My mother used to make a sesame seed cake recipe that she found in the NEW YORK TIMES. She frosted it with chocolate ganache and it was so delicious it never lasted more than one meal in our household. I’ve been searching for years trying to find that original recipe without any success. However, recently I’ve found several gluten-free sesame seed cake recipes, one of which I’ve adapted here. Of course, if you can have eggs, go ahead and substitute back the one egg for the flax gel. This makes one 8×8″ square or round cake so for a two layer cake, double the recipe or make it twice.
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease an 8×8″ baking pan. In a medium size mixing bowl combine:
1 tablespoon ground flaxseed
3 tablespoons warm water
Whisk together and let sit for approximately 5 minutes until it forms a gel. To it add:
1/2 cup date sugar
1/3 cup Spectrum shortening (or vegan butter or margarine at room temperature)
1/4 cup black sesame seeds (or toasted regular ones if you prefer the taste)
I just used a spoon to mix this cake together but feel free to use a hand mixer. Combine the above until smooth and the shortening is incorporated. Add:
3/4 cup non-dairy milk (minus 1 tablespoon)
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Stir in the liquid ingredients before adding:
2 cups oat flour (make sure it’s gluten-free)
1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum (or guar gum)
2 teaspoons baking powder
Stir until all ingredients are combined. Spoon into prepared pan and bake for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Frost with chocolate or carob ganache if desired (see recipe under Sauces, Condiments and Dressings).
I’m updating this recipe. Just spoke with my son and daughter-in-law who said it was good but it wasn’t sweet enough! I admit, I don’t like my desserts as sweet as most people so I’ll adjust the recipe so that those of you who want a sweeter cake can still use this recipe.
I love carrot cake but I love my carrot cake to be more like a spice cake with some carrots in it. So unlike most carrot cakes, I add more spices. If you don’t, feel free to stop with the cinnamon. I was easily able to divide this cake into two bowls and mix some ground walnuts into one bowl (for my son and his family) and some chopped dates and pumpkin seeds into the other for me. This cake only takes one bowl and is fairly easy to mix even for me with 2 rotator cuff tears.
First, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour 2, 8″ baking pans (I used one square and one round so that I knew which was which!). In a medium-large bowl, combine:
3 tablespoons ground flax
7 tablespoons warm water (1/3 cup + 1 tablespoon)
Whisk to combine and then let sit for 5 minutes or so to form flax gel. When ready add to it:
1/3 cup avocado oil
1/4 cup maple syrup
Whisk or stir to combine and then add:
1 scant cup unsweetened fruit sauce (apple, pear, peach, oh pineapple would be good) [I actually only had 7/8 of a cup and it worked fine]
1/2 to 1 cup date sugar (depending on how sweet you want it)
3/4 teaspoon sea salt
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
Stir or whisk to combine. Add:
3/4 cup non-dairy milk
Stir or whisk to combine (by now the whisk will be having a difficult time so use a hand mixer if necessary). Add:
1 cup grated carrots
1 1/2 cups all-purpose gluten-free flour
1 cup oat flour
Stir to combine adding another 1/4 cup of non-dairy milk if necessary. Stir in:
1/2 to 3/4 cup chopped walnuts, feel free to mix it up using chopped pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, and/or dates, chopped raisins, cranberries, or dried pineapple also work (Optional)
Spoon the batter equally between the two pans and bake for 40-50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean (I would actually bake it about 5 minutes more after the toothpick comes out clean). Don’t worry if it’s slightly overbaked since gluten-free baked goods take longer to cook than regular ones, it still comes out fine.
Remove from oven and let cool, on a cooling rack, for 15-20 minutes before removing from pan. Let cool completely before frosting or serving. For faster cooling, place in the refrigerator for about a half hour. Serves 8-12.
Vegan “Cream Cheese” Frosting
One just has to have cream cheese frosting on carrot cake! I’ve tried several nut-free, tofu-free recipes for vegan cream cheese and none of them worked very well until I found this one, delicious! Of course, if you don’t care for sweet potatoes, it may not be your cup of tea. It uses white flesh sweet potatoes which are starchier and not as sweet as the ones we’re used to here in the U.S. They can be called Japanese, Hannah, or Batata.
Wash, peel and dice:
1 large or 2 medium-sized white flesh sweet potatoes
Since we don’t want to add any liquid to the sweet potatoes, it’s very important that they are steamed rather than boiled. Steam until fork tender. Place in a small to medium bowl. Using a potato masher, mash and then measure out 2 cups.
Transfer the 2 cups to another medium bowl (or the same one if it used all the mashed potatoes). Add:
1/3 cup avocado oil
Juice from one lemon (about 2 tablespoons)
1 teaspoon white vinegar
1/8 teaspoon salt
There’s the basic recipe for vegan “cream cheese”. To make it into frosting, whip in using a hand mixer:
1/4 to 1/2 cup maple syrup, agave nectar, honey, etc.
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Will frost two layers of a naked cake (no frosting on the sides).
Oatmeal cookies are my favorites. I like other cookies but I LOVE oatmeal cookies. Here’s a quick and easy recipe that makes about a dozen and takes 3 times longer to bake then it does to mix together. Delicious, almost like eating a nut butter and jam sandwich on oat bread but even better! Use whatever nut or seed butter your family likes and feel free to use whatever sugar-free jam you have on hand as well. I had strawberry jam so that’s what I used. You can find numerous types of free-dried fruits now on-line or at the grocery store.
In a medium (8 cup bowl) combine:
1 1/2 cups sprouted rolled oats
1/4 cup oat flour
2 1/2 tablespoons ground flaxseed
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
Stir to combine. In a second 3-4 cup small bowl whisk together:
3 tablespoons avocado oil
1/4 cut nut or seed butter (I used tahini)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup sugar-free or low-sugar strawberry jam
1/4 to 1/2 cup crushed freeze-dried strawberries (save some whole ones to press on top of the cookies before baking)
3 tablespoons date syrup (or agave, coconut nectar, maple syrup, etc.)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line one large cookie sheet with parchment paper. Set aside. Stir whisked wet ingredients into dry ingredients and fold together until mixture is moistened and well mixed. Using a medium (or small for smaller cookies), scoop and drop cookie dough onto the prepared cookie sheet, spaced about 1/2 inch apart and flatten each one with either the back of the scoop or a fork. Press a piece of dried strawberry into the top of each cookie. Bake 10-17 minutes depending on size (cookies should be firm to the touch). Cool for 10-15 minutes before removing cookies to a cooling rack. Cool completely before storing in an air-tight container. They will keep for about a week (not in my household!). They will also freeze in a vacuum sealed bag for up to 3 months. Using my large scoop, I made 10 cookies.
Alternatives:
Use 1/2 cup pear sauce, 1/4 cup cranberries or raisins, and add 1/4 cup date sugar
Use 1/2 cup applesauce, 1/4-1/2 cup crushed dried apples and add 1/4 cup date sugar
Use 1/2 cup peach jam, 1/4-1/2 cup crushed dried peaches
Use 1/2 cup plum jam, 1/4 cup diced dried prunes
Use 1/2 cup of any jam and 1/2 cup carob chips
Use 1/2 cup pineapple jam and 1/4 cup crushed dried bananas or pineapple
Really just about any combination of sauce or jam with dried fruit or chips will work in this recipe. Just be sure to add the extra sweetener if using sauce rather than jam.
I’ve posted a number of recipes on my blog for pancakes but in reality, I much prefer French toast to pancakes. Difficult to find a pre-made or even a workable recipe for gluten and egg-free bread. I’ve found one that I’ll post next on the blog but in the meantime, if you already have a delicious bread, here’s a way to make it into French toast without the egg. Takes only a few minutes to put together and cook, a few more if you want to bake it rather than fry.
In a shallow bowl (like a soup plate) combine:
1 cup non-dairy milk
1 tablespoon ground flax (or chia would work also)
Let sit for about five minutes so that the flax slightly thickens the milk. Add:
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon (or other spice that you like such as nutmeg, allspice, etc.)
Whisk to combine. In a 12″ skillet, heat over medium heat:
1 tablespoon oil
As the oil gets hot, soak slices of:
gluten-free, egg-free bread, 4-5 thicker slices
In the milk mixture, being sure to turn them after about 10 seconds in the milk mixture. Add to the skillet as you take them out of the milk. Cook for about 2 minutes per side until golden brown. Sprinkle with date sugar or top with syrup – maple, agave, date, coconut, etc. Makes 2 servings.
I know you’ll take one look at the picture and say, But Jean, empanadas aren’t round! I know, they’re supposed to be half-circles but this gluten-free dough is supposed to have an egg to bind it together and the flax egg just didn’t work as well so I made full-moons. They taste delicious, just don’t try to eat them with your hands! I used ground turkey in mine but any ground meat will work.
In a small bowl combine:
1 tablespoon ground flax
3 tablespoons water or aquafaba
Let sit about 5 minutes until it sets then make the dough. In the bowl of the food processor put:
3 cups gluten-free flour (whatever blend you have works)
1 teaspoon xanthan gum
2 tablespoons date sugar
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 cup vegan margarine, Earth Balance, or Spectrum shortening (put in around the food processor, not in just one spot)
Pulse until the mixture is a coarse meal. In a small bowl combine:
1 flax egg (that you made above) [OR if you can use it, 1 large egg)
1/2 cup oat milk (or other non-dairy milk)
Add to the food processor and pulse until the dough comes together. Remove from the processor into a food storage bag and refrigerate for 30-45 minutes. While the dough chills, make the filling. In a 12″ skillet heat over medium heat:
1 tablespoon olive oil
Add:
1/2-1 teaspoon paprika
1/2-1 teaspoon cumin
1-2 teaspoon dried oregano
Heat just until fragrant, about 30 seconds then add:
1 small onion diced
Cook to soften the onion, about 2 minutes and then add:
1 pound ground meat, like turkey, beef, or pork
1 teaspoon minced garlic
Cook, breaking the meat apart as it cooks, until the meat is done, about 8-10 minutes. Remove from the skillet to a bowl. Add:
1/3 cup sugar-free ketchup mixed with 1-3 teaspoons hot sauce (hot sauce optional)
1 small can mild (or medium whichever your family likes) green chilies
1/2 cup non-dairy cheese shredded, whatever cheese you can eat (I used parmesan)
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
Stir to combine and let cool. Before the dough is chilled, line a 24×24″ space on a counter with plastic wrap and line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
When the dough is ready, take out of the bag and cut the dough into two pieces. Put one half back into the bag and the refrigerator and put the other half on the counter with the plastic wrap. Press down on the dough to flatten slightly and then cover with a sheet of parchment paper. Roll out the dough to about 1/8″ thickness. Cut in whatever size you desire (I used a bowl that’s about a 6″ circle). Use a spatula to pick up the dough and move to the lined cookie sheet. Place about 3/4 of a cup of the filling** in the center of the disk and cover with a second disk of dough. Seal the edges together, if necessary moisten the edge with water (I didn’t need any water with my dough).
Repeat, rerolling the dough until all the dough is used and the filling is gone. I was able to make 4 of the 6″ size. If you’re able to use the egg in the dough, you can probably fold over the dough to make the half-circles and therefore can make more empanadas. Use a small knife to cut air holes in the tops of the empanadas so steam can escape. Spray with a non-stick cooking spray or brush with oat milk or egg wash if you can use eggs. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the tops are golden brown.Makes four servings (6″ size). Serve with guacamole, salsa, or as I did, just slices of avocado.
**Of course, if you’re using a smaller circle to cut your empanadas, you’ll use less filling in each.
I do love gingerbread but I also love pumpkin. This cake doesn’t have a pronounced pumpkin taste – the ginger overwhelms it so if you want more pumpkin taste, reduce the amount of ginger you add. It’s wonderfully moist and delicious served with a vanilla frozen dessert or a non-dairy whipped cream.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease an 8×8 square or round pan (to take the entire cake out of the pan to serve, cover the baking pan with parchment paper and then grease). In a small bowl combine:
1 tablespoon ground flax
3 tablespoons aquafaba*
*Add 1 teaspoon aquafaba powder to 3 tablespoons hot water. Don’t have aquafaba powder or a can of chickpeas handy? Substitute 1 tablespoon vinegar and 2 tablespoons hot water. Let the mixture sit for 5 minutes or until a flax gel forms. In a medium sized bowl (at least 3 cups) combine:
1/3 cup honey
1/3 cup unsulfured molasses
3/4 cup pumpkin puree
1/2 cup hot (the hotter the better) water
Mix until the molasses and honey are fairly thin. In another medium size bowl (at least 6 cups) sift together:
1 cup sorghum flour
3/4 cup tapioca flour or arrowroot
1 teaspoon xanthan gum
2 teaspoons ginger
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon allspice (or nutmeg)
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and mix thoroughly. Pour into the prepared pan and bake for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool slightly before cutting.
Ever look for something, not much, you just need a little something to lift you up in the middle or towards the end of your day? These will work – full of energy (and carbs), these bites will get you going and the whole grain oats and flax will sustain your energy for awhile. Easy to make, variable by your taste, and chock full of flavor, can’t beat the combination!
1 cup whole grain gluten-free oats (organic if possible)
1/2 cup ground flax
1 tablespoon instant coffee granules*
1/4 cup dried berries (small pieces work best but not powder)
1/4 cup carob chips (or chocolate if you can have them)
Mix to combine evenly. In a small bowl stir together:
1/2 cup tahini (slightly thick better than runny)**
1/4 cup honey, agave or coconut nectar, or maple syrup depending on taste
1 teaspoon vanilla
Pour the wet ingredients into the large bowl with the oat mixture and stir with a large fork to combine. Mixture will be slightly sticky but shouldn’t be too sticky. It should easily stick together when pressed into your hand. With DRY hands, form into roughly 1″ balls. I found I had to rinse off my hands every 2-3 balls to keep the mixture from sticking to me instead of itself! Should make 20-24 balls. Store in airtight container.
*I used 2 tablespoons of instant coffee granules and after eating several of these bites, I’ve decided it was a little too much coffee – they taste a little bitter to me so depending on your love for coffee, add 1 or 2 tablespoons.
**I used tahini because of my nut allergy but feel free to use any seed or nut butter you like. But if you use a really thick butter, add a little water or liquid sweetener to it to thin it slightly. If your tahini is too thin, add a little more of the dry ingredients.
Like many people who have to live gluten free I’ve searched long and hard for a tasty gluten-free bread that doesn’t feel like a brick! Right? Most weigh a ton and most of the recipes I’ve tried also come out like bricks. And the ones that don’t weight a ton have eggs in them. So I was quite surprised by this recipe adapted from “Feelin’ Fabulous with Kayla”. It is fairly light in texture, great for eating warm from the oven with a spread, French toast, or for grilled sandwiches. I don’t recommend that you put it in your toaster because it can be quite crumbly. But it is DELICIOUS! And I do promise you I will continue to seek a allergy-free bread that we can enjoy that isn’t heavy and stays together when we want a sandwich. Feels like it’ll take my lifetime to find it but it is my one of my most sought after goals.
In a medium large bowl combine:
2 tablespoons ground golden flax
1/3 cup aquafaba
Let sit for 5 minutes until flax gel forms. Grease a GLASS loaf pan, for some reason for this bread glass works better than the metal pans. Whisk into the flax gel:
1 cup rolled oats
1 cup vegan mayonnaise less 1 tablespoon
1 tablespoon vinegar
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup avocado oil
Whisk until combined and then add:
3/4 cup non-dairy unsweetened milk
Whisk in the milk. In a separate bowl combine:
2 1/3 cup gluten-free all purpose flour (use King Arthur’s Measure4Measure, Cup4Cup or Bob’s Red Mill’s 1:1)*
2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon sea salt
Mix to combine before adding to the wet mixture. Stir to combine wet and dry mixtures. Spoon into the prepared loaf pan. Sprinkle with oats. Set aside for 15-20 minutes while the oven heats to 350 degrees. You want to let any gluten-free dough sit for a few minutes before cooking so that the dry can absorb some of the liquid or the end result will be too moist.
Bake 45-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool in the loaf pan for about a half hour and then let cool completely before cutting (center may still be slightly warm).
*We want to use one of these all-purpose gluten-free flours because we’re not adding any guar gum or xanthan gum and other various flour mixtures will measure differently.
These cookies are delicious, moist and tender, with that warm cinnamon flavor. When I make them again, I’m going to chop up the grated carrot that I buy at the store. The pieces inside the cookies were cooked but the ones on the outside still had a little bite to them. And I felt they were a little sweet for my taste so I’m going to eliminate the agave next time but my daughter-in-law will think they’re just right – the sweeter the better. Very quick and easy to mix together, no mixer needed, just a spoon and two medium size bowls. Makes 14 cookies.
Prepare a cookie sheet(s) by covering with parchment paper. In a medium bowl, combine:
2 tablespoons ground flax
1/3 cup aquafaba
Stir to mix thoroughly and then let sit for at least 5 minutes. While the flax gel is forming, in another medium bowl mix:
1/4 cup white rice flour
1/4 cup brown rice flour
2 tablespoons tapioca flour (or starch)
2 tablespoon sorghum flour
1 teaspoon xanthan gum
1 cup quick cooking gluten-free oatmeal
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
Mix thoroughly. Whisk into the flax gel:
2 tablespoons avocado oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup maple syrup (or 1/3 if you prefer not to use the agave)
2 tablespoons agave or coconut nectar
2 tablespoons non-dairy milk
Pour the wet ingredients into the dry (or vice versa doesn’t matter which way). Stir to combine but don’t overmix. Stir in:
3/4 cup grated carrots
Cover with plastic wrap making sure the plastic wrap sits directly on the cookie dough. Let sit in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Drop the cookie dough by 2 tablespoon scoops. I used wet hands to shape the dough into flattened disks. The dough doesn’t rise much or spread so it needs to be flattened before baking. Wetting hands keeps the dough from sticking. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until firm to the touch. These cookies won’t brown much. Cool on the baking sheet. Store in an airtight container on the countertop.
Who doesn’t like a good cupcake? And this one is great – light and fluffy, very unusual for a gluten-free cake. I didn’t have a regular size muffin pan so I simply put the cupcakes papers in a 9×12″ baking pan instead. They didn’t all come out perfectly round but they still tasted delicious! Partnered with the Carob Buttercream Frosting, they are wonderful.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place cupcake papers in 1 or 2 regular (12 hole) muffin tins. The recipe made 14 muffins when I made it, so depending on how full you fill the papers will determine exactly how many cupcakes.
In a medium bowl, whisk:
3 tablespoons ground flax
3/4 cup agave nectar, coconut nectar, or date syrup
3/4 cup non-dairy milk
1/3 cup avocado or other light tasting oil
2 tablespoons vanilla extract
2 teaspoons rice vinegar
Set aside. In a large bowl, combine:
1 cup millet flour
1/3 cup chickpea flour
1/3 cup tapioca flour
1/3 cup potato starch
1 1/2 teaspoons xanthan gum
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
Mix to combine the dry ingredients. Pour the wet mixture over the dry and whisk again to combine. Don’t overmix or the cupcakes will get tough. Fill the cupcake papers 2/3 full of batter (or, if preferred, use 2 8″ cake pans lined with parchment paper and sprayed with a non-stick spray, dividing the batter equally between the 2 pans). Bake 20-25 minutes rotating the pan after 10-12 minutes, until a tester comes out clean. If making a cake, bake 30-35 minutes. Cool in the pan(s) for at least about a half hour before removing to a cooling rack. Frost with Carob Buttercream or your favorite frosting.
If a cake is made instead of the cupcakes, freeze the layers before frosting to reduce crumb.
cookingwithoutallergens 