liked this mix, so much so that there were no leftovers to be found 24 hours later.

This mix would make a great loaf pan of lemon poppyseed bread, and could be successful as a muffin ( no glaze) or cupcake ( with glaze), just be careful to watch it since there isn’t a muffin baking time listed on the mix.

PROS: subtle lemon flavor, not too sweet, easy to mix by hand, low sugar.

CONS: Prep directions are confusing, be careful not to underbake

Rating: 4 stars

You Can Buy This Mix at:

Gluten-Free Essentials.com

Ingredients: rice flour, sorghum flour, sugar, cornstarch, GF baking powder, guar gum, baking soda, poppy seeds, lmeon juice powder, maltodextrin ( from corn), salt.

Gluten Free Essentials- THANK YOU for sending this vanilla cake mix my way to review- I just adore it! This mix is specially marketed to children-smaller portions and simple prep makes for a fun and kid friendly product. Go Go Gluten Free!

This mini mix makes one 8×8 cake or six cupcakes- just add applesauce, butter and an egg and you are ready to go. The package even has instructions for a toy oven! Any Easy Bake ovens out there? I opted to make the cupcakes version and used White House natural applesauce in this recipe with fantastic results. The batter was easy to mix and prepare and was an average consistency. I had no problem scooping spoonfuls into the cupcake liners. After baking 30 minutes, the tops of the cupcakes seemed “firm to the touch” so I took then out and let them cool, as instructed on the package.

When cool, these cupcakes were super moist- almost too moist, in fact. I don’t think they would t0lerate any type of frosting without crumbling and rippling the smooth cupcake tops. As I took a bite, the cupcake couldn’t hold it’s shape and somewhat collapsed in the cupcake liner; that is how moist it was. I think baking for 2 or 3 minutes longer would help reduce this problem and produce a firmer product.

The texture was identical to a “regular” gluten cake; it was very light, smooth and flavorful. The applesauce added a mild pleasant sweetness, and masks any vanilla flavor that might be in the cake. Now, the cake doesn’t taste like applesauce, but it is not a true vanilla flavor, either.

This mix is so good, I enjoyed it without any type of frosting or topping; it is perfect as-is. These are great as a dessert, snack, or even breakfast item, and could pass as both a “cake” mix or a “muffin” mix. I will definately buy this mix again.

PROS: excellent flavor and texture, not too sweet, kid friendly in every way

CONS: not a true vanilla flavor, too moist- add a few minutes to the bake time for best results

Rating: 4 1/2 stars

Where Can I Buy This Mix?

Gluten-Free Essentials.com

Ingredients: sorghum flour, rice flour, sugar, (GF) baking powder, guar gum, baking soda, cornstrach and salt

Read what Jay at the Gluten Free Post.com has to say about this product line!

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

 

I purchased these muffins in the frozen foods section of a natural foods store for $5.29 for a package of four muffins. These aren’t your average sized muffins though- they are HUGE! Very thick, very tall. You could easily split them in half and save one half for later. Each muffin is 170 calories

The package suggests microwaving or toasting for best flavor.  The first time I zapped the frozen muffin in the microwave for 40 seconds. It was perfectly thawed and warmed. So much so that the “browned” top and bottom of the muffin started to flake off, leaving a holey interior exposed. These muffins are soft with your “typical” rice bread flavor and texture- mild, dense, almost sponge-like. I tried to flatten the bread but it would bounce right back( for the most part!). It tasted good with butter and GF jam. Good, but not good enough to write home about. As I ate the muffin, it retained it’s shape and did not break off into pieces or crumble in my hands, as some rice flour products have done.

Overall, it was a decent gluten-free enlgish muffin. I would suggest toasting it for best results.

Pros: nice flavor, large size

Cons: dense and heavy, high price

Rating: 3 1/2 stars

Ingredients and vendors coming soon!