25 Gluten-Free Dessert Recipes Everyone Will Love (2024)

Whether you are gluten-free or hosting someone who is, we're here for you with all kinds of delectable dessert recipes. Our go-to ideas for gluten-free desserts include creative takes on the classics—and you'll quickly find that baking without gluten is a cinch when you use our triple-tested recipes for gluten-free cakes, cookies, brownies, pies, puddings, pavlovas, and more.

25 Gluten-Free Dessert Recipes Everyone Will Love

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Coconut-Pecan Tart

25 Gluten-Free Dessert Recipes Everyone Will Love (1)

This elegant tart has an easy press-in crust made with shredded coconut and almond flour and a dreamy filling that imparts creamy butterscotch flavor. The best part? It's studded with chocolate and pecans.

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02of 25

Chocolate-Peanut-Butter-Caramel Cereal Bars

25 Gluten-Free Dessert Recipes Everyone Will Love (2)

There's a lot to like about this gluten-free riff on millionaire's shortbread. A crispy rice cereal-marshmallow base replaces the usual cookie layer, and there's a peanut-butter caramel tier and a dark chocolate shell. It's a no-bake bar cookie that tastes like you hit the jackpot.

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03of 25

Five-Ingredient Chocolate Chip Cookies

25 Gluten-Free Dessert Recipes Everyone Will Love (3)

Almond butter is the secret ingredient that binds these chocolate chip cookies together. They're free of flour, which makes them safe for anyone who is gluten intolerant.

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04of 25

Peach-Guava Pops

25 Gluten-Free Dessert Recipes Everyone Will Love (4)

Enjoy the flavor of fresh summer peaches in these ice pops that your whole family will enjoy. A combination of puréed and sliced peaches are mixed with guava juice, lime juice, and sugar for a refreshing gluten-free dessert.

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05of 25

Flourless Chocolate-Almond Cake

25 Gluten-Free Dessert Recipes Everyone Will Love (5)

Everyone will want a slice of this fudgy, rich, and decadent gluten-free chocolate cake. Almond flour gives the bittersweet chocolate batter body and a whipped crème fraîche topping provides the sweetness.

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06of 25

Strawberry-Lemonade Angel Pie

25 Gluten-Free Dessert Recipes Everyone Will Love (6)

Similar to a pavlova, this stunning summer dessert has a meringue base and a strawberry filling that's cooked with gelatin to make it easy to slice. Whipped cream and sliced strawberries are all the topping it needs.

07of 25

Vegan Blueberry Crisp

25 Gluten-Free Dessert Recipes Everyone Will Love (7)

Six cups of fresh blueberries are baked beneath an oat and almond crumble. Not only is this dessert gluten free, but it's also vegan—and absolutely delicious.

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08of 25

Brown-Sugar Peach Pavlova

25 Gluten-Free Dessert Recipes Everyone Will Love (8)

Using brown sugar for the meringue gives it a more caramelly flavor that pairs well with the poached peaches in this pavlova.

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09of 25

Dark Chocolate-Walnut Date Bar

25 Gluten-Free Dessert Recipes Everyone Will Love (9)

Here's a decadent no-bake treat that's free of gluten and refined sugar. This deep, dark chocolate bar is sweetened with a caramel-forward date purée, studded with walnuts and natural peanut butter, and layered with dark chocolate.

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10of 25

Coconut Water Granita

25 Gluten-Free Dessert Recipes Everyone Will Love (10)

This super simple gluten-free dessert—made with coconut water, sugar, and sliced strawberries—is exactly what we want on a hot summer day. All you need to do is combine the coconut water and sugar in a baking dish, freeze until solid, and then scrape occasionally to create ice crystals.

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11of 25

No-Bake Chocolate-Eggnog Crème Brûlée

25 Gluten-Free Dessert Recipes Everyone Will Love (11)

Avoid the fussy water bath and temperamental cooking process with this recipe for no-bake gluten-free crème brûlée. The cream mixture is infused with cinnamon and nutmeg, which makes it taste like our favorite holiday beverage.

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12of 25

Apple Sundaes with Cider Caramel Sauce

25 Gluten-Free Dessert Recipes Everyone Will Love (12)

Give the ice cream sundae a fall twist by serving scoops of vanilla with baked apple slices and a spiced caramel sauce.

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Almond-Coconut Chewy Chocolate Cookies

25 Gluten-Free Dessert Recipes Everyone Will Love (13)

Almond flour takes the place of the usual all-purpose flour in these rich cookies. They're made from bittersweet chocolate, roasted almonds, and shredded coconut.

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14of 25

Spiced Pumpkin Pie

25 Gluten-Free Dessert Recipes Everyone Will Love (14)

A Crisp Rice-Almond Pie Crust is the secret weapon in our gluten-free baking arsenal. It pairs beautifully with a cinnamon- and nutmeg-spiked pumpkin filling for this pumpkin dessert, and would be a superb base for just about any pie.

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15of 25

Rice Pudding with Sea Salt-Caramel Sauce

25 Gluten-Free Dessert Recipes Everyone Will Love (15)

Rice pudding may seem old-fashioned, but this gluten-free version is totally modern. While the creamy pudding is delicious on its own, we've taken it to the next level with a homemade sea-salt caramel sauce, fresh berries, and nuts on top.

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16of 25

Cherry-Raspberry Semifreddo

25 Gluten-Free Dessert Recipes Everyone Will Love (16)

Floral elderflower liqueur brightens the duo of tart cherries and sweet raspberries in this frozen, Italian-inspired dessert. It needs to be made at least eight hours in advance, so it's perfect for make-ahead entertaining.

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17of 25

Raspberry-Almond Crisp

25 Gluten-Free Dessert Recipes Everyone Will Love (17)

Juicy raspberries tossed in brown sugar are bursting beneath a gluten-free crumble made from butter, rolled oats, and sliced raw almonds. It's a fabulous treat for a crowd (it serves at least six!)—and no one will ever suspect that it's secretly healthy.

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18of 25

Chocolate-Peanut Butter Semifreddo with Caramel Corn

25 Gluten-Free Dessert Recipes Everyone Will Love (18)

Light and creamy, the ultimate duo (chocolate and peanut butter) take center stage in this gluten-free Italian dessert. Each slice is topped with homemade caramel popcorn, a kid-friendly, carnival-inspired treat.

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19of 25

Lemon Cornmeal Cake

25 Gluten-Free Dessert Recipes Everyone Will Love (19)

Double doses of lemon juice and zest—and almonds (chopped plus extract)—give this Italian-inspired cake plenty of flavor.

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20of 25

Flourless Chocolate-Date Cake with Salted-Caramel Sauce

25 Gluten-Free Dessert Recipes Everyone Will Love (20)

This is a cake for the ages, regardless of your dietary preferences. Skipping the flour just means you get a dense crumb. Salted caramel sauce and whipped cream make it even more decadent.

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21of 25

Coffee Meringue-Ice Cream Cake

25 Gluten-Free Dessert Recipes Everyone Will Love (21)

Dress up store-bought coffee ice cream with almonds, ground coffee beans, and flaky salt, then sandwich it between coffee-swirled meringues to make this over-the-top dessert.

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22of 25

Fudgy Pecan Brownies

25 Gluten-Free Dessert Recipes Everyone Will Love (22)

Cornstarch gives these brownies structure, just as the gluten in flour would. We added toasted pecans, but walnuts or hazelnuts would also be delicious.

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23of 25

Basil-Yogurt Panna Cotta with Grapefruit Gelèe

25 Gluten-Free Dessert Recipes Everyone Will Love (23)

Pretty in pink and super elegant—who could pass up panna cotta, an elegant gluten-free dessert? A fresh grapefruit-gelatin mixture is combined with basil-infused milk for a first-class sweet.

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24of 25

Buckwheat-and-Chocolate Torte

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For the uninitiated, buckwheat flour is gluten-free because it's ground from a seed, not a grain. It adds a wonderful earthiness to this scrumptious cake.

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Angel Food Cake

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Using gluten-free flour doesn't make this classic dessert any less scrumptious. The texture is light as a cloud.

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25 Gluten-Free Dessert Recipes Everyone Will Love (2024)

FAQs

What can gluten-free people eat that is sweet? ›

Let's start with the naturally gluten free ideas. Fruits (strawberries, bananas, blueberries, mangos, and more) are all gluten and dairy free desserts. Chocolate is also naturally gluten free (although it does contain dairy). An easy chocolate mousse can be made in a snap, too. And hooray, coconut is gluten free.

What is the key to gluten-free baking? ›

Gluten-free baked goods often benefit from extra liquid to hydrate the flour blends, eliminate grittiness, and achieve a less dense or dry texture. However, it's very important to drive off this extra moisture during baking, or you'll wind up with a gummy texture. The best way to do this? Longer baking times.

How do you make gluten-free dessert less dry? ›

Moisture – for some reason gluten-free cakes tend to get a little dry. Any gluten-free cake will dry out super-fast and get hard on the outside if it's not properly refrigerated and covered. I swear by always using buttermilk and adding a little more fat into the batter to compensate for the dryness.

How do you keep gluten free baked goods moist? ›

Add extra liquid: Gluten-free flours tend to absorb more liquid than regular flour, so you may need to add more liquid to your recipes to compensate. This can help to keep your baked goods moist and prevent them from becoming dry and crumbly.

What sweets have no gluten? ›

Nestlé
  • Bit-O-Honey.
  • Butterfinger Bar (original flavor only, NOT Crisp, Giant Bars)
  • Milk Chocolate.
  • Goobers.
  • Nips (including both regular and sugar-free)
  • Oh Henry!
  • Raisinets (including Cranberry and Dark Chocolate flavors)
  • Sno-Caps.

Which flour has no gluten? ›

For flours that are made from grains (amaranth, buckwheat, corn, millet, quinoa, rice flours, sorghum, and teff), always buy them labeled gluten-free, since many are grown, harvested and processed in facilities that also manufacture wheat, barley, or rye and cross-contact can occur.

What to avoid for gluten-free baking? ›

Some baking ingredients that contain gluten (and thus are not suitable for a gluten-free diet) include:
  • Wheat.
  • Semolina.
  • Spelt.
  • Durum.
  • Emmer.
  • Einkorn.
  • Rye, sometimes referred to as pumpernickel.
  • Barley.
Mar 29, 2021

Which gluten free flour is best for cookies? ›

Almond flour is a grain-free, protein-rich flour that lends well to cookies, cakes, and more! Almond flour is made from blanched almonds, meaning without skins (as opposed to almond meal, which is made from raw almonds with skins). This is why it has a fluffy, light texture and pale golden color.

Why are my gluten free cakes so dry? ›

Some gluten free flours will produce a cake which is on the dry side. This might be due to the lack of gluten but can be for many other reasons. Lots of gluten free flour is rice based and this can result in a dry and slightly gritty texture.

What does baking soda do in gluten-free baking? ›

Texture and Rise: Gluten-free baking often requires a bit of finesse to achieve the desired rise and texture. Baking soda's reaction with an acid can help achieve that necessary lift, while baking powder provides an extra boost when the batter or dough is exposed to heat.

What helps gluten free cakes rise? ›

Gluten-free flour blends don't have the same elasticity as flour containing gluten so often the cakes don't rise as much or will sink after rising. To combat the flat cake problem, I add ½ tsp of bicarbonate of soda to the recipe even when using a self-raising gluten-free flour blend.

What is the trick to baking with gluten-free flour? ›

Gluten-free flours often contain fine starches, so they absorb more liquid than conventional flour. To address this, gluten-free recipes usually call for more liquid and produce looser batters. They may also call for a larger quantity of leavening, like baking powder, to help add volume and lighten the texture.

Why is my gluten-free cake sunk in the middle? ›

It's very common for gluten free baked goods to sink in the middle and sometimes it's even gummy or looks like it isn't fully cooked. Here's some ways to help avoid that: -Don't over-mix your dough. Mix it until everything is just incorporated and be done.

Why are my gluten free cakes so dense? ›

If gluten-free cakes aren't falling apart, they often turn out heavy and unpleasantly dense. That's because gluten creates little pockets of air, so baked goods turn out springy and fluffy; gluten-free flours and grains are lacking this crucial element.

Can you eat sugar if you are gluten-free? ›

White sugar, derived from sugar cane or sugar beets, is naturally gluten-free. During the refining process, sugar is separated from the plant, and the end product is pure sucrose, which doesn't contain gluten. This makes white sugar a safe option for those following a gluten-free diet.

Are Oreos gluten-free? ›

Are Oreos gluten-free? Short Answer: No… but also yes! Traditional Oreos do contain wheat flour, but Gluten-Free Oreos use gluten free flour. Gluten-Free Oreos are available in original and double stuf, and just recently, gluten-free mint Oreos have become a permanent addition to the lineup!

What makes sweets not gluten-free? ›

Chocolate & sweets – some chocolate and sweets may have wheat (like biscuits) or barley in which are not suitable for people with coeliac disease. Burgers – they may add wheat flour or breadcrumbs to burgers so you would need to check these are gluten free.

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