These gluten free breadsticks are simple to make and pair wonderfully with roast carrot and cumin dip — or any dip you prefer. Ideal for lunchboxes, a party table at Christmas, or any time of year.
In this post I explain how to put together a free-from Christmas buffet that avoids the top 14 allergens and includes lots of recipe ideas from talented bloggers.
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Welcome to a Free From Christmas
This year I’ve collaborated with a group of talented food bloggers to create a free-from Christmas buffet that avoids the top 14 allergens. Our goal is to show that you can cater for everyone without stress — whether you’re hosting guests with allergies or simply want to offer inclusive options at your celebration.
What are the top 14 allergens?
The EU defines the top 14 allergens as:
- cereals containing gluten (wheat, rye, barley, oats unless certified gluten-free),
- dairy,
- eggs,
- soya,
- lupin,
- sesame,
- celery and celeriac,
- sulphites,
- mustard,
- fish,
- tree nuts (almonds, hazelnuts, walnuts, cashews, pecans, Brazil nuts, pistachios, macadamia),
- peanuts,
- molluscs,
- crustaceans.
Over the next two weeks, participating bloggers will each share a simple recipe that’s suitable for a Christmas buffet table. Follow along to collect enough dishes to assemble a worry-free festive spread that everyone can enjoy.
Mel at Le Coin De Mel kicked off the series with a surprising and delicious recipe for chicken brined in gin. Tomorrow and in the days that follow you’ll find more gluten-free and allergen-friendly recipes from other bloggers involved in the challenge. By the end of the two weeks you should have a full selection of dishes to create an inclusive, tasty buffet.
How to make gluten free breadsticks
Tip 1: Don’t overwork the dough. Once the mixture comes together, shape it and bake it. Over-kneading dries out this dough and can cause cracking in the oven.
Tip 2: Make a larger batch. The recipe below yields about ten breadsticks, which are best eaten fresh. If you’re feeding a crowd, double or triple the quantities.
Below you’ll find a roundup of all the dishes included in this free-from Christmas challenge, so you can gather every recipe you need for a buffet table that avoids the top allergens.
What to serve with the breadsticks
The breadsticks are great on their own as a snack or buffet item, but they really shine with the roast carrot and cumin dip included here. Lemon hummus is a good alternative dip, and if you prefer something different try cheese-less crackers — they are also delicious with the carrot dip.
About the flour I use
I developed my own gluten-free flour blend to avoid rice-based flours after learning about arsenic levels in rice. Many commercial gluten-free blends rely on rice flour; I wanted a wholegrain, rice-free blend that works well in baking. If you want to learn more about gluten-free flour blends and why the choice of flour matters, seek out reputable resources on gluten-free baking and blends labeled for your dietary needs.
If you share this recipe on social media, please use the hashtag #FreeFromChristmas to help others find the full collection of recipes from this series.
Pin this recipe
Create a Pinterest board for free-from Christmas buffet foods to save these recipes for later.
Gluten Free Breadsticks & Roast Carrot & Cumin Dip
15 mins
40 mins
55 mins
Ingredients
- For the breadsticks:
- 125 g Free From Fairy Self-Raising Flour (or 125g plain GF flour + 1 1/4 tsp baking powder)
- Pinch of salt
- 1/8 tsp xanthan gum
- 5 g olive oil
- 70 ml water
- For the dip:
- 400 g organic carrots, peeled and thinly sliced
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 2 whole garlic cloves with skin on (or garlic oil if low FODMAP)
- 30 ml olive oil (plus extra for drizzling)
- 200 g chickpeas
- Juice of 1 lemon
- Salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 220°C (200°C fan), gas mark 7.
- Place the carrot slices, cumin seeds and whole garlic cloves on a baking tray. Drizzle with olive oil and toss so everything is coated.
- Roast for 20–25 minutes until the carrots are soft and golden.
- Prepare a large baking tray for the breadsticks by lining or greasing it.
- Stir the dry ingredients for the breadsticks together in a bowl.
- Add the olive oil and water, then bring the mixture together into a dough with your hands. Avoid overworking it.
- Break off cherry tomato-sized pieces of dough and roll each into a ball.
- Flatten each ball with your palm and roll into a long thin stick, about 30 cm or sized to fit your tray.
- Transfer the breadsticks gently to the prepared tray and repeat until all dough is used.
- Sprinkle with seeds or herbs if desired (avoid sesame if you’re excluding that allergen).
- Bake the breadsticks in the oven alongside the carrots for 10–15 minutes, depending on how crisp you like them.
- When the carrots are soft and the breadsticks have reached your desired texture, remove both from the oven.
- Let the roasted carrot mixture cool slightly, then peel the garlic cloves and discard the skins, leaving the soft garlic.
- Blend the carrots, cumin seeds, peeled garlic, 30 ml olive oil, chickpeas and lemon juice in a food processor or blender until smooth. Season to taste. Store in the fridge in a sealed container for up to 3 days.
I shared this recipe as part of the Free From Christmas series with a number of bloggers to help you create an allergen-friendly buffet.