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What Are Some Gluten-Free Snacks for the Holidays?

It is finally the holiday season, and all the yummy treats are already starting to hit the shelves and fill up our homes. Unfortunately, most of these aren’t the healthiest holiday snacks, or they aren’t gluten-friendly like our tostones are. Here at Prime Planet, we not only know what a delicious plantain chip tastes like but also have some ideas for other gluten-free treats. 

 

So what are some gluten-free snacks for the holidays? Here are some of our team’s favorites:

 

  • Caramel Pecan Turtle Clusters
  • No-Bake Nutella Peanut Butter Cookies
  • Crisp Meringues With Whipped Cream
  • Classic Southern Pralines
  • Eggnog Marshmallows

Gluten-Free Snacks

Whether you are on a gluten-free diet or not, below are some recipes to enjoy this holiday season.

Caramel Pecan Turtle Clusters

Ingredients:

  • 2 1/2 cups pecan halves
  • 1 stick butter
  • 1 cup packed brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup light corn syrup
  • 3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons sweetened condensed milk
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
  • 12 ounces milk chocolate chips
  • 1/2 teaspoon shortening

 

For this recipe, melt down some caramel and chocolate. Take the pecan clusters and drizzle some of the melted chocolate on top. Then place another pecan on top of them. Set the turtles aside to cool. They will keep up for two weeks stored between wax paper in an airtight container.

No-Bake Nutella Peanut Butter Cookies 

Ingredients:

  • 3 tablespoons butter
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/4 cup milk
  • 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1/4 cup peanut or hazelnut butter
  • 3/4 cup Nutella hazelnut spread (or 1 cup chocolate chips)
  • 2 cups rolled oats

 

To make this treat, start by grabbing a large saucepan, then melt the butter over medium heat. After that, slowly mix in sugar, milk, and cocoa powder until it is all combined. Then stir in the peanut butter Nutella until it is melted. Follow up that by adding the oats and mixing until all ingredients are combined. 

 

Once the mixture isn’t too hot to handle, scoop up balls of it with an ice cream scooper and place them on a lined sheet pan. Leave them in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes and serve on one of your holiday snack trays or store them in an airtight container.

Crisp Meringues With Whipped Cream

Ingredients:

  • 4 egg whites from large eggs
  • 1 cup white sugar
  • Pinch salt
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 cup whipping cream
  • 1 tablespoon powdered sugar
  • Fresh fruit, such as raspberries or sliced strawberries

 

This simple dessert will be a holiday hit! To get started, heat the oven to 250 degrees and line to large baking sheets with parchment paper. In a large mixing bowl, combine all egg whites, salt, vanilla, and mix with an electric mixer on low speed. Once the egg whites turn opaque and start slowly adding the sugar one spoonful at a time. While doing this, slowly increase the mixer speed until the egg whites turn to foam and hold their shape. 

 

Fill a piping bag with the meringue and pipe it into long overlapping strips of meringue that form cookies about the size of your hand. Bake for 75 minutes, then turn off the oven and crack it open to let them cool completely. Serve with fresh fruit!

Classic Southern Pralines

Ingredients:

  • 1 1/2 cups (12 ounces) of granulated white sugar
  • 3/4 cup (6 ounces) light brown sugar, packed
  • 1/2 cup (4 ounces) milk – the whole is preferred but 2% is fine
  • 6 tablespoons (3 ounces) salted butter
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 1/2 cups (12 ounces) pecans – I like them roughly chopped, but you can leave them whole or chop them more finely. You can also toast the pecans if desired.

 

Start by laying out a piece of parchment paper to lay the pralines on. Combine sugar, brown sugar, milk, and salted butter in a medium saucepan until it turns into syrup. Continue to cook over medium heat while constantly stirring as it starts to boil. Remove the pan from the heat and keep stirring. It will start to become creamy and cloudy as it starts to thicken. The final step is to take spoonfuls of the mixture and put them on the parchment paper and let them cool for at least 10 minutes before serving or eating. 

Eggnog Marshmallows

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 cup water
  • 3 tablespoons gelatin (3 packets)
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 1/2 cup eggnog
  • 1/4 cup maple syrup
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup powdered sugar
  • 1/4 cup cornstarch
  • Nutmeg for light dusting

 

If you are in the mood for a fluffy treat this holiday season, then this is the perfect one for you! First, you’ll need to line an 8X8 pan with parchment and spray lightly with cooking spray. Pour water into a mixing bowl and spring the gelatin on top. Set this aside for now. While that sits, place sugar, eggnog, and maple syrup in a saucepan over medium heat, cook and stir until the sugar dissolves. Bring this mixture to a simmer and pour in the gelatin mixture. Slowly whisk until combined, then speed up until fluffy. 

 

Now that we have our fluffy mixture, lightly oil a spatula and pour the mixture into the prepared pan. Set aside and let it cool at room temperature for at least 8 hours. Once it is cool, use a knife to cut 1-inch cubes, dust them with powdered sugar, and enjoy!

If you have more gluten-free suggestions or questions about becoming a snack distributor, contact us today! For more information about Prime Fresh Handling, you can check out our blog!

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