Giving up gluten doesn’t mean sacrificing flavor or quality. Gluten-free diets can lower bad cholesterol, increase energy levels, and improve your body’s digestive processes. Here are a couple of recipes that don’t diminish taste and are easy to throw together.

If you don’t have access to a gluten-free flour blend such as Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free Flour Blend or Cup 4 Cup, use the following blend in the subsequent recipes:

Gluten-Free Flour Blend
Yield: Approximately 4-4 ¼ Cups
2 ½ cups brown rice flour
1 cup corn starch
1 cup potato starch
⅔ cup tapioca starch
Combine all. Store in an airtight container.

Gluten-Free Fried Chicken
Yield: 4-6 Servings
1 quart buttermilk
1 Tbsp paprika
2 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp onion powder
Salt and pepper to taste
2 cups Gluten-Free Flour Blend
½ cup canola oil
2 chicken breasts, halved
2 chicken thighs
2 chicken legs
2 chicken wings

Pat the chicken pieces dry with paper towels. Whisk together the buttermilk, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Set aside. Place a cast iron skillet on medium-high heat and wait until it is hot before adding the oil. When the oil reaches 375°F, dip a piece of chicken into the buttermilk batter, shake off excess liquid, and coat entirely in flour. Place in hot oil and repeat process with other pieces of chicken. Depending on the size of the pieces, do not place more than 3-4 in the pan at one time. Overcrowding the pan reduces the oil temperature, which lengthens the cook time and causes the object being fried to soak up more oil than necessary. Flip chicken and cook until browned evenly. Cook until internal temp reaches 165-175°F. Place all the chicken on a plate lined with clean, dry paper towels to remove excess oil.

Gluten-Free Margherita Pizza
Yield: 1 Pizza, 6-8 slices
1½ cups Gluten-Free Flour Blend
2 Tbsp nonfat dry milk powder
1 Tbsp honey
1 tsp baking powder
¾ tsp salt
1 tsp xanthan gum
1½ tsp instant yeast
1 cup warm water
2 Tbsp olive oil, for dough
2 Tbsp olive oil, for pan
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 Tbsp fresh oregano, chiffonade
1 Tbsp fresh thyme, minced
8oz fresh mozzarella
1 can (28oz) peeled tomatoes, drained and crushed
½ bunch fresh basil

Mix all dry ingredients for crust except yeast until thoroughly combined. Place ½ cup of dry mixture, warm water, olive oil for dough, and yeast in a small bowl. Stir to combine and let sit for 30 minutes to activate yeast. Add yeast mixture to dry mixture in a stand mixer. Beat on medium-high for 3 minutes. Cover the bowl and let sit an additional 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 425°F. Drizzle olive oil for pan onto a baking sheet. Using wet hands press out crust until desired thickness (12” circle is recommended). Let rest uncovered for 10 minutes. Bake 8-10 minutes until golden. Remove from oven and top with oregano, thyme, mozzarella, tomatoes, and basil. Bake additional 6-8 minutes (be mindful of the basil, it might burn if your oven is too hot).

Gluten-Free Waffles
Yield: 6-8 Waffles
2 cups Gluten-Free Flour
3 Tbsp sugar
1½ tsp baking powder
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
½ tsp fine salt
1 cup milk
½ cup vegetable oil
2 large eggs, separated

Preheat waffle iron. Whisk together dry ingredients and vanilla. In a separate bowl, whisk together milk, oil, and egg yolks. Beat the egg whites until soft peaks form. Pour milk mixture into dry mix. Stir gently. Fold in egg whites. Lightly brush iron with oil. Pour batter onto iron and cook until golden brown. Keep cooked waffles warm by covering with clean cloth or foil.

Garbanzo Bean Chocolate Cake
Yield: One 9” cake
1½ cups semisweet choc. chips
1 can (19oz) garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
4 eggs
¾ cup white sugar
½ tsp baking powder
1 Tbsp confectioner’s sugar, for dusting

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9” cake pan. Melt chocolate in microwave-safe bowl or over a double boiler. Be careful not to burn it by stirring every 30 seconds. Process beans and eggs in a food processor until smooth. Add sugar and baking powder, blend. Pour in melted chocolate, scrape sides to ensure all chocolate gets incorporated. Transfer to prepared pan. Bake for 35 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from pan and cool for 20 minutes. Dust with confectioner’s sugar.

Peanut Butter Cookies Sans Flour
Yield: 24 cookies
1 cup peanut butter
1 cup sugar
1 large egg, beaten
1 teaspoon baking soda

Preheat oven to 350°F. Beat peanut butter and sugar until smooth. Add beaten egg and baking soda, mix until well combined. Measure dough out to one teaspoon each and place on parchment lined baking sheet approximately one inch apart. Bake until golden, about 10 minutes. Cool on baking sheet for 3 minutes before transferring to cooling rack.

Crystal Durham is a Certified Journey Baker who studied baking and pastry arts at the Culinary Institute of America. For comments or questions, she can be contacted at [email protected].

What’s your favorite gluten-free recipe? Send it to us at [email protected].