Whole-Grain Gluten-Free Flour Blends
How we tested
We wanted to find a store-bought whole-grain flour blend that we could recommend as a suitable alternative to the ATK Whole-Grain Gluten-Free Flour Blend, but unfortunately we didn’t find any. In fact, there are very few whole-grain blends on the market at all, never mind a brand that is widely available in supermarkets. We tracked down five whole-grain blends (mostly online) and gave them each a turn in Whole-Grain Chocolate Chip Cookies and Whole-Grain Blueberry Muffins.
We could not find a store-bought whole-grain flour blend that delivered the same earthy, “wheaty” flavor as our blend. We don’t recommend using any store-bought blends in recipes that call for our whole-grain blend.
Although all of the blends produced edible cookies and muffins (some more edible than others), none of them came close to delivering the deep, hearty, “wheaty” flavor of the ATK blend. The chart includes the five blends we tested, along with our tasting notes; note that they are listed alphabetically, not in order of preference.
The Results
Skippy Peanut Butter
In a contest that hinged on texture, tasters thought this "smooth, "creamy" sample was "swell" and gave it top honors, both plain and baked into cookies. Its rave reviews even compensated for a slightly "weak" nut flavor that didn't come through as well as that of other brands in the pungent satay sauce.
Jif Natural Peanut Butter Spread
The big favorite in satay sauce, this peanut butter's "dark, roasted flavor"—helped by the addition of molasses—stood out particularly well against the other heady ingredients, and it made cookies with "nice sweet-salty balance." Plus, as the top-rated palm oil-based sample, it was "creamy," "thick," and better emulsified than other "natural" contenders.
Reese's Peanut Butter
This is what peanut butter should be like, " declared one happy taster, noting specifically this product's "good," "thick" texture and "powerful peanut flavor." In satay sauce, however, some tasters felt that heavier body made for a "pasty" end result.
Skippy Natural Peanut Butter Spread
The only other palm oil-based peanut butter to make the "recommended" cut, this contender had a "looser" texture than its winning sibling but still won fans for being "super-smooth." Tasters thought it made an especially "well-balanced," "complex" peanut sauce.
Peanut Butter & Co. No-Stir Natural Smooth Operator
Though it says "no-stir" on the label, this "stiff" palm-oil enriched peanut butter was "weeping oil" and came across as "greasy" to some tasters. However, it turned out a respectable batch of cookies—"chewy in the center, crisp and short at the edge"—and made "perfectly good" satay sauce.
Maranatha Organic No Stir Peanut Butter
On the one hand, this organic peanut butter produced cookies that were "soft and sturdy" yet "moist," with "knockout peanut flavor." On the other hand, eating it straight from the jar was nearly impossible; its "loose," "liquid-y," and "dribbly" consistency had one taster wonder if it was "peanut soup."
Smart Balance All Natural Rich Roast Peanut Butter
Besides being unpalatably "tacky" and "sludgy," this "natural" peanut butter suffered from an awful "fishy" flavor with a "weird acidic aftertaste" that tasters noted in all three applications. Our best guess as to the culprit? The inclusion of flax seed oil, an unsaturated fat that's highly susceptible to rancidity.
Smucker's Natural Peanut Butter
With its only additive a negligible amount of salt, the only truly natural peanut butter in the lineup elicited comments ranging from mild dissatisfaction ("needs enhancement with salt and sugar") to outright disgust ("slithery," "chalky," "inedible"). Cookies were "dry and crumbly" with a "hockey puck" texture, and the satay sauce was "stiff," "gritty," and "gloopy."