Bread is one of my favorite parts of the holidays, whether I’m dipping a buttered roll into mashed potatoes, gobbling gingerbread cookies on Christmas Eve or enjoying a perfectly frosted slice of pumpkin loaf for breakfast on Black Friday.
As I noted in a previous piece, my partner Aaron has celiac disease, so our house is gluten-free. Store-bought gluten-free loaves often turn out crumbly and dry, and they can be pricey — sometimes as much as $13 for a single loaf.
That’s why Aaron and I make our gluten-free bread at home, which costs just over $5 when we have the bandwidth. But during the holidays, plain bread won’t do, so we’ve tested a variety of festive gluten-free recipes from websites and cookbooks.
My top three gluten-free choices are gingerbread, pumpkin loaf and dinner rolls. I like the recipes below because they’re not only flavorful and straightforward, they also draw compliments from our holiday guests, who are often apprehensive about coming over given the noticeable absence of gluten.
Best of all, these recipes are budget-friendly, leaving more cash for seasonal spending.
Gluten-Free Gingerbread
My main gripe with gluten-free bread is usually how dry it can be. Dry loaves are unappealing in general, but for specialty quick breads like zucchini loaf, banana nut bread or my holiday favorite, gingerbread, moisture is especially important.
Aaron and I experimented with several recipes from the web and our gluten-free cookbooks, and hands down the most moist gluten-free gingerbread we’ve tried comes fromAmy’s Healthy Baking.
Ingredients
½ cup millet flour: 30 cents
½ cup brown rice flour: 50 cents
1 tablespoon tapioca starch: 10 cents
2 tablespoons ground ginger: $1.33
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon: 25 cents
1 ½ tablespoons baking powder: 14 cents
¾ tablespoons xanthan gum: 56 cents
¼ tablespoon salt: 1 cent
1 tablespoon oil: 2 cents
1 egg: 13 cents
3 tablespoons molasses: 50 cents
2 tablespoons vanilla extract: $2.25
¼ cup milk (the original calls for skim, but we prefer whole): 3 cents
¼ cup Greek yogurt (the original suggests nonfat): 31 cents
⅓ cup brown sugar: 17 cents
Total cost: $6.60
I love how tender this loaf is; Amy’s trick is simple: add Greek yogurt. The recipe also amps up the spice with two tablespoons of ginger for real holiday flavor.
Gluten-Free Pumpkin Loaf
I’m a total mamma’s boy, so it’s hard to beat my mom’s pumpkin loaf. Still, Philia from Sweet Phi may have topped it (no offense, Mom). Her recipe is adaptable — it’s wonderful with chocolate chips, as she suggests, and it’s also delicious with a cream-cheese frosting. Aaron and I may even toss in some raisins this year.
Ingredients
3 eggs: 39 cents
1 cup sugar: 24 cents
¼ cup brown sugar: 13 cents
1 teaspoon vanilla extract: 37 cents
1 cup pumpkin puree: $1.75
⅓ cup vegetable oil: 12 cents
1 ½ cups gluten-free flour: $1.60
1 teaspoon baking soda: 1 cent
½ teaspoon baking powder: 1 cent
½ teaspoon cinnamon: 4 cents
½ teaspoon ground ginger: 11 cents
½ teaspoon salt: 1 cent
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg: 8 cents
¼ teaspoon allspice: 11 cents
¼ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice: 8 cents
Total cost: $5.05
As Philia says, her pumpkin loaf has just the right spice balance: distinctly pumpkin-forward without overwhelming the palate. And I can vouch that it’s better than what you’d buy at a coffee chain.
Gluten-Free Dinner Rolls
Traditional dinner rolls are usually my excuse to slather on butter, but surprisingly I could eat these gluten-free rolls plain.
I adore the pillowy texture of these gluten-free rolls from Naomi at Better Batter. Anyone who’s sampled many gluten-free dinner rolls knows how uncommon a soft, tender one is.
Ingredients
2 ½ cups milk (we use whole): 34 cents
⅓ cup sugar: 8 cents
2 teaspoons salt: 1 cent
4 tablespoons unsalted butter: 85 cents
1 package rapid-rise active dry yeast: 83 cents
1 egg: 13 cents
4 cups gluten-free flour: $4.27
Total cost: $6.51
Baking gluten-free loaves at home is economical, manageable and truly enjoyable. I highly recommend trying one or all three of these recipes this holiday season — and if you’re looking for more ideas, check out our collection of gluten free bread recipes for additional inspiration.
Jordan Hale is a home décor consultant who occasionally trades a paint roller for a mixing spoon. Even with celiac disease in the household, Aaron has a recipe for almost everything, though he usually sticks to dishes featuring Jordan’s favorite flavors.
