30 easy gluten-free dessert recipes

Gluten is a protein found in certain grains including wheat, rye, barley and their derivatives. Gluten is often the ingredient that gives baked goods such as bread, their fluffy, risen texture and signature flavour — making many of these foods off-limits for those with gluten intolerances. But never fear, we have some clever gluten-free baking swaps and tips to allow you to enjoy all of the classics.

Cooking gluten-free desserts

The recipes below don’t contain any ingredients that are likely to contain gluten – but always check the ingredients list of any packaged ingredients to be sure (do this regularly as manufacturers can change ingredients). Also be careful to avoid cross-contamination with other ingredients when storing, cooking and serving gluten-free food.

Gluten-free food is essential for people with coeliac disease and may also be suitable for people with certain digestive issues (such as irritable bowel syndrome) but always check with a medical expert first.

Converting recipes to gluten-free

Due to increased demand, there are now plenty of gluten-free substitutes for popular cooking ingredients, and in many cases, you can simply swap them in your recipes. Unfortunately, this is not always the case when adapting baking recipes. Gluten is often the essential ingredient that helps bread and baked goods rise and form an elastic structure, creating a light and fluffy crumb. Simply switching the same amount of gluten-free flour doesn't always work and can create a completely different flavour or texture.

Adapting sweet dessert recipes to gluten-free can often take a bit of trial and error, so the easiest approach is to cook tried-and-tested gluten-free recipes. We have an array of delicious tried and tested gluten-free baking dessert recipes to enjoy. Recipes like gluten-free frangipane pear tart and buckwheat crepes with macerated berries using a combination of buckwheat and rice flour.

Gluten-free foods used in baking