Latest update Jan 25/2011: Many thanks to my friend, Donna Hodach-Price, for her painstaking testing of several gluten-free bake mixes, including a couple of her own. Option #4 was the winner hands down for several reasons: simple, readily-available ingredients, taste, texture, rise and most importantly carb count. Option #1 is a fabulous bake mix but a bit higher in carbs and more for folks in maintenance. It is practically a cup-for-cup replacement for white flour. It produced the best rise and a good texture. Therefore, lots to work with and much to look forward to in the future with low-carb and gluten-free baking!
Donna said, "I know the focus here has been to create a LC-GF mix, but for those who cannot tolerate oat flour, it would seem to me that any GF flour could be substituted for the oat with similar results. The good news in that instance, is that by combining the (usually) high-carb, GF flour with the almond flour, flax meal, and xanthan, this will significantly reduce the number of carbs while producing a healthier 'flour' for baking. And that is the BEST news for GF bakers."
And I say, if this is the case and you would like to know the nutritional analysis with your chosen GF flour, please contact me and I'll figure it out for you with the greatest of pleasure. I'm sure there are some nice options such as rice flour, brown rice flour and buckwheat flour (lower carb than the former examples, I think) to name a few.
Conclusion:
The best gluten-free low-carb bake mix to date, besides my original with coconut flour in it is option #4 with the flax meal reduced to 1/4 cup. Keep in mind that wet/liquid ingredients may have to be decreased by 1/4 to 1/2 cup. If desired, when replacing flour cup-for-cup in regular recipes with this gluten-free low-carb bake mix, add 1/4 cup extra. I usually do that. However, when substituting the Gluten-free bake mix for my Splendid low-carb bake mix or other low-carb bake mixes, use 2 tbsp less. (updated 2/14/2011)
For convenience, double the batch and keep at room temperature in a sealed container for no longer than 3 weeks to one month, otherwise refrigerate or freeze.
Gluten-free Bake Mix (this is option #4, but will be changing the name to option #1 soon)
1 1/2 cups ground almonds OR almond flour*
1 cup certified gluten-free oat flour
1/4 cup golden flax meal
1 tsp Xanthan gum
Some additional notes: Since this is a higher carb bake mix than my Splendid Low-Carb Bake mix (3.3 g carbs per 1/3 cup), it is advisable to use erythritol and a carb-free sweetener such as liquid Splenda (sucralose) or Stevia powder or drops. The synergy of two sweeteners helps to reduce the cooling effect of the erythritol. Erythritol has no effect on blood sugar and is benign for most people re intestinal issues. I'm very sensitive and I handle Erythritol very well - no problems at all.
1 1/2 cups oat flour
1 cup ground almonds OR almond flour*
1/3 cup golden flax meal
1 tsp Xanathan gum
Yield: 2 3/4 cups, 1/4 cup per serving
114.8 calories; 4.6 g protein; 6.3 g fat; 7.3 g carbs
29.2 g carbs per 1 cup
*or with almond flour, yield = 3 cups, 1/4 cup per serving:
105.2 calories; 4.2 g protein; 5.8 g fat; 6.7 g carbs
26.8 g carbs per 1 cup
Thus ends the conclusion over here. The following material is the ground work before the conclusions were reached. Thank you for your patience.
Latest update Jan 09/2011: My friend, Donna, and I are working on an optimal gluten-free bake mix that is also low-carb. Option # 1 and 3 have been eliminated on grounds of being higher carb, however, of the two, Option #1 is a very good bake mix for those who are not quite as carb-sensitive.
My friend likes the idea of adding the whey protein, as in option #2, as she feels it is more balanced between carbs and protein and helps her blood sugars to stay more stable. Right now we are working on a combination of #2 and #4. Stay tuned. :)
Something important to remember: The amount of liquid or wet ingredients in your regular recipe might have to be reduced by as much as a half.
Granted, I have not tested all these bake mix options (actually only the one, option #3, but it should be fine), but if you are brave, you can try one or more in my favorite chocolate chip cookie test recipe. I am fiber-sensitive and had to veer away from the bake mix with coconut flour in it. My digestive system can handle the golden flax meal better than the coconut flour. The Xanthan gum is essential to prevent crumbly baked goods and it also imparts a little of the properties of gluten to the bake mix. I would be thrilled if some of you could test one or two of these bake mixes for me and give me some feedback as to how it turned out and what you liked or didn't like about it. Thanks! Remember we're blazing a trail here. I don't see too many low-carb and gluten-free bake mix options out there? I think even folks who can have gluten might be interested in cutting down on their gluten intake for whatever reason. Until now those folks have not been doing it because nothing was available that was also low-carb.
Okay, no obligations, just have fun with these. Oh sad news! I assumed the amount of bake mix would be 3 cups (nope - 2 1/2 cups - a little more if almond flour is used vs ground almonds or almond meal), but turns out the flax meal affords almost no volume to the bake mix, which means the carbs are higher than I initially calculated (to clarify - all the calculations below are corrected now). Still, not too awful. The good news? Option #2 is the correct calculation (makes 3 cups) and is nice and low-carb considering it's gluten-free.
The other good news? Since the flax meal offers no volume practically to the bake mix, you can reduce it by however much you would like. I would not suggest increasing it as one would really detect it in baked goods then. In conclusion, these are low-carb gluten-free bake mix options of 32 grams carbs per cup (option #1), 28 grams carbs per cup (option #3), 23.6 grams carbs per cup (option #4) and 21.2 g carbs per cup (option #2, similar carbs to using only defatted soy flour). Considering white wheat flour is 92 grams carbohydrate per cup, these are good alternatives for our baking. I think my vote goes to option #1 and option #2, but I haven't tried option #3.
Important Update (please read): My husband could not tolerate 1/2 cup golden flax meal in the bake mixes or in the cookies. He was at one point socially um, a bit you know what - uncomfortable?! We're very fiber-sensitive in this family. Anyway, the good news is that in all the bake mixes the golden flax meal can be reduced to 2 tbsp or 1/4 cup, depending on what works for you, without affecting the carb count, just reducing the calories a bit. Flax is pretty calorific actually. Surprising! Anyway wanted to add this for other fiber-sensitive peeps - to warn them! I can handle the flax a bit better than the coconut flour, but when I drop the amount in the bake mix to 2 tbsp, it doesn't affect any of us adversely - and we're very sensitive to too much fiber.
Sweetener Options: Please remember you are free to use whatever you prefer. Splenda Granular offers very little volume, if any, to my recipes. I sometimes combine Splenda and erythritol these days for the synergy they provide. I did try a Stevia-erythritol blend, but my whole family suffered digestive distress. I know this is not across the board, but people are so different. Sweeteners that we choose are a very personal thing and we choose them based on safety reasons, tummy issues, taste and you name it.
Image via Wikipedia
1 1/2 cups certified gluten-free oat flour
1 cup almond flour
1/4 to 1/2 cup golden flax meal
1 tsp Xanthan gum
Yield: 2 1/2 cups, 1/4 cup per serving
126.3 calories; 5.1 g protein; 6.9 g fat; 8.0 g carbs
1 1/4 cups almond flour
1/2 cup golden flax meal (reduce to 1/4 cup)
1 tsp Xanthan gum
Yield: 2 1/2 cups, 1/4 cup per serving
139.1 calories; 5.6 g protein; 8.6 g fat; 7.0 g carbs
1 cup certified gluten-free oat flour
1/2 cup golden flax meal (reduce to 1/4 cup as mentioned in the blurb immediately above)
1 tsp Xanthan gum
Yield: 2 1/2 cups, 1/4 cup per serving
143.7 calories; 5.7 g protein; 7.5 g fat; 5.9 g carbs
with only 1/4 cup golden flax meal:
131.7 calories; 5.1 g protein; 8.7 g fat; 5.9 g carbs (well balanced between protein and carbs)
Donna said, "I know the focus here has been to create a LC-GF mix, but for those who cannot tolerate oat flour, it would seem to me that any GF flour could be substituted for the oat with similar results. The good news in that instance, is that by combining the (usually) high-carb, GF flour with the almond flour, flax meal, and xanthan, this will significantly reduce the number of carbs while producing a healthier 'flour' for baking. And that is the BEST news for GF bakers."
And I say, if this is the case and you would like to know the nutritional analysis with your chosen GF flour, please contact me and I'll figure it out for you with the greatest of pleasure. I'm sure there are some nice options such as rice flour, brown rice flour and buckwheat flour (lower carb than the former examples, I think) to name a few.
Conclusion:
The best gluten-free low-carb bake mix to date, besides my original with coconut flour in it is option #4 with the flax meal reduced to 1/4 cup. Keep in mind that wet/liquid ingredients may have to be decreased by 1/4 to 1/2 cup. If desired, when replacing flour cup-for-cup in regular recipes with this gluten-free low-carb bake mix, add 1/4 cup extra. I usually do that. However, when substituting the Gluten-free bake mix for my Splendid low-carb bake mix or other low-carb bake mixes, use 2 tbsp less. (updated 2/14/2011)
For convenience, double the batch and keep at room temperature in a sealed container for no longer than 3 weeks to one month, otherwise refrigerate or freeze.
Gluten-free Bake Mix (this is option #4, but will be changing the name to option #1 soon)
1 1/2 cups ground almonds OR almond flour*
1 cup certified gluten-free oat flour
1/4 cup golden flax meal
1 tsp Xanthan gum
Yield: 2 1/2 cups, 1/4 cup per serving
131.7 calories; 5.1 g protein; 8.7 g fat; 5.9 g carbs (well-balanced between protein and carbs)
That is 23.6 g carbs per 1 cup.
*with almond flour: 2 3/4 cup yield, 1/4 cup per serving:
119.7 calories; 4.7 g protein; 7.9 g fat; 5.4 g carbs
That is 21.6 g carbs per 1 cup. (Remember white flour is about 90 g carbs)
Some additional notes: Since this is a higher carb bake mix than my Splendid Low-Carb Bake mix (3.3 g carbs per 1/3 cup), it is advisable to use erythritol and a carb-free sweetener such as liquid Splenda (sucralose) or Stevia powder or drops. The synergy of two sweeteners helps to reduce the cooling effect of the erythritol. Erythritol has no effect on blood sugar and is benign for most people re intestinal issues. I'm very sensitive and I handle Erythritol very well - no problems at all.
Gluten-free Bake Mix (this is option #1, but will be changing name to option #2)
1 cup ground almonds OR almond flour*
1/3 cup golden flax meal
1 tsp Xanathan gum
Yield: 2 3/4 cups, 1/4 cup per serving
114.8 calories; 4.6 g protein; 6.3 g fat; 7.3 g carbs
29.2 g carbs per 1 cup
*or with almond flour, yield = 3 cups, 1/4 cup per serving:
105.2 calories; 4.2 g protein; 5.8 g fat; 6.7 g carbs
26.8 g carbs per 1 cup
Thus ends the conclusion over here. The following material is the ground work before the conclusions were reached. Thank you for your patience.
Latest update Jan 09/2011: My friend, Donna, and I are working on an optimal gluten-free bake mix that is also low-carb. Option # 1 and 3 have been eliminated on grounds of being higher carb, however, of the two, Option #1 is a very good bake mix for those who are not quite as carb-sensitive.
My friend likes the idea of adding the whey protein, as in option #2, as she feels it is more balanced between carbs and protein and helps her blood sugars to stay more stable. Right now we are working on a combination of #2 and #4. Stay tuned. :)
Something important to remember: The amount of liquid or wet ingredients in your regular recipe might have to be reduced by as much as a half.
Granted, I have not tested all these bake mix options (actually only the one, option #3, but it should be fine), but if you are brave, you can try one or more in my favorite chocolate chip cookie test recipe. I am fiber-sensitive and had to veer away from the bake mix with coconut flour in it. My digestive system can handle the golden flax meal better than the coconut flour. The Xanthan gum is essential to prevent crumbly baked goods and it also imparts a little of the properties of gluten to the bake mix. I would be thrilled if some of you could test one or two of these bake mixes for me and give me some feedback as to how it turned out and what you liked or didn't like about it. Thanks! Remember we're blazing a trail here. I don't see too many low-carb and gluten-free bake mix options out there? I think even folks who can have gluten might be interested in cutting down on their gluten intake for whatever reason. Until now those folks have not been doing it because nothing was available that was also low-carb.
Okay, no obligations, just have fun with these. Oh sad news! I assumed the amount of bake mix would be 3 cups (nope - 2 1/2 cups - a little more if almond flour is used vs ground almonds or almond meal), but turns out the flax meal affords almost no volume to the bake mix, which means the carbs are higher than I initially calculated (to clarify - all the calculations below are corrected now). Still, not too awful. The good news? Option #2 is the correct calculation (makes 3 cups) and is nice and low-carb considering it's gluten-free.
The other good news? Since the flax meal offers no volume practically to the bake mix, you can reduce it by however much you would like. I would not suggest increasing it as one would really detect it in baked goods then. In conclusion, these are low-carb gluten-free bake mix options of 32 grams carbs per cup (option #1), 28 grams carbs per cup (option #3), 23.6 grams carbs per cup (option #4) and 21.2 g carbs per cup (option #2, similar carbs to using only defatted soy flour). Considering white wheat flour is 92 grams carbohydrate per cup, these are good alternatives for our baking. I think my vote goes to option #1 and option #2, but I haven't tried option #3.
Important Update (please read): My husband could not tolerate 1/2 cup golden flax meal in the bake mixes or in the cookies. He was at one point socially um, a bit you know what - uncomfortable?! We're very fiber-sensitive in this family. Anyway, the good news is that in all the bake mixes the golden flax meal can be reduced to 2 tbsp or 1/4 cup, depending on what works for you, without affecting the carb count, just reducing the calories a bit. Flax is pretty calorific actually. Surprising! Anyway wanted to add this for other fiber-sensitive peeps - to warn them! I can handle the flax a bit better than the coconut flour, but when I drop the amount in the bake mix to 2 tbsp, it doesn't affect any of us adversely - and we're very sensitive to too much fiber.
Sweetener Options: Please remember you are free to use whatever you prefer. Splenda Granular offers very little volume, if any, to my recipes. I sometimes combine Splenda and erythritol these days for the synergy they provide. I did try a Stevia-erythritol blend, but my whole family suffered digestive distress. I know this is not across the board, but people are so different. Sweeteners that we choose are a very personal thing and we choose them based on safety reasons, tummy issues, taste and you name it.
Image via WikipediaLow-Carb Gluten-Free Bake Mix (with flax meal) - option #1 (tested)
Fabulous results and tastes really great! 1 1/2 cups certified gluten-free oat flour
1 cup almond flour
1/4 to 1/2 cup golden flax meal
1 tsp Xanthan gum
Yield: 2 1/2 cups, 1/4 cup per serving
126.3 calories; 5.1 g protein; 6.9 g fat; 8.0 g carbs
Lower-Fiber Low-Carb Gluten-Free Bake Mix (with flax meal and whey protein) - option #2 (tested)
Great results - tastes good! The flax meal is to mitigate any dryness in the baking caused by the whey protein, so don't leave it out. It does the trick!
1 3/4 cups almond flour
1 cup certified gluten-free oat flour
1/2 cup vanilla or plain whey protein
2 tbsp flax meal
1 tsp Xanthan gum
Yield: 3 cups, 1/4 cup per serving
128.7 calories; 7.1 g protein; 8.0 g fat; 5.3 g carbs
Low-Carb Gluten-Free Bake Mix (with flax meal) - option #3 (not tested, but I'm almost positive it will be fine) (This one has the same number of carbs as the coconut flour option - the original gluten-free bake mix)
1 1/4 cups certified gluten-free oat flour1 1/4 cups almond flour
1/2 cup golden flax meal (reduce to 1/4 cup)
1 tsp Xanthan gum
Yield: 2 1/2 cups, 1/4 cup per serving
139.1 calories; 5.6 g protein; 8.6 g fat; 7.0 g carbs
Low-Carb Gluten-Free Bake Mix (with flax meal) - option #4 (tested)
I halved the chocolate chip cookie recipe and used what I thought was a smaller large egg. Turned out it was a twin yolk egg! Ever seen that? Sometimes I get several of them in a row. I figure I could have won the lottery on such days! Anyway, this batter was more moist than it should have been - maybe it was too much egg since the original called for one large egg and I still basically used a large egg and should have used half an egg (I was being lazy!). The cookie batter spread (made a wider, rounder, less chunky looking cookie than previous experiments) whereas with option #1 they did not. They still taste fantastic and once cooled, can be picked up easily. You can reduce the flax in the bake mix without affecting the carbs, but bringing the calories down by about 12 calories per 1/4 cup bake mix if a 1/4 cup flax is removed. Personally, that's what I would recommend in this recipe because I detected the flax left a tiny granule or two sticking to the roof of my mouth. Reducing the flax should fix the problem
1 1/2 cups almond flourI halved the chocolate chip cookie recipe and used what I thought was a smaller large egg. Turned out it was a twin yolk egg! Ever seen that? Sometimes I get several of them in a row. I figure I could have won the lottery on such days! Anyway, this batter was more moist than it should have been - maybe it was too much egg since the original called for one large egg and I still basically used a large egg and should have used half an egg (I was being lazy!). The cookie batter spread (made a wider, rounder, less chunky looking cookie than previous experiments) whereas with option #1 they did not. They still taste fantastic and once cooled, can be picked up easily. You can reduce the flax in the bake mix without affecting the carbs, but bringing the calories down by about 12 calories per 1/4 cup bake mix if a 1/4 cup flax is removed. Personally, that's what I would recommend in this recipe because I detected the flax left a tiny granule or two sticking to the roof of my mouth. Reducing the flax should fix the problem
1 cup certified gluten-free oat flour
1/2 cup golden flax meal (reduce to 1/4 cup as mentioned in the blurb immediately above)
1 tsp Xanthan gum
Yield: 2 1/2 cups, 1/4 cup per serving
143.7 calories; 5.7 g protein; 7.5 g fat; 5.9 g carbs
with only 1/4 cup golden flax meal:
131.7 calories; 5.1 g protein; 8.7 g fat; 5.9 g carbs (well balanced between protein and carbs)