Store Bought Gluten Free Graham Crackers

These gluten free S’mores bars are the epitome of summer memories. They have the ooey, gooey fun of the roasted ‘mallow without the need for an open fire or roasting sticks. Plus, this makes a batch large enough to feed a crowd at your next gluten-free picnic. Or at least a highly ambitious family of 5.

One could start this recipe with any of these certified pre-made gluten-free graham crackers. Brands include:

• Schar Honeygrams are my personal favorite gluten free graham cracker. They are dairy, egg and nut free, but do contain soy.
• Kinnikinnick S’moreables are very popular. They are gluten free, dairy free, egg free, nut free and soy free. Kinnikinnick also sells premade graham cracker crumbs.
• Enjoy Life Foods– Their  vanilla honey graham crunch cookie is free of the 9 most common allergens.
• Pamela’s Gluten Free Graham Crackers – These graham crackers come in three flavors- Honey, Cinnamon and Chocolate Chip. All three flavors contain oat bran and dairy, and are also certified gluten free.
• Partake Graham Crackers – These are available at most stores. They are top 8 allergen free, and contain oat flour.

Homemade Graham Crackers

However, I took my baking game to the next level. I made my graham crackers for these gluten free S’mores bars from scratch. I did so by using GF Jules Graham Cracker – Gingerbread Mix.

Jules produces her mix in a facility that is free from the 8 most common allergens, which makes them safe for most! Don’t have access to her mixes? Try my homemade gluten free graham cracker recipe.

Ohio Inspired

I’d like to say I created the recipe for these gluten free S’mores bars from scratch. But, I’m too afraid of failure so I altered the S’mores Bars recipe from Julie’s Eats and Treats. Her pictures looked JUST like the gluten-free S’mores bars I remembered at Cherbourg Bakery. You can even find Cherbourg’s S’mores Bars recipe on their website.

These bars turned out just like I remembered. Chocolatey, gooey, and simply delicious. I used Enjoy Life Foods Mini Chocolate Chips to make sure the chocolate melted in every place possible! Don’t just take my word for it, though. I took them to a church potluck and they were quickly devoured!

Other S’mores Related Recipes & Ingredient Substitutions

Want homemade graham crackers without a mix? Try my homemade gluten free graham cracker recipe. I also use them as the base of my gluten free Mallomars, which are super close to a S’more. You could also use my chocolate pudding recipe, layered with graham cracker crumbs and mini marshmallows to make a S’mores parfait!

Want these bars but can’t do eggs and dairy? Try this vegan version of Gluten Free S’mores Bars from The Pretty Bee. I also recommend this S’mores Skillet Dip from A Dash of Megnut. These Mini Gluten Free S’mores Pies from Gluten Free on a Shoestring also look fantastic.

Print

Gluten Free S’mores Bars

Ingredients

• 2 cups gluten-free flour I used Krusteaz Gluten-Free All Purpose Flour
• 2 cups gluten-free graham cracker crumbs
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 c. butter room temperature (mine was extra greasy on the bottom. You might get away with 3/4 of a cup.)
• 1 1/2 c. packed brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 13 oz. container of Marshmallow Fluff.
• 1 bag Enjoy Life Foods Mini Chocolate Chips

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and grease a 9×13 pan.
• In a small bowl, whisk together flour, graham cracker crumbs and baking powder.
• In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar. Add egg, beating after each addition.
• Add dry ingredients to the butter/sugar mixture, and mix well until all dry ingredients are absorbed. You should have a very moist dough.
• Julie suggests dividing the dough in half. I’d suggest dividing it into thirds, and placing two thirds of the dough into the bottom of your 9×13 pan.
• Next, carefully spread the container of Marshmallow Fluff on top of the dough. I found that if I microwaved the fluff for approx. 15 seconds it came out of the container much more easily. Second, evenly sprinkle Enjoy Life Foods chips on top of fluff.
• Finally, sprinkle remaining dough on top of chocolate chips. It may not cover it perfectly. That’s okay! We want that marshmallow fluff to be poking out!
• Bake bars in a preheated 350 degree oven for 30-35 minutes. Remove from the oven when cookie dough is fully baked. Cool completely before trying to cut. Julie suggests that they may cut best when they’ve been refrigerated.

This post contains affiliate links. Purchases made through those links help support this blog with no extra expense to you. Thank you for your continued support!**

What’s your favorite way to enjoy a S’more? What’s your favorite summer time treat? Leave a note below! 

Originally Published July 2017

The post Gluten Free S’mores Bars – A Summer Favorite appeared first on MI Gluten Free Gal.

The Cookie I Can’t Resist

I am a total cookie monster. While I will always say yes to a chocolate chip cookie, my ultimate weakness are graham crackers. My husband and I chatted about how his grandmother would use them to make ice cream sandwiches. My grandmother would serve them with frosting. Make these with those you love, and develop your own traditions.

The History of Graham Crackers

Originally, graham crackers were created as a “health” food. Sylvester Graham, a minister, created them with whole wheat flour. He felt eating whole grains helped people avoid certain diseases. (Including “societal” diseases. So weird.) While true that whole grains DO improve health, he was off on a few things.

Apparently graham crackers are truly a United States phenomenon. In the UK, the closest to a graham cracker is their “digestive biscuit.” Supposedly, our graham crackers are a bit more sweet that digestive biscuits. However, they also use ground digestive biscuits to make pie crusts, so that’s close enough in my book!

What is Teff Flour and What Else Can I Use?

The first time I made the dough for these gluten free graham crackers, I used buckwheat. At that time, I used them for my gluten free mallomars recipe. However, I felt the cracker needed a deeper flavor, so I used Bob’s Red Mill Teff Flour. It added the perfect deepened flavor I sought out.

Teff, a very fine grain, grows primarily in Africa. While we are most familiar with the dark brown variety, it also grows in white and red varities. Teff is the primary ingredient in authentic ethiopian injera, a flat bread popular in Ethiopian cuisine. Just be careful ordering it at a restaurant, as they often add wheat to their recipe.

If you can’t find teff flour, you can use buckwheat flour instead. Brown rice flour may work as well. Alternately, you could use gluten free all purpose flour for all the flour in the recipe, and try using molasses instead of honey. The first time I made these last summer, I used teff AND molasses, and it was a bit much. I think if you used all purpose flour and molasses, it should be about the right depth of flavor.

Can These Be Made Dairy Free?

I always try to think of the top 8 allergens when making a recipe. As written, this recipe contains no gluten, eggs, soy, peanuts or  nuts. Definitely no fish or shellfish. However, this recipe contains dairy, as it contains butter.

However, the trick becomes swapping out the butter. You could try using something like Earth Balance or Miyoko’s Vegan Butter. (I’ve tried neither.) Bojon Gourmet recommended Miyoko’s, and Sarah Bakes Gluten Free uses Earth Balance. So pick your fave.

S’mores and More

These gluten free graham crackers create the perfect snack any time of day. However, should you want to take it to the next level, use them for S’mores or any other type of treat. While standard chocolate bars are a favorite, I tried Reese’s thins, and now my husband believes all S’mores should be made this way.

You can also turn these gluten free graham crackers into crumbs for all sorts of desserts. Make my Gluten Free S’mores Bars, or this Single Serve Gluten Free Cheesecake. As spring inches closer, this Lemon-Blueberry Icebox Cake from Iowa Girl Eats would be a perfect use for my graham crackers. And don’t forget the traditional Eclair Cake recipe, using pudding, graham crackers and a rich chocolate topping!

Recipe

Print

Gluten Free Graham Crackers

Course Recipes

Prep Time 4 hours hours

Cook Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 4 hours hours 10 minutes minutes

Equipment

• Cup4Cup Multipurpose Flour, 3 Pounds
• Arrowhead Mills Organic Buckwheat Flour, Gluten Free, 22 oz
• Maskal Teff Brown Teff Flour, 14 Ounce

Ingredients

• 2 c gluten free flour I used Cup 4 Cup
• 1/4 cup gluten free teff flour You can also use buckwheat flour
• 1/2 c brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 7 tbsp cold butter cubed
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 3 tbsp honey
• 3 tbsp ice cold water may need 4 tbsp

Instructions

• In a food processor, combine flours, brown sugar, salt, soda, baking powder and cinnamon. Give it a few pulses to combine ingredients. 
• Next, add cubed cold butter to processor and pulse until mixture starts to look sandy. You want most of the butter to be processed into the dough, but a few unprocessed bits are okay. 
• Next, add vanilla and honey. Pulse to combine. Then add ice cold water, one tablespoon at a time until dough begins to form. If you use a different flour blend, such as Bob’s Red Mill you may need to add another tablespoon of water. 
• Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead dough until smooth. Wrap in saran wrap (or put in container with lid) and refrigerate overnight, or at least 2-3 hours. 
• Remove dough from fridge and allow to rest about 10 minutes to allow to warm, slightly. On a lightly floured surface, roll dough so that it measures 1/8 of an inch in depth. Cut out into 2 x 2 squares, and use a fork to pierce a pattern in the dough, if desired. 
• Place cut out squares on a parchment lined cookie sheet, and chill for 30 minutes. 
• Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350 degrees. After dough has chilled, bake graham crackers for 8-10 minutes, rotating halfway through the baking time. Bake longer for a crunchier graham cracker.
• Allow graham crackers to completely cool. Place graham crackers on a cooling rack, on top of the parchment paper.

What’s your favorite way to enjoy a gluten free graham cracker? Do you top yours or use them plain? If you use graham cracker crumbs to make a pie crust, what’s your favorite filling? Share in the comments below! 

The post Gluten Free Graham Crackers appeared first on MI Gluten Free Gal.

Lost Your Mojo? This Will Fix It

It’s been a long summer. Actually, it’s been a long six weeks. Between last minute home improvements, immediate car replacements and two weeks of hard core volunteering, I’ve lost a bit of my mojo. I think this single serve gluten-free cheesecake is going to help return it, though. I’d almost bet it will help renew your mood too!

Earlier this summer, I made some smashingly awesome S’mores bars. Like, “one of the best things I’ve ever tasted” good. I made them with my last bag of (prepared) GF Jules Graham Cracker Mix. It did result in my having loads of leftover graham crackers. So, I needed to find a use for them! Enter, this Just One Serving NY Style Cheesecake from Heather Maclean Cooks.

Roasted Strawberries  – The Fruit You Didn’t Know You Needed

Trying this single serve gluten-free cheesecake also allowed me to attempt another “recipe” I’ve been wanting to try. Roasted Strawberries. I first heard Kendra, a.k.a. Drizzle Kitchen, talk about them on her Instagram Stories. So I just had to try Simply Recipe’s Vanilla Roasted Strawberries to add to this cheesecake.

Well, now it’s my turn to roast these beautiful berries. Can I just say “wow”? The aroma as these roast? It’s the ultimate smell of summer! Imagine fresh, homemade strawberry jam, but solid so you can pick it up with your fingers. AMAZING! They are the PERFECT topping for this single serve gluten-free cheesecake.

Cheesecake Gets a Gluten Free Makeover

So in true “me” fashion, I made some changes to Heather’s original recipe. First, the obvious. Use gluten-free graham crackers. Next, I used Neufchatel Cheese, regular cream cheese’s low-fat cousin. Lastly, I used non-fat Greek yogurt instead of sour cream.

Why? Because it’s all I had in the house, and I’m too pooped to putt right now. Added bonus? It’s lower in fat! Other than that, I followed her recipe to the T, making them in my favorite Wilton Mini Spring Form pans. (I use the ALL time time. Seriously, you should order them. Here they are on Amazon!)

Some Assembly, and Patience, Required

Now, this single serve gluten-free cheesecake is not “instant.” You still have to bake it for thirty minutes. You still have to chill it afterward for at least an hour. So, use the time to take a nap or read a book. Or if you just don’t know how to say “no” like me, go to a meeting to set up another event for a non-profit.

I’m tellin’ ya though, the wait is totally worth it. This single serve gluten-free cheesecake is not overly sweet, which I really liked. I drizzled it with a bit of my dairy-free chocolate sauce, and topped them with those berries. Doesn’t it look breathtaking?

Sharing is Optional

Confession. Even though this recipe is called “Single Serve Gluten-Free Cheesecake,” I shared it with my husband. This single serve gluten-free cheesecake really is big enough to satisfy your own sweet tooth and the one you love. If you want to share. You don’t have to. Like me, you can use this time to practice saying “no.”  xoxo

*Note – This recipe can also be made using my homemade gluten free graham cracker recipe. If your heart yearns for grain free cheesecake, check out my mini apple cheesecake bites. Need this to be dairy free? This Gluten Free Vegan Berry Cheesecake from Sarah Bakes Gluten Free are a showstopper!

Gluten Free Cheesecake for One Recipe

Print

Single Serve Gluten-Free Cheesecake

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Chill Time 2 hours hours

Total Time 2 hours hours 45 minutes minutes

Ingredients

• 1/3 c. gluten free graham cracker crumbs
• 3 tbsp white sugar
• 1 tbsp unsalted butter melted
• 4 oz. Neufchatel cheese softened
• 1 1/2 tbsp plain non-fat Greek yogurt
• 1/4 tsp vanilla extract I prefer LorAnn Oils
• 3 tbsp beaten egg 1 whole egg contains 4 tbsp

Instructions

• Heat oven to 325. Ever so lightly grease a 4 1/2 inch springform pans.
• If not already crushed, crush graham crackers into crumbs. (It helps relieve lots of tension!)
• In a small-ish glass bowl, melt one tbsp of butter. Once melted, mix in graham cracker crumbs and ONE tablespoon of sugar. Mix thoroughly and press into bottom of pan.
• To avoid dirtying all the dishes in the house, rinse out the bowl. Now you can reuse it for the next step!
• In bowl, combine Neufchatel cheese, yogurt, the remaining TWO tablespoons of sugar and vanilla extract. Whip it, whip it good. Until there are no lumps. Then gently fold in the beaten egg. Heather says this will prevent the top of your cheesecake from cracking. Mine didn't crack, so she must be right!
• Pour batter over crust mixture. Place springform pan on top of a cookie sheet, and bake your single serve gluten-free cheesecake for 30-35 minutes. I highly suggest using a cookie sheet underneath, because the cheesecake mixture might weep a bit. At least mine did.
• Once the cheesecake is done baking, remove it from the oven. Immediately run a knife around the edge to prevent the cheesecake from sticking to the pan as it cools. (I did not do this. Mine stuck to the side. Bad Margaret.) Cool on rack until it reaches room temperature, at least 30 minutes. Then, refrigerate for one to two hours.
• Top in whichever way you prefer and ENJOY!

**This post does contain affiliate links. Purchases made through those links help support this blog with no extra expense to you. Thank you for your continued support!**

Originally Published August 2017

The post Single Serve Gluten-Free Cheesecake appeared first on MI Gluten Free Gal.