100 Gluten Free and Dairy Free Side Dishes: Ideas & Recipes

Table of Contents

Today we’re going to take a look at gluten free + dairy free side dishes that are not only easy to make, but incredibly delicious. I’ll be sharing a range of ideas and recipes with you. Since there are 100 dishes today, I encourage you to use the table of contents to jump around to the ideas that sound interesting to you.

If you’re reading this because you’ll be hosting someone with gluten and/or lactose intolerances, I’d like to point you to this article on cross-contact. It’s important that you communicate with them in advance about what their individual dietary needs are and if it will be safe for you to cook for them. If it’s not safe for you to cook for them, but you really want to provide something, ask if there’s something pre-made you can purchase to have on hand for them.

For those of you with dietary restrictions outside of gluten and dairy, be inspired! Most of the recipes and ideas I’m sharing today are either top 8/9 allergy free or very allergy friendly. Now, let’s take a look at what you’ll want to have in your kitchen before we look at the recipes and ideas.

Excellent Kitchen Tools to Keep on Hand

Making an easy side dish at home generally requires the same type of tools you’d use to make a main course. These are my personal favourite kitchen tools for everyday free-from cooking.

Accurate Measuring Cups & Measuring Spoons
Dutch Oven and/or Large Pot That’s Oven Safe (this is a great tool to have if you plan on serving large crowds)
Kitchen Scale (critical for great gluten free baking)
Large Bowl(s) for Mixing
Pots & Pans in Various Sizes (Made In, whilst expensive, is one of my fave brands for this)
Sharp Knives and Cutting Boards (dull knives are dangerous and can slow you down)
Spatulas & Mixing/Cooking Spoons

Awesome Small Appliances to Help Make Side Dishes

These are the small kitchen appliances that I use the most when making dairy-free + gluten-free recipes. If I could only pick one, I’d start with a multifunction cooker. I personally have the Instant Pot Duo Evo Plus which has the stainless steel insert. The insert is also stove and oven safe, making it a super versatile tool.

Crock Pot (amazing for slow cooker saucy meatballs)
Deep Fryer with Oil Filtration (you do NOT need this for everyday meals, but it is a great way to serve super crisp foods whilst maintaining a consistent temperature)
Food Processor (this can cut down your prep time if you use it for dicing/chopping produce)
Instant Pot or a Multi Function Cooker (multifunction cookers are usually a combo of a slow cooker, pressure cooker, and other various features)
Rice Cooker

If you’d like to see the types of small appliances I personally have, check out my Amazon shop.

Handy & Delicious Ingredients to Stock

Whilst this isn’t an extensive list of every ingredient you should stock, it’s a great starting place. These base ingredients are often called for in a lot of side dish recipes.

Acids (Lemon Juice, Lime Juice, Apple Cider Vinegar, Balsamic Vinegar, Flavoured Vinegars, Cooking Wine, etc.)
Alternatives to Dairy Products (Dairy Free Cheese, Dairy Free Sour Cream, Dairy Free Cream Cheese, etc.)
Cooking Fats (Dairy Free Butter, Olive Oil, Olive Oil, Coconut Oil, Tallow)
Dairy Free Cheeses (This Parmesan cheese from Follow Your Heart is one of my go to gluten and dairy free options)
Dairy Free Milk (Almond Milk, Coconut Milk, Homemade Milk, Oat Milk, Rice Milk, Soy Milk, etc.)
Dried Herbs and Spices (Garlic, Onion, Marjoram, Parsley, Paprika, Rosemary, Thyme, etc.)
Flavoured & Smoked Salts (these can take your recipes to the next level)
Fresh Herbs (fresh parsley is a great starting point if you’re new to herbs)
Fresh Vegetables (Green Beans, Sweet Potatoes, Gold/Red/Brown Potatoes, Broccoli, Peppers, etc.)
Gluten Free Breadcrumbs (I like the brand Ians, and Paleo Powder for Grain Free)
Gluten Free Carbs (Quinoa, Rice, Wild Rice, etc.)
Onions (Purple/Red Onions, Yellow Onions, White Onions)
Salad Dressing You Love (this can be added to a range of side dishes and sometimes used in place of mayo in a recipe)

For those who are grain free, make sure you keep handy carb alternatives on hand such as cauliflower rice (I love buying this frozen), sweet potatoes, Japanese yams, zucchini for zoodles, etc.

Advanced Recipe Search

Whilst we’ll be focusing on side dishes today, I want to draw your attention to the Advanced Recipe Search tool on RAISE. It’s free to use the tool and browse through ideas (you’ll need to be a member if you’d like full recipe access).

The ARS is the most powerful recipe search tool online for people with food allergies and dietary restrictions. There are 100 filters for allergens, plus an additional 50 filters for special feature (budget friendly, freezer friendly, etc.) and specific meal types such as appetizers, condiments & sauces, desserts, pasta, pizza, and so much more.

If you’re more than gluten and dairy free, take it for a spin and plug in all of your needs to get custom recipe results.

Want Side Dish Recipe Ideas based on occasion? Check out this article for more options.

Now, Let’s Talk Theory and Ideas!

There are so many dairy-free and gluten-free sides you can serve at any gathering. The good news is, a lot of side dish recipes you can find online are either naturally gluten & dairy free, or you can make them gluten & dairy free with a few simple swaps.

For example, if a side dish recipe calls for a slice of bread and shredded cheese, you could easily swap the bread for your favourite gluten free bread, and the cheese for a dairy free cheese you enjoy. Another example is if you’re making an au gratin side dish (that’s a fancy way of saying sprinkled with breadcrumbs on top), you swap the regular breadcrumbs for gluten free breadcrumbs.

When a recipe calls for regular milk, you’d use any dairy free milk in its place (they’re all 1:1 swaps). So as long as you keep common ingredients on hand, you’ll usually be ready to make an easy swap and have a delicious recipe.

The same is true of simple ingredients such as dry pasta and crackers. If your recipe calls for either of those, use your favourite gluten free option instead. When you’re making these kinds of swaps in cooking, you’ll use a 1:1 substitution ratio for the gluten free or dairy free item.

I will warn you, this all applies to cooking. Gluten free + dairy free baking is a whole different conversation we’ll have to have another day. Actually, start with this article 🙂

Wheat Free Substitutions and Gluten Free Substitutions

Ideas for Gluten & Dairy-Free Side Dishes

Before we look at the recipes, I thought I’d share some ideas for you to consider as you embark on making the perfect side dish at home.

Fancy Mashed Potatoes

When I say fancy, I mean fold something into your mashed potatoes. You’ll start with dairy free mash, but then add something like caramelized onions. Alternatively, you could take these in a spicy direction and add red pepper flakes. Mashed potatoes are a blank canvas, making them an awesome vessel for your upscaled dining ideas.

Simple Roasted Potatoes and/or Root Vegetables

Sometimes, all you really need is a tray of roasted potatoes or roasted root vegetables to round out a meal. I love making roasted vegetables with a little oil, salt, onion granules, and marjoram. My kids absolutely love vegetables cooked this way, and I don’t need to fuss too much over this particular side dish.

Nutty Crispy Rice

I’ve heard nothing but good things about crispy rice. To make it, you start by cooking any type of rice you enjoy. Then, you heat a large non-stick pan with some kind of cooking oil and add your rice. Press it down so the rice is in an even layer. Don’t touch it, and just let it cook and crisp up.

Once the rice is crispy, that’s when you can add another layer of flavour. Herbs and spices are great, but you can also make something like a boozy crunchy pecan crispy rice. To make that, you’d chop your pecans, then cook them in a little maple sugar (or brown sugar), add some alcohol such as bourbon or rum, smoked salt, and a tiny splash of vanilla extract. Essentially, you’re making a glazed crunchy pecan that you’ll then fold into the crispy rice. Talk about the perfect dish to serve at dinner parties… I’m going to have to make this idea now that I’ve written this out.

Broccoli Salad

Broccoli salad is a tried and tru side dish that many people enjoy. Traditionally, you’ll see mix-ins such as dried cranberries, shredded carrots, and chopped nuts. Mayo and broccoli are the two main ingredients, and from there, you can let your imagination run wild.

For example, you could make a play on Chinese chicken salad but with broccoli salad vibes. You could also create something with BLT vibes and add delicious smoky bacon and quartered cherry tomatoes to the mix.

Pasta Salad

Pasta salad is super versatile, which is why I want to mention it. You can add a huge range of ingredients to make your pasta salad just right for you and your dinner guests (or your family on a regular Tuesday night).

To make pasta salad, the three main things you’ll want to start with are pasta, salt, and mayo. The salt is for your pasta water by the way, because no one likes bland pasta. Once you’ve got cooked pasta, you’ll add a range of ingredients such as olives, peppers, onions, garlic, corn, black beans, kidney beans, etc. Finally, add your mayo. Mix it all up and you’ve got pasta salad.

Depending on what you’ve mixed in, your pasta salad may taste good warm or cold.

Green Bean Casserole

This is a classic side dish and a very easy recipe. Most green bean casseroles call for breadcrumbs, so make sure you have those on hand. You can jazz up your casserole with ingredients such as bacon, tuna, shredded chicken, pulled jack fruit (a great option for vegans), chopped nuts or seeds, dairy free cheese, and more.

Honestly, as long as you like green beans, I don’t think you can go wrong with a green bean casserole.

Mashed Sweet Potatoes

If you’re tired of regular sweet potatoes (or maybe you’re nightshade free), try mashed sweet potatoes. When made well, they have a super smooth consistency. The process and tools to make mashed sweet potatoes is the same as regular mashed potatoes.

Whilst you can experiment with adding different spices, I’d caution you to sample before you go all in. Sweet potatoes can’t take on the same range of flavours as regular potatoes.

Tots

Let’s be honest. Who doesn’t love a good tot? If you can purchase tots, there are several gluten free tater tot options as well as gluten free sweet potato tot options. Alternatively, you can make these at home and mix in all sorts of ingredients.

Steamed & chopped broccoli + dairy free parmesan are such a flavorful combination to mix into your homemade tots. You could also do a spicy bacon tot. When you make tots at home, you have a lot more wiggle room to have fun with savory flavors.

Fruity Rice

Hear me out. Rice pairs very well with several fruits including mandarins, pomegranate, apples, and mango. One of my fave winter side dishes to serve is mandarin & pomegranate creamy rice. It comes together quickly, and my kids have loved it for years. I combine jasmine rice with pomegranate seeds and mandarin segments. I’ll cook that together in dairy free butter.

To mix things up, sometimes I add spinach, grilled chicken, or bacon to the mix. It almost reads like a main dish, but you can totally serve this as a side dish, especially if you’re serving a whole roast chicken or something of that nature as the main.

Creamy Pasta

Unlike pasta salad, creamy pasta doesn’t need mayo. This article on how to make creamy dairy free foods will help you understand how to make a basic creamy sauce to smoother your pasta in.

When I make creamy pasta for the purpose of a side dish, I like to mix in ingredients like bacon, peas, carrots, pepperoni, and broccoli. There are more, but those are my top picks. You can also change up your creamy pasta by making a different creamy sauce. For example, you could make a creamy honey mustard sauce, creamy pesto sauce, or creamy curry sauce. To make these, you change up the spices that you’re using.

Southwestern Corn Salad

For those of you who can have corn, check out southwestern salad recipes. Often times they’re loaded with corn, black beans, tomatoes, peppers, and spices. The end result is a delicious side dish that doesn’t take too much effort.

Air Fryer Side Dishes

If you have an air fryer, put it to work! You can find a lot of air fryer recipes online, including recipes for side dishes. My top picks for items to make in your air fryer are homemade kale chips, homemade veggie tots, taquitos, and jalapeño poppers. If you make the poppers, I’d suggest trying the Miyoko’s dairy free cheese. The cashew base will give your poppers an increible mouthfeel.

Great Gluten Free & Dairy Free Sides for Your Thanksgiving Table

If you need gluten free Thanksgiving recipes that are also allergy friendly, look no further. My kids adore these recipes that I’ve been serving for years.

Gluten & Corn Free Dinner Rolls (Rustic Scoop also has an excellent baking mix for bread rolls)
Dairy Free Easy Creamy Green Beans Thanksgiving Edition
Gluten Free Stuffed Sweet Potatoes Thanksgiving Edition
GF Cranberry Orange Winter Harvest Stuffing (great for those with less-common allergies)

Simple Side Dish Options to Enjoy

If you’re a fan of a simple recipe, here are four side dishes I think you’ll enjoy.

My Kids’ Favorite Side Dishes

As someone who has developed about 1,000 recipes, as you can imagine, my kids have eaten a huge range of free-from foods. These are some of their top picks for side dishes specifically.

Easy Gluten Free & Dairy Free Side Dishes

If you’re short on energy but need to put together a side dish, check out these easy options.

Easy Sautéed Vegetables
DF Creamy Avocado Pasta
Simple Vegan Turmeric and Date Rice
Rice Pilaf (you can make this pretty simple, or mix in additional ingredients)

Gluten & Dairy Free Side Dish Potato Recipes

Po-Tah-Toes! Boil ’em, mash ’em, stick ’em in a stew! Samwise was right, potatoes are incredibly delicious. If you’re new to dairy free living and think you’re going to miss out on luscious creamy mashed potatoes, I have great news for you: there are several tasty mashed potato recipes to choose from here.

Allium Free Egg Free Vegan Potato Salad
Amazing Corn Free Mashed Potatoes (this recipe does not use dairy free butter which usually contains corn derivatives)
Bacon Bomb Potatoes
Cinnamon Potato Rounds
Deluxe Potato Rounds
Easy Top 9 Free Vegan Mashed Potatoes
GF + DF Breakfast Potatoes (yes, a breakfast item totally works as a dinner or party side dish)
Mashed Potato Zucchini Boats (these are SO fun to have with kids)
Silky Smooth Vegan Mashed Potatoes
Spicy Maple Bacon Mashed Potato
Sweet Onion Creamy Mashed Potatoes
Vegan Cheesy Potatoes
Vegan DF Scalloped Potatoes

Sweet Potato Focused Side Dishes

Dairy-Free & Gluten-Free Side Dishes for a Holiday Meal

If you’re attending or hosting a holiday meal soon, here are some side dish recipes that could compliment your meal. These are also great for serving at a special occasion.

Vegan + Gluten Free Side Dish Recipes

Delicious Gluten & Dairy Free Sides That are Crowd Pleasers

Cheese Free Creamy Mac and Cheese (this recipe doesn’t use any dairy free cheese, and yet, I’m told it’s one of the best recipes I’ve ever created)
GF DF Broccoli Mac and Cheese
GF DF Pumpkin Mac and Cheese
Sweet Onion and Mushroom Rice

Gluten-Free + Egg Free + Dairy-Free Side Dish Recipes

Delicious Sides to Round Out the Dinner Table

Top 9 Allergy Free + Gluten-Free Side Dish Recipes

Chicken Noodle Soup Flavoured Creamy Rice
GF Beets and Rice “Stirfry”
GF Vegan Spanish Rice
Soy Free String Bean Dish
GF Mayo & Egg Free Vegan Pasta Salad (this recipe skips allergy friendly mayo all together)

Meaty Egg + Dairy + Gluten-Free Side Dishes

As I was compiling this list of meat focused sides, I realized, I really like cooking with bacon. You can absolutely use other meat/proteins in your side dishes. Ground meat will be the easiest to cook with.

Quick Sides to Make When You’re Following a Dairy + Gluten-Free Diet

Two of The Best Gluten + Dairy + Corn Free Side Dishes

If you’re allergic to corn and can’t have ingredients such as corn meal, corn starch, and corn syrup, these side dishes are perfect for you. In addition to being free from “top level” corn, each of these recipes is also free from all corn derivatives.

In fact, a lot of the recipes I shared in this article are truly corn free. I’d encourage you to check out the Advanced Recipe Search to see more truly corn free recipes, including side dishes.

GF + EF Millet Muffins (a top 9 allergy free, corn free “corn bread”
Corn Free Honey Thyme “Corn Bread”

Corn Free Millet Muffins (Faux Corn Bread) Recipe by The Allergy Chef

Corn Free Honey Thyme Corn Bread Recipe by The Allergy Chef (Top 9 Allergy Free)

Answering Your Gluten Free & Dairy Free Side Dish Questions

Do you know of a good gluten and dairy free option for sour cream?

Check out the brands Vio Life, Kite Hill Foods, and Forager. Whilst each is a great alternative to dairy sour cream, my kids have mixed feelings on the products. Additionally, you’ll need to reach out to each brand if you can’t do shared equipment with milk. Many dairy free products are made on shared equipment, and this can be problematic for a lot of people.

Do you know of a gluten free soy sauce that’s not made on shared equipment with wheat?

The only gluten free soy sauce I know of that meets your criteria is actually coconut aminos by the brand Kevala. Last I checked, their equipment was wheat free. You’d need to reach out them to make sure this is still true.

Do you happen to have a good dairy free cranberry sauce recipe?

I do, on my membership website RAISE. My kids went wild for it. I combined frozen cranberries with a little orange juice and spices to create a sauce that’s awesome on its own, and great for French toast etc.

What would be a good goat cheese replacement?

I can’t vouch too much for dairy free cheese options since my kids don’t love them all, and the shared equipment issue. I’ll also add, if you’re new to the dairy-free diet, you may not like the taste of DF cheese. It can take some getting used to.

Check out the brands Miyoko’s Kite Hill, and Nuts for Cheese. Each of these brands uses tree nuts as their base, and the overall taste and texture is usually considered better, especially by those who remember the taste of cow’s milk cheese.

The Nuts for Cheese brand would be the best starting point. The specialize in fancy cheeses, and I think you’ll be able to find a tasty goat cheese alternative with them. Just know, it’s pricey.

Does anyone make a dairy free heavy cream that I can use in cooking?

There are a few brands that make a heavy cream for whipping: Califia Farms, Silk, and Let’s Do Organic. However, all three brands advertise these more for sweet applications than savory applications.

I’d instead point you to this article on dairy free substitutes. In that article, I share how you can make your own dairy free heavy cream substitute at home.

Would a sweet potato casserole be a good side dish for a party?

Yes and no. I think with this one, you have to read the room. Here’s the thing, I’m a firm believer that anything can be served at any time. Waffles for dinner is still a great dinner. A sweet potato casserole can make for a great side dish as long as the portion sizes are correct. I mean, people eat green bean casserole as a side dish, right?

Here’s the thing though. If you’re serving it at a party with people who aren’t used to the free-from life, and your casserole is fully loaded, it may appear to be more of a main dish rather than a side dish.

What you’ll want to to do is focus on a sweet potato casserole that reads like a side dish. If it were me, I’d make mashed sweet potatoes, then fold in spicy smokey bacon and caramelized onions with a splash of maple sugar. That would read like a side dish as compared to something like a sweet potato shepherd’s pie.