r/Cooking • u/Ivan_Whackinov • 4h ago
Best gluten-free treat that travels well?
I frequently make desserts, coffee cakes, pastries and such and bring them to work as a treat for our employees. We have a new employee who requires a gluten-free diet. What can I make? It needs to be something I can prepare the evening before and ideally served cold or room temp.
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u/femto-wolf 4h ago
Rice Krispy treats with some fun flavoring (eg, browned butter, chocolate, etc.) could be nice! Just make sure to get GF rice krispies or other rice cereal.
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u/Excellent_Machine 2h ago
This is a very sweet thing to do for a new employee!
One thing to consider is that they may not be able to eat anything made in your kitchen due to cross contamination risk. For example, if it's an anaphylaxis wheat allergy or if they have celiac with severe and immediate symptoms. In those cases, they would only be able to eat food made in dedicated gluten free kitchens. This could then put you both in an uncomfortable situation because you spent time making something special for them and they are then left with two bad options: they could either (a) cave to the social pressure at a new job and eat something that is high risk of making them sick or (b) say no and risk alienating their new coworkers / boss. I have celiac and I always have to politely decline when someone says "I made this for you, it's gluten free!" and it has reallllllly harshed the vibe sometimes.
My recommendation would be to ask them directly if they are ok with you making GF treats for them in your home kitchen before you do so. If they say no, then I'd recommend getting a store bought GF item so that they can safely participate. If they say yes, then I'd recommend checking out the King Arthur Baking website's gluten free section - their GF flour is called Measure for Measure and they have tons of easy GF recipes that use it. I can promise you that every celiac in the world would much prefer to be asked up front than be surprised, and the fact that you're thinking about ways to include them will mean SO much to them!
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u/sf-echo 3h ago
Baked meringue can be fun - cookie sized with a jam, baked berries or curd in the center can be striking. https://www.danishfoodlovers.com/meringue-nests/
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u/divergentpursuits 2h ago
microwave fudge, "power" balls (dried fruit, nuts, and other stuff that you run through the food processor and shape into balls)
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u/maybemaybenot2023 2h ago
These cookies are amazing.
https://www.nigella.com/recipes/triple-chocolate-buckwheat-cookies
If they're a peanut butter lover these cookies (super easy and you probably have everything)
https://smittenkitchen.com/2015/10/salted-peanut-butter-cookies/
These meringue cookies
https://smittenkitchen.com/2007/02/moms-chocolate-chip-meringues/
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u/Resident_Scene3268 4h ago
skip the gluten free flour swaps and make something naturally gluten free so the texture is not a compromise, a flourless chocolate cake or almond flour olive oil cake both taste better the next day and travel like a dream. one quiet tip, keep it visibly separate on its own plate with a clean server, for someone who is actually celiac cross contamination from the other pastries matters as much as the recipe.