Cooking and baking without gluten can be delightful and healthy, but can also present challenges. One easy way to avoid these challenges is to have the right ingredients in your store cupboard. This guide will help you to stock your pantry with the essential ingredients you need for easy and wholesome home cooking.

Gluten-Free Flours
Almond Flour
Almond flour is made from finely ground almonds and adds a moist, rich texture to baked goods. It is perfect for making cookies, cakes, and even bread.

Coconut Flour
Coconut flour is highly absorbent and adds a subtle coconut flavour to recipes. It’s great for baking cakes, muffins, and pancakes.

Rice Flour
Rice flour is a staple in gluten-free baking. It has a mild flavour and light texture, and is often used in combination with other gluten-free flours.

Sorghum Flour
Sorghum flour is nutritious and has a slightly sweet taste. It has a higher protein and fibre content than some other gluten free flours. It is commonly used in gluten-free flour blends and works well in various baked goods. It is advisable to only use it for maximum 20% of the overall flour in the recipe.

Potato Starch
Potato starch is a fine, white powder that helps to give a light, fluffy texture to baked goods. It is often used in combination with other gluten-free flours.

Tapioca Starch
Tapioca starch, also known as tapioca flour, is made from the cassava root. It adds chewiness to baked goods and works well as a thickener in sauces and soups.

Binding Agents
Xanthan Gum
Xanthan gum is a common binding agent in gluten-free baking. It helps to provide structure and elasticity to baked goods that would otherwise be crumbly.

Guar Gum
Guar gum is another popular binding agent. It is derived from guar beans and also helps to improve the texture of gluten-free baked goods.

Grains and Pseudocereals

Quinoa
Quinoa is a protein-rich grain that is naturally gluten-free. It can be used in salads, as a side dish, or even ground into flour for baking.

Buckwheat
Despite its name, buckwheat is not related to wheat and is gluten-free. It has a strong flavour and can be used in porridge, or as a flour for pancakes and baking.

Millet
Millet is a small, gluten-free grain that cooks quickly and can be used in a variety of dishes, such as breakfast porridge.

Teff
Teff is a nutrient-dense grain that hails from Ethiopia.

Baking Essentials
Baking Powder and Baking Soda
Ensure that your baking powder is gluten-free, as some brands may contain gluten. Both baking powder and baking soda are essential for leavening baked goods.

Yeast
Active dry yeast and instant yeast are both gluten-free and essential for making gluten-free bread and other yeast-raised baked goods.

Condiments and Sauces
Tamari
Tamari is a gluten-free soy sauce alternative that adds umami flavour to dishes, without the gluten found in traditional soy sauce.

Mustard
Ensure your mustard is gluten-free, as some varieties may contain gluten.

Vinegars
Most vinegars are naturally gluten-free, but it’s always good to check the label. Apple cider vinegar, balsamic vinegar, and rice vinegar are versatile options for cooking and baking.

Convenient Foods
Gluten-Free Pasta
There are many gluten-free pasta options made from rice, corn, quinoa, and lentils. These are perfect for quick and easy meals.

Gluten-Free Crackers
Gluten-free crackers can be made from rice, nuts, and seeds, and are great for snacking and entertaining.

Gluten-Free Bread mix
Having a mix in your cupboard can be very handy if you run out of gluten free bread.

Tinned Foods

Tinned, natural food products are incredibly useful for mealtime, to create a sauce, or to add some quick additional protein. Keep an eye on the packaging when buying them, particularly on the salt content, as some tinned foods do have additives. Some essential tinned foods include:

• Tinned tomatoes
• Tinned mixed beans in water
• Tinned black beans
• Tinned kidney beans
• Tinned adzuki beans

Gluten free bouillion or stock cubes

Essential for making soups and sauces.

Having a well-stocked gluten-free store cupboard is the first step to creating delicious and healthy meals that meet your dietary needs.