Ingredients

Below you will find information about essential ingredients featured in the recipes on this website.  Within each section I have provided links to other websites where you can purchase the products online. Most of the products below are organic, if they are not it is because the ingredient is not available in organic form.

Agar
Agar is a vegan thickener made of seaweed and is very similar to gelatin in texture. I commonly use this ingredient in my gluten-free Asian recipes.

View all of my recipes that use agar flakes. Purchase Agar Flakes.

Agave Nectar

For several years I researched delicious, healthy alternatives to sugar that held up well in the baking process yet did not substantially raise my glycemic index levels.

My favorite brand of agave is Madhava. According to Nekutli/Colibree, its manufacturer, the glycemic index of their product is under 40, well below the GI of sugar. Another reason why I use Madhava is due to their high standards, processes and the type of agave plant they harvest. Amidst all the controversy surrounding agave these days it's good to know that the company you buy from is willing to defend their product.

In all of my recipes, I use light USDA certified organic agave nectar. As opposed to dark or amber, light agave has a more neutral flavor and resembles sugar most closely in taste when added to baked goods.

To save money, I purchase my agave nectar by the gallon. Ordering agave by the gallon will dramatically cut costs on this product; if you do so purchase a pump for the gallon size container. Whatever you do, avoid buying small containers of agave! They are far more expensive than the gallon size available in many health food stores. Purchase Agave Nectar.

Almond Flour

I have been cooking with almond flour for over a decade. You will find it used on this site in a variety of ways, from breakfasts to entrées to desserts.

I recommend purchasing almond flour online. It's generally half the price of the same product in a retail outlet. I store my almond flour in gallon or half-gallon glass mason jars. I keep one out in a cabinet and leave all the other ones in the freezer. Using almond flour straight out of the freezer is an exercise in clumpy frustration, which is why I leave one out. How long can one keep the almond flour before it goes bad? I keep mine refrigerated for up to 6 months, sometimes longer. Freezing seems to extend shelf life even more.

Almond flour is not to be confused with almond meal, which contains whole, ground almonds that still have the skin on them. Almond meal, or almond flour that is not blanched, will not work for the recipes on this site.  For more information on why I use almond flour please see my Why Almond Flour? page.

View all of my almond flour recipes.

Here are my 
favorite brands of almond flour:

Please note: Bob’s Red Mill Almond Flour is much coarser than the products recommended above; unfortunately, because of its consistency, this product does not work well with my recipes.

Arrowroot
The arrowroot plant is a close cousin of the kudzu plant. Both grow naturally in the Southern United States and are used in similar ways for cooking. I use often use arrowroot as a thickener in my recipes.

View all of my arrowroot powder recipes. Purchase Arrowroot Powder.

Baking Soda
I use Arm and Hammer baking soda. I have not tried these recipes using any baking soda other than this brand. It’s a staple in our home that I use for everything from cookies to unstopping drains.

For baking, I keep a little ramekin of baking soda on the counter.

Cacao Powder

I use Dagoba brand organic cacao powder, which is unsweetened.

View all of my recipes that use cacao powder. Purchase Cacao Powder.

Celtic Sea Salt

I use celtic sea salt from the Grain and Salt Society. The brand I use is finely ground and optimal for baking –it mixes into cookies and other baked goods quite evenly.

I store my salt in a glass jar. I also keep a small bowl of salt on the counter or table, this way, I always have salt at the ready when I’m cooking up a quick batch of cookies or other treats.

Some readers of my website have reported that they use regular salt in my recipes and that they come out looking and tasting just fine, others have had different results. Feel free to use whatever type of salt tickles your fancy –it’s OK to take chances, I just can’t promise you that these trials will turn out the way you hope they will. Purchase Celtic Sea Salt.

Chef’s Shake
Spice Hunter's gluten-free all purpose chef's shake contains onion, garlic, celery seed, marjoram and several other ground spices. This is a great shortcut when adding flavor to savory dishes, rather than using a long list of various spices.

Chocolate

I bake with Dagoba organic dark chocolate chips (73% cacao). I use this brand because it is has a higher cocoa content and less sugar than semi-sweet or milk chocolate.

When my recipes call for dark chocolate chips (73% cacao), I highly recommend using Dagoba chocolate or, if available the company’s organic chocodrop product. The chocodrops are disks that are similar to chocolate chips, just a bit larger and flatter.

Because the percentages of coco butter and powder vary product-to-product and brand-to-brand, it is important that if you do not use Dagoba 73% chocodrops, to make sure that the chocolate you do use is 73% cacao. Purchase Dagoba organic dark chocolate chips (73% cacao).

Coconut Flour
I have been experimenting with coconut flour for the past 5 years. During this time I have come up with some delicious recipes that lend themselves very nicely to this amazing flour.

Coconut flour is a bit lighter than almond flour, which makes it perfect for cakes, muffins and breads. Further, it is gluten free, high in fiber and low in carbohydrates, making it an ideal ingredient for celiacs, diabetics and those concerned with GI (glycemic index). I store my coconut flour the same way I store my almond flour.

I recommend Tropical Traditions Coconut Flour.

You may also want to try Aloha Nu Organic or Wilderness Family Naturals Coconut Flour.

View all of my coconut flour recipes.

Coconut Oil
I use Tropical Traditions virgin coconut oil to add a "tropical" flavor to some of my baked goods. I also recommend Spectrum Organics and Wilderness Family Naturals Coconut Oils.

Grapeseed Oil

I've found that grapeseed oil is the closest substitute to using butter in my recipes. It is ideal for people on a dairy-free diet, low in cholesterol and has a neutral flavor. Purchase Grapeseed Oil.

Rigoni di Asiago (formerly Fiordifrutta)
The delicious jams by Rigoni di Asiago are made with 100% organic fruit. They're juice sweetened --no cane sugar, fructose or other forms of processed sugar in disguise. This is the only organic jam I have found with no added sugar.

The flavors are great! My favorites are orange and raspberry, though they come in a large variety including rose hip, which is quite tasty as well.

View all of my recipes that use Rigoni di Asiago jam.

Stevia
There are times when I want something sweet and don't want to increase my blood sugar level. This is when I reach for stevia, a herb 300 times as sweet as sugar with a glycemic index (GI) of 0.

This low glycemic, low carbohydrate sweetener is widely used in Japan. In the U.S., the sugar lobby has long fought to ban this miracle sweetener; it is currently classified as a dietary supplement, though not as a food additive. Take note, that in Japan, stevia accounts for 40% of the sweetener market and is used in everything from colas to candy.

Stevia comes in various forms. You can buy it as a tincture or powder. The only drawback to stevia? It sometimes has a slightly bitter, licoricey aftertaste.

I tested at least half a dozen stevia products and found Astraya stevia to have the best flavor and to be reasonably cost-effective.

View all my recipes that use stevia. Purchase Stevia.

Vanilla

I use a high quality pure organic gluten-free vanilla extract, manufactured by Flavorganics. I purchase this product in the largest available size that the company sells retail, 8 ounces, to reduce costs and minimize the consumption of glass that would be incurred by purchasing numerous smaller bottles of this product. Purchase Vanilla Extract.

Yacon Syrup

Yacon is a perennial plant grown in the Andes for its crisp, sweet taste. This root, sometimes called "apple of the earth", is composed primarily of water and Fructooligosaccharide (FOS). These short chain sugars have a lower caloric value (as they are digested anaerobically) and high fiber content. FOS is a functional food that is also considered a prebiotic and extremely helpful to the digestive tract. In fact, it is often added to other foods such as yogurt to increase nutritional content.

I use yacon syrup in recipes that traditionally call for molasses, such as Gingerbread Cookies.

View all of my recipes that use yacon syrup. Purchase Yacon Syrup.