Mmmm, I can still smell my dad’s cinnamon bread, drizzled with sugary icing while cooling on our kitchen counter. This was certainly a holiday staple in our house, seeming like only yesterday when we were all so eager to take our first bites of my dad’s huge loaves of cinnamon bread. Such fond memories from years past that I’ll keep with me forever, but only as memories, since those delectable sweets were loaded with gluten.
Thanks to Katz (one of my all time favorite gluten free brands!), one of my childhood holiday staples can return with gusto! While perusing their website to see what new gluten free eats they offer, I stumbled upon these little babies, Chocolate Buns, along with their standard Cinnamon Bun counterpart. I was excited to discover that they offered a new pastry, as I’m certainly a huge fan of their dessert/ breakfast pastry options. I couldn’t resist ordering a box of each to give them a try, but I must admit I was most excited to try the chocolate version.
When my Chocolate Buns arrived, I couldn’t wait to tear open the box and check them out in person. Unfortunately though, I was a bit disappointed by the container that greeted me. After their shipping and handling, the container of chocolate buns was a bit messy with the buns moved about inside. It almost seemed like the container was just too big for the chocolate buns, so maybe a smaller container could prevent them from moving and flipping during shipping. I’m personally not very critical on presentation anyway, I’m more concerned with the important stuff, like their taste and texture. Despite the disarray of the container though, the chocolaty buns inside were a beautiful sight to be had. They were petite and perfect, who cares if there’s a little bit of extra chocolate smooshed on the outside of the chocolate bun anyway.
So these chocolate buns are stored in the freezer and when you’re ready to eat one, just pop it onto a plate and thaw. I didn’t warm them up, however I’m sure you could zap them for a quick few seconds to just warm them slightly. After just one bite, I was hooked. These have certainly joined my list of all time favorite gluten free pastries. I have just one question for Katz though, where were these when I was pregnant?!?! I would’ve have been obsessed with these delicate pieces of chocolaty goodness. These are truly a gluten free pregnant woman’s dream come true (okay really any of us gluten free woman!), with the icing drizzled on top to the chocolate that finds itself spiraled between the pastry dough, each bite is the perfect amount of sweetness. The dough is perfectly textured, not too flaky but not too dense, and keeps it’s spirally bun structure with each bite.
Okay, so size wise, these are no Disney World, Gaston’s Tavern humongous cinnamon buns; however, as far as a gluten free versions go, these are incredible! They are a perfect size for a quick morning pastry or a dessert after dinner, the only problem being that your left certainly wanting more because they were just that tasty. Another great perk for this one, is that these chocolate buns are free of gluten, dairy, and nuts, so if you nixed those from your diet for one reason or another you’re in luck! For more info on their chocolate buns, check them out here.
Price wise, these cost $5.99 for a pack of 4. Running at about $1.50 per chocolate bun, this isn’t terrible and is certainly right on point with prices that gluten free bakeries would charge, if they even offered an item like this. Better yet though, Katz offers promotions on their site frequently so you’ll more than likely be able to purchase these delectable bites with a promotional code that’ll save you a bit too, making these taste even sweeter.
As usual, Katz has not disappointed me. Now with each bite of a Chocolate or Cinnamon Bun I’ll be reminded of my dad’s holiday bread, at least until I brave converting that recipe to gluten free for myself (eek!). You certainly can’t ask for anything better from a gluten free product, beside it tasting phenomenal, looking even better, and reminding you of those sweet holiday memories that you’ll never forget. Katz continues to amaze me with just how perfect their gluten free items are in every way. Thanks again Katz for putting out another amazing product, and keep them coming!
Sincerely,
Lindsay