50+ Gluten-Free Recipes including dinners, breakfasts, appetizers, and desserts. Your easy guide to eating gluten-free!
Well it’s been two months since sharing I have Celiac Disease and am therefore living a gluten-free lifestyle, and the outpouring of support via comments and emails continues to this day. My newfound gluten-free community both online and in real life has been absolutely awesome and the exchange of ideas and encouragement is something I never expected to find. I haven’t really talked much more about it since then though, and wanted to give you an update on how things are going!
First a quick explanation because I didn’t really know what eating gluten-free meant until I had to do it myself – a gluten-free diet is a one that excludes the protein gluten, which is found in grains such as wheat, barley, and rye. Think foods like traditional cakes, cookies, pasta, beer, bread, cereal, etc.
Now then, how are things going? Actually, OK! I don’t want to paint too rosy a picture – I mean would I ever choose this? Heck no! – but the truth is this transition hasn’t been the epic battle I thought it might be after getting diagnosed with Celiac Disease in February. As I mentioned in my “coming out” post, my diet already consisted of many gluten-free foods and while I am the self-proclaimed queen of pizza, pasta, and beer, I have found better than suitable replacements for all three thanks to Gusto’s gluten-free pizza, Barilla gluten-free pasta, and Omission gluten-free beer (I almost pushed my friend out of our booth at BLT Burger in Las Vegas after spying it on the menu I was so excited. There’s only so many vodka sodas with lime a girl can handle…literally!)
That being said, you don’t just cut out an entire food group without any hardship, and while I’ve found not eating gluten at home to be fairly drama-free, I do find myself watching people eat gluten-filled foods with more than a twinge of jealousy. It’s not always that I’m craving the foods they’re eating, it’s more that I’m wistful for the days when I could shove whatever I wanted into my pie-hole (mmm, pie – RIP) without having to think twice about it. Plus I will dearly miss summer craft beer festivals, and don’t even mention the Iowa State Fair and my annual foot-long corn dog!
While those days are gone, I think it’s important to focus on the positives including all the gluten-free foods I CAN eat. I mentioned in my last post that I’m currently taking an online Go Sugar Free Course (<– affiliate link.) I signed up because I found myself eating more sugar than usual after going GF, specifically candy, probably in an attempt to fill the hole that was left from nixing gluten-filled foods. The course includes daily emails filled with tasks, tips, etc. and one email last week included a massive grocery shopping list filled with foods that are sugar-free. The list is loooooong and filled with pretty much every fresh food you can think of, as well as beans, meats, cheeses and nuts. The thing that tickled me most though was how enormous the overlap was between sugar-free foods and gluten-free foods.
This list is a wonderful visual representation of foods that people living a gluten-free lifestyle CAN enjoy, MINUS a few of the 100% whole grain foods. It does a much better job than I can of communicating that eating gluten-free does not mean feeling deprived or eating “weird” things. In case you’re curious, you can download the list for free here >>
So that’s where I’m at – thanks for reading this novel! Now back to the reason for the post. Over the past couple of weeks I’ve had no-less than 5 people write to ask what my favorite gluten-free recipes on the blog are. One person asked because a friend was recently diagnosed with Celiac Disease and they wanted to help, another was hosting a dinner party and half the people coming are eating gluten-free, the others were newly diagnosed themselves. Help! they said. You got it! I answered!
Whether you’re new to the gluten-free world or just curious, I’ve rounded up over 50 gluten-free recipes to make for dinner, breakfast, as an appetizer/side dish, and dessert. While many of my non-gluten-free recipes can be easily adapted, these recipes require ZERO modifications. They’re ready to go as is. Please enjoy, my gluten and non-gluten eating friends alike!
Edited to add: make sure you are using gluten free versions of chicken and soy sauce, for instance. I like Pacific and San-J brands, respectively!
Please note that I am not encouraging anyone to eat strictly gluten-free unless it is medically necessary. I am not a doctor, just sharing about my experience with Celiac Disease!
GLUTEN-FREE DINNER RECIPES
Eating gluten-free does not mean feeling deprived in any way shape or form. Try any of these filling, fast, and fresh gluten-free dinner recipes and I think you’ll agree!
Steak Salad with Crispy Shallots, Dried Cherries, Candied Pecans and Goat Cheese
Chicken with Cherry-Wine Pan Sauce
Kale and Wild Rice Bowls with Honey-Balsamic Vinaigrette
Warm Kale Salad with Bacon, Dates, Almonds, Crispy Shallots and Parmesan
Healthier Smothered Sweet Potato Fries (Ore-Ida brand sweet potato fries are GF)
Buffalo Chicken Cobb Salad with Buffalo Deviled Eggs
Chipotle Cheddar Burgers with Avocado Crema
Avocado, Mozzarella and Bruschetta Baked Chicken
Apple-Cheddar Stuffed Chicken with Apple-Dijon Pan Sauce
Lighter Orange Beef and Broccoli
Apple-Almond Quinoa with Maple Sausage
Spinach and Artichoke Dip Chicken
Green Chili Chicken Enchilada Casserole with Quick Pico de Gallo
Homemade Crunchy Taco Hamburger Helper
Thai Peanut Chicken Quinoa Bowls
Crock Pot Chicken Tacos with Mexican Rice
Crispy Pesto Gnocchi with Tomatoes and Goat Cheese (use GF gnocchi)
Hawaiian Pulled Pork Skillet Nacho with Pineapple Guacamole
Lemon Pepper Chicken with Artichoke Salsa
Mediterranean Smothered Chicken
Tomato-Basil and Spinach Risotto
Southwestern Chicken and Rice Skillet
Sun Dried Tomato & Basil Stuffed Chicken Breasts
Sweet Corn & Quinoa with Honey-Lemon Vinaigrette
GLUTEN-FREE BREAKFAST RECIPES
Breakfast is one of the easiest meals of the day to eat gluten-free as morning staples like bacon, eggs, and hash browns typically do not contain gluten. But, if you want to make your mornings a bit more exciting, try any of these gluten-free breakfast recipes.
Tropical Pineapple, Mango and Orange Smoothie
Kale and Bacon Quiche with Hash Brown Crust
Make-Ahead Fruit and Yogurt Breakfast Parfaits
Lemon-Blackberry Breakfast Cookies
GLUTEN-FREE APPETIZER AND SIDE DISH RECIPES
Deciding what side dish or appetizer to bring to a party is hard enough without having to worry that everyone in attendance can eat what you’re making. All of these appetizer and side-dish recipes are tasty AND gluten-free!
Black Bean and Sweet Corn Guacamole Dip
Best-Ever Southwestern Black Bean Dip
Lighter Bacon Cheeseburger Dip
Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Bacon, Shallots, and Garlic
GLUTEN-FREE DESSERT RECIPES
No, you do not need gluten to make a yummy dessert! Try any of these sweet and satisfying recipes worry, and gluten-free.
Crispy Chocolate-Peanut Butter Cups
The Best Fruit Dip. Ever.
My friend Jada has a boyfriend who eats gluten free, so those recipes are coming in very handy. Thank you so much for sharing them! Good luck with the disease, it can be a pain, but fortunately it doesn’t mean you have to stop eating good food anymore these days. I hope you also feel better now that you’ve been on the diet for a while.
It sounds like you are doing great with your new lifestyle. I’ve had to make dietary changes a few times in my life and I know how frustrating it can be, so I appreciate your positive attitude about it. Awesome round up of recipes!
Can’t believe how many people have celiac disease! I wonder, is it because there are just more cases of it now then say 20 years ago, or maybe doctors are able to diagnose it better?
Just the word gluten sounds sketchy to me.
Love how you included appetizer and dessert recipes. With so many people with either celiac disease or just choosing to avoid gluten in general, it’s nice to have a few recipes on hand to use as a good host!
I think it’s a combination of a couple of factors. The first (without getting too “science-y”) is that the wheat we are eating today is not the same wheat of yester-year. The second is the effect of the information age. People weren’t blogging, tweeting, sharing Facebook articles or Instagramming 20 years ago. We are just exposed to more info than we used to be.
Actually, not that many people have Celiac’s disease. It is estimated that only about 1-3% of Americans do. Funnily enough, it is not as common in less developed countries where people eat less processed foods. It definitely has to do, as the other poster said, with the kinds of extra processed, whtened, “enhanced” flours we consume in this country.
Many people also have intolerance to gluten, which doctors still can’t agree if it’s real or not but in my personal experience, it is. Gluten intolerance is not as extreme as Celiac but does make you feel bloated, tired, crampy, when you eat gluten but if you get the test, it comes back negative. That might also be why you feel like so many people have celiac’s disease but just because someone eats GF doesn’t mean they have it.
Wheat belly by William Davis explains why so many people men women adults kids and newborns are effected by wheat sugars and how so many illnesses and overweight problems effect us. Don’t believe there us an active agenda to depopulate? Drug therapy and vaccines the answer? So they can line their pockets and claim immunity protections from all the adverse effects and death. America is waking up and needs to pull their head out of the sand.
Thank you for a wonderful post and round up of GF recipes! About a month ago after much research, I decided to try a gluten free life to see if it would help some of the issues I was having. As a poor college student I couldn’t go and get all of these tests run at the doctor and I do not believe I have Celiacs but a possible intolerance. I did a lot of reading and found a strong link between gluten intolerance and the symptoms I have had for YEARS. So at 5:30 one morning I decided to jump head first into a GF life. I have felt better, but it has only been a few weeks so time will tell if this is helping me or not. IN the meant time I appreciate the GF recipes. I have found the only hard part is not eating my morning toast and finding Ice cream that I love that doesn’t have pieces of cookie or cake in it LOL. As you said, I have found my nutritional intake struggling a little bit as well, fiber is much harder to get with GF grains!
Thank you so much for posting this! While I am not diagnosed with Celiac Disease I have a number of digestive issues that are alleviated when I follow a GF diet. It’s hard coming home and thinking of meals to prepare and your blog has helped me a lot, even before you went GF. It’s been my recipe book ever since I moved out on my own :)
I totally get what you’re saying about missing the ability to shove anything into my mouth. I was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes four years ago at the age of 26, but that wistfulness never really goes away. Of course, with diabetes, I can do just about anything in moderation, but sometimes moderation is just too difficult!
Thank you SO much for posting this!!! I am not GF but have several friends that are and am always scared that I will make something they can’t eat or not adjust the recipe correctly and they will have to suffer for it. Having this list will definitely put me at ease when serving my guests. I have already told two GF friends about this post!! :D You. are. awesome.
This is totally going to make my life easier! I eat GF and I LOVE your recipes so I was pumped when you stated you were going to start posting GF only! Can’t wait to start cooking!
The list of recipes look really good. It looks like I might be busy cooking over the weekend…
This is such a wonderful, helpful post, thank you so much! Estrella Damm makes a wonderful gluten free beer called Daura, you should be able to find it at Whole Foods.
This is a great round-up! My boyfriend has Celiac and I’ve noticed I seem to have a sensitivity since eliminating wheat (it was just easier to cook that way for both of us!). Once I got the hang of cooking GF, it’s really not that difficult and I’ve found great replacements.
I’m curious, have you noticed a dairy intolerance? My BF’s doctor said that most Celiacs he treats end up learning that they don’t tolerate dairy either. I’d love to see GF and dairy-free recipes since I’m lactose intolerant. (Although for some reason, i can handle sheep and goat dairy, just not cow dairy??)
Fortunately not – I don’t know what I do without dairy!
Thank you so much for posting this. Three weeks ago I was diagnosed with PCOS and Hyperglycemia. I have to follow a sugar/sweetner free and gluten free diet which is tricky so I very much appreciate your delicious recipes and also your posts. If you have recipes that are sugar free and gluten free keep them coming my way:)
Here’s another great gluten-free dessert recipe: http://naturalchow.com/2014/04/no-bake-chocolate-peanut-butter-oatmeal-cookies-gluten-free/
Also, Gusto’s Gluten free pizza is Awesome!!!!
Thanks for sharing! I have a seven year old with celiac and a hubby from Cedar Rapids. We follow you from Fort Worth, Texas. Keep your chin up – celiac is tough but there is grace in the diagnosis. Six months gluten free has made a world of difference for our daughter. =)
I had a co-worker that was diagnosed with celiac disease and I am pretty amazed by the number of people that have been diagnosed. Thank you for sharing this round up of links! I’ll make good use out of it!
Hi there! I just learned about your blog from a friend. We recently took one of my kids GF due to recurrent digestive issues. So this is perfect! So glad I found another great resource.
It would be awesome if you could do a recap of the Go Sugar Free course after you are done! Are you planning to go totally sugar free or just using it as a tool to cut back? I don’t really have any interest in going completely sugar-free (life is too short for no desserts!), so I have been hesitant to try GSF because it seems like that is the goal there. It would be awesome to hear about your experience, particularly if you are like me and looking to cut back dramatically but not completely eliminate added sugar.
I am an IT Works distributor (It Works offers a complete line of Gluten Free diet and nutritional supplements)and recently participated with a booth at a Gluten/Allergy Free Expo in Chicago. It was an incredible Expo with great resources…even met a few bloggers like you :-) so I am curious as to what symptoms you were having that led you to a physician and then what is the diagnosis process?
Hey Paula! I described my symptoms in this post: http://iowagirleats.com/2014/03/14/lemon-blackberry-breakfast-cookies/
I just want to say I made the roasted veggie Cobb salad….OMG! YUMMY! And soooo filling! Thank you for sharing this recipe I will be making it again and loved the idea of roasted radishes :) I always have more than enough in the gardening season that seem to go to waste….well that won’t be the case this year:)
Once again love your gluten free post! I found out 5 years ago & I totally agree that watching others eat and not being able to eat all of those food you were used to is so challenging. The good news is it does get easier and if you focus on what you CAN eat you will realize it’s more than you thought. DM/WDM seems to have a lot of good options and even a celiac support group that meets up for potlucks a few times a year! Hang in there!
I recently found your food blog through a client of mine. I also reside in Iowa and am a nutritionist blogger who specializes in the gluten-free/sugar-free world. I am excited that you are learning more and spreading the word! I look forward to more gluten-free inspiration!
Hi there! A friend sent me to your website, and I’ve only looked through a handful of recipes (and maybe some of them are older and not updated for your gluten-free status), but…soy sauce has gluten, yes? You can definitely find gluten-free versions (thank god!) but I wondered that I didn’t see that mentioned, for instance, in your Kale Fried Rice recipe, which I’m excited to try. Alas, you’ve probably got a post on it somewhere and I just haven’t stumbled on it yet…
Tamari is a gluten-free version of soy sauce. It is pretty widely available.
I mentioned in a previous post that I wouldn’t call out “make sure xyz is gluten free!” every time as to not annoy the non-GF readers, thinking that if you’re GF you’d know to look for gluten in things like chicken broth and soy sauce, for instance. It’s a good point though, so I added an extra little line in there. Thanks for the heads up! :)
OMG Don’t you just LOVE BLT Burger in Vegas? One of my favorite places to go for a late night bite, or a boozy lunch after a night of fun! Congrats on doing so well with the Celiac’s!
Rhea
http://hotdogfoodblog.blogspot.com/
Looooove BLT – especially their shakes!
I am not gluten free, but all these recipes look delicious!
I just checked out the Go Sugar Free course website. Would you be willing to share if there is a cost for the course? I couldn’t find it on the site.
Thanks!!
Hey Jess! I asked Jacqueline and here’s what she said: “The best thing she can do is jump on my newsletter so she’s the first to know the next course dates and early bird registration opportunities and price.” You can sign up for the newsletter via that link!
Worry not – there is gluten-free flour! It does not bake exactly like regular wheat flour but you should definitely try it. My gluten-free aunt uses gluten-free flour for pies, cakes and buns, and I have used it, too, for occasions when I will be hosting gluten-free guests. The dough made with gluten-free flour is a lot stickier than dough made with regular flour and handling it needs some practicing. But I think it is definitely worth a try – especially if you are craving a pie or brownies or such. :)
Oh I’m so happy you put this together! I am also gluten free, so a simple list like this is really helpful.
— Alex at Cashmere Kangaroo
I’ve been gluten-free for 10 years after being diagnosed with celiac. I haven’t followed you blog consistently but my friend just sent me this link. I wanted you to know I have used your Chik-Fil-A Nugget recipe but I just alter it to make it gluten-free. I’d be happy to share how I change it up. My kids (who are not GF) love them!
Have you tried the gluten-free baked goods from Sweet Rewards in Waukee? They are delicious. The cupcakes and brownies she sells through HyVee are also dairy free.
I don’t think I have – I’ll definitely look for them at HyVee though!
My daughter was diagnosed a few months back. It’s a learning curve but totally doable. I have been able to make some amazing desserts. I’ve learned not to opt for all purpose gluten free flours because recipes are so finicky and really each need their own distinct blend of flours. I’m excited to try some of your recipes. Yum!
I too have a sugar addiction and am so thankful you posted about the online course. I workout but don’t get the results I should becasue of my sugar addiction. I’ve even thought about checking out hypnotherapy. I will definitely be checking into that course. THanks for this post!
Have you heard of Lakefront Brewery’s New Grist?? Its made in Wisconsin (my home!) & is delicious! That and Omission are my favorite gluten free beers. Only 20 more weeks until I can enjoy an ice cold New Grist! :)
I have tried that one – it’s my back up when we’re out of Omission. ;)
Thank you for these wonderful recipes. I just recently made the decision to go gluten free. My stomach feels amazing since cutting out gluten. I thought it would be really hard to do but it’s been pretty easy!
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My mom & aunt have been diagnosed with celiac disease before people really knew what it was (there wasn’t even an official test for it yet!) lucky for me, when I was diagnosed 2 years ago, I was able to learn from the masters. I have always been a fan of your blog, but when I found out you were going GF, (while I was bummed for you), I was also SO excited to be able to get new ideas from you too! Hope everything is going OK – it does get easier, and lucky for us, it’s not a mystery illness anymore.
Always a fan,
Lindsay
Dear Kristin,
Congrats on facing your diagnosis and gluten-free diet with such aplomb! I am a third-generation celiac and, fortunately for me, third-generation baker. I decided I would bake my way through the disease, and in large part that has helped me “stomach” some of the downsides of my diagnosis. I also thoroughly investigated the potential complications of celiac and consequences of untreated celiac, which helped motivate me to follow the diet very strictly and carefully without “cheating” (by the way, I highly recommend Dr. Peter Green’s book “Celiac Disease: The Hidden Epidemic” and Dr. Dan Leffler’s book “Trouble-shooting and Thriving Gluten-free” for more about the medical side of celiac).
When I was diagnosed four years ago, I was daunted by all the misinformation out there, the difficulties of eating safely in restaurants, the social challenges of celiac, not to mention the fact that, frighteningly, my symptoms actually got worse on the gluten-free diet. After connecting with one of the leading celiac centers in the country, I discovered several other previously undiagnosed food intolerances were combining with celiac to make me miserable. Now that I have regained my health and spent many thousands of hours researching and experimenting, I have resolved to spread more information and resources to the gluten-free community through my blog http://www.exquisitedish.com and also by teaching classes through local continuing education programs and one-on-one coaching for newly diagnosed individuals. I invite you to “stop by” when you have a chance and feel free to send me any questions if I can ever be of help.
Very best wishes, E.L.
Thank you so much for reaching out, E.L.! I’d love to talk to you more about the other food intolerances you found, and how. If you find the time, could you email me at iowagirleats@gmail.com to chat? Thanks so much!!
[…] 50+ Gluten-Free Recipes | Iowa Girl Eats http://iowagirleats.com/50+ Gluten-Free Recipes including dinners, breakfasts, appetizers, and desserts. Your easy guide to eating gluten-free! Well it's been two months. […]
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[…] 50+ Gluten-Free Recipes | Iowa Girl Eats the past couple of weeks I've had no-less than 5 people write to ask what my favorite gluten-free recipes on the blog are. One person asked because a friend was recently diagnosed with Celiac Disease and they wanted … […]
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[…] 50+ Gluten-Free Recipes | Iowa Girl Eats – My friend Jada has a boyfriend who eats gluten free, so those recipes are coming in very handy. Thank you so much for sharing them! Good luck with the disease, it can …… […]