• About
  • Work with Me
  • Contact
  • Food Photography

Chef Janet

So good, they'll never know it's gluten-free.

  • Gluten-Free Recipes
    • Appetizers and Snacks
    • Baked Goods
    • Breakfast
    • Dessert
    • Main Course
    • Salads
    • Sauces and Dressings
    • Side Dishes
    • Soup
    • Vegan
    • Vegetarian
  • Cooking Basics
  • Gluten-Free Diet Tips
Home Β» Gluten-Free Diet Tips Β» Gluten-Free Diet: Beyond Rice

July 21, 2020 (last updated March 18, 2021)

Gluten-Free Diet: Beyond Rice

Many of us on a strict gluten-free diet, tend to eat A LOT of rice and rice products. Don’t get me wrong, I love rice, but nutritionally its a great idea to have more variety in your diet. So I have worked hard to expand beyond rice and replace it with some other gluten-free grains.

overhead view of square white bowls with teff flour, sorghum flour, mesquite flour, millet flour

Gluten-Free Grains and Flours

flour splashed on gray stone bard with "GLUTEN-FREE" written in four surrounded by spoons of gluten-free grains and flour in measuring cup and spoon
  • Oats, on their own are gluten-free. However in farming, oat crops are often rotated with wheat and barley and are processed in the same mills. As a result, bits of wheat, rye or barley can cross-contaminate.
  • Gluten-Free Oats – Fortunately, there are now gluten-free oats that are grown in fields dedicated to gluten-free grains and are processed in gluten-free mills. When you buy oats or oat flour, be sure the package is labeled gluten-free and shows a gluten-free certification badge. This certification badge will assure you that the oats have been tested to be gluten-free. Unfortunately, some people with Celiac disease cannot tolerate even gluten-free oats. Your best bet is to follow your doctor’s instructions regarding oats. In addition to the basic oatmeal for breakfast or oatmeal cookies, gluten-free oat flour can be great in place of brown rice flour.
  • Buckwheat – Despite its name, buckwheat is gluten-free (but be careful, buckwheat pancakes often have regular wheat flour too.) It is a higher protein, high fiber grain that is in a completely different family as wheat. Perhaps you’ve heard of buckwheat groats? This is buckwheat without its hull. When groats are toasted they are called kasha.
  • Millet is an ancient grain used in Asia as early as 8300 BC and was even more prevalent than rice. It’s protein content is comparable to that of wheat, so millet flour makes a nice substitute in gluten-free breads. It also works well in combination with sorghum flour in cakes and gluten-free pizza crust.
8 small square bowls arranged in grid with gluten-free grains, white rice, brown rice, corn meal, teff grain, oats, quinoa and sorghum flour on white marble background with small wood spoon
  • Quinoa is an ancient grain used by the Incas. The best thing about quinoa is that it is a complete protein meaning that it contains all the essential amino acids we need. Quinoa is a great substitute in recipes that require cous cous or tabouli. It is cooked just like rice but is way easier. My favorite gluten-free grain!
  • Sorghum is used widely in Africa and dates back to ancient Egypt. It has a nice neutral flavor so sorghum flour can work well in cakes and other baked goods. You’ll see many gluten-free beers made with sorghum.
  • Teff is an ancient grain believed to have originated in Ethiopia. It is higher in protein and fiber and teff flour is wonderful for gluten-free breads.
overhead view of gluten-free grains on white background. wood bowl of quinoa in center with wood spoons of millet grain, sorghum grain, teff grain and rolled oats

Resources

Here are some recipes to help you expand your gluten-free diet beyond rice. This article on gluten-free flour blends has some ideas for including some of these flours in your baking. Check out this blog post with step-by-by-step instruction on How to Cook Quinoa and a fantastic multi-grain gluten-free bread recipe (my personal favorite) that includes teff and millet flours,

A great source for certified gluten-free flours is Vitacost.com. They have their own line of certified gluten-free products that are high quality, reasonable priced and with good deals on shipping.

  • Share
  • Tweet
  • Email

Posted In: Gluten-Free Diet Tips

Comments

  1. Veronica says

    November 3, 2020 at 1:43 pm

    I never knew that there were so many different options for gluten-free grains. I found this extremely helpful because I cannot have corn and have been mostly having rice or rice flour when I have anything with grain in it.

    Reply
    • Janet Harlow says

      November 3, 2020 at 1:46 pm

      Hi Veronica! I am so glad that you found this to be helpful. Many gluten-free people get stuck on rice when there are other options. Let me know if you need any assistance!

      Reply

Leave a Comment & Rate this Recipe Cancel reply

If you love this recipe, please consider leaving a star rating and review when you post a comment. Star ratings help people discover my recipes online. Your support means a great deal to me.

Thank you!
Janet

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

About Me
Hi, Welcome! I'm Chef Janet and I create gluten-free recipes that everyone will love, gluten-free or not.

Set up a customized lesson with me to learn basic cooking techniques, gluten-free, menu planning and kitchen tips to make your life easier. Follow me on instagram to keep up with my latest and let me know how I can help.

Follow along on Instagram

These Peanut Butter Whiskey Cookies are the new fa These Peanut Butter Whiskey Cookies are the new favorite of my taste testers. They were begging for more the second they took the first bite. If you like sweets with your cocktail, then this is the cookie for you! Link to the brand new recipe in my profile.
πŸ₯œπŸ₯ƒπŸͺ
I found that the whiskey flavor faded a little bit in baking so I created a peanut butter whiskey icing to make sure that they taste boozy.
πŸ₯œπŸ₯ƒπŸͺ
#peanutbutterwhiskey #glutenfreecookies #peanutbuttercookies #glutenfreepeanutbuttercookies #boozydesserts #boozycookies #thefeedfeed #losangeleschef #glutenfreechef #boozydessert #glutenfreebaking
Spring means berries, so get ready for new recipes Spring means berries, so get ready for new recipes with berries. These Gluten-Free Fresh Strawberry Muffins are first up! Link to the new recipe in my profile.
πŸ“πŸ“πŸ“
I normally make my baked goods dairy-free too, but I wanted a buttery tasting muffin. So these muffins start with creamed butter and sugar for a muffin with a beautiful texture and flavor. I used Namaste Gluten-Free flour, but the recipe works well with other gluten-free flour blends.
πŸ“πŸ“πŸ“
#glutenfreemuffins #strawberrymuffins #glutenfreebreakfast #muffinrecipe #glutenfreebaking #glutenfreelosangeles #losangeleschef #thefeedfeed #glutenfreeblog #glutenfreechef #muffinrecipes #glutenfreestrawberrymuffins
These buttery Gluten-Free Drop Biscuits are my new These buttery Gluten-Free Drop Biscuits are my new favorite comfort food. Link to the recipe in my profile.
🧈πŸ₯›πŸ₯„
The recipe includes real butter and buttermilk and just a few more simple ingredients. It is super easy and makes it to the oven in less than 10 minutes if you use a food processor.
πŸ₯„πŸ₯›πŸ§ˆ
#glutenfreebiscuits #dropbiscuits
#buttermilkbiscuits #glutenfreerecipe #biscuitrecipe #losangeleschef #glutenfreeblog #glutenfreebreakfast #glutenfreebaking #thefeedfeed #easyglutenfreerecipe #glutenfreebreakfastideas
These Gluten-Free Raspberry Lemonade Cupcakes are These Gluten-Free Raspberry Lemonade Cupcakes are a sweet and tart spring treat. Link to the recipe in my profile.
πŸ‹πŸ§πŸ‹
This recipe is super easy and mixes up in just a few minutes. I include tips for making sure that the raspberries don't all sink to the bottom. I top them with my vanilla buttercream frosting but they'd also be amazing with my pipeable cream cheese frosting.
πŸ‹πŸ§πŸ‹
#glutenfreecupcakes #raspberrylemoncake #glutenfreebaking #glutenfreedesserts #thefeedfeed #losangeleschef #glutenfreetreats #beautifulcupcakes #prettydesserts #raspberrylemonadecupcakes #raspberrylemonade #glutenfreeblog #creamcheesefrosting
These Gluten-Free Lemon Blueberry Cupcakes combine These Gluten-Free Lemon Blueberry Cupcakes combine 2 of my favorite flavors. They are moist, fluffy and super easy to make. Link to the recipe in my profile.
πŸ«πŸ‹πŸ«
Top them with my vanilla buttercream frosting or tangy cream cheese frosting. Add a tiny bit of blueberry juice to either one for this pretty purple frosting.
πŸ‹πŸ«πŸ‹
#glutenfreecupcakes #lemonblueberrycupcakes #lemonblueberry #glutenfreedessert #losangeleschef #thefeedfeed #glutenfreechef #glutenfreebaking #purplefrosting #blueberrydessert #lemondesserts #springcupcakes
Lemon week continues with this 5 Minute Lemon Basi Lemon week continues with this 5 Minute Lemon Basil Dressing. No chopping, no slicing, the blender does all the work. Link to the recipe in my profile.
πŸƒπŸ‹πŸƒ
I may post a lot of baked goods on my insta, but I am really a salad person. I live on them year-round. So coming up with new and interesting dressings is key. The combo of sweet basil, tangy lemon and a small amount of sweet and salty, makes for a perfectly balanced dressing. The recipe includes instructions on how you can easily turn this into a creamy dressing if you prefer.
πŸƒπŸ‹πŸƒ
#lemonbasil #saladdressings #lemonsalad #5minuterecipes #losangeleschef #freshbasil #glutenfreeblog #5minuterecipe #saladdressingrecipe #saladdressing #thefeedfeed #buzzfeedfood #saladrecipe
This Gluten-Free Lemon Cake is like a bite of suns This Gluten-Free Lemon Cake is like a bite of sunshine. It is one of my all-time favorites. If you ask me what cake I would want for my birthday this would be it. Link to the recipe in my profile.
πŸ‹πŸŽ‚πŸ‹
The cake gets a double dose of lemon flavor from lots of lemon zest and lemon extract. I tried lemon juice and found that I had to use way too much to get the lemon zing that I wanted. So I leave it out and rely on the zest and extract.
πŸ‹πŸŽ‚πŸ‹
The recipe is super easy and can be made dairy-free with the use of your favorite dairy-free milk sub. I like soy milk for baking the best.
πŸ‹πŸŽ‚πŸ‹
#lemoncake #lemondesserts #glutenfreecakerecipe  #glutenfreelemoncake #glutenfreedairyfreecake #losangeleschef #thefeedfeed #easyglutenfree #glutenfreecakes #glutenfreebirthdaycake #glutenfreeblog #kingarthurglutenfree
Happy Friday! These 2 Peanut Butter Whiskey Milksh Happy Friday! These 2 Peanut Butter Whiskey Milkshakes are perfect for a sunny happy hour. Which would you choose? Raspberry peanut butter or cookies & cream and PB? Link to the recipes in my profile.
πŸ₯ƒπŸ₯œπŸ«
Both of these boozy milkshakes start with a base of vanilla ice cream, a big spoonful of peanut butter and a shot or two of peanut butter whiskey. And good news, these can easily be made dairy free and gluten-free. My blog post provides info on the best dairy-free ice cream and creamers to use for a shake as well as gf cookies.
🍫πŸ₯œπŸ₯ƒ
#boozymilkshake #peanutbutterwhiskey #peanutbuttermilkshake #milkshakerecipes #happyhourideas #dairyfreemilkshake #veganmilkshake #veganmilkshakes #losangeleschef #veganicecream #boozyicecream #whiskeymilkshake

Copyright © 2022 Chef Janet · Support by Foodie Digital · Privacy Policy · Accessibility Policy