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gluten free

baked blackberry crisp
DessertNourishing Recipes

The Best Gluten Free Blackberry Crisp

by From Scratch Farmstead

In the summer when berries are bursting from branches, this gluten free blackberry crisp is a fan favorite and highly requested dessert in our house. 

It comes together in just a few minutes and contains a few basic ingredients that we always have stored away on pantry shelves. Bonus, it is filled with nutrient dense ingredients while being oh so yummy! If you are looking for a quick and easy dessert for your next potluck, picnic, or just simple night at home, give this gluten free blackberry crisp a try!

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Blackberries – A Nutritional Powerhouse

When selecting fruits and vegetables, we always prioritize darker varieties. The darker in color, the more robust nutrients that fruit or vegetable generally contains. This definitely holds true for the blackberry, touting nutritional benefits superior to other common summer berries like strawberries and red raspberries.

bowl of freshly picked blackberries

Nutritional Benefits of Blackberries include:

  • A great source of Vitamin C. One cup of blackberries contains roughly 50% of the recommended daily intake of vitamin C. Vitamin C is important for building a robust immune system, protecting cells from damage caused by free-radicals, and aiding the synthesis of collagen.
  • Tons of polyphenols. Blackberries are one of the most highly concentrated sources of polyphenols of any food. Polyphenols are known to have significant benefits for health.
  • Rich in manganese. Manganese is a critical mineral for many routine body functions and blackberries are a great source of this important mineral.
  • Great bang for your buck. Blackberries are rich in nutrients and fiber while being low in overall calories and carbohydrates. A handful of these berries will have tremendous benefits with no risk of causing damage to your waistline.

Foraging for Blackberries

Another perk of blackberries (also called black raspberries) is that they can be found wild throughout the world. That is definitely the case where we live here in the Midwest. Come late June/early July, blackberries are ripe and can be found in almost any forested or wooded area growing like gangbusters.

foraging for black raspberries

We are thankful to have them growing abundantly on our property. In those months when they are in season we stock up on as many as we can to freeze for the winter. However, prior to living here, we’d often bring our buckets and forage blackberries at local nature areas. Free berries plus family fun and outdoor time – wins all around.

Tips when foraging for blackberries:

  • Dress appropriately. Blackberry bushes are quite thorny and prickly so pants and a long sleeve shirt can help protect skin from inevitable scrapes and cuts.
  • Look low. To find the best berries you need to look all around. The best one’s often hide low to the ground or their shoots hide within other plants.
  • Be prepared for mosquitoes. Enough said!

Uses for Blackberries

In addition to this delicious gluten free blackberry crisp, there are several other ways to put those abundant blackberries to use. Besides eating them as-is of course, some of our favorites include using them to top salads, in soaked and baked oatmeal, as a topping for yogurt or vanilla ice cream, or in a simple sauce served with sourdough pancakes or a gluten free dutch baby.

fresh blackberry garden salad

Preserving Blackberries

The traditional method of storing blackberries would be to dry them out. You could do this in the sun, dehydrator, or oven set to a minimal temperature.

Blackberries can also be canned into jams or sauces.

Our favorite preservation method is freezing blackberries. Simply put the freshly harvested berries straight into a ziplock bag and store in the freezer. Blackberries are nice because of their texture, they do not all clump together when frozen so they are easy to break apart when ready to thaw and use.

Gluten Free Blackberry Crisp – Frequently Asked Questions

Do I have to sweeten the filling? 

This is totally up to you. We do add around ¼ cup of honey to our blackberry filling but if you are accustomed to food on the tarter side, you might prefer to omit the sweetener here all together. Honey can also be substituted with a sweetener of choice, but our preference is either honey or maple syrup for this.

blackberry crisp served with ice cream

Why arrowroot flour or tapioca starch? 

Arrowroot flour and tapioca starch are used as thickeners in this recipe and play an important role! If you leave this ingredient out you will be left with a much more soupy crisp. The thickener helps bind the liquids that are released as the berries cook and give it a nice thick, fruity texture. Either arrowroot flour or tapioca starch are our favorite gluten free thickeners but cornstarch can be substituted.

Where do you source your ingredients? 

We get most of the ingredients for this recipe at Costco. This includes the one degree sprouted gluten free rolled oats, almond flour, organic brown sugar, and coconut oil.

gluten free blackberry crisp ingredients

Can you use a different fruit? 

Absolutely! This is my go-to crisp topping for various fruits including mixed berries, apples, peaches, and we have even substituted ground cherries. The important thing to remember is that the filling needs fruit, a thickener, and a sweetener.

What substitutions can be made? 

While we have always made the recipe pretty much exactly as written, it is a somewhat flexible recipe. 

The filling for this gluten free blackberry crisp needs fruit, a thickener, and a sweetener.

For the topping, coconut sugar (or white in a pinch) could be substituted for brown sugar, butter for coconut oil, and extra butter or coconut oil instead of the yogurt if you don’t have it. I personally haven’t tried substituting for the almond flour but I’m sure it’s possible to play around there too!

Enough talking – on with the gluten free blackberry crisp recipe!

Gluten Free Blackberry Crisp

Serves 6

Ingredients:

Filling

4-5 cups fresh blackberries
¼ cup honey
2 Tbsp arrowroot flour or tapioca starch

Topping

1 cup gluten free oats
½ cup almond flour
1/3 cup brown sugar
¼ cup coconut oil or butter (melted or soft)
¼ cup plain yogurt
A pinch of salt

prebaked gf blackberry crisp
pre-baked blackberry crisp

Directions:

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  • Mix filling ingredients in an 8×8 inch pan or pie plate.
  • In a separate bowl mix oats, almond flour, brown sugar, and salt.
  • Add coconut oil or butter and yogurt to the oat mixture and stir until everything is incorporated.
  • Spoon dollops of topping onto your filling until filling is covered and all topping is used up.
  • Bake at 350 for 40-45 minutes until berries are bubbly and top is lightly browned.
  • Let rest for 10-15 minutes before serving.
blackberry crisp with vanilla ice cream

No gluten free blackberry crisp is complete without being served with some vanilla ice cream. If you’ve never tried making your own, we highly recommend giving it a try!

Some of the above links are affiliate links. This means we earn a small commission on qualifying purchases at no cost to you. We are so appreciative of your support!

vanilla raw milk ice cream

THE BEST VANILLA RAW MILK ICE CREAM

February 13, 2022

baked blackberry crisp

Gluten Free Blackberry Crisp

Yield: Serves 6
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes

In the summer when berries are bursting from branches, this gluten free blackberry crisp is our go-to dessert.

It comes together in just a few minutes and contains a few basic ingredients that we always have stored away on pantry shelves. Bonus, it is filled with nutrient dense ingredients while being oh so yummy! If you are looking for a quick and easy dessert for your next potluck, picnic, or just simple night at home, give this gluten free blackberry crisp a try!

Ingredients

  • Filling
  • 4-5 cups fresh blackberries
  • 
¼ cup honey
  • 
2 Tbsp arrowroot flour or tapioca starch
  • Topping
  • 1 cup gluten free oats
  • 
½ cup almond flour
  • 
1/3 cup brown sugar

  • ¼ cup coconut oil or butter (melted or soft)
  • 
¼ cup plain yogurt

  • A pinch of salt

Instructions

    1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
    2. Mix filling ingredients in an 8x8 inch pan or pie plate.
    3. In a separate bowl mix oats, almond flour, brown sugar, and salt.
    4. Add coconut oil or butter and yogurt to the oat mixture and stir until everything is incorporated.
    5. Spoons dollops of topping onto your filling until filling is covered and all topping is used up.
    6. Bake at 350 for 40-45 minutes until berries are bubbly and top is lightly browned.
    7. Let rest for 10-15 minutes before serving.
© From Scratch Farmstead
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fresh mint brownies
DessertNourishing Recipes

Fresh Mint Brownies

by From Scratch Farmstead

If you’ve grown mint before, you know that it grows like crazy. While there’s nothing better than the crisp flavor of fresh peppermint or spearmint from the garden, figuring out what to do with all that mint can be a challenge. We love to preserve as much of that mint as possible for use all year and these fresh mint brownies are some of our favorite ways to put them to use.

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Our Herbal Story

I’ve been on a mission to learn to identify and use as many of the plants growing on our property as possible. 

This process has looked like first identifying plants and then figuring out simple ways to incorporate them into our everyday cooking. This is a great opportunity to include your kids in both teaching them how to identify and harvest plants and then how to use them in the kitchen! I’ve found by slowing down and inviting them into this process, we’ve all learned so much more.

My two favorite resources to get started with simple plant identification and learning what they do and how to use them are:

1) The book Medicinal Herbs A Beginner’s Guide by Rosemary Gladstar

2) The app, Picture This. I use the free version. You can take picture of any plants and within seconds it will identify them for you and give you basic information.

medicinal herbs a beginners guide

How to Grow Mint

Mint grows robustly in most zones from 4-9 as a perennial, meaning that it will return year after year. The problem most gardeners have with mint is not growing it but containing it as it tends to spread and can easily take over your garden area. Because of this, many people prefer to grow mint in a pot or container to keep it contained to one area. Mint grows well in well drained soils from full sun to partial shade. However, don’t be surprised if your mint thrives even in not ideal conditions as mint tends to be a force not to be reckoned with and can seem to survive in almost any conditions.

Peppermint vs Spearmint

While there are actually over 15 different types of mint plants, peppermint and spearmint are the most popular. Peppermint is actually a hybrid mint variety of spearmint and water mint and tends to grow well near bodies of water. Spearmint is more common as a garden mint but can also grow wildly as a weed. One of the key distinguishing features in their appearance is that peppermint has more purple hues on their stems and leaves while spearmint tends to have more green tones.

spearmint growing at a farm

spearmint

One of the main differences between the two comes in their taste. Peppermint has a much more intense minty taste while spearmint is much milder. This is from their levels of methanol, which gives the plants their characteristic minty taste. Peppermint has a methanol concentration of up to 40% while spearmint is much lower, only around 0.5%. This can make spearmint a more preferred option especially when introducing this plant to children.

Another taste difference is that spearmint contains a compound called carvone that gives it a sweeter taste while peppermint has a more pungent, peppery flavor.

Because of these differences in their properties, you will want to note the variety you are using. The stronger flavor of peppermint will mean needing less of it than the milder spearmint in culinary applications.

Medicinal Benefits of Mint

The properties in mint, specifically methanol, make it well known for its ability to help digestion. It is a go-to choice for nausea and upset tummy’s. It is antispasmodic, meaning that it helps muscles relax and can reduce stomach cramping. Mint has also been found to be helpful in reducing the pain associated with headaches, tooth aches, burns, bug bites, and bee stings. The familiar taste and popular flavor of mint leave you feeling refreshed and clean.

fresh mint picked from the garden

How to Dehydrate Mint for Long Term Storage

While the taste and flavor of mint will be stronger when their fresh leaves are used, in order to preserve them for use all year round, our favorite method is to dehydrate them for long term storage. 

To do this, simply pick several handfuls of leaves, we love using these mesh produce bags for this purpose. Then lay the mint out on cookie sheets in a single layer to dry. You can either let these dry naturally in the sun for several days or you can place them in your oven at the lowest temperature to speed the process up considerably. Alternatively, you can dehydrate them on racks in your dehydrator. 

dried mint leaves in a jar

After the leaves are dried out, we store them in a dark place in mason jars for use all year. Although their flavor will be muted some, the characteristic minty flavor definitely still comes through.

Mint Extract

Another way to preserve mint is to turn it into a mint extract. To do this submerge a cup of mint leaves into a cup and a half of vodka in a jar and let sit in a dark place for 6-8 weeks. Once your desired minty flavor is reached, strain off the mint leaves and you can use the extract to flavor your favorite mint dishes and desserts.

Ways to Use Mint

In my mind, chocolate and mint pair perfectly together, which is what inspired us to create these delicious fresh mint brownies. However, there are many other ways you can use the preserved mint leaves or mint extract. Some of our favorite ways include ice cream and other minty desserts, refreshing cold salads, and spicing up a cocktail or mocktail.

dried mint used for brownies

Fresh Mint Brownies

Ingredients:

½ cup Coconut Oil or Butter
1 cup Chocolate Chips
½ cup Brown sugar (coconut sugar or granulated white sugar would work as well)
3 eggs
¼ cup cacao powder (or cocoa powder)
2 heaping tbsp of fresh or dried mint leaves
Salt to taste

fresh mint brownies ingredients

Directions:

  • Place butter or coconut oil in a small saucepan with chocolate chips and mint leaves.
  • Heat over low/medium heat, stirring continuously until everything is melted.
  • Remove from heat and pour melted mixture into a high-powered blender or food processor.

fresh mint brownie batter in pan

  • Add the rest of the ingredients (sugar, eggs, cacao powder, and a dash of salt) to the blender or food processor.
  • Blend everything until smooth. The mixture will be quite thick.
  • Pour into a greased 8×8 baking dish and bake at 350 degree for 25 minutes.

mint brownies on plate

Nothing beats these fresh mint brownies with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. We highly recommend making your own homemade ice cream to take this dessert to the next level!

Some of the above links are affiliate links. This means we earn a small commission on qualifying purchases at no cost to you. We are so appreciative of your support!

Feb
13

The Best Vanilla Raw Milk Ice Cream

Made with super nourishing ingredients and oh so delicious, if you have a family milk cow or access to raw dairy near you, this raw milk ice cream is a…

fresh mint brownies

Fresh Mint Brownies

Yield: 12 servings
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes

If you’ve grown mint before, you know that it grows like crazy. While there’s nothing better than the crisp flavor of fresh peppermint or spearmint from the garden, figuring out what to do with all that mint can be a challenge. We love to preserve as much of that mint as possible for use all year and these fresh mint brownies are some of our favorite ways to put them to use.

Ingredients

  • ½ cup Coconut Oil or Butter

  • 1 cup Chocolate Chips
  • 
½ cup Brown sugar (coconut sugar or granulated white sugar would work as well)

  • 3 eggs
  • 
¼ cup cacao powder (or cocoa powder)

  • 2 heaping tbsp of fresh or dried mint leaves
  • 
Salt to taste

Instructions

    1. Place butter or coconut oil in a small saucepan with chocolate chips and mint leaves.
    2. Heat over low/medium heat, stirring continuously until everything is melted.
    3. Remove from heat and pour melted mixture into a high-powered blender or food processor.
    4. Add the rest of the ingredients (sugar, eggs, cacao powder, and a dash of salt) to the blender or food processor.
    5. Blend everything until smooth. The mixture will be quite thick.
    6. Pour into a greased 8x8 baking dish and bake at 350 degree for 25 minutes.
© From Scratch Farmstead

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gluten free potato pancakes
BreakfastNourishing RecipesSides

Cast Iron Gluten Free Latkes

by From Scratch Farmstead

I am a fan of potatoes whatever way they come but these crispy on the outside, creamy on the inside, gluten free latkes may just be my favorite!

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latkes and apple sauce

The Story of Gluten Free Latkes

You know when you spend hours preparing a meal. It turns out great and you are so excited to serve it. Everyone sits down to eat and no one is nearly as excited as you are. And, to add fuel to the fire, your kids won’t even touch it. I think if you have kids, we have all experienced this in some way, shape, or form.

For me, this was my experience with one of my kids and potatoes. Every time I made them, he refused to eat them. French fries, roasted, mashed, hashbrowns, it didn’t seem to matter how they were prepared. He just wouldn’t touch them.

Normally, I’d just move on and accept all the other foods that he did enjoy and not make a big deal about it. Except, in our case, we had just grown over a thousand pounds of potatoes and they are a main staple in our diet. So, I was determined to find a way that he would enjoy eating potatoes.

And, my friends, these gluten free latkes were just the ticket.

eating potato pancake

What is a Latke?

Latkes are another name for potato pancakes. Latkes are a traditional Jewish food known for being served at Hanukkah. In Yiddish, latke translates to “little oily.” It’s one of those foods that each family generally has their own special recipe for that has been passed down from generation to generation. While there can be different exact ratios and nuances to each recipe, they are generally some combination of potatoes, onion, egg, flour, and breadcrumbs. They are best served hot off the griddle and then the question is, are you team applesauce or team sour cream?

cooking latkes in cast iron

The Magic Potato

Since potatoes were discovered, they have been a prized food for a number of reasons. They are easy to grow and do well under varying conditions and climates. Potatoes also store very well for several months.

Nutritionally speaking, potatoes have a lot to offer. They are energy packed, filled with nutrient rich complex carbohydrates. They are also an excellent source of vitamin C, potassium, and vitamin B6.

In our house, we love growing potatoes. There’s something so cool about taking a real potato, watching it sprout eyes, planting it, and seeing what happens. The beauty of flowering potato greens erupts above ground. An abundant web of spuds sprawls below. Digging down into the soil to go on a potato treasure hunt is one of the greatest adventures.

Last year, we went a little potato crazy. You can learn all about that story here. But the short of it is, we planted roughly 50 lbs of potato seeds, expecting to get around 400 pounds of potatoes. Instead, we were shocked when we started digging up those potatoes and filling up basket after basket in our pantry. In all, there were well over a thousand pounds of potatoes and here we are in March, still working our way through hundreds of pounds of potatoes.

adirondac blue potatoes

Notes about Making Gluten Free Latkes

This recipe is pretty flexible if you keep a few important things in mind. 

  • Begin with COLD mashed potatoes. This will create the right texture and consistency of your pancakes without them falling apart. 
  • You can definitely substitute flours here for regular wheat flour or a gluten free flour. You just want something that is going to help bind them together. 
  • We like sautéing onion and garlic and adding those, but you could also just add onion and garlic powder.

Tips For Cooking in a Cast Iron Skillet

While you certainly don’t need to cook these in a cast iron skillet, it is my preferred method. A few important tips about cooking in cast iron. 

  • Let the cast iron fully preheat before dropping your potatoes on the pan. If the pan is not hot enough, you risk having your latkes stick to the pan and be totally unable to be flipped.
  • After the potato mixture is dolloped onto the pan and pancakes are formed, let the pancake sit undisturbed. This process always takes longer than I think it should. So, resist the urge to flip the pancakes too soon. Flipping to soon is a sure-fire way to have pancakes that completely fall apart.

potato pancakes in cast iron skillet

What Fat to Fry Them In

This is up to you but the important thing here is to make sure you have a fat that stands up to cooking at higher temperatures. Coconut oil, lard, tallow, or olive oil are all excellent choices.

Serving Gluten Free Latkes

For us, these delicious potato delicacies make the perfect side for any meal of the day. Serve alongside eggs and bacon with breakfast, a sandwich at lunch, or a piece of meat or roast for dinner. They are best served warm and topped with your choice of sour cream or applesauce. This recipe makes quite a few pancakes and can easily be halved. You can store these potato pancakes in the fridge for 3-5 days or freeze for later use.

Now, we will often make mashed potatoes just so we can turn them into these yummy gluten free latkes. On with the recipe!

potato pancakes served with applesauce

Gluten Free Latkes Recipe

Ingredients:

4 Cups Mashed Potatoes, COLD
1 Onion, diced
2 Cloves Garlic, minced
2 Eggs
½ Cup Almond Flour
¼ Cup Arrowroot Flour
Salt and Pepper to taste
Oil of choice for frying

Directions:

1) Sauté onion and garlic together.
2) Mix all ingredients together until smooth so everything is incorporated and there are no lumps.
3) Preheat cast iron skillet on burner set to med-high heat.
4) Once hot, add oil and drop spoonfuls of potato mixture onto hot pan. Press down with a spoon to form flatter pancakes. 
5) Cook on each side for roughly 3-5 minutes. Wait to flip until completely cooked on that side.

Serve and enjoy!

For another favorite cast iron side dish, check out our gluten free cornbread!

Jan
13

Homestead Gluten Free Cornbread

This gluten free cornbread has it all and has been a staple in our home for several years. It’s the perfect combination of sweet and salty. Naturally sweetened with honey…

latkes and apple sauce

Cast Iron Gluten Free Latkes

Yield: 8 servings
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes

I am a fan of potatoes whatever way they come but these crispy on the outside, creamy on the inside, gluten free potato latkes may just be my favorite!

Ingredients

  • 4 Cups Mashed Potatoes, COLD
  • 
1 Onion, diced

  • 2 Cloves Garlic, minced

  • 2 Eggs

  • ½ Cup Almond Flour
  • 
¼ Cup Arrowroot Flour

  • Salt and Pepper to taste

  • Oil of choice for frying

Instructions

    1. Sauté onion and garlic together.
    2. Mix all ingredients together until smooth so everything is incorporated and there are no lumps.

    3. Preheat cast iron skillet on burner set to med-high heat.

    4. Once hot, add oil and drop spoonfuls of potato mixture onto hot pan. Press down with a spoon to form flatter pancakes.
    5. Cook on each side for roughly 3-5 minutes. Wait to flip until completely cooked on that side.
© From Scratch Farmstead

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BreakfastDessertNourishing Recipes

Gluten Free Chocolate Beet Muffins

by From Scratch Farmstead

These delicious gluten free chocolate beet muffins are a crowd pleaser and an easy way to sneak in beets without anyone even knowing.

Jump To Recipe

If I’m being completely honest, I don’t love beets. I will eat them and have even learned to like them. Especially when they are prepared certain ways – like sliced thin and roasted with salt. But, in general, there are other veggies I definitely prefer. However, beets take the cake when it comes to pairing with chocolate in my opinion.

Sure, I’ve tried sweet potato brownies and avocado pudding, but something about the sweetness of the beets melding with cocoa just works and these chocolate beet muffins are proof of that.

healthy beet muffin treats

How the Chocolate Beet Muffin Came to Be

I love growing root veggies. They are by far my favorite things to grow so we generally grow ample amounts of them. Thankfully, they store well too. So here we are in March, pulling bags of beets, carrots, and potatoes from basement fridges and storage shelves in March. When we found ourselves with hundreds of pounds of beets this past year, it was time to start getting creative. I’d heard of various chocolate recipes calling for beets but had never given it a shot.

After some experimentation, we landed on this recipe that has become not only a breakfast favorite but also a special after dinner treat. We even used these on our son’s first birthday as a cupcake!

uncooked chocolate beet muffins

Chocolate Muffins for Breakfast??

This decision is totally up to you. Certainly, I’m not claiming that these muffins are the healthiest of all the breakfast options, but we do enjoy them every now and again as a breakfast treat. 

I’m a huge proponent of a nutrient rich breakfast. Specifically, a breakfast filled with a balance of high-quality fats, proteins, and carbohydrates. Starting your day off this way will help keep your family satiated and avoid the mid-morning crash and is especially helpful in fueling growing brains and bodies.

This recipe is filled with health promoting beet puree, coconut oil, eggs, cacao powder and is naturally sweetened by honey. While definitely still a treat, when it does end up on our breakfast table it is accompanied with shouts of joy.

chocolate beet muffins on cooling rack

Baking without Gluten or Grains

While we don’t strictly follow a gluten or grain free diet, we have in the past at different points. Specifically, we found eliminating grains when facing unique health challenges was very helpful. You can read more about my healing journey here. Now, we do incorporate some traditional grains, like einkorn, as well as include sourdough on occasion. However, we still do a lot of gluten and grain free cooking and baking and have really come to enjoy those items just as much and often more.

Baking without gluten and grains can be tricky. Specifically in the area of texture and consistency. I have found that combining coconut flour and arrowroot starch (or tapioca starch) together creates our favorite baked treats with the best texture and consistency.

How to Make Beet Puree

This recipe calls for 2/3 cup of beet puree. We have another post and video that shows you exactly how we make beet puree that you can find here. But the short of it is to cook your whole beets (we like doing this in the instant pot) and then blend them in a high-powered blender (we use a Vitamix) or food processor. Besides making these chocolate beet muffins, you can add beet puree into soups, sauces, or mixed with some mashed potatoes or squash as a side.

instant pot beet puree

What about substitutions in these chocolate beet muffins?

Coconut/Arrowroot starch – You can substitute tapioca starch for arrowroot starch in this recipe but beyond that, I have not experimented with using alternative flours to these.

Cacao powder – Cocoa powder can be used interchangeably with cacao powder but see below for the differences.

Honey – Maple syrup can be used instead of honey.

Coconut oil – You can substitute butter or ghee for coconut oil here if you prefer.

Cacao Powder versus Cocoa Powder 

Cacao is the raw and unprocessed form of chocolate. It contains abundant antioxidants and is a rich source of magnesium. It is the traditional form that has been used across cultures for years and is specifically noted for its health purposes. Cacao powder has more nutrients in tact from the whole cacao bean.

Cocoa powder is the heated form of cacao that is much more standard on grocery store shelves. While cocoa powder is inferior in nutrients to cacao powder, it still retains antioxidants despite its heating. When buying cocoa powder, be sure to look for a product with cocoa powder being the only ingredient as mixes often contain added sugar. Dutch-processed cocoa powder is a cocoa powder that has been treated with an alkalized solution making it less acidic and richer in taste than regular cocoa powder.

Chocolate Beet Muffins (gluten and grain free)
Yield: 12 Muffins

Equipment used:

Silicone Muffin Molds – While not necessary, I love these reusable and non-stick silicone muffin molds for making these and any other muffin or cupcake. They make it so easy while reducing waste and sticking to the paper liners.

Some of the above links are affiliate links. This means we earn a small commission on qualifying purchases at no cost to you. We are so appreciative of your support!

Ingredients:

½ cup coconut flour
1/3 cup cacao powder (or cocoa powder)
¼ cup arrowroot starch (or tapioca starch)
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
2/3 cup beet puree
4 eggs
1/3 cup honey
1/3 cup coconut oil, melted
½ cup chocolate chips (plus a few extra for topping if desired)

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
  2. Combine your wet ingredients in a mixing bowl (beet puree, eggs, honey, and coconut oil).
  3. Add your dry ingredients to your wet ingredients (coconut flour, cacao powder, arrowroot starch, baking powder, baking soda, and salt).
  4. Mix everything together thoroughly.
  5. Stir in chocolate chips.
  6. Spoon into muffin cups until 2/3 -3/4 full.
  7. Top with additional chocolate chips if desired.
  8. Bake at 350 for 18-22 min

We hope you will give these super simple one bowl chocolate beet muffins a try! For a few other favorites from our homestead, we’d recommend the chocolate pudding or soaked baked oatmeal.

Dec
22

Simple Chocolate Pudding without Cornstarch

This chocolate pudding without cornstarch is so simple, requiring only five ingredients and can be whipped up in less than 10 minutes. By swapping out sugar, cornstarch, and cocoa powder…

Jan
09

The Best Soaked and Baked Oatmeal, Gluten Free

There are cheers all around when this soaked baked oatmeal makes an appearance on our breakfast table! It’s a sweet change of pace from our typical savory egg breakfast but…

healthy beet muffin treats

Chocolate Beet Muffins

Yield: 12 muffins
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes

These delicious gluten and grain free chocolate beet muffins are a crowd pleaser and an easy way to sneak in beets without anyone even knowing.

Ingredients

  • ½ cup coconut flour

  • 1/3 cup cacao powder (or cocoa powder)
  • 
¼ cup arrowroot starch (or tapioca starch)
  • 
1 tsp baking powder
  • 
½ tsp baking soda

  • ½ tsp salt

  • 2/3 cup beet puree
  • 
4 eggs
  • 
1/3 cup honey

  • 1/3 cup coconut oil, melted
  • 
½ cup chocolate chips (plus a few extra for topping if desired)

Instructions

    1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
    2. Combine your wet ingredients in a mixing bowl (beet puree, eggs, honey, and coconut oil).
    3. Add your dry ingredients to your wet ingredients (coconut flour, cacao powder, arrowroot starch, baking powder, baking soda, and salt).
    4. Mix everything together thoroughly.
    5. Stir in chocolate chips.
    6. Spoon into muffin cups until 2/3 -3/4 full.
    7. Top with additional chocolate chips if desired.
    8. Bake at 350 for 18-22 min
© From Scratch Farmstead

 

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dutch baby pancake with strawberry jam
BreakfastNourishing Recipes

Gluten Free Dutch Baby Pancake

by From Scratch Farmstead

If you are looking for a quick and easy but also healthy and fun breakfast that everyone will be sure to gobble up, this gluten free Dutch baby is it!

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For whatever reason, finding delicious and healthy options for breakfast that your kids will love can be a real challenge! This gluten free Dutch baby is a regular in our breakfast line up along with some other favorites like our soaked baked oatmeal and potato crusted quiche. 

I love this one because it is made primarily of eggs. So, you are getting in all the awesome micronutrients, protein, and fats that come with eating eggs. However, when packaged in the super fun form of a Dutch baby, it feels way more exciting than a plate full of scrambled eggs.

gluten free dutch baby pancake

What does a nourishing breakfast look like?

Unfortunately, our modern, processed food system is overcrowded with a lineup of packaged sugar-filled foods. Think cereals, frozen pastry treats, and pop tarts. These sugary treats are often marketed as healthy, and all too commonly become the breakfast food of choice for many, and especially kids.

This has both immediate and long-term implications. 

These highly processed, sugary foods do not support brain function for learning. They also cause a blood sugar spike and then crash leaving people starving and hangry come mid-morning. In the long-term, a poor diet like this can lead to a host of health issues, specifically the huge rise in type 2 diabetes we are seeing skyrocket amongst younger and younger populations. 

In order to support brain function and not cause blood sugar to rise and then come crashing down, beginning the day with a breakfast full of nutrients and especially protein and high-quality fats is crucial. 

This is actually why eggs became the popular breakfast food they are. For people, often of lower-class status, that worked long, strenuous days, they needed something to keep them satisfied and give them energy for a hard day of work ahead. Eggs were a lower cost option that fit the bill, keeping them satiated and energized.

dutch baby pancake overhead

What is a Dutch Baby Pancake?

Also known as a German Pancake, a Dutch baby, is an oven baked pancake made of eggs, flour, and milk. It is especially known for how it puffs up when it is being cooked so that when you pull it from the oven you have a billowing pancake that always receives lots of excited “woah’s!”

What Causes A Dutch Baby Pancake to Poof?

The notorious poof of the Dutch Baby is caused by steam being trapped inside the pancake. Within a few minutes of coming out of the oven, it will collapse down. The steam is created by two important factors necessary in creating the best Dutch Babies. 

  1. A hot pan. You need to make sure you have a pan that is thoroughly preheated. Therefore, when you are preheating your oven to 400 degrees to cook your Gluten Free Dutch Baby, place your pan in the oven as well. You’ll want to have it preheating for at least 10 minutes to ensure that it is plenty hot to achieve lots of steam and a maximum poof.
  2. A well aerated batter. Creating a batter with a lot of air will give room for the steam to create its signature rise in your gluten free Dutch baby. This can be done a number of ways from lots of strong stirring with a whisk, to a stand mixer, food processor, or my method of choice, a blender. After combining all of the ingredients, mix, mix, mix them up to allow as much air as possible to enter the batter.

monster poof pancake

How to Serve a Gluten Free Dutch Baby?

We love cooking this gluten free Dutch baby in a 12” cast iron skillet. Alternatively, a 9×13 baking dish would also work. We normally serve this either by smothering it with butter and finishing it with a drizzle of maple syrup or topping it with fresh fruit in the summer or fruit puree from frozen berries in the winter. On special occasions we bust out the whipped cream canister for an extra special treat. Pair it with a side of bacon or maybe some homemade crockpot yogurt and breakfast is served.

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tasty dutch baby pancake

Why Gluten Free?

While our family does not strictly follow a gluten/grain free diet and will occasionally include sourdough or einkorn flour, we do incorporate a lot of gluten free meals. By doing so, we have found that we often enjoy them just as much if not more and are left with a less heavy feeling after eating. This recipe is actually gluten and grain free and uses a combination of coconut flour and arrowroot starch in place of the flour. I’ve found that the combination of these two creates a much better texture than if you used just one or the other. However, if gluten is not a concern for you, there are plenty of recipes out there that use regular white or wheat flour. 

Can I make this dairy free?

Yes! While we use whole milk for this recipe, you could easily substitute your milk preference of choice with no problems.

Gluten Free Dutch Baby Pancake Recipe

Ingredients:

8 eggs
1/3 cup arrowroot starch (or tapioca starch)
¼ cup coconut flour
1 cup milk
½ tsp salt
¼ fat for greasing the pan** (butter, coconut oil, or leaf lard)

Directions:

  1. Spoon ¼ cup of fat on your pan and place it in the over. Turn oven to 400 degrees to preheat.
  2. Add eggs, arrowroot starch, coconut flour, milk, and salt to blender (or whatever you will be mixing in).
  3. Blend or mix thoroughly. The more mixing, the more air which means more poof!
  4. Pour into your HOT 12” cast iron pan or 9×13 baking dish.
  5. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 min.

**Don’t skimp on the fat here. It will help the Dutch baby not stick and create a better final product.

Looking for other nourishing breakfast recipes? Check out our soaked baked oatmeal, crockpot yogurt, or potato crusted quiche.

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How to Make Crock Pot Yogurt

If you are looking to increase the repertoire in your from scratch kitchen, this easy crock pot yogurt is a great place to start. This highly nourishing, probiotic rich food…

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Gluten Free Potato Crusted Quiche

This recipe hits all of my requirements – super simple, minimal ingredients I normally have on hand, requires little prep time, nourishing, and is a big hit with the whole…

dutch baby pancake with strawberry jam

Gluten Free Dutch Baby Pancake

Yield: 4 servings
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes

If you are looking for a quick and easy but also healthy and fun breakfast that everyone will be sure to gobble up, this gluten free Dutch baby is it!

Ingredients

  • 8 eggs
  • 
1/3 cup arrowroot starch (or tapioca starch)
  • 
¼ cup coconut flour
1 cup milk
  • 
½ tsp salt
  • 
¼ fat for greasing the pan** (butter, coconut oil, or leaf lard)
  • **Don’t skimp on the fat here. It will help the dutch baby not stick and create a better final product.

Instructions

    1. Spoon ¼ cup of fat on your pan and place it in the over. Turn oven to 400 degrees to preheat.
    2. Add eggs, arrowroot starch, coconut flour, milk, and salt to blender (or whatever you will be mixing in).
    3. Blend or mix thoroughly. The more mixing, the more air which means more poof!
    4. Pour into your HOT 12” cast iron pan or 9x13 baking dish.
    5. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 min.
© From Scratch Farmstead

 

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overhead shot of butternut squash lasagna no noodles
Main CourseNourishing Recipes

Butternut Squash Lasagna Without Noodles (gluten free)

by From Scratch Farmstead

This simple butternut squash lasagna without noodles recipe has everything to make it the perfect cozy comfort food. Oozing with cheese, filled with meat, and butternut squash replaces noodles, making it a nourishing meal that comes together in a few minutes time and only requires a few basic ingredients. It is sure to satisfy both the big and little in your family.

baked lasagna without noodles

There are a lot of noodle substitutes going around the inter webs these days but we have found replacing noodles for butternut squash to be our favorite. The squash holds up well amongst the meat and cheese and gets less soggy than zucchini. It has the hearty and comforting taste of traditional lasagna with more nutrients and less calories.

Growing Winter Squash

Any type of winter squash would work but we have found a lot of success growing butternut squashes and can also easily source these locally. We love their creamy texture, bright orange color and their shape makes them very conducive for this butternut squash lasagna without noodles recipe.

We grew a lot of squash this past summer. In this post, we go into detail about our three sisters garden, which included an abundance of corn, beans, and squash. I’m not complaining though, we love winter squashes and have found so many creative ways to put these beauties to use. We’ve mashed them, roasted them, turned them into pancakes, used them in baking, and throw them into almost anything and everything these days.

While we aren’t strictly gluten free and do incorporate locally grown grains on occasion and in sourdough, in large part I avoid grains and opt for replacing them with more nutritious alternatives. Hence, the creation of this butternut squash lasagna without noodles recipe. And, using butternut squash here was the inspiration for another family favorite, our butternut squash enchilada casserole.

butternut and acorn squash

Why substitute squash for lasagna noodles?

  1. You get more bang for your buck so to speak. From a nutrition standpoint, butternut squash is rich in vitamin A, Vitamin C, and fiber for a relatively small number of calories and a low glycemic index. When you compare it with lasagna noodles, there are a significantly greater number of overall calories, almost exclusively coming from carbohydrates, with less nutrients.
  2. Butternut squash is a starchy, comforting vegetable and holds up well with the meat, sauce, and cheese present in this recipe.
  3. The butternut squash leaves you feeling full and satisfied without spiking your blood sugar nearly as much as the noodles would. And if you have any allergies or intolerances to gluten, this is a great alternative to nourish your body and avoid tummy troubles.
  4. You can likely find winter squashes locally and they store super well throughout the winter. Before we grew enough to last us through the winter, I used to always stock up on these in the fall from local farms.
  5. They are so yummy! Winter squashes are one our favorites from a taste standpoint and go perfectly in both savory dishes like this one as well as sweet dishes.

Butternut Squash Enchiladas - cutting squash

Recipe tips and tricks

  • Feel free to replace the ground beef in this recipe to your ground meat of choice. Substituting sausage here is delicious. This butternut squash lasagna without noodles is quite meaty and can easily be made with only 1-1.5 pounds of meat instead of the 2 pounds listed here if preferred.
  • Add more veggies to your meat filling. If you have other veggies on hand that you want to use up and add some extra nutrition, throw them into your meat/sauce filling. If we have them on hand, I will often add mushrooms and peppers.
  • After pulling the lasagna out of the oven, let set for 5-10 minutes. Alternatively, I often like to cook it earlier in the day and just keep it warm in my oven until ready to serve.
  • There may be some excess juice that seeps out from the squash and filling as the lasagna cooks but we have not found this liquid impeding the taste or texture.
  • Extra cheese never hurts. ☺

Notes about serving

Instead of cutting this into squares like a traditional lasagna, we generally use a serving spoon and scoop this butternut squash lasagna without noodles into bowls, more like a casserole. Serve it by itself or along side a salad and you are good to go. This butternut squash lasagna without noodles recipe will feed our family of 5 for two meals and we find that we like the leftovers just as well, if not more, than the first day. It reheats well if kept tightly covered in fridge for up to five days.

portion of butternut squash lasagna served up

Ingredients

1 Medium Butternut squash lasagna, cut into 1/8” slices*
1-2 tbsp olive oil or cooking fat of choice
1 onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 lbs ground beef
3 cups tomato sauce
Italian seasoning or add oregano and basil
salt and pepper to taste
3-4 cups shredded mozzarella**

Instructions

  1. In a large pan heat your olive oil and sauté onions and garlic.
  2. Once soft, add ground beef and stir until the meat is browned.
  3. Add tomato sauce and spices to your ground beef mixture.
  4. Once everything is thoroughly incorporated, set aside.
  5. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
  6. Ladle a thin layer of your sauce mixture to the bottom of a 9×13 pan.
  7. Add your first layer of butternut squash over the sauce. You want the pan covered but try not to stack the squash on top of each other.
  8. Put 1/3 of the remaining sauce mixture over squash.
  9. Sprinkle 1/3 of cheese on top of sauce.
  10. Repeat layer of squash, sauce, cheese.
  11. Last layer (third layer) of squash, sauce, and cheese.
  12. Cook covered for 30 minutes. Uncover and cook an additional 30 minutes until squash is tender, sauce is bubbling, and cheese is starting to brown.
  13. Let sit for 5-10 minutes before serving to set.

spreading bottom layer of sauce for lasagnafirst layer of butternut squash for lasagnaadding layer of meat sauce to lasagnaadding layer of cheese for lasagna

*Uniform butternut squash slices are ideal. You can easily do this with a food processor, mandolin slicer, or my favorite, by hand.

**Any type of cheese will do but we prefer mozzarella for this one. The more cheese the merrier. I try to reserve a bit extra for the top layer to make it extra cheesy.

served baked lasagna without noodles

Want more inspiration and recipes for a healthy kitchen?

Sadie @wisconsinhomesteader – 5 tips so you can cook from scratch without a meal plan

Britt @thesimplesalvagedfarmhouse – How to keep a well stocked fridge to cook from scratch

Janelle @crowdedtablefarmstead – Chicken enchilada soup

portion of butternut squash lasagna served up

Butternut Squash Lasagna Without Noodles (gluten free)

Yield: 8 servings
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes

This simple butternut squash lasagna has everything to make it the perfect cozy comfort food. Oozing with cheese, filled with meat, and butternut squash replaces noodles, making it a nourishing meal that comes together in a few minutes time and only requires a few basic ingredients. It is sure to satisfy both the big and little in your family.

Ingredients

  • 1 Medium Butternut squash lasagna, cut into 1/8” slices*
  • 1-2 tbsp olive oil or cooking fat of choice
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 lbs ground beef
  • 3 cups tomato sauce
  • Italian seasoning or add oregano and basil
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 3-4 cups shredded mozzarella**

Instructions

    1. In a large pan heat your olive oil and sauté onions and garlic.
    2. Once soft, add ground beef and stir until the meat is browned.A
    3. dd tomato sauce and spices to your ground beef mixture.
    4. Once everything is thoroughly incorporated, set aside.
    5. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
    6. Ladle a thin layer of your sauce mixture to the bottom of a 9x13 pan.
    7. Add your first layer of butternut squash over the sauce. You want the pan covered but try not to stack the squash on top of each other.
    8. Put 1/3 of the remaining sauce mixture over squash.
    9. Sprinkle 1/3 of cheese on top of sauce.
    10. Repeat layer of squash, sauce, cheese.
    11. Last layer (third layer) of squash, sauce, and cheese.
    12. Cook covered for 30 minutes. Uncover and cook an additional 30 minutes until squash is tender, sauce is bubbling, and cheese is starting to brown.
    13. Let sit for 5-10 minutes before serving to set.

Notes

*Uniform butternut squash slices are ideal. You can easily do this with a food processor, mandolin slicer, or my favorite, by hand.

**Any type of cheese will do but we prefer mozzarella for this one. The more cheese the merrier. I try to reserve a bit extra for the top layer to make it extra cheesy.

© From Scratch Farmstead

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Nourishing RecipesSides

Homestead Gluten Free Cornbread

by From Scratch Farmstead

This gluten free cornbread has it all and has been a staple in our home for several years. It’s the perfect combination of sweet and salty. Naturally sweetened with honey and versatile with what you have on hand, this homestead gluten free cornbread is fool proof and perfect for bringing to your next potluck or a simple side dish with a pot of chili.

Jump To Recipe

overhead slice of cornbread being served

What is Cornmeal?

front yard garden in the suburbsBack in 2018, we decided to expand our gardening efforts to a garden spanning just about the entire front yard of our suburban lot. Hey, that was the sunniest spot we had. Alongside the tomatoes, peas, and lettuce, we decided to grow corn. But not just any corn. 

We grew Oaxacan Green Dent Corn. When flipping through the seed catalog the winter before, we were enticed by this beautiful green, heirloom corn variety. The description let us know that it was not a sweet corn but was best suited to be dried out and ground into cornmeal. We had recently purchased a hand grinder to grind wheat berries into flour so we thought, why not?

Cornmeal is just as it sounds – dried corn that is ground into a meal. It is generally coarse in nature. Dent corn or field corn as opposed to sweet corn are the best for grinding into cornmeal. 

That summer, our corn grew well over six feet tall and was the talk of the neighborhood. We meticulously hung it around our living room to let it dry, which also made for perfect fall décor. Several weeks later, we shelled the corn off the cobs and began having all the cornmeal at our disposal. Thus, the necessity for a really good cornbread recipe. 

hand milling cornmeal

How to Source Cornmeal

Since that initial summer, we have grown dent corn every summer since. It’s easy to save seed from previous years and grows robustly. This past year was our first full year on our new homestead and we went all out. We planted a large three sisters garden (corn, beans, and squash) and should have our cornmeal needs set for at least the next 10 years. It was also the first year we ventured beyond Oaxacan green dent corn and tried a few other varieties, including a popping corn. 

Like every other food, since the advent of conventional row crop farming and now with the introduction of genetically modified seeds, it is important to know the source of your cornmeal and ideally the farmer who grew it. Unfortunately, most heirloom seed varieties have been replaced by only a few varieties that are selected for traits that make them better suited for growing and shipping in our industrial food system. 

That being said, it is always our preference to find a local farm and farmer growing these heirloom corn varieties. You’ll find that they have way more flavor and even unique texture and colors compared to the standard, uniform, grocery store shelf cornmeal.

oaxacan green dent corn

Some Notes on Ingredients

In addition to enjoying the taste and texture of this gluten free cornbread, I love that it uses ingredients that we always have on hand and are able to produce here on our homestead or source locally. That being said, this recipe is also very adaptable to whatever you have on hand.

Cornmeal – This recipe uses only cornmeal with no other flours. Since cornmeal is made of only corn, it is naturally gluten-free. If you are not concerned about gluten and would rather use a one-to-one combination of cornmeal with regular or whole wheat flour, that works as well.

Yogurt – The plain yogurt in the recipe could alternatively be substituted for kefir, buttermilk, or a combination of sour cream and milk.

Butter – While the butter is so tasty in this cornbread, it can also be substituted with melted coconut oil, lard, or even olive oil.

Honey – Honey is our go to sweetener in our baking and cooking and pairs so well in this cornbread. We only use two tablespoons but if you like it a bit sweeter, you could up that to a ¼ cup. Maple syrup or organic sugar can be substituted for honey.

about to pour melted butter into cornbread mix

Cooking in Cast Iron

We love making this in a cast iron pan. Depending on how thick you would like it, a 10” or 12” cast iron pan will both work, just adjust your cooking time accordingly. It is important to grease and heat your cast iron pan prior to pouring in the cornbread batter. A preheated cast iron pan will keep the cornbread from sticking to the pan. Alternatively, an 8×8, 9×9, pie pan, or even muffin cups will also work for this recipe if cooking times are adjusted accordingly.

overhead shot of cornbread in cast iron

How to Serve and Store

We highly encourage eating this gluten free cornbread fresh out of the oven, but it can be stored as well. Store in an air tight container in the fridge for up to five days. We prefer reheating until warmed if serving as leftovers.

This gluten free cornbread is delicious as is but we prefer a smear of butter on top. If looking for an extra decadent side, a drizzle of honey would be lovely. This cornbread makes a perfect side for any dish. Some of our favorite ways to serve it are alongside barbeque or a cozy bowl of soup, stew, or chili.

slice of cornbread taken out of pan

Homestead Gluten Free Cornbread Recipe

Ingredients:

2 Cups Cornmeal
1.5 Cups plain yogurt
¼ cup Butter, melted
2 tbsp Honey
1 egg
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt

Directions: 

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place your greased cast iron pan into the preheating oven.
  2. Stir cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together
  3. Add yogurt, melted butter, honey, and egg.
  4. Stir everything together ensuring that all cornmeal in incorporated.
  5. Pour into greased pan.
  6. Bake at 350 for 20-30 minutes** depending on cooking vessel.

** A larger 12” cast iron pan will cook more quickly, closer to 20 min. The smaller pans will require a few more minutes of baking time, 25-30 minutes.

Serve and Enjoy!

Homestead Gluten-Free Cornbread

Homestead Gluten-Free Cornbread

Yield: 8 servings
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes

This cornbread has it all and has been a staple in our home for several years. It’s the perfect combination of sweet and salty. Naturally sweetened with honey and versatile with what you have on hand, this gluten free cornbread is fool proof and perfect for bringing to your next potluck or a simple side dish with a pot of chili.

Ingredients

  • 2 Cups Cornmeal

  • 1.5 Cups plain yogurt
  • 
¼ cup Butter, melted
  • 
2 tbsp Honey
  • 
1 egg
  • 
2 tsp baking powder
  • 
1 tsp baking soda
  • 
1 tsp salt

Instructions

    1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place your greased cast iron pan into the preheating oven.
    2. Stir cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together
    3. Add yogurt, melted butter, honey, and egg.
    4. Stir everything together ensuring that all cornmeal in incorporated.
    5. Pour into greased pan.
    6. Bake at 350 for 20-30 minutes** depending on cooking vessel.

    ** A larger 12” cast iron pan will cook more quickly, closer to 20 min. The smaller pans will require a few more minutes of baking time, 25-30 minutes.

© From Scratch Farmstead

 

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delicious soaked baked oatmeal
BreakfastNourishing Recipes

The Best Soaked and Baked Oatmeal, Gluten Free

by From Scratch Farmstead

There are cheers all around when this soaked baked oatmeal makes an appearance on our breakfast table! It’s a sweet change of pace from our typical savory egg breakfast but it’s packed with protein rich eggs and healthy fats for a more nutrient dense breakfast than your standard oatmeal. I feel good about serving it to my family to start off their day.

Jump To Recipe

serving soaked baked oatmeal

When visiting friends several years ago, they served us baked oatmeal for brunch one Saturday morning. Everyone loved it and I knew I wanted to recreate and perfect my own soaked version.

The Importance of a Nutrient Dense Breakfast

For breakfast specifically, it is a priority for us to ensure that proteins and high-quality fats are included for satiety and avoiding the mid-morning blood sugar crash. No one likes hangry kids (or parents) before lunch and we have found that packing breakfast full of protein and fat prevents this. Furthermore, a hearty breakfast makes mid-morning snacking completely unnecessary.

For whatever reason, tasty, nutrient dense breakfasts that kids love seem hard to come by. This soaked baked oatmeal has been in our regular rotation for years. My strategy with breakfast is that I prepare a big batch of something at the beginning of the week that will last for at least a few days and alternate that with something basic like hard boiled or scrambled eggs. I have found that our kids appreciate switching things up and not having the same thing multiple days in a row for breakfast, and I appreciate that it makes breakfast go much more smoothly.

cracking eggs into soaked oats

Why soaked?

Like other grains, oats are actually a seed and are not meant to be digested. They contain a compound called phytic acid as a defense mechanism to protect itself. In our bodies, the phytic acid blocks digestive enzymes and binds to minerals like iron, zinc, and calcium making them difficult for the body to absorb.  The process of soaking your oats helps to break down the phytic acid making them more digestible and nutrient rich.

How to soak oats?

Oats should soak in an acidic medium for at least eight hours, or overnight, and can be soaked for up to twenty-four hours. You can soak your oats in buttermilk, yogurt, kefir, whey, or if you avoid dairy then water with a tablespoon or two of apple cider vinegar or lemon juice. The oats should be completely soaked but not drowning in liquid.

What about sourcing?

Sourcing is important when it comes to oats. Almost 100% of oats on the market have tested positive for glyphosate. Organic is definitely important when it comes to oats. If you cannot find a good source locally, we buy One Degree Organic Foods sprouted, organic, and gluten free oats from Costco.

organic rolled oats from Costco

Grains or No Grains?

This is a personal decision based on your own body, needs, and health status. When we were going through seasons of intense healing, I avoided grains all together. You can read about my story recovering from hypothalamic amenorrhea here. There is nothing nutritionally in grains (vitamins, minerals, fiber) that you cannot get more easily and in greater amounts from other sources like animal products, vegetables, and fruits. My take is, if your body is able to tolerate grains and they are sourced well and prepared properly, they are fine to eat in moderation alongside other nutrient dense foods.

What to Mix In to your Baked Oatmeal?

The options are endless here! We love picking all the fresh fruit we can (berries, cherries, rhubarb) from our garden or other local farms when they are in season and freezing them. This is a perfect use of those frozen berries. Some of our favorite combinations are:

  • Berries and rhubarb
  • Cinnamon, apples or pears, chopped nuts
  • Bananas with unsweetened coconut flakes
  • Cherries with dark chocolate

about to add fruit into soaked oats

What kind of sweetener and how much?

We try to avoid adding too much extra sweeteners to our food so a little bit of sweetness goes a long way. That being said, we have found that ¼ cup of honey or maple syrup makes this baked oatmeal plenty sweet for our tastes. If you are used to things a bit sweeter, you may want to add a bit more. As an alternative, a little drizzle or maple syrup or honey on top can give this dish just the right amount of added sweetness to make it a special treat. 

We prefer to use honey or maple syrup as a sweetener in most of our cooking and baking and it works perfectly in this recipe. Honey or maple syrup are both products that we can source locally and have extra nutrients that are not found in cane sugar.

spreading baked oatmeal in 9x13 pan

How to serve

This baked oatmeal is delicious plain. But most members of our family prefer it served with a splash of milk and a drizzle of honey or maple syrup on top, which can make it an extra special treat. Baked oatmeal also reheats very well and makes great leftovers. We love making a big batch at the beginning of the week and having it a few times.

pouring milk over soaked baked oatmeal

Soaked and Baked Oatmeal Recipe

Ingredients:

  • 2.5-3 cups oats
  • 1.5 cups milk, yogurt, buttermilk, or kefir (for soaking).  Alternatively, you could use water plus 1-2 tbsp of apple cider vinegar or lemon juice
  • ½ cup coconut oil, melted
  • 4 eggs
  • ¼ cup honey or maple syrup
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 2 cups mix in’s (berries, rhubarb, chopped nuts, bananas, apples, coconut flakes, etc)

Directions:

  • 12-24 hours before making, place oats in a bowl on the counter and mix with either the milk or fermented dairy or water plus acid.  The oats should be fully soaked but not drowning in liquid. 
  • After soaking, add the rest of the ingredients and mix well until everything is incorporated.
  • Pour into a greased 9×13 baking dish.
  • Bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes.

soaked baked oatmeal ready to serve with milk

Serve and enjoy! The baked oatmeal is delicious on its own but we think a splash of milk and a drizzle of honey or maple sugar makes it extra tasty!

delicious soaked baked oatmeal

The Best Soaked and Baked Gluten Free Oatmeal

Yield: 8 servings
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes

There are cheers all around when this soaked and baked oatmeal makes an appearance on our breakfast table! It’s a sweet change of pace from our typical savory egg breakfast but it’s packed with protein rich eggs and healthy fats for a more nutrient dense breakfast than your standard oatmeal. I feel good about serving it to my family to start off their day.

Ingredients

  • 2.5-3 cups oats
  • 1.5 cups milk, yogurt, buttermilk, or kefir (for soaking). Alternatively, you could use water plus 1-2 tbsp of apple cider vinegar or lemon juice
  • ½ cup coconut oil, melted
  • 4 eggs
  • ¼ cup honey or maple syrup
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 2 cups mix in’s (berries, rhubarb, chopped nuts, bananas, apples, coconut flakes, etc)

Instructions

    1. 12-24 hours before making, place oats in a bowl on the counter and mix with either the milk or fermented dairy or water plus acid. The oats should be fully soaked but not drowning in liquid.
    2. After soaking, add the rest of the ingredients and mix well until everything is incorporated.
    3. Pour into a greased 9x13 baking dish.
    4. Bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes.

Notes

This baked oatmeal is delicious plain. But most members of our family prefer it served with a splash of milk and a drizzle of honey or maple syrup on top, which can make it an extra special treat. Baked oatmeal also reheats very well and makes great leftovers. We love making a big batch at the beginning of the week and having it a few times.

© From Scratch Farmstead

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