Gluten Free, Vegan Apple Cinnamon Bars Recipe

photo used with permission from Joe of Culinary in the Country

I created this egg free, low sugar bar recipe for Cheryl of GFGoodness probably 2 years ago... I'm a little behind on posting it!

She wanted a recipe that used gluten free rolled oats. She also needed them to be egg free, corn free, and dairy free. (And I think there were a few other qualifications, but I can't remember what they were!)

At any rate, this is what I created for Cheryl. I've had several people test it with wonderful results. These bars are very simple to make and are an easy fall dessert!

I hope you enjoy them... even if I am 2 years behind schedule!

*Many thanks to Chef Joe of Culinary in the Country, for allowing me to use his picture to help me illustrate how delicious these bars are! While Chef Joe's bars are made from wheat flour & oats they look nearly identical to this gluten free version! Thanks Joe! 

Gluten Free, Vegan Apple Cinnamon Bars
Created by Carrie @ Gingerlemongirl.com
free of gluten, dairy/casein, eggs, nuts, gums and soy
printer-friendly recipe.

Bar Ingredients:
½ cup brown rice flour
½ cup arrowroot starch
½ cup sorghum flour
1 teaspoon gluten free, corn free baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 ½ cups GF certified rolled oats (or half oats and half quinoa flakes)
1/4 – 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
½ – 3/4 cup coconut oil (NOT melted) -or- Spectrum Palm Shortening

Filling Ingredients:
2-3 small apples, any variety, seeds removed, coarsely chopped or grated
2 teaspoons cinnamon
3 tablespoons agave nectar

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Whisk together all flours, baking powder, salt, and GF certified oats. Stir in brown sugar, and lastly cut in coconut oil or Spectrum shortening with a knife or fork, until it resembles very small peas within the dry mixture. You should have a crumbly dough. Press one half of the bar mixture into a greased 8″ square (or small rectangular) pan. In a small saucepan cook chopped apples, cinnamon, and agave nectar just until apples are soft – 10 to 15 minutes. Pour apple mixture over the pressed bar mixture.
Sprinkle second half of bar mixture over the top of apples and pat lightly. Bake at 350 for 30 – 40 minutes or until light brown. Let cool completely before cutting into squares. Makes 9 large bars. Enjoy!

A Gluten Free Holiday with Amy of Simply Sugar and Gluten Free

Gluten Free, Grain Free Double Chocolate Peanut Butter Brownies

Double Chocolate Peanut Butter Brownies. Sounds good right? Today I have the honor of guest posting over at Amy Green's Simply Sugar and Gluten Free. Amy is a dear friend and I'm so proud of her! She's working hard to finish her first cookbook which will hit bookstores nationwide this January! You can already pre-order Amy's "Simply Sugar and Gluten Free Meals in 20 Minutes: 120 Easy and Delicious Recipes" from Amazon. 

If you'd like the recipe to those delicious brownies, please stop by Simply Sugar and Gluten Free today! 

Amy is one busy girl. She's also hosting this year's A Gluten Free Holiday which will feature a roundup of favorite holiday meals each Thursday of the holiday season starting on Thursday November 5th! Amy has lined up fantastic give-a-way's for each weekly roundup and the series will be hosted by some of your very favorite gluten free bloggers! 

From Amy's blog: 

Dates & Themes for "A Gluten Free Holiday"

November 4th – Healthier Through The Holidays at Diet, Dessert, & Dogs
Let’s all get off to a healthy start this holiday season.  Bring Ricki your favorite healthier dish that won’t pack on the pounds.  Of, maybe you can share your top tips for staying slim when there’s tempting food everywhere.

November 11th – Thanksgiving Favorites at Gluten-Free Easily
Share your favorite gluten-free Thanksgiving dish from appetizers to desserts at Shirley’s place. We want to see your stuffing, turkey dishes, pumpkin pie, mashed potatoes, cranberry jelly…anything Thanksgiving goes. (To our Canadian friends – please share your Thanksgiving dishes, too!  We know you celebrated earlier than the US!)

November 18th – Gifts of Good Taste at Tasty Eats at Home
Who doesn’t love a gift made with love? Share your favorite foodie gift that’s gluten-free. Have a fabulous way to pack a yummy treat? We want to see that, too.

December 2nd –Holiday Entrees & Sides  Dishes at The W.H.O.L.E. Gang
Bring your families favorite entrees and sides.  Diane will be ready for them all.  We know that Haunnkah starts on December 2nd this year but still hope to see some of your favorite dishes.

December 9th – Holiday Breakfast & Brunch at Ginger Lemon Girl
A warm, cozy breakfast or brunch is a wonderful way to start off the holiday.  This is a great time to help someone else whipping up your fabulous gluten-free cinnamon rolls or a crumb-topped coffee cake by sharing your favorite recipes.

December 16th – Holiday Desserts at Simply Sugar & Gluten-Free 
Just like it sounds – bring your favorite gluten-free Christmas desserts for all to share.  Cookies, pies, truffles, cakes, and candies….we want to try them all.

I can't wait for the Holidays this year, especially with a Gluten Free Twist! 

I hope you'll join us!

Gluten Free, Vegan Banana Bread Recipe

Gluten free, vegan banana bread. Egg free. Rice free. Dairy/casein free. Low sugar/ low glycemic.

A few years ago I completely turned my nose at anything labeled "vegan." I'm not really a fan of labels as it is... but then again you want people to visit your blog... so sometimes labels are helpful, especially to search engines. But I'm getting off topic... A few years ago I knew how to bake. I could bake the heck out of a banana bread, chocolate cake, brownies, apple pie, you name it... but it was always in the traditional sense. Wheat flour. Eggs. Sugar. Milk.

Nearly 5 years later that seems so boring. Anybody can cook & bake like that if they want too. It wasn't until I HAD to change my diet and cut gluten out of my life that I realized it was completely possible to bake without those traditional ingredients.  You don't need wheat, eggs, sugar, or milk to make a good and delicious banana bread!

I didn't necessarily make this particular banana bread for people following a vegan diet. I made it for friends who have kids who can't eat eggs. I made it because I like thinking outside of the box. I made it because I like figuring out new ways to bake old favorite foods.

I've learned so much about non-traditional baking in the past 5 years and every day I learn more. If anything, I've realized there are truly no limits to what you can do in the kitchen.  Just because you have food limitations doesn't mean that your life has to be boring or bland or no longer tasty!

That's the thing I love about gluten free baking. It seems hard at first, but once you step outside of that little American box you were accustomed too of prepackaged mixes, wheat flour, sugar, butter, and eggs... you realize the whole world has been baking with thousands of other ingredients for centuries.

So walk on the wild side with sorghum flour, blanched almond flour, or quinoa. Bake a batch of brownies with millet flour or brown rice flour or amaranth. Make an egg-free cake with ground flax seeds, chia seeds, or mashed bananas. Ditch the white sugar and sweeten a batch of brownies with molasses, agave nectar, local honey, or stevia.

Don't be afraid to try new things. You may not always end up with a perfect baked good every time, but you will have the joy of experiencing new flavors in your kitchen!

Gluten Free, Vegan Banana Bread Recipe
free of gluten, dairy/casein, rice, soy, and eggs
created by carrie @ www.gingerlemongirl.com
print-friendly recipe.

**Makes 3 "7.5 x 3.5" loaves of banana bread**

Dry Ingredients:
1 cup millet flour (5 oz., 140 grams)
1 cup sorghum flour (5 1/4 oz., 150 grams)
1 cup arrowroot starch (4 1/2 oz., 124 grams)
2 tablespoons ground flax seeds
4 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons xanthan gum
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Wet Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups mashed bananas (about 3-4 small bananas)
1 tablespoon Ener-G Egg Replacer + 1/4 cup warm water (or 2 eggs)
1 cup non-dairy milk (I use almond milk)
1/4 cup canola oil, melted coconut oil, or grapeseed oil
1/2 cup honey, agave nectar, or sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Optional Add-In's:
1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
1/2 cup allergen free chocolate chips

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl whisk together all dry ingredients. In another bowl mix together all wet ingredients. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir until you have a thick cake batter texture. Fold in chopped walnuts or chocolate chips if you are using them. Divide the banana bread batter into 3 (7.5 x3.5) greased loaf pans. (The batter should fill each pan about halfway full.) Add a few half pecans or walnuts to the top of your bread for decoration if you'd like. Bake in preheated oven for 25-35 minutes, or until loaves are golden brown, and a toothpick or sharp knife inserted in the middle comes out clean.

*Also makes 18-24 muffins. Line muffin pans with paper liners and fill about half full with batter. Top each muffin with a pecan if you'd like. Bake for 17-20 minutes until the muffins are golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Carrie's Notes:

• If you're opposed to using Ener-G egg replacer (or if you don't have any) I think you could make the banana bread or muffins without it, they just may not rise quite as high. 
• Millet flour & sorghum flour: If you don't like these flours, use other whole grain gluten free flours that you like. Brown rice flour, quinoa flour, even bean flours would work just fine in this recipe. 
• This is NOT a really sweet bread. Feel free to up the amount of sugar or honey to 3/4 cup - 1 cup. It should not affect the end result of the rise or texture or the bread. 
• This bread is also delicious toasted and I think it would make GREAT french toast!
• You should be able to halve this recipe easily and make 2 larger loaves of banana bread. I like making it in the smaller loaf pans though because I think it gets a better rise. I use the same loaf pans to make Elana's Gluten Free Bread. 

This recipe has been linked to Amy Green's Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays. Make sure to stop by and see all of the other yummy and slightly indulgent treats that are listed on today's roundup! 

Gluten Free Beans Galore Recipe

When I graduated from college (good heavens 10 years ago... yeesh!) I rented an upstairs room from Mrs. Betty B. The first meal Betty made for me was Beans Galore.  I remember moving my stuff into Betty's house, a bit nervous, not sure what the future held. I didn't have a job yet, wasn't sure where life was taking me (do you ever stop wondering that?)... but I knew it was a good decision to become Mrs. Betty's roommate after tasting that wonderful bowl of Beans Galore.

No matter what you may think when you graduate from college, you're still a kid. There's a lot of growing up to be done. In that sense, Betty will always be kind of like a 2nd mom to me. She was nurturing, she cooked many meals, she put up with my dating and first job frustrations... she was and still is a great friend.  She still cooks us meals and Betty's home is still a peaceful haven to me.

I'm beyond blessed to have met Betty and still have her in my life. For another awesome recipe from Betty, check out this gluten free french bread casserole!

This recipe is an old favorite. It's one of the few recipes with beans that Michael will actually ask for. He'll eat 3rd helpings. It's sweet and savory and nothing but simple. You can simmer it all day in a crockpot or you can make it on the stove and have it on the table in 30 minutes. This dish might also be known to you as glorified baked beans, chuckwagon beans, or just simply as "baked beans" depending on how your family makes it.

Every time we eat this meal it reminds me of Betty's simple & loving hospitality. Make a big pot and generously share a bowl with your friends and neighbors. Laugh, smile, and let them know how much you appreciate them!

Mrs. Betty's Beans Galore
created by Betty B., shared by Carrie @ gingerlemongirl.com
free of gluten, dairy/casein, soy, and corn
Printer-friendly recipe


1/2 pound bacon (optional - I only use if it I have it -- last night I didn't have it!)
1 pound ground beef
1 medium onion, chopped
1/3 cup brown sugar (I only use 1-2 tablespoons)
1/4 cup white sugar (we leave this out)
1/4 cup ketchup
1/4 cup of your favorite gluten free barbecue sauce
1 teaspoon dry mustard
2 tablespoons molasses
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
1 teaspoon salt
2 (15 oz.) cans pork & beans (I just use a 28 oz. can of baked beans)
1 (15 oz.) can lima beans
1 (15 oz.) can light red kidney beans (I use northern beans)

Stovetop Directions:
Fry bacon in a large dutch oven. Drain off grease, crumble bacon and set aside. Brown ground beef until it's cooked through and there is no pink showing. Add chopped onions and saute until soft -or- translucent. Add remaining ingredients to dutch oven. Cook beans galore over medium heat for about 15-20 minutes until completely heated through and simmering. You may need to stir often to prevent the beans from burning on the bottom. Serve hot with a nice green salad and gluten free french bread. (Of if you're like us, just eat a small bowl... it'll do ya for a few hours! This is a delicious and filling sweet & sour chili!)

Slow Cooker Directions:
Fry bacon in a large pan. Drain off grease, crumble bacon and set aside. Brown ground beef until it's cooked through and there is no pink showing. Add chopped onions and saute until soft -or- translucent. Add crumbled bacon, browned ground beef & onions, and all other ingredients to the slow cooker. Cook on high for 4 hours, or on low for 8 hours. Allow to cool a bit before eating.

Carrie's Notes:

• To watch the sugar content in this recipe  (the original has a LOT!) I don't add any white sugar, and I only add about 2 tablespoons of brown sugar. We use low sugar ketchup and low sugar barbecue sauce...so our version is not super sweet... if you make this using Betty's recipe, be prepared for a SUPER sweet and sour treat!! 
• To cut the salt content of this recipe, I rinse and drain both the lima beans and the northern beans/red beans. I don't drain the can of baked beans, since it's flavoring is in the sauce. If you rinse & drain your beans you may need a little bit more liquid, so add a can or so or warm water to make the texture like a thick stew/chili. 
• Optional Bacon: If you know me, you know I'm not going to skip the bacon if I don't have too! But this recipe is still absolutely delicious without the bacon. I didn't have any on hand tonight and it still turned out just fine!

Gluten Free, Grain Free Peanut Butter Cupcakes Recipe

We try to visit Michael's parents at least once a week. Sometimes it's more often, sometimes less. On a recent visit we had a wonderful southern meal prepared by Michael's mom Carol. We didn't have anything for dessert planned and I was watching Cupcake Wars on Food Network. We don't have cable or satellite television at our house, so the first thing I do when we get to Michael's parents house is head towards the living room and change the channel to Food Network! Thankfully his parents usually don't mind -- so long as a car race isn't on!

So after an hour of seeing about 1000 cupcakes being made I thought we needed cupcakes for dessert. One problem. Michael's parents aren't gluten free and therefore don't have a full pantry of gluten free flours available. So I made myself at home in Carol's kitchen and started nosing around to see what I could find.

Peanut butter = check.
Eggs = check.
Sugar = check.

Hmm... could you make cupcakes with those basic ingredients from a regular kitchen? I thought it would be worth a shot to try. Surprisingly it worked! Nut flours and butters can be used singularly as a flour in gluten free baking. It worked really well! I will admit, these cupcakes aren't perfect. I made them again last night to double check my recipe measurements and this makes a LOT of cupcakes... so I'm giving you both recipes in case you want to make a small batch or a large batch.

A few tips for grain-free peanut butter cupcakes:

• Don't overfill the cupcake liners. I made these cupcakes WAY too big, so they were starting to collapse as they cooled. Unlike most gluten free cupcakes, you don't need to add batter to the brim of the cupcake liner, I'd say only fill the liners 3/4 full MAX. (In these pictures, I still made them WAY too big and added too much batter.)
• Use SMALL or mini chocolate chips. I used regular sized chocolate chips in both batches, and I think the large size makes them heavier and that's contributing to the cupcakes falling slightly when they are cooling. 
• You can use "real" peanut butter (which is what I prefer) that is simply peanuts that have been ground, or if your family prefers a peanut butter with additives like "Jif" that works too. The only peanut butter Michael's parents had was Jif, and at home I had Maranatha natural peanut butter. The cupcakes turned out great with both kinds.  You could also use almond butter or another nut butter of your choice. 

Gluten Free, Grain Free Peanut Butter Cupcakes
free of gluten, dairy, soy, gums, corn, and other grains
created by carrie forbes of gingerlemongirl.com
printer-friendly recipe

Large Batch (15-18 cupcakes)                   
2/3 cup sugar, agave nectar, or honey              
2 teaspoons baking powder                            
1 1/4 cups peanut butter                                  
4 eggs                                                          
1/4 cup water                                              
1 tablespoon gluten free vanilla                         
1/4 cup mini-chocolate chips                         

Small Batch (7-9 cupcakes)
1/3 cup sugar, agave nectar, or honey
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup + 2 tbsp. peanut butter
2 eggs
2 tablespoons water
1 1/2 teaspoons gluten free vanilla
2 tablespoons mini-chocolate chips

Directions:
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Line cupcake pans with paper liners. In a medium sized bowl mix together sugar and baking powder. To the sugar, add peanut butter and cream the mixture together. In another bowl whisk together the eggs, water, and vanilla. Pour the egg mixture into the peanut butter/sugar mixture and mix it together with a fork until it's very creamy and light, like a cake batter. You may need to use a little elbow grease to completely mix the wet ingredients with the peanut butter/sugar mixture. Spoon the cupcake batter into the paper lines until they are NO more than 1/2 - 3/4 full. These cupcakes definitely need room to rise! Lightly sprinkle a few mini-chocolate chips on top of the cupcakes and place in the preheated oven. Bake for 15-18 minutes until they are golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the middle of a cupcakes comes out clean. Allow the cupcakes to cool for about 20 minutes on a wire rack before serving. They are delicious hot or cold. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator.