Until recent years, the term celiac was something uncommon word to most people. Not many people knew of the disease or what it entailed. However, over the past decade, celiac disease awareness has risen drastically. According to BeyondCeliac.com, 1 in 133 Americans, or about 1% of the population lives with celiac disease. While 5-22% of people with celiac disease have an immediate family member who also has the disease. Unfortunately, there is an ongoing struggle when it comes to having celiac. There are no pharmaceutical treatments or cures for the disease. Currently, the only ongoing treatment for celiac is changing your lifestyle to a 100% gluten-free diet. With an increase of awareness and number of cases, this blog will outline what is celiac disease, gluten-free foods, and some fun, gluten-free dessert recipes featuring Simply Delish desserts!
What is celiac disease?
Celiac disease is a serious genetic, autoimmune disease that affects the lining of the small intestines. To protect the small intestines, people with the disease must follow a gluten-free lifestyle. However, when those with celiac disease ingest foods with gluten, the protein within the gluten starts to break down the lining making it difficult for the body to fully absorb the gluten. From there, this leads to malnourishment which can cause other issues such as thyroid disease, osteoporosis, or infertility. There’s an array of different symptoms that one with celiac may experience. However, if you’re experiencing symptoms after eating gluten, we suggest you reach out to your doctor for further support.
What are celiac-friendly foods?
Just because you have celiac disease, doesn’t mean that you have to give up on the foods you once loved. Luckily, with the increase in the celiac community, restaurants and food companies have created gluten-free menus and food products. Here’s a list of great, celiac-friendly foods:
Fruit + veggies
Potatoes
Rice
Meat + fish
Almond flour
Most dairy
Corn
Delicious Gluten-Free Dessert Recipes
Ditch the gluten but keep the sweet tooth, these dessert recipes are gluten-free, delicious, and perfect for you and your lifestyle. These recipes feature Simply Delish Instant Pudding and Jel Desserts, which are gluten-free and can be enjoyed by anyone in the family!
Gluten-Free Cookie Dough Cheesecake Bars
Ingredients
Crust
- 1 bag Bee Free Gluten Free chocolate granola
- ¼ cup Eat Nut Zero chocolate fuel
Cheesecake
- 1 container Truwhip cool whip
- 1 packet Simply Delish Vanilla Pudding
- ½ cup Siggis Dairy plain yogurt
- ½ cup Lily's Sweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- Pulse the crust ingredients together in a food processor and press firmly into a 8x8 baking dish.
- Combine the cheesecake ingredients together in a large bowl and spread over the crust.
- Place in the freezer for about an hour, cut and enjoy!
Gluten-Free Chocolate Donuts
Equipment
- Electric mixer
- Donut Pan
- Wax Paper
Ingredients
Donuts
- 3½ cups gluten-free 1-1 flour mix
- 2½ tsp baking powder
- 1 cup white sugar
- 1½ tsp salt
- ¾ cup Simply Delish Vanilla Pudding
- ¾ cup milk or milk subsitute
- ⅓ cup buttermilk
- 5 large eggs
- 1½ tsp vanilla extract
Chocolate Coating
- 36 oz. chocolate candy melted
Instructions
- Pre-heat your oven to 400°F.
- Mix up your instant pudding following the instructions on the box, set aside for later. Grease your donut pans and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl combine flour, baking powder, sugar and salt.
- In a smaller bowl combine the instant pudding, milk, eggs, buttermilk, and vanilla.
- Add the wet ingredients to the flour mix and whisk thoroughly. You should have a thick batter.
- Spoon batter into a piping bag and pipe batter into the donut wells.
- Bake donuts for 10 –12 minutes or until skewer comes out clean. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely.
- Take your candy melts and melt them in a microwave safe bowl in the microwave using 30 second increments to stop and stir. Or melt them in a double boiler.
- Using a fork through the center hole of the cooled donuts, drop them one at a time into the melted chocolate and flip over to fully coat each side.
- Shake off any drips and then set onto wax paper to set and cool. The coating should harden back up within 30 minutes.
Nutrition
Gluten-Free Strawberry Cheesecake Truffles
Ingredients
Truffles
- ¼ cup almond flour + 3 tbsp
- ¼ cup dairy-free cream cheese
- 2 tbsp coconut flour
- 3 tbsp monk fruit sweetener
- 1 egg
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- ¼ tsp baking powder
- pinch salt
- 1 packet Simply Delish Strawberry Jel
- 1 tbsp soy milk, unsweetened
Frosting
- 3 tbsp dairy-free cream cheese
- 1 tbsp monk fruit sweetener
- 1 tbsp soy milk
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 350° Fahrenheit.
- Combine truffle ingredients in a mixing bowl. Mix until you form a dough.
- Use a cookie scoop and place on cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes. Cool for approximately 10 minutes.
- For the frosting, mix until smooth and creamy.
- Dip cooled truffles into the frosting then place in the freezer for approximately 30 minutes.
- Enjoy!
Nutrition
>> Simply Delish: 5 Tips on Living with Celiac Disease
>> Simply Delish: Gluten-Free Jel
>> Simply Delish: Gluten-Free Pudding
>> Simply Delish FAQ: Ingredients
