Today I’m sharing 20+ easy, inexpensive, naturally gluten free desserts that require no special ingredients at all!

These are my go-to desserts anytime I need an allergy-friendly option at the last moment. They are also the recipes I share with anyone who asks for a simple and uncomplicated gluten free dessert recipe.

Naturally Gluten Free Desserts

All of the desserts I’m sharing today are naturally gluten free, meaning that they require no special flour or starches and can be made with ingredients typically found in the average kitchen.

Years before I started blogging, when I first started baking gluten free treats for a friend of mine, the recipes I found were completely overwhelming.

Special flours, starches, and gums, careful treatment of the doughs, delicate baking instructions, and confusing instructions, all combined to make me toss more than a few cookies into the trash.

I promise you that NONE of these recipes are like that. These are some of the easiest gluten-free desserts we make and every last one of them can be made with ingredients that are likely already in your pantry. No specialty flours, tools, or skills are required.

I love baking gluten free (and often dairy free) treats to bring to gatherings and events knowing that everyone will be able to enjoy them. Whether you’ve been baking without gluten for a while or you’re new to the whole thing, I hope that you enjoy these easy gluten free desserts.

Creamy, rich homemade fudge is the easiest gluten-free holiday treat to give as gifts or serve on a dessert tray. Unlike traditional fudge recipes that boil on the stove and must be stirred constantly, each of these Fudge Recipes can be made in 10 minutes or less!

You can imagine my delight when I realized that these copycat Cosmic Brownies are a naturally gluten free treat! Made without any flour at all they are perfectly chewy, ultra fudgy brownies, topped with a layer of fudge frosting.

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With crisp edges, soft and chewy centers, plenty of white chocolate chips, and macadamia nuts too, these cookies make me grin with every bite.

These are rich, sweet, nutty cookies packed with white chocolate chips and macadamia nuts. If you aren’t a fan of white chocolate, feel free to use your favorite chocolate instead. However, if you like white chocolate, the combination of macadamia nuts and sweet vanilla chips can’t be beat.

Macadamia Nut Cookies

What exactly is it about macadamia nuts that makes them such a fantastic and classic addition to so many cookie recipes?

Macadamia nuts have a delicate, sweet, almost buttery flavor due to the nut’s high fat content. The nuttiness is much more subtle than other tree nuts – e.g. the more commonly used pecans and walnuts. That very subtle flavor works well to highlight the rich, creamy taste of the macadamias.

There’s something almost magical about macadamia nuts, isn’t there? (There must be, because the price for these nuts can be outrageous at times!)

I try to buy them when they’re on sale – and when they are on sale? I stock up. Macadamia nuts will keep nicely in the freezer for up to a year, so feel free to grab extra next time you catch them on sale.

And speaking of sales, if you happen to find salted vs unsalted nuts on sale, don’t hesitate to buy them – unless you absolutely hate a salted dessert. Personally, I like the bit of extra salt that it adds.

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Always a hit when tucked inside boxes of Christmas sweets, chocolate dipped Coconut Macaroons are rich, sweet, chewy cookies that are almost candy-like.

Coconut Macaroons with Chocolate

I like to use dark chocolate when making these, as the bittersweet chocolate balances the sweetness of the coconut, and the flavors work very well together.

I’ve made these macaroons at Christmastime for the past 15+ years. (In addition to making them for pretty much every other occasion too.) If you love coconut anywhere near as much as we do, you will fall in love with these cookies.

How To Make Coconut Macaroons

There are a few different ways to make macaroons and I’ve tried plenty of them. Many of the macaroon recipes that I’ve seen require beating the egg whites before adding them to the mixture. I’ve tried this method myself.

In the end, I don’t find it makes enough of a difference to justify the extra effort. They will turn out just a tiny bit lighter, but like I said, for me? Part of the fun in macaroons is in how simple they are to make.

All you need to do is dump all of the ingredients in a bowl, give it a quick stir with a spoon, and scoop them out onto a tray. Easy peasy and you’ll be enjoying the macaroons before you know it.

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Perfectly crisp on top and irresistibly soft inside, these Cinnamon Cookies are a fabulous blend of warm cinnamon and sweet sugar.

Cinnamon Cookies

These cinnamon cookies are the perfect afternoon snack with your morning coffee or an afternoon cup of tea. I came up with these while playing with our family cookie recipes to create gluten-free variations for a friend.

I wanted a version of classic Snickerdoodle cookies that could be made with butter alone, eliminating the traditional shortening in that recipe. If you prefer a cookie with a more cake-like texture, simply substitute shortening for ½ of the butter in this recipe.

This cinnamon sugar cookies recipe results in slightly thinner cookies than traditional snickerdoodles. They have wonderfully crisp edges and chewy centers, and have a distinct, buttery cinnamon sugar flavor. Call me very happy.

If you’d like more gluten-free cookie recipes, be sure to check out all of the gluten free dessert recipes on this website. I’ve worked hard to create cookie recipes (and other desserts!) that will safely satisfy the cravings of my GF friends.

What are Crinkle Cookies?

You may be wondering, “What are crinkle cookies?” I can’t recall the first time I heard this type of cook

Buttery, nutty cookies are topped with the sweet jam of your choice in these simple, gluten free Pecan Thumbprint Cookies.

Pecan Thumbprint Cookies

I’ve been making thumbprint cookies for as long as I’ve been baking. From the classic peanut butter cookies with Hershey’s kisses, to every kind of jam and jelly-filled goodie you can think of. They inevitably remind me of Christmas.

These pecan thumbprint cookies are rolled in crushed nuts before baking, adding an irresistible nutty crunch to these cookies. This recipe is very gently adapted from these vegan cookies on my friend Gina’s blog.

This recipe has become a tradition for us over the past couple of years, as it gets absolute RAVE reviews from my friends who avoid both gluten and dairy. It was past time to save the recipe here for future baking, but all credit goes to Gina for the original awesomeness.

It’s always fun to make thumbprint cookies with kids, as we all get to use our favorite jams. My nieces opted for strawberry or raspberry jam this time. While apricot jam is almost always my preference. We all win.

Gluten Free Thumbprint Cookies

Yes, you’re reading this correctly. There is no flour in this recipe. These cookies are gluten-free and positively delicious, made with almond and coconut flours.

If you’re looking for a few more naturally gluten-free dessert options, I’ve got your dessert needs covered for any occasion. From sweet snacking and cookie munching to an elegant (and EASY TO MAKE) dessert, it’s all right here.

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