Product Review: Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free Cornbread Mix

Cornbread is one of those comfort foods I remember from childhood. In our house it was always accompanied by chilli or some other hot soup containing beans. We would slather it with butter and honey, practically making it a dessert. It amazed me as I got older to see that cornbread was a staple in a lot of homes. There are so many ways to eat it and it compliments just about every food out there.

I have only had cornbread once or twice since I started a gluten free diet, and only when someone else made it. It’s not that I lost my taste for it, just that it always seemed a bit complicated to make. I was very happy when I found this Gluten Free Cornbread Mix from Bob’s Red Mill and read the directions. Here was a mix that was pretty simple and meant that I could surprise my husband with one of his favorite foods. It’s a win win.

Ease of Use

Like I said above, this mix is pretty easy to make. The directions call for milk (rice, dairy or soy), 2 eggs and oil. I like the fact that the package specified that I could use any kind of milk. I try to go light on the dairy so I use rice milk whenever possible. Using mixes always leaves me wondering if making the substitution is a bad call. I also like the fact that I didn’t have to buy anything special to make the mix.

The only problem I had was that the ingredients were supposed to be room temperature. Bringing the temperature of my eggs and milk down took longer than I would have liked.

When you have everything just right, mix all of the ingredients in a mixer and pour the batter into a greased pan. Be warned, the batter is thick and fluffy. It almost seems like it has risen already. I was a bit worried as I spread it in the pan that if it rose at all it would overflow.

Appearance

The cornbread didn’t overflow while it baked, but it did rise pretty high. It doubled in size in fact. The cornbread I pulled out of the oven was a deep yellow color, fluffy looking and full of large cracks on top. On the inside I found a dense crumb with small even holes. It looked delicious.

Taste and Texture

I am impressed. This cornbread was great! It was moist and just a bit crumbly (the way cornbread should be). It was thick, soft and had a perfect bite.

The flavor was sweet, rich and satisfying. I was thrilled that it tasted just like it remember it should. My husband, who is not gluten free, made a formal declaration that this was “real” cornbread. That’s pretty high praise coming from him.

Versatility

Since this is a mix it is endlessly versatile. The obvious uses are muffins and pancakes but a savvy baker would have no trouble finding all sorts of other yummy treats to make.

Overall Value

I am seeing a different price for Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free Cornbread Mix everywhere I look, but it always falls between $3 and $4. I think it’s worth the money.

Rating

Love it! I will be using this mix again.