Excellent Ingredients for a Gluten Free or Keto-Friendly Diet

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Baking for those with special dietary needs

It should be a happy occasion when family members or friends come to your house for a meal. But – it can be stressful for the hostess if some of your guests follow special diets.

Luckily, there are tons of alternative baking ingredients you can get easily to accommodate those who follow a gluten-free or keto-friendly diet. Below are some of my favorite brands:

Almond Flour

Almond flour adds moist texture and rich flavors to your favorite recipes. Not all almond flour is the same though – Blue Diamond is high quality and gets consistently good reviews because of the texture it gives the finished product. Some brands leave your food gritty and dense. It seems that people who don’t to cook with almond flour like this brand!

Coconut Flour

I tried a number of coconut flours and did not like the smell or taste of them. This brand is the only one I found that actually smells like coconut. It’s light and fresh. It arrives fresh and bakes up well, especially with pancakes.

Swerve Brown Sugar Replacement

Sweetened with erythritol, this sugar substitute is sweet and delicious. It’s a natural sugar replacement that has no bitter aftertaste. I love how easy it is to use – it bakes and measures just like sugar. It also browns and caramelizes, just like sugar! In addition, it has zero net carbs and does not affect blood sugar.

Lakanto Cinnamon Almond Crunch Granola

It’s crunch time! Use Lakanto Cinnamon Almond Crunch Granola to top parfaits and other foods that need a little added crunch. Or, eat it straight up as a snack. Containing only 4g net carbs, this healthy granola mix is grain free, gluten free, sugar free, keto friendly and sweetened with just a touch of monk fruit, a natural sweetener that tastes amazing without the negative effects of sugar. Other ingredients include a tasty mix of coconut, sunflower seeds, almonds, chia seeds, cinnamon, and a hint of sea salt. Innovative, delicious and natural with only 4 grams net carbs!

Lily’s Semi-Sweet Style Baking Chips

Made with cacao and sweetened with stevia, these chips contain no added sugar. I expected them to taste artificial and leave an aftertaste, but these are amazing! I’ve used them for all kinds of recipes, including a chocolate craving straight from the bag. My whole family eats them with no complaints. A little pricey, but well worth it, in my opinion.

TOPO CHICO MINERAL WATER

Obviously, this mineral water is not for baking, but as long as you are looking for healthy options, I thought I’d mention this new favorite beverage of mine. I was introduced to Topo Chico recently by a friend at a socially distanced backyard get together. I was admittedly skeptical, because mineral water is mineral water, right? Well, I no longer think that’s true. Topo Chico is fantastically refreshing, especially with a little lime juice added. Who would have thought I would go out of my way to drink water from Mexico after all the times I was told “don’t drink the water”! It’s soft and has so many bubbles!

Suggestions about other options are more than welcome! Leave your thoughts in the comment section below.