Gluten-Free and Dairy-Free Desserts – Mama Knows Gluten Free
Going gluten-free doesn’t mean dessert has to disappear, and adding dairy-free to the mix doesn’t mean that either. After years of making and enjoying gluten-free desserts, I’ve put together this collection of the recipes I come back to most. Some are naturally dairy-free, while others include simple dairy-free options so you can make them either way. From chocolate cakes and creamy puddings to fruit-filled pies and frozen treats, there’s something here for just about every kind of sweet craving.
I Know How Hard It Is to Give Up Your Favorite Desserts
I know how hard it is to feel like your favorite desserts are off the table. Finding delicious gluten-free desserts has gotten so much easier over the years, but it’s still nice to be able to make them yourself at home. Then you add dairy-free on top of that, and your options get even smaller. That’s why almost every recipe in this roundup either skips dairy from the start or comes with a dairy-free version built right in, so you don’t have to choose between gluten-free and dairy-free. You should still get to have dessert, no matter what you’re baking around.
Classic Desserts without Dairy
These are some of my favorite desserts when I want something sweet without needing to make any substitutions for dairy.
Gluten-Free Chocolate Mug Cake
Gluten-Free Chocolate Mug Cake
An easy recipe for a gluten-free chocolate mug cake. This cake is just like a wacky cake- no eggs, milk or butter needed. With a few simple ingredients, you can make a moist chocolate single-serving cake. The mug cake is naturally dairy-free and vegan.
This gluten-free chocolate mug cake is made in the microwave with gluten-free flour, cocoa powder, and coconut oil. It doesn’t need eggs or dairy, and chocolate chips melt into the batter for an extra rich, chocolatey bite. It’s my favorite kind of dessert for when I want something warm and homemade without making an entire cake.
Dairy-Free Chocolate Pudding
Dairy-Free Chocolate Pudding
Rich, creamy, and irresistibly smooth, this dairy-free chocolate pudding is the perfect sweet treat. It’s even better than the pudding cups we all packed in our lunch boxes.
Soy milk, cocoa powder, and dairy-free chocolate chips cook together on the stovetop until thick and creamy to make this dairy-free chocolate pudding. I like to refrigerate it for a few hours before serving, which gives it that smooth, rich texture you expect from homemade chocolate pudding. It’s an easy dessert with plenty of classic chocolate flavor.
Dairy-Free Crème Brûlée
Dairy-Free Crème Brûlée
This dairy-free crème brûlée brings all the elegance of a French bakery to your own kitchen. Coconut milk creates a smooth, creamy custard, and the caramelized sugar topping gives it that signature crackly finish.
I was honestly amazed the first time I saw how creamy coconut milk makes this dairy-free crème brûlée. Full-fat coconut milk replaces the cream in the custard, which is baked gently in a water bath with egg yolks. After it chills, the top is covered with sugar and torched until crisp, giving you that classic crackly topping with a silky center.
More Dairy-Free Chocolate Desserts
If you’re here for the chocolate, these are a few more dairy-free favorites worth making.
Dairy-Free Chocolate Fudge
Gluten-Free and Dairy-Free Chocolate Fudge
This 3-ingredient gluten-free, dairy-free chocolate fudge is rich, creamy, and smooth, no candy thermometer needed. Just melt, pour, chill, and top with flaky salt for the perfect sweet-and-salty bite.
This easy dairy-free fudge uses just sweetened condensed coconut milk, dairy-free chocolate chips, and vanilla. The ingredients melt together over a double boiler before the fudge is left to set into a rich, creamy treat. I love that there’s no oven involved, and a sprinkle of flaky salt on top gives all that chocolatey richness a nice salty contrast.
Dairy-Free Hot Chocolate
Dairy-Free Hot Chocolate
This dairy-free hot chocolate is a silky, rich treat made with oat milk, cocoa powder, and chocolate chips, ready in under 10 minutes for a cozy cold-weather delight.
Oat milk makes this dairy-free hot chocolate wonderfully creamy without any dairy. It’s combined with cocoa powder, sugar, and melted chocolate chips for a rich, chocolate-filled drink that’s especially cozy on a cold day. A little vanilla helps round everything out.
Vegan Chocolate Mousse
Vegan Chocolate Mousse
This vegan chocolate mousse is a light and fluffy dairy-free dessert made with whipped coconut cream, cocoa powder, and a little powdered sugar. It has a smooth, creamy, melt-in-your-mouth texture and a deep chocolate flavor, all from just four simple ingredients.
This vegan chocolate mousse needs only four ingredients: whipped coconut cream, cocoa powder, powdered sugar, and vanilla. Everything gets whipped together until fluffy and creamy. It’s rich enough to feel like a special dessert, but simple enough that I don’t mind making it whenever a chocolate craving hits.
Dairy-Free Frozen Desserts
For even more frozen treats, check out my full Dairy-Free Ice Cream Recipes round-up. Here are a few of my favorites to try first.
Banana Peanut Butter Nice Cream
Banana Peanut Butter Ice Cream (Nice Cream)
This Banana Peanut Butter Nice Cream is a dairy-free, refined sugar-free frozen treat made with just a handful of wholesome ingredients and a blender. It’s so smooth and creamy that even skeptics won’t believe it’s not the real thing.
Frozen bananas and natural peanut butter blend into a thick, creamy soft-serve without an ice cream maker. I make this nice cream throughout the summer, and vanilla plus a little salt brings out the sweetness of the bananas. It’s hard to believe such a short ingredient list can make something this satisfying.
Coconut Sorbet
Coconut Sorbet
This coconut sorbet is creamy, refreshing, and made with just 3 simple ingredients. Coconut milk, coconut cream, and sweetened condensed coconut milk blend into a rich dairy-free frozen dessert with a smooth, velvety texture and tropical coconut flavor. Perfect for hot summer days, this easy homemade sorbet tastes light, creamy, and incredibly scoopable.
This simple sorbet combines coconut milk, coconut cream, and sweetened condensed coconut milk before being churned until smooth. It’s rich and tropical but still feels light, with a creamy texture that makes it especially good for scooping and serving at home.
Almond Milk Ice Cream
Almond Milk Ice Cream
Soaked blanched almonds give this four-ingredient ice cream a rich, creamy base when blended with almond milk, maple syrup, and coconut oil. There’s no churning required, and the finished ice cream freezes beautifully. Let it sit out for a few minutes before scooping so it can soften slightly.
Gluten-Free Dessert Recipes with Dairy-Free Option
The recipes in this section aren’t dairy-free on their own, but I’ve included dairy-free substitutions in each one. That makes it easy to choose whichever version works best for you.
Pies
For even more pie recipes, visit our full Gluten-Free Pie Recipes post. These are some of my favorites.
Gluten-Free Apple Pie
Gluten-Free Apple Pie
This gluten-free apple pie has all the comforting flavors of a classic apple pie, with a buttery, flaky crust made from gluten-free flour and a cinnamon-spiced apple filling featuring Granny Smith and Honeycrisp apples. Perfect for Thanksgiving, Christmas, or any cozy autumn gathering, this recipe proves that a gluten-free pie crust can be just as delicious as the original.
I make this gluten-free apple pie every Thanksgiving, and it never gets old. Granny Smith and Honeycrisp apples are layered with cinnamon and nutmeg inside a flaky gluten-free double crust. The crust turns golden and crisp while the apples become tender and warmly spiced. The dairy-free version uses dairy-free butter and a milk wash instead of egg.
Gluten-Free Pumpkin Pie
Gluten-Free Pumpkin Pie Recipe
This simple recipe for gluten-free pumpkin pie has a crunchy Chex cereal crust and a creamy, perfectly spiced filling! This recipe also includes a dairy-free option.
Instead of using a traditional pastry crust, this gluten-free pumpkin pie starts with crushed cinnamon cereal, which is one of my favorite shortcuts. The spiced pumpkin filling bakes into a creamy, firm custard without becoming wet or soggy. The dairy-free option uses coconut milk in the filling and dairy-free butter for the crust.
Gluten-Free Pecan Pie
Gluten-Free Pecan Pie Recipe
This recipe for gluten-free pecan pie is perfectly sweet, salty, and gooey! It also includes an easy GF crust recipe and a dairy-free option.
This pecan pie is filled with plenty of crunchy pecans and sits inside a buttery homemade gluten-free crust. The filling combines eggs, brown sugar, corn syrup, and cinnamon for that sweet, gooey texture I love. To make it dairy-free, just use plant-based butter instead of regular butter. And if you want this classic nutty custard pie without the hassle of a crust, try crustless pecan pie.
Gluten-Free Coconut Cream Pie
Gluten-Free Coconut Cream Pie
This gluten-free coconut cream pie keeps all the creamy, dreamy texture of the classic, with a naturally gluten-free coconut macaroon crust and smooth vanilla-coconut filling. It’s the perfect make-ahead dessert for holidays, summer get-togethers, or a laid-back Sunday treat.
A toasted coconut macaroon crust takes the place of traditional pastry in this creamy gluten-free coconut pie. It’s filled with a rich coconut custard and finished with whipped cream. For the dairy-free version, use dairy-free butter and milk along with whipped topping made from chilled coconut cream.
Cobblers and Crisps
Warm fruit desserts are some of my favorite things to bake when the weather starts to cool off, and these are easy to make dairy-free with a few swaps.
Gluten-Free Peach Cobbler
Gluten-Free Peach Cobbler
This gluten-free peach cobbler is an old-fashioned Southern dessert that’s as comforting as it is delicious. Sweet, juicy peaches are lightly spiced with cinnamon and baked under a buttery cake topping that’s golden, fluffy, and just the right amount of crisp around the edges.
Juicy peaches seasoned with cinnamon sit beneath a buttery cake batter that bakes up golden, fluffy, and slightly crisp around the edges in this gluten-free peach cobbler. This is one of the desserts I look forward to making when fresh peaches are in season. The dairy-free version uses almond milk and plant-based butter.
Gluten-Free Blueberry Cobbler
Gluten-Free Blueberry Cobbler
Sweet blueberries bubble underneath a soft biscuit topping that turns golden and fluffy as it bakes. There’s no gritty gluten-free texture, which is exactly what I want from a blueberry cobbler, and a little lemon juice keeps the fruit filling bright. Use vegan butter and almond or coconut milk for the dairy-free version.
Gluten-Free Blackberry Cobbler
Gluten-Free Blackberry Cobbler
Fresh blackberries bake beneath a sweet batter that develops crisp, golden edges while staying soft and fluffy on top for this gluten-free blackberry cobbler. The berries become warm, juicy, and slightly tart as they bake, making this one of my favorite desserts to make when blackberries are in season. I like serving it warm with a scoop of dairy-free ice cream.
Gluten-Free Apple Crisp
Gluten-Free Apple Crisp
An easy recipe for gluten-free apple crisp. The sweet flavor of baked cinnamon apples with a brown sugar oat crumble topping. This gluten-free dessert recipe also has a dairy-free and vegan option.
Cinnamon-coated apples bake into a sweet, caramel-like filling underneath a buttery oat crumble in this gluten-free apple crisp. The smell alone makes this one feel like fall as soon as it goes into the oven. It’s an easy dessert with plenty of warm apple flavor, and the dairy-free version uses plant-based butter and unsweetened almond milk.
Cakes and Cupcakes
There are even more ideas in my full Gluten-Free Cake Recipes post, but these are the ones I make most often.
Gluten-Free Chocolate Cake
Gluten-Free Chocolate Cake
An easy recipe for a gluten-free chocolate cake topped with chocolate buttercream frosting. This recipe also has a dairy-free option.
This gluten-free chocolate cake is rich and fudgy with a tender, moist crumb from the buttermilk batter. Gluten-free flour and cocoa powder make up the base before the cake is layered with chocolate buttercream. It’s the kind of gluten-free cake that disappears without anyone questioning whether it’s gluten-free. The dairy-free version uses almond milk and plant-based butter.
Gluten-Free Carrot Cake
Gluten-Free Carrot Cake
This gluten-free carrot cake is one of my absolute favorites. It’s incredibly easy to make, yet it tastes like something straight out of a bakery.
This gluten-free carrot cake is packed with shredded carrots, pineapple, coconut, pecans, and warm spices. All of those ingredients keep the cake incredibly moist and give it plenty of texture. It’s topped with tangy cream cheese frosting brightened with lemon juice, and the dairy-free option uses dairy-free cream cheese.
Gluten-Free Vanilla Cupcakes
Gluten-Free Vanilla Cupcakes
An easy recipe for gluten-free vanilla cupcakes that are soft and fluffy. Bakery-style gluten-free cupcakes topped with a vanilla buttercream frosting. The recipe also has a dairy-free option.
These gluten-free vanilla cupcakes have a light, fluffy texture and delicate crumb, with classic vanilla buttercream on top. I’ve made them for more birthday parties than I can count, and they’re always an easy crowd-pleaser. The dairy-free version uses plant-based butter with almond, cashew, or coconut milk, so they’re easy to adapt when needed.
Gluten-Free Vanilla Donuts
Gluten-Free Vanilla Cake Donuts
These gluten-free vanilla cake donuts bake up soft, fluffy, and perfectly sweet with a tender cake-like crumb and smooth vanilla glaze. Made with simple pantry ingredients, they come together in about 40 minutes for an easy homemade donut recipe without any frying.
These gluten-free vanilla donuts are baked until soft and fluffy with lightly golden edges, then finished with a sweet vanilla glaze. They have the texture and flavor of the bakery donuts I used to miss. For the dairy-free version, use almond, cashew, or coconut milk along with plant-based butter in both the donut batter and glaze.
Cookies
For more cookie ideas, check out my full Gluten-Free Cookie Recipes round-up. These four are some of the most requested cookies in my family.
Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies
Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies
An easy recipe for gluten-free chocolate chip cookies baked in just 8 minutes with no chilling time. This gluten-free cookie recipe also has a dairy-free and vegan option.
These gluten-free chocolate chip cookies have soft centers and chewy edges, with butter, brown sugar, and a little molasses giving them that familiar bakery-style flavor. They’re easy to make dairy-free with plant-based butter and dairy-free chocolate chips.
Gluten-Free Monster Cookies
Gluten-Free Monster Cookies
Gluten-free monster cookies are loaded with creamy peanut butter, chewy oats, chocolate chips, and M&M’s for a flavor you won’t forget!
Peanut butter, oats, chocolate chips, and colorful candy pieces make these gluten-free monster cookies chewy, nutty, and fun. They’re one of my family’s favorite cookies and always seem to disappear quickly. To make them dairy-free, swap in plant-based butter and dairy-free candy pieces for the traditional candy-coated chocolates.
Gluten-Free Sugar Cookies
Gluten-Free Sugar Cookies Recipe
These homemade gluten-free sugar cookies have a soft center with lightly crisp edges. No chill time required, and there’s a dairy-free option, too!
These gluten-free sugar cookies don’t require any chilling, so there’s no long wait between making the dough and baking the cookies. Vanilla and almond extract give them a little extra flavor, while the plant-based butter option makes them easy to prepare without dairy.
Gluten-Free Peanut Butter Blossoms
Gluten-Free Peanut Butter Blossoms
These gluten-free peanut butter blossoms are the star of my holiday cookie trays. A chewy, soft peanut butter cookie topped with a Hershey’s Kiss that gives you a classic peanut butter and chocolate pairing in every bite.
These gluten-free peanut butter blossoms are rolled in sugar before baking, which gives them a lightly crackled exterior. A chocolate kiss goes right in the center while the cookies are still warm, just like the holiday cookies I remember growing up with. For a dairy-free version, use the homemade peanut butter cocoa filling in place of the chocolate kiss.
Dessert Bars and Other Treats
Here are a few more gluten-free desserts that have earned a regular spot in my baking rotation.
Gluten-Free Brownies
Gluten-Free Brownies
If you are a chocolate lover like me, you are going to be taken to chocolate heaven when you bite into these gluten-free brownies!
These gluten-free brownies are rich, fudgy, and chewy, with plenty of deep chocolate flavor. Everything comes together in one bowl, which is a big reason I make them so often. Melted butter, brown and granulated sugar, eggs, cocoa powder, and gluten-free flour make up the batter, while the dairy-free version uses plant-based butter.
Gluten-Free Lemon Bars
Gluten-Free Lemon Bars
Easy gluten-free lemon bars are so good you’ll savor every last crumb. Lemon desserts are my favorite, and each bite of these citrus squares bursts with vibrant, zesty freshness. These tangy lemon squares are made with a buttery shortbread crust and a fresh lemon curd filling.
A buttery shortbread crust makes the base for a smooth, tangy lemon filling that’s packed with fresh lemon flavor. These gluten-free lemon bars are one of my favorite summer desserts, especially when I have fresh lemons to use. The dairy-free option replaces the butter in the crust with plant-based butter.
Gluten-Free Apple Pie Blondies
Gluten-Free Apple Pie Blondies
Super easy gluten-free Apple Pie Blondies are a soft, blonde brownie topped with delicious cinnamon apples and maple vanilla glaze.
These gluten-free apple pie blondies give you all those cozy cinnamon-apple flavors without having to make a pie crust. A soft blondie base is topped with spiced apples and finished with a maple glaze. For the dairy-free version, use plant-based butter and almond, cashew, or coconut milk.
Gluten-Free Rice Krispies Treats
Gluten-Free Rice Krispies Treats
An easy recipe for gluten-free Rice Krispies Treats. A no-bake dessert that takes only 6 ingredients! This recipe also has a dairy-free and vegan option.
These no-bake gluten-free rice krispies treats are soft, gooey, and crispy all at once, with plenty of classic marshmallow flavor. Butter and mini marshmallows melt together with vanilla before being mixed with crispy rice cereal. They’re always gone quickly at my house, and the dairy-free version uses plant-based butter and unsweetened almond or coconut milk.
