Stock Your Holiday Baking Pantry

Holiday baking season is on the horizon, and whether you’re making cookies for the neighbors, something sweet for Thanksgiving, or the same family recipe you make every December, a well-stocked pantry makes everything a little easier.

Especially when you're baking for a specialized diet.

Gluten-free, AIP, paleo, dairy-free or somewhere in between, having the right staples on hand means you can spend less time figuring out substitutions and more time doing the good part: baking, tasting and sharing.

Here’s what we’re stocking for the season.

Start With Your Flours

If you're baking gluten-free or grain-free, all-purpose flour probably isn't going to be your go-to. Fortunately, there are plenty of alternatives.

Depending on your dietary needs and recipe, that might mean cassava flour, coconut flour, almond flour, tigernut flour or a ready-to-use gluten-free or grain-free flour blend.

One important note: alternative flours don't always swap 1:1 for conventional flour. When you're trying something new, your best bet is to start with a recipe specifically developed for the flour you're using.

Pick Your Sweeteners

Brown sugar and white sugar aren't the only ways to make the holidays sweet.

Pure maple syrup, honey, coconut sugar and date-based sweeteners can all earn a spot in the holiday pantry, depending on your dietary needs.

Different sweeteners behave differently when baked, so once again, recipes are your friend. But they're also great to have around for drizzling, glazing and those inevitable this needs a little something moments.

Bring on the Cozy

This is the shelf that makes everything smell like the holidays.

Cinnamon, ginger, cloves and other warming spices can transform a simple muffin, cookie or cake into something decidedly more festive.

Just remember that if you're following the AIP elimination phase, not every spice is included, so check individual ingredients or choose blends specifically made with AIP-friendly ingredients.

Don't Forget the Fats

Butter is a baking classic, but it's far from your only option.

Depending on the recipe and your dietary needs, coconut oil, avocado oil, palm shortening and other baking fats can help create everything from tender cakes to crisp cookies.

Keeping one or two versatile options in the pantry means you're ready when the baking mood strikes.

Stock the Little Things

You know that moment when you're halfway through a recipe and realize you're missing one tiny ingredient?

Let's avoid that.

Take inventory of your vanilla, baking soda, baking powder, salt, gelatin and other baking essentials before holiday baking gets into full swing.

If you're following a specialized diet, double-check the ingredients in things like extracts, chocolate chips, sprinkles and decorating ingredients, too. The small stuff can sometimes be where unexpected ingredients sneak in.

Keep a Few Mixes Around

We love baking from scratch.

We also love opening a box.

A few good cookie, brownie, cake, muffin, pancake or waffle mixes can be extremely handy during a season when there's always one more thing happening.

Dress them up with a glaze or festive toppings. Bake something quickly when friends are coming over. Or keep a box around for the night when everyone else is having cookies and you suddenly realize you would very much like a cookie, too.

There is absolutely no prize for making everything from scratch.

Add Something Fun

A holiday baking pantry should have at least a few things that exist purely because they're delicious.

Chocolate. Carob. Coconut. Dried fruit. Something crunchy. Something to drizzle. Something you absolutely plan to eat directly from the bag while you're supposedly baking.

This is holiday baking, after all.

Build a Pantry That Works for You

The best holiday pantry isn't the one with the most ingredients. It's the one stocked with things you know you can eat and actually want to use.

Start with the recipes you know you want to make. Check what you already have. Fill in the gaps. And maybe add one or two new things that sound especially good.

Ready to stock the pantry?

Explore holiday baking favorites at Fully Healthy and find what fits.