MY GLUTEN-FREE PANTRY ESSENTIALS
A well-stocked GF pantry will make your life in the kitchen easier and more enjoyable, but it doesn’t mean that you need to go out and buy hundreds of new items. I’m providing you with a pretty extensive list here because I get inspired by cuisines from all over the world, but what you choose to keep on hand will depend on how much baking and cooking you do and the types of dishes you and your family enjoy. The list does include some common allergens and ingredients that may not be tolerated well by you or someone in your household (e.g. corn, oats, nuts, dairy), so you should obviously skip any that are problematic.
Baking Ingredients: baking powder, baking soda, chocolate (bittersweet, unsweetened & white), cocoa powder (unsweetened), cream of tartar, dry active yeast, matcha powder, powdered buttermilk, powdered milk
Canned and dried beans: adzuki, cannellini, garbanzo, great northern, lentils, navy, peas, pinto
Cheese: chevre, goat gouda, manchego, parmigiano-reggiano, queso fresco, sheep’s milk feta
Condiments: Coconut Secret coconut aminos, curry paste (green & red), hot sauces, medium-dry sherry, Mirin, mustard (Dijon, whole-grain, brown deli), pernod, preserved lemon, Red Boat fish sauce, sake, sambal oelek
Fats: avocado oil, coconut oil, cultured butter, extra virgin olive oil, ghee, grape seed oil, rice bran oil
Flavorings: dried herbs & spices*, extracts, instant coffee/espresso, peppercorns (black, pink, white), powdered chilies, salt (kosher, sea, flavored), spices, whole vanilla beans
Flours: almond meal, amaranth flour, blanched almond flour, buckwheat flour, cassava flour, chickpea flour, coconut flour, corn flour, flax meal, mesquite flour, millet flour, oat flour, potato flour, quinoa flour, sorghum flour, superfine brown rice flour, superfine white rice flour, sweet potato flour, sweet rice flour, teff flour
Fresh Herbs: basil, cilantro, dill, parsley, sage, rosemary, thyme
Frozen: Barry’s tempeh (soy-free), organic fruit, wild-caught fish (mahi, salmon)
(Yes, my list of frozen items is atypically short. That’s because my tiny freezer is busting at the seams with flours, nuts and seeds so there isn’t much room left for anything else! If I had more space you’d find vegetables, meats, baked goods and portions of previously-cooked meals in there too.)
Gluten Replacers: agar flakes & powder, gelatin powder, guar gum, pectin powder, psyllium husk & powder, xanthan gum
Grains & Seeds: amaranth, brown rice, buckwheat groats, chia seeds, coarse cornmeal, flax seeds, forbidden rice, millet, oats (rolled & steel cut), potato flakes, quinoa (whole & flakes), red rice, sorghum, teff, wild rice
Miscellaneous: Bread crumbs (from GF bread), canned tomatoes, capers, citrus (lemon, lime, orange), coconut flakes, coconut milk, cornichons, dried chilies, dried fruits, dried wild mushrooms, garlic, Greek-style yogurt, miso paste (red and white), nut milk (almond, cashew), nut & seed butters, nutritional yeast flakes, onions, olives, pasture-raised eggs, pickled onion, raw nuts & seeds, salmon (canned), sardines, seaweed (arame, dulse, hijiki, kombu, wakame), shallots, stock (beef, chicken, vegetable), tahini, tuna (jarred)
Oils: avocado, chili, coconut, extra-virgin olive, grape seed, rice bran, toasted sesame
Starches: potato starch, tapioca starch, arrowroot starch, cornstarch
Sweeteners: brown rice syrup (GF), brown sugar, coconut palm sugar, coconut syrup, dates, evaporated cane juice, golden syrup, honey (liquid & powdered), maple crystals, maple syrup (dark amber), molasses, powdered sugar, raw turbinado sugar, stevia
Vinegars: apple cider, balsamic (plain, white & flavored), champagne, red wine, rice wine (unseasoned), sherry, ume plum, white wine
I have a vast array of seasonings in my pantry, and asking me to name my favorite spices would be like asking a mom to choose her favorite child, but these are the ones I probably reach for with the most frequency…
Individual herbs & spices: aleppo pepper, ancho powder, allspice, bay leaf, black pepper, cardamom, cayenne, Chinese five-spice, cinnamon, coriander, cumin, fennel seed, ginger, mustard seed, nigella seed, oregano (Greek & Mexican), pink pepper, rubbed sage, sesame seed (black & white), sweet smoked paprika, star anise, wasabi powder, white pepper
Blends: baharat, chermoula, dukkah, furikake, garam masala, ras el hanout, shichimi togarashi, sumac, turmeric, za’atar
Salts: applewood smoked, Diamond Crystal kosher, Hawaiian pink, Maldon, porcini, sriracha, white truffle
I’ll discuss specific flavors as they come up in recipes, and in the meantime I’m sure you have all the basics that suit your purposes. If you’re new to gluten-free, just make sure that your dried spice blends are truly GF because they sometimes contain anti-caking agents and wheat starch may be one of them.
