Gluten Free Easter Treats and Baked Goods

I'm reposting this roundup from 2018 as spring is just over a month away, and I thought some of you might like to get a jump on baking! 

 

Easter is just around the corner, and I'm sharing a roundup of some of my favourite gluten free Easter treat recipes from the blog.

Some of these are traditional Easter foods, like my Gluten Free German Easter bread (a.k.a. Osterkranz), Gluten Free Hot Cross Buns, and Gluten Free Apple Dumplings, while others, like my lavender sugar cookies and vegan, GF parsnip cake, are a little less conventional but just as tasty!

I've also included one of my go-to Spring decoration tutorials that is incredibly cheap and easy (hint, it's a way to use up old tin cans, too).

Vegan and Gluten Free Vanilla Cupcakes with Sunflower Icing (and natural food coloring)

Following quickly on the heels of my Bunny Pull Apart Cupcake Cake, I just had to share these gorgeous (and easy!) gluten free and vegan sunflower cupcakes. I think of these bright little cupcakes as little bombs of sunshine. They make me stupidly happy to see them when I open the fridge (which is where you'll want to store them).

I'm confident that if you show up at Easter dinner with these, the recipients will reward you with big smiles.

And don't let the icing daunt you! Though the buttercream sunflowers look complex, I only had to do one tester cupcake before I felt confident enough to work more quickly. In the end, I couldn't tell which was the tester.

Even if the petals don't seem perfect as you're piping them, never fear. Nature isn't always perfect and symmetrical either!

Vegan and Gluten Free Bunny Pull Apart Cake

I just have to share this latest baking adventure with you all!! This little experiment made me so happy, and I love opening my fridge right now, as there is a smiling bunny face looking up at me.

And I thought you all might like to know how you can turn these gluten free and vegan cupcakes into an easy pull apart cake just in time for Easter. Seriously, the cake is super easy, and I say this as someone who generally sucks at decorating. That's why I did this all as a trial the week before Easter. Turns out it's not hard at all!

Grandma's Cucumber Dill Pickles (Gluten Free Pickles!)

I'm re-posting this post from way back in 2013, since it's been one of my most popular recipes, and I thought some of you might enjoy re-visiting it!

 
My grandmother has always made amazing pickles. She would can them in enormous batches. I started helping my mother make them sometime around my 7th birthday, up until about 10 years ago when I moved out and my mother stopped making them and my grandmother got tired of cooking.

Well this year, after seeing buckets of little cucumbers at the farmers market, I decided to resurrect my grandmother's amazing dill pickle legacy. I called my mom back home in Canada and asked for the recipe.

And now I'm sharing it with you!

9 Gluten Free Ways to Use Up Leftover Sweet Potatoes (with vegan options)

If you're like me, you probably have a fridge full of leftovers from Easter. It's a blessing and a curse when both your in-laws and your parents send you home with containers full of poultry, potatoes, and veggies.

With all those bits and pieces, it's not always easy to make a full meal. OR, maybe you're just tired of eating the same thing day in and day out and wondering what to do with it all...

Well here's a list of suggestions for using up leftover baked sweet potatoes in baked goods, burgers, soups, AND salads, so you can completely transform Easter dinner into something else entirely!

Easy, Gluten Free and Vegan Chocolate Coconut Nests

 Looking for a super last minute, easy-to-make Easter treat? These Chocolate Coconut Nests require only 2 ingredients (3 if you count a filling, like mini eggs or jelly beans), no baking, and can be thrown together in almost no time at all.

Did I mention they're super tasty, and lots of fun for little kids? I made these to take to my 2 1/2 yr old niece for Easter, and I hope she likes them, because I've been nibbling on them myself the last couple of days!

They can also be made vegan if you use vegan chocolate chips like these and fill them with something like peanuts or vegan jelly beans instead of mini eggs.

Healthy, Savory, Vegan and Gluten Free Sweet Potato Bread

Every now and then I come up with a recipe that turns out amazing. More than amazing. Freaking addictively delicious. 

This healthy sweet potato sandwich bread is one of those times. 

This sweet potato bread is one of those rare things in vegan, gluten free baking - delicious, perfect texture, sturdy yet soft, not chewy or gummy or dry, great for sandwiches, toast, French toast, and just about anything else you could ask for. 

And did I mention it's actually healthy? 

Unlike a lot of other sweet potato breads that are... well... really sweet, this one can be enjoyed guilt-free. It's low in sugar, uses a small amount of olive oil in place of tons of butter, and the flour combo includes high-protein multi-grains. 

Here's how it goes...

Easiest Gluten-Free Vegan Burgers / Tofu Patties with BBQ Sauce +MeatlessMonday

Guys, these are seriously the easiest and tastiest burgers I've ever made, and I have a thing for tasty, healthy burgers. So much so that I have not one, but three gluten free vegan burger recipes on the blog. This will be the fourth!

They're so simple to make and ingredients are minimal. They're great for a quick, healthy meal, particularly if you pair them with my Baked Root Vegetable Fries.

And smoked paprika lends the burgers a smoky BBQ flavour that is super addictive.

Leftover French Fry Hash (gluten free with vegan option)

Okay, I confess that sometimes I feel a little silly asking a restaurant to package up my leftover French Fries. It's not like you're asking for leftover pizza or pasta or something expensive and not easily made at home. Especially considering that leftover fries tend to be kind of gross the next day, either soggy or too hard.

But not when you make them into a super frugal, flexible hash!! Which is, in my humble opinion, the best way to use up leftover French fries. My husband loves leftover fries for breakfast done this way, and I think you will, too : )

Surprisingly, a seemingly small amount of french fries can make a decent amount of hashbrowns, once you cut them up fine. Especially if you add other things in. The above hash served two of us, whereas the leftover fries I started with wouldn't even be one full serving in a restaurant.

Ever since I tried making potato hash out of leftover fries a few months back, it's become one of my favourite breakfast treats, and now I never turn down taking fries home. Of course, you can also have this leftover french fry hash any time of day...

The Ultimate DIY Gluten Free Gingerbread House Guide + how to make a lighted gingerbread house!

Since the holiday season is upon us, I'm re-posting my Gingerbread House tutorial from last year! I hope you enjoy it :)


Those of you who follow me on Facebook probably saw some of my posts this past week as I attempted to make my very first gluten free gingerbread house, and I promised to post about it. I still haven't gotten around to actually decorating it (thanks to having not one, not two, but THREE decorating devices fail on me), but this post should give you everything you need in time to make one yourself!

So in this post you'll find:
* A link to the gluten free gingerbread recipe I used (it's fabulous, and my non-GF hubby really liked it too)
* Links to the TWO different free gingerbread house templates / patterns I used
* A tutorial on how to make a lighted gingerbread house (my first attempt at this and I'm pleased with the results)
* Some suggestions for constructing a gingerbread house
* A recipe for simple, gluten free, dairy free, corn-syrup free royal icing

So let's get crackin', cuz Christmas is just around the corner!!

What to do with Squash Leaves and Stems: 9 Gluten Free Ways to Use Squash Leaves (Tenerumi)

This post was originally published on August 18, 2013, but it's such a popular post this time of year I'm bumping it up so that those of you looking for ways to use up your squash leaves can find some suggestions.

Don't forget to check the comments section, as tons of people have been kind enough to share their wonderful recipes from around the world!!

Ever wondered if can you eat squash leaves? 

I noticed these big buckets of fuzzy, curly, decorative squash greens for the first time a while back at the farmers market. We eat a ton of greens, but I’ve never grown squash so it just never occurred to me to question if squash leaves are edible.

I asked the older Hmong lady selling them what to do with the squash leaves. She told me to peel the fuzzy skin off and boil them. This was rather vague, so as soon as I got my bunch home I scoured forums and blogs and found squash leaf recipes ranging from Hmong to Thai to Nigerian to Italian.

I’ve shared 9 different ways I found to make use of squash leaves and stems, as well as some tips for prepping and using them. So if you have pumpkins, zucchini or other squash spreading in your back yard, or you see a bunch of them at your farmers market, go buck wild with these ideas!

Vegan, Gluten Free Easy Homemade Barbeque Sauce Recipe

You know I never used to be a huge fan of barbeque sauce. I didn't think it was really all that useful. However, my husband loves it, so I thought I'd try making some gluten free BBQ sauce (since buying it can be really expensive!)

It's a darn good thing I gave it a shot, because it turns out I can put this BBQ sauce on just about anything and my husband will eat it! Furthermore, I have discovered a newfound appreciation for this tangy stuff. It's so good you could eat it straight off the spoon.

And I have. I've been looking for excuses to dip a spoon into the jar, and this little photo shoot was the perfect opporunity ;)

Now that we're heading into BBQ season, it seemed like an appropriate time to post this easy recipe!

Easy, One-Pot Gluten Free and Vegan Chili-Lime Rice and Beans Dinner (+MeatlessMonday)

There is nothing complicated about this complete, healthy meal of rice, black beans, and veggies. It's one pot, about 25 minutes from start to finish, and much of that time is spent waiting for the meal to cook. So you can do dishes, set the table, dance around the kitchen to '80's rock, pet the cat, or colour in your Secret Garden Coloring Book , like I've been doing!

Like the One-Pot Asian Rice and Veggie Bowl  I posted a couple of weeks back, this easy one-pot meal is super flexible depending on what you have in the fridge, and is a great way to use up bits and pieces of veggies.
Wednesdays are busy days for me. I have a virtual meeting with my writing group which, due to our time differences, means that our meetings are smack in the middle of dinner time. Furthermore, I've taken on some volunteer work that, lately, has occurred on Thursdays, also right around dinner time.

Which means that I don't really have time to cook.

Hence the beginning of what I like to call One-Pot Wednesdays, where I make up a large pot of something that's fast and easy, doesn't require a lot to clean up, and can be served the next day. So stay tuned, because for the next couple of weeks I'll be posting quick and easy one-pot meals!

Easy, One-Pot Gluten Free Asian Rice and Vegetables (+MeatlessMonday)

This gluten free steamed rice and vegetable dinner is so easy I almost feel guilty posting it. And I almost feel guilty telling you that I make this like once a week for dinner, and have the leftovers for lunch the next day. It's a go-to on a night when we're in a hurry to go out somewhere.

It feels lazy. But it's totally not. It's a healthy meal in itself, and it's just so darned easy!!

It takes only 20 minutes from start to finish, requires only one pot for cooking (and a small bowl for sauce), and is super flexible. I use up odds and ends from the fridge so it's a little different every time. You can add various proteins as you like (peanuts, cashews, tofu, eggs, or leftover chicken bits for a meat version, etc.) and different veggies (carrots, peas, asparagus, mushrooms, etc.) depending on what you have kicking around.

So the following is my basic formula and the sauce I use.

Easy Gluten Free Mint Chocolate Mousse & Chocolate Mousse Pie with Mint Whipped Cream

 Oh my. 

This chocolate mousse pie is so decadent, so rich, and utterly fabulous. This is the type of thing you want to roll around in your mouth for a little while it dissolves on your tongue.

And yet the process isn't difficult and doesn't require any fancy stuff. The pie crust is a faux cookie crumb crust, which means it doesn't even require gluten free chocolate cookies to make, just a few basic ingredients.

There are three components to it but only one is absolutely necessary (the chocolate mousse), so you can choose if you want to layer that on the gluten free chocolate pie crust and top with mint whipped cream. And of course, I recommend that you do, but the mousse is wonderful on its own. 

You can also do away with the mint flavour if you prefer but the mint adds a delightful fresh, lightness to the rich mousse.

6 Pumpkin Spice Recipes & a Canadian Thanksgiving!

It struck me the other day that I have a few recipes on the blog now that make use of pumpkin spice, or pureed pumpkin, and since it's Canadian Thanksgiving this weekend, some people might be looking for ways to use up leftover pumpkin!

So I've slapped this roundup together for your pumpkin-eating pleasure! Happy Thanksgiving to all my Canadian readers, and I hope you're enjoying family and friends getting together.

Vegan, Gluten Free Slow Cooker French Toast Bites (+MeatlessMonday)

Whoa Nelly! Hold the phones, stop the music... whatever you need to do so that I have your full attention here! This vegan and gluten free French toast is so easy, and so flexible. You could pop this in the crock-pot on Sunday afternoon and eat French toast for breakfast on Monday. I used several slices of my Gluten Free Vegan Cinnamon Raisin Bread, and then jazzed it up with apples and coconut flakes and cashews. But you could use any vegan and gluten free bread you like and add other things like bananas, sweet potatoes, dates, cranberries, etc.

I ate this every morning for four days straight, and didn't tire of it, it's that good!  I also added some of the chunks into a chocolate chili I made, and it was fantastic (also, stay tuned for that recipe for Chocolate Chili ;p )

For those of you without crockpots - I have yet to try and make this as a French toast casserole in the oven, but I'm pretty sure you could bake it in a casserole dish for 45min - 1 hr instead if you don't have a slow cooker.

Traveling Gluten Free on a Budget in Greece - #2 in my traveling GF on a budget series

So as many of you know, I was in Europe for a month from February to March. During that time I spent two weeks in Greece. It was my second time there, and this time around we rented a car and traveled through several different towns, from almost the northernmost tip down to the the centre of the Peloponnese.

Greece is great for budget traveling right now, and so it seemed fitting that I start with Greece as the first city in my Traveling Gluten Free on a Budget  series. If you're looking for general tips on traveling gluten free on a budget, be sure to check out the first post in the series

Fast and Easy Cheater's Chilaquiles Recipe

Free of gluten, soy, dairy, nuts, sugar

I've been meaning to post this recipe for super fast chilaquiles for ages. Since Cinco de Mayo is coming up, it seemed fitting that I share it this weekend.

Chilaquiles - for those of you who've never had the pleasure of drooling over a plate of warm salsa verde and tortillas - is a Mexican dish comprising of eggs, tortillas, salsas, and sometimes beans, and it is one of the most amazing breakfasts / brunches ever. I discovered them the first time I went to Mexico about 13 years ago, and have been getting them every chance I get since. Sadly, this is not as often as I'd like because over the years I've lived in several neighbourhoods with no Mexican restaurants nearby.

That is, until I hit upon a quick fix to satisfy my chilaquiles cravings in about 5 minutes - about the time it takes to fry an egg. 

Gluten Free Braided Easter (or anytime!) Bread

Free of gluten, nuts, soy, corn, with dairy free option

I just got back three days ago from Europe, where my husband and I spent a month traveling by plane, train, car, and bus across four geophysical zones. Twelve days of the trip were spent in Greece, a country I've visited twice now. Since Easter is coming up and Greece is on my mind, I wanted to create a Greece-themed Easter dish to share on the blog.

While researching, I discovered a beautiful, sweet, braided bread known as Tsoureki. Looking over the recipes I found, I realized that they were very similar to the gluten free German Easter bread I posted last Easter (a.k.a. Osterkranz)

Delving a little deeper, I discovered that many different European countries make yeasted, sweet braided bread decorated with coloured eggs for Easter. There are a few common denominators, which I've shared below. I've also, of course, shared a new version of gluten free Easter bread, a little different from the one I made last year.

Of course, this bread is fantastic ANY time of year, so don't confine yourself to just eating it at Easter ;)