You absolutelycan indulge in baked goods when you’re committed to healthy eating - thanks to a few swaps in key ingredients for more wholesome, energizing ingredients - you’ll be set!
Naturally, classic baked goods such as cakes, cookies, and muffins require a flour for substance, but the paleo diet forbids any grains. Now, there are ways to bake sans the grains - grain-free flour! (Alternatives such as coconut flour make this simple). To those who haven’t yet tried to bake with a grain-free flour - or, haven’t tried to even taste a grain-free baked good, there are four common misconceptions about grain-free baking.
- Your old favorites can’t be mimicked
There is admittedly a substantial difference between grain free baking and normal baking - so while it’s true that a grain free muffin won’t taste quite the same as that buttery, white flour muffin you ate every morning growing up, it will still be a blueberry muffin. In fact, some sweet toothsprefer the grain-free version of their favorite treats - and that includes non-paleo eaters! We have many non-paleo customers who simply prefer the taste and texture of our cashew nut blondie to a typical blondie, for example.
- It’s ‘boring’ and constrains me to only one or two choices.
Anyone on a strict diet is used to feeling like they’re low on options - it’s about ‘making it work’ rather than getting to choose from a sea of baking possibilities. But, that actually isn’t the case. You have many grain-free friends who have come long before you, and have ensured there are numerous types of grain-free flour so you can have your pick when setting out on your baking expedition. Grain-free flours include almond flour, arrowroot, green banana flour, tapioca (which is reported to create the most ‘bread-like’ texture), and many more.
- You can simply replace the flour and follow a similar recipe.
“Grain-free” seems to suggest it’s all in the flour - and, while it is, every flour substitute requires a tweak on the all-over recipe. For example, coconut flour (which we use in many of our fan-favorite Base Culture products), only works for certain recipes because of its unique texture and high water level. Make sure you’re following a recipe to ensure the texture turns out okay - each of the grain-free flours out there interacts with ingredients and the baking process differently.
- It’s too hard for a non professional baker
With all of these new types of flours and ingredients, it certainly isn’t the baking that your grandma taught you (unless you’re lucky, and she was paleo, too!). That said, anything takes practice. Once you get the hang of a few recipes, it will become a breeze. And for when you don’t want to try a new recipe or master an old one, Base Culture will always be here to satisfy your sweet tooth with wholesome paleo baked goods.
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