Enjoy Life Baking Mixes with Ancient Grains and Probiotics! (DISCONTINUED)

Sadly, Enjoy Life has phased out their Baking Mixes. See our Dairy-Free Baking Mix Reviews for other brands that are currently available.

When they were released, I received a cute gift package filled with the new Enjoy Life baking mixes, which spurred an impromptu mini bake fest. All I needed was oil, water, and the mixes!

I had seen the “functional” hype for these Enjoy Life baking mixes at Expo West – made with ancient grains, high in protein (5 grams per serving), vegan, gluten-free, free of top allergens, and stocked with heat-stable probiotics. Yes, you read that correctly, a probiotic strain that actually survives your oven and releases its magical benefits where most needed: in your stomach.

Tasting Notes for Enjoy Life Baking Mixes

The mixes were just on preview at the show, but they are on the market now. Also, the packaging changed quite a bit a couple of years ago – they went teal for food allergies! The images below show the current packaging, but my pictures show the previous packaging. The product inside has stayed the same.

Gourmet Pizza Crust Mix

We needed a quick dinner that very evening, so first up was the Pizza Crust Mix. The instructions were spot on, and it baked up perfectly with a notably whole grain look and vibe. It was more of a soft flatbread than a crispy crust, but it held together perfectly (even when loaded with toppings!) and had a pleasant texture. The taste was a touch hearty and had that slight bitter taste familiar to so many gluten-free baked goods, but it isn’t overwhelming. Just a heads up: the dough and crust do look a touch dry, but don’t fret, the end result doesn’t taste dry at all.

Ingredients: flour blend (white rice, teff, millet, tapioca), rice starch, flaxseed meal, konjac flour, dried cane sugar, brown rice protein, algal protein, sprouted brown rice protein, leavening (baking soda, cream of tartar, monocalcium phosphate), inactive yeast, salt, probiotic (organic inulin {blue agave plant}, bacillus coagulans gbi-30 6086).*

Nutrition (per 4 tablespoons mix – unprepared): 150 calories, 1g fat, 30g carbs, 3g fiber, 2g sugars (includes 0g added sugars), 5g protein.*

Classic Muffin Mix

I had two boxes of the Muffin Mix, with intentions to share the second with a friend. But Tony devoured them SO quickly that I decided to hoard that second box. I ended up making it later that week – again, the bounty vanished in no time at all. Straight up, the muffins are a touch crumbly and have a slightly unique, earthy texture, but that’s part of why we liked them so much. There are no gums or other strange binders, which means they are more fragile. However, they also aren’t gummy and have a normal, baked good mouth feel. The sweetness was spot on for a muffin and the slightly hearty flavor from the whole grains was downright addictive. Of course, it probably didn’t hurt that I added Enjoy Life Dark Chocolate Chips to the mix! (Note: with the chocolate chips added they made 11 to 12 muffins).

Ingredients: flour blend (teff, rice, buckwheat, millet, quinoa), dried cane syrup, rice starch, tapioca starch, algal protein, brown rice protein, sprouted brown rice protein, natural vanilla flavor, konjac, leavening (sodium bicarbonate, cream of tartar, monocalcium phosphate), probiotic (organic inulin, bacillus coagulans gbi-30 6086).*

Nutrition (per 3.5 tablespoons mix – unprepared): 140 calories, .5g fat, 31g carbs, 2g fiber, 13g sugars (includes 0g added sugars), 5g protein.*

Classic Chocolate Brownie Mix

And then there was the Brownie Mix – oh those amazing brownies! I’ve had many gluten-free and dairy-free brownies that were quite amazing, but every vegan brownie that I’ve sampled to date is too cakey or too strangely dense. Enter Enjoy Life. These were the PERFECT textural blend of cakey and fudgy! They were generously dotted with mini chocolate chips, had just the right level of sweetness and rich dark chocolate. The best part: they were almost too easy to make! This was perhaps our favorite of all the Enjoy Life baking mixes. To note, the directions were simple yet specific, with just one minor flaw – they say to pour the batter into your pan, but it’s a very thick batter that you have to spread in.

Ingredients: dried cane syrup, chocolate chips (dried cane syrup, unsweetened chocolate, cocoa butter), cocoa powder, sprouted brown rice protein, teff flour, rice starch, flaxseed meal, algal protein, tapioca starch, natural vanilla flavor, leavening (cream of tartar, sodium bicarbonate, monocalcium phosphate), probiotic (organic inulin, bacillus coagulans gbi-30 6086).*

Nutrition (per 2.5 tablespoons mix – unprepared): 110 calories, 2g fat, 21g carbs, 2g fiber, 14g sugars (includes 0g added sugars), 5g protein.*

Pancake & Waffle Mix

The only one that I didn’t have luck with was surprisingly the Pancake & Waffle Mix. I haven’t trialed it yet as waffles, because the pancakes just didn’t work in my kitchen. When mixed as directed, the batter was very thin – like crepe batter, and wouldn’t cook up properly. I tried adding more mix, which did get them just up to pancake height, but they weren’t cooking or flipping properly, and fell apart (I tried both low and higher cooking temperatures). To fix, I added an egg. This did the trick, but I will be experimenting with this mix more to see what works best.

Ingredients: flour blend (buckwheat, white rice, teff, millet, tapioca), dried cane sugar, whole grain brown rice, sprouted brown rice protein, brown rice protein, tapioca starch, leavening (baking soda, cream of tartar, monocalcium phosphate), konjac, salt, natural vanilla flavor, probiotic (organic inulin {blue agave plant}, bacillus coagulans gbi-30 6086).*

Nutrition (per 4 tablespoons mix – unprepared): 140 calories, 1g fat, 29g carbs, 2g fiber, 5g sugars (includes 0g added sugars), 5g protein.*

More Allergen Notes*

According to the company, all Enjoy Life products are free–from wheat, peanuts, tree nuts, dairy, soy, egg, sesame, casein, sulfites, lupin, mustard, fish, shellfish & crustaceans. These mixes are made in their dedicated facility, but they use an outside facility for their baking chocolate, which is used in the brownie mix. Here are some further details from Enjoy Life.

Most of our products are made in a dedicated dairy-free facility. Our baking chocolate is produced in a facility that also processes dairy and soy, however, they are produced on a dedicated dairy-free and soy-free line. All ingredients are additionally tested to ensure strict allergen control standards are met.

The Facts on Enjoy Life Baking Mixes

Price: $7.99 per 14.5-ounce to 16-ounce mix

Availability: Enjoy Life Baking Mixes are sold at Whole Foods, Sprouts, Safeway, Shoprite, and several regional grocers in the U.S. Look for them in the baking aisle or in the gluten-free or special diet section. You can also purchase them online from Amazon.

Certifications: Enjoy Life Baking Mixes are Non-GMO Verified, Certified Gluten-Free, Certified Vegan, and Certified Kosher Pareve.

Dietary Notes: By ingredients, Enjoy Life Baking Mixes are dairy-free / non-dairy, egg-free, gluten-free, nut-free, peanut-free, soy-free, vegan / plant-based, and vegetarian. They are even free of sesame, sulphites and potato.*

For More Product Information: Visit the Enjoy Life Foods website at www.enjoylifefoods.com.

*Always read the ingredient and nutrition statement prior to consumption. Ingredients, processes, and labeling are subject to change at any time for any company or product. Contact the company to discuss their manufacturing processes if potential allergen cross-contamination is an issue for you. No food product can be guaranteed “safe” for every individual’s needs. You should never rely on ingredient and allergen statements alone if dealing with a severe food allergy. 

Functional food mixes

Rated 5 out of 5

February 12, 2020

It’s rare that I use a baking mix, since they usually bring so little to the table – just a semi-convenient blend of the “dry” ingredients. But these functional food mixes are another level, with gluten-free whole grains, “just add water and oil” directions, no gums or other strange binders, and an infusion of heat-stable probiotics. The results have noticeably unique, delicate textures, but a wonderful mouth feel and delicious flavors. Our favorites were easily the Brownie and Muffin mixes, but the Pizza Crust and All-Purpose Flour also won us over for daily practical use.

Alisa Fleming