I’ve posted over 50 gluten-free recipes since last March and thought maybe it was time I shared how I develop my gluten-free recipes. I’m not a trained chef, baker, or any sort of culinary expert. I’ve just been baking and creating in the kitchen since childhood. To me, it’s relaxing and rewarding. The chemistry of baking is nothing short of magical to me.

I’ve been baking gluten-free since 2012 when we discovered that one of our children was gluten-intolerant. My husband and I found that we feel better when we eat gluten-free. And we prefer the taste. Our other two children are fine either way. However, for a long time it was easier to just make everything in our house gluten-free.

Now, with three teenagers, it’s become slightly (ahem) more cost-effective to buy a few gluten-containing items for the two bottomless pits who can eat gluten. That translates to items like bread, bagels, and crackers for lunches and snacks.

My Gluten-Free Pizza (on the grill).

I’m not big on making lunch and gave that up as soon as my kids could fend for themselves. I do enjoy making breakfast and dinner. Breakfast mostly. I love starting the day by making gluten-free pancakes, waffles, scones, and muffins.

One of the first recipes I created: Gluten-Free Waffles

Come dinner time, I’m slightly less inspired. You know, when it’s been a long day and it seems that I just made dinner last night and really? you want me to make dinner AGAIN? Luckily, my husband helps with dinner a lot. I supplement with biscuits or bread and there’s always potatoes, rice, and gluten-free pasta as needed.

My Gluten-Free Baking Powder Biscuits

And desserts? Contrary to what you might assume from looking at my blog, we don’t have desserts every night. It’s more like twice a week unless I’m working on a recipe. Then we get more. 🙂 I share a lot of dessert recipes because I feel like my homemade items are so much better than store bought gluten-free treats.

Gluten-Free Brownies, a gluten-free adaptation of my mom’s recipe.

When we started this gluten-free thing, there were much fewer gluten-free items on grocery store shelves. The quantity has increased over the years but I still prefer homemade. And while the number of gluten-free flour blends has also increased, I still prefer using my separate flours. I find I get more unique tastes and textures for my recipes by adjusting the types and amounts of each flour.

My Gluten-Free Pumpkin Bread

My flour choices are based on experience, not training or science. A basic starting point is usually white rice flour and tapioca starch with some xanthan gum. Other additions include almond flour, sorghum flour, oat flour, and a few others.

I have three primary sources for recipe inspiration- the Joy of Cooking, Better Homes and Gardens, and family recipes. All of these are gluten-containing recipes.

The Joy of Cooking inspired the use of scalded milk and vinegar for my Gluten-Free Cinnamon Rolls.

If you’re not familiar with Joy of Cooking, it’s credited with teaching a whole generation to cook. My mom used this book extensively when I was a child and my copy is one she gave me when I started living on my own. This cookbook was first published in 1931. It’s a fun read sometimes, with thousands of recipes for obscure items like squirrel, tripe, etc. But it also provides an excellent starting point for baked goods. I substitute different gluten-free flours for the wheat flour.

I’ve learned to substitute gluten-free flours through trial and error. And taste. Sometimes I’ll get just the right consistency and need to tweak the flours for a better taste. Or vice versa. It’s a good thing I enjoy baking. Some recipes come together quickly and others… not so much.

For such a simple recipe, my Gluten-Free Royal Chocolate Chip Cookies took a lot of testing and tweaking. And sampling!

The other book I refer to quite often is a Better Homes and Gardens cookbook, gifted to me by my mother-in-law early in our marriage. I love the simplicity of these recipes. I don’t go for super complicated and fussy recipes. These basic recipes are a great starting point for changing to gluten-free flours and adjusting to get the right consistency, texture, and taste.

My Gluten-Free Cornbread Muffins were inspired by a (gluten) recipe in my Better Homes and Gardens cookbook.

Finally, I have old-fashioned index cards and photocopied recipes from my grandparents, other relatives, and friends. I love these recipes. They’re in the distinctive handwriting I associate with each person and include personal notes added to the side – something we’ve lost with widespread sharing via computer.

Gosh, the writing from my Great Aunt Es makes me miss her. I didn’t get to see her often since she lived on the East Coast but memories of her always make me smile.

Just let me know if you’d like me to handwrite my recipes on an index card for you.

Title photo is my Gluten-Free Zucchini Bread.