Gluten-free cooking isn’t hard once you know the swaps. Here’s what I’ve learned.
Flour Substitutes
Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 works for most baking. Not perfect but close enough. Tastes better than rice flour alone.
Almond flour for dense items. Brownies, cookies, quick breads. Adds moisture and fat.
Coconut flour absorbs liquid like crazy. Use less. Maybe 1/4 of what recipe calls for. Or add more eggs.
Binding Without Gluten
Xanthan gum helps. Tiny amount – 1/4 teaspoon per cup of GF flour. Too much gets slimy.
Extra eggs work too. Structure without the weird additives.
Pasta
Banza chickpea pasta is good. Higher protein too. Cooks faster than regular – watch it closely.
Rice noodles for Asian dishes. Different texture, good in their own right.
Breadcrumbs
Crushed rice crackers. Works fine. Or buy actual GF breadcrumbs now available most places.
Parmesan coating for proteins. No breadcrumb needed. Crispy and flavorful.
Hidden Gluten
Soy sauce has wheat. Use tamari or coconut aminos.
Some spice blends have flour. Read labels. Pure spices are fine.
Taste Tips
Salt more than usual. GF flour tastes flat. Extra seasoning helps.
Don’t expect identical results. Different is fine. Different can be good.
