Yes, you can enjoy gluten free desserts.
Traditional desserts tend to be made from wheat flour and are therefore off the menu when you need to follow a gluten free diet. They are also often served with cream, or custard, which can prove problematic for many.
However, celiac's with a sweet tooth don't have to go without. You will find plenty of ideas on this page, along with other recipes throughout the site, that you can enjoy.
You don't always have to start from scratch, there are a number of ready made desserts that you can buy in the supermarket if you don't wish to make your own.
In the freezer cabinet of our local supermarket I recently found Almondy Cake, which only needs defrosting for 10 to 20 minutes before you can tuck in. A sure winner for any chocolate lover!
I also try to keep a pack of gluten free treacle sponge puddings in stock. These only need to be heated in the microwave for 60 seconds before serving.
Leftovers can also be made use of in the gluten free kitchen.
Gluten free bread goes stale quickly, so be creative with the last few slices. Add dried or fresh fruit and turn into into something delicious for dessert, such as bread and butter pudding or summer pudding.
Spare gluten free cookies or flapjack (made with gluten free oats) can be crushed and used as a base instead of pastry for dishes such as cheesecake, treacle tart or Eton Mess (see photo above). They can also be used as a crispy topping on fruit desserts.
Fresh fruit makes an ideal quick dessert, but why not dress it up a little and try this stuffed orange recipe for a tasty change?
Serves 4
For decoration:
Other gluten free dessert recipes on this site, that can be served cold include ...
Commercially available frozen desserts, such as ice cream can sometimes contain gluten, as well as dairy of course. So why not try making your own ice creams and sorbets?
You will find a recipe on the site for lactose free ice cream or you could try the following sorbet recipe.
There is nothing to stop you substituting a gluten free flour for the wheat flour in a normal recipe when preparing hot gluten free desserts.
You may find that your favourite "pre gf" recipe will work, but often the quantities will need to be adjusted slightly for best results. See my flour substitutes page to see how to adjust the amount of gluten free flours for the wheat variety.
One of my family's favourite desserts is my apple crumble recipe.
Sweet pies can be made using a sweet almond flour pastry or you could even serve almond flour pancakes as a dessert.
The following recipe is quick and easy, but utterly delicious.
Serves 4
Hopefully you are beginning to see that there are many different ways to incorporate desserts into your gluten free diet.
There is certainly no need to go without.
You can check our full recipe index for lots more exciting recipes to enjoy.
New! Comments
Have your say about what you just read! Leave me a comment in the box below.