

These Pumpkin Ginger Muffins are an autumn treat that I like to bake and share with friends. I only make them at this time of year and this year I decided it was time to make a gluten free version. After all, it’s pumpkin season!
Do you have an old favourite muffin recipe that you want to make gluten free? If so here are some tips to tackle that project. The best way to learn what works is to get in the kitchen and bake. One of my most helpful cookbooks for learning about gluten free baking is America’s Test Kitchen How Can It Be Gluten Free Volume 1 and Volume 2. If you want to improve your baking there is a lot of information in these books.
Sometimes I just want to make a gluten free version of an old recipe. Gluten free bakers learn quickly that simply substituting a gluten free flour blend or mix for wheat flour doesn’t always work. There are a few more adjustments you may need to make so knowing what is in your flour mix is a great place to start.
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Gluten free baked goods require a combination of flour and starch. The blend I use for everyday recipes like muffins is 40% whole grain flour (sorghum and millet flours) and 60% starch (potato starch and tapioca starch). This also works well in quick breads, pancakes, waffles, some cookies and more. To learn more about different flour combinations check out this post, 11 Gluten Free Flour Recipes.
Xanthan gum is a ‘special ingredient’ and a general guideline is to use ¼ teaspoon for every cup of gluten free flour. It helps baked goods hold their shape and prevents them from going stale quickly, a common problem with gluten free baking.
If you can’t tolerate xanthan gum or you suspect gums might be a problem; just don’t use them. Learn more about ground flaxseed or psyllium husk powder to replace gums in baking and check out this post, How To Use Binders in Gluten Free Baking. Keep good notes of the changes you make and perfect your recipes.
Many people struggle with baking. Every oven is different and even standard baking pans vary a bit. Then there is the oven temperature and many more factors that challenge us everyday home cooks.
My advice is to buy quality bakeware since it will likely last you for more years than you can imagine. Then it’s up to you to make notes about how long a particular recipe takes to bake in your pan and your oven. Here are a few choices:
Let me know in the comments below if you made these pumpkin ginger muffins and how they worked for you.
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