Dowling Oaks

Comfort Food with a Gluten Free Twist

Desserts

Best Ever Gluten Free Fudge Brownies

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My favorite chocolate childhood dessert, easy pan brownies, just got a makeover. These gluten free fudge brownies are every bit as chewy and gooey as I remember. They’re so full of chocolate fudgy goodness, everyone swears they just can’t be GF.

one bowl gluten free brownies recipe

When You’re a Packrat and you Love Food…

Ok, so I have become my mother. I keep EVERYTHING! But it totally pays off. (I’m trying to convince my husband of this 😛 ) Because of my mother’s and mine packrat tendencies, I’ve been able to keep gems like this.

How to Make Gluten free Brownies

This is my mother’s old recipe box. From my earliest memory it always sat on our kitchen counter. By some miracle, it’s survived over four decades, a house fire, and a flood.

Tucked inside are my mother’s favorite handwritten recipes, recipes she cut out of magazines and glued on index cards, and even a few my Aunt Shirley shared. They’re like foodie snapshots from my childhood. Going through the index cards is like taking a foodie time machine back to my childhood.

As soon as I rediscovered the box, I went right to a certain spot. Momma had them in alphabetical of course, but I had a favorite recipe I kept tucked way in the back because it was my favorite. One Pan Brownies.

Gluten Free Pan Brownies Recipe Card

It’s the first dish I remember making from an actual recipe I could read by myself. I held it lovingly in my hands and felt super nostalgic. I wanted to make these again, so I made them over to be gluten free. 

I wasn’t sure how it would taste. Gluten free cooking can be so finicky. Could it be as easy as swapping the flour out for GF flour? 

Most recipes don’t work out so well when you swap gluten free flour for regular flour, but I tried it and, OMG, it tasted just like I remember.

One Bowl Gluten Free Brownies

I think the reason why this recipe was so easy for an 8 year old to make is because everything gets mixed up in one pot. Just melt the chocolate and butter in a saucepan and then stir in the other ingredients. Pour into a square pan, bake, and bam, you’ve got the easiest gluten free chocolate brownies you’ve ever made.

When I was a kid Momma kept Baker’s chocolate in the pantry, so that’s what I would use to make the brownies. I wanted a richer chocolate flavor, especially since GF baked goods can taste ho hum. So I switched out the Baker’s squares for Guittard semisweet baking bars. It definitely amped up the chocolate flavor and made these brownies gooey!

I swapped out regular flour for King Arthur’s all purpose gluten free flour and had great results. If you use a different brand (or use your own blend) please let me know how your brownies turned out in the comments below and I’ll add it to the post for other readers.

If avoiding xanthan gum is your goal, you’ll be happy to know that I didn’t add any and, in my opinion, this recipe doesn’t need it. The texture is just like the fudge-like brownies you remember eating when wheat wasn’t a problem.

Yield: 9 pieces

Best Ever Gluten Free Fudge Brownies

one bowl gluten free brownies recipe

My favorite chocolate childhood dessert, easy pan brownies, just got a makeover. These gluten free fudge brownies are every bit as chewy and gooey as I remember. They're so full of chocolate fudgy goodness, everyone swears they just can't be GF.

Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 F.
  2. Sift the flour and baking powder together.
  3. Over low heat, melt butter and chocolate in a saucepan.
  4. Remove from heat and let cool slightly. Stir in the remaining ingredients, adding the eggs last so they won't cook.
  5. Pour into a greased 8 x 8 pan and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool then cut into squares.

Notes

  • For extra gooey fudginess, sub chocolate chips for half the nuts. Stir in 1/2 cup chocolate chips and 1/2 cup chopped nuts.

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As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.

© JuliaK
Category: Desserts

Goof Proof Salted Caramel Frosting

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A fluffy and rich salted caramel frosting to take your cupcakes and cakes from ho hum to OMG. This simple old fashioned caramel icing recipe tastes like  grandma’s and it will become your go to homemade frosting.

Easy gluten free caramel frosting recipe

When You Want to Make Homemade Frosting, but You Have No Skills…

The other day I had a huge craving for a spice cake like my Aunt Dorothy used to make, so I whipped up a batch of gluten free spice cupcakes.  When it came to frosting them though, I wanted to do something other than the typical cream cheese frosting that always gets paired with spice cake.

I didn’t know what kind of frosting I was going to make, I just knew I wanted something different. To be honest with you, up until a few months ago I’ve always being frosting challenged. I know it sounds stupid to be frosting impaired, but no lie, the only one I could make was a powdered sugar glaze, and even that was questionable some days. 😛

While flipping through one of Momma’s old cookbooks, I saw this boiled caramel icing recipe. I saw the word “boil” and I was like, heck, no. I’m even less capable of using a candy thermometer as I am of making frosting from scratch. Soft ball? Hard ball? That requires too much effort. *Sigh* I’m a lazy baker. LOL

But when I looked closer at the recipe, I saw I didn’t have to use a candy thermometer at all, I just had to let it boil for 5 minutes. I could do that!

In fact, this quick caramel frosting recipe is so easy, I nailed it the first time I made it. Yeah, now I’ve got frosting skills. 😉

How Do you Make Caramel Frosting?

The reason why I was hesitant to make this recipe is because it basically starts off with a caramel base. I tried to make caramel once and it turned out to be a burnt sugary mess. Did not want a repeat of that!

But this recipe is goof proof, right? For this frosting, start off by bringing the butter, brown sugar and milk to a boil, boil for 5 minutes. Pour into a mixer bowl, add the powdered sugar and a pinch of salt and beat until cool and fluffy. Voila, you’re done!

How to Make Sure Your Caramel Icing is Gluten Free

  • Powdered Sugar. Most powdered sugar brands contain cornstarch or tapioca starch. Some brands do use a starch that has wheat in it, so always check the label or make your own.
  • Brown Sugar. Brown sugar is just molasses and white sugar, so no worries about it containing gluten. Of course, always double check the label. Better safe than sorry!
Yield: About 2 cups

Goof Proof Salted Caramel Frosting

Best whipped brown sugar caramel frosting recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes

Ingredients

  • 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 3 tbsp butter, room temperature

Instructions

  1. Sift together the powdered sugar and salt.
  2. In a small pan, bring the brown sugar, 1/4 cup of the milk, and butter to a boil over medium heat. Boil without stirring for 5 minutes.
  3. Pour mixture into the mixer bowl and stir in the powdered sugar and the rest of the milk. Beat on high for 10 minutes or until cooled and fluffy, adding more milk if the frosting is too thick.
  4. Makes about 2 cups or enough to frost a dozen cupcakes, a 13 x 9 cake, or a 2 layer, 9 inch cake.

Notes

  • Do not stir while the caramel frosting is boiling because it will make it grainy.

© JuliaK
Category: Desserts

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Quick salted caramel frosting for cupcakes and cakes

Use This Frosting to Decorate Cakes

If you’re frosting a cake, you may need to add extra milk so it spreads easier. If you’re using it for piping, you’ll want a thicker consistency. I used a Wilton 2D tip to frost my cupcakes, and you can see how nice they look.

This recipe makes an indulgent and rich gluten free caramel cake filling, too.

Moist and Fluffy Gluten Free Spice Cupcakes

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Biting into these gluten free spice cupcakes is like taking a nibble out of Autumn. These flourless cupcakes are moist, fluffy and taste a-maz-ing. It’s the perfect GF Fall dessert.

Easy Homemade Gluten Free Spice Cake Recipe

A Classic Fall Dessert

Do you have certain foods that as soon as you take a bite it takes you back to when you were a kid? That one bite is an instant time machine. You remember the smell, the taste, the house, and who made it.

Well, spice cupcakes are my time machine. Eating it takes me back to my Aunt Dorothy’s house in the wintertime. I loved to eat them right after it came out of the oven. They were warm and moist and tasted like a little hunk of love.

I feel like spice cake only feels the love between September and Christmas. It’s like as soon as the days get shorter and the temps start to dip the spice cravings start kicking in and we all go into a spice frenzy.

It’s a shame, too, because anytime is a good time for spice cake, especially cupcakes.

As far as cake goes, my taste buds rank spice cake up there right next to chocolate cake. It’s one of my favorites I don’t eat often enough anymore. I have to admit I’ve been guilty of saving spice cupcakes for the Fall, but this year it’s going to be different.

This delicious gluten free spice cupcake recipe will satisfy your craving for homemade Fall treats.

How to Make Gluten Free Spice Cupcakes Moist

There’s definitely a knack to baking a moist gluten free cupcake, and sometimes it seems like I hit the jackpot with one recipe only to have to throw the next one in the garbage can.

This flourless spice cupcake recipe, though, is a keeper. It’s soft and fluffy and easy to make. To make sure you end up with yummy cake and not a dried out paperweight, try this tip:

Whisk the eggs until frothy, add the sugar and molasses, and then beat for at least five minutes. I know that sounds like overkill, but I’m not exaggerating here and it’s a step you won’t want to skip.

Gluten free flour by its nature doesn’t raise as well as regular flour, even if you add baking powder or soda. Beating the eggs until they’re frothy helps to give you that soft and fluffy cake texture that mimics wheat laden cakes.

How to make the best gluten free cupcakes from scratch

 

How to Make Gluten Free Baking Less Dense

When I first started baking gluten free cakes, I nearly gave up. It seemed like I made more duds than winners. I couldn’t get a cake to come out with a decent texture to save my life. They were so dense, it wasn’t even edible sometimes.

Here’s two tips that’s helped my cakes and cupcakes soft and fluffy:

Use a cup for cup gluten free blend. Years ago when I became gluten intolerant there wasn’t much in the way of gluten free flour blends. A single flour doesn’t bake well, so you’d have to add things like potato starch, xanthan gum, etc. I never could make the perfect blend and my cakes were always heavy and dense.

I’ve tried several measure for measure blends, but never had good results until I tried King Arthur’s Measure for measure baking flour. I’ve been cooking with it a while and it’s never let me down. If you already have a favorite cup for cup blend, try it out with this recipe and let me know how it turns out. 🙂

Sift the flour before you measure, then scoop it into your measuring cup and level off with a knife. Gluten free flour can be dense. Like, hockey puck dense. So if you scoop out a cup of flour and add it to your batter, you could be adding as much as 1/4 cup of flour to your recipe which makes your baked goods dried out and heavy.

What Kind of Frosting Can I Use for Spice Cake?

The most popular frosting that gets paired with spice cake is cream cheese frosting, but what happens if you want an icing that’s out of the box? Try one of these:

Yield: 15 Cupcakes

Moist and Fluffy Gluten Free Spice Cupcakes

Moist and Fluffy Gluten Free Spice Cupcakes

Biting into these gluten free spice cupcakes is like taking a nibble out of Autumn. These flourless cupcakes are moist, fluffy and the taste is a-maz-ing. It's the perfect GF Fall dessert.

Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 22 minutes
Total Time 32 minutes

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Line or grease a large muffin pan.
  2. Sift together the dry ingredients.
  3. Beat the eggs until thick and fluffy. Add the sugar and molasses and beat until frothy, at least five minutes.
  4. Alternate adding the dry ingredients and the buttermilk, mixing well with each addition. Next, add in the melted butter and stir until well combined.
  5. Fill cupcake wells 2/3 full. Bake for 22 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool, then frost with your favorite frosting. (My Quick and Easy Salted Caramel Frosting tastes amazing with these cupcakes!)

Notes

  • If you don't have sour milk or buttermilk on hand, add 1 tbsp vinegar or lemon juice to the 1 cup of milk. Let stand for 5 minutes, or until thick and curdled.
  • Sift the flour before measuring, spoon into your measuring cup, and level off with a knife.

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As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.

© JuliaK
Category: Desserts

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Moist gluten free spice cupcakes recipe from scratch

 

Healthy Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookies

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Healthy gluten free chocolate chip cookies made from scratch. These easy gluten free cookies are soft, gooey, and made without xanthan gum. It’s truly the perfect GF chocolate chip cookie.

Healthy gluten free chocolate chip cookies recipe

Mmm….Cookies

I remember when I was little, my mother would bake cookies and treats for a week the first of December to box up and ship to my brother for Christmas.

I loved being in the kitchen and helping her. I was small, so I don’t know how much help I really was (other than to eat the cookies!) but I think that’s when my love affair with cookies began.

I’ve rarely met a cookie I didn’t like, but chocolate chip cookies are hands down my favorite. I’m kind of picky about them, though. I only like them if they’re soft and gooey. If they’re crunchy, I just won’t touch them.

How Do you Make Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookies?

So when I went gluten free and low carb, I was kind of bummed I had to give up cookies.

I’d try a GF chocolate chip cookie recipe here and there, but they never did the trick for me. More often than not they were crunchy and crumbly. I wanted a chocolate chip cookie that was gluten free AND soft and gooey.

I can’t remember where now, but a few years ago I came across a blog where they were discussing leaving eggs out of cookie recipes completely and using liquid to get a gooey texture.

I had just started baking with xylitol honey, so I decided to do a little experimenting to see if I could come up with really good gluten free chocolate chip cookies from scratch.

After a few batches, I nailed it. The result was an easy gluten free chocolate chip cookie recipe that met my soft and gooey standard.

Food Intolerances? Give These a Try

Before I found out I was gluten intolerant, I never really thought much about food allergies or special diets. I didn’t know anyone who had dietary requirements either, so it just wasn’t on my radar.

Now I know how tough it is to watch other people eat good tasting treats and I’m stuck with the same old same old. And that stinks!

That’s why I like this chocolate chip cookie recipe,  it ticks all the right boxes for several diets:

  • Gluten Free
  • Dairy Free (substitute dairy free chocolate chips)
  • Vegan (substitute vegan chocolate chips)
  • Vegetarian
  • Keto/low carb

Important Tips to Getting the Perfect GF Cookie

This really is my go-to cookie recipe now, and I make them a lot. I’ve tried changing up the ingredients at times and I had to throw them out. I have a couple of tips to make sure you get the best results:

  • Do not double this recipe! This recipe only makes a dozen cookies, and they don’t last long. I’ve tried to double it, but they turn out awful and I’m not sure why.
  • This recipe only works with xylitol honey or xylitol maple syrup!  I thought I’d be smart once and buy sugar free honey from the store instead of ordering xylitol honey. The result was a plastic looking, plastic tasting cookie.
  • You must use both almond flour and coconut flour. If you only have one flour or the other, don’t assume you can substitute all coconut flour for the almond flour or vice versa. You’ll have either goop or hockey pucks if you do.
  • Xylitol can be harmful to dogs. Use caution when using around your four legged friends!
Yield: 1 Dozen

Healthy Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookies

Healthy gluten free chocolate chip cookies recipe

Healthy gluten free chocolate chip cookies made from scratch. These easy gluten free cookies are soft, gooey, and made without xanthan gum. It's truly the perfect GF chocolate chip cookie.

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350F.
  2. Add the first eight ingredients and mix well. Fold in the chocolate chips and/or nuts.
  3. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls on a lightly greased cookie sheet.
  4. Bake 15-17 minutes or until slightly brown. Remove from oven and let cool. Once they've set slightly, remove to rack to finish cooling.

Notes

  • Do not double this recipe!
  • This recipe only works with xylitol honey or xylitol maple syrup. My experience with sugar free honey resulted in a plastic looking, plastic tasting cookie.

Recommended Products

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.

© JuliaK
Category: Desserts

Looking for Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookies Without Xanthan Gum?

I’ve never done a lot of cooking with xanthan gum. I’m not against using it, it was just an ingredient I couldn’t find when I first started baking gluten free so I didn’t use them in my recipes.

Since then I’ve realized a lot of people can’t digest xanthan gum well, but have problems finding GF recipes without it.

This is a flourless chocolate chip cookie recipe that doesn’t need the xanthan gum to have a normal texture. I hope you’ll find these as yummy as I do! 🙂

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Soft and chewy gluten free chocolate chip cookies

 

How to Make Gluten Free Fudge in 3 Easy Steps

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Easy gluten free fudge. Forget the guilt when you bite into this healthy Holiday dessert. Learn how to make gluten free fudge in 3 simple steps.

Easy low carb gluten free fudge candy

Coconut Oil Fudge

I always wondered as a child, especially when my mother was making me eat Brussels sprouts, why God didn’t make healthy food taste like chocolate? To my six-year-old mind it made perfect sense. If it’s supposed to be good for you, why didn’t it taste, you know, good?

Fast forward a little over 30 years later and I still don’t like Brussels sprouts, but I am still in love chocolate.

I still wonder why a lot of healthy dishes don’t taste out of this world amazing, but I have found one yummy healthy dessert that gives me all the chocolate feels.

Fudge made with coconut oil.

Coconut oil fudge is a delicious way to get healthy fat into your diet when you’re low carb or keto.

I use it as an excuse to eat chocolate. Oh, I’ve got to get more fats into my diet. Better eat me some fudge.

Darn.

Sometimes I’ll eat it for a snack, other times I have a piece or two in the morning with my tea if I’m not very hungry. I make my friends choke when they ask me what I had for breakfast that day and I casually tell them fudge. They think I’ve fell off the wagon, but I know I’m really eating healthy.

Healthy Christmas Fudge

I don’t know what it is about the holidays and sweets, but you can’t seem to have one without the other.

I used to bake batches of  cookies and other sweets for Christmas. Since I became gluten intolerant, I’ve had to revamp all of my recipes, even the Christmas standbys.

Fudge always reminds me of Grandma in Missouri. She made the best fudge I’ve ever tasted because she used black walnuts. They have a distinctive flavor that doesn’t even resemble typical English walnuts. I’m here in Florida, and it’s a nut that’s not grown down here.

To me, fudge isn’t fudge without black walnuts, and I’ve kept her tradition by adding black walnuts to my gluten free fudge, but you can replace it with your favorite nut or don’t use any nuts at all.

To sweeten my coconut oil chocolate fudge without making it gritty and grainy, I used Confectioner’s Swerve. This is a no-cook fudge recipe, and that’s why you can’t use a granulated sweetener. It won’t dissolve, and you’ll be left with a grainy crunchy goop.

Yield: 12 servings

Easy Gluten Free Fudge

Easy low carb gluten free fudge candy

Easy gluten free fudge. Forget the guilt when you bite into this healthy Holiday dessert. Learn how to make gluten free fudge in 3 simple steps.

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. Line a small loaf pan with waxed or parchment paper.
  2. In a bowl, mix oil, cocoa, sweeteners, vanilla, and salt. Combine well. Pour mixture into lined loaf pan. Refrigerate for an hour. Remove your chilled fudge and sprinkle nuts on top. This is to keep them from sinking to the bottom.
  3. Return to refrigerator. When your fudge is solid, remove from loaf pan. Using a large knife, cut into small squares. Store in an airtight container and refrigerate.

Notes

Do not use a granulated sweetener or sugar. This is a no-cook fudge recipe and the sugar won't dissolve. Do not store at room temperature as your fudge will melt in temperatures above 76F.

Recommended Products

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.

© JuliaK
Category: Desserts

Does Fudge Have Gluten?

Gluten is a sneaky little booger. It hides in foods you never thought could contain gluten. A standard fudge recipe typically won’t have gluten, but using uncertified ingredients can make everything go downhill fast.

So instead of giving friends the third degree about what they put into their fudge before I eat it, I find it’s easier to just make my own.

So when making this simple GF fudge recipe, be sure to use only ingredients that are labeled gluten free. But you knew that already, didn’t you. 😉

How Do you Make Fudge with Cocoa Powder? Is that Even Possible? :-/

Most traditional fudge recipes are made with cocoa powder. It’s only been the last few decades that fudge recipes have popped up that’s made from melted chocolate.

Grandma would be proud I’m making fudge with cocoa powder, just like she did when I was a kid. However, this recipe is so much simpler than hers because it’s not cooked to the soft ball stage.

So if you haven’t tried old school fudge made with cocoa powder, give this quick and easy GF recipe a try.

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Healthy Gluten Free Fudge recipe

Delicious Yet Simple Gluten Free Pumpkin Pie

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A simple gluten free pumpkin pie. This gluten free no crust pumpkin pie recipe is sugar free, low carb and delicious. A perfect healthy Thanksgiving dessert!

healthy gluten free no crust pumpkin pie recipe

I Just Want Pumpkin Pie for Thanksgiving

I remember the first Thanksgiving after I became gluten free. I had also started a keto diet that fall. (not a good choice to make right before the holidays!) It was not very long into November when I realized October is a bad time to start a new diet.

OMG, I thought it was going to be the worst Thanksgiving ever. I knew the main meal wouldn’t be a problem, because there would be plenty of meats and vegetables to choose from.

What I was worried about was the important stuff…like dessert. I’m looking at you pumpkin pie! What’s Thanksgiving dinner without the pumpkin pie?

So I made sure I volunteered myself to bring dessert so I knew there would be something for me to eat, namely some version of a gluten free crustless pumpkin pie. I was determined to find a way to make some kind of a wheat free pumpkin dessert that would take the place of traditional pumpkin pie.

Enter My Gluten Free No Crust Pumpkin Pie

I looked over my mother’s go to pumpkin pie recipe, and I was relieved when I realized it wouldn’t take much fixing up to make it low carb, sugar free and gluten free. Obviously, the crust had to go. But that was okay because the filling’s the best part anyway, right?

I did swap out sugar for Steviva  to lower the carbs and make it a bit healthier. I also thought it needed a little crunch since there wouldn’t be a crust, so I toasted some pecans in butter and Steviva to make a crunchy streusel topping.

I didn’t want to ruin my healthy pumpkin dessert by topping it off with store bought whipped topping, so I made my own out of heavy whipping cream.

My pie was a hit that year. Not just with me, but with everyone else who had a piece. This is now my go-to easy gluten free pumpkin pie recipe for the holiday season.

Yield: 8

Simple Gluten Free Pumpkin Pie

Simple Gluten Free Pumpkin Pie

Ingredients

For the Filling:

  • 1 Cup Nuts of Your Choice
  • 4 tbsp Butter
  • 1 tbsp Sweetener (or to taste)

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350F and grease an 8-inch pie plate.
  2. In a large bowl, combine all ingredients and mix until smooth. Pour into your greased pie plate. Bake for 1 hour, or until set.
  3. To make the pecan topping: In a skillet, toast nuts in the butter and add your sugar/sweetener. Toast till brown. Let cool slightly before sprinkling it on the pie.
  4. Serve with whipped cream, if desired.

Notes

  • Use this as a pumpkin custard or as a gluten free pumpkin pie filling to fill your favorite GF pie crust.
  • If you're not counting carbs, swap out Steviva with sugar.

Recommended Products

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.

© JuliaK

Is Canned Pumpkin Gluten Free?

Mashed pumpkin straight from the pumpkin is naturally gluten free, but what if you don’t have the time to roast and puree a pumpkin yourself?

Is canned pumpkin safe for celiacs and those of us with gluten intolerance?

Luckily if you’re in a time crunch or just not the Martha Stewart crunch canned pumpkin is 100% gluten free. Of course, as you’re well aware by now, it’s always best to be safe and read the label to be certain there’s no wheat products in your pumpkin.

Personally, my favorite brand is Libby’s, and it’s certified GF right there on the front of the can.

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Simple gluten free pumpkin pie recipe