Sunday, November 14, 2010

Product Reviews: GF Burger Bun Showdown!

The other day I promised that I would tell y'all about the hamburger buns that I just luurve! Well, today I'm going to tell you about them along with a few other GF buns on the market I've tried and enjoyed.

When I first started eating gluten free, I swore by the Kinnikinnick bread products. I still love the unique flavor they have and the great soft texture, especially when warmed.  They are also pretty light, which is nice in a burger bun, because too much bread really throws off the ratio of bread to meat.  They're not perfect though.  They get soggy easily and can get sort of flaky on top if they aren't thawed slowly (i.e. if you do it in the microwave).  They are available in the freezer section at my local Kroger though, so it's super convenient.

{image via Kinnikinnick}



The next bun I tried was the one made by the Whole Foods Gluten Free Bakehouse.  While I love most of the WH Bakehouse products, this was probably my least favorite bun.  It has a great flavor, but is just much too dense (a problem from which a lot of GF products suffer).  I've been known to use these in a pinch, but there are certainly better options.

 {image via Gluten-Free Foodie}


Probably my second favorite burger bun option is from Gillian's Foods.  I originally found these at Whole Foods when I lived in Chicago, but here in the 713, they're available in the gluten free freezer section at HEB Central Market.  These are a pretty light and yummy bun option - and one of the best things about them is that they are less than 200 calories!  Many GF bread products have a tendency to be really caloric, which is never a good thing.   If not thawed slowly on the counter top, they can suffer from the same flaking tendency that the Kinnikinnick buns have.

{image via Gillian's Foods}


So, drumroll please... what are my favorite gluten free buns you ask?  None other than the buns from Canyon Bakehouse.  These buns will change your life - I know they've changed mine.  They are light and fluffy much like a normal white bread hamburger bun, but they're actually made with all sorts of healthy GF grains (not just your standard rice, tapioca mix).  They hold up really well to burgers and never flake.  You can buy them in packs of four in the bakery section at Whole Foods on Kirby.  They're focaccia bread is pretty amazing too with pasta.  The one downfall would be that since they are fresh and have no preservatives, they can mold pretty quickly (within a couple of days).  I recommend freezing them and they thaw pretty well!  





No excuses now not to enjoy a delicious burger, gluten free!  I hope you try the Canyon Bakehouse buns and love them as much as I do.  Let me know what you think!



2 comments:

  1. Fantastic! I've been wanting to try some but I hate to pay so much for something that could potentially suck. And thanks for including where to find them :o)

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  2. I know what you mean... I cringe when I see the prices of some of these things. It's so worth it though to get something that doesn't make you feel like you're settling for an imitation.

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