Grain-Free Recipes for Thanksgiving: An Interview with Danielle Walker

Planning the menu for big holiday dinners like Thanksgiving has gotten a lot more complex. These days, chances are good that your guest list will include at least one vegan, someone who is gluten intolerant, and any number of other special dietary needs and requests.

See also: Dinner Party Etiquette: How to Handle Dietary Restrictions?

A few months ago, Kara Rota (of the Clever Cookstr) and I shared some ideas on what to serve when vegans are coming to dinner. This week, I connected with Danielle Walker, author of the popular blog Against All Grain and several best-selling cookbooks featuring recipes that are 100% grain- and dairy-free, to talk about grain-free recipes for the holidays.

Below are some highlights from our conversation. You can listen to the entire interview using the audio player in the upper right, or on iTunes or Stitcher.

Grain-Free Baked Goods

Danielle proves that it’s possible to make breads, cakes, cookies, muffins, and even hamburger rolls without grains. Although Danielle strives to match the texture of grain-based foods as closely as possible, you may find that grain-free baked goods are slightly denser. They may also stale more quickly. Keeping them in the freezer and thawing as needed can help extend the shelf-life.

Best Flour Substitute

After experimenting with lots of different grain free flours and mixes, Danielle found that almond flour with just a bit of coconut flour produces the moistest, fluffiest results.

However, grain-free flours do not work well with yeast. As a result, all of the breads are “quick breads,” leavened with baking soda or baking powder.

Treats Are Still Treats

One of the main advantages of the Paleo diet is that it usually means eliminating bread, cookies, muffins, and other grain-based foods, which eliminates a lot of empty calories from the diet. Although Danielle’s cookbooks include recipes for lots of Paleo-friendly breads and desserts, these should be consumed in moderation. 

Also, keep in mind that grain-free baked goods, which rely on nuts and nut flour to replace grain-based flours, are going to be quite a bit higher in calories than their conventional counterparts.

Even for those who are not following 100% grain-free or Paleo diets, Danielle’s innovative recipes are a great resource for adventurous cooks and especially useful if you’re cooking for someone with dietary restrictions. She’s also got two special cookbooks devoted specifically to holiday menus: Thankful for Thanksgiving and Joyful for the December holidays.  You’ll find all of Danielle’s books as well as her popular blog at AgainstAllGrain.com.