The definitive gluten free "BEST OF" list! Please add your favorite retail GF stuff.

[danbandman]

So far, the best things I've tried have been:

Pamela's GF Pancake Mix
Udi's White Bread (needs to be toasted)
Arepas (south American corn/cheese cakes)
Estrella Daura (beer)
Gluten Free Girl and the Chef's Pizza Dough recipe (really their flatbread cracker recipe)

I've been told that King Author's GF Brownie Mix is good but have yet to try it.

PLEASE. Use this thread to list any GF retail products that you think are superior. I'm tired of being burned.

[ultimatepotato]

In the UK - King Soba for noodles, Biona Organica for condiments and spreads (they are not a dedicated GF company, they cover a range of special diets), Mrs Crimbles for baked goods and baking mixes, Dove's Farm for flours and pasta, Trufree crackers and pretzels - although Trufree are part of DS/Dietary Specials/Dr Schar - and I don't rate their product range at ALL. Genius for fresh breads and rolls.

Please note that I am not GF, I just cook for a GF diet often and have had many hits and misses when trying to provide GF alternatives to her favourite meals.

[adventuresinbaking]

Liz Lovely cookies! She makes chocolate covered PB oreo cookies that are gluten free! I feel like it is the white whale of vegan gluten free baked goods.

[DuffyH]

I just visited her website; the cookies do look yummy! Adding to my WF shopping list. :)

[windycityvegan]

Jovial brand pasta - their capellini especially, although imo all of their shapes/sized are superior to Tinkyada.

Authentics Foods brand featherlight all purpose GF flour blend

[ItalianNana]

My favorite GF pasta is Bionaturae rigatoni. My daughter served it at a family gathering that included a Celiac friend, before I was diagnosed. We didn't know the difference and I've been enjoying it ever since. I still miss big egg noodles and other pastas.

[windycityvegan]

ItalianNana: Bionaturae is made by the same people who make Jovial!! I also love Bionaturae's shapes, and they vary from what Jovial has to offer.

[ItalianNana]

windycityvegan,

Wow! I buy mine online at Vitacost. They are cheaper than my grocer for pasta and the Crunchmasters crackers I love. And they have a very low ($25?) for free shipping.

[windycityvegan]

Good to know! I'll have to check Vitacost out, maybe they have Schar GF pasta, I think they make really small soup pasta! (I really miss ditalini for some reason.)

[DuffyH]

Ditalini was my default shape for macaroni salad. It was my potato salad recipe subbing ditalini for potatoes. I miss it, potato salad is fine, but not the same. And Caesar pasta salad, so good! <sigh>

[windycityvegan]

I loved using it for pasta salads, too! But also, pasta e fagioli. I have this lovely little Italian cookbook, La Bella Cucina, and it has a pasta e fagioli recipe that uses white beans and wild fennel. Aforementioned Italian husband swooned at the sight of it.

[DuffyH]

windy, I recall this little Italian place in Virginia. Outside the DC beltway, it was in an old town center, surrounded by new development. They served up a plate of fagioli as an appy. No pasta, just beans perfectly seasoned and so creamy and saucy.

The best plate of beans I've ever eaten, I've been trying to perfect it at home. Getting close, but not there yet.

[windycityvegan]

Sounds lovely! I often slowly braise beans with herbs and alliums until they're creamy and almost falling apart. I'm Peruvian, though, and having grown up eating beans prepared this way I don't think of them as Italian unless a small pasta is thrown into the pot!

[DuffyH]

For more years than I care to admit, I believed that if it didn't have pasta, it wasn't Italian. I still do, a little bit. :)

[windycityvegan]

My daughter is being raised by a Lithuanian/Italian and a German/Peruvian . . . I see some interesting food perceptions developing in her future. :)

[DuffyH]

windycity - I have yet to find a decent angel hair or even spaghetti, for that matter. Something about the skinny noodles just doesn't translate well. I haven't seen Jovial, but will certainly look for it. Thanks!

[windycityvegan]

Oh, I hope you can find Jovial angel hair and/or spaghetti; it is just as good as it's semolina counterpart, I promise. My husband is Italian, and he says he cannot tell the difference at all. ALSO - they do well in the fridge, and don't become brittle like most GF pastas do once they cool down. I often bring leftover Jovial capellini to work for lunch and eat it cold right out of my lunch bag.

ItalianNana mentioned Bionaturae, which is another excellent brand (again, as good as if not better than Tinkyada imo) - and they are made by the same people who make Jovial. Good luck finding these pastas, they are worth it!

[DuffyH]

<My husband is Italian, and he says he cannot tell the difference at all.>

That's the kind of recommendation we look for!

I scored some Conte's frozen cheese ravioli recently, going to try it tomorrow night. Film at 11!

[DuffyH]

windy and IN,

Tonight I tried Conte's frozen cheese ravioli. It cooked up quick, didn't fall apart, and only took about 2 minutes longer than suggested to get to al dente. Isn't that always the way?

After tasting it, I decided to throw caution to the wind and serve it to Dude, who really hates GF pasta.

His determination (and remember, he's a gluten eater) is that it has the same texture as wheat pasta (what he really said was "It doesn't stick to my teeth"), and the taste is 'almost' identical. He'd happily eat it again. She shoots! She scores!

It's my new favorite GF thing! :)

[windycityvegan]

I'll have to keep that in mind for my husband! I don't eat dairy, but he does, and cheese ravioli is something he misses. He has a gluten *intolerance* (I'm the one with an allergy), so he tries to eat GF as much as possible. Thanks for the heads up on this product!

[DuffyH]

Today I found a new (to me) favorite thing!

Rudi's Plain Tortillas

I found them in the cooler at my local Nutrtition S'Mart, and guess what? They BEND! They're downright floppy, like corn tortillas. Bought a pack, rushed home and made a soft chicken taco with one. Did the usual, warmed it in a dry skillet, then filled it. It looked, acted and tasted very much like a flour tortilla. Not as puffy soft as a true flour tortilla, but lacked that crackly, tough, leathery chew of the other GF tortillas I've tried. The flavor was good, too, just shy of the real item. In short, I had me a genuine, honest soft taco. Yum! :)

I think it would be great for a burrito, because it was softest near the bottom of the taco, where the warm chicken was. I can't wait to try it fry-baked into a bowl for a beans-at-the-bottom taco salad.

[ItalianNana]

DuffyH

Another terrific rec! I would never have purchased those but have seen them many times. I have learned to love corn tortillas for lots of things, but chili verde NEEDS a flour one. I'm going to give these a shot for an enchilada change too. Thanks!

[DuffyH]

Bite your tongue! The only proper tortilla for enchiladas is corn, LOL :)

[ItalianNana]

:-D

Okay, I promise not to use for anything but soft tacos and burritos!

[tarilyn]

Glutenfreeda's Instant Oatmeal! I've never been a fan of oatmeal but this oatmeal is so creamy even without milk.

[GraceW]

Fabe's All Natural Bakery has gluten and vegan products. I don't have access to them anymore (although you can order online)--however, my favorite were the very mini cookies in Oatmeal Raisin.

http://www.fabesnatural.com/

[goodhealthgourmet]

Just to clarify, the Oatmeal Raisin mini cookies are wheat-free but NOT gluten free - they contain barley flour, conventional oats & malt extract.

[GraceW]

Yes, they are part of the Vegan line, but I have had the gluten free line... and I would recommend that too.--I am sorry, I didn't mean to be misleading!

Regardless: thumbs-up for Fabe's.

[LJS]

Pamela;s Gingersnaps

Cup4Cup Flour mix (French Laundry sponsored, but sold through William Sonoma)-pricey but worth it for baking

[jenscats5]

Decided to try these chips I saw at BJs finally......Wild Riceworks gourmet wildrice crisps......nice & crispy, good flavor!! Thumbs up for sure!

[jenscats5]

I found these baked lentil chips at a local store by Mediterranean Snacks....they are great!!! I like them better than the Almond chips - sometimes they are just too "almondy" tasting, especially with dips.

Also found these snack food chunks - like an energy bar but in small chunks. The label says "Dancing Star presents Chunks of Energy." I especially like the Chia Orange flavor. They are a nice little snack before my workouts and aren't too heavy.

And Amy's GF mac & cheese is my new favorite!! Nice & creamy!

[goodhealthgourmet]

i love the Dancing Star energy chunks. they're high in sugar and i can only eat the carob-based ones because the other flavors contain soy powder, but they're great for a sweet treat. Whole Foods, natural markets & co-ops sell them in the bulk section, and you can get them for a good price online from websites like nuts.com if you want to stock up or try other flavors.

[jenscats5]

Good to know GHG!! I work out at about 5am in the morning, so I like a very quick snack beforehand just so I won't feel sick to my stomach. I will look for them online.......Wish we had a Whole Foods around here just for some specialty items....

I also like the No GII bars that Elizabeth Hasselback makes.....they are quite tasty....

[goodhealthgourmet]

i used to train clients at 5 am who had the same issue (i personally get sick to my stomach if i even consider eating something that early). the energy chunks are a good choice for that! buy them online - you'll get a better price, and you don't have to worry about other customers sticking their grimy hands in the bulk bins ;)

watch out for eating too much processed soy. it's the first ingredient in those NoGii bars, and unfortunately show up in a lot if GF foods.

[jenscats5]

Really?? There's soy in the NoGii bars?? Darn, I didn't notice or I wouldn't have bought them......not a fan of processed soy at all & try to avoid at all costs...

Speaking of bars, another good one is the Kind Plus bars.....the cranberry/pomegranite ones are good....

ETA: just noticed that on the list.....SIGHHHHH will have to take them off the list now....

[goodhealthgourmet]

processed soy is the very first - and therefore most abundant - ingredient in the NoGii Bars. (sorry to burst your bubble!) i did notice on the NoGii website that they now offer a couple of soy-free "Paleo" bars. the name is ridiculous because those things are not even remotely Paleo-friendly (they contain way too much sugar, and safflower oil is a no-no). but hey, at least there's no gluten or soy! ;)

Kind Bars & Larabars are probably the best options for a high-carb GF energy hit. if you want something with more protein and no soy, look for Questbars - i'd personally recommend sticking with the "all-natural" flavors, because the other ones are sweetened with Splenda.

[jenscats5]

Meh! You didn't burst my bubble, but it is disappointing! I've seen/had the Quest bars before and they are good! Will look for them again....thanks for the reminder! The Kind bars are good too!

[Ecobaker]

I was going to second it but I realized mine is Annies (the boxed kind) it's very good, way better than I was expecting - will have to try the Amy's next time I have to have Mac n Cheese (Dairy is an issue for me, but sometimes I take the tummy ache - it's not like Gluten which takes me out for 3-5 days, dairy just a bit, so once in a while I have to have a little)...Also I just discover Mary's Organic Crackers (I hate the crackers, WAY too healthy for me lol) but the cookies!!! Oh my....they are fabulous! Dairy and egg free too, I only tried the chocolate chip but YUM!

[Jpan99]

I'm not gluten free but my sister inlaw is. We took a gluten free baking class at King Arthur over the summer which was fun. We made our own bread from scratch which came out good. She's always searching for new products and she brought home some bread the other day that even I would eat, it's the closest to real bread we've ever tasted.

Eva Ruth's out of Middletown, Rhode Island. She bought two loves of fresh bread from them at a farmer's market in Boston. The white loaf and the whole grain. The white was good but the whole grain was better. It had a bit more chew than the white, more like regular bread. She was so excited when we opened them up and gave a taste, she made a peanut butter sandwich on the spot and said "do you have any idea how happy I am right now?"

It's expensive, as all gluten free products are, but worth a try if you love/miss bread. She used it for her Thanksgiving stuffing, toasting it in the oven first and she was happy with the result. But just that you can make a sandwich and the bread doesn't fall apart and actually tastes good is the ultimate.

No I don't work for them! I'm just impressed because I've tried a lot of the bread she eats and I couldn't take more than a bite. Real bread is my favorite food so if I could eat a sandwich on this bread it must be good!
http://stores.evaruths.com/StoreFront...

[goodhealthgourmet]

approval from gluten-eaters is the highest form of flattery when it comes to these things. i just don't bother with bread at all anymore, but i'm sure those who do will appreciate the recommendation!

[chefathome]

I like very few GF products (I like to make my own crackers, chips and so on) but I really do like the new Kinnikinnick soft bread. You do not need to toast it and the slices are as large as regular bread slices (not tiny like Udi's and others). Their fresh baguettes and dinner rolls stay soft as well. My second choice would be Glutino Genius bread (again, larger slices). Both are only $4.99 which is a bonus. Thankfully they are produced only three hours from where I live so I stock up like mad when we make a visit. I love to make my own bread but sometimes you've just got to buy it.

When we are in Europe I stock up on Schar's ciabatta rolls that you must "bake" for ten minutes. However, their other bread products fail to impress.

ETA: As I never use mixes (never have, not just gluten free) so cannot comment on those but have heard good things about some including Pamela's.

[adventuresinbaking]

LIz Lovely cookies, particularly the lovely Oh's. They are gluten free oreos that are dipped in chocolate, that come with vanilla and peanut butter filling.

Also Sammy's bread, particularly the chia bread There bagels are OK too, tasty, but don't compare to a real NYC bagel.

[jvanderh]

Garlic and parmesan Plentils are bangin'. Rice noodles from the Asian grocery are my go-to. The bigger stores even have spirals or shells or something sometimes, and they're always really good and pretty cheap. Mi del gingersnaps are utterly fantastic. Best s'mores I have ever had in my life. Purple rice crackers from Whole Foods are excellent. They're kind of expensive, but they're delicious and perfect for a fancy cheese plate. I like the EnerG white rice and tapioca loaves pretty well, but I think Udi's is better. Those dehydrated Annie's rice noodles are pretty much devoid of nutrition, but they taste good and they're easy- they hit the spot if you're in the mood for ramen (is it taboo to admit to ramen cravings on chowhound?). I like the Glutino pretzels too. I kind of feel like we should also have a thread for bad products.

[Ecobaker]

Love it!! I'm in Canada but here's a few I love:
Kinnikinnick -GF graham crumbs, rice cerial (like Rice Krispies)
Only oats -oats and oat flour
Purest - baking powder & baking soda
Hempola hemp seed flour
Manitoba harvest - hemp seeds and hemp seed butter
Betty Crocker - cake mixes
Tinkyada rice pasta spaghetti style mostly others are ok but spag is best
Super Slim rice crackers
Enjoy life - chocolate chips, chocolate chip cookies soft, sugar cookies crunchy
Go go quinoa- mushroom soup (vegan if made w soy)
Bobs red mill variety of GF grits
Barney butter Almond butter (peanut free as well)
Pure pantry chocolate chip cookie mix
123 Gluten free biscuits for pie crust recipe

That's my list of loves for now, oh and a locally made corn tortillas called El Mercado
Oh and o'doughs white bread(egg and dairy free as well as GF)
Lays potato chips
YumEarth Organics gummy bears
Good karma r"ice" creams...
Ok for real this time done :)
Forgot so nice coffee creamer and earth balance soy free spread (I'm dairy free as well, also peanut and egg allergies in my home so I avoid those too) whew now I'm done :)

[tracylee]

I'm not GF, but with all of my other dietary issues, I attended a GF expo yesterday morning with tons of samples. I didn't try anything sweet, since sugar is one of my issues, so I stuck with savory breads and snacks.

Rummaging through the information I picked up, I have 3 that I tried, liked, and that ship:

Against the Grain: www.againstthegraingourmet.com
Breads, Pizza Crusts, Pizzas

Brazi Bites: www.brazibites.com
Cheese bread snacks (I bought 3 packages

)

Legit Pizza: www.celisac.com
Pizza dough mixes

[goodhealthgourmet]

i must admit, i tried the bagels from Against the Grain Gourmet a few years ago and i personally thought they were awful. those are NOT bagels - i threw out the bag. then again, i'm a tough bagel critic because i grew up eating the real deal - perhaps their breads are better.

i wish all these companies posted ingredient & nutrition info ont heir websites - i can't find anything about Brazi Bites. but that "Legit Pizza" mix looks interesting.

thanks for the report!

[tracylee]

I'm on the way out the door, but when I get back this evening, I'll pull a package of the Brazi Bites out of the freezer and post the information from the back.

Oh, and Against the Grain didn't have bagels to try. Just bread and pizza, but then again, I'm not a bagel expert.

[tracylee]

OK, I cheated and took a pic, rather than copy it all down, LOL.

Looks like the ingredients are a bit shaded, so I'll write those in:
tapioca starch, eggs, milk, parmesan cheese (part skim milk, cheese cultures, salt, enzyme), safflower oil and/or soybean oil, cheddar cheese (cultured milk, salt, enzymes), water, salt.

[goodhealthgourmet]

you didn't have to go to all that trouble! but thanks, that was really sweet of you :)

[DuffyH]

You're right, they make a terrible bagel. But they make a KILLER pizza crust.

[sinjawns]

Le Veneziane pasta... made with corn, the best GF pasta I have tried, by a long shot.
http://www.leveneziane.it/en/gluten-f...

[Vetter]

Lesley Stowe's Rain Coast Crisps. They FINALLY have a gluten free version. I think it's cranberry/rosemary? It's not on their website. Anyhow, it's so nice to have a Fancy Cracker to have with my favorite triple cremes. I am so tired of those nut crackers that I could scream.

Another huge fan of Coconut Aminos. Talk about a great partner for good fish sauce and beef!

[goodhealthgourmet]

really? GF Raincoast Crisps? i'll have to keep an eye out for them...

[danbandman]

Are there any good GF pizza dough mixes (already made)? I just made Bob's Red and it was an abomination. I'd love it if there was something quick and easy (that actually TASTES like pizza dough).

[Vetter]

I haven't had one and I've tried a lot. But a weekend afternoon premixing the ingredients in mason jars was totally worth it. I used the Gluten Free Girl's crust recipe, no gums, used chia. It's a starch bomb but that's why it tastes authentic.

[dmjordan]

Well, it's not a mix but I love Glutino's pizza crust.

[DuffyH]

Forget the mixes and buy Against The Grain pizza skins. EVERYONE loves them. My gluten-eating husband claims it's the best pizza crust he's ever eaten, and that's saying a lot. They have a short, simple ingredient list; tapioca flour, milk, eggs, canola oil, cheddar cheese, mozzarella cheese and parmesan cheese. That's it, and it's genius.

They make a baguette that is the bomb and doesn't need to be toasted to taste good. Their bagels are made using the same method (cheese) but I'm not a fan, because they aren't "bagelish" except for the shape.

I get the pizza crusts and baguettes at my local Nutrition S'Mart in the GF freezer. They also carry the 2 varieties of prepared pizzas from ATG. Whole Foods has them, too. I've added a link, because I'm just that kind of girl.

http://www.againstthegraingourmet.com

[ItalianNana]

DuffyH

I just found an ATG source near me, thanks to your link! I'd never heard of it. Thank you SOOOOO much!

[DuffyH]

ItalianNana, you're very welcome. Please let us know how you like them. BTW - we like really crisp crust and found that bringing them to room temp, then baking at 375º for about 15-16 minutes in my Breville oven gives us that. Our favorite pizza is taco pizza, something about the cheese in the crust just works with taco toppings.

[goodhealthgourmet]

terrific topic!

- Bob's Red Mill: GF Oats, GF Mighty Tasty Hot Cereal, Organic Coconut Flour, Blanched Almond Flour...i'm basically a fan of all BRM GF flours, though i haven't tried any of their mixes
- Trader Joe's Almond Meal
- San-J GF Tamari Sauce (i buy the reduced sodium variety)
- Mochiko Sweet Rice Flour
- Arrowhead Mills Organic Maple Buckwheat Flakes
- Nature's Path Organic Mesa Sunrise Cereal
- Mission Corn Tortillas
- Food Should Taste Good Multigrain Chips
- and add my vote for Nut Thins and Crunchmaster Crackers

i've heard that Canyon Bakehouse makes really good bread & muffins, but i've never tried their products myself.

i'm sure i'll think of more...

[goodhealthgourmet]

i thought of more:
- Coconut Secret Organic Coconut Flour
- Coconut Secret Coconut Aminos (a great GF *and* soy-free alternative to soy sauce)
- the Erewhon lineup of Crispy Brown Rice cereals - the plain is the best alternative i've found to Rice Krispies
- Trader Joe's GF Gingersnaps
- Pop'd Kerns (formerly Gladcorn) - basically seasoned half-popped corn kernels
- Ancient Harvest Quinoa Flakes

[cellophane_star]

BRM's gf cornbread mix was quite good

[PamelaD]

Crunchmaster crackers
and
Chebe mix
and
Pure Fit bars

[jw615]

I'm not gluten free, but I am allergic to barley, which nixes a lot of products for me.

One of my favorite things is Blue Diamond Nut thins crackers. Super delicious. They do seem to go stale fast, so if you can keep yourself from eating the whole package, seal it up well.

[danbandman]

Yeah. I love Nut Thins! My sub for a sandwich at lunch is some sort of chicken/egg salad with Nut Thins.