One popular pastry used for breakfast are strudels. Toaster strudels are crusted, flavored treats that vary from strawberry to cinnamon roll. There’s no shortage of flavors to choose from. However, these strudels contain flour. So are toaster strudels gluten-free?
Toaster strudels are, in general, not gluten-free. The main brand of toaster strudels, Pillsbury, does not have a gluten-free option. However, there are other brands that make gluten-free products. They’re harder to come by, but they do exist. For gluten-free toaster strudels, your best bet is to make them yourself.
The rest of this article will cover why toaster strudels aren’t gluten-free, how to find gluten-free toaster strudels, alternatives to toaster strudels, and why you shouldn’t have toaster strudels.
Why Toaster Strudels Aren’t Gluten-Free
It’s hard to find gluten-free toaster strudels because the ingredients are packed with gluten. For example, there’s a plentiful amount of flour present inside Pillsbury toaster strudels. Other brands use different, gluten-free flours to make strudels, but they’re difficult to create.
Even at bakeries, more often than not, toaster strudels are going to contain gluten. They require a plentiful amount of flour. If you were to exchange the flour for a unique flour that doesn’t contain gluten, then you can make gluten-free toaster strudels.
Otherwise, you’re going to see strudels with gluten all over the place. They’re the most common option, especially for the brand that started it all: Pillsbury.
Read More >> Are Arepas Gluten-Free?
How To Find Gluten-Free Toaster Strudels
Unfortunately, the main brand of toaster strudels doesn’t have any gluten-free options. There are smaller, less known brands that do, but they’re hard to come by. For these brands, you’re most likely going to find them online, but you can try shopping in-person as well.
The best place to look for gluten-free toaster strudels is online. On Amazon in particular, you can find all sorts of products. Gluten-free toaster strudels are a part of that inventory, but the major con to that is the shipping will take several days.
If you’re willing to wait days, or even over a week, then use Amazon to purchase the strudels. You can also use other websites, but it’s best to use Amazon since there’s variety, and there’s systems such as the review system and Q&A box that help customers with their shopping.
There’s also shopping in-person. If you want to physically look at the box and see the ingredients and gluten-free label, then you should try going to a grocery store. Grocery stores carry all sorts of pastries, which includes strudels.
At a grocery store, gluten-free strudels may not be possible. The good news is that even if you don’t find any, you can still pick up the items you’ll need to make your own. Not only is this a healthier option, but it gives you more versatility with your cooking.
Lastly, you can shop at Target or Walmart to find gluten-free toaster strudels. Whether you do this online or in-person, you have a high chance of finding strudels there. The contents Walmart and Target sell will vary based on your location.
Alternatives To Toaster Strudels
Instead of getting toaster strudels, you can get similar pastries that’ll provide you with a filling breakfast. For starters, you can get gluten-free bread and have that in the mornings. Bread will give you the energy you need to go about the rest of your day.
If you really want a toaster strudel, you should make it yourself. That way you can get healthier ingredients and make it to better suit your tastes. You can experiment with the flavors by putting in any filling you want, and you can choose how soft or hard you want the crust.
Pop tarts aren’t much healthier than toaster strudels, but they have a similar taste and design, and they have more gluten-free variants that are easily accessible. If you’re looking for a gluten-free pastry product with filling, then pop tarts are the next best item.
Lastly, there’s also other breakfast foods you can incorporate into your diet, like hash browns. Not only are they filling and delicious, but they’re also quick and easy to make. Or you can even have hash browns with toaster strudels, and the pair will go together well.
Read More >> Useful Tips for Gluten-Free Crepes
Why You Shouldn’t Have Toaster Strudels
Although they’re a delicious treat that have multiple flavors to choose from, toaster strudels aren’t healthy. There’s nothing wrong with indulging in unhealthy foods here and there, but toaster strudels have so many similar, healthier alternatives that are cheaper too.
It’s more beneficial for you to learn how to cook different types of breakfast foods rather than relying on toaster strudels. They’re a quick snack, sure, but since they have few gluten-free options, you’ll want to have a list of foods you can replace them with.
The reason why they’re unhealthy goes beyond just the flour. There’s also the added sugars that are packed inside the treat to make it so sweet. The filling inside a strudel is pure sugar, which is one of the main reasons why it’s so unhealthy.
There’s no actual fruit inside the strudels. This isn’t always a bad thing, but in high amounts, it can be very unhealthy. That’s without mentioning how the crust has a lot of fat. As a treat, strudels are great. However, don’t treat it like a regular meal.
Recipe For Gluten-Free Toaster Strudels
With a little creativity, you can enjoy gluten-free versions of all your favorite dishes – including toaster strudel! This gluten-free toaster strudel recipe is easy to make and just as delicious as the original. The ingredients include the following:
- Any brand of gluten-free flour (for example: Bob’s Red Mill gluten-free all-purpose baking flour)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup of melted butter
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1/4 cup milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup of fruit filling (i.e., apple filling, pumpkin filling etc.)
- 1/2 cup raisins or currants (optional)
Instructions
- To make the pastry dough, combine 1 cup of gluten-free flour (any brand of your choice), 1/4 cup of sugar, 1 teaspoon of baking powder, and 1/4 teaspoon of salt in a large bowl.
- In a separate bowl, add two beaten eggs, whisk them, and 1/4 cup of milk. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix until everything is well combined. Then, add 1/4 cup of melted butter and mix until the dough attains a smooth consistency.
- Roll the dough out into a rectangular shape about 12 inches wide by 16 inches long. Afterwards, spread 1/2 cup of your favorite fruit filling evenly over the surface of the dough. Make sure to layer it down smoothly. As an additional step, you can add vanilla essence or 1/2 cup of raisins to enhance the taste.
- Starting at one end, roll the dough up into a log. Cut the log into 12 even pieces and place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Bake at 425 degrees for 15 minutes, or until the strudels are golden brown.
Enhancing The Flavor in Gluten-Free Toaster Strudels
There are no limitations to how you choose to enhance the flavor while baking gluten-free toaster strudels. You can experiment with a variety of fillings such as apple fillings, cinnamon fillings etc. You can also add a bit of marmalade to give it a bit of a breakfast feel.
To be a little gimmicky, you can add a bit of sprinkles on top or icing sugar, adding another layer of flavor. If you prefer a chocolaty flavor, there’s nothing stopping you from going wild with chocolate syrup!
The only catch here is to make sure that all the add-ons you’re enhancing your toaster strudels with are gluten-free. Be sure to go over the ingredients mentioned on the back of the packaging for every product so you don’t accidentally end up adding gluten.
When To Serve Toaster Strudels
Toaster strudels make amazing choices for instant breakfasts, as they are easy to prepare and make a pleasurable breakfast experience by being delicious. You can serve them alongside a cup of milk and fruit slices in order to make a more nutritious, yet savory breakfast.
They can also be served as quick desserts when you’re in a pinch, since all you need to do to prepare them is place them in a toaster, and leave them like so until they’ve become golden brown.
If you’re expecting a lot of guests and your dinner table looks empty, toaster strudels come in handy as side dishes that you can fill the table with alongside the main course.
The best thing is that they can be consumed on the go, especially when you’re running out of time and need to head to work quickly. Just leave them in the toaster, set the time, and go dress up for work. When you return, you’ll have a makeshift breakfast right in your kitchen that you can grab and quench your hunger with while you leave for work.
If you make gluten-free toaster strudels by yourself, you can always save some in a plastic container placed in the refrigerator, and grab some whenever you’re looking for a quick bite.
Conclusion
Toaster strudels are a treat typically used as a breakfast food. They have a crusty texture with dozens of fillings and flavors you can choose from. However, most toaster strudels are not gluten-free. The main brand, Pillsbury, has no gluten-free version of their product.
To find a gluten-free toaster strudel, you need to look to the less-known brands. You can find these when shopping in-person or online, but more commonly online. The best way to get gluten-free toaster strudels is to make them yourself using the proper ingredients.
Despite how tasty they are, toaster strudels aren’t good for you. Therefore, you should avoid having them when you can. Try alternatives to toaster strudels, such as variations of gluten-free bread, or you can make your own, healthier versions of toaster strudels.