Quick and Easy Gluten-Free Desserts

Written by Shani

Topics: Desserts

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meringues, creme brule, ice creamAhhh, my favorite meal of the day – dessert!  Unfortunately, when you are required to eat gluten-free it tends to be one of the toughest “meals” to find decent substitutes!  Your standard cookies, cakes, pies, and donuts (Krispy-Kremes!) are all off your safe food list.  I find it so painful to watch my co-workers celebrate with birthday cake, my family eat pumpkin pie at the holidays, or bypass that box of donuts or Girl Scout cookies at my morning meetings!  Well,  here are a few ideas for quick gluten-free alternatives for desserts that I have found down the isles at Trader Joe’s.

  1. Frozen Macarons (12 Macarons a la parisienne)- These little macarons are amazing!  Small little bites of sheer yumminess.  The box has both chocolate and vanilla meringues and I was shocked to discover that I love the vanilla more than the chocolate!  Who knew – I thought chocolate trumped all.   The directions say that you should allow these to defrost for a while, but I honestly have never had the patience to wait!  They are great right out of the box – the vanilla seems to be softer quicker than the chocolate for some reason.   Maybe that’s why I like it the best!  These are a great little treat to bring to a party, share as a finger dessert when you have friends over, or just gorge by yourself on the box (that’s my favorite option!)  Let me know when you’re having these – I will be right over!
  2. Creme Brulee in Chocolate Cups (frozen, Trader Joe’s) – This is one of the other items on the short list of frozen desserts that Trader Joe’s has in stock for those of us who need to eat gluten-free.  These are quite amazing as well!  The directions on the box indicate that you should defrost for 1 hour at room temperature or 3 hours in the refrigerator – well, I know, I don’t have the patience to wait that long for my chocolate!  Typically, I will throw it in the microwave for short periods of time until it is soft enough to eat.  Be very careful with the length of time because it really doesn’t take very long to defrost with the microwave – I do increments of 20 seconds.  If you overdue it you will have Creme Brulee soup instead!  Still tasty, but not quite as good as the semi-frozen version.  One word of warning, Todd and I both have problems when we overdue it on lactose, so if you have lactose issues, take it easy on these yummy little desserts!  Todd and I have split one and it has been more than enough to trigger some of our sleepy symptoms, so be careful, but by all means, still enjoy!  It is still is on my list of favorites!
  3. Vanilla Meringues (non frozen, Trader Joe’s) – Well, I’m not sure if I should classify this as a dessert, but as the options to indulge your gluten-free sweet tooth are sometimes limited, and I satisfy my sweet tooth cravings with these on a daily basis, I thought I would share.  I feel that it is necessary to my well being to have something sweet after lunch every day.  I try not to go overboard with it, but again, the sweet tooth is calling!  I have found that these vanilla meringues delight and satisfy my sweet tooth all at the same time.  They just melt in your mouth they are so good.  Todd couldn’t figure out why I hadn’t taken the container to work and I had to tell him that if I did I may eat them all in one sitting – probably not a good idea!
  4. Ice Cream Sundaes –  Well I know I nearly left out the obvious of chocolate syrup and ice cream, but I was trying to give you an opportunity to try out new things!  Hot fudge sundaes or banana splits  should be on any gluten-free “diet”! Trader Joe’s Organic Midnight Moo chocolate syrup is quite a tasty addition to vanilla ice cream!  Add some sliced bananas and whipped cream and you have a traditional favorite!

Enjoy!  Why not treat yourself right and have these before dinner!  Okay, maybe only on special occasions!

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How do you satisfy your sweet tooth – what are your favorite gluten-free desserts?

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3 Comments For This Post I'd Love to Hear Yours!

  1. Hello,
    Thank you for your nice Information. I like it very much. I will try it at my home.

  2. Greetings from Scotland! I enjoyed reading your articles.

  3. Amy says:

    Trader Joe’s chocolate and vanilla macarons are NOT gluten free anymore! Stick to the pumpkin or the assorted.