50 Gluten Free Dairy Free Desserts (Recipes, Ideas, Tips)

Last Updated on September 22, 2026 by The Allergy Chef

Today we’re going to talk about all things gluten free dairy free desserts. Now, if you’re only here for the recipes, no worries, we’re going to take a look at that first. Then, I’m going to pull back the curtain for you and let you know all the best tips, tricks, ingredients, and so on. Finally, I’ll answer common questions about gluten free dairy free desserts.

Before you jump in, know that these gluten-free dairy-free dessert recipes below are also egg free, vegan, and a whole lot more. I’m here to make sure we can all have a seat at the table (food allergies, special diets, etc.). And I promise, you won’t be disappointed. I owned an operated an award winning free-from bakery for years, so I mean it, you’re in really good hands.

Table of Contents

Amazing Dessert Recipes for Other Restricted Diets

Before we go further, and in case you have other dietary restrictions or food allergies, I want to highlight a few helpful resources.

Low Histamine Desserts
GERD Friendly Ice Cream Recipes
Truly Corn Free Cookies
Gluten & Dairy-Free Cookies for the Holidays (includes baking tips, dry ingredients for your pantry, recipes, best tools, and more)

If you want more allergy-friendly dessert recipes and ideas from an expert free-from recipe developer, and award wining free-from bakery owner, Ive got you covered. Check out my full line of cookbooks, where two of the books are dessert focused.

Gluten Free Dairy Free Desserts: Cookies Galore

Let’s start with easy recipes. I personally think that free-from cookies are about as easy at it gets. The best part about these cookie recipes if you ask me, is that they’re also egg free, vegan, and top 9 free. You can bake treats and share with all sorts of people in your life who may be managing a dietary restriction.

Vegan Bakery Snickerdoodle Cookies Recipe
Soft & Fluffy Truly Corn Free Cookies (grain free)
Carrot Oatmeal Cookies Recipe
Vegan Pumpkin Snickerdoodle Cookies Recipe Without Eggs (the perfect recipe if you like fall flavors meeting one of the classics)
Gluten Free Vegan Peanut Butter Cookies (has a peanut free option as well)
White Chocolate Vegan Gluten Free Cookies Recipe, Top 9 Free

Gluten-Free Dairy-Free Desserts: Cake Recipes (Cupcakes, Sheet Pan Cakes, etc.)

Good news! These gluten-free cake recipes are all dairy free of course, but also egg free, vegan desserts that you can share with your friends (I’m guessing you’re noticing the theme).

Moist Gluten Free Vegan Vanilla Cake Recipe (make this if you want something that screams Vanilla Birthday Cake)
Easy Vegan Carrot Cake Recipe (Award Winning, Gluten Free)
Gluten Free Vegan Apple White Chocolate Cake Recipe (I’m told this may be the best gluten-free recipe I’ve ever developed, or at least top 10)
Top 9 Allergy Free Vanilla Sheet Pan Cake (such a great recipe for birthday parties)

Dairy Free, Egg Free Ice Cream Recipes

I mean, if I’m going to share cake recipes, I have to share ice cream recipes as well, right? Don’t forget, you can make awesome dairy-free ice cream sandwiches at home. Use the gluten free cookies as a base, or a thin layer of gluten free cake as the base.

Dairy Free, Egg Free Vanilla Ice Cream Recipe (top 9 free)
Dairy Free Vegan Chocolate Ice Cream Recipe (contains cashew)
Refined Sugar Free Blackberry Peach Ice Cream Recipe (top 9 free)

Dairy Free, Egg Free, Vegan Frosting Recipes

So long as you have dairy free butter and vegan powdered sugar, you can make a wide range of delicious frosting recipes. Making a vegan buttercream is possible, so long as you nail the texture, and you don’t need eggs to pull these off.

Dairy Free Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe (Vegan, Top 9 Free)
Vegan Vanilla Buttercream Recipe
Vegan Nutella Recipe (Nut Free, Seed Free, not a traditional frosting but would be BOMB on a cupcake, or as a cupcake filling)

Gluten & Dairy Free Muffin and Brownie Recipes

Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Egg Free Fudgy Brownies Recipe (this gluten-free brownie even has that crispy skin thing on top *chef’s kiss*)
Double Chocolate Gluten Free Vegan Muffins Recipe (make a triple batch of this one, trust me)
Gluten, Dairy, Egg Free Lemon Muffins Recipe (add a little vanilla frosting and it’s basically a cupcake)
Vegan Moist Pumpkin Bread Recipe (you can bake this as muffins, so it counts for this category)

Refined Sugar Free, Gluten Free, Dairy Free Desserts

I have quite a few refined sugar-free desserts for you to take a look at. RAISE has a lot more that you can tap into.

Grain Free Pistachio Muffins Recipe (has a nut free option)
Easy Watermelon Popsicles (these can be ready in minutes if you use an instant popsicle maker)
AIP Paleo Pumpkin Cookies Recipe (grain free, truly corn free)
Vegan Apple Crumble Recipe (grain free, truly corn free)

No Bake Gluten Free Dairy Free Dessert Ideas & Recipes

Gluten Free Chocolate Pudding Recipe (made in the blender from wholesome ingredients)
Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Hummus Recipe (sesame free, top 9 free)
Sesame Free Chocolate Hummus Recipe (top 9 free)

Dairy Free + Gluten Free No Bake Dessert Ideas

Dairy Free No Bake Cheesecake with Date + Almond Flour Crust + Macerated Wild Blueberries on Top
Dairy Free Chocolate Mousse + Gluten Free Graham Crackers for Dipping
Sweet Dairy Free Smoothie (think strawberry + pineapple + mango + maple)
Raw Vegan Cheesecakes (there are a lot of recipes online for this and as long as you go raw, it’s naturally GF DF)
Chocolate Nutella Banana Tortilla Pinwheels (store bough gluten free tortilla + generous spread of homemade Nutella + sliced banana)
Homemade Dairy Free + Vegan Ice Cream (egg free ice cream doesn’t require the cooking step)

To make a no bake crust, combine dates, almonds, and almond flour (also called almond meal) in your food processor. You can also add things like almond butter, etc. Essentially, you’re making a rough power ball and then you’ll press that into your dessert mold.

More Amazing Gluten Free Dairy Free Desserts (that don’t fit into the other categories)

Delicious Vegan Churros Recipe
Eggless Pumpkin Waffles Recipe (add chocolate and/or ice cream and it’s a dessert for sure)
Gluten Free Dairy Free Pumpkin Pie Recipe (perfect for the holiday season)
Gluten Free Chocolate Crumble Recipe
Egg Free Baked Chocolate Doughnuts Recipe (top 9 free)
Gluten, Dairy, Egg Free Lady Fingers Recipe (top 9 free)

Answering Your Questions About Gluten Free Dairy Free Desserts

Will my baked goods turn out OK without xanthan gum?

Yes!! Great news, well, not great, but you get the idea. I personally have a severe, life threatening corn allergy. That means a LOT of ingredients are off the table, including most xanthan gum.

I’ve been able to own and operate an award winning gluten free + dairy free + free-from bakery, all without added xanthan gum. Now, I did tinker with guar gum at one point, but when I did side by side comparisons (even with a freeze and thaw test), the guar gum didn’t have a meaningful impact.

Here’s why: I don’t call for all purpose flour. Instead, I make a custom gluten free flour blend for each of my recipes. This means there’s balance from the start, and you don’t need dough conditioners and enhancers and additives to boost the results.

So, as long as you follow my gluten free vegan recipes as-is, yes, they will turn out beautifully, even without xanthan gum, guar gum, and all their friends.

Are these good desserts to share with friends at birthday parties?

Ab. So. Lute. LEEEEEEE. These sweet treats are amazing for sharing at birthday parties with friends, and at other shin digs for special occasions. Here’s what you need to know about my gluten free dairy free recipes: They’re made by a free-from baking expert that owned an award winning free-from bakery.

Trust me, I’ve got the cred, and these recipes, they won’t let you down. Sure, I’m allergic to all of it, but I had a robust team of taste testers and simply put, I never publish anything they don’t say isn’t fabulous. So, know that you’re in good hands and you can totally share these desserts with friends and family. And maybe even a random person you meet at the airport next week.

Is it easy to make gluten free dairy free hand pies?

Great news! I’ve been able to make grain free + truly corn free + gluten free + dairy free hand pies using a handful of simple ingredients. Essentially, you want to either make tortillas and use that as the base, or make pie crust and use that as the base.

Cut cute little circles, fill, fold over, and the last step is to pinch or crimp it closed. Traditionally this is done with a fork, and it can look cute when done well.

The baking time for your gluten free hand pies should be the same as the original recipe you’re following, and that’s it. Yup, easy gluten free hand pies for the win! Also, try frying them. Man oh man. The ones that I make, I fry up in organic tiger nut oil (tuber, not a tree nut), and then I sprinkle organic maple sugar on after.

I could literally eat those little pies every day. Twice a day maybe…

Can I use coconut oil to replace unsalted butter in recipes?

So, you’ve got a sweet tooth, you go to make a recipe, and they’re like, now grab your cow’s milk unsalted butter that’s also grass fed because you can tase the difference. Too bad we can’t have it.

Before I answer your question, there are two types of fat you need to be aware of: fats that are liquid at room temperature, and fats that are solid at room temperature.

That trait is the key to knowing which fats can replace others in recipes, however, that’s for baking. In cooking, it doesn’t matter (only the flavour really matters).

Back to baking. Coconut oil is indeed solid at room temperature, just like unsalted butter. However. And BUT. Yup, had to use all three terms because this is important. Coconut oil has a TASTE. It can be intense, and some people find it really unpleasant.

Let’s say you’re making gluten-free chocolate chip cookies and want to make that swap and share it with everyone at your office, don’t. Anytime you’re planning to share a dessert, you’ll want to use raw materials that aren’t polarizing.

On the flip side, let’s say the cookies are alllllll for you. As long as YOU love the taste of coconut oil, yes, you can make the swap. But I’m not talking first date infatuation, I’m talking we got married and bought a farm levels of love. Love the oil because you will absolutely taste it.

If that doesn’t sound appealing to you, you’ll want to use dairy free butter instead. Whilst shortening *can* be used, it absolutely SHIFTS the taste and texture of baked goods.

Can I use baking soda instead of baking powder in gluten free recipes?

Nope, and I’m so glad you asked because they aren’t the same thing. Generally, you don’t want to use more than half a teaspoon of baking soda in a batch of cookies or cake. If you use more, you’ll negatively impact the flavour. Some recipes can get away with up to a teaspoon, but more than that and people will KNOW.

If you’ve run out of baking powder, you can make it at home with a few pantry ingredients. Alternatively, you can use 1/2 tsp baking soda + 2 TBSP acid (lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, etc.) to make up for the lack of baking powder.

Is maple syrup a good substitute for cane sugar?

I’m glad you asked because absolutely not. Now, there’s a lot to break down, so let’s look at it. First, you need to know two key terms.

Liquid Sweetener: A sweetener that’s liquid when purchased. Examples include maple syrup, agave, brown rice syrup, and honey.

Granulated Sweetener: A sweetener that has a grain like consistency when purchased. Examples include cane sugar, caster sugar, light brown sugar, dark brown sugar, maple sugar, coconut sugar, and date sugar.

In cooking, all sweeteners can replace one another, so long as the flavour doesn’t clash with the rest of the ingredients.

In baking, which is a science, you can only replace liquid for liquid, and granulated for granulated. However, know that when you make this swap, not only are you no longer making the original recipe, but you’ll be shifting the overall sweetness of the recipe as well as the final taste. In some cases, it’s a minor shift (like in a vegan chocolate cake) and in others, it’s a lot more noticeable (like in a delicate dairy free panna cotta).

In the case of white cane sugar, the best substitutes will be light brown sugar, maple sugar, and date sugar. These are going to be on the lighter end of the flavour spectrum, and bring the least amount of taste shift. The light brown sugar will keep the sweetness just about the same. The other two will make the dessert read as less sweet since they’re unrefined sweeteners.

Now, I’ve given you the basic rundown. If you’d like to learn more about sweeteners, check out this article and nerd out with me.

Can coconut cream replace whole milk in dessert recipes?

This is a great dairy free question, and I’m glad you asked. No, coconut cream cannot replace whole milk in dessert recipes. The reason is the high fat content. If you were to make a recipe for say, ice cream, and replace the milk with coconut cream, man would you hate your ice cream. It would be like eating really weird butter rather than smooth and creamy ice cream.

When it comes to replacing whole milk, the great news is that 99% of the time, milk is a 1:1 exchange. That means you can use just about any dairy-free milk in its place including almond milk, oat milk, soy milk, rice milk, homemade milk, etc.

The one dairy-free milk you can’t use in your delicious recipe will be full fat coconut milk from the can. Again, the fat content will throw things off. However, you can use coconut milk from the box that’s the more watery style.

No matter which dairy free milk you use, I wish you all the best on your baking adventures 🙂

Is vanilla extract the same thing as vanilla flavor?

I’m so glad you asked, because no, it’s not the same thing. Vanilla extract is made with vanilla beans and some kind of carrier alcohol. Vanilla flavor on the other hand will contain added ingredients, possibly natural flavours, and things that you may not want to eat (especially if you’re like me and you’re an organic enthusiast).

This is the brand of organic vanilla extract that I use, and let me tell you, people can truly taste the difference. This vanilla can make cake taste fabulous in the right amounts (I should know because it’s what I used at my bakery). Alternatively, bad vanilla extract, or cheap vanilla flavor can make cake taste like the word: cheap.

If you want the best, make sure you’re using the best possible raw materials and then, your gluten free baking will surpass conventional and traditional options.

How do I make a good gluten free all purpose flour blend at home?

Oh man, what a question because gluten free flour is an essential ingredient in gluten free cakes, gluten free cookies, and even gluten free pies (because some people are ALL about that crust action).

Personally, I keep quite a few gluten free flours on hand (read more about my gluten free baking pantry in this article), and I then make the perfect gluten free flour blend for EACH recipe. If you browse through my gluten free recipes, sure, I’m generally using the same flours, but in different ratios. That’s because you want to balance the flavour, and the protein, to get the right performance.

Now, there are times when a single flour is all you need, or one key flour plus a starch like arrowroot. However, generally speaking, the equation will be Light Starch + Medium Weight + Heavy Weight OR Light Starch + 2 Medium Weights.

Now, there’s SO MUCH MORE I need to tell you about making a gluten free all purpose blend at home, so I want you to read this article. It will walk you through the process and help you master gluten free flours and making the perfect gluten free flour blend.

Which brand of dairy-free chocolate chips is the best?

So, this is going to be something you’ll have to test for yourself. I can tell you what my tasters like, but at the end of the day, it’s personal preference. My Ultimate Guide to Dairy Free Substitutes has this section on dairy-free chocolate chips. Read it over, try some chips, and see what you think.

I can tell you that my taste testers regularly agree that this particular brand is the best dairy-free chocolate chips I’ve shared with them, but not everything the brand makes is dairy free.

How can I incorporate ginger into gluten and dairy free desserts?

What’s cool about ginger is that you can incorporate it into a range of desserts, and also pair it with other bold flavors to ensure you have balance. Here are just a few ideas that are only scratching the surface.

Lemon Ginger Muffins (be sure to use minimal lemon juice but lean more into lemon zest and food grade organic lemon oil, as the juice can throw off the texture in large amounts)
Cinnamon Ginger Cake
Maple Ginger Frosting
Cardamom Ginger Glaze (would be AMAZING on pumpkin bread, or a baked donuts)
Spicy Ginger Cookies (pair with something like a Thai chili to really bring the heat)
Cherry Ginger Cookies (the ginger would play a supporting role in this dessert)
Chocolate Ginger Date Mousse (the ginger won’t be front and center in this one)
Paleo Chocolate Cake with Ginger (add some ginger to the batter, but also make a refined sugar free maple ginger glaze to top the cake with)
Honey Ginger Olive Oil Cake
Ginger White Chocolate Chip Cookies

Also note, using fresh ginger vs ground ginger is going to make a difference in your final dessert.

Is oat flour really gluten free?

This is a great question! The answer depends on the country you live in, along with the manufacturing of the oats. It’s estimated that 25% of people with Celiac Disease can’t tolerate oats, even Purity Protocol oats, and that’s led some countries to grouping oats with “gluten containing grains.

Additionally, oats are usually milled alongside wheat and the cross-contact is high, which is another reason some countries group it with “gluten containing grains”.

Some people on a gluten free diet, even if it’s not Celiac Disease, still can’t tolerate the oats. In some cases, it’s the pesticides (the things I could tell you), and other times, there may be another underlying condition that’s causing them to react to a range of foods.

All of that to simply say, in some countries, oats and oat flour would be gluten free, and in others, not. If you live in a country like the United Sates where oats are allowed to be GF, it has to be “gluten free oats”. If you purchase “oat flour” and nowhere does it mention gluten free, you should ALWAYS assume there’s been gluten and/or wheat cross contact.

If you’d like to learn more on this topic, check out this article, Gluten Free Oats, Know the Details.

Do gluten free dairy free desserts taste like the real thing?

So, I may be biased, so keep that in mind as you read. When it comes to gluten and dairy free options, I’m under the impression that they not only taste like the real thing, but better. I owned and operated a gluten free, dairy free, top 9 free, vegan, award winning bakery for years. People without food allergies gave me nothing but rave reviews (you should have seen my Yelp page).

So in my world, and if you follow the recipes I share online and in my cookbooks, yeah, it’s going to blow you away. The only thing I’ll warn you about is this, if you share with friends and family, they’re going to come back for MORE, like in that book If You Give a Mouse a Cookie. So prepare to be busy baking because yes, these recipes are THAT GOOD.

So, go try some of my recipes (without making swaps because that does change things) and you’ll see real fast that the cookies, cakes, and everything else taste like the real deal.

Do I need a stand mixer to make gluten free dairy free desserts?

For most gluten free dairy free dessert recipes, even if they call for a stand mixer, you can mix with an electric handheld mixer and still get the perfect texture. In fact, in a lot of cases, you can mix by hand and still have a seriously delicious treat.

Now, there are some items that must be made with some kind of assistance including some raw desserts, frosting, some cookie recipes, and so on. Pretty much all cakes can be mixed by hand if needed.

I think in free-from dessert making, especially if you plan to make a wide range of desserts, at some point you’re going to want a stand mixer and a food processor. I think those will cover you 99% of the time.

Should I spray cake pans, or use butter and flour?

Honestly, neither. Instead, you should use parchment paper. It’s like, the secret ingredient to having an awesome life because your cakes will never stick. As a professional cake tester and recipe developer, I can tell you that I get the absolute best results when there’s a piece of parchment paper in the pan before I add batter or dough.