Gluten-Free Fundraising: Bake Sale Favorites for Wary Customers

School has started up and along with this new season also comes those stands set up by cute neighborhood kids at local market entrances, hawking delicious and nearly irresistible sweet treats. Or maybe it’s the table at your child’s school open house, nestled between the book fair and fundraiser dinner line. Are you part of the guilty party, a member of the PTA or Teacher’s association, smiling though exhausted from baking the entire night before?

Regardless of whether you are on the selling or buying end of fundraising, having a gluten-free lifestyle always leads to a twinge of guilt. After all, there aren’t many considerations taken when all those delicious desserts are being made for the sale.

Best Gluten-Free Options

Whether you’re selling and want to curb to gluten sensitive customers, or just really want to eat some of the goodies you’re donating for, consider making or buying the following sweet delicacies.

1. Rice Crispy Treats are the best of the best in my opinion. All that crunchy, gooey, sticky goodness is the ultimate autumn snack. Be sure to prepare it without any fancy additions. Sprinkles, flavored chips, and flavored crispies can all add gluten to the recipe. Keep it simple.
2. No bake oat cookies are not only fast to prepare ahead of time, but are a big hit with older customers! Mix up the flavors with different types of nut and seed butters, herbs, and spices.
3. Butter balls are just as delicious and easy to make as no bake cookies. Traditionally made with peanut butter, these sticky treats can also be made with just about any nut butter. My favorite type gets rolled in cinnamon, but you can also choose finely chopped mint or powdered sugar to mix it up.
4. Nut Brittle in all its forms is a creative item to sell at fundraising bake sales. You can mix in just about any nut you like, even coconut!
5. Popcorn balls scream fair time, conjuring up images of country festivals. Food coloring and gluten free candies can be mixed in to make these ultra-fun and marketable.
6. Candied apples are the perfect treat for harvest time. Slicing the apple, coating the wedges, and placing in a festive bag is an alternative way to present this fruity dessert for gluten-free customers. Bonus: it’s much easier for transporting from the bake sale table.

Don’t Forget the Traditional Favorites

Of course, we all have those bake sale favorites, and it’s hard to see the spread knowing you can’t enjoy any. Whenever you get the flyer (or are sending them out) consider making some gluten-free options for those customers who otherwise might walk right past without supporting your cause.

• Fruit crisps are a big autumn specialty, what with all that awesome fruit fresh from the trees and bushes. With today’s small disposable foil shaped pans, it’s stress-free to make them for bake sales and parties. Going gluten free on a crisp is as easy as grinding some of the oats into an oat flour to mix in with the spices and baking soda. It’s guaranteed every single one will sell, especially warmed and topped with some whipped cream.
• Coconut Macaroons please every paying crowd! And with so little flour in the recipe, it’s easy peasy to substitute some rice or coconut flour into the recipe. Plus, there’s sure to be one or two that crumble, giving you a quick snack as you finish up your sale prepping.
• Muffins, cookies, donuts, and sweet breads in smaller-sized loaves are awesome choices. If you are preparing these for a bake sale, click the links above and bake away. Be sure to clearly label your hard work as gluten free for customers who will be glancing with hope at your stand.