Finding desserts and baked goods free of grains, soy, corn and dairy is no easy task-trust me, I’ve done my fair share of hunting. Baking things  myself makes this a whole lot easier and I love the romanticism of it all. The kids will often ask around lunchtime, “are we having dessert tonight?” If the answer is yes, they have a twinkle in their eye and watch with wonder to see what exactly that means. Often it’s fruit or berries with almond yogurt, but sometimes it requires their help and the oven. When that’s the case, these are my staples.

I personally stick to coconut sugar, maple syrup and honey myself but I’m okay with the kids having a little more wiggle room and freedom when it comes to treats. For me, you all know by now I don’t know where I’d be without the Sweet Laurel Bakery cookbook. Because Laurel has Hashimoto’s, her food restrictions mirror mine exactly making baking from this cookbook foolproof for me. I can have every. single. thing in it. I can’t quite put into words how wonderful that feels! To bake these recipes, you’ll need organic maple syrup, organic coconut milk and almond flour. If I’m baking for O (who doesn’t eat eggs) I’ll use a flax egg in place of a real egg. That means for each egg the recipe calls for, I mix 1tbs of ground flax meal with 3tbs of hot water and let it sit in the fridge for about 15 minutes. 

For the past 4 years, I’ve made my favorite recipes gluten and dairy free for the kids by subbing Earth Balance butter and Bob’s Red Mill Cup 4 Cup flour. This mixture works every single time without fail, but I’ve been on the hunt for a new butter for them since Earth Balance is filled with oils I prefer to avoid. Enter Miyokos. Miyokos vegan butter is delicious but more importantly, is clean and subs in perfect for regular butter.

Favorite Grain-Free Paleo Recipes:

Danielle Walker’s Grain-Free bread is foolproof. The ingredient list includes sea salt, baking soda, cashews, eggs, coconut flour, almond milk and apple cider vinegar. That’s it! That’s a bread I can get behind. This toasted with a smear of almond butter and drizzle of honey is pure delight-but it’s also wonderful with turkey bacon, eggs and hot sauce on top.

Her ‘Real Deal’ chocolate chip cookie recipe is also spectacular!

Sweet Laurel’s Banana Bread (I don’t put the bananas on top), Chocolate Chip Cookies and Chocolate Cake are winners by a landslide in this house. I’ve made the birthday from the cookbook for every event and holiday in the past year and my whole family is hooked as well.

These banana muffins with almond butter and honey filling  and the classic vanilla cake are on my must-bake list this Spring! And for a much more indulgent treat, Downshiftology’s chocolate cake recipe caught my early this year and has been calling my name ever since!

I also just ordered my first loaf of Coco Bakes Sourdough Bread and I can NOT wait to take a bite!

Baking Mixes:

When there isn’t time for homemade pancakes, this Simple Mills mix is our absolute favorite! It is as clean as can be and I love adding vegan chocolate to mine and berries to the babes’. I often just use egg whites for the mix.

My favorite gluten-free cornbread mix is by Bobs Red Mill. I always keep at lease one bag in the house for those nights when Amy’s canned soup (lentil vegetable for the kids!) is going to have to do the trick. If you’re making it with chili I suggest adding a little bit of honey to the batter- it elevates it just that teeny bit to take your meal to the next level. I add vegan butter to the top hot out of the oven.

I’ve heard wonderful things about Bobs Red Mill mixes as well as all Simple Mills baking mixes as far as cakes, breads and cookies go but haven’t tested them out for myself.

Favorite Refined-Sugar Free Candy :

My Go-To Chocolate Bars for myself are Hu, Lily’s and Loving Earth.

For the kids on Easter, Valentines Day and Halloween I’m a huge fan of Enjoy Life. They have fun options like these candy bars that make them feel like they’re not missing out on anything. This cookie variety kit is also a great option to give to teachers if your child is gluten-free and there’s an impromptu party at school.

These granola bars are as clean as they come but they still feel like candy to me and I save this flavor for special occasions for the babes. (The berry and apple flavors of these bars are the only ones I keep in the house for the kids!)

Lastly-can I let you in on a secret? If you’re dairy free and are hosting a party or, let’s be real, if you’re just wanting to keep a well stocked freezer, Van Leeuwen’s vegan ice cream selection is your answer. O and I went to this ice cream shop on our trip to Brooklyn a couple years ago and we’ve been hooked ever since! We make an order to have these pints delivered a couple times a year and YES they are so pricey, but it will last you forever and make you smile just to know you can grab a spoon and go to town whenever you want. I could eat an entire Mint Chip by myself but when I ate legumes, the peanut butter chocolate chip was my JAM.

What are your favorite gluten-free recipes and treats?