Maybe you’re new to the world of gluten free food, or maybe you’ve been living here for a while. Either way, sometimes it can be intimidating looking for food that is safe to eat. Whether you have a gluten allergy, intolerance, sensitivity, or celiac disease, you want to be sure that the food you consume won’t give you a reaction or make you sick. You might feel like your options are limited, especially when it comes to finding gluten free desserts! But you may be surprised at how many naturally gluten free desserts there are!
There are actually a lot of desserts that are naturally made without gluten. You don’t have to worry about buying a whole pantry full of expensive ingredients. No gluten free flour blends or different types of gums and starches that you’ve never heard of. I’m here to give you a list of decadent desserts that only require ingredients you probably already own, or that you can order at restaurants and bakeries just like everyone else!
As always, it’s a good idea to ask if what you’re ordering is gluten free and if it might be contaminated. Or double check the ingredient label to make sure it’s gf. But the sweets on the list below generally do not contain gluten in their ingredients. The classic forms of these recipes are naturally made without wheat flour or any other gluten containing ingredients. So you don’t need to make any substitutions to make them safe to eat on a gluten free diet!
Naturally gluten free desserts that can be store-bought or homemade
Ice cream and Gelato
The basic ingredients for ice cream and gelato are naturally gluten free, which means your favorite cold dessert is usually safe to eat! The biggest thing to watch for here is add-ins and flavors. Any add-ins or flavors that contain gluten will contaminate an otherwise gluten free bowl of ice cream or gelato. Look out for options like cookie dough, cake batter, cookies and cream, brownie bites, pretzel pieces, graham crackers, etc. If you are purchasing a cup from an ice cream or gelato shop, make sure to look out for cross-contamination as well. A scoop of vanilla ice cream might be safe, but the scooper has likely been contaminated by other flavors that aren’t gluten free. You can always ask the employees if they have a fresh batch in the back that hasn’t been touched yet, and ask them to wash the scooper as well to avoid any transfer.
Pudding
Pudding, whether home made from scratch, made from a packet, or purchased from the grocery store, is naturally gluten free. It’s thickened with corn starch instead of flour, and the other main ingredients are sugar, milk, eggs, and butter which are all gluten free. Again, make sure to check for added flavors that may contain gluten. But most of the puddings you find should be safe!
Rice Krispy Treats
This one will depend on what brand you use, but I decided to include it because many kinds of these treats are gluten free. These are generally made from crispy rice cereal, butter, and marshmallows. The one thing to watch for is the brand of cereal. The popular Rice Krispies brand does contain barley, so it is wheat free, but not gluten free. But most other brands of rice cereal or premade rice krispy treats do not contain barley and therefore are gluten free!
Muddy Buddies
Also known as Puppy Chow, Muddy Buddies are a dessert made with Rice Chex cereal. Chex does have a wheat cereal, so it’s always a good idea to double check which one was used. But the wheat variety is not usually used in muddy buddies. This sweet gluten free dessert in its original form is made from coating the cereal in a mixture of chocolate and peanut butter and then tossing it in powdered sugar. There are other recipes for different flavors that may contain gluten like cookies and cream, but generally it is safe!
Naturally gluten free desserts from restaurants
Chocolate mousse
This fluffy dessert is generally made from chocolate chips, cocoa powder, sugar or powdered sugar, and heavy cream. All of which are gluten free! Whether you make it at home or order it from a restaurant, the only thing you should have to watch out for is cross-contamination.
Creme brûlée
Creme brulee is made from egg yolks, sugar, heavy cream, and vanilla. Since all of these are gluten free, this one is usually safe! So you can enjoy this smooth and creamy custard with it’s caramelized sugar topping next time you visit a restaurant that serves it (as long as it’s not cross-contaminated!).
Panna cotta
Have you ever had a panna cotta at an italian restaurant? If you’ve avoided it because you weren’t sure if it was safe, you can go back and order it next time! Milk, gelatin, cream, and sugar come together in this creamy custard dessert that is traditional in italian cuisine. As all of the base ingredients are gluten free, most forms of panna cotta should be safe!
Naturally gluten free desserts from bakeries
Macarons
The original recipe for macarons uses almond flour, not wheat flour. So these little cookies are usually gluten free! They are usually filled with buttercream frosting, chocolate ganache, or jam/fruit fillings which are also naturally gluten free. Again, one thing to watch out for is any flavorings and decorations that might contain gluten. Cookie crumbs, graham cracker pieces, or certain kinds of sprinkles that are not gluten free will contaminate the macaron.
Meringue Cookies
The name might be deceiving in this one, because these little “cookies” aren’t actually made from dough. Instead, they are just meringue that has been piped into a round shape and baked. Meringue is made from whipped egg whites and sugar. It may include flavoring like vanilla or chocolate, but does not contain any flour! That makes these sweet and airy cookies a safe dessert for a gluten free diet.
Fudge
The main ingredients in fudge are sugar, butter, evaporated or sweetened condensed milk, and (usually) some form of chocolate. There are other flavors that aren’t chocolate, but regardless, flour is not included. Because of that, most fudge is gluten free! Watch out for flavors like cookies and cream or s’mores that will probably contain added cookies or graham crackers that contain gluten. And always check for cross-contamination, but your average fudge will be safe.
Flourless Cookies and Cakes
As the name suggests, there are many variations of flourless cookies and cakes that are (you guessed it) made without flour. They are usually held together with peanut butter or chocolate ingredients. Most of them include eggs and sugar, but no flour. Some of them do contain oats, so in that case you will need to find out if the oats are gluten free or not.
Pavlova
This dessert is not as common as some of the others, but it is found at some bakeries. It’s a type of meringue, with the main ingredients being egg whites, sugar, and corn starch. It’s naturally flourless which makes it naturally gluten free!
Chocolate Covered Strawberries or Bananas
We know that fruit is a naturally gluten free food, so why not add some chocolate to it and make it into a dessert? Chocolate covered strawberries and bananas are generally coated in either real chocolate, or an oil-based chocolate flavored material (like candy melts or almond bark). As long as there are no toppings like cookie crumbs or anything similar that would add gluten, these are safe for those following a gluten free diet!
This list is by no means exhaustive. Many desserts that are naturally gluten free, and most people don’t even realize it! There’s such a stigma around gluten free food, most people that aren’t on a gluten free diet avoid anything labeled GF. But all of these sweet treats are GF desserts that people eat all the time without being aware of it.
I hope this helps take a little bit of weight off of you when it comes to finding naturally gluten free desserts. With all of these options, you can enjoy a sweet treat along with everyone else!
Make sure to follow for more tips on gluten free living! And check out my online shop here to see all of the gluten free treats available for pickup and local delivery from Rancho Cucamonga, CA.