A wonderful change from the usual mince pies with it’s delicious frangipane topping. It’s also easier to make as there’s far less cutting and shaping with pastry. I used my own homemade mincemeat which is gluten free and vegan. The recipe is here on my website if you would like to make it. It’s very simple and can be made ahead once stored in sterilised jars. A great dessert to serve with cream or custard after a lovely dinner.
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I have a very nice Gluten Free Banana Bread recipe here on cozebakes which is made using only ground almonds. I wanted to make one which used Gluten Free flour and to include dates and walnuts for extra flavour and crunch.
I’ve adapted this great basic banana bread recipe and it’s worked really well. Banana Bread can sometimes can bad press but it’s a great stand by recipe and this one uses no added sugar so it’s a healthier option to bake. Using very ripe bananas adds a natural sweetness which removes the need to add processed sugar to this recipe.
There is an amazing smell all around the kitchen when making these gingerbread shapes and they taste just so delicious with a hint of spices in each bite. Soft and chewy, they are perfect to decorate your favourite way.
I got about 12 good sized gingerbread from this recipe. My cutter is approximately 9cm x 8cm
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I was delighted to receive some amazing products from the Free’Ist range and set about creating a fun and very simple, no bake recipe that everyone can enjoy. Free’Ist is an Irish company that produce a range of products to help reduce your sugar intake but never compromises on taste. The bonus is that a lot of their products are also gluten free!
Check out their website with great Bundle Offers: https://freeist.co.uk/?v=79cba1185463
I took the much loved and well known Rice Krispies Squares and adapted them to add some sweet and salty popcorn from Free’Ist and the combination works so well. I also used dairy free butter and milk which worked great.
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These scones are just perfect, fresh from the oven, warm and maybe spread with a little butter or chutney. Seriously very comforting food! The recipes comes together quickly and they are definitely worth making for a perfect mid morning or afternoon treat.
I’ve made shortbread before and I’ve tried two recipes. Both are here on cozebakes for you to try – A traditional shortbread recipe and a lemon shortbread recipe. One of my sons is a big fan of shortbread and even bigger fan of anything with lemon so I wanted to make him Gluten Free Lemon Shortbread.
You can change it up and try orange zest and even lime zest for a citrus shortbread. Don’t be tempted to add liquid flavourings so stick with chocolate chips, dried fruit, nuts, etc.
These Apple Tart Cookies are soft and chewy and there’s no shaping to be done before baking. They are full of delicious pieces of apple and you can add white chocolate chips for extra sweetness if you like.
I always think of just “pure comfort” when it comes to apple tarts and they are always such a big hit with everyone. To have them in cookie form is another lovely element without having to make pastry. I love the fact these cookies don’t have lots of sugar in the ingredients and adding a glaze at the end just adds a nice touch of sweetness.
I love finding recipes that are both healthy and delicious while omitting refined sugars. These delicious bites of fruit and coconut uses the fruit and honey as a natural sweetener and using Brown Rice Flour brings them up another notch on the healthy snack ladder.
If you can’t find a brown rice flour, then sub gluten free rice flour. I got a some brown rice flour from my local health shop.
It’s hard to get a good gluten free biscuit recipe that tastes really good and this one seemed worth a go. I’m really glad I tried them as they are ridiculously easy to make and I also feel that the sugar quantity can be greatly reduced while still getting a delicious and decadent chocolate chip cookies to enjoy.
If you like a sweet biscuit or maybe if you are making them for a sweet tooth person then by all means use the full sugar quota but I would be happy to reduce by half. There’s quite a chocolate hit off these too which is a nice surprise as sometimes gluten free biscuits can lack in a flavour hit and all you taste is sugar.
Depending on how much you like your chocolate hit, use either milk or dark chocolate chips.
Seeing the recipe for these Energy Bars in a Gluten Free Magazine, I wanted to give them a try as I have a few “athletes” in my house so figured these would be handy for pre or after training and for hunger pangs on the run.
What’s wonderful about them is you can make them Nut Free, they are naturally Gluten Free and if you leave out the maple syrup, they are basically Sugar Free too
I made them without the maple syrup because I wanted to see how they worked with the zest of an orange and some cinnamon to help the flavours and I felt they are lovely. If you have a sweet tooth or prefer a sweeter snack, then by all means add a good tablespoon of maple syrup.
Personally we love nuts so I did add a selection of natural nuts to give them a different flavour and if you can do that, try it as they are lovely.
We’re big fans of anything almond flavoured at cozebakes HQ and when they are gluten free, it’s a bonus for us with two coeliacs to cater for. The added issue of a preferred low sugar diet can complicate things sometimes but this recipe seemed to have lots of potential.
Initially I doubled the quantities as it seemed a very small amount to spread out in a 20cm square tin. Personally, I’ll be making these again and just dropping scoops of the batter onto a baking tray rather than what the original recipe suggests. Either way, they are really, really delicious. As per usual, I reduced the original sugar quantities and think they are lovely but if you like a good sweet kick, then check my suggestions in the ingredients.
A great dessert recipe that’s always a big hit any time of the year and this one uses ground almonds which gives it a really nice texture. It’s so easily adaptable to any flavours you like and also for each season and your imagination is all that will stop you!
A meringue roulade is much quicker than it’s cousin the Pavlova and can be made on the day it’s needed. It takes about 20 minutes to get into the oven, 30/35 to bake and the same to cool and then you can keep it wrapped in the fridge till needed or dress up for serving. I’ve never known anyone to refuse a slice of roulade when presented, so it’s a great one to have in your baking repertoire. Please don’t be worried about rolling it. It’s far more difficult in your head than in reality!
