Gluten Free Guyanese Bakes

Gluten free Guyanese bakes have all the flavor and texture of traditional fried bakes or floats without the tummy ache from the gluten. Enjoy this doughy treat as a gluten free snack or breakfast side.

Gluten Free Guyanese Bakes

If you’ve been following me for a while, you know that I have a non celiac gluten sensitivity. This means that although I am not allergic to gluten, I don’t feel great when I have too much of it. Since being diagnosed with this sensitivity in 2015 I’ve experimented with many combinations of flour trying to recreate my beloved Caribbean foods with a viable gluten free alternative.

I recently shared my gluten free, grain free roti recipe after years of perfecting it! Now I am sharing my gluten free bake recipe and if you can’t have gluten (like me) I hope you give it a try.

Why You’ll Love This Gluten Free Guyanese Bake Recipe

• Fun Family Activity: I used a hand pie cutter and made mini bakes, that my little people quite enjoy. This is also a great way to get your children involved. I measure, pour, and fry but let them mix the dough and cut it into different shapes.
• Just As Good As Traditional Guyanese Bakes: These gluten free bakes taste exactly like regular bakes. In a blind taste test (I fed it to my family without telling them it was gluten free) my family could not tell that it was gluten free.
• Easy to Make: Even with gluten free substitutes, this recipe is incredibly easy to follow and ready in less than 1 hour.

Ingredients for Gluten Free Guyanese Bakes

I’ve tested this recipe repeatedly and the ingredients listed below result in the best gluten free Guyanese bakes.

• Warm water: Use warmer water so the brown sugar dissolves easily.
• Brown sugar: This won’t make the bread super sweet but it enhances the overall flavor.
• Psyllium Husk: Whole psyllium husk acts as a binder for the gluten free flour and makes it workable.
• Gluten Free Flour: I’ve tried many combinations of gluten free flour, even grain free and the best flour for this recipe is the Bob’s Redmill 1 to 1 baking flour or All Purpose Gluten Free Flour by Gluten Free Jules. This flour is available for purchase online through Amazon (click here to shop) and also directly from the Gluten Free Jules website, which ships to the US and Canada (click here to shop). Get this flour. It will change your gluten free baking life! Now I know it is a bit pricey but it comes in different sizes and it is so worth it. I save it for special things like this gluten free Guyanese bake!
• Baking powder: This provides that light, airy texture you expect and helps the bake to puff up.
• Salt: Add to taste.
• Melted coconut oil: can sub for melted butter
• Large egg (optional): Using eggs makes the gluten free bakes light and fluffy, just like traditional bakes.
• Apple cider vinegar (only if using eggs): Don’t skip this ingredient because helps to take away the overly eggy taste that comes from the addition of the egg to this recipe.
• Oil: Use any oil that is suitable for frying. Avocado or light tasting olive oil works great.

See recipe card for quantities.

How to Make Gluten Free Guyanese Bakes with Psyllium Gel

I recently started using psyllium gel in my gluten free breads and it works really well in this recipe. You can learn more about psyllium gel from The loopy whisk who is also an excellent source for gluten free baking!

To make the psyllium gel I dissolve the brown sugar in the warm water first, then add the psyllium husk. I let the mixture rest for about 5 minutes, until it gets gel like then add it to the dry ingredients.

Make the bakes with Gluten Free Jules All Purpose Flour

Making the dough is very easy. I used my rubber spatula method. Have you seen it? It was featured in my easy roti video tutorial and has been a hit ever since. This gluten-free all-purpose flour has a rich color and the dough is very pliable. It feels really soft and smooth and not grainy like the other measure for measure gluten free flours.

After mixing the dough, allow it to rest.

Shaping the bakes

To shape the bakes simply pinch off a palm sized piece of dough and roll into between floured palms into a somewhat smooth ball. Then press on a floured surface to flatten. Then using a rolling pin dusted with gluten free flour roll the dough ball out into a flat disk about 1/8th of an inch thick. You may also roll this dough out between two sheets of parchment paper if you prefer.

Rough edges versus smooth edges

You can choose to leave the edges as is for a more homey, rustic looking bake. This does not compromise whether the bake will puff up during cooking. However, if you are more of a perfectionist (like me, most of the time) and want your bake to have smooth edges you can use a knife to neaten the edges or use a hand pie cutter or round plastic container lid to cut your bakes into perfect circles

I used a hand pie cutter and made mini bakes, that my little people quite enjoy. My children absolutely love helping in the kitchen! I supervise the measuring and pouring while they take turns using a rubber spatula to mix the dough together.

Then I roll the dough out and they take turns cutting it into different shapes. I place cut out bakes on a sheet pan and then fry all of them without the help of the children. I always remind them that this step (cooking the bake) is a grown-up job!

Every time I’ve made this recipe all my bakes puffed up on their own. However, if you are making it and for some reason it doesn’t puff up on its own you can use a pot spoon to ladle hot oil over the bake and give it a little boost for puffing up. I demonstrate this in my original bake tutorial which you can find here.

Texture and Taste of the Gluten Free Bakes

These gluten free bakes taste exactly like regular bakes. In a blind taste test (I fed it to my family without telling them it was gluten free) my family could not tell that it was gluten free.

They ate these bakes up with such haste that I almost didn’t get any. Almost! As you can see from the picture below the bake has a nice pocket for stuffing with salt fish. It has a thin, slightly crunchy upper layer and a thicker, soft lower layer. This is exactly how I like my gluten free Guyanese bakes.

Storage

Store leftovers in the fridge for up to one week. Reheat them in the microwave, by wrapping them in a damp paper towel and microwaving them in 30-second increments.

Tips for the Best Gluten Free Guyanese Bakes

• Be careful when handling the dough. For best results roll the dough out between two sheets of parchment paper. This prevents the dough from sticking to your work surface and rolling pin. This is especially important if you use cup for cup gluten free flour.
• You can fry your bakes with rough/rustic edges or use a hand pie cutter or knife to make the ends perfect. I only use a cutter when I am making gluten free bakes for guests. Otherwise, I don’t mind the rustic look.
• Don’t forget to let the dough rest. It gives the baking powder time to work and will be the difference between bakes that puff up and bakes that are flat.

Recipe Variations

I tried this gluten free bakes recipe with two different gluten free flours in order to determine the best outcome.

Using Cup for Cup Gluten Free Flour

Cup for cup or measure for measure gluten free flour that you can find on most supermarket shelves will give you a decent gluten free bake. It is quite delicious when it is fresh, but after a day or two it becomes grainy. If you are familiar with gluten free rice based flours, you know that that grainy texture can be quite off putting.

Using this exact recipe, you can use cup for cup gluten free flour such as Bob’s Red Mill 1 to 1 Gluten Free Flour or King Arthur Measure for Measure Gluten Free flour. Both of these brands work well with this recipe.

Keep in mind the texture will not be completely the same as regular white flour bakes but it’s a decent gluten free bake. Bakes made with these types of gluten free flour have a nice crunch and texture but it are not very soft and sometimes they don’t puff up as nicely as real deal bakes.

Frequently Asked Questions