Even if you feel completely at home whipping up a picture-perfect layer cake, the world of gluten-free baking can feel like another planet.
Your star ingredient—all-purpose flour—is now off limits. And with it gone, all of the usual rules suddenly change. If you're still trying to proceed with business as usual, you might find that your flavors go from sweet and complex to blah and bland. Textures turn from moist and fluffy to dry and dense. And everything seems to fall apart.
Why? Chances are, you're making one of these common rookie mistakes. Check out these common GF baking blunders, plus the simple fixes that will make your desserts delicious. (You can lose weight and still eat food that tastes amazing. Get started with the new 10-minute meals and workouts in Prevention's .)
Mistake #1: You weren't vigilant about avoiding cross-contamination.
If you're baking for someone with celiac, this is essential. It only takes a microscopic amount of gluten to spark a reaction that could leave them in a world of pain—and even damage their gut. If you have gluten-containing ingredients in your kitchen, store them far away from the gluten-free ones. And thoroughly clean your baking tools and countertop before you get to work. (If you suspect you may have Celiac disease, watch for these 5 signs—and see your doctor.)
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Mistake #2: You only used one type of gluten-free flour.
Did you try swapping out all of the all-purpose flour in your favorite chocolate chip cookies for an equal amount of rice or quinoa flour—and end up with disastrous results? Different gluten-free flours behave in different ways, and there's no one flour that can mimic the texture and flavor of wheat flour. Ninety-nine percent of the time, you need a blend of several flours. (One baker learned that the hard way. Here's what happened when she baked the same cookies with 6 different kinds of flour.) Make your own in big batches, or buy a premade blend like King Arthur Flour Gluten-Free Multipurpose Flour.
Mistake #3: You skipped the thickener.
Spending 10 extra bucks on a bag of xanthan gum when your recipe only calls for a measly teaspoon of the stuff might seem crazy. But if you forego it altogether, you're in for a problem. Xanthan gum (along with other thickeners like guar gum and arrowroot) acts like a binder in gluten-free baked goods to maintain their structure. Without it, there's a good chance that your brownies or muffin will crumble and fall apart.
MORE: 5 Low-Sugar Cupcakes That Are Clean Enough To Eat For Breakfast
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Mistake #4: You didn't add a starch.
Potato or tapioca starch offer almost zero nutritional value. So it's completely understandable that you might want to swap them out in favor of flours that are higher in protein and fiber, like brown rice, quinoa, or chickpea flour. But you need some starch in order to achieve a light, fluffy texture. And that's completely fine! Your GF snickerdoodles don't have to be as wholesome as a bowl of oatmeal. This is dessert. (If you've never used chickpea flour before, start with these 5 sweet and savory recipes.)
Mistake #5: You tried to swap out the eggs.
It's not impossible to make egg-free baked goods, of course. But it isn't always easy. The protein in eggs provides baked goods with much-needed structure and lift, so simply swapping them out with flax eggs or another egg replacer will yield a hockey puck-like texture. If you want to make an egg-free treat, look for a recipe that was designed that way instead of making changes to a recipe that calls for eggs.
MORE: These 5 High-Protein Egg Bites Are Better Than The Ones At Starbucks
Mistake #6: Your oven was too high.
Cookies or muffins come out almost burnt on the outside—and undercooked on the inside? That's common if you're following the recommended baking temperature for a conventional recipe. Gluten-free goods tend to brown faster and take longer to cook through. So they need to be baked at a slightly lower temperature, for a slightly longer time. Every recipe is different, but in general, try lowering the temperature by 25 degrees and baking the item for 15 minutes longer. (Here are 6 more reasons you may have botched that batch of cookies.)
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Mistake #7: You baked for too long.
GF baked goods take longer to cook—but too much time in the oven will cause them to dry out. While most conventional recipes recommend baking cakes or quickbreads until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, you don't want to wait that long with GF recipes. The toothpick tester should come out with a few moist crumbs instead. It might feel weird, but try to just go with it.
Marygrace Taylor
Marygrace Taylor is a health and wellness writer for Prevention, Parade, Women’s Health, Redbook, and others. She’s also the co-author of Prevention’s Eat Clean, Stay Lean: The Diet and Prevention’s Mediterranean Kitchen. Visit her at marygracetaylor.com.
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