Tastes Like Dirt

[Real1]

Hello

New to the Gluten Free world. I've been taste testing a lot of Gluten Free bakery items and other stuff and feel like I a wasting a lot of money. So much of the stuff really tastes like dirt...too earthy! My husband tried to be nice and bought me some Gluten Fee chocolate cookies from Harris Teater. They were as hard as a rock and taste really bad. I tried a few other cookies ...also bad. Then I tried baking some Toll House chocolate chip cookies added some cashews and dried cranberry..really tasted good! I thought great. But then they just crumbled. Also made some gluten free muffins and they did not turn out well either. The texture is all wrong! Does anyone have a suggestion for some good tasting cookies, breads, muffins or anything!

[CeliacMom2008]

Don't fret, there are PLENTY of absolutely delicious gluten-free options out there!

Kinnikinnick, Pamela's, Betty Crocker all make good mixes for cakes and brownies.

This bread is fantastic: Open Original Shared Link

PB Cookies:

1 C. peanut butter

1 C. sugar

1 egg

1 tsp. vanilla

Stir up in a bowl, roll into 1 inch balls. Place cookie balls on an ungreased cookie sheet and smash like a # sign with a fork. Cook in 350 degree oven until lightly golden about 8 to 10 minutes. Cool and enjoy! You can cook these until just done for softer cookies-or longer for crunchy ones. You can double or triple amounts to make more cookies-there

[Jestgar]

You might want to consider not eating the substitutes for a few months to let your taste buds be ready to appreciate the new taste, as opposed to comparing it to the old taste.

[rosetapper23]

I agree--American gluten-free cookies taste really bad. When I visited my daughter in Australia, I discovered that their gluten-free cookies actually taste like REAL cookies. Now she sends them to me every few months.

As for your Nestle's chocolate chip cookies, I make those all the time, and all you have to do is use Bob's Red Mill Gluten-Free All-Purpose Baking Flour and add 3-4 teaspoons of xanthan gum to the batter...and they come out great! The difference is that you must wait about 90 seconds before removing the cookies from the cookie sheet--if you do it before then, they fall apart, and if you wait longer, they tend to stick to the pan. I've had many a person ask me for my "special chocolate chip cookie recipe" at numerous potlucks, but they get dissuaded when I describe the cost of gluten-free flour and xanthan gum. The key is to use a good gluten-free flour and always add xanthan gum.

With regard to the above Australian-made cookies, I just finished the last package of shortbread cookies my daughter had brought me for Xmas....and I actually cried and licked the plastic packaging they came from in order to savor the last of the crumbs. It was only then that I thought, "You big baby! Get in that kitchen and make your own darned shortbread cookies!" I just finished my first batch, and while there's room for improvement, I'm satisfied that I won't be crying over shortbread crumbs from Australia anymore.

[aedixon]

Hey there. I'm not yet 4 months into my gluten free life, and I know what you're going through. It didn't take long at all for me to get really frustrated with the money I was wasting on bad food that I really couldn't even choke down. So, I stopped buying random processed gluten free things that looked interesting and just pulled back on eating anything prefab. Rice with veggies, salads, and fruit are what I relied on. Yes, I was starving. And I lost about 10lbs in about a week or so.

When I discovered Udi's I thought it was a godsend. Udi's white bread is the only bread I will eat now. I've also tried all of their muffins and they are SO GOOD! I added those to my depressing diet and it really cheered me up and gave me hope that there could be decent gluten free food.

I've since found Ancient Harvest spaghetti is the only edible gluten free one out there, pre-packaged gluten free cookies and crackers are always pretty terrible, and baking from scratch gluten free seems a bit overwhelming to me, even though I loved to bake before! It will take some research for you to begin to understand what kinds of flours work best in what kinds of baking processes. Fortunately, Betty Crocker has a gluten free line, and the chocolate chip cookies are pretty great. Almost like real cookies! As are Pamela's cookie mix. I took her cookies to a Christmas party where even some little girls fawned over how good they were.

Reading this forum, researching online recipe websites and talking with local gluten free bakers (and eaters) has been key to my finding trust-worthy brands and sources. Start small, and just take in information at first. Once you get comfortable with some staples and aren't starving anymore you'll be able to explore new options. Most things won't ever taste exactly the same to you, but you'll find a comfort zone in what's close enough to make you happy.

Oh, and Rice Chex is gluten free. I also eat a LOT of that cereal for desperate snack times.

[Takala]

With regard to the above Australian-made cookies, I just finished the last package of shortbread cookies my daughter had brought me for Xmas....and I actually cried and licked the plastic packaging they came from in order to savor the last of the crumbs. It was only then that I thought, "You big baby! Get in that kitchen and make your own darned shortbread cookies!" I just finished my first batch, and while there's room for improvement, I'm satisfied that I won't be crying over shortbread crumbs from Australia anymore.

Yes, decent butter will do that to people. The way the weather's going, you're going to be sending cookies back to her in care packages.

Warning for newbies: Bob's Red Mill all purpose contains bean flour which some people do not like the taste of. At all.

[Mizzo]

IMO

Mixes:

Hate Bobs red mill anything. the bean flour flavor really comes out.

Love Pamela's choc. cake and pancakes

Love King Arthur blends, cookies, muffins and used their all purpose gluten-free flour for pb cookies and roll out cookies and pancakes. All good.

Betty crocker is fair in a pinch but definietely crumbly.

Market basket has an ok muffin mix.

Prepared

Udi's is the best in bread and bagels.

Kinnikinnick if you don't cook has good muffins.

we have switched over to Quinoa only or Boinatura pasta now , we can't stand the corn anymore.

Everything I listed as good or better is the most expensive gluten-free brands on the market. Because it tastes the best and is certified gluten-free.

I buy only when on sale and stock up when I can.

It's trial and error based on taste and budget.

[freeatlast]

Hi. Everyone's tastebuds are different. You'll soon learn which gluten free flours you like and go from there. My favorite gluten-free cookies are made by Enjoy Life. They are the best cookies I've ever eaten, period, and you can buy them in America. They are soft and delicious:

Open Original Shared Link

[Mizzo]

Hi. Everyone's tastebuds are different. You'll soon learn which gluten free flours you like and go from there. My favorite gluten-free cookies are made by Enjoy Life. They are the best cookies I've ever eaten, period, and you can buy them in America. They are soft and delicious:

Open Original Shared Link

Ditto, their Snickerdoodle and Brownie bites are the best prepared cookies, for when you really want to treat yourself.

[cassP]

Hello

New to the Gluten Free world. I've been taste testing a lot of Gluten Free bakery items and other stuff and feel like I a wasting a lot of money. So much of the stuff really tastes like dirt...too earthy! My husband tried to be nice and bought me some Gluten Fee chocolate cookies from Harris Teater. They were as hard as a rock and taste really bad. I tried a few other cookies ...also bad. Then I tried baking some Toll House chocolate chip cookies added some cashews and dried cranberry..really tasted good! I thought great. But then they just crumbled. Also made some gluten free muffins and they did not turn out well either. The texture is all wrong! Does anyone have a suggestion for some good tasting cookies, breads, muffins or anything!

try adding a big tbsp of Maple Syrup to your gluten-free version of the Toll House Recipe- it makes everything stick a little better (and i dont know what flour you're using- but i prefer certified gluten-free oat flour and maybe a little soy flour.... i thought Coconut flour would be a good idea- but it was a CRUMBLY messsss

[MelindaLee]

Are you using xantham gum when subbing gluten-free flour? That can make a difference with texture. It will never be the same, but they can be close! Good luck!

[Roda]

Hi. Everyone's tastebuds are different. You'll soon learn which gluten free flours you like and go from there. My favorite gluten-free cookies are made by Enjoy Life. They are the best cookies I've ever eaten, period, and you can buy them in America. They are soft and delicious:

Open Original Shared Link

I tried these just last month along with the chocolate chip (bought the two pack for my son's snack box at school) and we both disliked them. We perfer homade ones.

[Real1]

Are you using xantham gum when subbing gluten-free flour? That can make a difference with texture. It will never be the same, but they can be close! Good luck!

A few people have mentioned "xantham gum" what is it and where do you buy it?

[MelindaLee]

I buy my xanthum gum in the same place I get my Bob's Red Mill products, though I would assume other companys may also sell it. I can't tell you exactly what it is, but I know it is what gives gluten-free bakery a similar "chew" to gluten bakery. It is expensive $10-14 per bag, but you only use a tsp or so depending on what you are making and the amount of flour used. I assume they would sell it on this site as well. Most gluten-free bakery can't measure up without it.

[Sarah B]

IMO

Mixes:

Hate Bobs red mill anything. the bean flour flavor really comes out.

Love Pamela's choc. cake and pancakes

Love King Arthur blends, cookies, muffins and used their all purpose gluten-free flour for pb cookies and roll out cookies and pancakes. All good.

Betty crocker is fair in a pinch but definietely crumbly.

Market basket has an ok muffin mix.

I'm with you on that. I hate with a passion the garbonzo bean taste. YUCK! So I went to a health food store to figure out what I could use instead and do you know what the owner of the store told me? "Well you're just going to have to get used to it." :/ Good thing she was NOT right.

Pamela's has a lot of good mixes. I made some pretty good sugar cookies with their bread mix

Open Original Shared Link

But they also have a lot of other packets that I haven't tried.

I'm still on the search for cake that doesn't remind me of corn bread. But I think I Know its out there somewhere! lol

Where do you get King Aurthor Brand?

[wahmmy]

Recreating recipes to be gluten-free takes a lot of trial and error, usually. Flours that work for one may not work for another recipe, if you under mix or overmix, depending on the ingredients and recipe type, it can be a disater. Thankfully, it gets easier and easier!

A lot of good suggestions on here.

Pamela's chocolate chip cookie mix is the best mix for chocolate chip cookies, in my opinion, if you go that route. Betty Crocker isn't bad, but it's pretty grainy.

[Roda]

I'm still on the search for cake that doesn't remind me of corn bread. But I think I Know its out there somewhere! lol

I have found that the Betty Crocker cake mixes to be very good. The devils food cake is nice and moist and does not have the corn bread consistency. Now their yellow cake does, but with a little tweaking it is fab. Mix the cake according to package directions and then mix in two ounces of softened cream cheese into the batter. I watched mine closely and took the cake out when I had a few crumbs on the tooth pick, not entirely clean. I made this for my son's birthday and everyone ate it up. My husband loved it so much he got a stomach ache from eating too much (he isn't gluten free)!

[momtok&m]

You might want to consider not eating the substitutes for a few months to let your taste buds be ready to appreciate the new taste, as opposed to comparing it to the old taste.

That's what I did. Not on purpose I just couldn't stand to spend the crazy amounts of money! I'm not gluten-free, but my 2 year old is so I gave it up to learn to cook gluten-free. It's been over a year for her and I still make a lot of "flops" but for the most part we happily eat gluten-free meals and desserts all the time.