Something that really irritates me about dealing with food allergies is that baking mixes and prepared foods made specifically for those with food allergies are often very unhealthy. They are usually loaded with starches, sugar, and grains with little to no fiber or protein. I am happy to tell you, there are healthy alternatives out there for those looking for baking short cuts. Bye-bye rice flours, hello Allergic Solution!
Allergic Solution sent me each of their baking mixes to try at home. I just love to bake, so I was quite excited to give their products a try. Before my full review, just what makes Allergic Solution different from the other mixes on the market?
- All Allergic Solution baking mixes are Vegan, Kosher AND free of: corn, dairy, eggs, gluten, peanuts, tree-nuts and soy. Very safe for my little man.
- No need to add egg or egg substitute. Usually only need to add a liquid of your choice, oil, and sugar. So easy and fast to prepare.
- Contains no added sugar. You control the type of sugar and how much you want to use. We are a refined sugar-free house, so this was HUGE to me.
- Contains high fiber and protein – good for everyone, but especially diabetics.
- The company is one of the few food manufacturers with an Allergen Control Program in place. To learn more about their production standards, certifications, and Allergen Control Program, visit this webpage.
So, how do they taste?
Carob Cake Mix
The carob cake mix was the first of the Allergic Solution mixes I tried. I’ve never tried carob before as I’m definitely a chocolate girl. I just never understood carob really. I can eat chocolate, I adore chocolate, so what’s the point of going chocolate free? I was delighted to try this carob cake mix and finally give carob a go. But, I must say that carob is not chocolate. It may look like chocolate (and I was able to fool my four-year-old son), but it does not taste at all like chocolate in my opinion. However, those looking for a chocolate alternative – this mix would be great. It was very dense, but with a nice mild flavor. Maybe my mistake was treating this more like a brownie without a frosting when adding a frosting to this cake would have been very tasty. I opted for a coconut milk whipped cream instead and for me it was not enough.
I used extra-virgin olive oil, unsweetened flax milk and 1/2c. maple syrup. It seemed very runny and not thick enough for cake batter after mixing it up, but I poured it into an 8×8 in pan and baked it for 45 min. It came out with a great texture. Personally, next time around I’d use coconut milk, up the sugar, and add 1/8tsp of salt to make it super tasty.
I chose to make pancakes, but these babies didn’t brown at all. I just couldn’t get them nice and golden brown, which I often find is a problem when making gluten-free pancakes. The flavor was quite beany and they were dense, not light and fluffy, but considering the amount of protein and healthy flours, I’ll take that any day. Just add some good toppings and you’re set. We added unsweetened apple sauce, strawberries, flax, and maple syrup. YUM!
I used light flavored extra virgin olive oil and original (sweet) hemp milk. Next time I’d also add maybe 1/4 tsp of vanilla and 1/8tsp of salt. These made 20 – 4″ pancakes.
I made cupcakes, which had a very nice, mild vanilla flavor. Topped with amazing allergy-free vanilla butter cream frosting from Cybele Pascal, my favorite allergy-free baker. Sorry, no photo of these little cupcakes – they were so good they didn’t last long enough for a photo.
I used EVOO, flax milk, and maple syrup. I’m not sure I’d change anything – it was really a good, basic cake and would pair well with any frosting really.
YUM! This was my favorite! Just a quick note – I’d never made bread with vinegar before (and had no idea it could be done) and it honestly could not have been easier. I am quite a failure at making ANYTHING with yeast, so I was eager to try this bread mix out and I was not at all disappointed. I was expecting this to yield a typical bread dough, but it was very wet and more like a batter than a dough. I was very apprehensive when I put it in the oven, but it came out perfectly. Great texture – firm and dense, with a nice crusty top. I used rice vinegar (I was out of apple cider vinegar – I know, horror!), and a few other ingredients to the mix and ended up with my own recipe! The seeds gave this bread a lovely crunch and the cranberries blended really well with the flavor of the bean flour. Excellent for toast or sandwiches (roast turkey comes to mind).
Cranberry Sunflower Seed Bliss Bread
Makes one loaf of bread
2 tbsp ground chia seeds
3 tbsp vinegar
1/4 cup warm water
1 Yeast-Free Bread mix from Allergic Solution1/3 cup olive oil
1 cup water
1 tsp cinnamon
1 TBS maple syrup (up t0 1/4 cup if you want a sweet bread)
1/2 cup of apple juice sweetened, dried cranberries
1/2 cup raw sunflower seeds (soaked overnight is best)
Preheat oven to 400°F and grease bread pan.
In a large bowl, add ground chia, vinegar and 1/4 cup of warm water. Stir and let sit for 1 – 2 minutes.
Add oil and 1 cup of water to bowl and stir until combined. Add entire contents of pouch, plus cinnamon and maple syrup, and stir until completely combined. Stir in cranberries and sunflower seeds. Pour into bread pan.
Bake for 1 hour. Allow to cool for approximately 30 minutes.
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Overall I was very pleased with the Allergic Solution mixes and would highly recommend them for a healthy, allergy-free baking option. I’m thrilled to give you the chance to try them too!
**Now for the Giveaway**
I’m giving away 1 (one) each of the following baking mixes from Allergic Solution:
- Carob Cake Mix
- Pancake & Waffle Mix
- Vanilla Cake Mix
- Yeast-Free Bread Mix
Giveaway ends March 11, 2013. Open to US and Canadian residents (except Quebec).
**Enter the giveaway HERE.**
We are gluten-free, and avoid lots of other allergens as well. Would love to try these!
I’m sure you’ll love them! Thanks for stopping by.
We have a son with autism so we limit gluten as much as possible. A friend gave me a terrific Chocolate Chip cookie recipe.
Would you mind sharing your recipe? I adore chocolate chip cookies – as do my kids! Good luck with the contest.
Just started researching a gluten-free diet.
Welcome to the gluten free world online. You’ll find some amazing resources out there. Thanks for stopping by!
My daughter has eczema and allergies, so I’ve tried baking allergy-free a few times. I love making cupcakes!
Oooh, yes, cupcakes! Love! Sadly, my children have developed my sweet tooth. So, we make a lot of muffins, pancakes, and cupcakes in this house. Good luck with the contest!
Yes. My son has anaphylactic reactions to dairy and peanuts. I am constantly looking for yummy things to make him that won’t land us in the E.R.
I’m sure you’ll love these – the fact that they’re super healthy is just another win.
we do a lot of allergy friendly cooking but generally don’t use mixes… we jsut dont eat anything in a box, lol… would love to find something tasty that didnt taek quite as long
I’m usually the same – cooking from scratch is usually safest and tastiest. But, in this case, I can tell you that these mixes are safe and super easy. I hope you get a chance to try them.
We have a neice who is allergic to most everything!
Well, I hope you’ll get the chance to make something from Allergic Solution for her. Good luck!
I have been trying to bake more gluten free goods. I haven’t had much luck finding recipes that taste great though.
Gluten free baking is hard – it’s just not the same as cooking with wheat flour. Once you get the hang of it, you’ll be a pro. Check out the Gluten Free Goddess for some amazing recipes.
We do try to eat as much allergy-free stuff as possible!
Then I hope you get to try something from Allergic Solutions! Makes baking safe foods a breeze.
quite honestly I have just recently decided to try a gluten free diet-love to win thanks
Welcome to the GF world then! Check out Gluten Free Goddess for some amazing recipes.
No I haven’t yet – but would like to.
ontariohappychick at gmail dot com
Good luck with the contest. Thanks for stopping by.
I am currently waiting to see my family doctor about gluten intolerance after experiencing many of the side effects. I am currently looking into switching to a gluten free diet.
I love baking cakes and cookies.
Me too! I’m a big baker – mostly love to cook anything sweet
If you do end up going gluten free, check out Gluten Free Goddess.
Thanks for the giveaway! I do not face these challenges but my sister does in her household! My favorite thing to bake would be red velvet cake! yum!!!
Oooh, that’s my fav too. My husband and I had red velvet cake as our wedding cake, that’s how much we love it
Good luck with the giveaway!
It is so hard for me to find a mix that will work for us. A lot of gluten free mixes have potato flour or potato starch and I’m allergic to potato. I also need it to be corn-free and this means no cornstarch, xanthan gum, vanilla, natural flavors, etc. Usually once I rule out all of the vegan GF mixes, there isn’t much left to choose from. I also can’t use nut flours, so it’s so tough. I’m going to look into these products! Thanks for sharing!
I think these will be ok for you – I sure hope so. We also are corn free, but potato is ok. I can see how it would be really hard for you. Good luck with the contest!
we have a friend with a child with allergies. I am always looking for things I can fix while they are here
Clarissa – You are a wonderful friend! The world of food allergies is so complicated and overwhelming, so the fact that you have taken the initiative to provide allergy safe food for your friend’s child, is just so refreshing and wonderful. Jennifer
Thanks for giving me the heads up on these new flours. I really hope to come across them in my grocery store! Would love to try!! I don’t think there’s anything that I don’t love to bake!!
You sounds like me – I love to bake, but the sweeter the better
!!
no i do not but id love to try it!
Hi Kelly – good luck!
I am trying to bake this way more and more. I’d love to try the pancake mix!
It was yummy! Who doesn’t love pancakes? Especially when they’re healthy – a win-win!
I’ve been lucky in that the only allergy I’ve had to confront is dairy and pumpkin, so unless those people are dining with us, I generally don’t cook allergy-free. However, I’m always interested in new tactics and new tastes!
Hi Anna – The bread was so good, it would be excellent served at a dinner party with friends (dealing with allergies or not). Good luck with the contest!
yep i bake gluten dairy soy corn and chocolate free. this would be AMAZING!
Those are the same allergies as us – minus the chocolate, but add some tree nuts. It certainly makes baking a challenge – doesn’t it? You’d probably love this carob cake mix.
I have recently started baking allergy free due to my sons allergies. My latest was top eight free sugar cookies. I thought they were really yummy.
It really is incredible how allergy free baking can turn out so delicious, considering all the foreign ingredients – well, foreign for beginners. It doesn’t take long until you master the gums, alternative flours, milks, etc. It’s a whole new baking world. I’m glad the sugar cookies were a success!
I have only begun experiencing problems with gluten and other food allergies, so now I am re-learning what I can and cannot put into my body. It’s a completely different everything! I would really love to try these mixes because it’s precisely the sort of thing I enjoy baking! Thank you for the chance to win.
Hi there – I’m wishing you much luck with the contest. I’m sure you’d love these mixes!
The bread looks delicious, thanks for the post.
Of course! It was delicious and I can’t wait to make it again.
These mixes look great! I would love to try them sometime
They are great! And I love that they have a good amount of fiber and protein.
have to allergy kids – looking forward to reading your blog
Thanks! I’m so happy you stopped by!
These look wonderful. And I love that you don’t have to sub out egg.
I know – that was really great. Even the bread uses chia instead of eggs.
We love to make allergy free cupcakes!
Yum! Me too! What’s your favorite? Mine is red velvet.
So glad I found your page. My son turns 19 on 3-9. This is his first bday gluten free. Been looking for a good cake recipe for him. Been a very tough 8 months w diagnosis. Thanks so much for sharing your recipes and thoughts about the mixes!
Christy
Hi Christy – Wow, newly gluten free as a teenager must be rough. Poor guy and poor you! As you probably already know, there are so many great gluten free options out there that you really don’t have to miss out much if you surround yourself with the right products and ingredients. My birthday is 3-8
Please wish your son a happy birthday on Saturday!
Happy Birthday!!
Thank you so much!!!!!
My sons have multiple food allergies and we are always on the look out for additional products to try. Unfortunately we have not tried these since before today I have never heard of them. However we would LOVE to try them. Nothing like adding something new to the list.
And doesn’t it feel good when you find a new “safe” product?! Glad these baking mixes are safe for you. Good luck with the contest!
Yes, I makes chocolate cupcakes, Vanilla cupcakes, banana bread and a pineapple upside down cake. All vegan with no nuts or coconut addes.
Yum! My mouth is watering. I have such a sweet tooth!
I’ve been experimenting with different kinds of gluten-free breads using potato starch and white rice flour.
Hi Madeline – You’ll love these mixes then because they have way more protein, minerals, and fiber than what you’ll find with potato starch and white rice flour. Good luck!
These baking mixes look fantastic! Always looking for new products to fit my multi-allergy needs!
Same here! So hard to find something that passes the allergen criteria. Good luck!
Yes, I always bake gluten free red velvet cakes
Ooh, red velvet is one of my favorite! Do you have a recipe you can share with me? I use the recipe from Cybele Pascal’s Allergy Free Bakers cookbook. It’s a pretty good one.
Sounds good!
I’ve seen these on twitter and have wanted to test them out as well. I don’t like that most of the ones in the stores have at least one of my sons allergens it’s like I can’t win. Maybe it’ll be a win with these!
Hey Liz – Same here, so many mixes still have some allergens and most aren’t really that healthy. This company is so great! Good luck to you
This post made me hungry! The bread looks amazing
I gave up Facebook for Lent, but wish I could still enter the contest — I would LOVE to win one of these, the bread miz especially. I also love to bake (my breadmaker has the wording on the buttons all worn off because I used it so much!!!) but I’m always looking to make things that are more allergy-free and healthy. Thanks for the reviews!
Oh no! You’ve already done the first step, which is make a comment on the blog. You don’t really need to do anything with FB to enter, the link is just because the contest is done through Rafflecopter and linked to a special FB page. No need to interact with FB in any way if you don’t want to. Am I horrible for trying to coax you into entering? The bread was awesome and so easy…….https://www.facebook.com/theeczemacompany/app_228910107186452
They all sound yummy! Thanks for the reviews.
Good luck to everyone!
Oh, and my favorite non-dairy milk for my daughter is hemp milk. We haven’t tried SoL, yet. I’m still iffy on whether she’s allergic to sunflower seeds.