Ahhhh breakfast: the most important meal of the day, right? I know it’s something I heard a lot growing up. If you manage food allergies and/or other dietary restrictions, you’re in the right place for wheat free and gluten-free breakfast recipes. In addition to wheat free breakfast ideas, you’ll also be seeing options for dairy free, top 9 free, top 14 free, and more.
Be sure to use the table of contents to jump around to parts of the article you’re most interested in.
Wheat Free is Not the Same as Gluten Free
It’s important to understand that whilst there is a lot of overlap in a wheat free diet and a gluten free diet, they are not the same thing. A person who is allergic to wheat can still consume rye, barley, and oats. Rye and barley contain gluten proteins. Oats contain a protein that’s similar, which is why about 25% of people with Celiac Disease (also called Coeliac Disease) can’t have oats.
If you’re following a strict gluten free diet, keep this in mind as you read labels on products that say “wheat free” rather than “gluten free”.
On the other hand, someone who manages a gluten intolerance (“gluten allergy” is a misnomer, read more about that here) can’t have rye, barley, or wheat. In some cases, oats are avoided as well. However, someone with a gluten intolerance could in theory consume wheat grass, which can’t be done with a wheat allergy.
I say theory because you’d need to source truly gluten free wheat grass (there’s a lot of cross contact).
In modern times, wheat starch “where the gluten was removed” has been a popular ingredient in gluten free products. So, if you’re wheat free or gluten free, DO NOT rely on buzz words to get you through. You must read the full ingredient list to ensure a product is safe for you.
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Excellent Wheat Free Flours to Stock
If you plan on baking a wheat free breakfast regularly, here are some flours to stock. Yes, you can stock an all purpose flour blend, however, if you’d like to have more control over the ingredients and performance, you’ll want individual gluten-free flours as well.
- Arrowroot
- Cassava Flour (grain free)
- Chickpea Flour (only if you LOVE legumes)
- Buckwheat Flour (a terrible name, it’s seed derived, and wheat/gluten free)
- Millet Flour (has a corn-like taste which can be helpful in some recipes)
- Plantain Flour (excellent for grain free baking)
- Potato Starch
- Sorghum Flour
- Rice Flour (brown rice, white rice, and sweet rice flours will behave differently)
- Gluten Free Purity Protocol Oat Flour
- Tapioca Starch (also called tapioca flour)
- Tiger Nut Flour (another terrible name, this is a tuber, not tree nuts, can impart amazing flavour)
Other Fantastic Ingredients to Stock
As you go about making delicious gluten-free recipes for breakfast, there will be some ingredients that are called for regularly. Here’s a short list to get you started:
- Cream Cheese
- Sour Cream
- Liquid Sweeteners (date syrup, maple syrup, etc.)
- Granulated Sweeteners (light brown sugar, maple sugar, etc.)
- Peppers (bell peppers, hot peppers, sweet peppers)
- Potatoes (nightshade variety)
- Sweet Potatoes & Japanese Yam
- Onions & Shallots
- Garlic & Ginger (you can purchase it in jars ready to use)
- Salt & Smoked Salt (smoked salt will change your life forever)
- Individual Spices and/or Spice Blends (I love the brand Spicely Organic)
- Ground Proteins (think ground beef etc., all can be used to make a quick skillet breakfast)
- Cooking Fats (olive oil, coconut oil, tallow, butter, dairy free butter, etc.)
Note: If you manage a milk allergy, there are a lot of dairy-free options these days for ingredients such as cream cheese, sour cream, milk, and yogurt. Be sure you’re purchasing milk free or dairy free items, not items such as “non-dairy milk” or vegan foods that contain engineered milk proteins.
Many don’t realize that non-dairy doesn’t carry the same definition as milk free and dairy free, so read labels carefully.
Gluten Free & Wheat Free Breakfast Meal Prep Tips
Let’s face it. It can be tough to have a good breakfast that’s well balanced with the “perfect” number of grams of protein etc. on busy weekday mornings. That’s where meal prep comes into play and can really help you meet your nutritional goals, use wholesome ingredients, and make foods your whole family will enjoy. Here are my best tips to help you in this endeavor.
Batch Cook & Freeze Like a Pro. There are so many breakfast foods that freeze well including pancakes, waffles, muffins, sausages, breakfast burritos, and much more. Try to batch cook and freeze at least twice per week and over time, you’ll have an awesome freezer stock to pull from. Your stock is there for you on busy mornings, on the days when you don’t have the energy to do much, and even if you want to go on a trip and need to bring your own food.
If you’re not sure how to get started with free-from batch cooking, check out this eCourse.
Prep Protein and Produce Once or Twice a Week. This tip has been my saving grace for years. I usually have groceries delivered once a week, and then I prep alllll the things when it arrives. I end up with bags and containers of raw materials that are just ready to go. The end result: every single meal I cook that week comes together so mich faster. AND, there’s less dishes since I used the board and knives just once.
Make Sheet Pan Meals for Breakfast. Sheet pan dinners are super popular, and for good reason. It’s a hands off cooking method that allows you to get other things done whilst dinner is in the oven.
Sheet pan breakfasts can be just as exciting and hands off. An easy sheet pan breakfast is oven roasted potatoes, green beans, and breakfast sausages. Pop those on a tray and when the potatoes are done, breakfast is ready.
You can also make sheet pan pancakes, upside down fruity breakfast cakes, and foods that look a bit more like dinner. Remember, you can serve anything, anytime. So a sheet pan with pork shoulder, apples, onion, potatoes, and spices can totally work for breakfast.
Create a Meal Plan. Whilst this sounds too simple, the hard truth is that a meal plan will help you in the long run with organization, budgeting, and time management. You can also make shopping lists easier when you have a good meal plan in place. The other perk to creating a meal plan is that you can schedule in easy meals based on your schedule for the day, and pencil in food from your freezer stock so you’re rotating thru it and not letting it go to waste.
Some of My Favorite Gluten-Free Breakfast Ideas
Sometimes, I’m just so full of ideas I could burst. The ideas below are ones I haven’t personally made for my kids, but need to get around to doing so soon.
Flourless Pumpkin Spice Pancakes
Around here, I do a lot of grain free cooking and baking not only to keep things interesting, but to make sure I’m making recipes for the entire free-from community. Whilst I have an awesome recipe for pumpkin waffles, I have yet to tackle gain free pumpkin pancakes, and they sound like they could be delicious.
You could take this a step further by making a sweet bacon and chopped nut topping for the pancakes. To make that, you’d chop up crispy bacon (or start with bacon bits), chop nuts (or seeds), and cook them together on the stovetop in a butter/fat of choice. Add a little smoked salt, a couple of drops of liquid smoke (this is the one I use), and a sweetener of choice. I’d use organic maple syrup. Allow that to get nice and sticky and tasty.
Greek Yogurt Smoothie
It may sound simple, but a smooth has SO much potential. You can load it up with healthy fats and nutritional boosts all whilst bringing it together in under ten minutes. If you have leftovers, you can freeze them in popsicle molds and have a healthy snack ready to go on a hot day.
Greek yogurt pairs with a wide range of ingredients including pumpkin, chocolate, vanilla, strawberries, almond butter (and other spreads), and more. You could easily schedule yourself in for a smoothie once per week, and rotate thru enough flavours that you don’t have a repeat for months.
Peanut Butter Breakfast Cookies
What makes a breakfast cookie a breakfast cookie? Usually a few key points:
- Less sugar used in the recipe.
- The recipe usually calls for an unrefined sweetener such as date or maple.
- Oats are usually involved, but don’t have to be.
- There’s usually some other kind of nutritional boost such as additional protein.
There are a lot of breakfast cookie recipes available online, and you can find them in a wheat free and gluten free format as well. Once you find one you like, experiment with different swaps such as peanut butter for almond butter.
Almond Flour + Egg Whites Waffles
If you’re needing grain free and high protein waffles as a morning meal, you can absolutely pull it off. I’ve made something similar to this concept and the biggest tip I can give you is this: make waffles, not pancakes. When I’ve tried to make these very non-traditional types of foods as pancakes, they just don’t come together properly.
A waffle on the other hand has two heating elements and that makes a big difference. Plus, the way the batter is distributed helps it cook up properly. If you decide to give this a try, beat the egg whites first, which will incorporate lots of air and make for a more fluffy waffle.
Fried Egg Sandwich
The good news is that there are a few brands that sell wheat free and gluten free english muffins. Start there for the perfect fried egg sandwich. From there, you’ll want to enlist a good ham or even lunch meat, a cheese of choice, and then the fried egg of course.
Generally speaking, this is pretty easy to make. You can add an additional layer of flavour by cooking the ham in something, rather than just adding it straight. You could also trade the ham for a high quality bacon, or even a delicious shredded meat you make at home.
For fun, you could take this in an international. direction as well. You could start with taco seasoned meat, add a little guac, fresh Mexican cheese, the fried egg, and a dollop of salsa. Alternatively, you could start with pan seared ginger tofu (firm), add lightly seared thick tomato slices, top with a fried egg, and sprinkle on a little hot sauce.
The fried egg sandwich doesn’t have to be super complicated and it’s something you can have ready to go in under 20 minutes.
Loaded Bacon Hash Browns
If you want a great breakfast idea for the weekend, look no further than loaded hash browns. To make something like this, start with shredded potatoes. Season and cook them up in butter/fat of choice like a standard hash brown. Top with crispy bacon, steamed peas, and a little sour cream or salsa.
Alternatively, you could make a hash cookup by adding all of the ingredients to the pan and cooking them together. Either way, have fun with different topping combinations for your loaded hash browns.
Easy Healthy Breakfast Ideas
Now let’s take a look at healthy breakfast recipes and ideas I think you’ll enjoy. Most of these ideas come together pretty quickly, and are something you can tweak here and there each time you serve it to have a different flavour profile and experience.
Creamy Avocado and Chocolate Smoothie with Oven Baked Fries
This delicious breakfast is close to something I made for my kids when they were growing up at least once a week. To make this, you’ll need frozen avocado, that way you don’t have to use ice which can water down the drink. It will also make for a creamier end product.
Some specialty grocery stores carry frozen avocado, but you can also make it yourself with ripe avocados. Once you have those, combine avocado, milk of choice, 2 – 4 TBSP organic cacao (not the same as cocoa), a pinch of salt, 1 tsp organic vanilla extract, and several pitted dates or organic maple syrup for sweetness. Blend to combine and when you eat the smoothie, it will read like a delicious ice cream.
Oven baked fries are pretty easy to make and you can use white potato, sweet potatoes, or Japanese yam. I would often rotate thru these three.
Poached Egg Salad
Salad for breakfast? Absolutely. This was something else I did for my kids a lot when they were younger. I essentially served breakfast foods on top of chopped romaine and called it a day. My kids aren’t huge fans of salad dressing, so I’d make the toppings on the saucy side.
To make a poached egg salad, you’ll start by making poached eggs. Be sure to watch the timing so you have that oh-so-lovely rich and runny center in the end. Whilst your egg poaches, pull together the other salad ingredients you enjoy. It can be chopped greens, crispy bacon, dried cranberries, chopped dates, nuts, seeds, and the list goes on. Whatever salad toppings you like are what you should use.
If you need additional protein, you can always batch cook ground meat and season it simply, then pull what you need and reheat it for your salad.
Savory Oatmeal
We all know about sweet leaning oatmeal such as maple vanilla oatmeal and pumpkin pie oatmeal. However, have you tried a savory leaning oatmeal yet? If not, now’s the time. Here are a few flavour combinations to get you started:
- Crispy Bacon + Thyme + Marjoram + Oatmeal + Chopped Spinach
- Italian Shredded Chicken + Quartered Cherry Tomatoes (use a grape slicer to quickly quarter) + Fresh Baby Kale + Oatmeal
- Maple Pork + Seared Bell Pepper + Sliced Carrots + Oatmeal
- Honey Ginger Beef + Oatmeal
Cream Cheese Bagel and Lox
These days, you can get gluten free bagels from several sources. Modern Bread and Bagel is a fantastic place to start, and they ship nationwide. Once you have a delicious bagel you enjoy, pair it with lox (a type of thinly sliced and seasoned salmon), capers, cream cheese, and maybe even a little fresh diced tomatoes.
You can make your bagel any which way you please, so experiment with different flavour profiles. You can also try this with your bagel nice and soft, or toasted and crunchy.
Fruit Salad + Egg, Bean, & Corn Tortillas Roll Ups
These can be incredibly tasty, and are very versatile. First, you’ll cook black beans or pinto beans with small dice onion (or shallot). Season with taco-leaning spices, or something like this taco seasoning recipe. Once your beans are cooked, set them aside. Reuse the same pan to scramble eggs. Add whatever types of seasonings you enjoy, and add a pinch of cayenne pepper if you’d like a little kick of spice.
Put a little of the egg mixture on a tortilla, then top with the bean mixture. Roll it up (think flautas) and eat. You can dunk these into fresh salsa for the ultimate taco inspired breakfast. Serve with a side of fruit salad to round out the nutritional profile of the meal.
Apple or Pear Donuts with Protein of Choice
I’m sure you’re thinking about a baked or fried donut, but I’m referring to the cutest fresh fruit doughnuts. To make one, slice an apple or pear in a downwards direction (you want a large circle). Use a mini circle cookie cutter to core the center and to give your slice a donut look. Top with yogurt and a few sprinkles or mini chocolate chips. Now you have an apple doughnut. Serve with a side of protein you enjoy. My kids love fresh fruit donuts with these homemade breakfast sausages.
Banana Shake
This is a great way to feel like you’re eating dessert for breakfast if you ask me, and if you have a sweet tooth, you’ll love this one. You’ll need to do a little work in advance. Purchase several hands of bananas and allow them to ripen. Don’t get to banana bread level, but nicely ripe banana level. Once they’re ready, peel and slice all the bananas into ice cube sized pieces. Freeze sold.
On a morning when you want to have a banana shake, you have a few awesome options:
Chocolate + Banana: Frozen ripe banana, milk of choice, 3 – 5 Tablespoons organic cacao powder (not the same as cocoa), several pitted dates for sweetness OR organic maple syrup. Blend it up and you have a delicious chocolate banana shake to enjoy.
Peach + Banana: Frozen ripe banana, milk of choice, frozen organic peaches (many grocery stores carry this, especially organic and co-op stores), pinch smoked salt, 2 teaspoons organic vanilla extract, several pitted dates for sweetness OR organic maple syrup. Blend it up and you have a delicious summer shake to enjoy.
Pineapple + Banana: Frozen ripe banana, organic pineapple juice, organic frozen pineapple chunks (you can make this yourself or purchase at specialty stores), 2 teaspoons organic vanilla extract, several pitted dates OR organic maple syrup for sweetness.
Strawberry + Banana: Frozen ripe banana, organic strawberry juice OR milk of choice, organic frozen strawberries, 2 teaspoons organic vanilla extract, several pitted dates OR organic maple syrup for sweetness.
You can rotate thru these banana shake combinations to have a really fun breakfast each week and still feel good about the nutritional profile whilst feeling like you had a little dessert.
Wheat Free Breakfast Ideas That Use Oats
Before you dive into making a breakfast with oats, it’s important to source gluten-free oats. Certified is good, and Purity Protocol is even better. Check out the Zego Oats for the perfect way to have oats with peace of mind. If you have Celiac Disease, know that about 25% of people with CD can’t have oats due to the avenin protein. You can read more about that in this article.
Now, let’s jump into some tasty ideas.
Overnight Oats
Overnight oats are all the rage these days. So much so, companies now sell them in stores. The first time I saw it I actually laughed because the truth is, it only takes ten minutes to put together your own overnight oats. However, if even those ten minutes are hard for you to find, there are store-bought options to choose from. Just be sure you purchase one that’s certified gluten free and/or made with gluten free oats.
If you ask me, the best part about making overnight oats at home is that there are elevendybajillion flavour combinations you can make, and there are so many recipes online to choose from. You can use different milks, change up fruits and other spices, and so much more. Sky’s truly the limit with this one.
If you’re not a fan of cold oats, you can still use the overnight oats method. Then, in the morning, empty the jar into a small pot and heat. The overnight process will essentially cook/soften the oats so all you need to do is heat.
Breakfast Oatmeal Cookies
The great thing about the internet is that if you manage food allergies or food intolerances, there are still recipes you can use. Breakfast cookies have been popular for ages and if you do an online search for gluten free breakfast cookies, you’ll find a lot of results.
You can also take a basic oatmeal cookie recipe and convert it to be more breakfast style. Either way, breakfast cookies shouldn’t be overlooked, as they’re usualy freezer friendly which allows you to batch cook and get ahead.
When serving something like this, add a protein on the side to round out the nutrition profile.
Oven Cooked Gluten-Free Pancakes Made with Oat Flour and Topped with Toasted Oats
Have you had a chance to make sheet pan pancakes yet? If not, I feel like you may be missing out on one of the easiest breakfasts available. To make this idea come to life, you’re going to start with a wheat free/gluten free pancake recipe you love. If you don’t have one, use this free pancake recipe on my website.
You make the batter, then line a large baking tray with parchment paper, then spread the batter all over, evenly (like regular cake). Bake that up, starting with 12 minutes. When a toothpick comes out clean, you’re good to go.
In this case however, we’re going to take it a step further and essentially make a toasted oat crumble. Heat a large skillet on medium heat and add oats and a butter of choice. Add a little granulated sweetener (maple sugar, date sugar, etc.), and allow it to get nice and crispy. You could also add bacon or even apples for a real punch of flavour.
Once the oats are done, sprinkle this all over the pancake batter before baking. When it comes out of the oven, you’ll have a lovely pancake base and a crispy topping on top.
Muffins with an Oat Crumble on Top
You can take any muffin recipe you enjoy and add a crumble on top. You can make a crumble in a small mixing bowl with oats, melted butter or oil, a sweetener, salt, and flavouring agents. Mix that all together, then place some on top of each muffin cavity that’s been filled with batter. The end result is a muffin with a little extra pep in its step. An example of this in action is my coffee chocolate chip crumble recipe (GF, V, Top 9 Free).
Sweet or Savory Oatmeal Combinations
I’m pretty sure we all know how to whip up a quick batch of oatmeal for breakfast. However, have you ever taken the time to really jazz up your oatmeal? If not, you’re in for a real treat. One of the nice things about oatmeal is that it can easily take on both sweet and savory flavours. Here are just a few ingredient combinations to get you going:
- Pumpkin Purée + Chopped Dates or Maple Syrup + Pumpkin Pie Spice + Oatmeal
- Stewed Maple Apples + Cinnamon + Nutmeg + Oatmeal
- Banana Slices + Mini Chocolate Chips + Oatmeal
- Taco Seasoned Meat + Seared Peppers + Oatmeal
- Maple Seared Pork Shoulder + Raisins + Oatmeal
- Pan Fried Chicken Thigh + Pomegranate Seeds + Oatmeal
Popular Wheat Free Breakfast Ideas and Recipes
- Gluten-free Waffles (there are too many tasty options to list, but you can see all of my GF/WF + V + Top 9 Free waffle recipes here.)
- Chocolate Date Muffins (GF, V, RSF, Top 9 Free)
- Easy Sausage & Sweet Potato Hash
- Amazing GF + Top 9 Free Maple Muffins
- Gluten Free + Egg Free + Top 9 Free French Toast
- Baked Oat Bars
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Wheat Free Breakfast Ideas for Busy Mornings
If you need a quick gluten and wheat free breakfast, here are some very tasty ideas to add into your weekly meal rotation.
Boosted Smoothie + Freeze Dried Sweet Potatoes
You can start with a smoothie recipe you love, then add nutrient dense ingredients such as chia seeds, ground flax seeds, or Zego Foods protein powder. There are also lots of fruit and veg powders you can purchase online and add a scoop of those. Also, if you make chocolate smoothies, add a little organic mushroom powder. You won’t be able to taste it, but will get some nutritional benefits from the mushroom.
I purchase freeze dried sweet potatoes from Sweet Potato Awesome.
Cream of Buckwheat
Despite the name, buckwheat is not a type of wheat. It’s made from a seed, and it’s a great alternative to oatmeal. You can whip up a batch of cream of buckwheat pretty quickly, then add fresh berries to make it special. Be sure to call companies if shared equipment with wheat is an issue for you, as some brands manufacture their cream of buckwheat on shared equipment.
Also know that like oatmeal, cream of buckwheat can take on a lot of sweet and savory flavours, so be bold and try new combinations each time you make it.
Egg & Ground Beef/Meat Skillet
I used to make this for my kids who can have eggs, and it’s SO easy. Start with diced onion and peppers in a hot pan, along with a cooking oil. Cook for 5 – 10 minutes. Add your ground meat and season well. Break it up into small pieces as it cooks.
When the meat is just about done, add cracked eggs into the pan and mix everything together. My kids would go wild for this. Each time I made it, I’d different veg such as chopped chard or chopped spinach to vary the nutrition profile.
Wheat Free & Gluten-Free Bread Options
As you come across different gluten-free breakfast options, you’re going to realize having a delicious bread will be helpful. Here are some notes on different wheat and gluten-free options.
- Canyon Bakehouse (contains eggs, and is one of THEE most popular GF bread brands in the free-from community, they ship nationwide from their website)
- O’Dough’s (they make a range of products, are vegan, and very popular in areas where they’re sold)
- Little Northern Bakehouse (this is like a classic white bread situation, has a great squish factor, but also has ingredients you may not love)
- Bread SRSLY (sourdough, vegan, top 9 free, dedicated facility, great if you like sourdough, and they offer a gum free loaf option)
- Schär (not the best ingredients, but some products are pretty popular whilst others are misses)
- Modern Bread & Bagel (rave reviews from customers, they ship nationwide)
- Happy Campers (pretty small pieces of bread, great if you love wholesome ingredients)
- Base Culture (grain free and Paleo, reviews are hit and miss)
- Against the Grain (sold in freezer sections, mostly good reviews)
This list only scratches the surface of gluten free and wheat free bread options. Also know that my list tends to lean towards brands that are more than gluten free only, since I’m always looking for inclusion.
Easy Gluten & Dairy Free Breakfasts
- Maple Banana Oat Squares
- Creamy Dairy Free Breakfast Potatoes
- Chocolate Chocolate Chip Waffles (Vegan, Top 9 Free)
- Uber Fluffy Lemon Pancakes (Egg Free, Vegan, Top 9 Free)
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Super Quick Breakfast Ideas
Avocado Toast
You’ll need a good gluten free bread you love to pull this off. In a small bowl, combine ripe avocado, sea salt to taste, a little black pepper, and any other seasonings you enjoy (Italian blend, BBQ blend, etc.). Use a fork to smash the avocado whilst mixing in the salt and seasonings.
Scoop your mix onto your toasted bread, then add more of your favorite toppings that compliment the flavour profile of the avocado. For example, if you added Italian seasoning, diced tomatoes and a little micro greens could be an excellent addition. If you have BBQ leaning spices, charred corn would be sooooo tasty with your avocado.
Chia Pudding + Protein or Veg
To make chia pudding, you combine a milk of choice (almond milk, whole milk, etc.) with flavouring agents. Once that’s well mixed, you add chia seeds, mix one more time, then put it in your fridge overnight to cool and thicken. In the morning, you’ll have a delicious pudding that’s loaded with fantastic nutrients including omegas and fiber.
Pair your pudding with an easy protein, or fresh veg and a dip.
Sweet Potato Toast
Rather than use bread like with avocado toast, sweet potato toast leans into sweet potatoes and toppings. Some people like to take thin sliced sweet potatoes and put them into their toaster, and that method works great. However, I have another fantastic option for you: Sweet Potato Awesome. You can also visit their website for more options.
This brand is incredibly special, and they sell delicious freeze dried organic sweet potatoes. The ingredients are super clean and minimal (sweet potatoes, salt, coconut oil). Start with that as your base, then top with whatever you enjoy with sweet potatoes. Like avocado toast, the combination potential is HUGE.
A Collection of Things
I know, what a great name for this meal. When my kids were growing up, some mornings it was just a collection of things, and it turned out great. Here are some examples:
- Oven Roasted Veg + Smoothie + Babybel Cheese Wheel (they even have a dairy free one now if you need it)
- Fruit & Veg Smoothie + Homemade Granola
- Breakfast Cookies + Baby Carrots & Dip
- Cookie Dough Hummus + Crackers + Raw Sliced Peppers
- 1/2 PB&J Sandwich + Fresh Fruit & Fresh Veg
Just remember, anything can be served at anytime. You can serve dinner leaning foods at breakfast and it’s still a fantastic meal. As long as it’s safe and delicious, I consider it a win.
Answering Your Wheat Free Breakfast Questions
What’s the best brand of cold cereal for someone with a gluten sensitivity?
Honestly, I couldn’t tell you, and here’s why: my kids sampled pretty much all of the brands and really don’t like most of them. The only cold cereal they can say tastes pretty good is the chocolate Koala Crisps, but it’s more of a special occasion cereal rather than something I’d serve up everyday.
On this one, unfortunately, you’re going to have to bite the bullet, pay for a bunch of gluten free cold cereal, and try them to see what your taste buds like. I will tell you this. DO NOT purchase cold cereals like Annie’s and Cheerio’s where the package says “gluten free” spelled out in letters, rather than a “certified gluten free” logo on the box. This is one way that brands are deceptive if you ask me, and sooooo many in the free-from space have reported reactions to these types of products.
When baking muffins, can I swap wheat flour for coconut flour?
No. A really big fat no, so I’m glad you asked so I can save you the wasted ingredients. Coconut flour, almond flour, and other speciality flours absorb liquids at a much different rate than wheat flour, and even gluten-free flours.
If coconut flour is the only flour you can eat, you need to start with a recipe designed from the ground up with coconut flour so you know the ratios are correct. Alternatively, you can use an all purpose gluten free flour to replace the wheat flour in the recipe, SO LONG AS you’re not also egg free. If you remove both gluten and eggs from a recipe that wasn’t designed for a free-from application, you will have a hot mess on your hands.
Do fast food restaurants and sit-down restaurants have breakfasts for someone on a gluten-free diet?
Yes and no. Outright, no. You won’t find them advertising free-from options. The biggest reason will be cross-contact. These establishments absolutely cannot guarantee your safety, so dine at your own risk.
Now, could you piece together a gluten free meal at these places? Yes. Many fast food restaurants and sit-down restaurants have sides you can purchase such as fresh fruit. What you’ll want to do is go online and read the menu in advance. Some places use ingredients such as wheat, milk, and gluten-containing ingredients in their eggs. You’ll want to see if that’s the case before visiting, as eggs will be an easy item to order.
If you visit a sit-down restaurant, you should be able to get whole eggs freshly cooked, a side of rice, and a side of steamed vegetables. Selecting individual components like this is often the best way to eat safely, as many of the pre-made foods will contain major allergens.
I’m gluten and dairy free. What’s the best dairy free milk to cook with?
Honestly, there’s no right or wrong answer on this one. If you’re in the 30% group that can’t have food made on shared equipment with their allergen(s), you will have very limited options as most DF milk is made on shared equipment with major allergens.
Now, that being said, all dairy free milk is a 1:1 exchange with mammal milks. The only exception will be full fat coconut milk. It’s very different than standard DF milk, and when you’re new to the diagnosis, I suggest following recipes that are specifically made for that type of milk so you can get a working knowledge of how to best use it.
All of the other milks (almond milk, rice milk, boxed/watery coconut milk, flax milk, nut milk, legume milk, oat milk, etc.) will all pretty much behave the same. There will be slight differences such as soy milk baking up a little different from the protein content and oat milk having an extra thickening power, but in regular cooking and baking, it’s dealer’s choice.
My child with wheat and milk allergies has done a review of dairy free milks. If you want to know where to start based on taste alone, it’s a good place. Mind you, his opinion, is just one opinion, so be open to trying things he may not like.
Personally, I’ve cooked with seed milks, nut milks, and oat milk. I settled on an oat milk that I make at home (no shared equipment). I’ve had zero complaints, and it works the way you would expect it to.
