I've made so many variations on blueberry muffins.  Rich, light, lemon-infused, crumb-topped.  These are a sort of happy medium of many of the recipes.  Not too sweet, but with a bit of sugar sprinkled on top, to give that nice, sweet topping without being a proper crumb topping.  Yum! 

Fresh from the oven! Yum!

Back-to-Basics Blueberry Muffins

Preheat oven to 375 F.  Line 12 muffin tins with paper liners. 

Mix together: 

1/2 cup oil (or 1/4 cup oil + 1/4 cup softened or melted butter)

1/3 cup maple syrup

1/4 cup milk

1/4 cup sour cream OR plain/vanilla yogurt

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla (extract or bean paste)

1/2 cup sugar

Add and mix in: 

1 cup Kristin's Gluten-Free Flour Mix

1 cup GF oat flour (or extra GF flour mix or sorghum flour or brown rice flour)

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

Add in: 

2 cups frozen wild blueberries

Scoop with a very large cookie scoop evenly between muffin tins.  Sprinkle the tops of the muffins with: 

1 Tbsp sugar

Ready to bake!  Don't' forget to sprinkle on the sugar for the pretty, slightly caramelized crunch on top of your muffins. 

Bake at 375 F for ~25-30 minutes, until nicely browned.  Let rest a minute on cooling rack before removing from the tins.  Enjoy warm or cool!  Leftovers freeze nicely.   

Back-to-Basics Blueberry Muffins Recipe by Successfully Gluten Free!

We've made layer bars off and on for years - they're fun for the kids to throw together. They're forgiving. And you just need a can of sweetened condensed milk to tie it all together before baking. Most layer bars include nuts, but these are a nice alternative that is nut-free! (I'm not counting coconut as a "nut").  If you prefer a nutty option, you can make my Almond & Chocolate 5 Layer Bars.  Perfect when you need to throw together something during the holidays to share.  Enjoy!  

Lots of layers go into this - it's nice and quick to throw together. 

Fresh from the oven with my cooking helper - letting them cool a bit before slicing.

Speedy Nut-Free Layer Bars!

Makes 9 x 13 pan

Mix together in a 9 x 13 glass pan, then press down in the pan with the back of your spoon to flatten: 

3/4 - 1 cup crushed GF vanilla biscuits/cookies (I like to use 2/3 bag crushed MADEGOOD vanilla flavour cookies OR homemade options: vanilla wafer cookies OR snickerdoodles OR sugar cookies )

1/2 cup GF breadcrumbs (panko-style, cornflake crumbs, GF matzo meal)

3 - 4 Tbsp sugar

1/3 cup butter, melted

Sprinkle evenly on top of your biscuit base i the following order: 

1/2 cup dark chocolate chips

1 cup puffed crispy cereal (rice or quinoa-based)

1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut

1/3 - 1/2 cup crushed GF vanilla biscuits/cookies

1/2 cup dark chocolate chips

1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut

Pour evenly overtop of the entire pan: 

1 can sweetened condensed milk

Bake at 350 F for ~20-25 minutes, until light to medium brown on top.  Cool and slice!  Enjoy! 

This not so little anymore girl has been helping me make layer bars for years now.   We have comparison pictures from making the Almond & Chocolate Five Layer Bars years ago. So cute! 

Still just as happy about helping make layer bars. Hehe

Speedy Nut-Free Layer Bars Recipe by Successfully Gluten Free!

 This is SO easy, SO tasty, and SO versatile to use afterwards.  One of our favorite things to do is put it into crepes, but it's even tasty just as a side with vanilla ice cream.   You can, of course, use it as a proper pie filling with buttermilk pastry crust - just put it in your pan and put a layer of pastry on the top. Bake until golden brown. Delicious!  And no soggy bottom of pastry to be concerned about.  

This is definitely one of those dishes that makes your house smell delicious!

Used as a pie filling in individual apple pies. Using the crust and general guidelines from my Pop-tart recipe worked perfectly! Just add a little extra baking time to make sure they get nice and golden. 

We LOVE this inside homemade crepes!  I think that's one of our favorite ways to eat apple pie filling besides topped with buttermilk pastry crust.  

Apple Pie Filling!

In a large saucepan, cook over medium-low to medium heat, stirring regularly for about 20-25 minutes, until apples nicely soften: 

8 apples, peeled and dice (Honeycrisp apples, or similar, are one my favorite types for this sort of recipe - make sure they are apples that will hold their shape while cooking)

2/3 cup brown sugar (or regular sugar, if you don't want as caramel-y a flavor)

1/3 cup water

1/4 cup butter

1 tsp cinnamon OR 1 tsp cinnamon, 1/4 tsp nutmeg, 1/4 tsp allspice

Once your apples are softened, mix together in a small bowl: 

2 Tbsp cornstarch

2 Tbsp cold water

Add the cornstarch mixture, stirring and cooking for 1-2 minutes to thicken.  Remove from heat and use as desired!   

Apple pie filling in homemade crepes. Yum! 

Apple Pie Filling Recipe By Successfully Gluten Free!

Here is my Pho-inspired Beef Soup - now titled Faux Beef Pho thanks to my sister-in-law's suggestion. ;)  I'm always looking for ways to pull inspiration from local ingredients that are easier for me to locate (While Asian markets are awesome, I can't always get to them).  I've always loved Pho soups, and I recently discovered that my kids LOVE them.  I've spent some time putting together a faux chicken pho and beef quick pho soup that I can whip together with easy-to-find ingredients.  Enjoy! 

A delicious bowl of fresh Faux Beef Pho. Yum!

Faux Beef Pho (Pho-Inspired Beef Soup)

Sauté until beef has browned over medium heat: 

2 Tbsp butter

2 Tbsp oil

1/2 onion, sliced or diced

1 lb stew beef, chopped into smaller pieces (or similar)

Add: 

8 cups water + 8 tsp GF beef bouillon paste (or 8 cups GF beef broth/stock)

8 thin slices fresh ginger

1/4 tsp cinnamon

2 Tbsp oyster sauce or fish sauce

1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

1 apple, peeled & thinly sliced (I've used pink lady and fuji, something that holds it shape is best)

Bring to a boil, lower heat and simmer for 30-40 minutes to soften the beef.  

While your faux pho is simmering, cook and drain/rinse:

GF ramen noodles OR GF rice vermicelli noodles

Serve your soup overtop of a bowl of cooked noodles. 

Top with the following, as desired: 

fresh bean sprouts

green onions, sliced

You don't have to serve the soup with the apple slices, but I we like them. 

Faux Beef Pho (Pho-Inspired Beef Soup) Recipe by Successfully Gluten Free!

 This is the most delicious pasta bake to make with the fresh squash and pumpkin in season right now.  I love buttercup, turban, acorn, pie pumpkins. All will work perfectly for this recipe.  I slice them in half, drizzle with a bit of olive oil, and bake them face-down on a tray at 375 until softened.  I've previously posted a couple easy ways to make homemade pumpkin/squash puree, pumpkin seeds, and links to my pumpkin/squash recipes.  Cool a bit, then scoop out the seeds (those are compost/trash).  Then scoop out all that lovely cooked squash/pumpkin to use in pumpkin recipes of your choice!   This is a lovely vegetable-filled pumpkin pasta bake.  Friends and family have loved it.  Enjoy! 

Fresh pumpkin pasta bake, ready to eat!

Yum!!! Cheesy and full of vegetables. 

A-maz-ing Pumpkin Pasta Bake

Preheat oven to 375 F.  

Noodles:

(I boil the water and cook the noodles while I'm making the sauce)

Prepare noodles while you're cooking the sauce.  Cook most of the way in slightly salted water (1-2 minutes less boiling time since they will bake in the oven): 

400 g GF fusilli pasta OR preferred shape

Drain and rinse noodles, setting aside until needed.  

Sauce:

Sauté over medium heat ~5-7 minutes: 

1 Tbsp olive oil (plain or chipotle-infused olive oil)

2-3 Tbsp butter

1 onion, diced

2-3 cups zucchini, cut into large bite-sized chunks

3/4 tsp freeze-dried thyme OR 2 tsp fresh, minced thyme

3/4 tsp nutmeg

1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

3/4 tsp ground pepper

1 tsp salt

Add, stir and cook for 1-2 minutes until fragrant: 

3 cloves garlic, minced

2-3 green onions, sliced

Don't be confused by the lack of green edges on this zucchini.  The zucchini my friend gave us was enormous, so the skin was thick. I just sliced off the skin and diced the zucchini.  

Add: 

2 cups chicken stock/broth OR 2 cups water + 2 tsp chicken bouillon or Asian mushroom seasoning

1 - 1 1/2 cup fresh cooked pie pumpkin or squash (buttercup, acorn, etc) OR canned 100% pumpkin

Simmering vegetables, plus cooking pasta on the next burner.  

Simmer ~10 minutes.  Mix together in a small bowl, and add into the pot to thicken: 

1/2 cup milk or 10% cream

2 Tbsp cornstarch

Thickened and ready for spinach and cheese. 

After thickening the sauce, remove from heat.  Stir in: 

1/2 cup frozen chopped spinach OR 2 cups fresh spinach, diced

1 cup mozzarella, grated

1/2 cup fresh parmesan, grated

Diced frozen spinach, mozzarella and parmesan. Yum!

Ready to mix with the cooked pasta. 

Stir in cooked noodles, from above.   Put into a 9" x 13" glass baking dish (or fold them together IN the 9 x 13 pan).  Divide among the top: 

1/2 - 2/3 cup ricotta

Ricotta divided across the pasta bake. 

Sprinkle with: 

1/2 cup fresh parmesan, grated

Sprinkled with parmesan, ready to bake!

Bake for ~20 minutes at 375F.  Serve and enjoy!!! 

You can cook it until it's just barely browning on the top, or give a few extra minutes if you'd like a more crispy cheesy top.  Either way is delicious. 

A-maz-ing Pumpkin Pasta Bake Recipe by Successfully Gluten Free!

Strawberry Vanilla Pound Cake (Blueberries/Raspberries work, too!)

 This yummy gluten-free berry vanilla pound cake recipe is less sweet and heavy, perfect for what I was hoping to create - something that could be a snack for my teenage son.  Freeze-dried berries make this something that can be whipped up without worrying about having fresh berries on hand, or adding the extra baking time using frozen berries.    If you want a dairy-free version, you can use dairy-free substitutes for the butter and sour cream.  A dairy-free yogurt will work in place of the sour cream as well.  

Tasty GF pound cake, we can never wait until it actually cools to taste-test. 

Pound cakes can be made in mini loaf pans, or in an 8 x 8 pan. 

Strawberry Vanilla Pound Cake

Preheat the oven to 350 F.  Line 4 mini loaf pans or one 8" x 8" pan with parchment paper. 

In a large bowl or mixer, combine: 

3/4 cup butter

1/2 cup sour cream

1/2 cup sugar

3 eggs

2 tsp vanilla bean paste (or vanilla extract, but the bean paste really makes the vanilla flavor in this pound cake)

Add and mix in until combined: 

1 1/4 cup Kristin's Gluten-Free Flour Mix

1/4 cup coconut flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

Fold in: 

3/4 cup crushed freeze-dried berries (strawberry, or mix of strawberry, blueberry and/or raspberry)

Spread into prepared mini pans or 8" x 8" pan.  Bake at 350 F for 45 minutes.  (I find it works the same for mini loaves or larger 8" x 8" in terms of time.) 

Spread in a lined 8 x 8 pan, then after baking! Yum! 

Rest a few minutes, then remove from pan onto wire rack to cool.  Slice and serve!  I love it served warm. 

Enjoy! 

Strawberry Vanilla Pound Cake Recipe by Successfully Gluten Free!

Pho-inspired Chicken Noodle Soup (Faux Chicken Pho)

 My family love getting GF Pho and other yummy dishes at Vietnamese restaurants.  Quite often, they have several GF options for us, which is great.  I think you'll love the flavors and the ease of whipping together something like this Pho-inspired chicken soup.  Once the garlic starts to simmer, it smells delicious! Enjoy!

A bowl of Pho-inspired Chicken Noodle Soup, garnished with fresh green onions

Pho-Inspired Chicken Noodle Soup

Over medium to medium-high heat, sauté 5-7 minutes: 

2 Tbsp butter

1 Tbsp oil

2 large carrots, thinly sliced

1/2 large onion, sliced into thin strips

dash salt & pepper

Add: 

8 cups chicken broth (If I don't have fresh chicken broth/stock, I'll use water plus GF chicken boullion paste or water plus Asian mushroom seasoning) 

5 slices fresh ginger

1/2 - 1 tsp dried red chili flakes

2 Tbsp oyster sauce (or fish sauce)

Bring to a boil over high heat, then lower heat and simmer ~15 minutes.  

Soup simmering, almost ready to add the cooked chicken.

Add and cook another 5 minutes: 

1 cup cooked chicken, shredded

While your soup is simmering, cook and drain in cold water, then toss with 1-2 Tbsp oil to keep from sticking: 

GF ramen noodles or GF rice vermicelli noodles or pho noodles

GF ramen noodles - I can regularly find them at Costco, but any GF ramen or thin rice noodle of your choice will work. 

To serve: 

Place your GF noodles in a bowl.  Spoon broth over your noodles (you can remove the ginger slices - or just don't serve them).  Garnish with: 

green onions, sliced

fresh mint leaves, optional

fresh thai basil, optional

fresh bean sprouts, optional

Pho Inspired Chicken Noodle Soup Recipe by Successfully Gluten Free! 

I've been making this yummy pumpkin chocolate chip snack bars for years, but I kept forgetting to actually take a picture before they were eaten!  These freeze really well and we often use them for school snacks, which is why I was mixing up another batch of them.   I really like the taste of coconut, oats, and puffed rice added to the bars.  Yum! Enjoy! 

A bite out of a piece from a fresh batch of pumpkin chocolate chip snack bars!

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Snack Bars

Preheat oven to 350 F.  Line one large or two smaller metal cookie sheets with parchment paper. (I prefer the smaller sizes - officially called a 1/4 size baking tray (they measure 8" x 12" at the largest).  

In a large bowl mix together: 

2 1/2 cup whole oats (make sure they're gluten-free if Celiac or sensitive)

1 1/2 cup Kristin's Gluten-Free Flour Mix

1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut

1 Tbsp cinnamon

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

In a mixer (or you can just mix together by hand, using the back of your spoon to smooth out the batter), combine: 

2 cups pumpkin puree (homemade puree or canned) (If your canned pumpkin is on the thicker side, add 1/4 cup sour cream or 1/4 cup milk to your batter, and it will help balance it out)

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 cup brown sugar (OR 1/2 cup brown sugar + 1/4 cup 100% date paste)

2 eggs

1 Tbsp molasses (OR extra 1 Tbsp date paste or Agave nectar if you don't like the molasses flavor)

2 tsp vanilla extract

Mix the dry ingredients into the wet.  

Add and mix in: 

1 cup unsweetened puffed cereal of your choice OR rice krispie type cereal

1/2 - 1 cup dark chocolate chips

Batter spread into the pan(s) with the back of a spoon or using the back of spatula.

Spread into a large normal cookie sheet or TWO 8"x 12" (1/4 sized) cookie sheets lined with parchment paper.  Bake at 350 F for 25-30 minutes until nicely browned.  Remove to a wire rack.  

Fresh from the oven, ready to slice. 

Slice while warm.  Let cool.  They freeze really well.  The slices hold together perfectly to take for quick breakfasts or snacks.  Enjoy! 

Sliced while warm - this will make for nice, clean slices to store later. 

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Snack Bars Recipe by Successfully Gluten Free! 

 These tasty gluten-free blueberry pie bars were inspired by a recipe in the NY Times.  However, their recipe used ready-made cookies, and I've created a delicious crumbly crust and topping that make it a yummy blend of blueberry pie and blueberry crisp/crumble.  Yum!  Enjoy! 

A lovely, delicious slice of blueberry crumble pie bar

Fresh from the oven. Yum!

Blueberry Crumble Pie Bars

Preheat oven to 350 F.  Have a 9 x 13 glass pan ready. 

Mix together in a large bowl: 

1 1/2 cup Kristin's Gluten-Free Flour Mix

1/4 tsp xanthan gum

1 cup GF whole oats

3/4 cup brown sugar

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

Add and chop in with a pastry cutter until butter is in small pieces (but make sure it stays crumbly and doesn't mush): 

2/3 cup butter, chilled (not softened)

Gently press into 9 x 13 pan 2/3 of the crust mixture. 

2/3 of crust gently pressed into the pan. 

In a mixer or large bowl, beat together: 

8 oz cream cheese, softened (lactose-free cream cheese or dairy-free cream cheese substitute will work well)

1/4 cup sugar

1 egg

Gently spread/pour the cream cheese mixture onto the crust.  

In a large bowl, toss together, then spread on top of cream cheese mixture: 

4 cups wild blueberries (wild blueberries are tiny, flavorful blueberries and naturally sweet)

1 Tbsp cornstarch

pinch salt

Blueberries sprinkled over the cream cheese layer, ready for topping. 

Sprinkle the remaining 1/3 of crumble crust over your blueberries.  Bake your blueberry pie bars at 350 F for 40 minutes, or until browned a nice light golden brown.  

Topped with the remaining 1/3 crumble mixture. Ready to bake!

Fresh from the oven! Nicely browned, but not too dark. 

Remove to a wire rack to cool.  You can serve these warm, or let them cool before serving.  Leftovers store well in the refrigerator for a few days.  Enjoy! 

Yum!

Blueberry Crumble Pie Bars Recipe by Successfully Gluten Free! 

 I really wanted something easy, but to compliment homemade enchiladas.  Cinnamon-sugar donuts were calling my name, but I wasn't in the mood to fry anything.  This cinnamon-infused flan made with brown sugar was just perfect!  I discovered a slightly faster method to whip it together using a microwave vs stovetop, like I use for my regular vanilla flan or pumpkin flan.  Enjoy! 

A yummy slice of cinnamon & brown sugar gluten-free flan, ready to eat! 

Cinnamon & Brown Sugar Flan

Preheat oven to 350 F. Butter 8 x 8 glass pan.  

In a large microwave safe cup heat just until bubbling at the edges (I heated 3 minutes): 

2 1/2 - 2 3/4 cup 10% cream (or 2 cups milk & 3/4 cup 10% cream for a lighter flan)

1 Tbsp brown sugar

Whisk together in a bowl: 

4 eggs

1/2 cup brown sugar

Add and whisk into the bowl: 

1/2 cup Kristin's Gluten-Free Flour Mix

1/2 - 1 tsp cinnamon

2 tsp vanilla bean paste

Slowly add, whisking regularly, to avoid scrambling the eggs: 

hot milk/cream from above

Pour into prepared pan.  Bake at 350 F for 15 minutes.  Lower heat to 300 F and cook an additional 30-40 minutes.  It should puff up during baking.  

Flan, fresh from the oven. You can see how it puffs up a bit.

Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack.  I prefer to let cool a full hour for really nice, clean slices, but we rarely last that long before digging in.  It still slices pretty neatly even if cut while hot.  Enjoy!!!! 

A side view after baking.  I liked the darker, speckled look from the cinnamon and brown sugar. Yum!

Cinnamon & Brown Sugar Flan Recipe by Successfully Gluten Free!

 I spent a good portion of my childhood being very unhappy every time we had Sloppy Joe's for dinner.  Back then, the meat was cooked with a packet of spices and always incredibly salty.  It would be served on store bought rolls that always seem to fall apart under the weight of the soupy meat mixture.  However, when my dad decided to try the Pioneer Woman's recipe, we actually enjoyed it!  I've tweaked it a little bit and to make it just how I like it, and one of my kids requested it as their birthday dinner this year, so I'd say it's come a long way from the unpleasant stuff of my childhood.  Enjoy! 

My dad serving up sloppy joe's! He served it with a side of zucchini, chips, and a piece of one of our favorite family brownies, with a few mint chips thrown in. Yum!

Sloppy Joe's

Based on a recipe by Ree Drummond. Serves 8-12 

In a large deep skillet over medium heat melt: 

2 Tbsp butter

Add and cook until meat is fully browned (once cooked, you can drain it if needed, but I usually don't): 

2 lb ground beef (I prefer lean or extra lean)

Add, cooking a few minutes: 

1 large onion, diced

1 green bell pepper, diced

5-6 cloves garlic, minced

Add the following: 

14 oz can tomato sauce + add 1/4 - 1/3 cup water used to rinse out the can

1 cup ketchup

2-3 tsp Worchestershire sauce

2 Tbsp brown sugar

2 tsp chili powder

1 tsp dry mustard powder

1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

1/2 tsp pepper

1/4 - 1/2 tsp salt

Let the whole mixture come to a boil, then lower heat to simmer, uncovered for about 15 minutes.   You can taste it at this point and add an extra dash of Worchestershire sauce or salt & pepper, if needed.  

Serve the meat on top of homemade gluten-free rolls.  My versatile dinner rolls are a nice option.  We've also enjoyed it with my soft, buttery dinner rolls and my quick and delicious hamburger buns in a mixer recipes. 

Delicious with some favorite brownies for dessert! 

Sloppy Joe's Recipe by Successfully Gluten Free!

 There are all sorts of varieties of snickerdoodle cookies, but these are the light and flaky sort of cookie.  I really wanted some sort of light cinnamon treat to have after a rich meal of homemade enchiladas (technically, I made the easier to whip up lasagna-style layered enchiladas), but wasn't quite in the mood for something as decadent as a gluten-free tres leches cake.  These were perfect!  Nice and light.  Enjoy! 

Yummy GF Snickerdoodle Cookies, fresh from the oven! 

Snickerdoodle Cookies!

Makes ~48 small cookies

Preheat oven to 350 F.  Line cookie sheets with parchment paper or silicon liners.  

In a small bowl, mix together, and then set aside: 

1/2 cup sugar

1-2 Tbsp cinnamon (depending on how you like it)

In a large bowl, whisk together dry ingredients: 

1/2 cup brown rice flour

1/2 cup arrowroot starch (or scant 1/2 cup cornstarch)

1/4 cup tapioca starch/flour

1/4 cup potato starch

3/4 tsp xanthan gum

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

In a mixer, cream until light and fluffy: 

1/2 cup butter, softened

4 oz cream cheese, softened

3/4 cup sugar

Add and mix in, scraping down a couple times: 

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla bean paste or extract

Add the flour mixture ingredients into wet ingredients.  Mix, just until combined.  

Scoop small scoops of dough into your cinnamon-sugar mixture, gently using your fingertips to roll the dough around in the cinnamon-sugar.  Place each cookie ball onto your pan.  Press gently to flatten a bit.   These do spread out quite a bit, so here I used a smaller than average scoop and some did hit into the others, if in doubt, make a tray with them 3 x 4 and see how they look, then you can adjust.  

Scooped, rolled, and ready to flatten!

Flattened slightly, and ready to bake.  I find doing this before baking makes for a much more event cookie overall. 

Bake at 350 F. 10-12 minutes, or until just turning brown at the edges.   Remove from the oven and let rest a couple minutes on the pan before using a spatula to move to a cooling rack.  

These should be fine to store in a closed container for a few days at room temperature, but I prefer to freeze leftovers in a ziploc for later.  Enjoy! 

Fresh from the oven! Yum! 

Gluten-Free Snickerdoodle Cookies by Successfully Gluten Free!