Gluten-Free Dessert Recipes to Satisfy Any Sweet Tooth

Spiced Apple Mochi Cakes with Miso Caramel and Walnuts
Photo: Carson Downing

Eating gluten-free doesn't mean you have to give up delicious and satisfying desserts.

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Spiced Apple Mochi Cakes with Miso Caramel and WalnutsC

Spiced Apple Mochi Cakes with Miso Caramel and Walnuts
Carson Downing

Chef Ji Hye Kim of Miss Kim in Ann Arbor, Michigan, shares the recipe for these lightly spiced, apple-flecked cakes. Their slightly chewy texture comes from sweet rice flour, a typical ingredient in many Asian sweets—and one that is naturally gluten-free. Topped with miso caramel, toasted walnuts and whipped cream, this dessert is a showstopper—but the buttery cakes are totally snackable on their own, too.

02 of 15

Poppy Seed Bundt Cake

Poppy Seed Bundt Cake
Brie Passano

Angela Garbacz, owner of Goldenrod Pastries in Lincoln, Nebraska, features recipes that adapt to gluten- and dairy-free needs in her cookbook, Perfectly Golden. This simple, sweet cake reminds her of her time in Poland.

To avoid gluten in your diet, remember: Be sure to check the ingredient list of any foods for gluten-containing ingredients before purchasing a product; different brands of the same product may contain different ingredient formulations.

03 of 15

Tiny Chocolate Torte

Tiny Chocolate Torte with Salted Ganache

Say hello to your new sinfully rich (but still gluten-free) dinner-party standby.

04 of 15

Seven-or-So Layer Cake

Seven-Or-So-Layer Cake
Carson Downing

This striking gluten-free cake is inspired by the Jewish bakery classic, Seven-Layer Cake. Our simplified sheet-pan method sandwiches rich mocha glaze with almond cake. (Just don't count the layers too closely!)

05 of 15

Lemon Posset

Lemon Posset
Blaine Moats

This brilliant (and totally old-school) British dessert uses heat and kitchen magic to turn lemon and cream into luscious pudding.

06 of 15

Hot Fudge Sauce

Hot Fudge Sauce
Jacob Fox

Chocolate cravings have met their match: In 15 minutes, you can melt six ingredients into the thickest, gooiest topping. Serve over your favorite gluten-free ice cream.

07 of 15

Mood-Booster Cookies

Mood-Booster Cookies
Brie Passano

Treat yourself to one of these insanely rich morsels, which fall somewhere between a truffle and a cookie, on those gray or rainy afternoons when only chocolate will do. They contain no flour, aside from a little almond meal, which gives them a melting texture—and makes them perfect for anyone who avoids gluten.

08 of 15

Pistachio Pavlova with Fresh Berries

Pistachio Pavlova with Fresh Berries

Mildly nutty meringue cradles fresh berries in this classic dessert named for a ballerina. Substitute other fresh fruit, such as blueberries, peeled and cut-up kiwifruit, sliced bananas, pineapple chunks and/or seeded, peeled and sliced peaches, papaya or mango for the strawberries. If you like, substitute finely chopped almonds or pecans for pistachios.

09 of 15

Mediterranean Chocolate Mousse

Mediterranean Chocolate Mousse

If mousse vacationed in a Sicilian villa, this is how it would taste when it came back. Olive oil lends sultry silkiness and fruity complexity. The apricot and pine nut topping is a sun-soaked (but optional) delight.

10 of 15

Any-Fruit Sorbet

Any-Fruit Sorbet

Our five-ingredient sorbet recipe works with most melons, berries or citrus fruits, and you can make it in an ice cream maker or refrigerator freezer. Plus, it's fat-free!

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Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies

Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies

Our apologies to the classic chocolate chip cookie recipe: We've got you beat. Toast the nuts before mixing them into the batter to maximize crunch.

This recipe calls for creating your own gluten-free flour mix, but in most cookie recipes, you can achieve good good results by substituting a gluten-free 1:1 baking flour for regular flour.

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Flourless Rhubarb-Almond Upside-Down Cake

Flourless Rhubarb-Almond Upside-Down Cake

Our naturally gluten-free cake swaps ground almonds for all the flour and wears a rosy blanket of tart rhubarb and chopped nuts.

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Gluten-Free Zucchini Bread

Gluten-Free Zucchini Bread

Gluten-free flour usually results in dense dough, so it works well in desserts with a vegetable element, like this moist zucchini bread.

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Blueberry-Coconut Pavlova

Blueberry-Coconut Pavlova

When Kristin Rosenau (thepastryaffair.com) discovered her lactose intolerance, she had to get creative in her Bismarck kitchen. The result: Desserts like Blueberry-Coconut Pavlova, a pillow of meringue with whipped coconut milk and blueberry sauce. This is also a naturally gluten-free dessert—just double-check that the coconut milk is labeled gluten-free.

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Watermelon-Lemonade Pops

Watermelon-Lemonade Pops

We've tested a lot of pops over the years, and this one is the most refreshing of the bunch. It tastes like pure summer.

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