Okay, so, gluten and dairy free desserts, huh? It started last week, my friend told me she had a serious allergy. I felt bad, like, “Dude, I bake all the time, and now you can’t eat anything!” So, I thought, challenge accepted!
First thing I did? Google. Like, a LOT of Googling. “Gluten free dairy free desserts easy.” I saw a bunch of stuff with almond flour and coconut milk. Okay, seemed doable. I bookmarked like a million recipes.
Next, shopping. Ugh. Almond flour is expensive, man! And coconut milk… I got the canned stuff, the full-fat kind, ’cause everything tastes better with fat, right? Also grabbed some cocoa powder, maple syrup (the real stuff!), and vanilla extract. Oh, and some gluten-free oats just in case.
The first thing I tried? Some kind of no-bake chocolate thing. It was supposed to be like a mousse. I mixed the cocoa powder, maple syrup, vanilla, and coconut milk. Looked kinda weird, but I stuck it in the fridge. Waited like, two hours. Pulled it out… soup. Chocolate soup. Fail.
I didn’t give up though. I found another recipe for peanut butter cookies using almond flour, peanut butter, maple syrup and vanilla. Mixed it all up, the dough was crumbly as heck. I was like “This is never gonna work.” But I rolled them into balls anyway, flattened them with a fork, and baked them.
And you know what? They were actually pretty good! A little dry, yeah, but they tasted like peanut butter, and that’s what matters. My friend said they were the best gluten and dairy free cookies she ever had. I think she was being nice, but hey, I’ll take it.
Then, I decided to try something a little harder: brownies. Found a recipe that used almond flour, cocoa powder, coconut oil, maple syrup, and a flax egg (flaxseed meal mixed with water, it’s supposed to be like an egg substitute). Mixed it all up, poured it in a pan, and baked it.
These were…interesting. They were fudgy, like, REALLY fudgy. Almost too fudgy. And they had this weird aftertaste. I think it was the coconut oil. My friend said they were okay, but not as good as the cookies. I agreed.
So, I’m still experimenting. I think next time I’ll try some kind of fruit crumble with gluten free oats. Or maybe a chocolate avocado mousse (I know, sounds weird, but I heard it’s good!).
Here’s what I learned:
- Almond flour is your friend, but it can be dry.
- Coconut milk is good, but be careful with the coconut flavor.
- Maple syrup is a lifesaver.
- Don’t be afraid to fail!
Anyway, that’s my gluten and dairy free baking adventure so far. It’s been a lot of trial and error, but I’m getting there. I’ll keep you guys updated!
