Gluten-Free Desserts: 20 Easy Gluten-Free Dessert Recipes

Gluten-free desserts are sweets that do not contain gluten, an elastic protein that works by trapping the air created by leavening agents in baked goods. (Gluten appears in common baking ingredients such as all-purpose flour, wheat, rye, malt, barley, and brewer’s yeast.) Gluten-free desserts come in many forms, from unbaked puddings and icebox pies to baked goods like brownies, cakes, and cookies.

There are many gluten-free flours to use in place of regular flour, such as tapioca flour, potato starch, almond flour, coconut flour, and brown rice flour. Note that using gluten-free flours may alter your dessert’s taste, texture, density, and baking time.

People who have allergies or sensitivities to gluten can enjoy gluten-free desserts without the threat of experiencing the health stressors associated with gluten consumption.

Those with gluten sensitivities or irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) may also benefit from cutting gluten out of their diets, which may reduce inflammation, relieve gastrointestinal problems, or stave off headaches.

Read on for a list of some of the best gluten-free dessert recipes.

1. 1. Acai bowl: An acai bowl is a blended fruit bowl made from a base of puréed acai berries. Acai berries taste like a cross between tangy pomegranate and raspberries, with a distinctly earthy undertone similar to cocoa nibs. Blend your acai berries with other fruits such as bananas, blackberries, or blueberries, then top with more fruit and gluten-free granola of your choice. Add peanut butter or almond butter for a richer, creamier consistency.
2. 2. Apple cobbler: Gluten-free apple cobbler is a classic rustic dessert that features wheat-free flour instead of glutinous all-purpose flour. This old-fashioned gluten-free dessert pairs a base of thick, macerated apples with an earthy crust of cinnamon-topped gluten-free biscuit dough. Make gluten-free apple cobbler with Honeycrisp, Braeburn, Granny Smith, or Golden Delicious apples.
3. 3. Butterscotch pudding: Homemade butterscotch pudding is a caramel-flavored custard made from kitchen staples like milk, pure vanilla extract, butter, and cornstarch. Home cooks will need to refrigerate this butterscotch pudding recipe for at least two hours before it is the right consistency to eat, but they can prepare this creamy gluten-free dessert in under thirty minutes.
4. 4. Chocolate mousse: Traditional chocolate mousse is a rich, gluten-free dessert made from a medley of dairy products and sugar. Chocolate mousse gets its creamy texture from a custard made with eggs, sugar, and cream.
5. 5. Coconut macaroons: Macaroons are naturally gluten-free, flourless cookies that home cooks make by binding shredded coconut flakes together with egg whites, sugar, and sometimes condensed milk or cream. These flavorful cookies are chewy, with a craggy texture that clings to a dipped chocolate shell. Gluten-free and unleavened coconut macaroons are a popular choice for Passover.
6. 6. Crème brûlée: Crème brûlée is a custard-based, gluten-free dessert that consists of a creamy pudding and a crunchy, caramelized top made from hardened sugar. The brûlée in crème brûlée is a browned, crisp sugar shell, which home cooks make by melting sugar over cream with a blowtorch. Also known as Trinity cream and burnt cream, this popular French dessert requires a few simple ingredients, including heavy cream, sugar, eggs, and vanilla extract, with a sugar topping.
7. 7. Flourless chocolate cake: Flourless chocolate cake is a dense, dark chocolate cake that doesn’t contain flour. Home cooks can bind this gluten-free chocolate cake together with eggs and flavor it with cocoa powder. A garnish of ground nuts or whipped cream typically accompanies this dessert. Flourless chocolate cake has a creamy, fudgy center and a crispy, thin crust often dusted with cocoa powder or powdered sugar or topped with chocolate ganache.
8. 8. Lemon pudding: This custard-based dessert consists of kitchen staples like milk, sugar, cornstarch, vanilla extract, and egg yolks. Flavored with bright, acidic notes of fresh lemon juice and zest, lemon pudding takes only minutes to prepare, resulting in a quick dessert that is tart, tangy, sweet, and creamy.
9. 9. Macarons: Parisian macarons are gluten-free almond meringue cookies sandwiched together with a creamy filling of ganache, buttercream, or jam. The meringue-based macaron cookies (made of finely ground almond flour, egg whites, and sugar) puff up during baking to create a hollow center and a defined pied (foot) that holds various fillings.
10. 10. Mexican rice pudding: Arroz con leche, which translates to “rice with milk” in Spanish, is a Mexican rice pudding. Rice puddings (which are made out of white rice and milk) come in many different variations throughout the world, seasoned with different spices and ingredients. In the Hispanic culinary canon, arroz con leche typically uses condensed milk or granulated sugar as sweeteners.
11. 11. New York cheesecake: This classic cheesecake features a graham cracker crust and a dense, smooth custard cake made from cream cheese, sour cream, eggs, and sugar. Make gluten-free cheesecake by using a crust of toasted oats or nuts melted with butter or coconut oil. Top the cheesecake with chocolate chips, crushed nuts, or strawberry sauce.
12. 12. Oatmeal cookies: For a gluten-free three-ingredient oatmeal cookie recipe, simply combine mashed ripe bananas, old-fashioned oats, and chocolate chips and bake them in the oven. Learn how to make three-ingredient cookies.
13. 13. Pavlova: This baked meringue dessert consists of sweetened egg whites slowly baked at a low temperature. The low temperature and slow baking time create a chewy-crisp texture on the exterior, with a soft, marshmallowy center. Home cooks top the finished pavlova (sometimes called “pav” for short) with homemade whipped cream and fresh fruit. To make chocolate pavlova, fold cocoa powder into the whipped egg whites, which will make a denser, almost brownie-like meringue that pairs exceptionally well with raspberries.
14. 14. Peach cobbler: Gluten-free peach cobbler is a wheat-free take on the traditional rustic fruit cobbler that combines gluten-free biscuit topping and ripe, juicy peaches. Gluten-free peach cobbler starts with a sweet, macerated fruit base that home cooks top with semi-sweet dough and bake until golden brown.
15. 15. Peanut butter cookies: Home cooks can make gluten-free, flourless peanut butter cookies using only three ingredients: eggs, sugar, and creamy peanut butter. Add some vanilla extract or chocolate chips to the mix for extra flavor. Learn how to make this three-ingredient cookie.
16. 16. Sugar cookies: These classic, vanilla-infused cookies feature gluten-free flour instead of all-purpose flour. With a slightly crispy outside and soft, chewy center, gluten-free sugar cookies are sweet treats that people with various dietary preferences can enjoy.
17. 17. Toffee: This gluten-free hard candy combines the classic cooked sugar sweetness of caramel with the richness of butter. Technically, toffee is butterscotch—a combination of butter and sugar—cooked to what’s known as the hard-crack stage in confectionery: over 300 degrees Fahrenheit on a candy thermometer. Many store-bought toffees contain wheat flour, so gluten-free home cooks can benefit from making their own gluten-free toffee at home.
18. 18. Vanilla pudding: Vanilla pudding is a homemade custard constructed from pantry staples like sugar, cornstarch, eggs, milk, and vanilla flavoring. Home cooks can serve vanilla pudding on its own or top it with garnishes like gluten-free granola or lemon curd.
19. 19. Vegan brownies: This dairy- and egg-free version of the classic chocolatey dessert features gluten-free ingredients to achieve a texture even closer to fudge than flour-based brownies. While traditional brownie recipes call for animal products like milk, butter, and eggs, vegan brownies use alternative ingredients like vegetable oil, vegan butter, applesauce, and flax seeds. To make these vegan brownies without gluten, use gluten-free flour—such as almond flour or rice flour—instead of all-purpose flour.
20. 20. Vegan chocolate chip cookies: Vegan chocolate chip cookies are an egg- and dairy-free variation of traditional chocolate chip cookies. To make a gluten-free batch of vegan chocolate chip cookies, use finely ground almond flour or gluten-free flour blends formulated especially for baking. Using wheat-free flour creates a gluten-free cookie with a more cakey texture than those made using all-purpose or whole-wheat flour.

Here are some gluten-free baking tips:

1. 1. Use flavorful ingredients. Gluten-free flours, such as chickpea flour or tapioca starch, have unique flavors that you may need to mask with other intensely flavored ingredients. Try adding vanilla extract, cinnamon, or different intense flavors to enhance desserts that feature chickpea flour, tapioca starch, or coconut flour.
2. 2. Follow the recipe. Gluten-free recipes require a specific blend of ingredients to create the right consistency and texture. Follow your gluten-free recipe to the letter. Making last-minute swaps, skipping ingredients, adjusting ratios, or not following the proper ingredient measurements can drastically change how your desserts bake and taste.
3. 3. Mind the moisture. Gluten-free flours are more absorbent than standard baking flours, and adding too much to a baking mix may result in an overly dense and crumbly texture. In addition, using ingredients like brown sugar, fruit purée, or sour cream can help add more moisture to the baking mix.
4. 4. Overmix your batter. While the opposite is typically valid for traditional baking flours, overmixing can improve your gluten-free baked desserts. Gluten-free flours get some extra rise and additional structure when overmixed.
5. 5. Rest your batter. Before baking your freshly mixed gluten-free batter into the oven, cover it and let it rest for at least thirty minutes. This resting time allows the batter to absorb any liquids in the mix to help avoid grainy textures.
6. 6. Monitor the baking time. Gluten-free baked desserts typically require longer baking times at lower temperatures than traditional baked goods, which prevents them from overbaking and drying out. Always monitor your gluten-free goods as they bake. Use a timer to monitor the baking time.

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