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Blue Cornmeal Baked Onion Rings

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Healthy baked onion rings coated with blue cornmeal. No oil, gluten-free, and vegan, perfect to satisfy that “fried & fast” comfort food craving!

Blue Cornmeal Baked Onion Rings | Strength and Sunshine @RebeccaGF666 Healthy baked onion rings coated with blue cornmeal. No oil, gluten-free, and vegan, perfect to satisfy that "fried & fast" comfort food craving! Snacking, tailgating, or as a dinner side dish!

Bring on the onion rings! I couldn’t even remember the last time I had an onion ring. We’re talking years and years and years, even before I was diagnosed with Celiac. But a few months ago I was hit with a random major craving for these rings of deliciousness. Of course the only way to satisfy such a craving, following my dietary needs and wants, a homemade creation would have to do.

Blue Cornmeal Baked Onion Rings | Strength and Sunshine @RebeccaGF666 Healthy baked onion rings coated with blue cornmeal. No oil, gluten-free, and vegan, perfect to satisfy that "fried & fast" comfort food craving! Snacking, tailgating, or as a dinner side dish!

If I’m going to be completely honest here, I don’t even remember where exactly I even ate onion rings to begin with. Obviously I’ve had onion rings before, during my childhood, but for the life of me I’m not sure where or when. Onion-Ring-Memory-Loss? All I know is, they were the traditional fried kind. So to make my homemade version, I was going off of the taste-remembrance of my craving and the “healthy cooking skills” I know. This could have been a major failure for my high expectations or, somehow, a cooking success. Either way, these onion rings were going to happen.

Blue Cornmeal Baked Onion Rings | Strength and Sunshine @RebeccaGF666 Healthy baked onion rings coated with blue cornmeal. No oil, gluten-free, and vegan, perfect to satisfy that "fried & fast" comfort food craving! Snacking, tailgating, or as a dinner side dish!

I was also assuming onion rings were battered in either panko or cornmeal. Lucky for me, I had this lovely bag of blue cornmeal I had yet to ever open and thought this would be the perfect time to put the corny goodness to use. Blue cornmeal may just rank pretty high up there in the corn category. I love the color (obviously), but it’s more purple than blue. I’ve baked with this cornmeal since and those recipes had a nice purple color, no so much blue. Why is it than anytime a food is given the title of “blue”, it tends to be purple? Just like blueberries 😛

Blue Cornmeal Baked Onion Rings | Strength and Sunshine @RebeccaGF666 Healthy baked onion rings coated with blue cornmeal. No oil, gluten-free, and vegan, perfect to satisfy that "fried & fast" comfort food craving! Snacking, tailgating, or as a dinner side dish!

Now, if you’re going to eat a batch of onion rings, there must be tons of dipping action going on. Sure you could use these to top a burger or something, but the best way is the simple act of the dip. And sure, you could even get fancy with some special aioli or green goddess, but I think you know the dip I’m going to be suggesting here. Ketchup! Even if you decide to use a variety of dips, bbq, mustard, the ketchup option should take center stage on your plate in the largest blob! Just like fries, I couldn’t imagine NOT having ketchup to accompany them. Let’s just put this out there, if you want to get me a present and really have no idea what to get, just buy me a bottle of quality ketchup 😉

Blue Cornmeal Baked Onion Rings | Strength and Sunshine @RebeccaGF666 Healthy baked onion rings coated with blue cornmeal. No oil, gluten-free, and vegan, perfect to satisfy that "fried & fast" comfort food craving! Snacking, tailgating, or as a dinner side dish!

It’s not that I’m ever trying to hide the glory of the food I’m eating with ketchup, I just feel ketchup enhances the flavor, texture, and savor, of just about anything you put it on. Anything. Except maybe cereal. That would be rather gross. Haha! But really, ketchup is a must for onion rings and truly enhances the experience ten-fold to provide the greatest culinary comfort experience to all the senses and the soul! To all you ketchup haters…I don’t know what to say. But you are being deprived of one lovely complementary sauce 😉

Blue Cornmeal Baked Onion Rings | Strength and Sunshine @RebeccaGF666 Healthy baked onion rings coated with blue cornmeal. No oil, gluten-free, and vegan, perfect to satisfy that "fried & fast" comfort food craving! Snacking, tailgating, or as a dinner side dish!

Besides onion rings, have you ever had a bloomin’ onion? The quintessential appetizer and game-day snack? I’m actually pretty sure I’ve never eaten some myself, but I did contemplate creating that instead on actual onion rings. But then I don’t think the ring craving would be satisfied, so I scraped that idea for later 😉 Rings are more satisfying and easier to cut for a first time onion creation anyway. Or…at least I had hoped. But they were easy and smelled delish, not just while they were baking, but while I was dipping them in the batter and cornmeal! I guess that was my “endowment” for all the tears I shed during the very oniony process 😉 (It’s all worth it…trust me!)

Blue Cornmeal Baked Onion Rings

Blue Cornmeal Baked Onion Rings | Strength and Sunshine @RebeccaGF666 Healthy baked onion rings coated with blue cornmeal. No oil, gluten-free, and vegan, perfect to satisfy that "fried & fast" comfort food craving! Snacking, tailgating, or as a dinner side dish!

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Blue Cornmeal Baked Onion Rings

Healthy baked onion rings coated with blue cornmeal. No oil, gluten-free, and vegan, perfect to satisfy that “fried & fast” comfort food craving! Snacking, tailgating, or as a dinner side dish!

  • Author: Rebecca Pytell
  • Cook Time: 12 mins
  • Total Time: 12 mins
  • Yield: 4 1x
  • Category: Side Dish, Snack, Appetizer
  • Cuisine: American
Scale

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 450°F.
  2. Peel and slice your onions in about 1/4 inch rings, set aside.
  3. In a bowl, whisk together the arrowroot starch and almond milk, set aside.
  4. In another bowl, whisk together the blue cornmeal, parsley, and garlic.
  5. Prepare 1 or 2 baking sheets, lined with parchment paper. Create an easy set up on the counter of onion rings, batter, cornmeal, and baking sheets to make the process easy and fluid.
  6. Dip the onion rings in the arrowroot and milk batter, transfer to the cornmeal mix and coat, then place on the baking sheets and repeat for the rest of the rings.
  7. Bake the coated rings for 6 minutes. Flip them; bake for another 6 minutes. Remove and serve right away! (With ketchup!)
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Blue Cornmeal Baked Onion Rings | Strength and Sunshine @RebeccaGF666 Healthy baked onion rings coated with blue cornmeal. No oil, gluten-free, and vegan, perfect to satisfy that "fried & fast" comfort food craving! Snacking, tailgating, or as a dinner side dish!

Are you craving onion rings yet? Really, I’m not even a big onion fan. Cooked, soft, just for flavor in a dish and I’m good. But things like raw red onions on salad? Too strong for me! I take them off! The flavor is lovely, but they kill the stomach…and the breath 😛 However, these baked onion rings made with the sweet vidalia onion don’t do that. So I’ll gladly eat my onion rings and ketchup and savor this lovely comforting corny-coated delicacy!

So tell me:

+ When’s the last time you’ve had onion rings?

+ What would you dip your rings in? Ketchup. 🙂

*Recipe linking up for the week! Allergy Free Wednesdays, #RecipeOfTheWeek,#StrangeButGood, Real Food Friday, Gluten-Free Fridays,Tasty Tuesdays, Savoring Saturdays, Healthy Vegan Fridays, Tasty Tuesdays, Meatless Mondays, Lena’s Tasty Tuesdays, Waste Not Want Not!*


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Comments

  22. Jen V. says

    I haven’t had homemade onions rings in forever. I really should put them on my menu plan for next week. Your recipe sounds so good. I will have to pass it along to my friend who has celiac.

    Reply

  23. Heather says

    Oh my these look amazing! I can’t wait to try them out and then zing this recipe over to my mom – she’s always looking for interesting recipes. 🙂 The last time I had onion rings…hmmm. Probably before my youngest was born! I get crazy heartburn during pregnancy, so nothing fried, greasy, acidic, salty…basically anything with flavor… is off limits when the bun’s in the oven. BOOOOO. Good thing the result is an adorable baby 😉 Back to the point…it’s been about 2.5 years! And, I, of course, agree that the only dipping sauce for this amazing food is KETCHUP! 🙂

    Reply

    • Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine says

      And there’s no grease or worry here 😉 Haha! Yay ketchup!!!!! Mare than just a “dip” 😉

      Reply

  26. kimmythevegan says

    I’m not a huge onion fan – but I like the sound of these, especially this lightened up version of onion rings. And so pretty!
    I’m curious to see what your take on a bloomin’ onion is 😉

    Reply

  29. Farrah says

    I’ve been super-craving onion rings lately for no apparent reason–I’ve never tried making em’ on my own before though because I fail at life at frying things. Baked sounds so much better, and these look awesome! :]

    Reply

    • Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine says

      Yay for random cravings!!! Haha! Baked is always better…I would never fry anything anyway 😛

      Reply

  34. Nadia's Healthy Kitchen says

    I don’t have much experience with onion rings. I did try them a few weeks ago when I was out with family. They were so greasy and heavy, put me right off! These however sound so light and delicious 😀 love that you baked them instead of frying 🙂 would love to try this recipe!

    Reply

    • Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine says

      Totally try this baked homemade version!! The perfect “health” comfort food! So much better than anything fried!

      Reply

  38. Andi says

    Wow! These are so interesting, I have never seen anything like these before. Are there local restaurants that serve these where you got your inspiration. They look so unique!

    Reply

  39. Cakespy says

    I am an onion ring FIEND, and I live in the blue corn belt (kidding – but it is used a lot in New Mexican cuisine). OMG, these need to happen soon!

    Reply

  41. Michele @ paleorunningmomma says

    I had onion ring at diners mostly growing up, but they always made me so sick! I generally try to stay away from onions now, although cooked long and slow, like caramelized, is so yummy and easier on my stomach. I’d love to try a homemade crunchy version though – delish 🙂

    Reply

  46. Laura says

    So awesome!!! I have a recipe for baked onion rings that uses cornmeal, but I have never tried it with blue cornmeal. I think I’ll have to give it a try. Thanks for the inspiration! (as always:)

    Reply

  50. Natalie | Feasting on Fruit says

    The ketchup!!!!! But see here I totally agree. The perfect, necessary, can’t live without condiment! I wouldn’t dream of dipping onion rings in anything else! “The largest blob” 😀 lol On my plate it would be the only blob! And I’m glad you finally see reason with the cereal example…ketchup is NOT meant for everything. We’ll discuss this further on Wednesday I’m sure 😉

    And the blue purple issue is funny though, it’s like purple is the jealous color in the food world and just keeps stealing blue’s spotlight. Purple you have carrots and potatoes and cabbage, leave blue alone!

    Reply

  51. Bianca @ ElephantasticVegan says

    First of all those look delicious! And yes.. they’re definitely more purple than blue but I love the color. I think purple is prettier than blue anyhow 🙂 I’ve never had a blooming onion but they look so pretty. I only saw a version where they would be fried and I don’t want to waste that much oil so either there’s healthier version or I eat it ouside somewhere or never at all 😀 I love onion rings though.. the last time was 2 weeks ago when I was at a vegan burger place in Vienna and they had to-die-for onion rings.. but to be fair.. everything I tried there was to die for. I love to dip onion rings in garlicy sauces 😀

    Reply

    • Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine says

      Just like purple sweet potatoes, purple cauliflower, purple asparagus, etc 😉
      Frying things is such a waste of oil! Hahahaha!
      Sounds pretty bangin’ 😉 A garlicy sauce sounds pretty nice too!

      Reply

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