Hodgson Mill Gluten Free Brownie Mix

Hodgson Mill is a family owned company dedicated to supplying boxed mixes made with whole grain flours, including gluten free products such as pancake mix, apple cinnamon muffin mix, bread mix, cookie mix and a chocolate brownie mix.

Hodgson Mill also has boxed flax meal, a product I've used for several years now, including it in homemade gluten free breads, muffins and cupcakes.

I thought I would give their brownie mix a try, based on my past experience with the flax seed product, and that the brownie mix was on sale.

One other factor played into my decision to spend part of my grocery budget on the mix; it's a low sodium brownie with less fat per serving than other gluten free brownie mixes. That means my husband and I get a little less salt and fat in our diet when we scarf these down.

Gluten free baking, and subsequently pre-packaged gluten free products, is higher in fat, salt and sugar than wheat based baked goods, mostly because the fat, salt and sugar boost the cohesion as well as flavor of the non-gluten flours.

So a boxed brownie mix that is not only gluten free but lower in sodium attracts my attention.

But the important part is taste. It doesn't matter if something is better for you if it doesn't taste good.

Hodgson Mill gluten free brownies taste good. They taste like regular brownies, except they do have a slightly nutty aftertaste that borders on bitter. This did not deter my husband, my son, my daughter or me from finishing off the 8x8 pan of brownies by the next day, however.

The directions offer the option of a larger pan, up to 11x7 inch. The brownie may be less dense and cake like, which could eliminate the slightly bitter taste. In an 8x8 inch pan, these brownies are pretty thick. The primary flour is brown rice flour, which can have a slightly bitter flavor if not cooked for a long time.

In baking, size matters. I'd recommend using the larger pan for these brownies, but if you don't have one, go ahead and use your 8x8 or 9x9 pan.

You can visit the Hodgson Mill website at www.hodgsonmill.com, and take a look at their product line and shop their online store. The company includes non-gluten free products as well, such as organic pasta, whole grain cereals and baking goods.

Disclaimer: I did not receive this item as a promotional gift. I paid for it myself.

Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookie Mix

First Published February 24, 2010

Update: The mix is just as good today as it was then. Though the purchase price can be a bit high, the quality of the product cannot be disputed. 

Thanks for reading. September, 2025

Note: I purchased this product, Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookie Mix, in the supermarket. The review has not been influenced by anything other than the quality of the product.

Bob’s Red Mill as a company has been operating for over 25 years, and is considered a leader in gluten free products. The company’s products include several gluten free flours and mixes.

The Chocolate Chip Cookie Mix weighs in at 22 ounces and all that’s required to yield two-dozen cookies is butter, egg and water. A package of the mix can cost, on average, between five and eight dollars.

The mix uses natural ingredients and gluten free flours, and the result is a sweet, crunchy cookie that pleases even the wheat eaters in my family.

You may need to watch your cooking time, though. The package calls for 18 minutes in a 350-degree oven. If you overcook, the cookies get a little hard rather quickly. If you undercook, the taste is a little grainy.

Judging exactly when the cookies are done can be a little tricky. Because there’s no gluten in the flours, the cookies don’t take on that smooth, toasted look of wheat-based chocolate chip cookies. They tend to look a little “wet” and feel too soft to the touch.

Take them out anyways and let them cool on the cookie sheet for one or two minutes before moving them to the cooling rack. The trick with gluten free mixes is to NOT expect the end product to look like those from wheat-based mixes.

The taste and texture, though, of these cookies is very, very close to wheat-based cookies. I try to keep a couple of packages in the pantry so I can bake up a batch quickly. I store the cookies in my cookie jar and they stay fresh for two to three days.

You can also freeze the cookies, or even freeze the dough. Roll it into a cylinder and slice off as much as you need, just as you would a store bought dough.