13 Great Gluten-Free Baking Tips
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Gluten-free baking can be a challenge, but these helpful gluten-free baking tips will make your more confident in your gluten-free kitchen.
Whether you have celiac disease or are off gluten for other health reasons (like sensitivity, an autoimmune disease, or other reasons), you know that baking with gluten-free flours can be a bit of a challenge.
From figuring out what flours to use, to wondering about gums, leavening, and starches, gluten-free baking does require some know-how.
Why We Went Gluten-Free
My family went gluten-free years ago when our son was diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome. Asperger's is a form of autism and there's a lot of evidence that a gluten and casein-free diet can help those with that condition. (source)
We definitely noticed improvement upon removing gluten from his diet (he already was dairy-free since infancy due to a life-threatening allergy to dairy.)
I'm not going to lie; going gluten-free was tough. I'd been a whole grain baking “maven”, with a whole wheat bread in my repertoire that a baker's daughter told me I could easily make a lot of money with. However, with these gluten-free tips, baking has continued to be a pleasure.
I hope you'll feel the same way.
Gluten-Free Baking Tips
1. Increase Leavening Agents
When adapting a recipe to make it gluten-free, increase the amount of baking powder and baking soda by 25%. The quick way to calculate this is to take the amount called for and multiply it by 1.25.
2. Bake Smaller Sizes
Since gluten-free baked goods tend to crumble easily, making all baked goods smaller tends to improve their quality and keep them “sticking together” more. Think mini cookies, mini muffins, and mini loaves of bread.
3. Blend Different Flours Together
Just as with alternative sweeteners, it is best to use more than one flour when making gluten-free baked goods. It helps prevent just one flavor or texture from dominating the final product and also helps with texture.
I tend to use about 1/2 sweet brown rice and then make up the rest with whatever flours I have on hand (typically that's buckwheat, brown rice, amaranth, and millet.) I really do love using homemade oat flour in almost all of my gluten-free baking, however, due to the lovely flavor and texture it adds.
4. Add Starch
This is one tip I share with hesitancy. I personally almost never use starches in my baking since we deal with digestive issues (including gut dysbiosis, which is just too much bad bacteria and not enough good.)
Anyway, most gluten-free baking “connoisseurs” recommend using a 1:1 or 1:2 ratio of starch to whole grain when baking to give the baked goods a fluffy texture reminiscent of baking with all-purpose flour.
For me, our intestinal health is more important than having the perfect baked good around so I prefer to bake only using whole grains.
The only exception is when I am baking cupcakes or cakes, particularly when making them for others and the “sagging in the middle” thing is a concern. Then I will go “light” on the starch and maybe use a 1:3 ratio of whole grain to starch.
5. Add Sticky Ingredients
Gluten is the part of wheat that gives it its “stickiness”. So when you bake gluten-free, by definition, you are going to have a “less sticky” final result.
There are some things you can add to make up for some of that “stickiness.”
Sweet Rice
I use brown sweet rice flour for about half of my gluten-free baking mix, with the rest being a mix of whatever I have on hand. Sweet rice is called glutinous rice (it's the kind used in Japan) and it doesn't have gluten but is a little “sticky.”
Side note – there's been information in the news about arsenic in brown rice. If this is of concern to you, you can buy California rice, which is apparently less of a concern than rice from the southern part of the U.S. I plan to write more about this in the future, but for now, you can check out this link.
Gums, Gelatin, or Agar
I tend not to use the gums as they can cause digestive upset. There's even a new study apparently linking infant deaths to xanthan gum. I haven't looked into this enough yet to know what I think.
However, I really like using gelatin for its health qualities, and I recommend Great Lakes Brand.
- Breads and pizza doughs: Add 1 teaspoon of gum, gelatin, or agar-agar per cup of gluten-free flour used.
- Cakes, muffins, quick breads, cookies and bars: Add 1/2 teaspoon gum, gelatin, or agar-agar per cup of gluten-free flour used (source).
6. Add Protein
Because gluten is a protein (and it's no longer in your gluten-free recipe), adding protein in some form (think egg, protein powder, beans, tofu, yogurt) can help provide needed structure to your gluten-free baked goods.
7. Don't Waste Mistakes
There is a use for botched kitchen experiments.
You can use savory baked good mistakes for breadcrumbs (just put them in a food processor, run it for a bit, and store the crumbs in the freezer), and sweet baked mistakes can be crumbled toppings. Both can be used for cereals. Just top with regular milk, Homemade Coconut Milk, or Homemade Almond Milk and enjoy!
8. Lower Baking Temperature
Gluten-free baked goods tend to brown more easily so lowering the oven temperature by 25 degrees and baking a little bit longer, if needed, is recommended.
9. Mix Well
When baking with gluten-free flour, try beating the batter longer as this should add structure to the dough. Gluten flour can be over-mixed due to the gluten content, but gluten-free flours tend to perform better when mixed really well.
10. Let the Dough Sit
After mixing the batter/dough, let it sit covered for 10-30 or even 60 min before baking. 30 minutes is the happy medium.No Content
In fact, one reader stated that she let her batter (that contained bean flour) sit for 3 hours and that it made all the difference in her results.
This is called “blooming” by some, but this technique gives the flours and starches time to absorb the liquid as well as soften before baking. Batters also become thicker and doughs firm up using this technique.
Of course, you would have to add leavening agents after this step as otherwise most will not work in the recipe and your resulting product will end up being flat.
11. Add Acid
Acids help with leavening as well as breaking down starches. Try adding 1/2 -1 teaspoon of lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, buttermilk, yogurt, or cream of tartar to help your gluten-free baked goods rise and turn out lighter in texture.
12. Forget Perfection
It's important to remember that you are eating gluten-free for health reasons rather than to be the perfect gluten-free baker. And if you're trying to use whole grains, it's all the more important that you allow yourself some baking slack.
Your recipes might not turn out perfectly well, especially when testing them out, but they will likely still taste OK, so stop tossing things in the trashcan and make them work somehow.
For example, you can often repurpose crumbly baked goods to be part of a homemade pie crust, topping on chocolatea pudding, chia pudding, or ice cream.
13. Use Tested Gluten-free Recipes
I've had a lot of success converting much loved regular recipes to gluten-free recipes, but it doesn't always turn out well. It's easier and best to stick with recipes that you already know should work.
Gluten-Free Flour List
Safe whole grains for gluten-free baking include:
- rice flour
- sorghum flour
- millet flour
- amaranth flour
- oat flour, (note that the one linked to is certified to be gluten-free as many oat products are not) and
- teff flour (a fairly high-protein grain).
- buckwheat
- quinoa
Buckwheat and quinoa are really seeds, but they are grain like and work great for gluten-free baking.
Bean Flours can be used, but I highly recommend using de-gassed beans and then dehydrating and grinding your own–or you might not be (ahem) happy with the results.
Please note, there are a lot of cautions regarding oats. Some gluten-free folks can't tolerate oats. Others are fine with gluten-free varieties like Bob's Red Mill. The oats we buy were tested at “gluten-free” levels for years despite not being certified.
For an extensive list of gluten-free flours and their characteristics, check out this post at Beyond Celiac.
Great Gluten-Free Recipes
Ready to use your new Gluten-Free Baking Techniques to make some Gluten-Free Goodies? How about these.
– Buckwheat Crepes – a super simple flat pancake recipe
– Baked Oatmeal– a great easy and delicious make-ahead treat
– Baked Cinnamon Doughnuts – a healthy whole-grain treat
– Focaccia Flax Bread – another easy, delicious, and sure-to-please recipe that tastes great with sweet or savory fillings/toppings
– Healthy Drop Biscuits – great for meals or snacks
– Chocolate Chip “Cheesecake”-Filled Chocolate Cupcakes – a healthy filled cupcake recipe
– Pumpkin Snickerdoodles – these are the cookies my boys used to ask for all the time whenever I was in the mood for baking
– Soft Pumpkin Cookies – great taste without all the sugar (and gluten)
Do you have any gluten-free baking tips to share?
I have a similar article that I wrote for The Diabetes Experience online mag! We hit a lot of the same points, but I will give one of my own tips…gluten is a protein so adding in some extra protein like whey or hemp can help make the baked good rise and retain its structure. Try it sometime, it really helps me! 🙂
Great tip – thanks!!
I’m a gluten free beginner baker. These tips are super helpful as I start to convert some of our favorites. Thanks for all the great suggestions!
Wow, we are still on the same research-train! I’ve been devouring GF blogs for the past few weeks since my 21yod diagnosed herself gluten-intolerant. I had at the same time discovered the Wheat Belly Blog and learned that our wheat has been adulterated and is causing no end of health issues (like stomach pains, which I’ve been having for years). So we both went wheat free and are feeling so much better!
May I list a couple of the resources I found? Angie Halten at GlutenFreeClub.com has a membership site full of articles and recipes. Mary Frances has “finally awesome GF sandwich bread” at GlutenFreeCookingSchool.com. Shauna James Ahern has wonderful testimonials and all kinds of “alternative” GF info at GlutenFreeGirl.com. I just found and am loving her site! A couple things she taught me: 1) you don’t HAVE to use the gums; you can use psyllium, chia, or flaxseed slurry instead; 2) you can mix/match any whole grain flours and starches you have or can make in any combo you like as long as you use 70% whole grains and 30% starch and you WEIGH the ingredients. There’s a list of the grains and info about them on her site.
I’m updating my own website and should have the refreshed version online sometime next week (of course, I keep saying that…). YOUR site and these GF sites are going to be listed on there, so this post is right on time (’cause I’m adding a GF section in the Health=Wealth links page).
Blessings,
Thanks for including me! I really don’t like to use those starches—do you feel OK with that given how they likely contribute to gut issues?
I love your posts Adrienne, you are such a blessing to us all. I’ve also struggled to replicate my old favorite textures and flavors in my new gluten free baked goods, but I feel like I’m getting closer and it’s so fun when it works! I really want to stop using xanthan gum too and have tried substituting it with psyllium husks and flax seed with good and bad results. I’m excited to try my new biscuits with the gelatin tip and we’ll see if they keep their rise and hold together. Thanks and hugs! Ali
Let me know – your biscuits today look great!
Our older son with Asperger’s has been gluten free for over 15 years, and the rest of our family, including a second teen son more severely affected by autism, has been on board the GF train for several years, as well. I was the Reigning Queen of Awesome Organic Wheat Bread at one point, so I do understand where you’re coming from :). When converting to GF, I initially tried to replicate family favorites — such as pizza, muffins, tacos, pasta — with varying degrees of success. Muffins were easiest as I’d already been experimenting with GF flours for a friend who couldn’t eat wheat. Currently I make some pretty wonderful GF pizza, muffins, cookies and so on though for some reason GF bread seems intimidating. I grind our own GF grains; the favorite right now is a combo of rice/millet/milo sorghum in roughly equal amounts. I’ve been grinding tapioca separately and using it sparingly with the GF combo flour when it seems necessary for the aforementioned lightness factor. GF is second nature to us now but not so in 1997 when we would buy expensive GF crackers…….and the BOX itself was tastier than the crackers inside it! Here’s my tip: GF baked goods tend to brown faster so lower the oven temp about 25 degrees to avoid burning.
Love the box comment! Thanks for the tip! I should add that! Any great whole grain recipes would be more than welcome in my inbox :-).
Thank you for the baking tips.
We have gone wheat free and I am constantly looking for baking recipes that include no wheat but don’t want all the GF grains. We found out that if we stay away from grains in baked goods, my DH blood sugar stays normal. We still eat rice and potatoes but not in baked goods just as side dishes. I think because they are refined they spike his blood sugar when in baked goods.
I got a couple of wheat free recipes that I have modified from other bloggers that work really well for us. One is brownie bites and the other is sweet pumpkin waffles that we use as bread in sandwiches too. 🙂
So are you primarily baking grain free then?
hi Adrienne,
yes, I am baking grain free. You can check this post to see an example of a recipe we use here at home that is grain free.
https://creatingtreasures.blogspot.com/2013/01/the-perfect-wheatless-muffin.html
Today I made a batch of these waffles
(Link deleted by Whole New Mom due to it not working anymore)
but instead of pumpkin puree I used sweet potatoes. Instead of 8 whole eggs, 4 is enough. I love this recipe. I make the waffles and I can store them in the fridge. In the morning I toast them and they have the perfect consistency for butter and maple syrup. They are light but filling. My kids eat one 6″ inch disk each and is enough. With wheat waffles, they eat 2-3 or more. And then suffer with the bloating. 🙁 and 2 hours later are hungry again! 🙁
I like to use them as bread for sandwiches. Again I toast 1/4 of each waffle disk add the filling and top with another 1/4 disk. They are sooooo good. 🙂
I like the grain free movement but my oldest has a life threatening allergy to eggs so that makes it difficult.
Hi Adrienne,
Thank you for the tips. I was a whole grain girl, grinding everything in my Nutrimill for many years and loved baking. Now, even after researching, I am finding it a challenge with the gluten free baking because I am finding it counter intuitive, and also conflicting thought of what is needed to bake. Many of my attempts for sweets have actually been inedible such as the cake that was gluey even after baking for 80 minutes. I went to gluten free goddess’ website and found out I created the perfect storm.:) We’ve laughed about that, but I still have not had much success. I’m not giving up, and will print this off and give it a good try.
Joanne
What was your perfect storm? Very curious! :).
I had a batter that had too much liquid, and my oven was too low. To me the batter seemed quite thick, and I was using honey and adjusted 25 degrees lower to what would normally be a good temperature using whole wheat pastry flour using honey. Originally, the cake appeared to be rising and just would not bake properly based on the amount of liquid and the temperature.
I will try again, and I am considering make cakes using ground nuts more. Even before we had to go gluten free, I have had good success using ground nuts.
Number one was fascinating to me, as I often find the opposite. I suppose it depends on how heavy the flours are that you are using, if using eggs, etc.
For this one: “Cakes, muffins, quick breads, cookies and bars: Add 1/2 teaspoon per cup of gluten-free flour used” – is that gelatin? I hadn’t heard of using gelatin in delicate baked goods. Does it work well?
Interesting, Alisa. I read that eons ago and never looked back. Is that from your experience or from a resource. You can use any of the gums or gelatin that way. I do recall reading that the xanthan and guar are not substitutable 1:1 but in putting together the post I found otherwise so I guess the sources conflict sometimes. I’ll go back and make that more clear. I have used gelatin in cookies and cupcakes but again, I am not a real purist about these things. And a “delicate baked good” likely means different things to different folks. I don’t make too many ultra delicate things since for now I am avoiding the starches but I am doing a little research into arrowroot to see if I feel differently about that one :).
It is from my own experiences. If the flours are heavier (like say chickpea, but not necessarily buckwheat) then perhaps a little more leavener, but for the most part I find they work best with the same amount or less, particularly in more delicate baked goods. I tend to use the minimum amount of “binder” required though. I don’t like the flavor or texture with many recipes that use a high level of gf binder.
I’m more of a hearty girl myself, but do sometimes use starch with brown rice flour to make “husband-friendly” goodies. He likes “white flour” treats once in a while. I guess by delicate I meant cookies, muffins, etc. – I’d only used gelatin in pizza crust thus far (really adds a nice chew!). Good to know – thank you!
I’ll have to try the baking soda and powder the other way around then–and see what happens. Thanks! I love the delicate stuff but I am being pretty hard line on it for my family. Too many health issues that are related to the gut.
Adrienne,
when you were talking about starch, you said you use 1:3 ratio. Is 1 in your example starch or grains?
Another question is about gelatin. I am a vegetarian. Is the gelatin you suggested animal parts free? Thank you!!!
The one is the grain. I will go back and make sure that the wording is clear – thanks! If you are a strict vegetarian then you should use the gums or the agar. :). I don’t know what you mean by animal parts – the gelatin I mentioned is made from bones.
Thank you! yes, I meant bones 🙂 I don’t want that, but I thought there would be a gelatin without it. Thank you for the advice, regarding the gums and agar.
Oops – I think I typed too fast. I wrote 1:1 starch to grain so the first # is the starch and the 2nd is the grain. :).
Can you offer specific recipes and ways to use the Great Lakes Gelatin? I am very new to it.
Thanks, again, for the BlendTec giveaway. I already entered! It’s God’s will!
Well, of course in baking like this. I also use it in my Homemade “Jello”. I use their collagen in my coffee substitute in the morning b/c it doesn’t gel up. There is also a Whipped Cream Substitute on my blog that uses it. Hope that helps!