3 Gluten-Free Halloween Breads and Desserts
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Halloween is one of the holidays most synonymous with delicious treats and drinks, but sadly, many of these treats aren’t options for those who don’t eat gluten. Here are three great gluten-free Halloween treats to make for yourself — or to be a thoughtful host for gluten-free guests this Halloween.
Pumpkin bread
Pumpkin bread is a classic Halloween treat, and thanks to gluten-free flour, it’s still an option for those who choose not to eat gluten. To make an easy gluten-free pumpkin bread, start by preheating your oven to 350°F and greasing a metal loaf pan. Using a hand mixer, blend together a cup of pumpkin puree, two eggs, and ⅓ cup each of avocado oil and almond milk.
In a separate bowl, mix 1 ¼ cups of your choice of gluten-free flour, ½ cup gluten-free rolled oats, ¾ cup of granulated sugar, and ½ teaspoon each of baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and pumpkin pie spice. Mix your wet and dry ingredients together and pour into the loaf pan, then bake for 50 to 60 minutes or until the center is set. Let the bread cool in the pan, then move it to a wire rack and slice it when it’s completely cool.
Sparkling candy corn cookies
To make these sparkling candy corn cookies, start by lining a 9×5-inch loaf pan with wax paper or plastic wrap. In a mixing bowl, beat a cup of softened butter and a cup of sugar together until creamy. Add an egg, two tablespoons of orange juice, two teaspoons of fresh orange zest, and ⅛ teaspoon of salt, then continue beating the mixture until it’s mixed.
Divide the dough into thirds. Mix a little orange food coloring into one of the thirds, and a little yellow food coloring into another. Leave the final third white — you should end up with an orange dough ball, a yellow dough ball, and a white dough ball. Press the white dough evenly into your pan, followed by the orange dough and then the yellow dough in even layers. Cover the pan with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least two hours or until firm.
After cooling the dough, heat your oven to 375°F. Invert your loaf pan on a cutting board to remove the dough, then peel off the wax paper. Use a knife to cut the loaf crosswise into ¼-inch slices, then cut each slice into six triangular candy-corn-shaped wedges. Place the wedges an inch apart on ungreased cookie sheets, then bake for 7-10 minutes or until the edges are firm. Cool the cookies for a minute, then roll them each in sugar to coat, let them cool, and serve.
Caramel apples
Luckily for you, one of the most popular Halloween treats is already gluten-free. To make super easy caramel apples, combine a cup each of butter and light corn syrup, two packed cups of brown sugar, and a 14-ounce can of sweetened condensed milk in a large saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil while stirring, then continue cooking and stirring for 30 to 40 minutes until it reaches 248°F on a candy thermometer. Remove the mixture from the heat and stir in a teaspoon of vanilla.
Insert round wooden sticks or popsicle sticks into your choice of tart apples, then dip each apple into the caramel mixture and turn it to coat the whole thing. Optionally, roll the bottoms of the apples into chopped peanuts, then set the apples on wax paper to cool.