Lenny and Larrys
As time has advanced, people everywhere are starting to eliminate gluten from their diets. Sometimes it's for health reasons like celiac disease, while others find benefits regarding their energy levels. No matter which side of the camp you're on, the one thing that remains true is that gluten intake comes from the food we eat — as such, it's imperative that we find healthy meals and gluten-free alternatives to the usual dishes we eat. Luckily, delicious gluten-free foods have become more prominent as more people make the lifestyle change. It used to be that we had to make "sacrifices" to get something that kept the gluten intake in check; now, there are many options available to us. From prepackaged goods to the latest Pinterest recipes and TikTok concoctions, there's plenty to choose from that should satisfy even the pickiest of eaters.
The Goods Are Out There, You Just Gotta Look
As with any diet or lifestyle wave, there are lots of options, and unfortunately, they're not all created equal. Homemade recipes and prepackaged goods that are gluten-free and won't spike your blood sugar are harder to find, especially when it comes to baked goods in both forms. The problem is taste, usually, and that leads both consumers creating recipes and some manufacturers trying to turn a buck to adding extra ingredients to these foods. The result is a tasty but often dangerous food combination. When trying to make something tasty, especially in the case of baked goods, there's often a lot of sugar added. This makes these options risky for people with certain health conditions such as diabetes.
But all hope is not lost! We've gathered some of our favorite food choices for truly gluten-free and low sugar foods, including homemade and prepackaged options.
3 Ways to Avoid High-Sugar Gluten-free Baked Goods
1. Carrot Cake
Gluten-free? Yes.
Low/No Sugar? Yes.
Ingredients:
- Coconut Flour
- Cinnamon
- Baking Soda
- Baking Powder
- Salt
- Ground Nutmeg
- Large Eggs
- Erythritol Sweetener
- Plain Non-fat Greek Yogurt
- Vanilla Extract
- Grated Carrot
- Pecans
- Unsweetened Coconut Flakes
- Light Cream Cheese
- Powdered Erythritol Sweetener
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Place parchment paper in two 8" cake pans and spray the upward-facing side with your favorite cooking spray.
Mix the coconut flour, cinnamon, salt, nutmeg, and both the baking powder and baking soda.
Grab another bowl and beat the eggs, sweeteners, yogurt, and vanilla until thoroughly mixed.
Add the first bowl's coconut flour mixture and stir, stir, stir!
Combine the pecans, coconut flakes, and carrots into the combined bowl of ingredients. Let it sit for about 12 minutes until the mixture is pretty thick.
Place this batter evenly into the pans and bake for about 40 minutes or until there's no pickup on an inserted toothpick.
Lastly, mix the cream cheese and yogurt until it's fluffy. Keep mixing while adding in the powdered sweetener until the fluffy consistency returns.
Next, once the cakes have cooled, coat them with the frosting, then stack and let cool in the refrigerator overnight. Be sure to refrigerate the frosting as well.
Finally, add another layer or two of frosting.
2. Lenny and Larry's The Complete Cookie-fied Bar
These delicious little bars of wonder are the perfect snack for those seeking gluten-free food options. With 12g of plant-based protein, 5g of prebiotic fiber, and 6g of sugar in three awesome flavors, The Complete Cookie-fied Bar... well, it hits different.
3. Local Bakeries
Super secret pro tip — shhhhhhh! Hop on your favorite search engine and type "specialty gluten-free bakery". In most major cities all across the country, you'll find bakeries that are doing great work with gluten-free foods! Aside from the numerous delicious treats that are both gluten-free and low-carb, many even make their own gluten-free flour that you can purchase by the pound to create your own desserts at home!
Note: Be sure to check with the bakers to make sure that the foods you're checking out are both gluten-free and low sugar or sugar-free, as sometimes they may have both options available.
Calculated Hunts
If you've been seriously craving some sweetness while also needing to keep gluten at bay, we really hope this list helps! And if you find any killer gluten-free recipes, be sure to let us know by connecting on Instagram! We've said it before and we'll say it again: the list of reasons to ditch gluten is growing. If you haven't already, is it time to make the change?