Recently, I gifted an afternoon tea to a group of ladies. Always a delightful experience but one that requires a lot of planning and preparation. One of my standard questions when hosting any event is “Are their food allergies or food preferences?” Though I have had few requests for gluten free items, nowadays you need to have that available. This time around, I did have requests for a gluten free menu. So this post will focus on Gluten Free Teatime Treats and what I did to make the menu work for these guests.
Menu Adjustments
Here is the menu that was developed and those items that I chose to recreate using a gluten free approach. I wanted my guests to feel like they were having the same experience with the tea, so I tried to mirror the menu as much as possible.
Some items were made to be completely gluten free for all guests and others were made in duplicate with both gluten containing items and gluten free versions.
- Savories
- Blue Cheese Tart with Cranberry Chutney ** Adjusted tart crust for all guests.
- Spinach Ball with Marinara Sauce ** Adjusted bread crumb ingredient. Served both gluten free and gluten containing options.
- Caprese Skewer with Balsamic Reduction – No adjustment necessary
- English Sausage Roll in Puff Pastry ** Reworked to be a Sausage Handpie. Guests had the traditional puff pastry roll.
- Cucumber Sandwich ** Used gluten free bread for all guests
- Scones
- Toffee Scone ** Adjusted recipe and presented both gluten free and gluten containing.
- Currant Scone ** Adjusted recipe and presented both gluten free and gluten containing.
- Sweets
- Gran Marnier Brownie ** Adjusted recipe for all guests.
- Earl Grey Rooibos Shortbread ** Adjusted recipe and presented both gluten free and gluten containing.
- Peppermint Bark – No adjustment necessary
- Eggnog Mouse with Ginger Snap Crumbles – No adjustment necessary. Ensured that the pudding in the recipe was gluten free and omitted the Ginger Snap Crumbles.
Product used
I chose to go with Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour. This product allows for 1:1 substitution. It has all the ingredients that I would need to adjust the recipes for my gluten free clients. And because this was my first foray into gluten free preparation, I wanted to make this straightforward as well. I learned of the gluten free request late in the planning and also felt that I needed to be able to expedite my timeline for preparation.
I have published some of these recipes as gluten containing, so will reference both of them as a comparison. But here’s how things turned out, with lessons learned!
Blue Cheese Tart with Cranberry Chutney
This is one of the savories that I served for the Christmas tea. It is a delicious little quiche-like bite topped with a cranberry chutney and a sprig of rosemary. I use cranberry relish for the chutney – an easy holiday standard. It starts with making a butter crust. So instead of using all purpose flour I substituted Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour. Just straight across.
Lesson Learned: The crust is moister than a traditional crust that is flakey – blind baking was a little tough. So I just removed the foil and beans and let the crust bake and dry out a little. Then layered the blue cheese and the custard as I would normally. It worked out beautifully and I would make this again.
Spinach Balls with Marinara Sauce
I have posted this recipe before Spinach Balls – A Savory Treat. These little morsels call for bread stuffing to be used in the recipe. I had already made the batch for gluten containing recipe and decided to make another version for my GF guests. Instead of the bread stuffing, I used ground up corn chips. They turned out great and would as well serve these again.
English Sausage Roll vs. Handpie
This was one of the more challenging recipes to adjust. This recipe for Puff Pastry Sausage Rolls calls for the use of Puff Pastry. I couldn’t find a substitute so went a different route. Using the Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour pie dough recipe, I created a hand pie. After making the pie crust, I rolled it out and cut a 3 inch circle. The dough was easy to make and easy to work with. I placed a rounded teaspoon of sausage in the center, closed over the circle into a semi-circle and sealed the edges with a fork. I did use an egg wash on the top. Poking holes to release the steam as the sausage cooked, I baked on a parchment lined sheet at 350 degrees for 15 minutes or until lightly brown. I found that the gluten free recipe didn’t brown as readily as the puff pastry, so I used an egg wash to help brown the hand pie. These too turned out amazing. They had a nice crunch to them and were served with the honey mustard sauce that I did with the sausage rolls.
Cucumber Sandwich
This was the easiest of all. I just replaced the bread I normally use with gluten free bread. And voila – gluten free alternative cucumber sandwich.
Toffee Scone / Currant Scone
With this adjustment, I made completely separate scones for my gluten free guests. However, I took my traditional Toffee Scone Recipe Sweet Scone recipe, omitted the toffee chips and made it as usual, divided in two. Then added the currants to one batch and toffee chips to the other half.
Lesson Learned: These scones looked amazing but my first bake, I kept thinking that they would brown up. They do not. And I ended up overbaking them, not burning them but overbaking. Once overbaked they are crunchy like a cookie and definitely not a scone texture. I opted to redo them and but a milk wash to facilitate browning. And most importantly – underbaked them. When I thought they weren’t done – I took them out. So they were baked at 350 degrees for 13-15 minutes and I watched them intensely.
These scones were okay – not my favorite. So will have to work on them but I think they were acceptable for the tea. But will be striving to improve.
Gran Marnier Brownie Bites
I have not posted these before but have used them several times for my afternoon teas and they are decadent. Little bites of dense and intense chocolate brownie with an amazing chocolate ganache….all flavored with orange and Gran Marnier. For this recipe, Gran Marnier Brown Bites, I just substituted the flour for Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour and they were superb. Tasted the very same as the all purpose flour ones. So all my guests received this treat and I will top these brownies will a little orange zest for that extra punch of citrus and also letting my guests know of the flavor profile. I would definitely make these again.
Earl Grey Rooibos Shortbread
I recently posted on these Earl Grey Rooibos Shortbread. So I did the same switch as I have with several other of these recipes – just interchanged the all purpose flour for the Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour. They turned out beautifully but the baked texture is a little more crumbly and dry. The dough is great to work with and very similar to the original recipe. Again, though I had learned from my over-baking previously, I think I could have underbaked a little more. These will not brown like their all purpose counterparts but still have the great Earl Grey and buttery shortbread taste. I glazed them like the others and they were a treasure. I would make these again with the caution of the bake time.
Final Thoughts
I was very pleased to be able to offer these very delicious gluten free alternatives. I share this with my readers as many of you have asked whether or not these recipes can be made gluten free. And I am here to tell you YES they can! I would make many of these again and enjoy them just the same. Always some learnings but some successes as well. Gluten Free Teatime treats is a great option for your guests.
Oh and author’s note – No I am not currently being paid for endorsing Bob’s Red Mill products. Just felt it was the more readily available option at the time!
52 Comments
Christina Siwik
Thank you for the recipes. I always use gluten free flour.
Beth
Hi Christina – Thank you so much for your comment. I have wanted to try some recipes and this gave me a perfect opportunity. Honestly, a couple of them are so good, that I would continue to use them for everyone! Glad you enjoyed the post and hope you can try some of the recipes.
Holly B
Great ideas for gluten free parties you al8have such amazing recipes and ideas! I live using Bob’s products!
Beth
Hi Holly – Well this was an easy switch since the Bob’s Red Mill was 1:1 change out. I have since followed up with my guests to see what they thought of the items and they were very pleased. I will be doing this again for sure. Glad that you enjoyed the post and thank you for your comment.
Barbara
I have baked with GF flour before and was not overly happy. But I am interested in using the Bobs GF flour.
In this day and age always need to include GF. Does Bobs have a grainy texture?
The hand pies looked delicious. And who can resist chocolate on chocolate? Great info.
Beth
Hi Barbara – Glad that you enjoyed the post. Not grainy but you have to be careful because it dries out easily. So I would not bake the full time alotted. It was very easy to work with.
Elaina
Great recipes! Everything looks delicious. One of my 2021 goals is to switch over to gf by the end of the year. Starting slow so I don’t get overwhelmed.
Beth
Hi Elaina – This was my biggest GF baking adventure and I was pleased. I would make these recipes again for my GH guests. Glad that you enjoyed the post and thanks for your comment.
Sydney Delong-Eat Simply Sweet
Thanks for including how you changed the recipes! Gluten Free is becoming much more common, so it’s great that you were able to change up your tea to accommodate that!
Beth
Hi Sydney – Yes, I was very pleased to be able to accommodate them as much as I did and have pretty much the same recipes. Thanks for your comment and glad that you enjoyed the post.
Cindy
Yummy! I love Bob’s Red Mill products. I used to live down the street from their store/restaurant in Portland.
Beth
Hi Cindy – I was very pleased with this product. And the recipes turned out well for the most part. Glad that you enjoyed the post and thank you for your comment!
Debbie
Thanks for sharing these recipes! I’m trying to cut out as much gluten as possible!
Beth
Hi Debbie – Well I have had quite a few requests through these blogs but not as many in person. So this was a great opportunity. Thanks for your comment and glad that you enjoyed the post.
Cecile
Wow! Those looks so good. The blue cheese tarts with cranberries sounds delicious.
Beth
Hi Cecile – Yes they are my favorite whether GF or regular. Delicious. Thanks for your comment and glad that you enjoyed the post.
Tricia Snow
I really need more gluten-free in my life!
Beth
Hi Tricia – Well I was pleased to be able to recreate several of the items and some of them I might just keep GF. Thanks for your comment and glad you enjoyed the post.
Sabrina
I could not wait to get to this blog. Anything involving tea and treats gets my vote. Loved these recipes so much I know that I will be trying a few of them. Thanks for sharing.
Beth
Hi Sabrina – I am so glad that you enjoyed the post. Yes, I was even anxious to publish it because I know that several of my readers have requested GF recipes. Thanks for your comments and let me know how they turn out!
Tiffany
Good info! Gluten free options are becoming necessary!
Beth
Hi Tiffany – Yes they are and I was glad to be able to try out some favorite recipes. Thanks for your comment and glad that you enjoyed the post.
Barbara
I’ve been trying out Bob’s Oat Flour. It is n interesting texture and taste!
Beth
Hi Barbara – This was my first try with any of Bob’s products. This one in particular I found very easy to work with and for the most part, resembled the original recipe. So I was pleased. Might need to look into other products as well. Thanks for your feedback and glad you enjoyed the post.
Emi
My sister in law is gluten free and I think she’d really enjoy this list. Those brownie bites, among everything else, look scrumptious!
Beth
Hi Emi – So glad that you enjoyed the post. I was delighted at how the brownies turned out – and yes, they are scrumptious and decadent. Only cut a small amount. This is one of the recipes that I would keep GF it turned out so well. Thanks for your comment and hope your sister makes some of the treats.
Suz | TravelsWithSuz.com
Your tea sounds fantastic! Gran Marnier chocolate…oh my! Thanks for the gorgeous gastronomical delights! 🥰
Beth
Hi Suz – Yes, it was great fun. Its been awhile since I baked like this and then putting the GF layer on top was a bit more challenging. But was very pleased how things turned out. And from the looks of the plates – so were the guests. All gone! Thanks for your comment and glad you enjoyed the post.
Suzan
I’ll have to share this with my gluten intolerant daughter.
Beth
Hi Suzan – Yes, please do. I would be interested in her feedback. I am not GF but was pleased with several of these. Glad that you enjoyed the post and thanks for your comment.
Marianne
Yum! I have only tried a couple of gluten free recipes, and they were NOT GOOD! LOL. I will have to try the 1:1 flour though… looks like it may be a game changer!
Beth
Hi Marianne – It was for me. I didn’t want to use all the other flours and xanthum gum, so was glad to see this in one package. A little more pricier than regular flour – but worth it when I had the outcome. I think its not interchangeable for all recipes without having some adjustments for temperature and time. But for several of these, it worked beautifully. Thanks for your comment and glad you enjoyed the post!
Shelby
I personally don’t have gluten sensitivity but all of these sound delicious!
Beth
Hi Shelby – I don’t have a GF sensitivity either, but when it was requested felt like I needed to provide. And actually, many of these were delicious and I would make them again! Thanks for your comment and glad that you enjoyed the post.
Kendra
Thanks so much for this post! I’m looking forward to enjoying these gluten-free recipes!
Beth
Hi Kendra – I had several of my GF readers in mind when I made these so was excited to post for you all. Hope that you enjoy them. They were easy and fun to make. Great alternatives as well. Thanks for your comment.
Erica Pittenger
Gorgeous photos! I am definitely trying these recipes. I am so hungry just reading about them!!
Beth
Hi Erica – Thanks so much for your comment. Hope that you enjoy the recipes. I was pleased with them. Glad you enjoyed the post.
Musskorang
I just sent this to my gluten-free mom friend who struggles with snacks and desserts for her son. Such pretty photos!
Beth
Hi Musskorang – So glad that you enjoyed the post and forwarded the recipes. Yes, I was pleased and would easily make some of these again GF. Thanks for your comment.
Sandi Barrett
You throw an amazing tea party. I’m sure all your guests were delighted. I’m more than a little jealous.
Beth
Hi Sandi – Thanks so much. Its always fun to treat my guests. Glad that you enjoyed the post and thanks for your comment – it made me smile.
Ayesha Siddiqui
Thank you for the recipes and tips. I’ve been gluten free for the past 2 years and always find difficulty with finding substitutes with proper reviews. Will be saving this!
Beth
Hi Ayesha – Thank you for much for your comment. I am very glad that you found the information helpful. I will definitely be baking GF again and will use some of these recipes for sure. Glad you enjoyed the post.
Melissa Jones
Those look amazing! I would have had no idea they were gluten free!
Beth
Hi Melissa – Thanks…that was my goal. I wanted my GF guests to feel the same experience as the other guests. And I think it worked from what I had as feedback. So I was pleased. I was also pleased with the outcome of some of the recipes – lessons learned as well but would do it again for sure. Thanks for your comment and glad that you enjoyed the post.
Maya
Great recipes. Your pictures are so inviting & look delicious.
Beth
Hi Maya – Thank you so much. Well I was pleased with how they turned out and were very delicious. Glad you enjoyed the post and thank you for your comment.
Danielle Ardizzone
Oooh, those chocolate brownie bites look so sinfully delicious!
Beth
Hi Danielle – They are absolutely delicious and the leftovers don’t last long at all. Thanks for your comment and glad that you enjoyed the post.
Cindy Moore
These treats all look amazing! I’m vegan AND gluten free. I’ll see if I can adapt some of these.
Beth
Hi Cindy – I hope that you can use some of these. Thanks for your comment and glad that you enjoyed the post.