Over the past few weeks, I have share tips and tricks for baking with several gluten-free flours:

• Almond Meal/Flour
• White and Brown Rice Flour
• Coconut Flour

This week, we are going to take a look at gluten-free all purpose flour and baking mix!

Let’s get to it!

• What is gluten-free all purpose flour?

When baking and cooking with gluten-free flours it is often best to use a combination of gluten-free flours.  This is because we are used to the science behind cooking with wheat flour (whether we know it or not!).  Many of the things that give baked goods their texture, mouthfeel, flavor, and that react with other ingredients in a recipe are removed when we use a different kind of flour, so the goal of all-purpose gluten-free flour and baking mix is to replicate the texture, mouthfeel, consistency, and flavor that we are used to having with wheat flour.

My favorite all-purpose gluten-free flour and baking mix is NOW Foods, which is a combination of white rice flour, brown rice flour, tapioca flour, potato starch and cellulose.

• Can I use all-purpose gluten-free flour as a 1 to 1 substitute for wheat flour in a recipe?

YES! That being said some things turn out a little bit different.

As you can see these cookies look VERY different, but I can assure you that the only difference in the recipe is the flour that I used.  Each cookie was made with a tablespoon of dough.  The gluten free flour did not spread as much as the all purpose flour.  I’m not exactly sure why this happened, but both cookies tasted great!! The only thing I would watch out for is the fact that the gluten free cookie is so much smaller than the other cookie.  Even though it looks smaller it’s still made with the same amount of dough..so don’t eat too many just because they are smaller!

When using gluten free baking mix, I have made pancakes and muffins that were on the box.  They tasted great and yielded results that did not taste “gluten free.”

• What does it taste like?

It tastes like whatever you are baking or cooking!  If you make a cookie…I can assure you it will taste like a delicious cookie 🙂

• Why should I bake with gluten-free flour or baking mix?

If you are living a gluten-free lifestyle, utilizing an all-purpose flour or baking mix takes a LOT of the guess-work out of the whole baking game.  It can get a little confusing when mixing and experimenting with several flours at one time, so using a flour or mix that has already done the work for you will make it much easier and will guarantee similar results each time you bake.

• Where can I purchase coconut flour?

I find coconut flour at grocery stores such as Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods, Sprouts, and Natural Grocers.  When stores like that are not of access I purchase online at Now Foods, iHerb, or Swanson Vitamins.

• What are some of your favorite recipes using gluten-free all purpose flour or baking mix?

Anything you would make with traditional all purpose flour would be excellent with a gluten-free mix 🙂

I’d Love To Hear From You!

• If you have any tips, comments, or favorite recipes regarding baking with coconut flour please comment below!!

Now Foods provided me with the all purpose flour and baking mix for this post.  I was not compensated for my time.