Gluten free baking is easier than it has ever been before. Just a few short years ago, gluten free ingredients were difficult to find and the results that you would get when working on a recipe could be unpredictable, to say the least. These days, there are a wide range of gluten free flours and baking mixes that are available at most markets and they have helped to raise the bar of gluten free baking, both for the quality of the products you can make and for how easy it is do to it.

There are many to choose from and not all gluten free baking mixes are created equal. Some work better for certain types of baked goods than others. In a recent issue, Everyday Food tested and compared several brands of gluten free flour mixes to see how they performed. Their findings definitely proved that some mixes are better for certain things than others.

• C4C Gluten Free Flour – Overall favorite. This mix was developed at The French Laundry and produced light and fluffy cakes consistently and was good for all types of baking.
• Gluten Free Pantry All Purpose Flour – Good for cakes. This flour had a very mild taste, but could impart a slightly grainy texture to baked goods. Chocolate chip cookies were slightly dry.
• Hodgson Mill Multi-Purpose Baking Mix - Favorite whole grain. Chocolate chip cookies had a great texture and added 3 grams of fiber per quarter cup.
• King Arthur Multi-Purpose Gluten Free Flour - Good for muffins. This mix produced hard, sandy cookies but worked well in very moist baked goods, like muffins and banana breads.
• Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free All Purpose Flour – Good for savory dishes. This bean-based flour had a flavor that didn’t mesh well with some sweeter baked goods, though they had a good texture.

In my own experiences with gluten free baking mixes, I would definitely encourage you to do some experimentation. For instance, I did not have good results with the King Arthur mix in my Gluten Free Thin Mints, but had excellent results with Bob’s Red Mill and C4C. These are helpful guidelines, but nothing beats trying a few and seeing which ones produce the best results in your own baked goods.