Started looking again a few weeks ago.

I am not at all opposed to any mixes. Needs are just two three times a year.

One mix from Misfits seems to have been a 'change of packaging' but no longer available. I liked the ingredients...clean, beet root powder, etc.

Went through all of the offerings on Amazon...just looking for simple ingredients and vegetable add-ins.

I started with brownies but decided a cake-like muffin would work better...think moon pies and muffin tops.

Reason for this, like a dozen years ago, is a small dessert that does not need yet another plate and fork. (we don't use paper plates and plastic). Fantastic for outdoor BBQ's.

We have family visiting soon that have big choc sweet tooths. I could make mini chocolate muffins, cut the 'tops' and freeze. Then have muffin bottoms i could add some icing. Use the tops for my ice cream sandwiches.

Nothing i have made so far is 'perfect' soft from frozen like what one gets from a cheap roadside deli/gas station.

Reading your posts, I was thinking you might have better luck if you adapted the recipe yourself. Sally has a lot of information. I know you're looking more for cake texture, but I think the principles are good here. Additionally, stirring the chips melted into (standard) chocolate chip cookie batter makes for a credible brownie. Sally has a couple GF alternatives but they're nut butter based. https://sallysbakingaddiction.com/cookie-ice-cream-sandwiches/

And in case you didn't see this one, it looks right, at least... https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/284548/classic-chocolate-ice-cream-sandwich/

Thinking further, I use Earth Balance Soy Free Baking Sticks for non-dairy. Like any margarine, they do bake stiffer than butter, but chewier. I'm guessing harder when frozen,. I think some agar agar or xanthum gum might help with the frozen chewiness, though.

Currently, I have bakery cookies, of the size, in the freezer and they stay very soft and chewy, ”hard frozen”, right out of the freezer, as opposed to similar sized chocolate chips that are softer before freezing then get hard. The soft cookes have more cream cheese than butter, the kind of cream cheese with guar or carob gum (I said agar agar because more people I know have it). Huge difference.

I'm never baked with non-daiy cream cheese, but a lot of vegan recipes out there do, so maybe that's the answer.

No GF cake or muffin recipe to offer, but I do think it would be a good idea to copy and save the recipe to your own files when you find one you like.

I can share this one for brownies, tho - you could swap out the butter and use GF flour, I think...

1 Dish Cocoa Brownies

1 cup + 2 Tbsp. sugar

1/2 cup softened butter,margarine, veg/olive oil - or a mixture

2 eggs + 1-2 Tbsp. water

1/4 tsp. salt

1-2 tsp. vanilla(to taste)

1/2 cup cocoa powder

1/2 cup flour

3/4- 1 cup chopped nuts* (optional)

Preheat oven - 350F

Grease a 9x13 inch baking pan for thin brownies, 8 or 9 inch square pan for thick ones.

In a bowl, blend cocoa, salt & sugar , then add shortening & mix very well, then add eggs, water & vanilla & beat until slightly fluffy. Add flour & mix until smooth.Pour into prepared pan & sprinkle nuts(if desired) on top.Bake 20-30 minutes, or until edges pull away from sides of the pan & top no longer appears moist.Chill before cutting.

Top brownies - if desired - w/ this glaze:

1/2 cup semi sweet choc. chips

2 Tbsp. butter or margarine

1 Tbsp. honey or corn syrup

Melt everything together in a small pan over very low heat, stirring well until smooth.Drizzle(prettier) or spread over brownies while warm.

My Mother used to make cookies using a cake mix, they were very "cakey", and she made sandwiches with mint frosting middles at Christmas. I see some of the food blogs do the same thing with gluten free cake mixes. Just mix a 12 ounce box of cake mix, 2 eggs and half a cup of oil. Refrigerate for at least half an hour. Scoop out to the desired size and bake at 350F. Start with 10 minutes, bigger cookies take more time. As gluten free cake mixes go, I like King Arthur the best, they actually taste like a "normal" cake mix, although they are still a cake mix with that texture I dislike. They are also 18 ounces, so I think the egg/oil ratio would have to be adjusted.

I don't know if they would be hard when frozen.

Now you mention this, though, it would make a nice summer time treat for Amanda, maybe chocolate filled with a fresh cherry sorbet.

Good luck, I'll be interested to know what you decide on.

There’s a cake mix here which is dairy free, gluten free and egg free, and the chocolate cake tastes incredibly similar to the really good chocolate cake I have made for decades. If I have someone who has dietary restrictions who wants a chocolate cake, ”Free From” chocloate cake mix is my go to, because I haven’t found a recipe with nearly as good results.

I'm planning to swing by the big healthfood store this week. I'll get a couple GF flour mixes like KArthur and Bob's. And a cake mix. They should have many choices. They won't go to waste.

Bookmarked a half dozen recipes if i need a reference. Or if i 'wing it' again. I have lots of different nut and non-wheat flour bits in the freezer if needed.

I'll pick a pint of dairy-free ice cream to test how long they hold up frozen. (i do make two of my own but no time to make them this weekend)

Found this test pic from 2015. It was fine and brownie-like. But needed rolling out and used a english muffin ring. I did make smaller ones after finding a smaller ring for that summer BBQ.

Kids love mini food. That BBQ i remember having 4 kids under 10.

Looks like it was not fully mixed properly but i'm guessing i got impatient, lol.

(that recipe is long lost and i don't miss it). I can do better.

Fortunately gluten free flour mixes and other things are getting better. I remember when Amanda was first diagnosed as celiac many/most bread or baked type recipes were terrible and not many options were available.

Good luck!

Annie

Ditto. I've had good luck with 1:1 GF mixes if they're not too high percentage rice, as well as buckwheat flour and starches.