Gluten-Free Baking: 35+ Recipes for Cakes, Breads & Cookies

That question used to haunt me. A decade ago, when I first had to cut out gluten, my kitchen saw more crumbly, dense failures than I care to admit. I thought baking was over. Turns out, I was just asking the wrong question. It's not "what can I bake," but "how do I bake it right?" The answer? Almost anything. Chocolate cake so fudgy no one misses the wheat. Bread with an actual crumb. Cookies that snap and chew. Let's get you there.

What’s Inside This Guide

The Non-Negotiable Flour Basics (Skip This & Fail)

Forget one-to-one swaps with all-purpose wheat flour. That's a shortcut to disappointment. Gluten-free baking is about building a team of ingredients that work together.gluten-free baking recipes

You need a mix of flours (for structure and flavor) and starches (for tenderness and lift).

Pro Tip: Don't buy a dozen individual bags. Start with a reliable store-bought 1:1 all-purpose gluten-free blend (like Bob's Red Mill, King Arthur, or Cup4Cup). They've done the blending science for you. Once you're comfortable, then experiment with making your own.

Here’s the breakdown of the usual suspects:

>Not potato flour! Very different.
Flour/Starch Best For Flavor & Texture Note
Almond Flour Cookies, dense cakes, crusts Nutty, moist, adds fat. Can be dense.
Oat Flour (certified GF) Cookies, muffins, crumbles Heartier, chewy texture. Great flavor.
Brown Rice Flour Breads, pizza crusts (in blends) Neutral flavor, can be gritty if not fine.
Tapioca Starch/Flour Chewiness in breads, crispness Adds elasticity and a slight stretch.
Potato Starch Moisture, tenderness in cakes

The magic glue? Binders. Xanthan gum or guar gum (usually 1/4 to 1/2 tsp per cup of flour) is in most blends. For bread, psyllium husk powder is a game-changer—it creates a dough you can actually handle.easy gluten-free desserts

3 Gluten-Free Baking Mistakes Everyone Makes

I’ve made these. You probably will too. Let's skip that phase.

1. Not measuring by weight. Gluten-free flours vary wildly in density. A cup of almond flour weighs nothing like a cup of rice flour. A $20 digital kitchen scale is your best investment. It removes all guesswork.

2. Under-mixing, then over-mixing. With no gluten to over-develop, you'd think you can't over-mix. Wrong. Over-mixing a batter with lots of starch can make it gummy. Mix until the ingredients are just combined and smooth. No more.

3. Relying on visual cues alone for doneness. That toothpick test can lie. Gluten-free goods often need to bake longer at a slightly lower temperature to set in the center without burning edges. A digital thermometer is your truth-teller. Cakes and quick breads are done at 205-210°F (96-99°C) internally.best gluten-free flour blend

What to Bake: Recipes & Categories

Start where success is easiest and build confidence.

Beginner-Friendly Wins

Flourless Chocolate Cake: It's naturally gluten-free and always impressive. Just chocolate, butter, eggs, sugar.
Macarons: Made with almond flour and egg whites. A technical challenge, but gluten isn't one of them.
Cheesecake: Use a gluten-free cookie or nut crust, and the filling is naturally safe.
Mug Cakes: Single-serving, fast, and easy to experiment with.

Everyday Favorites (Easily Adapted)

These are your workhorses. Use a good 1:1 flour blend.
Muffins & Quick Breads: Banana bread, zucchini bread, blueberry muffins. The added moisture from fruit/veg is forgiving.
Brownies & Blondies: Dense and fudgy textures translate beautifully.
Pancakes & Waffles: Often better gluten-free! The batter benefits from resting for 10 minutes to hydrate the flours.gluten-free baking recipes

The Ultimate Test: A Foolproof Gluten-Free Chocolate Cake

This is my go-to. It’s adapted from a classic, but with a few tweaks that make it bulletproof. It’s moist, rich, and no one will guess it’s gluten-free.

You'll need:
- 1 3/4 cups (220g) high-quality 1:1 gluten-free flour blend (with xanthan gum)
- 3/4 cup (65g) unsweetened cocoa powder (not Dutch-process for this one)
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder, 1 1/2 tsp baking soda, 1 tsp salt
- 2 cups (400g) granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 cup (240ml) whole milk (or buttermilk for extra tang)
- 1/2 cup (120ml) vegetable oil
- 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup (240ml) hot, strong brewed coffee (the secret ingredient—it deepens the chocolate flavor)easy gluten-free desserts

Do this:
1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and line two 9-inch cake pans.
2. Whisk dry: In a large bowl, sift together the flour blend, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Whisk in the sugar.
3. Add wet: Make a well. Add eggs, milk, oil, and vanilla. Beat with a hand mixer on medium for 2 minutes. The batter will be thick.
4. The key step: Reduce mixer speed to low. Carefully pour in the hot coffee. The batter will become very thin. That’s perfect.
5. Divide batter between pans. Bake for 30-35 minutes. Don't trust the toothpick. Use a thermometer—it's done at 205°F.
6. Cool in pans for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a rack. Frost when completely cool.

Conquering Gluten-Free Bread

This is the holy grail. The trick isn't just the flour; it's creating a structure that can trap air.

My breakthrough came with psyllium husk powder. Mixed with water, it forms a gel that gives the dough elasticity and allows it to rise without collapsing. A recipe from the Beyond Celiac resource library was my starting point.best gluten-free flour blend

Simple Sandwich Bread Approach:
Find a recipe that uses a blend of brown rice flour, tapioca starch, and potato starch. It should include psyllium (about 2 tbsp for a loaf), and likely an egg or two for structure. The dough will be like a very thick batter—pour it into the loaf pan, don't knead it. Let it proof until it crests just above the pan rim (this takes longer than wheat bread, maybe 60-90 minutes). Bake until deeply golden and it sounds hollow when tapped.

It won't be identical to fluffy white bread. It's denser, more nutrient-dense, and makes incredible toast.

Cookies, Bars & No-Bake Treats

This is where gluten-free baking truly shines.

For Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies: Use a blend with oat flour or almond flour. Chill the dough for at least 2 hours—this is non-negotiable for preventing spread and developing flavor.

For Snickerdoodles or Sugar Cookies: A standard 1:1 blend works great. Roll the dough balls in sugar, flatten slightly, and bake.

No-Bake Options: Energy balls (dates, nuts, cocoa), rice crispy treats (with certified GF crisped rice cereal), and chocolate bark are all naturally gluten-free and require zero baking skills.gluten-free baking recipes

Your Gluten-Free Baking Questions, Answered

Can I use regular flour in a gluten-free recipe by just swapping it 1:1?
Almost never. This is the most common mistake that leads to dense, crumbly disasters. Gluten-free flours like almond, rice, or tapioca starch absorb liquids differently and lack the binding structure of gluten. You almost always need a blend of flours and starches, plus often a binder like xanthan gum or psyllium husk, to mimic gluten's function. A good starting blend is 60% whole grain flour (like brown rice or sorghum) to 40% starch (like tapioca or potato starch).
Why did my gluten-free banana bread turn out gummy in the middle?
Gumminess usually points to two issues: over-mixing or under-baking. Without gluten to worry about over-developing, it's easy to go overboard mixing, which can activate too much starch. Mix until *just* combined. More critically, gluten-free batters retain moisture differently. Use a digital thermometer; your quick bread or cake is done when the internal temperature reaches 205-210°F (96-99°C), not just when a toothpick comes out clean. The extra 5-10 minutes of baking makes all the difference.
What's the best gluten-free flour for making chewy chocolate chip cookies?
For that classic chewy-and-crisp texture, a blend with a high proportion of fine almond flour or oat flour works wonders. Almond flour adds fat and moisture, preventing a sandy texture. Many bakers swear by a 50/50 mix of almond flour and a light gluten-free all-purpose blend. The key is to chill your cookie dough for at least 2 hours (or overnight). This hydrates the flours fully and prevents excessive spreading, giving you that perfect, thick, chewy center.
How do I make gluten-free bread that isn't dense and crumbly?
The secret weapon for airy gluten-free bread is psyllium husk powder, not just xanthan gum. While xanthan gum provides elasticity, psyllium creates a stretchy, dough-like structure that can trap air bubbles during proofing, similar to gluten. Use about 2 teaspoons per cup of flour blend. Also, don't skimp on the hydration; gluten-free bread dough should be more like a very thick batter than a traditional kneadable dough. Let it proof in a warm place until it nearly doubles—patience here is non-negotiable.

So, what can you bake gluten-free? The real list is what you can't bake—and that list is incredibly short. It's not about limitation anymore. It's about understanding a new set of rules. Start with a forgiving recipe, measure by weight, and embrace the tools (thermometer, psyllium, good blends). Your oven is ready for you.

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