More often than not, I continually find myself having to source G/F and D/F products for my recipes. Some of these I use only every now and then, whereas others have become a staple of my refrigerator or pantry!
And once I have found something that I really like, I often look for or create recipes that I can use this product in more.
However, the problem with a lot of products is that they are often either G/F or D/F, but not always both! So finding the raw ingredients to create my own version of a product often ends up being easier. However, there is also a lot of experimenting, through trial and error, until I get to the stage where I’m happy with the end result. Also, once you get the hang of it, it often ends up being cheaper to make it yourself than buy a product off the shelf.
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Products
In terms of ‘brands’ that I use, I have come to find the following as both trusted and of good quality when formulating recipes. They are my personal preferences (until I find anything else that is better!), but I know that not all of them are available everywhere. However, I hope it gives you an idea of the sorts of products that I use in my recipes.
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Product Replacements
As I said before, sometimes you just can’t get the product you need or get one that meets with all of your dietary requirements. This is where I have found it is easier to just make it. So after constant searching around the net and tweaking my own ‘formulas’, I have come up with some of the following methods for product replacement for my recipes. Where these have come from helpful contacts, blogs or other resources online, I have provided you with a link to the original recipe.
Coming Soon
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Staple Ingredients
With all of my recipe ideas and creations, there are staple ingredients that I just cannot do without. These are the one’s that are always in my refrigerator or pantry and I regularly use and replace.
Agar Agar – un-flavoured and un-coloured, which you can readily find in Asian Grocery Stores
Apple Cider Vinegar – I use the Lotus Organic Foods or Naturals by Melrose brands
Cacao Nibs – I use the Power Super Foods brand
Cacao Powder – I use the Power Super Foods brand
Coconut Palm Sugar – I use the Power Super Foods brand
Coconut Syrup – I use the Niulife brand
Dark Muscovado Sugar – Billingtons is the one I prefer to use
Desiccated Coconut – I use the Eco brand
Extra Virgin Coconut Oil – I use either the Eco Organics or Banaban brands
Extra Virgin Light Olive Oil – available in any supermarket
Gelatine – available in any supermarket
Guar Gum – I use the Lotus Organic Foods brand
Light Muscovado Sugar – Billingtons is the one I prefer to use
Macadamia Oil – I use Pressed Purity brand
Natural Honey – available in any supermarket
Nutritional Yeast Flakes – I use the Bragg brand
Pure Maple Syrup – Canadian Organic is always the best, available in any supermarket
Pure Vanilla Extract – I use the Premium Gourmet Food brand
Rapadura Sugar – I use the Eco Organics brand
Raw Organic Sugar – available in any supermarket
Sea Salt Flakes – I use Maldon Sea Salt Flakes
Shredded Coconut – I use the Eco Organics brand
Vanilla Sugar – I make my own by storing spent vanilla bead pods in a jar full of caster sugar
Xanthum Gum – I use the Nu-Vit brand
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Flours
With so many foods having flour in them, one of the main issues with any G/F recipe is finding which one’s you are going to use as a replacement. Some of these are available ‘off the shelf’, but these don’t always do the job. Often they end up making your creations too heavy, too light, too dry, too crumbly…..you know the story!! So I found myself spending quite a bit of time in the early days trialing different home blends of different flours, until I got the right mix for what I happened to be making. Of course, a lot of the time, some of this comes down to personal preference and taste.
The main flours that I use in my recipes and creations are:
Amaranth Flour – I use the The Gluten Free Company brand
Arrowroot Starch – I use The Gluten Free Company brand
Brown Rice Flour – I use either the Coles or The Gluten Free Company brand
Buckwheat Flour – I use Chef’s Choice, The Gluten Free Company or Coles brand
Chick Pea Flour – also known as Besan Flour, I use the Lotus Organic Foods brand
Coconut Flour – I use the Eco Organics brand
Corn Flour – also known as Corn Starch in Australia, I use The Gluten Free Company brand
Millet Flour – I use the Chef’s Choice or The Gluten Free Company brand
Potato Starch – not to be confused with Potato Flour, I use The Gluten Free Company brand
Quinoa Flour – I use the Lotus Organic Foods or The Gluten Free Company brand
Sorgham Flour – I use the Bob’s Red Mill brand
Sweet Rice Flour – also known as Glutenous Rice Flour, which you can readily find in Asian Grocery Stores
Tapioca Starch – I use the The Gluten Free Company brand
Teff Flour – I use the Bob’s Red Mill brand
White Rice Flour – available in any supermarket
But at the end of the day, most people just want to create something that is as close to the gluten filled version of what they are making. Be it a bread, a cake, a pie or a pastry, there is nothing quite as satisfying as creating something which those who can tolerate gluten not only eat, but enjoy without knowing it is G/F. And every now and then, they actually prefer the G/F alternative!!!
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Packaged Foods
Although I’m never a big advocate for packaged foods, sometimes even I don’t feel like baking or cooking! So I try to have something in the freezer that I can just pull out and re-heat whenever I need it. Again, these are just some of the products and brands that I have found to be great, when either you don’t have the time or the inclination to get your inner domestic goddess working!!
Silly Yaks – make a great range of G/F foods, with many of them also being dairy, egg, nut and/or yeast free
Gluten Free Bakery – make a large range of sweet and savoury gluten free products
Zehnder – make a really good range of bread
Bodhi’s Bakehouse – our local G/F bakers, who make a wonderful range of breads
Schar – an International Brand, which is sold just about everywhere these days
Country Life or Burgen – are the sliced breads we tend to use the most
Again, these are just some of the brands which we use. So check out your local supermarket or specialist store to find out what’s in your area.
just curious…bob’s red mill told me that their buckwheat flour is *not* gluten free certified and as such, it isn’t processed on their certified gluten free grain mills either.
are your bags of the bob’s buckwheat different than the bags we have here in the u.s.a.?
does your buckwheat flour have the bob’s “gluten free” symbol on it?
also , do you ever create egg free treats? Your cupcakes sound awesome but I’m allergic to eggs.
Thanks!! al
Hi Al
Thank you for bringing this error to my attention, I really do apologise. I have now made the correction. I have also updated the list with a couple of other flours, starches and other products. I’ve also replaced the links which were no longer working.
I live in Australia, I either use the Coles, Chef’s Choice or the Gluten Free Company brands for my buckwheat flour and these brands are gluten free.
Most of my recipes do contain eggs. I am not experienced in egg free baking, you could try an egg replacer in the cupcake recipe. I have a couple of recipes which are egg free, Soft Jaffa Cookies and Kingston Biscuits.
There is a website called Fork and Beans http://www.forkandbeans.com/ Cara creates amazing recipes which are gluten, dairy and egg free.
Just a suggestion that Kialla organic (Qld.) sell a sorghum flour. Not sure it is grown here though. With so many Sudanese migrants living here, that is their most used flour product.
Hi Frances 🙂
I been using the Kialla brand of millet flour for quite awhile, but I haven’t seen their sorghum flour in the health food shop here in Perth. I’ll ask them about it next time I shop there