According to the CDC, about 6.2 percent of adults and 5.8 percent of children in the United States have a food allergy, and this fairly common condition can be life-threatening, so serious vigilance is required. And per the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (AAAI), milk, egg, peanut, soy, wheat, tree nut, shellfish and fish are the eight most common food allergies. Needless to say, when it comes to dessert, some of them are easier to avoid than others. (For example, it’s highly unlikely that a fish or shellfish allergy would get in the way of satisfying your sweet tooth, but milk, egg and wheat allergies certainly can.) As such, we suggest you carefully check the ingredient list and make sure that cross contamination isn’t a factor when shopping for treats—or, better, yet, simply consult our list of allergy friendly desserts and whip up a sweet (and safe) indulgence at home.
15 Allergy-Friendly Desserts That Will Please a Crowd
1. Gluten-Free Apple Rose Tart
- Time Commitment: 2 hours, 25 minutes
- Why I Love It: crowd pleaser, special occasion-worthy, gluten free, <500 calories
- Allergen Info: no wheat, no peanuts
Can something this show-stoppingly beautiful actually taste good? Yes, indeed—and the best part is that you don’t even have to be a star baker to pull the whole thing off.
2. Vegan & Gluten-Free Dark Chocolate Ginger Tart
- Time Commitment: 1 hour, 25 minutes
- Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, special occasion-worthy, vegan, gluten free, <500 calories
- Allergen Info: no wheat, no dairy, no eggs, no peanuts
Another allergy-friendly dessert that’s easy on the eyes—this rich chocolate tart boasts a cheeky kick of ginger and an appealing textural combo of fudgy filling and rolled oat crust. In other words, it checks all the boxes.
3. Vegan Spiced Blueberry Breakfast Cake
- Time Commitment: 1 hour, 10 minutes
- Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, vegan, <500 calories
- Allergen Info: no dairy, no eggs, no peanuts
Blueberries (fresh or frozen) and a heady blend of allspice, ginger, nutmeg and cinnamon combine to create a breakfast cake that’s got just the right amount of sweetness and loads of flavor.
4. No-Bake, Gluten-Free Rose Petal Brownies
- Time Commitment: 2 hours, 15 minutes
- Why I Love It: no-bake, gluten free, vegan, special occasion-worthy, crowd-pleaser
- Allergen Info: no wheat, no dairy, no eggs, no peanuts
Macadamia nuts add a pleasant crunch and dried cherries give a tart bite to these intensely rich and oh-so decadent no-bake morsels. As for the garnish, there’s no need to drop cash on a bouquet of roses—the finished product will look just as pretty if you break open a bag or rose tea.
5. Gluten-Free, Vegan Lemon Cake
- Time Commitment: 5 hours, 30 minutes
- Why I Love It: gluten free, vegan, crowd-pleaser, <500 calories
- Allergen Info: no wheat, no dairy, no eggs, no peanuts, no tree nuts
You should know by now that cauliflower can do a lot of things. Here, cauliflower rice makes a mean substitute for regular flour. The end result is a delightfully moist and zingy lemon cake that caters to every palate and damn near every type of dietary restriction.
6. Gluten-Free Flourless Cocoa Cookies
- Time Commitment: 42 minutes
- Why I Love It: gluten free, crowd-pleaser, dairy free, <10 ingredients, <500 calories
- Allergen Info: no wheat, no dairy, no peanuts, no tree nuts
You’ve heard of flourless chocolate cake—now, try the restaurant menu staple in cookie form for molten chocolatey goodness in a more convenient package. Fair warning: You might devour the whole batch in the blink of an eye.
7. Gluten-Free Lemon Raspberry Pavlova
- Time Commitment: 2 hours, 40 minutes
- Why I Love It: gluten free, crowd-pleaser, <500 calories, <10 ingredients
- Allergen Info: no wheat, no peanuts, no tree nuts
Much like doughnuts, our love affair with cake turns to regret every time we realize we still feel it sitting in our stomachs hours later. Enter the pavlova: a creamy concoction that’s wonderfully light and airy, full of fresh fruit flavor and perfect for anyone who can handle a dairy-forward dessert.
8. Vegan Golden Mylk Cheesecake
- Time Commitment: 3 hours, 35 minutes
- Why I Love It: vegan, gluten free, crowd-pleaser, <500 calories
- Allergen Info: no wheat, no dairy, no eggs, no peanuts
Golden mylk—a popular vegan alternative to the turmeric-spiked dairy beverage by almost the same name—makes a fragrant and creamy filling in this dangerously delicious and ridiculously easy-to-make cheesecake recipe.
9. No-Bake Matcha Mint Grasshopper Pies in Jars
- Time Commitment: 3 hours, 30 minutes
- Why I Love It: no-bake, gluten free, vegan
- Allergen Info: no wheat, no dairy, no eggs, no peanuts
Presenting the perfect summer dessert for (most) allergy sufferers and, well, pretty much everyone else. Earthy matcha and refreshing mint are a match made in heaven—particularly when said flavors are infused into a silky cashew-based mousse and paired with a chocolate-almond crumble.
10. No-Churn Vegan Rainbow Sherbet
- Time Commitment: 1 hour, 30 minutes
- Why I Love It: no-bake, vegan, gluten free, <10 ingredients, <500 calories, crowd-pleaser
- Allergen Info: no wheat, no dairy, no eggs, no peanuts, no tree nuts
Coconut milk and fresh fruit do the heavy lifting in this light and refreshing sherbet recipe, which just so happens to be colorful enough to make you feel like a little kid. If you’re looking for a guilt-free and charmingly nostalgic indulgence, this one fits the bill.
- Time Commitment: 12 hours, 30 minutes
- Why I Love It: vegan, gluten free, crowd-pleaser, <500 calories
- Allergen Info: no wheat, no dairy, no eggs, no peanuts, no tree nuts
Good news: All marshmallows are generally safe for the food allergy afflicted (they are free of the top eight major allergens). That said, if you have a strictly vegan diet or are simply looking for a fun culinary project, these pillowy sugar puffs promise s’mores and rice krispy treats that are every bit as delicious as the store bought kind.
- Time Commitment: 25 minutes
- Why I Love It: gluten free, vegan, <10 ingredients, <500 calories, <30 minutes
- Allergen Info: no wheat, no dairy, no eggs, no peanuts, no tree nuts
There’s no comfort food quite like a rich and creamy bowl of rice pudding. This vegan twist on a classic relies on your favorite dairy-free milk (whatever that may be), a clever egg substitute (corn starch) and a familiar blend of warm spices to produce a finished pudding that passes the taste test with flying colors.
13. 3-Ingredient Strawberry Banana Popsicles
- Time Commitment: 8 hours, 10 minutes
- Why I Love It: vegan, gluten free, <10 ingredients, <500 calories
- Allergen Info: no wheat, no dairy, no eggs, no peanuts, no tree nuts
These three-ingredient freezer pops have precious few calories and tons of flavor. Plus, they’re so easy to make you could assign a preschooler to the task. Need we say more?
14. Gluten-Free Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Time Commitment: 20 minutes
- Why I Love It: gluten free, vegan, <30 minutes, <500 calories, crowd-pleaser
- Allergen Info: no wheat, no dairy, no eggs, no peanuts, no tree nuts
So many gluten-free recipes let down the people with tree nut allergies (almond flour? Nope.) But not this winner, which uses oat flour to create a perfectly moist and chewy cookie that tastes just like the kind grandma used to make. (Just make sure to buy gluten-free oat flour, since cross contamination can be an issue here.)
15. Beet Brownies
- Time Commitment: 45 minutes
- Why I Love It: vegan, <500 calories, crowd-pleaser
- Allergen Info: no dairy, no eggs, no peanuts, no tree nuts
Fans of fudgy brownies will rave about these guys, which boast an offbeat combination of sweet beets and rich chocolate that’s so dreamy it puts Katherine Hepburn’s famous (and far more traditional) recipe to shame.
