This is a Recipe Roundup of my gluten free Holiday Baking. I love trying new recipes every year and hope to find a keeper, but I also look forward to making my old favourites. For me it wouldn't be Christmas without shortbread and gingerbread.
It takes time to recreate your family favourites gluten free and there is often some disappointment that goes along with it. Perseverance is the trait of every good gluten free cook!
With this recipe roundup I hope to inspire you to make something you've been missing or to try something new. They're not all baked and I even have my recipe for savoury mixed nuts in here but everything comes from the kitchen and they're all perfect for the holiday season.
Understanding How To Use Gluten Free Flour
A quick reminder that recipes calling for an all-purpose blend are not all the same. My suggestion is to start by paying attention to what flours you're using. Then you can slowly learn by your own taste what you like and what works best for you.
I use my favourite flour blend to make many, many recipes. But I learned that some recipes turn out better with individual flours rather than a blend. I'm happy to combine individual flours to make melt-in-your-mouth shortbread during the holidays. It takes a little more time but it's worth it.
If you're new to baking follow our blog and download this free resource, 29 Tips for Cooking with Gluten Free Flour.
Gingerbread and Shortbread
To recreate my favourite gingerbread recipe I had to find a new flour blend. When I finally did it was a game changer for my Christmas cookie baking.
The number of things you can create with gingerbread cookie dough is endless. This is a big recipe so invite a friend, put on some Christmas music, pour some wine (or punch) and make it a party. Have fun!
This shortbread recipe can be made as individual cookies ini the photo below or it can be rolled into a log. The log can be saved and sliced to cook as many as you want or it can be rolled in sprinkles and given as a gift.
Sugar Cookies and Thumbprint Cookies
These Sugar Cookies are just like my mom made and I've eaten many of them just to confirm that. There might be a flour blend out there to make sugar cookies but this recipe, made with individual flours, is perfect so I'm not looking for it.
No Bake Holiday Treats
No Bake recipes have a lot of appeal for their ease and high probability of success. They're perfect for young children, people who don't like to bake and anyone new to gluten free baking.
Edible Gifts From The Kitchen
Desserts for a Holiday Buffet
Sometimes you can create a stunning presentation with little effort like serving Pomegranate Pear Guacamole in an oversized martini glass. Other times you just have to spend 15 minutes easily assembling something like my Smoked Salmon Pate with Belgian Endive for a drop dead gorgeous platter.
Then sometimes you just commit to several steps and plenty of time. Only you can say if it's worth it but I thought both of these were worth it at the time when I made them.
Holiday Gift Ideas for the Gluten Free Kitchen
Foodies incorporate food into everything! My friends and I love to give edible gifts or add something homemade to accompany a physical gift, recycled gift or even a gift card.
You don’t need a lot of kitchen tools to bake but having the right one for the right job turns a "chore" into a pleasure. Gluten free cooks could always use more pleasure in the kitchen!
This post contains affiliate links. When you purchase using these links your cost is the same, but I receive a few cents for every dollar spent. I appreciate your support for this website.
In the spirit of giving (and receiving) you'll find gift ideas in these two posts plus my favourite resources here.
- My top book pick for learning to bake gluten free comes from America’s Test Kitchen. Both the original volume, The How Can It Be Gluten Free Cookbook and Volume 2 The How Can It Be Gluten Free Cookbook are filled with a lifetime of advice to get you baking with confidence.
I'd love to hear in the comments below what your biggest challenge is with holiday baking.
Originally posted in 2019, updated November 2022.
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