The Gluten Free Pantry Chocolate Truffle Brownie Mix - Product Review

I will preface this review by saying that I am not gluten intolerant, but rather I have a wheat allergy. I have read reviews in which the consumers of some purportedly gluten-free mixes angrily reported that the products were not entirely gluten-free and as a result the poor souls were made to pay by suffering varying degrees of intestinal distress. Since I am avoiding merely wheat, I cannot vouch for the veracity of the gluten-free claim.

As I explore the dubious, daunting world of gluten-free products, I will post my results in an effort to help others who may be trying to find reasonable substitutes for all the foods everyone else enjoys without a second thought. My first review will be my evaluation of The Gluten Free Pantry Chocolate Truffle Brownie Mix. Little known fact - the original working title for the product was The Gluten Free Pantry Crack-Laden Brownie Mix, but the makers didn't want to give away the secret ingredient that made them so irresistible and decided to change it. Ok, that's not at all true, but once you try these, I think you will understand what I mean. They are exquisitely addictive.

Those of you trying to maintain a gluten-free diet no doubt have tried numerous boxed mixes for all of those delectable baked goods you miss so much. Some may have been acceptable analogues while others leave you wondering whether anyone actually taste tested the product before marketing it. So I have made it my mission to sing the praises of those products that make me feel like I'm enjoying baked yummies again, especially when my brain detects absolutely no difference from their gluten-laden originals.

I decided to take a chance on this particular gluten-free brownie mix, not knowing for sure how they would come out. They had received pretty good reviews, but one never really knows for sure until she tries for herself. My one reservation was that these were a little expensive, so when they went on sale, I took a chance and bought two on Drugstore.com. After I tried them for the first time, I rushed back onto Drugstore.com and bought several more while they were still on sale.

First, the mix is astoundingly easy to make. Just add two eggs and melted butter and mix. I will caveat this by saying this product may be wheat-free and gluten-free, but it is neither low fat nor low in sugar. But if you were expecting that from any brownie...well, you are probably deluding yourself a lot. I can tell you, however, these brownies will be worth every calorie and every gram of fat. Apparently you can substitute the butter with other low fat oils. (Do not use margarine -- it is loaded with trans fat, so it's worse for you than butter. See my previous rant about margarine here.) I may get up the nerve to try using half butter and substitute the other half with some kind of healthier, lower-fat oil. If anyone has done this and would be willing to share the details of their successes or failures, please post them in the comments section!

These brownies were extremely easy to make and delicious. Honestly, I could not detect that they were gluten free. There was no weird alternative-flour-aftertaste. Apparently, the manufacturers realized that garbanzo bean flour does not make a good wheat substitute in dessert mixes, which oddly cannot be said of others. The flavor and texture were so much like regular brownies, My husband and I completely forgot and just enjoyed them. Probably the only problem I have with them is they were so good that we could not stop eating them! Normally, we are very conservative with dessert-eating, but these were so scrumptious we went through them in no time. Never did we ever feel like we were eating a gluten-free product.

Finally I can bring a dessert to the frequent potluck events we have at work and can actually eat it, too, rather than staring forlornly as my co-workers devour my forbidden food.

As I write this, I hear my husband getting into the brownies again. I asked him what he was doing, and he replied, "nuuh-thing" à la Bill Cosby imitating his children getting into cookies they were not supposed to have. I'd better go get some before they're all gone!