Our best gluten-free dessert recipes

Source: Web exclusive: October 2008

Our favourite desserts seem to revolve around wheat and other grains containing gluten’it’s a classic European staple, after all. But that’s no reason for those of us suffering from gluten intolerances or celiac disease to feel left out. Try one of our best gluten-free dessert recipes to broaden your palate and serve a dish that’s delicious for everyone.

Vegan and Dairy-Free Fig and Raspberry Rice Pudding
A warm and luscious fig and raspberry compote tops this cinnamon and lemon infused rice pudding for the perfect dairy-free and vegan after-dinner treat.

Flambéed Apple and Walnut Salad
This delicious cold-weather dessert is still light on calories.

Vegan Apricot Crème Brûlée
You can make this dessert well ahead, but caramelize the sugar topping just before you serve it. Professionals use a blow torch to get the perfect sugar crust, but the broiler in your oven works nearly as well.

Dried Fruit Compote
A delicious heart-healthy breakfast, snack or dessert rich in vitamins C and E.

Mango Brûlée
Voluptuous mangoes soaked in rum and cinnamon snuggle beneath a golden, grilled sugar topping.

Chocolate-Nut Meringue Cookies
Here’s an astounding achievement: chocolate-nut cookies with less than one gram of fat each! The secret is meringue. These cookies contain no butter or margarine and no egg yolks, yet they’re tender and rich tasting.

Cinnamon Banana Caramels
Any fruit’fresh, canned or frozen’can be used to make this instant version of crème brûlée. The fruit is topped with Greek-style yogurt’lower in fat than cream’then with golden brown sugar, and grilled to a rich caramel topping.

Pimm’s Melon Cup
This fruit salad is inspired by the classic summer drink. A mixture of melon, berries, pear and cucumber is marinated in Pimm’s and then served in the cantaloupe shells. A decoration of pretty borage flowers is a traditional finish.

Double Raspberry Sorbet
Go ahead raspberry lovers, take a bite. This velvety smooth sorbet and rich sauce give you a double dose of your favourite fruit’and you can make it from frozen berries any time of year.

Little Custard Pots with Cherries
These creamy baked custards, flavoured with vanilla and accompanied by a cherry compote, are sure to be popular with all ages. Take care not to overcook the custards’they should be just set when you take them out of the oven.

Raspberry Frozen Yogurt
This frozen yogurt, exotically flavoured with rosewater and crème de cassis, is much lower in sugar than store-bought frozen yogurt. Serve scoops on their own, or pile into sundae glasses with fresh fruit and sprigs of mint.

Lemon Mousse with Strawberries
Sampling this mousse is like spooning up sunshine; jewel-like layers of berries are an unexpected delight. We’ve lightened up the mousse by substituting gelatin and fat-free yogurt for the usual quantities of eggs and cream.

Hazelnut Meringue Cake
Omit the flour in the pastry cream and increase the cornstarch to 3 tablespoons to make this gorgeous dessert gluten-free.

Caramelized Pineapple, Balsamic Strawberries and Orange Ice
Very simple to prepare and easily elevated to suit any dinner. The pineapple, strawberries and balsamic vinegar provide natural sweetness. The addition of the orange ice adds an interesting contrast of flavour and texture.

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