Gluten-free desserts: mousse, cakes and crumble

These desserts contain no wheat, rye, barley or spelt. They’re baked with almond flour, buckwheat, ground nuts or chickpeas, and many need no flour at all. If you have coeliac disease, also look for ingredients certified gluten-free.

Lots of desserts are naturally gluten-free: mousse, panna cotta, puddings, sorbet and cheesecake without a biscuit base need no flour. For cakes, brownies and crumbles, these recipes use almond flour, ground hazelnuts, buckwheat, coconut flour or even black beans and chickpeas. About half are vegan. With coeliac disease, it’s worth checking the label: baking powder, chocolate and sprinkles can contain traces of gluten.

Gluten-free dessert recipes

Low-carb blueberry cheesecake in a glass – 280 kcal
Quick banana and oat cookies – 180 kcal
Vegan banana chocolate pudding – 250 kcal
Gluten-free sweet potato brownies – 190 kcal
Vegan blueberry chia pudding – 210 kcal
Vegan vanilla chia pudding – 180 kcal
Baked cinnamon bananas with crunchy walnut topping – 310 kcal
Keto macadamia vanilla bites – 240 kcal
Vegan chia and peanut pudding – 250 kcal
High-protein peanut quark bowl – 280 kcal
High-protein lemon quark mousse – 180 kcal
High-protein apple and cinnamon quark – 330 kcal
Gluten-free sweet potato brownies with almond flour – 140 kcal
Dark chocolate and avocado mousse with fresh raspberries – 340 kcal
High-protein strawberry and quark bake – 250 kcal
High-protein raspberry and quark bake – 350 kcal
Gluten-free chocolate pumpkin brownies – 190 kcal
Skyr strawberry ice cream – 210 kcal
Keto peanut butter cups – 150 kcal
Creamy avocado chocolate mousse with raw cacao – 280 kcal
Protein chocolate mousse with skyr and maple syrup – 256 kcal
Blueberry almond pancakes – 410 kcal
Mini raspberry almond cakes – 260 kcal
Pistachio and matcha balls – 140 kcal

Frequently asked questions

Which desserts are naturally gluten-free?

Chocolate mousse, panna cotta, rice pudding, cornflour pudding, sorbet, ice cream without biscuit pieces and fruit salad. With cheesecake, the biscuit base is usually the only problem – it works with ground nuts and dates too.

Which flour can replace wheat flour in desserts?

Almond flour and ground nuts for moist cakes and brownies, buckwheat flour for crumbles and pancakes, and coconut flour in small amounts, because it soaks up a lot of liquid. A mix of flours often gives the lightest result.

Can I use oats in gluten-free desserts?

Only oats labelled gluten-free – regular oats are often processed alongside wheat. Some people with coeliac disease can’t tolerate even pure oats; check with your GP or a dietitian.

How do you decide a dessert is gluten-free?

With fixed rules: if an ingredient contains wheat, rye, barley, spelt or a product made from them – like flour, biscuits or breadcrumbs – the recipe doesn’t count as gluten-free. If you have coeliac disease, still check the labels on your ingredients yourself.