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Gluten-free Goldfish® Crackers

Gluten Free Goldfish® and Cheez-It® Crackers (egg free, corn free, nut free)

Make snack time fun for kids with allergies with these gluten-free Goldfish® and Cheez-It® crackers! They’re so good your kids will never know the difference.

Since going gluten-free I’ve had to periodically send separate snacks to school for my daughter. I do my best to send food that is as close as possible to what the other kids are eating. Usually it’s pretty simple.

But when we got to Goldfish® I had a problem. I’m not a fan of most store-bought crackers as they are highly processed. Not to mention they typically have more junk added if they are gluten-free.

That meant I had to experiment. It’s what I love to do in the kitchen.

Cheese Crackers Without Artificial Color

I brainstormed about how to make them look kind of orange, like the real thing. I decided to add squash and some yellow cheese. And it worked!!

Both kids had some for breakfast (I do most of my baking in the morning before they get up…and they instantly run to the kitchen and start eating if they smell something good).

I couldn’t keep their hands off. They paired the crackers with homemade gummies (full of nutrient-dense gelatin) and strawberry lemonade (made with locally grown strawberries and real lemon juice). Delicious!

Gluten-Free Goldfish® Crackers

You can make these crackers in any fun shape or size you like. I decided to try to make them look like the “real” thing. I also made some stars, circles and letters.

Gluten-Free Cheeze-Its®

Squares look a lot like Cheeze-Its®. So that is another option if you are going for the swap.

This is a fun snack for kids, and it’s very healthy. No vegetable oils. No gluten, egg, corn or nuts. Just real ingredients.

Gluten-Free Goldfish® or Cheez-It® Crackers

makes about 2 cups of crackers

1/2 cup white rice* or brown rice flour
1/2 cup tapioca flour*
1/2 tsp. sea salt*
1/4 tsp. baking soda
2 Tbsp. melted butter
4 Tbsp. pureed winter squash (this adds color, so the deeper the color the cheesier the crackers will look)
1 Tbsp. water
2/3 cup finely grated cheese (cheddar works well, a yellow cheese like colby will add extra color)
1/2 tsp. organic cane sugar, sucanat or coconut sugar*

Heat oven to 350 degrees F.

Mix the flours, salt, soda, butter, cheese and squash. Add 1 Tbsp. of water. Mix. A ball of dough should form that does not crumble. Knead it with your hand for a minute or two to get it all combined. If after mixing the dough for a couple minutes it is still crumbly gradually add water a tsp. at a time. You don’t want the dough too wet or the crackers will not get crisp.

Place half of the dough on a piece of parchment paper. Place another piece on top of the dough. Roll until the dough is about 1/8 – 1/4″ thick. Cut into desired shapes or cut into squares with a pizza cutter. Transfer shapes to a parchment lined baking sheet. Transfer parchment paper with squares to a baking sheet. Repeat of the second half of the dough.

Bake for about 20 minutes, until crisp and just starting to get golden on the edges. Allow to cool completely.  

Gluten Free Pancakes

My whole family enjoys breakfast for dinner sometimes. A few days ago I decided to make pancakes. I made a simple batch of gluten free pancakes…that everyone loved!! I’ve never seen my daughter eat that much pancake in one sitting. Even my husband asked if it was a new or special recipe because they were really good.

This is an adaption from a recipe I got from my mother-in-law shortly after I got married. We’ve been making these for years. But now we can enjoy them in a gluten free form…and not miss a thing 🙂

Gluten Free Pancakes
makes about 8 pancakes

1/2 cup white rice flour
1/3 cup tapioca flour
1/4 cup teff flour
1 egg
1/2 cup buttermilk, kefir or sour milk (2 tsp. vinegar + milk to equal 1/2 cup)
1/2 cup smooth, unsweetened applesauce
1 Tbsp. organic cane sugar, sucanat or coconut sugar
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. sea salt

In a medium bowl whisk egg. Add remaining ingredients and mix well. If the batter is really runny add extra tapioca flour until desired thickness.

Scoop 1/4 – 1/3 cup batter onto a hot griddle coated with butter or coconut oil. Cook pancakes until the edges dry and bubbles form. Flip and cook the other side for a few minutes until cooked through. Repeat until the batter is used.

You can keep the cooked pancakes on a baking sheet in the oven on low heat until all of the pancakes are done.

Store leftovers in a seal container in the refrigerator or freezer.

To reheat wrap the pancakes in a damp paper towel. Heat at 350 degrees in an oven or toaster oven for 3-6 minutes, until warmed.

Soaked Gluten Free Breakfast Cookies

I keep adapting some of our favorite recipes to make them gluten free. The other day I took some breakfast cookies out of the freezer…and couldn’t let my daughter have one. So of course I had to tackle that challenge this week 🙂

Soaked, gluten free and delicious! Fresh baked this morning for a nice treat for the family. Do you ever have cookies for breakfast? If not you should give these a try.

Soaked Gluten Free Breakfast Cookies
makes 10 – 12 cookies

1 cup oats
1 cup any combination of gluten free flour (I used white rice, brown rice and teff flours)
1/2 cup butter or coconut oil
1/3 cup kefir, buttermilk, sour milk or water + lemon juice
1/3 cup honey
1 egg
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 cup add-ins (chocolate chips, nuts, dried fruit, coconut)

Melt the butter or coconut oil. Mix the oats, flour, butter and kefir. Let soak 7 – 24 hours.

Heat oven to 350 degrees F.

Add the remaining ingredients to the soaked mixture. Mix well. Drop large mounds onto a parchment lined baking sheet.

Bake 20 minutes, until golden.

Serve warm or allow to cool and store in an airtight container. They freeze very well.

Gluten Free Homemade Peanut Butter “Cocoa Puff” Cereal (egg free, corn free, dairy free option)

Baby stepping your way to real food? Swap out your store-bought cereal for this healthy version of peanut butter cocoa puffs. They are even gluten and egg free (with a diary free option)!

A little while back I made homemade cocoa puffs. They were a big hit! Then my daughter and I went gluten free. And I haven’t made the cocoa puffs since then.

Problem Solved

I decided to make a gluten free version…but add an extra element and make them into peanut butter puff cereal (any fans here of the “real” version of this?).

My inability to keep the kids away from the cereal means it turned out well. I could hardly even get a picture before they were digging in. And my son found whatever he could to reach the cereal on the counter and stuff his mouth full 🙂

Kid Approved!

A mix of chocolate and peanut butter with a little sweetness and crunch. Both kids ate it plain after I made the cereal and then each had a bowl with milk for a bedtime snack. They really enjoyed drinking the chocolate peanut butter milk at the end.

We don’t buy cereal. My son will be 2 in a couple weeks and has no idea what cereal is. But they sure enjoyed this.

Easy and Healthy

This cereal is an easy breakfast on a busy morning. You get some protein from the peanut butter and milk (or milk substitute) and some carbohydrate to keep you going. It’s also a delicious treat any time of day. Or put some in a little container for young kids to munch on when you are out and about. A perfect finger food snack (with no preservatives or unhealthy oils!).

These puffs are also very allergen friendly. They are gluten free, egg free, corn free and soy free. The chocolate puffs are nut free and can easily be made dairy free. The peanut butter puffs are dairy free as well.

Try making a batch for your kids…or for yourself. You’ll be glad you did. It takes a little time to make two batches of dough/puffs. But it’s worth the effort. And if you aren’t fond of the combination you can just make one or the other. Plain chocolate is just like cocoa puffs. Or plain peanut butter puffs are great too.

Gluten Free Peanut Butter Cocoa Puffs
makes 10 cups

Chocolate Puffs

1 cup white rice flour
1/2 cup amaranth flour
1/4 cup tapioca flour
1/3 cup organic cocoa powder
1/2 cup organic cane sugar, sucanat or coconut sugar
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. sea salt
1/4 cup honey
2 tsp. chocolate extract (optional)
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 cup butter (can be replaced with coconut oil or palm shortening)
1/4 cup coconut oil

Heat oven to 350.
Melt butter and coconut oil in sauce pan. Set aside.
In a mixing bowl, stir together flour, cocoa, sugar, baking soda and salt. Add the liquids: honey, chocolate extract, vanilla, butter/oil. Stir well. Taste dough and adjust honey and chocolate extract to your liking. Mix until a nice ball of dough is formed. The dough should not be crumbly. If it is gradually add more honey.

Split the dough into 2 equal parts. Cut 3 pieces of parchment paper the size of a cookie sheet. Lay one piece on table. Put 1/2 of dough on the paper. Lay a 2nd piece of parchment on top of dough. Squish the dough down a little with your hand. Use a rolling pin to roll the dough between the parchment paper. Roll until the dough is about 1/4″ thick. Remove the top piece of parchment paper. Cut into very small squares (with pizza cutter). Place on a baking sheet (on the parchment paper…just move the whole thing onto the baking sheet). Repeat for other half of dough. (If you don’t care about appearance you can skip the cutting step and simply break the cookie into little chunks after it bakes.)

Bake for 12-13 minutes. Turn off oven, but leave cereal in to get crisp. Remove after about 5-7 minutes (if some of the puffs are burning remove the pan). Let cool completely. Separate squares.

Peanut Butter Puffs

1 cup white rice flour
1/2 cup amaranth flour
1/2 cup tapioca flour
1/2 cup organic cane sugar, sucanat or coconut sugar
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. sea salt
1/3 cup peanut butter
1/3 cup coconut oil
5 Tbsp. honey
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Heat oven to 350.
Melt peanut butter and coconut oil in sauce pan. Set aside.
In a mixing bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, baking soda and salt. Add the liquids: honey, vanilla, peanut butter/oil. Stir well. Mix until a nice ball of dough is formed.The dough should not be crumbly. If it is gradually add more honey.

Split the dough into 2 equal parts. Cut 3 pieces of parchment paper the size of a cookie sheet. Lay one piece on table. Put 1/2 of dough on the paper. Lay a 2nd piece of parchment on top of dough. Squish the dough down a little with your hand. Use a rolling pin to roll the dough between the parchment paper. Roll until the dough is about 1/4″ thick. Remove the top piece of parchment paper. Cut into very small squares (with pizza cutter). Place on a baking sheet (on the parchment paper…just move the whole thing onto the baking sheet). Repeat for other half of dough. (If you don’t care about appearance you can skip the cutting step and simply break the cookie into little chunks after it bakes.)

Bake for 12-13 minutes. Turn off oven, but leave cereal in to get crisp. Remove after about 5-7 minutes (if some of the puffs are burning remove the pan). Let cool completely. Separate squares.

Combine the chocolate and peanut butter puffs in one container. Serve plain, with milk (or milk substitute) or mixed in yogurt. Store in an airtight container. You can freeze the cereal to make it last longer.

Gluten Free Arts and Crafts Cake (Chocolate, Strawberry, Vanilla – Dairy Free Options)

My daughter just had her 5th birthday with an arts and crafts party. She requested a 3 layer, chocolate, vanilla, strawberry cake. And we had just started her on a gluten free diet. So that meant it’s time to experiment!

I made one layer of cake and about a dozen cupcakes from each batch/flavor. I only ended up being able to freeze 6 cupcakes…my kids ate the rest 😛  I guess that means they were pretty good.

The cakes all turned out well. And the final product of putting them all together with homemade frosting was a big hit at the party.

Are you looking for a gluten free cake? Here are three flavors to try. The strawberry seemed to be the most light/moist cake. But they were all good.

Gluten Free Dairy Free Strawberry Cake
makes 2-layer 8″ or 9″ cake or 28 – 32 cupcakes

1 1/2 cups white rice flour
1/2 cup amaranth flour
3 Tbsp. tapioca flour
1 2/3 cup organic cane sugar
2/3 cup organic palm shortening
1 cup strawberry puree (frozen strawberries blended with a little bit of water until smooth)
1/4 cup coconut milk, water, milk or other milk substitute
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. sea salt
3 eggs, separated
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. cream of tartar

Heat oven to 350. Grease and line with parchment paper two 8″ or 9″ cake pans or fill muffin tins with cupcake liners.

Separate eggs. Beat egg whites and cream of tartar until stiff peaks form. Set aside.

In a large bowl combine the flours, sugar, shortening, strawberry, milk, baking powder, baking soda, salt, vanilla and egg yolks. Beat until well combined, about 3 minutes. Fold in beaten egg whites.

Pour into prepared pans. Bake 45-50 min. (cake rounds) or 30-35 min. (cupcakes). Let cool for 30 min. before removing from pan. Cool completely on a wire rack before frosting.

Gluten Free Chocolate Cake
makes 2-layer 8″ or 9″ cake or 28 – 32 cupcakes

1/2 cup organic cocoa powder
1/2 cup boiling water
2/3 cup organic palm shortening
1 3/4 cups organic cane sugar
1/2 tsp. sea salt
1 tsp. vanilla
3 eggs, separated
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. cream of tartar
1 3/4 cups white rice flour
1/4 cup amaranth flour
1/4 cup tapioca flour
1 cup buttermilk, sour milk or coconut milk

Heat oven to 350. Grease and line with parchment paper two 8″ or 9″ cake pans or fill muffin tins with cupcake liners.

Combine the boiling water and cocoa. Set aside.

Separate eggs. Beat egg whites and cream of tartar until stiff peaks form. Set aside.

In a large bowl combine the flours, sugar, shortening, salt, vanilla, egg yolks and buttermilk. Beat until well combined. Fold in beaten egg whites. Fold in cocoa mixture.

Pour into prepared pans. Bake 50 min. (cake rounds) or 30-35 min. (cupcakes). Let cool for 30 min. before removing from pan. Cool completely on a wire rack before frosting.

Gluten Free White Cake
makes 2-layer 8″ or 9″ cake or 28 – 32 cupcakes

1 1/2 cups white rice flour
1/2 cup amaranth flour
3 Tbsp. tapioca flour
1 2/3 cup organic cane sugar
2/3 cup organic palm shortening
1 1/4 cups milk, coconut milk or other milk substitute
3 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. sea salt
1 tsp. vanilla
3 eggs, separated
1/2 tsp. cream of tartar

Heat oven to 350. Grease and line with parchment paper two 8″ or 9″ cake pans or fill muffin tins with cupcake liners.

Separate eggs. Beat egg whites and cream of tartar until stiff peaks form. Set aside.

In a large bowl combine the flours, sugar, shortening, milk, baking powder, baking soda, salt, vanilla and egg yolks. Beat until well combined, about 3 minutes. Fold in beaten egg whites.

Pour into prepared pans. Bake 45-50 min. (cake rounds) or 30-35 min. (cupcakes). Let cool for 30 min. before removing from pan. Cool completely on a wire rack before frosting.

Gluten Free Pizza Crust

My daughter wants pizza for her birthday party. Pizza for 20 people…from scratch…and gluten free. Ummmm…ok??

I’m still fairly new to gluten free baking. But I’m always up for a challenge. And this was a big challenge. I don’t mind experimenting with my family. But I do mind when I have 20 guests. I am passionate about my food and like to make things people enjoy (yes, I am and always have been a people pleaser…if you come to my house and hate the food please don’t tell me :P).

So I used my little knowledge I’ve gained from previous baking experiments and gave it a go. And I think I came up with a pretty decent crust. Everyone in our house ate it without complaints.

This recipe is great for people with all kinds of allergies. The main recipe does use egg whites. But since I can’t have eggs right now I made some without the whites. It was a little thinner/crispier, but it still tasted great. I actually got to eat pizza!!!! Pizza that didn’t make me sick!!! A true  miracle.

It is also dairy free. So as long as you don’t pile cheese on top you can have a dairy free pizza. You can use a cheese alternative. Or you can do what I do and make a pesto pizza. The pesto gives so much flavor you don’t even need cheese. I also like to add some dollops of pureed pumpkin or winter squash here and there to give some extra depth to cheese free pizza.

So using this crust you can make a gluten free, egg free, nut free, corn free, dairy free, soy free pizza.

Do you like pizza but thought you had to give it up because of allergies? Think again. Try this great tasting, easy to prepare pizza crust for your next pizza party. Everyone can enjoy it. It’s allergen friendly and has no gums or starches.

One of the best things about this recipe is that you can make/bake the crust in advance and freeze it. Then you can have a quick pizza any night of the week. Just add your favorite toppings and bake for about 15 minutes. So easy.

I must point out that I used a small amount of flax seed in this recipe. I don’t normally use or advocate the use of flax seeds. But they help bind the dough when using gluten free flours and prevents having to use any gums. I figure one teaspoon for an entire pizza isn’t going to do much harm. You could substitute chia seeds for the flax seeds.

Gluten Free Pizza Crust
makes one 12-14″ pizza or 3-5 individual pizzas

3/4 cup white rice flour
1/4 cup tapioca flour
1/4 cup brown rice flour
1/4 amaranth flour or more brown rice flour
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. flax seed
1 tsp. cane sugar
1 Tbsp. evoo
1/2 cup water
2 egg whites
1/2 tsp. cream of tartar

Heat oven to 400 degrees F. Grease a pizza pan or baking pans for individual pizzas.

To make this a soaked crust combine the flour, water and 2 Tbsp. lemon juice. Cover and let set for 7-24 hours. Then proceed with the recipe.

Beat the egg whites with the cream of tartar until still peaks form. Set aside.

Combine the remaining ingredients. Fold in the egg whites. Spread onto the prepared pan(s).

Bake for 10 – 15 minutes (smaller crusts will need less time, whole pizzas will need more time), until firm.

Use crust immediately or allow to cool, remove from pan and refrigerate or freezer. Thaw frozen crust in the refrigerator when ready to use.

When ready to make the pizza, add your favorite sauce and toppings. Bake at 400 degrees for 10 – 15 minutes, until cheese is melted and pizza is hot.

Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookies

We had a free morning at home today. That usually means at least one baking project. Today we decided to go for a classic – chocolate chip cookies.

The kids helped with the baking. They made great taste testers too 🙂  These cookies were very easy to make and turned out well. You’d never know they are gluten free. Both kids happily ate one with lunch, fresh out of the oven.

Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookies
makes about 2 dozen cookies

8 Tbsp. fat (butter, palm shortening, lard tallow or any combination…I used butter and shortening), room temp or melted
1/2 cup sucant or organic brown cane sugar
1/4 cup organic cane sugar
1 egg
1 cup white rice flour
2 Tbsp. tapioca flour
1/4 cup amaranth flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips

Heat oven to 350.

Cream the butter and sugars. Add the egg. Beat on high for a couple minutes. Add the flours, soda, salt and vanilla. Blend well. Stir in the chocolate chips.

Drop by teaspoonful onto a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake for 11-13 minutes, until golden. Remove from oven. Let cool for 10 minutes on the pan. Transfer cookies to a cooling rack and allow to cool completely. Store in an airtight container or in the freezer for long term storage.

Gluten Free Vanilla Wafers and Creme Cookies

Vanilla wafers. A classic cookie. Who doesn’t love them? Now you can enjoy a gluten free version. These are simple and delicious.

Want to make them a little fancier? Add some filling to make vanilla creme cookies. These were a big hit with the whole family.

Gluten Free Vanilla Wafers and Creme Cookies

1 cup white rice flour
1/2 cup tapioca flour
1/2 cup teff flour
1/2 cup butter or coconut oil or palm shortening (or a combination), room temperature
1/2 cup coconut sugar or cane sugar
2 Tbsp. honey
1 Tbsp. maple syrup
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. vanilla

Creme Filling:

1/4 cup organic palm shortening
6-8 Tbsp. tapioca flour
1/4 cup maple syrup

DIRECTIONS

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

Cream the sugar and butter. Add the remaining ingredients. Mix until a ball of dough forms. You may have to squeeze the dough in your hands to see if it will hold.

Roll half of the dough between two pieces of parchment paper until about 1/8″ – 1/4″ thick. Cut into desired shape. Transfer to a parchment lined baking sheet. Repeat until all of the dough is used.

Alternately you can scoop small mounds of the dough onto parchment paper and flatten slightly.

Bake for about 15 minutes, until golden. Let cool completely. Store in an airtight container or add filling.

To make the cream filling:

Cream the shortening, flour and maple syrup in a small bowl. Add more flour for a stiffer cream (note that it will firm up/become solid when chilled). Add more maple syrup for a sweeter cream. You can prep the filling ahead and store it in the refrigerator. Let it come to room temperature before filling.

Place a small amount of filling on one cookie. Top it with another cookie and press down just until the filling reaches the edge. Repeat until the filling is gone. Store cookies in the refrigerator.

Gluten Free Nut Free Peanut Butter Cookies and Blossoms

When I was little you didn’t hear much about food allergies or restrictions. You didn’t have to worry about bringing treats to school or having nut free rooms. Almost every year for my birthday treat I had my mom make peanut butter blossoms. My favorite!

Fast forward to now…you can’t bring anything into a school with nuts. And sadly I can’t even eat any nuts. I’m sure it’s partially just awareness. But I think allergies are also on the rise. It’s an indicator of the state of our health.

That being said, I miss my favorite cookie. But now I can have a safe version of this treat. It’s gluten free, nut free and egg free! These are delicious. My whole family approves.

Do you have a nut allergy or sensitivity? Do you miss peanut butter as much as I do? Try these nut free peanut butter cookies!

Gluten Free Nut Free Peanut Butter Cookies and Blossoms

1 cup white rice flour
1/2 cup tapioca flour
1/2 cup amaranth flour
1/2 cup organic cane sugar
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
6 Tbsp. maple syrup
6 Tbsp. melted butter
1 tsp. vanilla
2 Tbsp. water

dairy free, nut free chocolate chunks (affiliate link)

DIRECTIONS

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Combine the flour, sugar, syrup, soda, salt, butter and vanilla. Slowly add water until the dough will hold together when squeezed with your hands.
Take a small scoop of dough (about a Tbsp.), roll into a ball, place on baking sheet and press down slightly. Repeat until the dough is gone. For the traditional peanut butter cookie look press on cookie with a fork in both directions. For blossoms you can skip this step.

Bake for about 15 – 20 minutes, until golden.

For blossoms immediately push 1 or 2 chocolate chunks into the cookie.

Let cool.

Gluten Free Pretzel Sticks (gluten free, egg free, dairy free, nut free, corn free)

My daughter loves salt, as do I 🙂  So she enjoys munching on pretzels. But if you’ve ever looked at a package of gluten free pretzels you’ll know that they are made with quite a few odd and unhealthy ingredients. I’d rather not have her eating them.

As usual, my solution is to make my own 🙂  I can’t say these are a perfect replica of pretzel sticks. They are a little harder/crunchier than any you’d buy. But they still taste great! If my daughter will eat them, I figure they are pretty good. And she had some as soon as she got up this morning 🙂

One more snack that travels well and I’m ok with my kids eating.

What is your favorite snack? Do you like salty or sweet?

Gluten Free Pretzel Sticks

1/2 cup flour (2/3 white rice, 1/3 amaranth)
1/4 tsp. sea salt
1 tsp. organic cane sugar
3 Tbsp. water

1 Tbsp. water + 1 tsp. honey

Heat oven to 350. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Mix the flour, salt, sugar and water.

Take a small piece of dough and form into a ball (about the size of a small bouncy ball). Roll into a stick on the parchment paper. Repeat process until all of the dough is used, lining up the pretzels on the baking sheet.

Mix the water and honey. Use your finger to rub it over the pretzels, rolling them around to coat completely.

Sprinkle sea salt over top of pretzels.

Bake 40 – 45 minutes, until golden and crunchy. Rotate pretzels on the pan a few times during baking. Let cool completely.