Gluten-Free Wonder Buns

Gluten-free buns and bread have come a long way in taste and texture, but they are still pretty pricey and I usually forget to buy them anyway.  Last year I made these Wonder Buns a few times, but then mostly forgot about them.  I’m pretty happy just eating a burger without a bun, but sometimes I do want a sandwich.

WONDER BUNS TO THE RESCUE!

These buns are made individually in the microwave.  Seriously.  They take less than 5 minutes to mix up and “cook” in 90 seconds.  Just use whatever bowl you have that is approximate bun diameter – I’ve used a small pyrex bowl and an ice cream sized bowl to make (the straighter the sides, the better).  I did freeze one of these last time I made them, and it thawed okay, so I want to make a batch and stash them in the freezer.  If nothing else, they’re great to have around to take to a cookout or sneak into a restaurant if I want a burger on a bun.  The recipe only makes 1 bun at a time, but you can double or triple it for more.

Wonder Buns
adapted from Kitchen Therapy
makes 1 bun

1 large egg (if you need dairy free, use your normal egg replacer)
1/2 teaspoon molasses
2 tablespoons all-purpose gluten-free flour*
1 tablespoon almond meal (or make your own with almonds in a grinder)
1 tablespoon ground flax seed
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon cocoa powder (mostly for color, so it’s optional)
a pinch of salt
sesame seeds, to make it look more appealing

In a small bowl, beat the egg and molasses with a fork, for about a minute.
In another small bowl, add the flour, almond meal, ground flax seed, baking powder, salt, and cocoa powder – stir well to break up any lumps. Add the eggs to the dry ingredients, stir until smooth.

Spray a glass bowl or cup with non-stick spray (or rub a little oil inside) and sprinkle sesame seeds on the bottom and sides. Pour the batter into the cup. Top with more sesame seeds. Microwave for 90 seconds.  Remove from bowl after a minute or two and set upside down on a plate or napkin to allow the bottom to “dry” a little (it’s still a little steamy and would probably get soggy if left in the bowl).  ENJOY!

*the Kitchen Therapy recipe suggests sorghum flour and the comments from others indicate that most any flour would work – you could even make them with non-GF flour if not all family members needed gluten free.  I used Bob’s Red Mill GF.