RECIPE: A&Z's Gluten-Freed Quiche

Gluten-Freed by A: I found the original recipe here, and it is very tasty and flexible. It provides a good basis for just about anything you want to toss into your quiche. We started with broccoli cheddar and then moved on to bacon cheese.

Ingredients

• 5 eggs
• 2 cups nonfat milk
• salt, to taste
• black pepper, to taste
• 1 small head broccoli, steamed, and then cut into small chunks
• 3/4 cup cheddar cheese, grated
• 1 Gluten-Freed Pie Crust
  

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
2. In a large bowl, whisk together eggs and half-and-half. Season with salt and black pepper. Place broccoli and cheddar in the pie shell. Pour egg mixture over cheese.
3. Bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C), and bake for 25 minutes, or until crust is golden and filling is set. Allow to set 5 to 10 minutes before serving.
   

Total From A to Z: 4.5 Stars

A's Review: * * * * *
I tried two different versions, one with half and half (like the original recipe calls for) and one with nonfat milk. The original recipe called for half and half, but I found that the nonfat milk could be dropped in with no loss in quality of quiche. We had a broccoli and cheddar cheese variant and a bacon and three cheese variant. Both were excellent. Fluffy, good flavor, and just the right amount of crunch from the crust. I didn't really keep track of what I did with the bacon and three cheese version, so I guess I'll just have to try it again.

Z's Review: * * * *
These quiches turned out really delicious. I think the pie crust mix we used worked pretty well for quiche too. The crust tasted buttery and flaked apart in your mouth. The eggs were light and fluffy, but solid enough to be cut in slices. The one with bacon and cheese had a lovely toasted layer of cheese on top. The broccoli one was really tasty too, but I would have liked a little bit more broccoli in it. Also, next time I might recommend a little less milk to make the eggs a tiny bit more solid. But, all in all, this quiche was delicious - we ate it for breakfast, lunch, and dinner!

Chebe's Pizza Crust Mix

Brand: Chebe

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~ This item is in A&Z's Store!

Product Name: Pizza Crust Mix

Location Purchased: King Soopers

Cost: $3.69


Note: This product was part of Z's Blind Pizza Crust Taste Test! See the results!

Total From A to Z: 5 Stars

A's Review: * * * * *
This pizza crust is crunchy and thin, with herbs in the crust. It was also the easiest mix to deal with since there was no yeast to prepare...just dump it in a bowl, mix, and bake.

Z's Review: * * * * *
Getting four pizza crusts mixed and out of the oven around the same time for this taste test was no easy task! So I have lots of comments about the process of making these pizzas! This mix was by far the easiest to make. The bag has enough mix for one crust and you just add oil, milk (or milk substitute), and eggs, mix it, and put it in the oven. This pizza can be made in half an hour! The dough was a little sticky and tricky to flatten with a rolling pin, so I ended up having to do some of the flattening by hand. (SIDE NOTE: One useful tip for dealing with really sticky dough - wet your hands or your rolling pin before touching the dough!)

As for the final product, since my tasting is not blind, I honestly thought that my taste ranking was going to be biased by how easy this pizza was to make! But, seeing as this won most favorite pizza with 5 of 6 votes, I guess it just tastes good too! It was crunchy and flavorful - you can even see the spices in the crust. It was a tiny bit too hard, but perhaps that can be remedied next time by baking it a tiny bit less. This was by far my favorite pizza crust.

Namaste Foods' Gluten Free Pizza Crust Mix

Brand: Namaste Foods

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~ This item is in A&Z's Store!

Product Name: Gluten Free Pizza Crust Mix

Location Purchased: King Soopers

Cost: $5.99

Note: This product was part of Z's Blind Pizza Crust Taste Test! See the results!

Total From A to Z: 3 Stars

A's Review: * * *
This crust is lightly crunchy, which is pleasant. But it gets soggy over time, so eat it right away.

Z's Review: * * *
Getting four pizza crusts mixed and out of the oven around the same time for this taste test was no easy task! So I have lots of comments about the process of making these pizzas! The directions on the package are for half of the amount of mix in the bag. This means that you either need to carefully measure half of the mix in the bag or double the extra ingredients the directions say to add. I think that's a little bit confusing - I would have preferred if the mix had been divided into two portions in the bag. However, as long as you keep track of what you are doing, this mix does make it easier to make only one pizza crust if that is all you need. The other thing that was a bit confusing was that the directions say it is "very important to spread better to at least 14 inches." 14 inches in diameter? In length? What about the width? We weren't exactly sure what that meant so we did the best we could with our cookie sheets. And they aren't kidding when they say the batter will be a weird consistency and will need to be spread with a spatula! It was a little bit difficult to spread it evenly.

As for the final product, I actually really liked this pizza right out of the oven. It was really thin and crunchy and made for really enjoyable pizza crust. However, after the pizza sat out of the oven for a few minutes (covered in sauce and cheese) the crust got really soggy and mushy, to the point where it couldn't even support the toppings anymore. The flavor was good and this pizza crust would have ranked higher on my list except for how soggy it got after only a few minutes cooling.

Arrowhead Mills' Gluten Free Pizza Crust Mix

Brand: Arrowhead Mills

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Product Name: Gluten Free Pizza Crust Mix

Location Purchased: King Soopers

Cost: $6.99

Note: This product was part of Z's Blind Pizza Crust Taste Test! See the results!

Total From A to Z: 2 Stars

A's Review: * *
This pizza crust is really yeasty and fluffy. There's really no other flavor in the crust besides yeast. The texture is not bad, but the yeast dominates all other impressions. Like the 365 crust, this needs more flavor.

Z's Review: * *
Getting four pizza crusts mixed and out of the oven around the same time for this taste test was no easy task! So I have lots of comments about the process of making these pizzas! This mix was a little bit time intensive because it required letting the yeast sit in warm water for 10 minutes before mixing it into the dough and then letting the dough rise for 30 minutes before topping and baking. So with the time it takes to mix the ingredients and 15-20 minutes for baking, this pizza takes at least an hour to make. We also had to take the suggestion on the box and add some GF flour while we were mixing the dough because it was really sticky. However, we didn't want to mess up the recipe and the flour didn't actually seem to help too much with the stickiness, so we didn't add much. (SIDE NOTE: One useful tip for dealing with really sticky dough - wet your hands or your rolling pin before touching the dough!) It's important to note that following the instructions on the box and using all the mix yields two pizza crusts.

As far as the final product goes, this crust was really soft and doughy and you could really taste the yeast. It was too yeasty for me. But it was so light and fluffy that I think this mix might make better bread or breadsticks than pizza dough.

365 Everyday Value's Gluten Free Pizza Crust Mix

Brand: 365 Everyday Value

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Product Name: Gluten Free Pizza Crust Mix

Location Purchased: Whole Foods

Cost: $3.99


Note: This product was part of Z's Blind Pizza Crust Taste Test! See the results!

Total From A to Z: 3.5 Stars

A's Review: * * *
This pizza crust has no real flavor and it's really soft. It needs something...spices. I made another one with some garlic salt and Italian seasoning and baked it longer. That was much better. But I don't feel like I should have to modify a mix that much. This is also quite a process to put together. Lots of ingredients and lots of waiting for the dough to rise.

Z's Review: * * * *
Getting four pizza crusts mixed and out of the oven around the same time for this taste test was no easy task! So I have lots of comments about the process of making these pizzas! First, this pizza required the most unusual ingredients of the four we tried. Besides the mix and the enclosed packet of yeast, you had to add 2 eggs and 1 egg white, sugar, salt, olive oil, and cider vinegar. So if you choose this pizza make sure you have all these things before you leave the grocery store! This mix was also pretty time intensive as it required letting the dough rise for 30-40 minutes before topping and baking. With the time it takes to mix the dough, plus letting it rise, plus baking for 15-17 minutes this pizza takes at least an hour to make! The directions say to use round pans, but we didn't have any so we had to make do with cookie sheets. We also had to make do without an electric mixer. It's important to note that when the whole box of mix is used and the directions are followed you end up with two pizza crusts.

As far as the final product goes, I think this crust could use some seasonings. (It might fix the problem to throw in some Italian seasonings while you are mixing it!) But other than that the crust browned pretty nicely. It was a little more bready than you expect pizza crust to be, but if you prefer soft crust to crunchy crust than this is a good option. Just make sure you have time to make it!

Z's Blind Taste Test #4: Gluten-Free Pizza Crust

Z's Blind Taste Tests are a monthly feature on Gluten-Free from A to Z!

Z's Blind Taste Test #4: Gluten-Free Pizza Crust

How It Works: Z will cook/bake/prepare four different versions of the same gluten-free product and randomly label each version with a number. Then A and friends will try all four versions and rank them from most favorite to least favorite. The results will allow us to see exactly how different brands of gluten-free products compare to each other!

The Contenders:

1. 365 Everyday Value's Gluten Free Pizza Crust Mix
2. Arrowhead Mills' Gluten Free Pizza Crust Mix
3. Namaste Foods' Gluten Free Pizza Crust Mix
4. Chebe's Pizza Crust Mix
   

The Final Results:

• Most Favorite: Chebe (5 of 6 votes!)
  
• 2nd Favorite: Namaste (3 of 6 votes)
  
• Tied for 3rd Favorite: 365 Everyday Value (3 of 6 votes)
  
• Tied for 3rd Favorite: Arrowhead Mills (3 of 6 votes)
  

A's Blind Rankings:
(For A's comments on each pizza crust, please see the individual A-Z reviews!)

• Most Favorite: Chebe
  
• 2nd Favorite: Namaste
  
• 3rd Favorite: 365 Everyday Value
  
• Least Favorite: Arrowhead Mills

Our Friend RK's Blind Rankings:

• Most Favorite: Chebe - "herbed but not strongly, crispy crust"
  
• 2nd Favorite: Namaste - "crunchier than I'd like but yummy, herbed, very crisp but got mushy when sitting out"
  
• 3rd Favorite: Arrowhead Mills - "chewier than I'd like and really fluffy, might make better breadsticks"
  
• Least Favorite: 365 Everyday Value - "just not good as pizza crust"
  

Our Friend SK's Blind Rankings:

• Most Favorite: Namaste - "really thin, very crunchy, couldn't tell the difference between this and normal thin crust pizza"
  
• 2nd Favorite: Chebe - "tougher but yummy flavor"
  
• 3rd Favorite: Arrowhead Mills - "very fluffy, strange flavor but still good"
  
• Least Favorite: 365 Everyday Value - "fluffy and grainy"

Our Friend GW's Blind Rankings:

• Most Favorite: Chebe - "has a nice density, good crisp but still slightly chewy, not bad at all"
  
• 2nd Favorite: Arrowhead Mills - "a little yeasty but not that bad, good desnity and crisp, might be perfect without yeast flavor"
  
• 3rd Favorite: Namaste - "reminds me of school cafeteria pizza, I like the crisp but not when it gets saturated"
  
• Least Favorite: 365 Everyday Value - "is this pizza or a cake with pizza toppings? not a fan, could be a lot better"

Our Friend MS's Blind Rankings:

• Most Favorite: Chebe - "thin and crispy, good herbs, nice flavors"
  
• 2nd Favorite: Namaste - "thin but not as crispy, a decent flavor but not as good"
  
• 3rd Favorite: 365 Everyday Value - "breadlike, fluffy, bland flavor, might be good with added spices"
  
• Least Favorite: Arrowhead Mills - "grainy and yeasty"

Z's Not Blind Rankings:
(For Z's comments on each pizza crust, please see the individual A-Z reviews!)

• Most Favorite: Chebe
  
• 2nd Favorite: 365 Everyday Value
  
• 3rd Favorite: Namaste
  
• Least Favorite: Arrowhead Mills
  

365 Everyday Value's Gluten Free Pancake & Waffle Mix

Brand: 365 Everyday Value

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Product Name: Gluten Free Pancake & Waffle Mix

Location Purchased: Whole Foods

Cost: $3.69 for 16 oz.

Note: This product was part of Z's Blind Pancake Taste Test! See the Results!

Total From A to Z: 4 Stars

A's Review: * * * *
This mix was also very close to real pancakes. Very nice.

Z's Review: * * * *
I actually had a hard time deciding between this one and Gluten-Free Pantry's pancake. Although this mix made a thinner batter than Gluten-Free Pantry, in the end I decided that this pancake was a bit too bread-like. However, it did brown nicely and the flavor was really good. So it is certainly a good option for a gluten-free pancake.

Gluten-Free Pantry's Brown Rice Pancake & Waffle Mix

Brand: Gluten-Free Pantry

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~ This item is in A&Z's Store!

Product Name: Brown Rice Pancake & Waffle Mix

Location Purchased: Whole Foods

Cost: $4.99 for 16 oz.

Note: This product was part of Z's Blind Pancake Taste Test! See the Results!

Total From A to Z: 4.5 Stars

A's Review: * * * *
These were quite close to the wheaty pancakes, good enough that you could throw down a plate of these in front of any lumberjack and get asked for seconds.

Z's Review: * * * * *
Although I think Pamela's Baking & Pancake Mix is still my favorite mix for pancakes, this mix was my favorite from the blind taste test. However, this mix made a really thick batter - almost too thick. I ended up having to spread it into the pan with a spoon. But the batter baked into a really nice pancake with a great, fluffy texture. It was buttery and it browned nicely. I don't think anyone would ever realize that this wasn't an ordinary pancake!

Arrowhead Mills' Gluten Free Pancake & Baking Mix

Brand: Arrowhead Mills

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Product Name: Gluten Free Pancake & Baking Mix

Location/Cost Info: Arrowhead Mills' website


Note: This product was part of Z's Blind Pancake Taste Test! See the Results!

Total From A to Z: 2.5 Stars

A's Review: * * *
My first thought when biting into one these pancakes was of cookies...snickerdoodles to be exact. There was a very strong flavor of cinnamon. Strange and not very good as pancakes but they might be better if the batter was re-tasked as cookie dough.

Z's Review: * *
This mix made a pretty thick batter and these pancakes didn't really brown on the griddle. The pancakes had a sweet, almost cookie flavor, which I actually enjoyed. However, the downfall of these pancakes was the texture. It was extremely grainy - almost like chewing sand. I would have liked these pancakes more, because the flavor was actually good, but I just couldn't get past the grainy texture.

Namaste Foods' Waffles & Pancakes Mix

Brand: Namaste Foods
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~ This item is in A&Z's Store!

Product Name: Waffles & Pancakes Mix

Location Purchased: King Soopers

Cost: $5.99

Note: This product was part of Z's Blind Pancake Taste Test! See the Results!

Total From A to Z: 3 Stars

A's Review: * * *
The flavor was...close enough...but the texture was all wrong. These were thin and dense and crunchy instead of light and fluffy. Edible, but not a good substitute for the good ol' pancakes of wheat.

Z's Review: * * *
When I followed the directions on the bag, this mix made a really thin batter. I thought it was almost too watery, but at least it did end up cooking. However, of all the pancake mixes we've tried, this mix resulted in the least attractive pancakes. They were extremely thin - almost like stiff crepes - and had an almost greenish tint (which I think was probably from the vanilla in the mix). These pancakes also didn't brown no matter how long you left them on the griddle. The flavor was good, but the texture and appearance wasn't my favorite.

Z's Blind Taste Test #3: Gluten-Free Pancakes!

Z's Blind Taste Tests are a monthly feature on Gluten-Free from A to Z!

Z's Blind Taste Test #3: Gluten-Free Pancakes

How It Works: Z will cook/bake/prepare four different versions of the same gluten-free product and randomly label each version with a number. Then A and friends will try all four versions and rank them from most favorite to least favorite. The results will allow us to see exactly how different brands of gluten-free products compare to each other!

The Contenders:

1. Namaste Foods' Waffles & Pancakes Mix
2. Arrowhead Mills' Gluten Free Pancake & Baking Mix
3. Gluten-Free Pantry's Brown Rice Pancake & Waffle Mix
4. 365 Everyday Value's Gluten Free Pancake & Waffle Mix
   

The Final Results:

• Most Favorite: Gluten-Free Pantry (4 of 6 votes!)*
  
• 2nd Favorite: 365 Everyday Value (4 of 6 votes)*
  
• Tied for 3rd Favorite: Namaste Foods (3 of 6 votes)
  
• Tied for 3rd Favorite: Arrowhead Mills (3 of 6 votes)
  

*Although the votes did eventually come up with a first and second place, everybody had trouble deciding between Gluten-Free Pantry and 365 Everyday Value. After the tasting was over we discovered that these two brands actually have the exact same ingredients in the exact same order! So these two mixes are basically the same thing! No wonder people had difficulty deciding!

A's Blind Rankings:
(For A's comments on each cookie, please see the individual A-Z reviews!)

• Most Favorite: Gluten-Free Pantry
  
• 2nd Favorite: 365 Everyday Value
  
• 3rd Favorite: Arrowhead Mills
  
• Least Favorite: Namaste Foods

Z's Mama's Blind Rankings:

• Most Favorite: Gluten-Free Pantry - "fluffy, yet crispy; it looked pretty and browned"
  
• 2nd Favorite: 365 Everyday Value - "similar to favorite one"
  
• 3rd Favorite: Arrowhead Mills - "texture like cornmeal? sweet, vanilla flavor."
  
• Least Favorite: Namaste Foods - "flat & green!"

Our Friend MM's Blind Rankings:

• Most Favorite: Gluten-Free Pantry - "smooth, not chewy, pancakey!"
  
• 2nd Favorite: 365 Everyday Value - "sticks in my teeth! grimy, crunchy"
  
• 3rd Favorite: Arrowhead Mills - "crumbly, too sweet, cookie flavor, grainy"
  
• Least Favorite: Namaste Foods - "dense, good flavor, but really flat"

Our Friend TL's Blind Rankings:

• Most Favorite: 365 Everyday Value - "awesome! moist and pancake tasting, my favorite!"
  
• 2nd Favorite: Gluten-Free Pantry - "very good, still a little bland but generally quite tasty; not as good as my favorite but with butter and syrup totally passable for a regular pancake"
  
• 3rd Favorite: Namaste Foods - "a little bland, very strong floury taste; sort of unremarkable like those protein things they give astronauts - nourishing but not yummy"
  
• Least Favorite: Arrowhead Mills - "cinnamony tasting, which I like, but the texture is really gritty - ew! like chewing sand and syrup cannot hide it"

Our Friend MS's Blind Rankings:

• Most Favorite: 365 Everyday Value - "fluffy, buttery, holds syrup, mmm...."
  
• 2nd Favorite: Gluten-Free Pantry - "fluffy, colored well, not quite as buttery as my favorite"
  
• 3rd Favorite: Namaste Foods - "flat and not fluffy, really light in color but holds shape"
  
• Least Favorite: Arrowhead Mills - "a bit chalky and still flat, light in color but doesn't hold shape"

Z's Not Blind Rankings:
(For Z's comments on each cookie, please see the individual A-Z reviews!)

• Most Favorite: Gluten-Free Pantry
  
• 2nd Favorite: 365 Everyday Value
  
• 3rd Favorite: Namaste Foods
  
• Least Favorite: Arrowhead Mills
  

Pamela's Products' Chocolate Cake Mix

Brand: Pamela's Products

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~ This item is in A&Z's Store!

Product Name: Chocolate Cake Mix

Location/Cost Info: Pamela's website




Total From A to Z: 4 Stars

A's Review: * * * *

Good cupcakes. Pamela seems to have a good handle on baked goods. These were moist and chewy, just like non-GF cupcakes. Chocolatey delicious!

Z's Review: * * * *
I used this mix to make cupcakes. The cupcakes turned out fluffy and chocolaty and quite enjoyable. They also lasted well over a couple of days.

Gluten-Free Pantry's Crisp & Crumble Topping Mix

Brand: Gluten-Free Pantry

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Product Name: Crisp & Crumble Topping Mix

Location Purchased: King Soopers

Cost: $4.59

Total From A to Z: 3 Stars

A's Review: * * *

All you need to do with this is add butter. You end up with a pile of tasty that smells of cinnamon, sugar, and butter. Three good things. The instructions said to pour the entire mix over the top of one pie, which effectively sealed the top of the cherry pie I was baking. As a result, the pie filling retained much of its liquid, making the final product still very tasty but much more like cobbler than pie. The crust was also one of the dominating flavors, so I think using maybe 1/2 or 1/4 of the mix will still let the pie breathe and let the crust be more of a compliment to the fruit rather than drowning it out.

Z's Review: * * *
We combined this with Gluten-Free Pantry's Pie Crust and used this crumble as the topping on our cherry pie. The crumble was tasty, but it was a little bit more cinnamon-flavored than I had been expecting. The flavor of the crumble sort of took over the whole pie, and I'm not sure I would have chosen so much cinnamon with cherries. However, I do think this crumble mix would go perfectly with apples, which is what we will have to try next time!

Gluten-Free Pantry's Perfect Pie Crust Mix

Brand: Gluten-Free Pantry

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~ This item is in A&Z's Store!

Product Name: Perfect Pie Crust Mix

Location Purchased: King Soopers

Cost: $4.59


Total From A to Z: 3.5 Stars

A's Review: * * *

I faithfully followed the directions on the box, but what resulted in the mixing bowl was very dry and did not hold together well at all. The box said to use a rolling pin, but that just reduced the dough to a dusty pile of crumbs. What I ended up doing, which worked reasonably well but was labor intensive and time consuming, was to just press the dough directly into the pie dish with my fingers. It did turn out nicely as crust once baked, however.

Z's Review: * * * *
Fruit pie is one of my very favorite treats, so we used this mix to make a cherry pie! Though the crust was a little bit crumbly I think it tasted buttery and great with the tart cherries. We also used this mix to make quiche, and it worked really well for that too! (Stay tuned for our quiche recipe in a few days!)

Sof'ella's Organic Gluten-Free Chocolate Cake and Frosting Mix

Brand: Sof'ella
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Product Name: Organic Gluten-Free Choclate Cake and Frosting Mix

Location Purchased: Costco

Cost: $9.99 for 2 cake and 2 frosting mixes

Total From A to Z: 1 Star

A's Review: *
I am not sure what to say about this mix. We tried two different times and both turned out something goopey, burnt-smelling, and gross. Maybe there is a missing altitude adjustment, but something is definitely off. The frosting was edible at least.

Z's Review: *
I know it's April Fool's Day, but sadly this review is not a joke: I was thrilled to find a gluten-free mix at Costco, but unfortunately it turned out to be a total disaster. And I mean total! The first time I tried making the cake I followed all the directions, but somehow the batter ended up being too watery an the cake swelled up over the edges of the pan and all over the bottom of my brand new oven. That was unpleasant. But, since the box came with two mixes, I had A try again and we used a different pan. However, the resulting "cake" was still liquid goop. Maybe this mix is extremely sensitive to altitude? Boulder is quite a bit above sea level...but there weren't any suggested altitude adjustments on the box. In any event, we were unable to get anything remotely cake-like out of this cake mix. But the frosting was decent.

UPDATE: As I was working on this post, I discovered that Sof'ella actually has "High Altitude Instructions" for this mix right on its homepage. Unfortunately, I didn't check the homepage until after we had tried using this mix. Twice.

I do a lot of baking from mixes for this blog, and most of them work just fine with no alterations, despite the altitude. The mixes that need altitute adjustments usually say so right on the box. However, there was no indication on the Sof'ella box that it was sensitive to altitude. Perhaps it's too late to change the printing on the box, but it seems like they could at least add a sticker to a product that is so senstive to altitude when it is on sale in The Mile High City Costco!

If you live at a high altitude and feel like trying this mix, here are the altitude instructions:

High Altitude Instructions
Gluten Free Chocolate Cake & Frosting Mixes

For one packet of Cake Mix at an altitude of
5000 feet: Add additional 3 Tablespoons water
6000 feet: Add additional 3 Tablespoons and 1 1/2 teaspoons water
7000 feet Add additional 4 Tablespoons water

The following applies to all high altitude baking of the GF Chocolate Cake:

Increase oven temperature to 350°F.
Add an additional whole egg (3 whole eggs total)
Add the recommended 2/3 cup butter
Mix only until mixture is combined
Bake the cake(s) on the lowest rack in the oven
Bake 27-32 minutes for two 8" and 50-55 minutes for one 9" or until the center is set and the cake begins to pull away from the sides.

Pamela's Products' Baking & Pancake Mix

Brand: Pamela's Products

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~ This item is in A&Z's Store!

Product Name: Baking & Pancake Mix

Location/Cost Info: Pamela's website



Total From A to Z: 5 Stars

A's Review: * * * * *

I was impressed with the Trader Joe's pancake mix, but this was way better than that. Fluffy and perfectly pancake-like. Good flavor and good density.

Z's Review: * * * * *
I loved these pancakes. They were soft and fluffy and tasted amazing. I ate them hot with butter and syrup and then I ate some of the leftovers cold later on for a snack. By far the best gluten-free pancakes I have had so far. Since I enjoyed the flavor and texture so much, I am excited to try out some of the other suggestions from Pamela's Products for using this mix. They have all kinds of recipes on their website for other things you can do with this baking mix. I'll be sure to update readers with whatever I try next!

Namaste Foods' Gluten Free Brownie Mix

Brand: Namaste Foods

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Product Name: Gluten Free Brownie Mix

Location Purchased: King Sooper's

Cost: $5.99 for one package (supposed make two 8x8 pans)

Note: This product was part of Z's Blind Brownie Taste Test!
See the results!

Total From A to Z: 3 Stars

A's Review: * *

The texture was actually not the weirdest thing about these brownies. The flavor was just...off somehow. A simple tweak of the spice balance could have saved this mix. But alas, it was not to be.

Z's Review: * * * *
I used this whole bag of mix to make a 9x13 pan of brownies. However, the bag also provides instructions for using part of the mix to make an 8x8 pan of brownies. I think using the 8x8 pan might be better for gluten-free brownies, to help them hold their shape and be less crumbly. There is supposed to be enough mix to make two 8x8 pans. I baked these brownies for 40 minutes, because I was afraid to let them get too hard. However, maybe a few more minutes would have improved their ability to hold together. These brownies were my second favorite of the other brownie mixes we have tried. They were a darker brown than the other brownies, which also gave them a darker chocolate flavor.

Arrowhead Mills' Gluten Free Brownie Mix

Brand: Arrowhead Mills

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Product Name: Gluten Free Brownie Mix

Location Purchased: King Sooper's

Cost: $4.89

Note: This product was part of Z's Blind Brownie Taste Test!
See the results!

Total From A to Z: 2.5 Stars

A's Review: * * *
Listen up, because you won't hear me say this very often about any GF baked good: it was actually not dense enough. I know, shocking. It was more cake-like, but in a weird way. Not how brownies should be. The flavor was OK though.

Z's Review: * *
This mix made a 9x13 pan of brownies. At first it seemed like there wouldn’t be enough batter for such a big pan, but it filled the pan in the end. In my experience, these larger pans seem to produce more crumbly gluten-free brownies. I gave these brownies two extra baking minutes (for a total of 27 minutes), because I was afraid to let them get too hard. However, maybe a few more minutes would have improved their ability to hold together. Unfortunately, these brownies were my least favorite of the other brownie mixes we have tried. I thought they were really crumbly and way less chocolaty than the other brownies. In my opinion, something was a little “off” about them.

Trader Joe's Gluten Free Brownie Baking Mix

Brand: Trader Joe's

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Product Name: Gluten Free Brownie Baking Mix

Location/Cost Info: Trader Joe's website (why oh why isn't there a Trader Joe's in Colorado?!?)


Note: This product was part of Z's Blind Brownie Taste Test!
See the results!

Total From A to Z: 5 Stars

A's Review: * * * * *

These brownies ruled. Count on TJ's to knock GF brownies out of the park. You could switch these with regular brownies and no one would ever know the difference.

Z's Review: * * * * *
This mix made an 8x8 pan of brownies. In my experience, gluten-free baked goods can get really hard really fast if you over-bake them, so I was pretty worried about overdoing these brownies. That being said, I did give these brownies six extra baking minutes (for a total of 36 minutes) and I probably still could have left them a few more minutes. Gluten-free baked goods also don’t rise as high as regular baked goods, so these brownies came out kind of flat looking – almost like someone had sat on them! However, I think these brownies held their shape pretty well, second best of the other brownie mixes I have tried (with Pamela’s Products holding their shape the best). As for taste, these brownies were the best gluten-free brownies I have tasted by far! No one would ever know there was anything different about them! Trader Joe’s please, please, please come to Colorado!!

Pamela's Products' Chocolate Brownie Mix

Brand: Pamela's Products

~ Other reviews of this brand!
~ This item is in A&Z's Store!

Product Name: Chocolate Brownie Mix

Location/Cost Info: Pamela's website



Note: This product was part of Z's Blind Brownie Taste Test!
See the results!

Total From A to Z: 3 Stars

A's Review: * * *

The chocolate chips were a nice addition, but that was about the only good thing. The texture was weird. I don't know what was in this mix, but it wasn't right.

Z's Review: * * *
This mix made an 8x8 pan of brownies. In my experience, gluten-free baked goods can get really hard really fast if you over-bake them, so I was pretty worried about overdoing these brownies! That being said, I did give these brownies four extra baking minutes (for a total of 22 minutes) and I probably still could have left them a few more minutes. Gluten-free baked goods also don’t rise as high as regular baked goods, so these brownies came out kind of flat looking – almost like someone had sat on them! However, I think these brownies held their shape and were the least crumbly of the other brownie mixes I have tried. As for the taste, this mix came with chocolate chips, which I think make a nice addition to any brownie treat. However, I also thought these brownies had a sort of weird, fruity flavor – like they were not all together chocolaty.