It's a whole new day for gluten-free desserts. No longer do you need to opt for the dry or tasteless after-dinner options because you require something GF. Now there are a plethora of tasty options to satisfy your sweet tooth. We'll keep this article updated with our favorites.
Our current favorite gluten-free desserts are:
- Cheesecake
- Key Lime Pie
- Cupcakes
- Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Flourless Chocolate Cake
Many people are opting for gluten-free eating, out of necessity and personal preference. Celiac disease and gluten sensitivity can be difficult to manage, and dietary restrictions of any kind can be frustrating at times. It can be hard to watch others enjoying their favorite meals and treats and being unable to join them due to a food sensitivity or allergy.
Many people who do not have gluten sensitivity are still choosing to avoid gluten for health purposes. As more and more people turn to gluten-free diets for various reasons, it’s important for them to remember that gluten-free doesn’t need to mean missing out on the fun and great flavors.
Thanks to the wide availability of gluten-free baking ingredients and the growing demand for gluten-free food access, you can make some of the best desserts with entirely gluten-free ingredients at home. Of course, if you’d rather skip the kitchen work yourself and rely on a team of professional bakers, Sunflour Baking Company has you covered for all your gluten-free dessert needs.
At Sunflour Baking Company, we believe in creating expertly crafted and delicious baked goods and treats for all tastes, lifestyle choices, and dietary needs. We know that it can be difficult for gluten-free eaters to find easy desserts that meet their food restrictions, so we’ve put together this list of our favorite gluten-free desserts for you to enjoy without fear of adverse allergic reactions or setting back your nutrition goals.
#1 cheesecake
Who doesn’t love cheesecake? It’s been a favorite all over the world for thousands of years for good reason. It’s rich, creamy, and has a delightfully velvety texture that’s incredibly satisfying.
The origins of cheesecake date back about 4,000 years to ancient Greece. Considered a good source of energy, historians believe that the Greeks served cheesecake to the athletes at the first-ever Olympic games in 776 BC. It’s also been a staple of Greek weddings for just as long. Throughout the ages, the classic cheesecake has evolved, adapted by the Roman conquerors and the earliest European civilizations until the 18th century, when it began to take the form we know and love today.
Cheesecake is a great option because it's a gluten free cake that doesn’t require any flour to bake. The beautifully rich and creamy texture comes from a blend of cream cheese, eggs, and sugar. While a graham cracker crust is typically the standard, it’s pretty easy to find gluten-free graham for a perfectly safe crust nowadays.
However, one of the best parts about cheesecake is the many options you have to customize your dessert. You can make the crust out of whatever gluten-free crumbles you prefer, so long as it helps the cake hold its shape. You can add in a little natural vanilla flavor extract to give your cheesecake more taste complexity.
Let's not forget about toppings. Your favorite fruit is a great naturally gluten-free treat and topping a freshly baked cheesecake with sliced berries, some blood orange, or drizzling a fruity syrup on top is a great way to add color and additional flavor to this fantastic dessert.
At Sunflour Baking Company, we offer gluten-free vanilla bean cheesecakes you can customize with a wide variety of flavoring options.
#2 key lime pie
Key lime pie is a staple of the summer months, offering a crisp and refreshing sweetness that’s difficult to beat on a warm summer evening. While the exact origins of Key lime pie remain something of a mystery, it’s certainly an American classic that blends the flavors of crisp and tart Key limes, cool and refreshing cream, and crumbly graham crackers together in a beautiful way.
When made correctly, a good Key lime pie resembles a shorter cheesecake and has a very similar texture. It’s creamy, but the tart Key lime flavor adds a remarkable sweetness with just the right tanginess. Gluten-free eaters can enjoy the fact that this pie easily comes together without flour or any other gluten. Simply swap the regular graham cracker pie crust for a gluten-free variety and you’re good to go!
The team at the Sunflour Baking Company absolutely loves Key lime pie. It’s perfect for the summertime thanks to its light and refreshing flavor, and if you find a good recipe it’s easy enough to make as a weeknight dessert for you and the family. If you’d like to try our take on Key lime pie, we’re certain you won’t be disappointed. We source our lime juice directly from Key West, so you can be sure you’re getting the genuine article when you try one of our gluten-free Key lime pies.
#3 chocolate cupcakes
Many people with gluten-free diets may bemoan the inability to enjoy classic desserts like cupcakes, but there are so many ways to make these treats with gluten-free ingredients that missing out is a thing of the past. Chocolate cupcakes are a classic, decadent treat and many gluten-free eaters may wonder how it’s possible to enjoy these delights without any gluten. Almond flour and bean flour take the place of the typical wheat flour base, and the rest is easy to adjust as needed.
If you plan on making your own chocolate cupcakes in a gluten-free variety, you need to be careful about which types of chocolate you use. While baking cocoa powder and baker’s chocolate are typically gluten-free, some brands include gluten ingredients in their chocolate products. Always double-check the ingredients of everything you use.
Of course, you could always order some expertly crafted gluten-free chocolate cupcakes from the Sunflour Baking Company. We specialize in gluten-free baking and offer a wide range of customization options. No matter what type of frosting or other toppings you imagine for your gluten-free chocolate cupcakes, we have you covered.
#4 chocolate chip cookies
There are few baked treats more timeless and universally loved than chocolate chip cookies. For many people, a good chocolate chip cookie reminds them of home and fond childhood memories. Unfortunately, flour is a staple ingredient for chocolate chip cookies, making them unsuitable for people with gluten allergies or choosing gluten-free diets. Thankfully, we have gluten-free all-purpose flour to take the place of typical flour.
While most gluten-free cookies don’t have the trademark chew of classic chocolate chip cookies, this is actually easy to get around with a gluten-free solution. A small measure of xanthan gum provides the “chew” typically missing from cookies made with gluten-free flour, and it’s easy to find gluten-free all-purpose flour enriched with xanthan gum or xanthan gum on its own that you can add separately.
Add some high-quality chocolate chips and you are good to go!
At Sunflour Baking Company we not only bake gluten-free chocolate chip cookies but also vegan and dairy-free varieties as well.
#5 flourless chocolate cake
Thick, decadent chocolate cake is an elegant dessert, but how does one enjoy it without flour? You can create an incredible flourless chocolate cake with just three ingredients: sugar, eggs, and your favorite type of dark chocolate. Whipping the eggs into a light froth creates the base for a sponge-cake-like treat. Melt the chocolate in a double boiler over low heat, and then fold sugar and whipped eggs into the melted chocolate to form the base of the cake.
Baking this treat requires a bit of a special technique; you won’t be able to just pop this in the oven like a typical cake. The standard method for baking a flourless cake is to use a heavily foil-wrapped springform pan set inside a larger ovenproof skillet or baking pan. Boil some water, and then pour the water between the springform pan and the outer pan to create a “moat” of boiling water. Baking the cake using this method creates a beautifully moist and spongy texture. If you want to skip the baking and still enjoy a delightful chocolate cake, Sunflour Baking Company has you covered, with vegan options as well.
enjoy your favorite desserts safely, your way
Gluten-free eating may seem like a chore sometimes, but with a little bit of research and some extra time invested into your favorite recipes, you can make incredible dishes and desserts without risk of adverse health reactions. If you’re skipping gluten for health reasons, everyone needs a break from a restrictive diet at times, and enjoying your favorite desserts occasionally is a great way to relax and reward yourself for hard work spent on eating right.
At the Sunflour Baking Company, our goal is to ensure that every one of our customers can enjoy their favorite desserts without risk of negative reactions. Gluten sensitivity affects those who experience it in different ways. Some may experience moderate discomfort for a few hours while others wind up in the hospital after consuming even a small amount of gluten.
We take food sensitivities very seriously, so if you want a great dessert with 100% assurance that all ingredients are entirely gluten-free, visit the Sunflour Baking Company to try our favorite gluten-free desserts today!
Visit one of our four locations: elizabeth, dilworth, harrisburg, or ballantyne or visit our online shop to ship goodies nationwide.