Gluten-Free Holiday Desserts

The holidays are a time for celebration, and for us that means indulging in rich, sweet treats like cakes, pies, and cookies. However, these desserts can all be problematic for people with gluten intolerance. Fortunately, plenty of desserts don’t contain gluten, and others can be made gluten-free with a few easy substitutions. To make sure no one is left out of the festivities this year, we've rounded up our favorite gluten-free holiday dessert recipes.

Sugar cookies and gingerbread cookies are two Christmas staples that both use wheat flour. Our gluten-free sugar cookies substitute the wheat flour for rice flour and cornstarch, while our gluten-free gingerbread cookies use a mix of rice flour, potato starch, and tapioca starch. In both recipes the flavor is spot on, but the dough can be a little more delicate than standard cookie dough. Freezing it makes it easier to work with.

Caramels are a naturally gluten-free sweet than make for a lovely gift. Around the holidays we like to make large batches to give to friends and relatives. Sea salt and vanilla make for elegant, refined candies, while our peppermint caramels are especially festive. Hailing from Nigeria, our coconut milk caramels have a mild coconut flavor and are vegan as well as gluten-free.

A big, moist cake is an impressive centerpiece for a holiday table. Our walnut carrot cake with cream cheese frosting is naturally gluten-free. Grated carrot and crushed pineapple keeps it from drying out. If you want chocolate, our gluten-free chocolate cake recipe uses sorghum flour along with potato and tapioca starch.

Find all of these treats and more in our collection of gluten-free holiday dessert recipes.