23 Supremely Delicious Gluten-Free Dessert Recipes

By Frances Kim
Updated July 15, 2020
Sidney Bensimon
Whether you're gluten-free yourself or hosting a gluten-averse guest, we're here for you with all kinds of delectable desserts, including cakes, cookies, pies, and more.
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Sidney Bensimon

Whether you're gluten intolerant or choose to avoid gluten for other health reasons, dessert can be difficult: Most homemade cakes and cookies are made with wheat flour, and the same can be said of store-bought desserts. But if you want to bake without gluten, we have delicious dessert recipes such as the Dark Chocolate-Walnut Date Bar, pictured here.

Baking without gluten can mean using gluten-free flour, which works wonderfully in everything from sumptuous fudge brownies and a full-bodied spiced pumpkin pie to our favorite two-bite chocolate cupcakes. You can also bake gluten-free desserts by using almond flour or almond meal in place of wheat flour. Some recipes even combine different ingredients to create a version of gluten-free flour. Concerned that gluten-free baked goods won't be as fluffy as those with gluten? Don't be because our recipes have been tested and proven to work.

When you need a quick gluten-free dessert for a party or potluck, our go-to ideas include ice cream, fresh fruit and whipped cream, and other fruit-filled sweets. And if you're just here in search of a gluten-free chocolate-chip cookie recipe, well we've got that covered, too. Best of all, it's made with just five ingredients and can be made in one bowl!

If you're baking these treats for yourself or for friends or loved ones, you'll find the following gluten-free recipes to be just as straightforward and attainable as our other triple-tested dessert recipes. Any baker will enjoy adding these 23 gluten-free recipes to their arsenal for delightful sweet treats all year long.

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Five-Ingredient Chocolate Chip Cookies

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

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Brown-Sugar Peach Pavlova

Paola + Murray
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Isn't this summery peach pavlova simply stunning? Poached peaches are placed on top of a mound of whipped cream and are garnished with their natural sweet syrup and fresh mint leaves.

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Flourless Chocolate-Almond Cake

Paola + Murray
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Fudgy, rich, and decadent, everyone will want a slice of this 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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Vegan Blueberry Crisp

Bryan Gardner
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Six cups of fresh blueberries are baked beneath an oat and almond crumble. Not only is this a vegan dessert, but it's gluten-free, too!

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Peach-Guava Pops

Paola + Murray
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Preserve the flavor of seasonal 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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Coconut Water Granita

Kirsten Francis
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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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No-Bake Chocolate-Eggnog Crème Brûlée

Lennart Weibull
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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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Cherry-Raspberry Semifreddo

Paola + Murray
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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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Almond-Coconut Chewy Chocolate Cookies

Chris Simpson
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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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Basil-Yogurt Panna Cotta with Grapefruit Gelèe

Con Poulos
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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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Rice Pudding with Sea Salt-Caramel Sauce

Con Poulos
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Rice pudding may bring up feelings of nostalgia but this gluten-free version feels totally modern. The creamy pudding is delicious on its own, but we've taken it to the next level with homemade sea-salt caramel sauce, fresh berries, and nuts on top.

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Raspberry-Almond Crisp

Chris Simpson
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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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Apple Sundaes with Cider Caramel Sauce

Justin Walker
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Upgrade your ice cream sundae with baked apple slices and a spiced caramel sauce. While we normally think of ice cream as a summertime special, this one has autumn written all over it.

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Chocolate-Peanut Butter Semifreddo with Caramel Corn

Marcus Nilsson
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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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Angel Food Cake

Mike Krautter
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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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Flourless Chocolate-Date Cake with Salted-Caramel Sauce

Marcus Nilsson
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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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Coffee Meringue-Ice Cream Cake

Jonathan Lovekin
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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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Fudgy Pecan Brownies

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

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Spiced Pumpkin Pie

linda xiao
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The secret weapon in our gluten-free baking arsenal? Crisp Rice-Almond Pie Crust. It pairs beautifully with cinnamon- and nutmeg-spiked pumpkin filling, and would be a superb base for just about any pie you please.

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Buckwheat-and-Chocolate Torte

Con Poulos
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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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Lemon Cornmeal Cake

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

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Gluten-Free Pumpkin Bread

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Cinnamon and nutmeg give this fall loaf plenty of spice, and buttermilk makes it really moist.

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