Product Review: Glutino Gluten Free Original English Muffins

Product: Glutino Gluten Free Original English Muffins – $5.29+

Some mornings, it’s easy to decide what to make for breakfast.  Other mornings, I have way too much going on to make something great and elaborate.  These are the mornings that the gluten-free toast and gluten-free bagels usually rear their heads.  And yes, I am certainly aware of the “good carbs vs. bad carbs” argument when it comes to breakfast foods and how you start your day.  But…with a strict budget and, honestly, the need for something quick that doesn’t take a lot of time some mornings…I have to do what fits into my mornings.

I don’t feel guilty about it.  An egg scramble isn’t hard, but to not overcook the eggs, it can take awhile.  Where as something like a gluten-free bagel or a couple slices of gluten-free toast can toast up while I take a quick shower, having just returned home from my early morning spin class or from doing laps in the pool.  Regardless…some mornings, it’s what has to be done.

So, this morning, despite having some gluten-free bagels in my freezer, I reached for something that I had been wanting to try for a very long time.

And if you read the subject of this post, you already know that I’m talking about Glutino’s Gluten Free Original English Muffins.

After my local Whole Foods stopped carrying the LivWell brand of English Muffins that I fell in love with…and since Katz Gluten Free requires an online order…it was nice to be able to duck into one of my local grocery stores/natural food stores and pick these up out of the freezer section.  I did a bit of a double-take, I admit, when I first purchased them, as they are a bit of a yellow-orange color in the packaging.  Odd.  But, it didn’t deter me from buying them.  Nope.  So, purchase made, they found their way to my freezer, I found myself out of town and using up other products that needed using…until this morning.

After that morning spin class I previously mentioned, I drove home, turned on the oven and put the two Glutino Gluten Free Original English Muffins onto a baking sheet.  I had left them in a Ziploc bag to thaw while I was gone.  I handed my roommate her bowl of cereal, put the English Muffins into the oven and went to take a quick shower.  They could cook without me needing to babysit them.  I was all about that for sure!  Makes for an easy breakfast that can be done while I am doing something else.  I love to be able to multitask.

So, after I was dressed and ready for work, I made my way back out to the kitchen, where the Glutino Gluten Free Original English Muffins were still happily toasting away.  I pulled down some plates and got out the Earth Balance spread and some blueberry jam (made from real fruit only!).  I checked on the English muffins and they were almost to that perfect golden toasty color.  So, I got out the butter knife and then grabbed the hot pad holder to remove them from the oven.  They looked perfect.  I slathered each half of the Glutino Original English Muffins with Earth Balance spread and then…topped that with the most perfect schmear of blueberry jam.  It looked heavenly and I was already anticipating my very first bite.

I picked up my plate and settled in for breakfast.  I lifted the English muffin and took my very first bite.

I was anticipating something that was heavy and dense and just…not what an English muffin should be.  But I was wrong.  I was definitely wrong.  The Glutino Gluten Free Original English Muffins actually were quite light.  The toasted areas had this nice crispiness to them, but the inner layer was soft and light.  I loved that it wasn’t dense.  I loved that it felt like I was eating a normal English muffin.  In fact, the powdery cornmeal dusted on top helped add to that illusion too.  I was loving every bite.  And it paired so well with the classic toppings of butter and jam.  It was pure breakfast perfection.  And now that they were toasted, that strange color didn’t look so scary anymore.  I happily noshed away on my entire English muffin, wanting to savor, but not wanting it to get cold either.  I found the perfect balance, enjoying every bite and commenting on just how surprised I was by the taste and texture.  These were, for sure, a winner!

The Glutino Gluten Free Original English Muffins are made from water, corn starch, tapioca starch, skim milk powder, corn flour, egg whites, can sugar, canola oil, salt, cellulose gum, yeast, baking powder, gluconon-delta-lactone, pectin, sodium bicarbonate, sodium alginate, modified cellulose, corn meal, iron, nacin, tracalcium phosphate, pyridoxine hydrochloride, thiamine mononitrate, and riboflavin.  Yes…I am aware of how chemically some of those ingredients sound.  And that word modified is a bit of a bother.  It’s sad…because, if you’re like me and actually care about that sort of thing…it sort of lessens my excitement for these breakfast treats.

A serving of the Glutino Gluten Free Original English Muffins is one English muffin.  This one English muffin will provide your body with 170 calories and 1.5 grams of fat.  I think that’s freakin’ fantastic.  A serving also provides 440 mg sodium and 7 grams of sugar.  Not bad for a bready breakfast item.  These English muffins are also cholesterol free.  And, finally, this serving will give you less than 1 gram of filling fiber and only 4 grams of protein.  So, this is why I paired it with a bowl of cereal…because otherwise, I’d be starving within an hour.  It will not leave you feeling full for very long, that’s for sure.

Regardless, I am a huge fan of the Glutino Gluten Free Original English Muffins.  Great flavor, great taste, great texture…which means I’ll treat myself to them every now and again.  Because, on some mornings, sometimes the only thing you want is an English muffin.  And when, normally, due to Celiac or gluten intolerance, this isn’t something that can happen on a regular basis…this is a nice treat indeed.  I highly recommend these English muffins.  In fact, I even think people who can eat Thomas’ English Muffins would appreciate these as well.  There…I said it.

Put it to the test.  For me…no need.  I’m in love.  I’m in love all over again with breakfast.  Thank you, once more, for another fantastic product, Glutino.  Thank you.