Our Favorite Gluten-Free Desserts

November 20, 2007
Photo: Oxmoor House
Enjoy creamy custards and puddings, baked fruits, and tangy sorbets for dessert as well as cookies and cakes made with gluten-free products. Recipes that are tagged as “gluten-free” do not include products that normally contain gluten.  However, some recipes with the gluten-free tag may call for ingredients such as sauces or mixes that may or may not contain gluten, so be sure to read ingredient labels carefully.
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Peaches and Cream Mini Cupcakes

Photo: Oxmoor House
Peaches and Cream Mini Cupcakes Recipe
Petite and almost too cute to eat, these miniature cupcakes are infused with the sweet flavor of summer's juiciest fruit.
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Fresh Orange Sorbet

Photo: Iain Bagwell, Randy Mayor; Styling: Cindy Barr
Fresh Orange Sorbet Recipe
All you need to make this refreshing sorbet is a few oranges, a couple of lemons, sugar, and water. It's a great way to use the oranges that come in holiday fruit baskets.

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The Ultimate Unbaked Brownies

Photo: Lara Ferroni
The Ultimate Unbaked Brownies Recipe
These unbaked brownies are so good, they've earned their title. This recipe feature power players such as dates, walnuts, and maple syrup. Spread the mixture into a pan, and then refrigerate for at least two hours to set.
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Key Lime Cheesecake

Photo: Oxmoor House
Key Lime Cheesecake Recipe
A gluten-free crust means you can enjoy luxurious, creamy cheesecake again! Key limes have a short growing season, usually June through August. If they're not in season, you can substitute bottled Key lime juice and Persian lime zest.

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Chewy Caramel Apple Cookies

Oxmoor House
Chewy Caramel Apple Cookies Recipe
These old-fashioned chewy oatmeal cookies are extra sweet with the addition of caramel candies and chopped apple. Even folks who don't need to eat gluten-free cookies are likely to devour these, so you'd better bake an extra batch.

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Caramelized Pineapple Upside-Down Cake

Photo: Randy Mayor; Styling: Missy Neville Crawford
Caramelized Pineapple Upside-Down Cake Recipe
This cake has a gorgeous caramelized crust, rum-soaked pineapple, and is 100% gluten-free. Need we say more?
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Cherry-Grapefruit Basil Sorbet

Photo: Randy Mayor; Stylist: Cindy Barr
Cherry-Grapefruit Basil Sorbet Recipe
Fresh basil pairs wonderfully with the sweet-tart citrus and deep cherry flavors in this elegant sorbet. Garnish the scoops with small basil leaves, if you like.

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Chocolate Layer Cake

Photo: Oxmoor House
Chocolate Layer Cake Recipe
This stunning dessert is also delicious using unsweetened almond milk in both the cake and frosting.

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Almond Crème Caramel

Photo: Oxmoor House
Almond Crème Caramel Recipe
This decadent gluten-free dessert looks like you spent all day slaving in the kitchen, but calls for just eight ingredients.
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Classic Vanilla Pudding

Photo: Oxmoor House
Classic Vanilla Pudding Recipe
For a quick and elegant dessert, serve this pudding topped with fresh berries, crumbled pistachio brittle, or chopped toffee candy and a pretty mint leaf.

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Spiced Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Photo: Oxmoor House
Spiced Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe
A smear of cream cheese frosting is the ideal topper for warm spiced carrot cake. Your friends won't believe you when you tell them this moist, delicious cake is gluten-free!

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Cinnamon Rice Pudding with Dried-Cherry Sauce

Photo: Oxmoor House
Cinnamon Rice Pudding with Dried-Cherry Sauce Recipe
Aromatic jasmine rice cooks to a moist texture, which makes for perfect rice pudding. Use a pan with a heavy bottom to prevent scorching.
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Watermelon with Tangy Granita

Photo: Johnny Miller; Styling: Sarah Smart
Watermelon with Tangy Granita Recipe
Juicy-crisp watermelon chunks turn extra-refreshing with a cold topping of slushy cucumber-lime granita. If you have access to both, use red and yellow watermelon.

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S'more Bars

Oxmoor House
S'more Bars Recipe
This kid-friendly gluten-free dessert is perfect for after-school snacks or a dessert treat after the kids have eaten their veggies!

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Butterscotch Pudding

Photo: Oxmoor House
Butterscotch Pudding Recipe
The crumbled toffee candy on top gives the creamy butterscotch pudding a crunchy-sweet finish.
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Mocha Cream Brownie Wedges with Fresh Raspberries

Photo: Oxmoor House
Mocha Cream Brownie Wedges with Fresh Raspberries Recipe
You'd never guess by looking at this sophisticated dessert that it started from a boxed brownie mix.

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Arctic Lime Freeze

Photo: Oxmoor House
Arctic Lime Freeze Recipe
You're probably thinking there's no way a dessert with tofu in it could ever be good, right? Well, think again because silken tofu can give a creamy, rich texture to smoothies and frozen desserts like this one. Tofu is also a great source of protein, B vitamins, calcium, and iron—.

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Grilled Peaches with Honey Cream

Photo: Randy Mayor; Stylist: Cindy Barr
Grilled Peaches with Honey Cream Recipe
Make use of summer's most fleeting fruit in this naturally gluten-free dessert. You can also use apricots or nectarines instead of peaches.
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Chocolate Pots de Crème

Oxmoor House
Chocolate Pots de Crème Recipe
This no-fuss dessert requires less than 15 minutes of prep time, and the finished product is sure to draw oohs and aahs from guests of all ages. You can make it the morning of the party, and everyone will think you worked all day.

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Cherry Tart with Almond Streusel Topping

Photo: Oxmoor House
Cherry Tart with Almond Streusel Topping Recipe
Use fresh or frozen cherries to make the deep red-hued, sweet-tart filling for this gluten-free tart. The crunchy, crumbly almond streusel really sends it over the top.

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Chocolate-Cherry Pudding Cake

Photo: Oxmoor House
Chocolate-Cherry Pudding Cake Recipe
As the cake bakes, it separates into two layers, a tender chocolate spongelike cake and a rich chocolate-cherry sauce.
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Piña Colada Cheesecake Bars

Photo: Oxmoor House
Piña Colada Cheesecake Bars Recipe
This recipe uses a small amount of coconut flour, which is slightly sweet, high in fiber (3 grams per tablespoon), and gluten free. Look for it in health-food stores or order online. You also can substitute an equal amount of gluten-free all-purpose flour.

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Strawberry-Chocolate Trifle

Photo: Oxmoor House
Strawberry-Chocolate Trifle Recipe
Use gluten-free devil's food cake mix and gluten-free vanilla instant pudding mix to make this gorgeous layered dessert. You can make one big trifle or individual ones for a special presentation.

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Chocolate Chai Sherbet

Scott Peterson
Chocolate Chai Sherbet Recipe
Deep, rich flavor abounds in this creamy sherbet featuring bittersweet chocolate, ground spices, and the subtle spiciness of chai tea.
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Ambrosia

Ambrosia Recipe
Revel in the sweetness of winter fruit with this no-cook medley topped with coconut.

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Carrot Cake

Photo: Oxmoor House
Carrot Cake Recipe
This deliciously moist cake is chock-full of carrots, nuts, and raisins.

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Kitchen Sink Oatmeal Cookies

Oxmoor House
Kitchen Sink Oatmeal Cookies Recipe
These gluten-free cookies taste just like old-fahsioned oatmeal cookies but they've got chocolate chips and chopped nuts, so they're even better. If you happen to be allergic to nuts, just leave the nuts out and add more chocolate chips or raisins.
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Frozen Vanilla Custard

Oxmoor House
Frozen Vanilla Custard Recipe
Homemade ice cream is a convenient go-tos when you want an easy dessert. Use this custard as a base for many flavors by adding your favorite gluten-free ingredients such as fruit or chopped candy when it's almost frozen.

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Baked Apples with Meringue

BECKY LUIGART-STAYNER
Baked Apples with Meringue Recipe
It's a perfect alternative to apple pie–baked apples with a crisp meringue topping and a chunky apple-raisin sauce.

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Citrus Tea Sorbet

Randy Mayor
Citrus Tea Sorbet Recipe
Showcase the tangy flavor of fresh grapefruit and orange juices by combing them with tea and freezing the mixture into an icy dessert.
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Pecan-Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars

Photo: Oxmoor House
Pecan-Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars Recipe
The distinctive flavor of pumpkin pie spice folded into a creamy cheesecake and baked into chewy brown-sugar bars makes for an extra-special autumnal treat.

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Lemon Cake

Photo: Oxmoor House
Lemon Cake Recipe
This gluten-free layer cake has a bright flavor and a wonderfully rich frosting. Garnish it with thin lemon slices.

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Maple-Pecan Pie

Photo: Oxmoor House
Maple-Pecan Pie Recipe
No Thanksgiving dinner is complete without a pecan pie. If you have gluten-free family members, this pie will be a real treat for them.
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Chocolate Java Lava Cakes

Photo: Oxmoor House
Chocolate Java Lava Cakes Recipe
These sumptuous chocolate-coffee concoctions, with their rich molten interior, are a chocolate lover's dream.

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Wildberry Buckle

Photo: Oxmoor House
Wildberry Buckle Recipe
As this tempting dessert bakes, the cake batter rises and buckles around the fruit, giving it a wrinkled appearance.

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Spiced Caramel Bundt Cake

Photo: Oxmoor House
Spiced Caramel Bundt Cake Recipe
Cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg give this gluten-free cake its signature spiced flavor, and applesauce lends moistness while allowing you to use less oil. A drizzle of golden caramel syrup is the finishing touch, making this the perfect "ta-da!" dessert to serve at your next dinner party or ladies' tea.
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Apple-Cherry Cobbler with Sweet Spiral Biscuits

Photo: Oxmoor House
Apple-Cherry Cobbler with Sweet Spiral Biscuits Recipe
Fresh apples and frozen cherries create the ultimate marriage of sweet-tart flavors in this kid-approved dessert. Gluten-free spiral biscuits take the place of the traditional drop biscuit dough used to top cobblers.

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Scandinavian Almond Cake

Photo: Oxmoor House
Scandinavian Almond Cake Recipe
Claimed by both the Norwegians and the Danes, this sugary almond-topped cake is a favorite for all.

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Vanilla Angel Food Cake with Berry Compote

Photo: Oxmoor House
Vanilla Angel Food Cake with Berry Compote Recipe
The lack of gluten in this angel food cake makes it taste better than the wheat-based variety--it's missing that tiny bit of chew. The white rice flour, cornstarch, and just a little brown rice flour along with the egg whites give the cake a light, airy texture, resulting in a gluten-free cake that tastes simply heavenly.
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Pear and Apricot Tart

Photo: Oxmoor House
Pear and Apricot Tart Recipe
In the late 19th century, the families of Sicily came to America bringing their most cherished Italian customs and cooking. Prominent among them were flavorful, fresh fruit desserts, such as this lovely tart. Serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or, even better, gelato.

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White Chocolate-Raspberry Pie

Photo: Oxmoor House
White Chocolate-Raspberry Pie Recipe
Talk about a match made in heaven! A sweet arrowroot cookie crust serves as the base for the perfect pairing of a creamy, dreamy white chocolate filling and fresh raspberries.

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Marshmallows