Saturday, 21 February 2026

Cheesecake Factory-style Brown Bread Loaves

This recipe is so delicious. It's easy to whip together, too! I took my easy French baguettes recipe and tweaked them a bit. A bit of cocoa and honey and GF oats sprinkled on top turns them into these delicious, soft brown bread loaves. They remind me of the Cheesecake Factory-style Brown Bread they serve that I haven't tasted in many many years. Helpful tip: they sell egg whites in a carton near the eggs at the grocery store, which makes baking these even easier. Enjoy!

Fresh from the oven Cheesecake Factory-style Brown Bread Loaves - gluten free!

I've sliced them, like so, but you can slice them in little coins to serve with butter.

Yummy sandwich, ready to eat!

Cheesecake Factory-style Brown Bread Loaves

Makes ~8-9 loaves

Preheat oven to 375 F or convection 350 F. Line two pans with parchment paper.

Mix together in a large mixer:

2 cups tapioca starch

1 1/2 cups brown rice flour

6 Tbsp potato starch

3 Tbsp cocoa powder

1 Tbsp xanthan gum

1 Tbsp quick-rise/rapid-rise yeast

1 1/2 tsp salt

(optional) 1/2 cup GF steel cut oats (add 1/2 cup warm water if using the steel cut oats)

Add and beat 3-4 minutes:

1 1/4 cup warm water (or 1 3/4 cup warm water if using GF steel cut oats)

1 cup egg whites

6 Tbsp honey

1/4 cup oil (avocado or olive are nice)

2 tsp apple cider vinegar

Place batter into a freezer ziploc. Snip 1 - 1 1/2" from the corner. Pipe loaves onto the parchment-lined pans. You want to have a bit of space between loaves to leave room for rising and puffing a bit during baking.

Piped onto parchment paper-lined pans.

Sprinkle the top of the loaves with:

GF rolled oats

Topped with GF oats, ready to cover and rise!

Cover the loaves with upside down cookie sheets. Rise in a warm location ~40 minutes. I find they puff, but don't fully double in size.

After removing the upside down cookie sheets, ready for baking!

Bake at 375 F (350 convection) for 40-45 minutes. Place baked loaves on a cooling rack. Slice once fully cooled. Slice and freeze these for perfect easy loaves to use later. Delicious for sandwiches, toasted with butter and garlic as a garlic bread, with homemade egg salad or tuna salad and lettuce. Enjoy!

Fresh from the oven!

Nice and airy, with a delicious rich taste.

Cheesecake Factory-style Brown Bread Loaves Recipe by Successfully Gluten Free!

Tuesday, 10 February 2026

Cinnamon Raisin English Muffins

A delicious variation on the plain English Muffins I'd posted. I grew up getting cinnamon raisin English muffins every so often, and I loved toasting them and eating them for breakfast with a bit of butter. However, since going gluten-free, I hadn't been able to enjoy a yummy English muffin, with that delicious crunchy edge. That's been remedied now. Hooray for homemade GF English muffins! Enjoy!

Fresh from the oven - GF cinnamon raisin English muffins!

Cinnamon Raisin English Muffins!

Preheat oven to 375 F. Line a pan with parchment paper.

Mix together in a mixer:

3 cups Kristin's Gluten-Free Flour Mix

1 tsp xanthan gum (in addition to the 1 tsp in the mix)

2 tsp rapid rise/quick yeast

1 Tbsp sugar

1 1/2 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp salt

Add and let beat 3 minutes, until nice and smooth:

2 cups milk, warmed (I usually heat 1 min in the microwave)

2 eggs

1 tsp apple cider vinegar

Fold in:

1/2 cup raisins

On a small plate, place:

1/2 cup cornmeal

Heat a nonstick pan over medium to medium-high heat. Use a large scoop, grab a scoop of batter. Dip the scoop in cornmeal, then put cornmeal side down on pan. Sprinkle additional cornmeal on top and gently flatten with fingertips. Cook on each side until nicely browned. Remove from pan to a parchment-lined pan. Continue until all batter has been cooked on both sides.

After pan frying on both sides, ready to pop into the oven for the bake which will finish the cooking.

Bake in the oven at 375 F for 27-30 minutes, until nicely browned. I find if I cook less time than this they will collapse/loose air, which I don't want to happen. I want them to stay nice and puffy.

Straight out of the oven, ready to transfer to a wire rack to cool. Usually one doesn't make it and ends up popped straight on a plate to eat.

Hot or cooled English muffins can just be pulled apart by hand! No knife needed! Once cooled, I like to pull apart the English muffins, then freeze the leftovers. They reheat perfectly in a toaster oven or regular oven.

A pulled apart English muffin. Pulling apart an English muffin, rather than slicing it cleanly, lends to the charm of this type of bread.

Cinnamon Raisin English Muffins Recipe by Successfully Gluten Free!

Tuesday, 27 January 2026

Biscuit-Style Cinnamon Rolls

No mixer needed, easy biscuit-style cinnamon rolls! When we first moved to eastern Canada, I was so confused by the cinnamon rolls I saw for sale in bakeries. They weren't the gooey, squishy rolls I was used to - they sold the flaky, biscuit-style roll. Over time, I learned some people called them baking powder cinnamon rolls - made with no yeast. I feel like the name biscuit-style cinnamon rolls fits them nicely. I do find the addition of a touch of baking soda helps with the rise, as does the addition of apple cider vinegar. (That's me basically turning the milk into buttermilk without actually mixing them together first. I don't find it's needed). My family really loves these cinnamon rolls. In fact, one of my kids prefers these rolls to my regular cinnamon rolls or made in a mixer cinnamon rolls. I'm quite happy to eat any and all versions cinnamon rolls. Enjoy!

Some disappeared - before they even had a chance to cool! Shocker. ;)

Biscuit-Style Cinnamon Rolls

Makes 12 rolls

Preheat oven to 375 F. Line a 9 x 13 with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, whisk together:

2 cups Kristin's Gluten Free Flour Mix (exact flour measurements for convenience, see below**)

1/4 cup sugar

2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

Add and stir in with a big spoon, just until well combined:

2/3 - 3/4 cup milk (I find just under 3/4 cups works nicely. Less milk = less sticky dough, but I like the fluff you get with a bit more milk. - it's just a bit stickier to work with while rolling up)

5 Tbsp butter, melted

1 egg

1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar

Roll out gently between plastic wrap to a rectangle approximately 10" x 15". It's never exact, so don't stress on having it be perfect. I use two pieces of plastic wrap side by side on the bottom and top to roll out.

Mix together, then spread on top of the flattened dough:

3 Tbsp butter, melted

1/3 cup brown sugar

1 - 1 1/2 Tbsp cinnamon

Flattened and spread with the cinnamon, butter and brown sugar mixture.

Slice the dough into 12 equal strips using a pizza cutter.

Sliced into mostly equal parts.

Roll up each piece and gently place in your parchment lined pan. If you find the dough is a bit sticky, you can use a bit of extra GF flour on your fingers to help it along. It'll all end up covered with a cream cheese frosting, so if they don't look as neat as you like, that's okay! I did flatten a couple rolls a bit so they're all approximately the same height in the pan.

Ready to bake!

Bake at 375 F for 22-25 minutes, until a nice light brown. Remove from oven and place the pan on a cooling rack.

Fresh from the oven and nicely light brown.

Mix together, and spread over hot cinnamon rolls:

3 oz cream cheese, softened

2 Tbsp butter, softened

1 cup powdered sugar

1 - 3 tsp milk, to desired consistency

I suppose one could properly mix or beat the frosting to get out any lumps from the cream cheese, but I couldn't be bothered.

We love eating these freshly made - warm or cooled. I actually prefer the taste and texture once they've fully cooled on the counter. Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator. Eat cool or warm them before serving. Enjoy!

** for 2 cups Kristin's Gluten-Free Flour Mix, combine:

3/4 cup brown rice flour

1/2 cup sorghum flour (or extra brown rice flour or white rice flour or GF oat flour)

1/4 cup arrowroot starch/flour OR cornstarch

1/4 cup potato starch

1/4 cup tapioca starch/flour

3/4 tsp xanthan gum

Biscuit-style Cinnamon Rolls Recipe by Successfully Gluten Free!

Thursday, 15 January 2026

Apple Sticky Toffee Pudding!

One of our favorite desserts is a sweet, delicious sticky toffee pudding. This recipe builds on that favorite recipe by adding in delicious sauteed apples and a touch of molasses. The richness of the dates and apples and sweet toffee sauce is just wonderfully delicious! I find it's a lovely mid-winter treat. Enjoy!

Delicious apple sticky toffee pudding, ready to bake, then top with toffee sauce!

Apple Sticky Toffee Pudding

Makes a 9 x 13 pan or two 8 x 8 pans, serves ~12

Preheat oven to 350 F. Butter a 9 x 13 glass baking dish or two 8 x 8 baking dishes.

In a bowl, soak for 5-10 minutes:

1 cup boiling water

1 cup chopped (pitted) dried dates (after chopping, press them into your 1 cup measuring cup so you have a nice, generous amount of dates)

Cook over medium heat, just until apples are softening a bit:

4 Cortland apples, peeled and diced (or similar apple that holds it shape while cooking)

1-2 Tbsp butter

3 Tbsp brown sugar

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp ginger

In a food processor, or with a stick blender, blend together:

3/4 cup Kristin's Gluten-Free Flour Mix

1/2 cup dark brown sugar

1 Tbsp molasses

1 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

2 eggs

1/4 cup butter

1 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste

Add your soaked dates and the liquid. Blend just until smooth.

Fold the apples into the batter.

Pour into the buttered 9 x 13 baking dish or two 8 x 8 baking dishes. Bake at 350 F until nicely set in the middle. I suggest 30 - 35 minutes for the 8 x 8 dishes and 35-40 minutes for the 9 x 13 pan.

While the pudding is baking, make the sauce, below.

The date pudding, fresh from the oven.

Toffee Sauce & Topping Recipe

In a medium-sized saucepan, heat together over medium heat, stirring occasionally:

2 cups/473 ml heavy whipping cream (35%) (lactose-free whipping cream works perfectly, too)

1/2 cup/8 Tbsp butter

3/4 cup brown sugar

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp salt

Heat until mixture is bubbling nicely, and is smooth and even. Let it bubble for only a minute or two, then remove from heat.

Toffee sauce, ready to use!

To finish your sticky toffee pudding:

After baking your cake, set oven to broil. If you have an option, I recommend the broil "low" setting.

Pour 1/2 of your toffee sauce slowly and evenly over the baked pudding.

Cake covered with half of the toffee sauce, ready to broil.

Place the cake under the broiler, checking every minute until the top is nice and bubbly and you're just barely starting to see a few brown spots (I recommend checking every minute because some broilers are HOT and some are cooler). Broiling the top of your sticky toffee pudding should take 2-4 minutes.

Broiled until bubbling nicely and you're just seeing some browned spots.

Remove from the oven. Serve warm in a bowl with additional toffee sauce served overtop! Leftovers can be stored separately (cake in one container, sauce in another). Serving leftovers into a bowl and heating them up together works perfectly. Enjoy!!!

Cut and serve squares of these delicious puddings with extra toffee sauce on top. Yum!

Apple Sticky Toffee Pudding Recipe by Successfully Gluten Free!

Wednesday, 17 December 2025

Homemade Toffee

One of my favorite desserts was an oatmeal butter brittle with toffee bits on top, but since most toffee bits sold may contain nuts, they weren't safe for family members with nut allergies. So, I finally decided to break out the candy thermometer and whip up the easiest and fastest candy - homemade toffee. You can leave it plain or pop some chocolate chips on top for a thin layer of chocolate on top of your toffee. Yum! Delicious broken into chunks to snack on, or add to chocolate chip cookies or on top of oatmeal butter brittle. Yum!

Toffee bits spread on top of melted chocolate on an oatmeal butter brittle. Yum!

Homemade Toffee

Makes about 1 1/2 - 2 cups toffee bits

Please read this whole recipe before you start. It cooks quickly and hardens quickly, so you want to make sure you're prepared!

Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.

In a medium saucepan with a thick metal bottom, stir together constantly over medium heat until sugar is dissolved:

165 g (~3/4 cup packed) dark brown sugar

85 g (~6 T) salted butter

2 Tbsp water

Add in the candy thermometer and lower the heat to medium-low heat to boil. Swirl the pan every 30-60 seconds. This is VERY important, because while you don't need to stir it with a spoon, if you don't give the pan a bit of a swirl, you could end up with burned sugar on the bottom of the pan. Heat until you just reach hard crack, approx 295 - 300 F on your candy thermometer. (there's a range, but I prefer it on the lower end of this range so it's not quite as hard).

Immediately pour the toffee mixture onto a parchment lined baking pan. If you want it to be a bit thinner, you can spread it with a spatula as fast as possible immediately after you pour it. It's helpful to have a second person to help with this, as the toffee starts to harden very quickly.

Optional chocolate layer:

If desired, right after pouring the toffee out, you can sprinkle the top with:

~1/4 - 1/2 cup milk, semi or dark chocolate chips

Spread out the chocolate into a smooth layer once the chips have melted. This will not affect the hard toffee in terms of texture, but it uses the heat from your toffee to melt the chocolate perfectly.

Let the toffee cool completely, including the chocolate hardening on top, if used. You can break or chop into smaller chunks. Or, if you'd like toffee bits, then put larger chunks into a food processor and pulse until your toffee bits are the desired size.

Store the toffee in a well sealed container at room temperature up to a week. Technically, it can keep longer than this, but depending on the humidity, etc., you can lose the dry, crunchy texture of your toffee.

Enjoy!

Chocolate topped toffee, ready to break and enjoy!

Homemade Toffee with optional Chocolate Topping Recipe by Successfully Gluten Free!

Thursday, 11 December 2025

Easy Thin Flat Breads on a Pan

Not quite a crepe, not quite a tortilla, these yummy, soft flatbreads work perfectly to fill as sandwiches, or even fill with cheese to make a quick quesadilla. No rolling out needed!!! They literally whisk together in a bowl, spread on the pan with the back of your ladle, and then cook up so quickly. Enjoy!

Freshly made easy flat breads, ready to fill!

Easy Thin Flat Breads On a Pan

Makes ~6-8 depending on size. Yes, you can easily double this recipe.

In a bowl, whisk together until smooth:

1 cup Kristin's Gluten-Free Flour Mix

4 oz liquid egg whites (~4 egg whites)

1/2 cup water

1/4 cup milk (or dairy substitute)

1 tsp oil

1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar (optional, but I find it just adds a little depth to the flavor of my breads)

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

Optional herbs you can add, ~1/2 tsp each: (yes, of course, you can use any other herbs! These are just the ones I've tried and enjoy in the flatbreads)

chives

cilantro

garlic powder

To Cook:

Preheat nonstick frying pan over medium heat. (No butter or oil needed) Ladle a scoop of batter onto the pan. Working quickly, spread outward with the back of the ladle in spiral movements. You're aiming to thin out the flatbread quickly and as much as possible. I lift the ladle and spiral outward several times to get it thin and wide. Cook at medium heat until browned and batter is dry in appearance (like the image below). Flip and cook until browned on the other side. I find these cook up quickly, a minute or two per side. Remove to a plate - I just stack them up as I'm cooking them until ready to eat.

After swirling outward with the back of the ladle to flatten, ready to flip.

Showing the swirled side after browning it.

You can cook them to a lighter color like this picture, if you plan to do more heating them again, like a quesadilla. Usually I cook the main side to a rich brown like the picture up top.

You can fill the flat breads as desired. They can be rolled or folded. You can fold and pan fry like a quesadilla. It works great! Delicious alongside homemade chili. One of our favorites is to have it with homemade tuna salad. Leftover flatbreads can be covered and stored in the refrigerator. You might have to pop them in the microwave 20-30 seconds to warm them up a little so they'll easily pull apart after chilling. Enjoy!

Filled tuna sandwich, with a bit of cheese melted onto one side, ready to roll up!

A rolled up tuna sandwich. Yum!

Folded over ham and cheese sandwich.

Easy Thin Flat Breads on a Pan Recipe by Successfully Gluten Free!

Tuesday, 2 December 2025

Christmas Holiday Recipes

I have previously put together all my favorite recipes for Thanksgiving, and it seemed like one was needed to consolidate a lot of our favorite Christmas baking recipes. I'll include some savory and sweet (okay, mostly sweet) recipe links below! Looking for a recipe that isn't listed below? My recipe blog includes a comprehensive "index" down the left side if you're on a larger device (i.e. not a phone). It's just like the back of a cookbook. And there's a helpful search bar, where you can enter a keyword to find recipes! Hope that helps! Enjoy!