Gluten-Free Recipes

Gluten-Free Recipes for Dessert

Carrot Cake

Despite using a vegetable as a main ingredient, carrot cake is one of the richest recipes out there, owing in part to the (optional) cream cheese frosting. Even without the frosting, this spice-heavy sweet is a wonderful treat. Just be sure to grate the carrots small enough!

This recipe was provided by our friends at the Gluten-Free Palate.

Carrot Cake

Ingredients

This recipe is suitable for one 9×13 inch baking pan, two 9 inch round cake pans, or 24 cupcakes.

• 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
• 4 eggs
• 1 cup oil (vegetable, oil, etc.)
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 cups gluten-free flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon allspice
• ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
• ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 2 cups grated carrots

Optional: ½ cup nuts, such as pecans or walnuts, chopped

Instructions

1. Position the oven rack in the center of the oven, then preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Grease pan(s) and/or line with parchment paper.
2. In a large mixing bowl, cream sugar and eggs together. Add oil and vanilla, and then beat just until smooth.
3. In a medium bowl, mix gluten-free flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, cloves, and salt.
4. Mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients.
5. Stir in grated carrots and, if adding, the chopped nuts.
6. Spoon batter into your choice of baking pan(s).
7. Bake for 35–40 minutes, or until a toothpick/fork/knife inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean.
8. Remove from oven and let cool for 5–10 minutes, then gently remove from pan and let cool on a rack.
9. Once cool, frost the top and sides with cream cheese frosting (recipe below) if desired.
10. Serve and enjoy!

This cake can be refrigerator for no more than five days, or in a sealed container in the freezer for no more than three months.

Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients

• 8 oz. cream cheese, room temperature
• ½ cup butter, room temperature
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 4½ cups gluten-free powdered sugar

Instructions

1. In a medium mixing bowl, beat together all ingredients except powdered sugar until light and fluffy.
2. Gradually add powdered sugar, one cup at a time, beating well.
3. Use to frost cakes and pastries, or refrigerate in a sealed container for no more than a week.

Gluten-Free Biscotti

Biscotti are a traditional type of cookie from Italy that are baked twice and eaten with coffee or wine. This recipe uses pecans, but you can certainly experiment and sub in almonds, pistachios, or hazelnuts, or add cinnamon or chocolate chips.

This recipe was provided by our friends at the Gluten-Free Palate.

Ingredients

• 1 ½ cups gluten-free flour (a 1:1 replacement flour with a binder, such as xanthan gum, is ideal)
• ⅕ teaspoon salt
• 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
• ⅓ cup butter, softened
• ⅓ cup brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon lemon extract
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest
• 1 cup crushed pecans

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 360°F.
2. Mix flour, salt, and baking powder in a bowl.
3. In a separate bowl, beat butter with brown sugar using a whisk or hand mixer.
4. Add eggs one at a time, lemon extract, and vanilla, and beat together with the butter and sugar mixture.
5. Transfer the beaten wet mixture to the dry ingredients bowl. Add the lemon zest and crushed pecans, then mix thoroughly.
6. You’ll have a sticky dough, but don’t add more flour unless it holds its shape. Chill for half an hour in the fridge.
7. After chilling, divide the dough into two parts, shape each into a cylinder or tube, and lay on parchment paper-lined pan.
8. Bake for 30 minutes.
9. Remove from oven and let cool for 10–15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 300°F.
10. Once cooled, cut into cookies about an inch thick. Transfer the cut cookies back onto the parchment-lined pan and bake in reduced-temperature oven for another 20 minutes, flipping halfway through.
11. Let cool and enjoy!

Gluten-Free Apple Crumble (no oats!)

Enjoy a gluten-free apple crumble without gluten or oats! This delectable dessert is undoubtedly easier than pie, but still has plenty of sugar, spice, and everything nice.

This recipe was provided by our friends at The Gluten-Free Palate.

Ingredients

Yields six servings. Use a 9×13 (or equivalent size) baking dish.

• ½ cup gluten-free flour
• ½ cup almond flour
• ⅕ teaspoon salt
• ⅓ cup brown sugar
  • You’ll use 3 Tablespoons in the apple mixture and the remaining amount in the crumb mixture.
• ⅓ cup solid coconut oil
• 3 apples (Granny Smith ideally, but feel free to experiment with other varieties)
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
• ¼ cup walnuts

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 360°F. Grease a baking dish.
2. In a bowl, mix the gluten-free flour, almond flour, salt and brown sugar (remember to reserve 3 Tablespoons).
3. Add solid coconut oil and mix ingredients to make crumbs (not a batter!). Refrigerate for 10-15 mins to allow the crumbs to harden.
4. In a separate bowl, mix cornstarch, cinnamon, spices and the remaining sugar.
5. Slice apples and toss in bowl with spice mix until well-coated.
6. Transfer apples to a baking dish. Can be loosely layered, do not need to lie flat.
7. Grind walnuts into large crumbs (can use a mortal and pestle or a food processor to make this easier) and sprinkle over the apples.
8. Sprinkle the crumb mixture over the nuts and apples.
9. Cover dish with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove the foil, flip dish and bake for another 20 minutes.
10. Serve warm, or, for an extra indulgent dessert, serve with whipped cream, caramel, or ice cream.

Gluten-Free Monkey Bread (Pull-Apart Sweet Bread)

Monkey bread is a sticky cinnamon pastry perfect for group events. Simply pull out a piece, pop it in your mouth, and enjoy!

This recipe was provide by Gluten-Free Palate.

Ingredients

Monkey bread is usually made in a Bundt cake pan, but you can also make it in a square or round cake pan.

Dough Coating

• 1 cup sugar
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 ½ Tablespoon cinnamon

Sauce/glaze

• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• ½ cup unsalted butter
• 3 Tablespoon heavy whipping cream, room temperature
• 2 Tablespoon maple syrup
• ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• ¼ teaspoon salt

Bread Dough

• 2 ¾ cups gluten-free flour
  • If there’s no binder in your GF flour, add 1 ½ teaspoon xanthan gum
• 2 teaspoon instant yeast—be sure this is labeled gluten-free!
• 2 Tablespoon sugar
• 1 ½ cup warm water
• 1 cup plain Greek yogurt
• 1 large egg
• ¼ cup soft, unsalted butter
• 1 ¼ teaspoon salt

Instructions

1. Start making the dough coating by mixing sugar, salt and cinnamon, in a medium bowl. Set aside.
2. Make the glaze by melting the butter and sugar together over low heat in a small saucepan—don’t allow it to boil! Once the sugar has dissolved, add the remaining ingredients: whipping cream, maple syrup, vanilla and salt. Whisk together and set aside.
3. Grease your pan with soft butter and set aside.
4. Mix GF flour, GF instant yeast, sugar and, if flour has no binder, the xanthan gum. Mix well. If you have a standing mixer, whisk on medium speed.
5. Add the the warm water, yogurt, and egg into the dough. Mix well until the dough becomes soft, circa 5 minutes. Add the unsalted butter and salt and mix for another 10 minutes.
6. Sprinkle your gluten-free flour over a flat surface like a counter, then plop your dough on top. Knead the dough for a few minutes. If the dough is sticky, feel free to flour your hands or add a few teaspoons to the dough.
7. Slice the dough into bite-sized pieces. Roll each one in the coating, then arrange in your greased pan, distributing them evenly. Sprinkle any remaining coating on top (can also save some for the baked result).
8. Pour the glaze sauce over the dough.
9. Cover the dough with a towel and let rest for 45 minutes or until doubled in size.
10. Bake at 350°F for 30-35 minutes.
11. Once it’s out of the oven, allow the monkey bread to rest in pan for about 5 minutes. Turn out onto a plate and serve with any remaining glaze or coating mixture. Roasted pecans, peanuts, or almonds are also a wonderful addition.

Gluten-free Angel Food Cake

Angel food cake is a light, fluffy, airy cake that pairs well with subtle flavors. Here’s a gluten-free version to make for those with celiac or non-celiac gluten sensitivity!

This recipe was provided by our friends at the Gluten-Free Palate. 

Ingredients

Instructions

1. Place the oven rack at the lowest position, then preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Separate egg whites from egg yolks. You can buy a tool online that will make this easier, or do it the old fashioned way, by pouring the egg yolk back and forth between the two shell halves above a bowl. The egg whites should gradually fall into the bowl, while the yolk stays contained in the shell. Some chefs prefer to use their hands instead of the egg shell halves to prevent any little bits of shell getting into the batter. 
3. Set aside the large mixing bowl of egg whites and refrigerate the egg yolks for later!
4. Sift powdered sugar and GF flour into a separate mixing bowl and stir together.
5. Add cream of tartar, salt, vanilla extract and almond extract to the bowl of egg whites. Beat together (medium speed if using a mixer) until peaks soft form.
6. Gradually add granulated sugar (about two Tbsps at a time), beating on high until stiff peaks form.
7. Gradually fold in flour mixture, about ½ cup at a time. Don’t mix it too hard, as that can knock the air from the batter, leading to a dense cake that won’t rise.
8. Gently spoon the batter into a 10-in. tube pan—don’t pour it in all at once!
9. Gently stick a butter knife into the batter to cut through any big air pockets.
10. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until the top is lightly browned and set. Get a cooling rack out and set aside. 
11. When you remove the pan from the oven, immediately flip it onto a cooling rack. Don’t worry if it doesn’t slide out right away; the cake will shrink and loosen as it cools. Cool completely before removing the pan, about 1 hour.
    • If cake hasn’t separated from pan after about an hour, run a rubber spatula between the cake and pan to separate them.
12. Serve with cream and berries!

Pro Tips

• You’ll want to use a 10-in tube pan for that classic angel food cake shape. If you don’t have one, you can use a standard rectangular pan (9x13x2 in.) instead. 
• Underdone angel food cakes usually collapse, so if you’re unsure about taking it out of the oven, it’s better to leave it in and err on the side of overdone.
• Whip eggs until stiff peaks form, but no further—don’t overbeat them!
• You probably don’t need to grease the cake pan.
• Use a serrated knife to cut the cake instead of a flat-edged knife. 
• You can store this cake at room temperature for up to four days, covered.

Gluten-Free Black Bean Burgers

This gluten-free black bean burger is perfect for any vegetarians with celiac, or folks looking to incorporate more vegetables into their diet. Try making it for the next summer barbecue, and customize it with whichever toppings you prefer. 

This recipe is provided by our friends at the Gluten-Free Palate. 

Ingredients

Yields six burgers

• 2 15 oz cans black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 Tablespoon olive oil
• ½ green bell pepper, minced
• ½ white or yellow onion, minced
• ¼ cup gluten-free breadcrumbs
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 Tablespoon garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon salt
• GF buns, for serving

Plus any other toppings you like on your burger, like cheese, pickles, lettuce, tomato, red onion, guacamole, etc.

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 325F°.
2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, then spread the beans evenly on the baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil. Roast in the oven for about 10-15 minutes to dry them out.
3. In the meantime, cook the peppers and onions in a skillet over medium heat until the onions are transparent and the peppers tender. Add the garlic and cook for another minute. Remove from the heat and transfer to a food processor.
4. Add the dried beans to the food processor and pulse until the ingredients are combined.
5. Transfer the mix to a large bowl, add the cumin, sweet paprika, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, egg, and breadcrumbs, and mix with your hands until everything is well-combined.
6. Measure ½ cup of the mix into your palms, then roll into a ball and flatten into a patty. Place on top of the baking sheet, then repeat until mix is gone (should yield about 6 regular-sized patties, or 12 sliders)
7. After forming all the patties, refrigerate them for 30 minutes or more before cooking. This firms up the patties and prevents them from falling apart during cooking.
8. Bake for 20 minutes, flipping halfway through.
9. Assemble the burgers with patties, buns, and favorite toppings. Serve immediately and enjoy!

Gluten-Free Hot Cross Buns

Hot cross buns are an Easter classic, especially in the United Kingdom and British Commonwealth, but with their blend of dried fruits, zests, and spices, they make an excellent sweet treat any time of year.

This recipe was provided by our friends at the Gluten-Free Palate.

Ingredients

Hot Cross Buns

• 1 ½ cups gluten-free all-purpose flour
• 5 Tablespoon cornstarch
• ½ cup sugar
• 2 teaspoon dry quick yeast
• 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
• ⅓ teaspoon cinnamon
• ⅓ teaspoon salt
• ⅓ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
• ⅓ cup dried currants
• 3 Tablespoon dried cranberries
• 2 Tablespoon crushed almonds
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest
• 1 teaspoon orange peel
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
• 2 eggs
• ½ cup melted butter

Glaze

• ½ cup powdered sugar
• 2 Tablespoon orange juice (or milk)

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 360°F. Pour flour, starch, sugar, quick dry yeast, and cream of tartar into a deep bowl, mix with a whisk.
2. Add spices, lemon and orange zest, salt, and mix again.
3. Add vinegar, vanilla, and butter.
4. Add eggs and start mixing everything. As a result, you should get a soft sticky dough, do not add a lot of flour, otherwise it will turn out to be too dense. If you see that there is not enough liquid, pour in some milk.
5. Add dried currants, dried cranberries, and chopped almonds.
6. Stir again, cover the bowl with cling film and leave for half an hour in a warm place. During this time, the dough will increase slightly in size and become even softer and fluffier.
7. Divide the dough into 6 parts.
8. Form each piece of dough into a small bun about 3 inches in diameter. Transfer the buns to a baking sheet lined with parchment, cover with cling film and leave for another 15 minutes.
9. On top of each bun, make an incision in the shape of a cross.
10. Grease each bun with sweet water made from a teaspoon of powdered sugar and 3 tablespoons of water. Put the buns in the oven and bake for about half an hour. Remove the buns from the oven and let cool slightly.
11. Make a glaze with orange juice and powdered sugar. If you want the glaze to be perfectly white, use milk or water instead of orange juice. Lemon juice is also suitable.
12. Apply glaze to the cross-shaped cuts on the buns and leave to dry. Hot cross buns can be tasted as soon as they have cooled down a bit.

Gluten-Free Peanut Butter Blossom Cookies

While these peanut butter blossoms are most popular during the holiday season, they make an excellent treat any time of the year! With just a few ingredients, this recipe is definitely easier than pie. 

Recipe provided by our friends at the Gluten-Free Palate. 

Ingredients

• 1 cup peanut butter
• ½ cup granulated sugar, plus a bit more for rolling cookies in
• ⅓ cup brown sugar
• 1 egg
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 24 Hershey’s Kisses, unwrapped (or your favorite chocolate pieces, like Reese’s—just be sure to read the label and ensure it’s gluten-free! )

Instructions

1. Add peanut butter, both sugars, egg, salt, and vanilla extract to a medium mixing bowl.
2. Mix until combined, then chill for 1 hour.
3. Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
4. After chilled, roll cookie dough into 1″ balls. Roll them in granulated sugar.
5. Place on the baking sheet 2 inches apart and bake for 8-10 minutes or until the bottoms start to brown.
6. Remove from the oven and immediately place kiss, or your favorite chocolate, on top and press down slightly.
7. Store in an airtight container for up to 4 days.

Gluten-Free Gingerbread Cookies

Gingerbread, a holiday classic! Use this gluten-free recipe, courtesy of our friends at the Gluten-Free Palate, to make celiac-safe gingerbread houses and gingerbread people. Decorating the cookies will be almost as enjoyable as eating them!

Ingredients

Gingerbread dough

• 3 cups 1 to 1 gluten-free flour
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons ground ginger
• ½ teaspoon ground cloves
• ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• ¾ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¾ cup butter, room temperature
• ½ cup brown sugar, packed
• 1 egg
• ½ cup molasses
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Icing

• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 3 Tablespoons milk
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

1. Mix the flour, spices, baking soda and salt in a medium mixing bowl; set aside.
2. In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and brown sugar together.
3. Add in the egg, molasses, and vanilla extract. Cream until smooth.
4. Add in half the flour mixture and mix until combined.
5. Add in the remaining flour mixture and continue to mix until combine.
6. Shape dough into a ball and divide in half.
7. On a piece of parchment paper, pat the dough down into a 1-inch disk. Repeat with the other half of the dough.
8. Refrigerate for 1-2 hours, or until cold and firm.
9. Once the dough has chilled, remove it from the refrigerator and place a piece of wax paper on top. Using a rolling pin, roll dough out to ¼ inch thickness.
10. Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C).
11. Remove the wax paper from the top of the dough. Using cookie cutters, cut shapes into the dough. Use a spoon or butter knife to remove the extra dough from around the shapes. Roll extra dough back into a ball, and place the wax paper back on top, and roll into ¼ inch thickness. Repeat until all dough is used.
12. Transfer the parchment paper with the gingerbread cookies onto a baking sheet.
13. Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until the edges are firm and the centers are set. Remove from the oven and cool to room temperature.
14. Make the icing: mix all ingredients in a small mixing bowl until smooth. Spoon icing into a piping bag with a small tip.
15. Decorate cooled cookies with icing and, if you have them, gluten-free sprinkles or candies.
16. Let the icing set for a couple of hours before storing. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days.

Peach Crisp

If you’re taking advantage of peach season in late July or early August, use fresh peaches for this recipe! Otherwise, substitute canned or frozen peaches. This is the perfect treat to sweeten up a hot summer night, or bring to any gathering, any time of the year, to cap off a hearty meal. 

This recipe is provided courtesy of our friends at the Gluten-Free Palate.

Ingredients

Peach filling

• 5 cups fresh or frozen and thawed peach slices (about 8 medium-large fresh peaches)
• ¼ cup granulated sugar
• 2 Tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Crisp topping

• ¾ cup brown sugar, packed
• ½ cup all-purpose gluten-free flour blend
• ½ cup gluten-free quick oats (make sure they are gluten-free, or substitute chopped nuts, such as slivered almonds or chopped pecans)
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• ⅓ cup butter, softened

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C) and position the oven rack in the center of the oven. Lightly spray or grease an 8x8x2” square baking pan.
2. Make the peach filling: Add the peaches, sugar, cornstarch and vanilla extract to your prepared pan. Stir until combined.
3. In a separate, medium mixing bowl, combine the brown sugar, flour, oats, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
4. With a pastry blender or two forks, cut the butter into the flour mixture until it resembles coarse crumbs.
5. Evenly sprinkle the topping over the peach filling.
6. Bake for 25 minutes or until the topping is golden brown.
7. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream. It’s best the day of, but can be stored at room temperature for up to two days.