It’s a time of year where a lot of people are headed around on the party circuit, bringing dishes to family affairs and work events constantly. And I don’t know about you, but more and more I’m being asked to make gluten-free dishes as well.Now, sometimes that’s not a big deal. Most veggie dishes, for instance, are fine. And there are simple substitutions you can make for other side dishes, like remembering not to use flour in the gravy (cornstarch will work just fine) or flour in your roux for mac & cheese (I’m thinking a gluten-free flour mix should work…haven’t actually tried it though). But when it comes to breads and desserts, you have to work a little harder.So while I’ve posted lots of gluten-free recipes over the years (I have a few close friends who avoid it), I figured I’d do us all a solid and pull together my favorite desserts (and one bread recipe) that work well for a group, are easy, and most importantly are super delish.One note, another dessert option is a simple fruit crisp, like this peach cardamom one. All you have to do is substitute a gluten-free mix or almond meal or similar for the flour in the topping and you’re golden. I also feel bad that I don’t have more bread options, something I intend to shore up. But these somewhat odd but quite tasty GF take on Red Lobster’s garlic cheddar biscuits are tasty.
I’ll start with a bread/roll option but then we’ll dive into desserts…you’ll notice that my tendency is to find recipes that use regular ingredients (e.g. almond flour) rather than leaning heavily on store-bought mixes.
While these biscuits don’t have a traditional bread or roll texture, they are really moist and the garlic, rosemary, and cheddar (yep, a Red Lobster knock-off) is a great flavor combination that helps offset the hint of almond meal flavor. I brought these to my office’s Thanksgiving potluck and they were all devoured.
I am OBSESSED with these easy dark chocolate tahini cookies…they’re rich but not too sweet, and great for almost any dietary restriction (gluten-free, vegan, nut-free).
I am also low-key obsessed with this loaf cake delicious fancy bread thing. Also, this is the point at which I realized that cinnamon whipped cream was a thing, and I’ve never gone back.This is subtle and rich, but not super sweet. The almond meal provides a super moist and light crumb, and the intense dark chocolate paired with the cinnamon is heaven.
Gluten-free or not, this cake is the BOMB. I actually made a gluten-ful (gluten-y?) chocolate stout cake for my birthday one year and then this a couple days later for a party, and brought both to the party—people literally couldn’t tell the difference.It’s dense and moist and rich but not too sweet. The quinoa definitely gives it a slightly lumpier texture unless you have an amazing food processor, but it doesn’t matter because it’s so good.
If you’re looking for something a little less rich, this light, sweet, moist almond cake is super easy and super delicious. I roasted pears and raspberries to put on top, but you could use apple and pear or other fall fruits, or fresh fruit if you prefer.
A recent discovery, this cake is so yummy, super moist, doesn’t require fiddly decorating (it’s a 2-layer but with just whipped cream in the middle and on top), and bakes in just a half hour. Got rave reviews all around.
You’d never know that this easy & delicious gingerbread is perfect for dietary restrictions. They’re packed with comforting warm spices (not a “spicy” gingerbread), and I sandwich some with a tart apricot jam. Absolute perfection!
I completely love these. I tried a bunch of different black bean brownie recipes and this was hands-down my favorite. Like all brownies should, these require that you sprinkle dark chocolate and peanut butter chips on top…because life. These really should be eaten fairly fresh, not made too far ahead of time.
Tired of chocolate?? If you’re looking for something that’s kind of a showstopper but is secretly SO easy (and ticks a lot of dietary restriction boxes), this easy no-bake cheesecake has got your back.It uses all natural ingredients (no weird store-bought vegan stuff), takes only a few minutes of hands-on time, and has to be made ahead so frees up your day-of.
Honestly, I’d forgotten about this but it’s packed with protein and fiber since it’s made from chickpeas. Most chocolate chip cookie pies are total calorie bombs, but this definitely lightens things up somewhat and the texture is lightened up a bit from the addition of oats.Do you have a go-to gluten-free holiday recipe that you’d like to share? Let me know in the comments!Pin this image for later!
Jessica
I'm Jessica! I started Finding Time for Cooking back in 2012 to force myself out of a recipe rut, and it's turned into my happy place for sharing new favorites--and a few old family secrets--with fellow food-obsessed people. When I'm not testing recipes, you'll find me hoarding jam varieties, hunting down the best pastries, or plotting my next trip.
While these biscuits don’t have a traditional bread or roll texture, they are really moist and the garlic, rosemary, and cheddar (yep, a Red Lobster knock-off) is a great flavor combination that helps offset the hint of almond meal flavor. I brought these to my office’s Thanksgiving potluck and they were all devoured.
I am OBSESSED with these easy dark chocolate tahini cookies…they’re rich but not too sweet, and great for almost any dietary restriction (gluten-free, vegan, nut-free).
I am also low-key obsessed with this loaf cake delicious fancy bread thing. Also, this is the point at which I realized that cinnamon whipped cream was a thing, and I’ve never gone back.This is subtle and rich, but not super sweet. The almond meal provides a super moist and light crumb, and the intense dark chocolate paired with the cinnamon is heaven.
Gluten-free or not, this cake is the BOMB. I actually made a gluten-ful (gluten-y?) chocolate stout cake for my birthday one year and then this a couple days later for a party, and brought both to the party—people literally couldn’t tell the difference.It’s dense and moist and rich but not too sweet. The quinoa definitely gives it a slightly lumpier texture unless you have an amazing food processor, but it doesn’t matter because it’s so good.
If you’re looking for something a little less rich, this light, sweet, moist almond cake is super easy and super delicious. I roasted pears and raspberries to put on top, but you could use apple and pear or other fall fruits, or fresh fruit if you prefer.
A recent discovery, this cake is so yummy, super moist, doesn’t require fiddly decorating (it’s a 2-layer but with just whipped cream in the middle and on top), and bakes in just a half hour. Got rave reviews all around.
I’m guessing these weren’t on your radar, but these little slightly chewy, cakey cookie-like things are odd and delicious and really easy to whip up.
I completely love these. I tried a bunch of different black bean brownie recipes and this was hands-down my favorite. Like all brownies should, these require that you sprinkle dark chocolate and peanut butter chips on top…because life. These really should be eaten fairly fresh, not made too far ahead of time.
Tired of chocolate?? If you’re looking for something that’s kind of a showstopper but is secretly SO easy (and ticks a lot of dietary restriction boxes), this easy no-bake cheesecake has got your back.It uses all natural ingredients (no weird store-bought vegan stuff), takes only a few minutes of hands-on time, and has to be made ahead so frees up your day-of.
Very yummy it is…….will try it 🙂