41 Gluten-Free Desserts Everyone Will Love
Gluten-free desserts should be just as thrilling, delicious, and fun to eat as any other. Many desserts—like ice cream, flan, and mousse—are naturally gluten-free, and there are plenty of those below. But for cakes, cookies, and more, we often have to turn to alternative flours to replace the traditional wheat-based ingredients. Which is why it’s a good thing that grocery stores these days are bursting with all kinds of grain-free flours such as almond, coconut, and buckwheat—not to mention gluten-free flour blends that can be used as a substitute for almost any baking recipe. Several of the recipes below use glutinous rice flour, a staple of East and Southeast Asian cooking that makes all kinds of tempting treats (mochi among them).
We’ve rounded up our favorite gluten-free desserts, designed without any substitutes. Expect creamy classics (fruit-topped sundaes and rice pudding), small bites (mochi blondies and chocolate chip oat cookies), and showstopping cakes for birthdays or any special occasion—even if that special occasion is that it’s 9 p.m. on a Tuesday, and you’re craving something sweet.
Photo by Travis Rainey, Food Styling by Micah Marie Morton, Prop Styling by Gerri Williams1/41Flourless Chocolate-Orange Cake
Photo by Travis Rainey, Food Styling by Kaitlin Wayne, Prop Styling by Stephanie De Luca2/41Chocolate Mousse for a Party
Self-serve chocolate mousse that’s perfect for a gluten-free dinner party and ready to decorate with cherries, whipped cream, or a drizzle of olive oil.
Photo by Alex Lau, food styling by Susie Theodorou, prop styling by Elizabeth Jaime3/41Chocolate Ganache Tart
Photograph by Isa Zapata, food styling by Pierce Abernathy, prop styling by Olga Grigorenko4/41Vegan Chocolate Mousse With Sesame Brittle
Photograph by Joe Lingeman, food styling by Shilpa Uskokovic, prop styling by Marina Bevilacqua5/41Tahini Hot Fudge Skillet Cake
Photographs by Jenny Huang, food styling by Sue Li, prop styling by Sophie Strangio6/41Chocolate Buckwheat Cake
Earthy buckwheat flour shines in this light, airy chocolate cake, best served with a dollop of whipped cream for extra richness.
Photograph by Elliott Jerome Brown Jr., Prop Styling by Adrian Ababovic, Food Styling by Mieko Takahashi7/41Pear and Red Wine Sundae for Two
A romantic boozy sundae with sizzled pears and spiced red wine sauce, perfect for sharing a gluten-free dessert with someone special.
Photo by Travis Rainey, Food Styling by Shilpa Uskokovic and Jesse Szewczyk, Prop Styling by Linden Elstran8/41Boozy Cherry and Chocolate Pavlova
Photograph by Isa Zapata. Food Styling by Kat Boytsova. Prop Styling by Stephanie De Luca9/41Classic Bananas Foster
Flambé bananas in vanilla-rum sauce for all the tableside drama, served as a decadent, gluten-free dessert that’s indulgent yet easy to make.
Photograph by Isa Zapata, food styling by Sean Dooley, prop styling by Marina Bevilacqua11/41Blueberry Fool With Toasted Coconut
Photograph by Isa Zapata, food styling by Micah Morton, prop styling by JoJo Li12/41Brown-Sugar-Braised Pineapple
Photograph by Elliott Jerome Brown Jr., Food Styling by Emilie Fosnocht, Prop Styling by Christine Keely13/41Matcha-Berry Frozen Yogurt
Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Sean Dooley, Prop Styling by Marina Bevilacqua14/41Mango Mess
Photograph by Scott Semler, Food Styling by Judy Kim, Prop Styling by Stephanie Yeh15/41Raspberry-Cardamom Yogurt Semifreddo
Tangy yogurt or labneh forms a light, fluffy base spiced with cardamom, creating a frozen dessert that’s elegant yet approachable. If raspberry doesn’t do it for you, try a version with mango and sumac or plum and black pepper.
Photograph by Scott Semler, Food Styling by Judy Kim, Prop Styling by Stephanie Yeh16/41Root Beer Float Granita
Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Thu Buser, Prop Styling by Nicole Louie17/41Peanut Butter Rice Crispy Treats With Brown Butter
Photograph by Isa Zapata, food styling by Kaitlin Wayne, prop styling by Christina Allen19/41Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Oat Cookies
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Photograph by Emma Fishman, food styling by Rebecca Jurkevich22/41Kaju Katli
Nutty, buttery barfi gilded in edible silver leaf, creating a naturally gluten-free, visually stunning dessert that pairs perfectly with coffee or tea.
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Photo by Alex Lau, Food Styling by Susie Theodorou, Prop Styling by Sophie Strangio23/41Chocolate Date-Caramel Cups
Photograph by Aaron Barton, food styling by Drew Aichele, prop styling by Alexandra Massillon27/41Colossal Crème Brûlée
Photo by Travis Rainey, Food Styling by Kaitlin Wayne, Prop Styling by Maggie DiMarco28/41Zabaglione
Photo by Travis Rainey, Food Styling by Kaitlin Wayne, Prop Styling by Maggie DiMarco29/41Tiramisu Panna Cotta
Cocoa, espresso, and rum flavor a creamy panna cotta base, crowned with plumes of whipped cream for a dessert that tastes like tiramisu, minus the ladyfingers (which may or may not be gluten-free depending on the brand).
Photograph by Isa Zapata30/41Extremadura Almond Pie
With a squidgy, creamy, and flourless filling, all you need is a great gluten-free pie crust, and this previously off-the-table dessert is suddenly back in the game.
Photography by Elliott Jerome Brown Jr., Prop Styling by Tim Ferro, Food Styling by Mieko Takahashi31/41Pumpkin Flan de Queso
Canned pumpkin and cream cheese add a twist to classic flan, making it highly appropriate for any autumn soiree.
Alex Lau32/41Vanilla-Bean Pots de Crème
Silky custards flavored with vanilla beans create a naturally gluten-free dessert that’s elegant and simple to make days in advance.
Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Pearl Jones, Prop Styling by Beth Pakradooni34/41Flourless Chocolate Meringue Cake
Photo by Alex Lau, food styling by Chris Morocco, prop styling by Emily Eisen35/41Gluten-Free Carrot Cake
Photo by Laura Murray, Food styling by Yekaterina Boystova36/41Black Sesame Mochi Cake With Black Sesame Caramel
Photograph by Isa Zapata, food styling by Kaitlin Wayne, prop styling by Christina Allen37/41Walnut-Buckwheat Toffee Cakes
Photograph by Isa Zapata, food styling by Kaitlin Wayne, prop styling by Christina Allen38/41Gluten-Free Chocolate Cake
Photograph by Alex Huang, Food Styling by Tiffany Schleigh, Prop Styling by Tim Ferro39/41Figgy Almond-Polenta Tea Cake
Photograph by Emma Fishman, food styling by Pearl Jones, prop styling by Stephanie Yeh40/41Chocolate-Matcha Butter Mochi Cake
Buttery mochi cake gets its vibrant green color from matcha powder, creating a naturally gluten-free, visually stunning dessert without artificial coloring.
Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Shuai Wang, Prop Styling by Megan Forbes and Christina Hussey41/41Miso-and-Maple-Pecan Butter Mochi Cake
