This round-up of GAPS Diet baked goods and treats is unusual.
For instance, only a few of the recipes contain almond flour. Some include baking soda. Yet all are nutrient-dense, gentle, healing, indulgent recipes!
Years of experience with the GAPS Diet has informed each of the recipe choices. Let’s discuss how I chose each one, below…
Baking Soda: Not Your Typical GAPS Fare
Many recipes below call for baking soda. This ingredient is not typically GAPS-friendly since it creates a less acidic pH in the stomach, thus compromising digestion.
To consume baking soda while on the GAPS Diet without thwarting digestion, use any of these supplements:
- digestive bitters — consume before your meal (learn more about digestive bitters and how to make your own with just two ingredients and five minutes!)
- Betaine HCl — consume during your meal
- Vitamin U — consume during your meal if stomach is extra-sensitive (learn more about Vitamin U)
Minimal Almond Flour & Almond Butter
Many GAPS-legal recipes call for commercially-made nut butters and nut flours. Sadly, these aren’t easy to digest because they’re made from dormant seeds. Neither raw nuts nor roasted nuts have been “awakened” from their dormant state. Their nutrition cannot be assimilated, and they, therefore, wreak havoc on the digestive mechanism.
Raw and roasted nuts are also high in phytic acid, which binds to minerals and prevents the body from absorbing them, thus further robbing the body of needed nutrition. Almonds, specifically, are very high in omega-6 fats, while most of us need more omega-3s. (Read more on almonds here.)
Be sure that when you use any nut or seed flour (or butter) the nuts have first been soaked and dehydrated. Nuts and seeds are then referred to as “awakened” or “crispy.” (Learn to make your own crispy nuts here.)
Most of the following recipes do not contain nut flours unless they have been pre-digested in one of these ways; or the recipe will be followed by a reminder note from me about doing so. 🙂 (Note: Nuts and seeds may also be pre-digested through fermentation, as you’ll see in the fermented, dairy-free cheesecake below.)
Below you’ll find several categories of GAPS Diet baked goods: Muffins and Quick Breads, Pancakes, Cookies, Scones and Biscuits, Pies, Tarts and Bars, Cake-y Things, Pizzas and Sandwich Breads.
I hope this collection gives you a lot more variety and fun with recipes, so you have greater contentment and success on the GAPS Diet! (If you’re struggling on the diet, I recommend these articles: How To Thrive On The GAPS Introduction Diet and Let’s Demystify The GAPS Diet.)
Do You Tolerate Coconut?
A lot of the recipes below use coconut, coconut flour, or coconut butter. But not all of them!
Some use sprouted nuts or seeds, as discussed above; and some have other creative ingredients.
If you can’t have coconut, and you find a need for more recipes, I recommend my cookbook Eat Beautiful, which uses soaked nuts and seeds primarily. The cookbook teaches a unique blender method, that makes the recipes fast and with a more similar texture to baked goods most of us used to eat while on a standard American diet. (Find the eCookbook here or the softcover here.)
A Few Other Considerations
While some recipes below call for cocoa powder, this should be a rare ingredient for special occasions. GAPS patients may get carried away with chocolate treats, so do not let the few recipes containing cocoa become everyday staples.
A couple of the recipes have a GAPS Diet variation, which aligns the recipe with the diet. These great recipes have been included because you’ll love them. Just make sure to follow the variation, instead of the main/original recipe.
And now — 41 healing and indulgent GAPS Diet baked goods you’ll love!
Quick Bread Loaves
- Zucchini Bread with Crumble Topping (Since the recipe does not specify, be sure to use sprouted walnuts in the topping.)
- Coconut Flour Zucchini Bread
- Cinnamon-Raisin Bread
- Basic Coconut Flour Bread
Muffins
- Chocolate Fig Walnut Muffins (Use the honey option, for your sweetener. Disregard the topping suggestion of chevre, which is not GAPS-legal.)
- Pumpkin Spice Muffins
- Cranberry-Lemon Muffins
- Blueberry Muffins (See the GAPS variations: honey and sprouted nut butter are subbed in for 2 other ingredients.)
- Carrot Muffins
- Savory Meat and Veggie Muffins
- Savory Onion Muffins
- Sausage Pizza Egg Muffins
Pancakes
- Intro Diet Nut Butter Pancakes (Be sure to use sprouted nut butter.)
- Coconut Flour Pancakes (Use homemade, not store-bought, applesauce in this recipe.)
- Pumpkin Pancakes (Use only the honey sweetener option for condiments.)
- Swedish Pancakes/Crepes
- Spaghetti Squash Pancake (No flour is used; sweet or savory.)
Cookies
- Apricot-N’Oatmeal Cookies (egg-free)
- Apricot-Coconut Protein Bars (egg-free)
- Chocolate-Coconut Cookies (egg-free & no-bake)
- Coconut Macaroons (For the sweetener, use the honey option instead of agave.)
- Chocolate-Sunflower Freezer Fudge
Scones & Biscuits
Cheesecakes, Pies, Tarts & Bars
- Coconut Flour Pie Crust
- No-Bake Eggnog Cheesecake (Follow the GAPS Diet variations.)
- Fermented Cheesecake with Raspberry Topping (dairy-free and egg-free)
- Savory Shepherd’s Pie
- Crustless Pumpkin Pie
Cake-y Things
- Coconut Pecan Breakfast Bars
- Lemon Bread with Lemon Glaze
- Banana-Cinnamon Tea Cake (egg-free)
- Cocoa Butter Pound Cake
- Twinkie Cupcakes
Pizza & Sandwich Breads
- Cauliflower Pizza Crust
- Sausage Crusted Pizza (“Meatza”)
- Pizza Bake Casserole
- Cloud Bread
- 3-Ingredient Bagels (This recipe does not specify. Please use crispy nuts to make homemade almond flour.)
- Grain-Free Sandwich Bread
Looking for more nourishing, gut-healing foods that your family will love to eat?
Be sure to check my cookbook: Eat Beautiful: Grain-Free, Sugar-Free and Loving It (softcover version as well).
It contains all the recipes I’ve perfected through my family’s years on a gut-healing diet.
My eBook and video package is currently 50% off. One of the bonus videos you’ll get explains the grain-free baking technique I use to make amazing panini sandwiches for our gut-healing cafe in Eugene, Oregon!
Click here for more info or to buy my book, Eat Beautiful: Grain-Free, Sugar-Free and Loving It for 50% off (plus get 5 bonus videos).
And If You’re Overwhelmed By GAPS…
If you’re feeling intimidated or overwhelmed about implementing the GAPS diet and want some hands-on help, checkout the GAPS Class taught by Traditional Cooking School’s friend and GAPS practitioner Melanie Christner. Click here for more info. (Limited spaces.)
Thinking Of Doing GAPS?
- The Gut-Healing GAPS Diet Made Simple
- The Harmon Family’s Experience On The GAPS Intro Diet
- Why You Might Consider The GAPS Diet
- Let’s Demystify The GAPS Diet
- 82 Ways To Heal Your Gut
How long have you been on the GAPS Diet? What’s your greatest struggle? What’s your greatest success?
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