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Today we’re looking at gluten and wheat free recipes! If you’re new to the gluten-free lifestyle, be sure to check out this article which can help you understand how to start a gluten free diet. Today I’m sharing a huge range of recipes and ideas that you can keep coming back to (be sure to bookmark this page and share the article with friends).

The recipes I’ll be sharing are not only gluten free but also dairy free, egg free, and more. Before we jump into the recipes and ideas, let’s look at some basic info regarding gluten and wheat free recipes.

Who Should Eat Gluten-Free Meals?

People who manage Non-Celiac Gluten Sensitivity (NCGS)
Someone with a wheat allergy (whilst they can eat rye and barley, a gluten free meal would work for them)
Anyone managing Celiac Disease
Someone prescribed a gluten free diet by their GP for health reasons
People who follow specific special diets such as Paleo or GAPs

Awesome Kitchen Tools to Have

These are tools I highly recommend if you’ll be making dinner at home regularly. Whilst it’s not an exhaustive list, it’s a great place to start. If you’re a mixed allergy household, you’ll want to account for cross-contact. In some situations, you’ll need more than one of specific tools, as they shouldn’t be shared.

Slow Cooker or Multifunction Cooker (where Slow Cooker and Pressure Cooker are combined)
Good Set of Knives & Several Cutting Boards
High Powered Blender
Large Dutch Oven or oven-safe pot
Loads of measuring spoons and measuring cups
Colander (you can use it for more than draining pasta)
Stand Mixer with at least one extra bowl and attachment set
Rice Cooker

You can see some of these tools and more in my Amazon Shop.

Basic Ingredients to Keep on Hand

Sometimes, when you’re following a gluten-free diet, you can feel like there’s nothing to eat. I’ve found that by keeping key ingredients on hand, you always feel like you have some options. This also prevents that moment when you realize you have to go to the grocery store before you make dinner…

Fresh Vegetables – I enjoy meal planning and purchasing a range of fresh vegetables each week. I get what’s needed for the meals, but also extra veg for the kids to enjoy. Mini lunchbox bell peppers for example is a quick snack they all enjoy.

Ground Meat – Ground beef is a good example, along with ground pork, chicken, and turkey. Having this on hand just makes your life much easier. A few meals you can quickly make are meatballs, a quick stove top pasta sauce or ragu, and quick burger patties. You can freeze ground meat and thaw it as needed.

Frozen Fruit & Frozen Vegetables You Love – This makes for easy smoothies and sheet pan meals.

Gluten Free Carbs – Some of these I make and store in the freezer, and there are some that I also purchase. It just depends on the item, but it keeps life easy by having it on hand. Here’s a great article on gluten free carbs.

Some Pantry Ingredients I Like to Keep on Hand

This is not an exhaustive list, but will get you started. These items can make your life easier, but also help make your good taste GREAT.

Citrus Juices (Lemon Juice, Lime Juice, etc., easy way to add flavour to a meal)
Flavoured Vinegars (I love the brand O Olive Oil for this)
Canned Beans (White Beans, Red Beans, Black Beans, etc.)
Cooking Oils (Olive Oil, Avocado Oil, etc)
Dried Mushroom Powder (easy way to add flavour without having to prep mushrooms)
Spices & Seasonings Galore (you want your food to BURST with flavour, and be sure to try smoked salt)
Spreads (Peanut Butter, Almond Butter, etc.)
Jarred Tomato Products
Homemade Frozen Gluten Free Tortillas
Gluten-Free Grains such as Rice & Quinoa
Gluten Free Flours (I keep a range of options on hand as a recipe developer, but a good AP GF flour can work as well)

Gluten-Free Snacks to Make at Home

Gluten free snacks can be pretty expensive, especially if you’re feeding several people gluten free foods. Here are some amazing snacks that you can make at home, all gluten free. Should you venture into the world of granola bar making, check out the Granola Bar Pan. It’s so dang cool and makes your bars into an authentic granola bar size. I’ve even included an oat free option, as not everyone who is gluten free can consume oats.

Enjoy Life Foods Cocoa Loco Bar Copycat Recipe (GF + V + Top 9 Free)
Soft Baked Zucchini Chocolate Chip Bars
Buckwheat Granola Bars (Oat Free, Gluten Free, Nut Free, Seed Free)
Gluten Free Graham Crackers Recipe

Easy Gluten Free Dairy Free Lunches

If you’re struggling to make a good gluten free lunch, here are a few ideas to get you started. You can also check out my Gluten Free, Allergy Friendly lunch cookbook.

Easy Lamb Ragu (tastes great hot and cold)
Chocolate Hummus Snack Lunch
Gluten & Soy Free String Bean Dish
Easy Homestyle Lunchbox Waffles

Gluten Free Side Dishes to Enjoy

Sometimes you have a great main dish created and you need to add a little something to help round out your meal. Here are some gluten free side dishes I think your whole family will enjoy.

Simply Roasted Sweet Potatoes (an excellent side dish)
Cheesy Green Beans (this recipe features dairy free cheese)
Delicious Sautéed Vegetables
Easy Gluten Free Spiced Carrots

Gluten-Free Pasta Recipes to Enjoy

The key to GOOD gluten free pasta is to have a brand of pasta you actually enjoy. Be sure to check out this article on cooking gluten free pasta, as a bad cook can ruin the whole dish.

Chili Lime Fish Pasta
Sloppy Joe Pasta
Fast & Easy Chicken Pasta (great with chicken thighs, chicken breasts, ground chicken, or ground rabbit)
Vegan Creamy Pesto Pasta

Easy Sheet Pan Meals That are Gluten & Wheat Free

If you’re looking for an easy dinner, look no further than sheet pan meals. I’ve also included a dessert recipe because cake, right?

Turkey Bacon Sheet Pan Meal (you can use gold or red potato, or even Japanese yam for a Paleo sheet pan)
Salmon & Potato Sheet Pan Dinner (a great recipe to use fresh or frozen salmon fillet)
Pork or Chicken Sheet Pan Fajitas
Gluten Free Vanilla Sheet Pan Cake Recipe (super easy to make and also egg free + vegan)

Delicious Gluten-Free Dinner Recipes

These a four dinner recipes that will leave you feeling more than satisfied. My kids LOVE chow mein memories and say it’s better than what you can find in restaurants (no wheat, no gluten, no soy, and more).

Gluten-Free Chicken & Green Beans with Brown Rice (an old family favorite that my kids insist is incredibly comforting)
Pumpkin Mac n Cheese (vegan recipe)
Fast Bacon & Quinoa
Chicken Chow Mein Memories (featuring delicious ramen rice noodles, soy sauce free, coconut free)

Gluten-Free Recipes to Serve at a Dinner Party

Here are a few main dishes and a side dish that I think would work well on a special occasion, such as a dinner party. These are recipes that you can absolutely share with friends and family, and they won’t be missing gluten.

Bacon Bomb Potatoes
Chicago Style Meatballs (you could prep up a large amount in advance)
Oven Roasted Chicken
Tropical Chicken Skewers (you can cook these in the oven or on the grill)

Gluten-Free Dinners Ready in 30 Minutes or Less

Short on time? The good news is that these gluten free recipes have you covered. You can also take the idea and run with it. Don’t like mushrooms? Make a turkey and bacon smash burger instead. Little tweaks like that are the best way to keep meals quick and easy, but also create variety so you don’t get stuck in a food rut.

Easy Recipes Your Kids will Love

These are four super kid friendly recipes that are all gluten free, dairy free, egg free, and allergy friendly.

My Kids’ Favorite Gluten-Free Dinner Recipes

I have to admit, after developing about 1,000 delicious recipes that are all gluten free, my kids each have a few favorite recipes that really seem to stand out. Whilst there are about 100 recipes in their combined favorites, I’ve shared a few that I just know you’ll enjoy. Each of these recipes is gluten free, dairy free, and more.

Beet “Stir Fry” (absolutely not a proper stir fry but the name stuck)
Pineapple Pork Balls (they ask for this so often that I created a lazy way to make these as well)
DF + GF Monstrosity (a cross between pizza, lasagna, and quesadillas which is basically every kid’s triple threat of happiness)
Gluten Free & Dairy Free Chicken Pot Pie (honestly, they love all the pot pies I make including taco pot pie and pizza pot pie)

Comforting Weeknight-Friendly Soups to Make

Soup can be an easy and delicious way to keep yourself fueled. These particular gluten free soup recipes come together pretty easily, and are a great way to have dinner on the table without too much effort or fuss.

Hearty Vegan Vegetable Soup Recipe
Gluten Free Chicken Noodle Soup Recipe
Dairy Free & Gluten Free Potato and Leek Soup
Creamy Ham & Potato Soup (Gluten Free, Dairy Free)

Creamy Chicken Recipes That are Gluten Free (and Dairy Free)

Let’s face it, chicken served up in a creamy sauce is just plain comfort food. With that in mind, here are a few recipes to spark your culinary ideas.

Creamy Cashew Chicken (Wheat Free, Dairy Free)
Creamy Tuscan Chicken
Parmesan and Creamy Chicken
Creamy Dairy Free Cauliflower and Chicken Recipe

Wheat Free, Gluten Free Recipes Featuring Ground Turkey

If you love ground turkey, you’ll love these recipes. Know however that generally speaking, you can swap in ground turkey for other ground meats in recipes you find online. The key is to watch your cook time, as ground turkey can dry out quickly.

Asian Inspired Turkey & Rice
Squash Chili Recipe (Top 9 Allergy Free)
Sweet Potato & Turkey Stuffed Peppers
Cheesy Turkey Pasta (features a vegan faux cheese)

Amazing Gluten-Free Desserts to Make at Home

All too often, people find out they have to follow a gluten free diet (or other special diet) and they tend to focus on the foods they’ll have to go without. In the case of gluten free, people mourn the loss of pizza, bread, and dessert. Well, I’m here to show you that you can have your cake and eat it too. Along with cookies and other awesome desserts. RAISE has a whole section dedicated to amazing gluten free, allergy friendly desserts, so be sure to take a look.

Chocolate Cherry Cookies (Gluten Free, Vegan, Top 9 Allergy Free)
Fudgy Brownies (Gluten Free, Vegan, Top 9 Allergy Free)
Vanilla Birthday Cake Cupcakes (Gluten Free, Vegan, Top 9 Allergy Free)
Pumpkin Snickerdoodle Cookies (Gluten Free, Vegan, Top 9 Allergy Free)

Answering Your Questions about Gluten and Wheat Free Recipes

Not every family member needs to eat gluten free. Have any tips on how I can keep everyone happy and fed?

There are a few ways to do this: serve meals that are naturally gluten free, serve meals that only need a gluten free component such as pasta, or batch cook and freeze individual meals for the person who needs to eat gluten free.

I managed kids with multiple food allergies (non of which were the same) and I can tell you that there’s merit to each of those methods. What you really have to do is create a workflow that makes sense to your daily/weekly bandwidth and budget.

A few examples of naturally gluten free recipes: white chicken chili, homemade tacos (corn tortillas are naturally gluten-free tortillas you can purchase), wild rice soup, Thai chicken with rice, and pork chops with applesauce.

When it comes to batch cooking for one person, you’ll want to purchase individual sized containers. They can be reusable, disposable, or a combination of both. For a couple of weeks, make a full sized recipe for the one person, serve dinner, then freeze all the leftovers. Don’t forget to label the containers. If you do this for a couple of weeks, you’ll then have a dinner stash you can rotate thru for a few months.

As my kids got older, batch cooking and freezing became the way to go because it allowed them to pull out what they wanted. In fact, I had breakfasts, lunches, snacks, desserts, and dinners all frozen and ready to go. It freed me from having to be on call in the kitchen all the time. More than anything, get your kiddo involved to make sure they’re excited about what’s in the freezer. If they feel like their freezer food excludes them (or doesn’t taste good), the system won’t work. RAISE has a whole section of recipes that are freezer friendly, as not all recipes thaw/reheat well after being frozen.

The gluten-free lifestyle is really taking its toll on me, especially where breakfast and lunch are concerned. Any tips on how to make these meals easier?

I have quite a few tips that I think can help you in this situation.

1. Ditch the idea of traditional. Sometimes, the idea of converting traditional meals is the hardest part about the gluten-free lifestyle. When you embrace the fact that you can eat any combination of foods for any meal (such as steamed fish for breakfast), it’s liberating. It also tends to ease some of the mental pressure we put on ourselves.

2. Make dinners that taste great cold. This allows you to use said leftovers as an easy lunch option throughout the week. In fact, as you pack up dinner leftovers, you can pack your lunch at the same time and leave it in the fridge. The following day becomes a lot easier.

3. Lean into recipes that are naturally gluten free. Breakfast is a great example. Look up “Paleo breakfast recipes and ideas”. Everything you see will be gluten free, since the Paleo diet doesn’t allow for gluten. This makes it easy for you to pick out a lot of recipes to rotate thru.

4. Enjoy easy breakfasts such as smoothies, or scrambled eggs. These are meals that don’t take too long to make, and allow you to be easily fueled on busy mornings.

5. Get into a good meal prep routine. Planning, shopping, prepping, and cooking are all part of the routine. If you set aside some time at the start of each week, you can prep up everything you’ll need throughout the week (think chopped veg etc.). Each time you cook a meal, it will feel easier because most of the prep is already done.

Hopefully these five tips get you started and help ease the load for you.

Delicious Gluten-Free & Wheat-Free Recipes (Dinner Ideas & More)