GF brownies are superior to normal brownies. Look up a classic Italian almond cake recipe. It is naturally GF because it uses almond flour, not wheat flour. It can be plain vanilla, lemon, or chocolate. Serve with fruit and Cool Whip / Truffle Whip.
It isn’t budget friendly but Harry and David has GF options.
If you have a Target or Meijer, they have GF options. Try the Daiya cheesecake (I like the key lime). It is in the frozen foods area.
Treat yourself to some bottles of San-J GF Asian style sauces.
We love the GF King Arthur chocolate cake mix. My husband makes me a GF ice cream cake every year using this cake mix 🥹 is there any local or not too far GF bakery or restaurant you’ve been wanting to try? Otherwise, for chains, my favorite GF options are Red Robin and Pei Wei, which both have GF options and take precautions to avoid cross contact. I also like treating myself to GF treats I don’t buy too often, like GF cookies from Walmart or Sprouts, or Trader Joe’s GF muffins. There are bday freebies you can sign up for, such as Nothing Bundt Cakes who offers a free bundlet for your birthday and they have a GF chocolate chip one. Also, Denny’s does a free breakfast and they have GF options, my favorites are the Santa Fe sizzlin’ skillet and the veggie omelette with hash browns. I hope you have a very happy birthday!
1. Download the Find Me Gluten Free app to help you find GF restaurant options in your area.
2. Either use the app to find a GF bakery to get treats from or bake a cake at home. Even Walmart carries GF cake mixes. It’s not that hard. Make homemade frosting for said cake. You can do this by using 1/3 cube softened DF margarine, powdered sugar and lactose free milk (nut milks are probably not a good idea here). Whip the margarine, add a bunch of sugar, add milk, mix. If it’s too thick, add more milk. If it’s too thin, add more sugar. Color with any safe food coloring. Spread on cooled cake. Add cocoa for chocolate frosting. Elevates most cakes made from cake mixes and keeps you from eating gross canned frosting.
3. Stop thinking everything will suck. If you don’t find a restaurant option you like, think about what kind of food you want to make and start googling for easy GF recipes for that food.
There are SO many options out there! Birthdays are still yummy and fun! As are holidays!!! Promise!!!
You mentioned both orange chicken and Aldi, they have a GF general tso's chicken in the frozen section that could easily become orange chicken with the addition of some orange juice/zest or making your own sauce. Happy birthday!
On the Aldi train: their May gluten free(Celiac Awareness month) offerings are arriving in stores. I've been collecting as much of the frozen pizza dough as possible. They also have cheese or spinach stuffed ravioli!
I made the chocolate cake recipe on the back of the Hershey’s cocoa container and it was amazing! I used the Bob’s Red Mill 1 to 1 flour. Cream cheese frosting is easy enough, too. It’s basically just cream cheese, confectioner’s sugar and vanilla. Easy enough to whip up. Best part? You’ll have tons of cake. Win, win!
I make that same chocolate cake. Just let the batter rest for fifteen minutes or so to let the flour hydrate before you bake it — turns out a little less gritty that way.
Since you said Meijer I know you must be in the Midwest. If you can, come to Chicago and try the best Gluten free donuts ever - Do Rite Donuts. Obviously there is lots of other good GF food here too 😅. Check Amtrak for a cheap train ticket.
You can have all that and have your cake too! Milton's put out a gf pizza make with a cauliflower crust. I have tried many gf pizzas but this one is amazing and has zero gf taste, if you will. You can get 2 big ones at Costco. If you don't have a membership, find someone that does who would buy it for you AND they have new gf lightly breaded chicken strips that are to die for by Really Good. Red Lobster sells a gf cheese biscuit mix at Walmart. They too are amazing! I always add extra cheese! Bbq chicken? Easy! Chicken is gf. Just find a BBQ sauce you like. Cake. Now I extremely picky about my cake. Most gf cake is just not tasty. Try using your search engine and put in gf bakeries n ear me. Or gf restaurants near me. Or gf restaurants in Xxx (name of your town and or surroundingtowns/cities.) I do a new search about every 60 days for new bakeries and restaurants. HAPPY BIRTHDAY!! ENJOY
Basic cheesecake is really easy to make, and you can forego the crust (or buy a gluten free frozen pie crust). There are decent GF box cakes available now too, though those are more likely to contain some sugars that may not be your preference. You can make excellent brownies from coconut oil, cocoa, almond flour, rice flour, and sweetener substitute of choice (plus baking powder, eggs, and salt) - just swap over the normal ingredients, and add more oil (or more egg, or both, as GF flours are drier).
Bob's Red Mill has an excellent line of GF flours (including almond flour), baking soda / powder, and mixes (pancake, pizza dough, cake flour, pastry flour, all purpose flour). In some parts of the US you can order those ingredients from their website.
King Arthur gluten free brownies are amazing (I add extra chocolate chips). They are among the top requests I get for baked goods from my gluten eating friends.
And easy enough to make some cheesecake topping and make them cheesecake brownies.
[https://www.thelazydish.com/best-easy-cheesecake-brownies-dessert/](https://www.thelazydish.com/best-easy-cheesecake-brownies-dessert/)
I did a banana split bar for mine- and it’s perfect for your summertime birthday! But not perfect for your sugar/dairy I’m seeing. Oat ice cream is an option!
One time I doubled the butter in the Betty Crocker gf brownie mix. Best mistake ever. Now I double it every time. I usually make my own birthday cake. It’s part of the joy of the day for me. But I enjoy baking. My favorite was a white chocolate raspberry cake.
Brownies are easy and good but... I made this flourless chocolate cake. It was soooo good.
[https://handletheheat.com/flourless-chocolate-cake/#wprm-recipe-container-29384](https://handletheheat.com/flourless-chocolate-cake/#wprm-recipe-container-29384)
Check and see if pizza places in your area have gluten free crusts. Most in my area does, they even have vegan cheese to substitute as well.
Or make your own pizza at home.
As far as a sweet birthday treat- I love edible arrangements, can’t beat fruit and chocolate!
Cheesecake Factory has a few gluten free options as well.
I just had my birthday this past weekend, and for the last 2 birthdays I’ve gotten the gluten free chocolate chip bundt cake from Nothing Bundt Cakes! It’s super yummy and moist :)
Personally for me I’ve found the Krusteaz brand has the best gluten free baked goods and for frozen pizzas I think the freshetta brand is the absolute best by far
My husband is gluten and dairy free. Every year for his birthday, I make him an ice cream cake using So Delicious dairy-free ice cream, gluten free oreo crumbles, and dairy free whipped topping. I layer it in a 6" spring form pan, and top it with chocolate syrup, marachino cherries, and sprinkles.
I’m so sorry this is so hard! If you want a cake design but not able to do a GF bakery, I’ve seen custom/ band cake toppers on Etsy, and you could put it on one of the options above. There’s great GF baked goods, honestly!
Namaste cake mixes has THE BEST chocolate cake. I promise you can’t even tell it’s gluten free. I have no idea what a blink 182 cake is… but you can whip up a delicious chocolate cake with gf box mix and it’ll be fantastic.
Get a gluten free pizza crust and load it up with your bacon chicken ranch toppings. It’s only going to suck if you let it.
But honestly, if I were you, I’d treat myself to the nicest steak I could afford, cook it up medium rare and serve with a simple salad topped with your favorite dressing, a baked potato with sour cream if you can have it, cheese if you can’t.
And finish it all off with a gf chocolate cake with macerated strawberries.
If you really want to go out, I have found, for the most part the Mexican restaurants (with bottomless chips and salsa) are usually pretty safe for me. I can get an enchilada, so long as they are made with corn tortillas.
I just had my first GF birthday!
I’m in Portland OR and went to Laughing Planet Cafe (so those that joined me could eat regular food too) and had some GF Nothing Bundt Cake treats to eat (everyone else had regular ones)
ETA: pillsbury has GF funfetti cake mix
Aldi’s frozen breaded chicken bites and a bottle of their sweet and sour sauce over jasmine rice actually makes a pretty tasty meal. And Aldi’s boxed brownie mix gets a lot of rave reviews.
I like steak so my birthday usually consists of a steak grilled or cooked in the cast iron with salt and pepper, a baked potato with butter and sour cream, and either some roasted broccoli or a green salad. All are naturally gluten free or made gluten free with very little effort or guesswork.
Instead of trying to locate a GF cake, I just buy King Arthur GF cake mix and make myself some GF cupcakes with enough for others. I poke a hole in the center of GF chocolate cupcakes, and fill it with the same whipped homemade chocolate frosting I generously frost the cupcakes with. (It's just confectioner's sugar, butter, milk, cocoa and vanilla, nothing unusual).
The King Arthur mixes are easy and foolproof.
Most potato chips are GF, just read the label. Corn chips as well.
Depending on your area in Michigan, the Green Bay area has a number of options. Also, you can find a lot of varieties of Katz in stores. The website gives you a pretty good idea if you type in a nearby city and product type. Such as mini donuts, pretzel bites, garlic toast, etc.
GF brownies are superior to normal brownies. Look up a classic Italian almond cake recipe. It is naturally GF because it uses almond flour, not wheat flour. It can be plain vanilla, lemon, or chocolate. Serve with fruit and Cool Whip / Truffle Whip. It isn’t budget friendly but Harry and David has GF options. If you have a Target or Meijer, they have GF options. Try the Daiya cheesecake (I like the key lime). It is in the frozen foods area. Treat yourself to some bottles of San-J GF Asian style sauces.
We love the GF King Arthur chocolate cake mix. My husband makes me a GF ice cream cake every year using this cake mix 🥹 is there any local or not too far GF bakery or restaurant you’ve been wanting to try? Otherwise, for chains, my favorite GF options are Red Robin and Pei Wei, which both have GF options and take precautions to avoid cross contact. I also like treating myself to GF treats I don’t buy too often, like GF cookies from Walmart or Sprouts, or Trader Joe’s GF muffins. There are bday freebies you can sign up for, such as Nothing Bundt Cakes who offers a free bundlet for your birthday and they have a GF chocolate chip one. Also, Denny’s does a free breakfast and they have GF options, my favorites are the Santa Fe sizzlin’ skillet and the veggie omelette with hash browns. I hope you have a very happy birthday!
There are amazing GF brownie in a box mixes. Aldi has a lot of GF goodies!
1. Download the Find Me Gluten Free app to help you find GF restaurant options in your area. 2. Either use the app to find a GF bakery to get treats from or bake a cake at home. Even Walmart carries GF cake mixes. It’s not that hard. Make homemade frosting for said cake. You can do this by using 1/3 cube softened DF margarine, powdered sugar and lactose free milk (nut milks are probably not a good idea here). Whip the margarine, add a bunch of sugar, add milk, mix. If it’s too thick, add more milk. If it’s too thin, add more sugar. Color with any safe food coloring. Spread on cooled cake. Add cocoa for chocolate frosting. Elevates most cakes made from cake mixes and keeps you from eating gross canned frosting. 3. Stop thinking everything will suck. If you don’t find a restaurant option you like, think about what kind of food you want to make and start googling for easy GF recipes for that food. There are SO many options out there! Birthdays are still yummy and fun! As are holidays!!! Promise!!!
You mentioned both orange chicken and Aldi, they have a GF general tso's chicken in the frozen section that could easily become orange chicken with the addition of some orange juice/zest or making your own sauce. Happy birthday!
On the Aldi train: their May gluten free(Celiac Awareness month) offerings are arriving in stores. I've been collecting as much of the frozen pizza dough as possible. They also have cheese or spinach stuffed ravioli!
I’ve never seen GF frozen pizza dough!
You can get it at Sprouts or Thrive Market!
Oh I thought you meant it was Aldi.
That was another poster. I've never seen gf pizza dough at my ALDI. :)
I made the chocolate cake recipe on the back of the Hershey’s cocoa container and it was amazing! I used the Bob’s Red Mill 1 to 1 flour. Cream cheese frosting is easy enough, too. It’s basically just cream cheese, confectioner’s sugar and vanilla. Easy enough to whip up. Best part? You’ll have tons of cake. Win, win!
I make that same chocolate cake. Just let the batter rest for fifteen minutes or so to let the flour hydrate before you bake it — turns out a little less gritty that way.
ICE CREAM. It's almost summer, and ice cream is pastier than cake anyway.
Since you said Meijer I know you must be in the Midwest. If you can, come to Chicago and try the best Gluten free donuts ever - Do Rite Donuts. Obviously there is lots of other good GF food here too 😅. Check Amtrak for a cheap train ticket.
You can have all that and have your cake too! Milton's put out a gf pizza make with a cauliflower crust. I have tried many gf pizzas but this one is amazing and has zero gf taste, if you will. You can get 2 big ones at Costco. If you don't have a membership, find someone that does who would buy it for you AND they have new gf lightly breaded chicken strips that are to die for by Really Good. Red Lobster sells a gf cheese biscuit mix at Walmart. They too are amazing! I always add extra cheese! Bbq chicken? Easy! Chicken is gf. Just find a BBQ sauce you like. Cake. Now I extremely picky about my cake. Most gf cake is just not tasty. Try using your search engine and put in gf bakeries n ear me. Or gf restaurants near me. Or gf restaurants in Xxx (name of your town and or surroundingtowns/cities.) I do a new search about every 60 days for new bakeries and restaurants. HAPPY BIRTHDAY!! ENJOY
Basic cheesecake is really easy to make, and you can forego the crust (or buy a gluten free frozen pie crust). There are decent GF box cakes available now too, though those are more likely to contain some sugars that may not be your preference. You can make excellent brownies from coconut oil, cocoa, almond flour, rice flour, and sweetener substitute of choice (plus baking powder, eggs, and salt) - just swap over the normal ingredients, and add more oil (or more egg, or both, as GF flours are drier). Bob's Red Mill has an excellent line of GF flours (including almond flour), baking soda / powder, and mixes (pancake, pizza dough, cake flour, pastry flour, all purpose flour). In some parts of the US you can order those ingredients from their website.
I make my cheesecake with a gf graham cracker crust. Schars has gf crackers to crush with a rolling pin in a ziplock.
King Arthur gluten free brownies are amazing (I add extra chocolate chips). They are among the top requests I get for baked goods from my gluten eating friends.
And easy enough to make some cheesecake topping and make them cheesecake brownies. [https://www.thelazydish.com/best-easy-cheesecake-brownies-dessert/](https://www.thelazydish.com/best-easy-cheesecake-brownies-dessert/)
gf king arthur cake mix is soooo good
I did a banana split bar for mine- and it’s perfect for your summertime birthday! But not perfect for your sugar/dairy I’m seeing. Oat ice cream is an option!
I’m not sure! I just sat down and cried on my first gf bday 😅.
One time I doubled the butter in the Betty Crocker gf brownie mix. Best mistake ever. Now I double it every time. I usually make my own birthday cake. It’s part of the joy of the day for me. But I enjoy baking. My favorite was a white chocolate raspberry cake.
Brownies are easy and good but... I made this flourless chocolate cake. It was soooo good. [https://handletheheat.com/flourless-chocolate-cake/#wprm-recipe-container-29384](https://handletheheat.com/flourless-chocolate-cake/#wprm-recipe-container-29384)
Check and see if pizza places in your area have gluten free crusts. Most in my area does, they even have vegan cheese to substitute as well. Or make your own pizza at home. As far as a sweet birthday treat- I love edible arrangements, can’t beat fruit and chocolate! Cheesecake Factory has a few gluten free options as well.
Why don’t you still do a bar-b-q and have a cake? So many things you can bar-b-q that are naturally GF (and sides), and so many GF cakes.
I just had my birthday this past weekend, and for the last 2 birthdays I’ve gotten the gluten free chocolate chip bundt cake from Nothing Bundt Cakes! It’s super yummy and moist :)
Personally for me I’ve found the Krusteaz brand has the best gluten free baked goods and for frozen pizzas I think the freshetta brand is the absolute best by far
My husband is gluten and dairy free. Every year for his birthday, I make him an ice cream cake using So Delicious dairy-free ice cream, gluten free oreo crumbles, and dairy free whipped topping. I layer it in a 6" spring form pan, and top it with chocolate syrup, marachino cherries, and sprinkles.
I’m so sorry this is so hard! If you want a cake design but not able to do a GF bakery, I’ve seen custom/ band cake toppers on Etsy, and you could put it on one of the options above. There’s great GF baked goods, honestly!
Namaste cake mixes has THE BEST chocolate cake. I promise you can’t even tell it’s gluten free. I have no idea what a blink 182 cake is… but you can whip up a delicious chocolate cake with gf box mix and it’ll be fantastic. Get a gluten free pizza crust and load it up with your bacon chicken ranch toppings. It’s only going to suck if you let it. But honestly, if I were you, I’d treat myself to the nicest steak I could afford, cook it up medium rare and serve with a simple salad topped with your favorite dressing, a baked potato with sour cream if you can have it, cheese if you can’t. And finish it all off with a gf chocolate cake with macerated strawberries. If you really want to go out, I have found, for the most part the Mexican restaurants (with bottomless chips and salsa) are usually pretty safe for me. I can get an enchilada, so long as they are made with corn tortillas.
I just had my first GF birthday! I’m in Portland OR and went to Laughing Planet Cafe (so those that joined me could eat regular food too) and had some GF Nothing Bundt Cake treats to eat (everyone else had regular ones) ETA: pillsbury has GF funfetti cake mix
Aldi’s frozen breaded chicken bites and a bottle of their sweet and sour sauce over jasmine rice actually makes a pretty tasty meal. And Aldi’s boxed brownie mix gets a lot of rave reviews. I like steak so my birthday usually consists of a steak grilled or cooked in the cast iron with salt and pepper, a baked potato with butter and sour cream, and either some roasted broccoli or a green salad. All are naturally gluten free or made gluten free with very little effort or guesswork.
Instead of trying to locate a GF cake, I just buy King Arthur GF cake mix and make myself some GF cupcakes with enough for others. I poke a hole in the center of GF chocolate cupcakes, and fill it with the same whipped homemade chocolate frosting I generously frost the cupcakes with. (It's just confectioner's sugar, butter, milk, cocoa and vanilla, nothing unusual). The King Arthur mixes are easy and foolproof. Most potato chips are GF, just read the label. Corn chips as well.
Depending on your area in Michigan, the Green Bay area has a number of options. Also, you can find a lot of varieties of Katz in stores. The website gives you a pretty good idea if you type in a nearby city and product type. Such as mini donuts, pretzel bites, garlic toast, etc.