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If you are new to wheat free cooking there are a few things you should keep in mind. Non-traditional flours are a bit trickier to work with and if not baked just right can turn into a heavy and flat mess.

First, ignore the advice of those who say to stockpile every available kind of wheat flour substitute. This will only confuse matters.

Plus, many alternative flours have short shelf lives and will expire before you even get a chance to use them. Cooking with rancid flour will not make for yummy treats. What I recommend you do is buy a few wheat free baking mixes and see what you like best.

There are dozens of options available from Pamela’s, Arrowhead Mills, Namaste, Authentic Foods, Bob’s Red Mill, and more. Try the recipes on the boxes or bags, and substitute them in your favorite recipes.

When you have 3 or 4 favorites make sure to keep some on hand for all your baking needs. You don’t have to keep them in the boxes, in fact keeping them in airtight containers may extend their shelf life.

Often, people are allergic to more than one ingredient, and if soy, nuts, or dairy is a problem for you, you will need to be extra vigilant.

Secondly, wheat free cooking requires a lot of practice to get right. I mean, a lot of practice. You will probably throw away a lot of messed up cookies, cakes and bread your first week, but thats ok.

Stick with it and remember that each item you bake is another step towards perfection. Keep a record of your experiments so you can learn from your mistakes.

Third, make some friends or meet people who are in the same situation you are. There are local and online support groups you could join. These usually have a lot of recipes and tips that will reduce your own learning curve. The emotional reinforcement is nice as well.

Yes, it will take a lot of practice to perfect wheat free cooking. However, having the right tools in hand, keeping your successes and failure in mind while you experiment, and talking with other wheatless people will keep you on the right track.