As someone who loves gluten in theory but can’t seem to digest it in practice, finding gluten-free gifts during the holidays can be daunting. There’s the cookie swap with friends, the office pizza party, the Hanukkah latke extravaganza, and too many family brunches. Gluten is everywhere at these functions, and it can be annoying to constantly dodge it. This year treat the people in your life who live a gluten-free lifestyle to these gifts, because they also deserve to bake a chocolate cake or have an at-home dim sum brunch. Read on to discover 15 gluten-free gifts perfect for your friend with celiac, your cousin with a gluten intolerance, and everyone in between.
Bakery-quality mixes:
Stellar Eats Baking Mixes
These Stellar Eats baking mixes pretty much fit every dietary restriction—they’re paleo-friendly, gluten-free, low-sugar, and plant-based. They’re also delicious and super easy to make with only a few add-ins and options for substitution. This best sellers bundle makes baking (and pizza making) a whole lot easier.
Sweet Laurel Paleo Cake Kit
If you have any Los Angeles friends who prefer their desserts to be gluten-free, refined sugar-free, or dairy-free, chances are that they’re fans of the bakery Sweet Laurel. With this cake kit, which comes complete with the chocolate cake mix, vegan caramel, and grain-free vanilla extract, you can bake your own chocolate caramel cake at home and tell all your friends you whipped it up yourself. If even that sounds like too much work, opt for one of their ready-to-eat cakes, like this Raspberry Lemon Crunch Cake, a collab with one of our favorite granola brands Purely Elizabeth.
Belly Collage Pancake, Waffle, Cookie & Brownie Mix
You certainly don’t need bovine collagen in your baked goods, but in Belly Brands mixes, consider it an added bonus. A moist, cakey brownie packed with three grams of collagen protein that’s also low-FODMAP, paleo, and tastes this good sounds like a win-win situation to me. The mixes are also incredibly easy to make. With just eggs, oil, and water, you can have a pancake breakfast on the table before your morning coffee even kicks in.
Better than takeout:
Nom Wah Gluten-Free Chicken & Cabbage Dumplings
I’ve been going out for dim sum at Nom Wah, which opened in 1920 in New York’s Chinatown, since before I could walk or talk. So imagine my excitement when I found out that it is making Gluten-Free Chicken and Cabbage Dumplings, which can be shipped all over the country. Add on a sauce or two (I love the black vinegar ginger and chili sauces) and send some dumplings to your favorite dim sum buddy.
Callie’s Hot Little Biscuit Gluten Free Biscuits
There are few things better in this life than a steaming hot biscuit straight out of the oven laden with honey butter. Thanks to Charleston institution Callie’s Hot Little Biscuit, you can experience this same joy even without the gluten (and without having to get on a plane to Charleston). Send this eight-pack of biscuits, which comes frozen and ready to warm up in the oven as soon as a craving hits, to your gluten-free friend you love most.
“The Coop” Fried Chicken Dinner
Winner, winner, gluten-free chicken dinner! Blue Ribbon spent 28 years perfecting their fried chicken recipe and now you can get it gluten-free with all the fixin’s with just the click of a button. Send this to your hungriest gluten-free friend who could use chicken, creamy mashed potatoes, brown butter collard greens, and gravy for four. And if that isn’t enough, the kit comes with Blue Ribbon’s fried chicken seasoning, habanero hot sauce, and wildflower honey too.
For the cookie monsters:
Levain Bakery Vegan & GF Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookies
Nothing says decadence like a chunky, warm Levain cookie. Fortunately for your vegan and gluten-free friends, Levain has released their signature chocolate chip walnut cookie baked with a vegan cashew butter, gluten-free flour, and vegan chocolate but with all the same deliciousness. Do yourself a favor and while you’re ordering a pack for a loved one, get one for yourself too.
Tate’s Bake Shop Gluten-Free Cookies Variety Pack
Few things compare to the crunch of a Tate’s cookie and their gluten-free varieties, which are made with rice flour, don’t lose that signature bite. This variety pack comes with the bakeshop’s lemon, chocolate chip, and ginger zinger cookies, but if you’re like me who was raised on the classic chocolate chip and can’t get enough, there’s a three-pack for you too.
Siete Grain-Free Cookies Variety Pack
We’re huge fans of basically everything the Mexican-American snack brand Siete Family Foods touches, but these cookies are in a class of their own. Grain-free, dairy-free, vegan, and non-GMO, these bite-sized treats also check about every box for whomever you’re gifting them to. Order a variety pack or two—we can attest that it’s extremely difficult to limit oneself to just a handful of Mexican wedding cookies (or fresas con crema if you always opt for a fruity flavor).
Sweet Loren’s Best Seller Variety Pack
The best part of baking cookies is the smell it fills your kitchen (or whole studio apartment) with, but sometimes baking from scratch can be way too much effort for a weeknight. Thanks to Sweet Loren’s slice-and-bake cookies, you can exert very minimal effort with the reward of having freshly baked cookies in less than 20 minutes. My favorite part? It’s just as easy to bake off one at a time whenever a craving strikes or to bake all 12 for a crowd.
Snacks every pantry needs:
Maine Crisps Variety Pack
A proper pantry should have crackers on hand at all times—who knows when you’ll have to assemble a cheese board at the drop of a hat or need something crunchy to dunk into your go-to nut butter? Whether you’re gluten-free or not, these buckwheat crackers from Maine Crisps are just the right amount of nutty and savory and boast flavors like olive and za’atar and savory fig and thyme (my personal favorite). They’re the perfect gift for the snacker in your life who likes to keep things interesting and won’t settle for just any cracker.
Unreal Snacks Custom Box
Unreal Snacks basically got my family through the pandemic—the most exciting decision of the day was whether to have a dark chocolate coconut bar or peanut butter cup as a post-meal treat. Since then, they’ve launched chocolate-covered almonds, plus my personal favorite: chocolate-covered pretzels. All these and more are certified gluten-free, so build a box of assorted treats. My only warning is that it’ll all disappear very quickly.
Breakfast essentials:
Give this Sweet Deliverance gift box trio to your friend who, like me, is fanatical about granola. This Hudson Valley–based brand boasts seed-heavy, fragrant flavors like sour cherry and pistachio rose that are free of gluten and refined sugar. Bonus points for the packaging, which will make you want to keep the tins out even after breakfast is complete.
Wildgrain’s Custom Gluten-Free Box
We’re big fans of Wildgrain’s subscription boxes—it’s a bake-from-frozen membership for people who are busy, but still love a freshly baked bread or chocolate chip cookie. Every item is shipped to you unbaked and you can bake it all directly from your freezer in just about 20 minutes. The brand recently launched a gluten-free box with everything from slow-fermented brioche rolls, to cheese tortellini, to mini layer cakes. Get this for your friend who aspires to be a baker, but simply doesn’t have the time.
Quite Nice Breakfast Oats
While I wouldn’t usually put oatmeal on my wishlist for Santa, Quite Nice’s gut-friendly breakfast oats are worth the ask. The packaging alone makes these pretty enough to be a stocking stuffer. The brand makes four flavors (Creamy Matcha & Vanilla, Rich Cacao & Sea Salt, Spiced Turmeric & Cardamom, and Classic Cinnamon & Sugar) of fiber-rich, protein-packed oats that can be enjoyed hot or cold as overnight oats. Sure, it’s exciting to see a breakfast product boasting resistant starch, glyphosate-free oats, hulled buckwheat, and hemp seed protein, but the most thrilling part is how good these taste. And with the versatility to enjoy these hot or cold straight from the packet with water or your choice of milk, they’re equally good on the go.
And everything in-between:
You know what they say—life is a box of gluten-free chocolates. And it might as well be this stunning one from Compartés that makes the perfect gift for your friend who doesn’t go a day without chocolate. Take my advice and order one for yourself too. It’ll be the chicest thing you eat all holiday season (or year).
Mochidoki Best Sellers Collection
I’ve written before about my love for Mochidoki, a New York-based mochi ice cream company with an ingredient-driven ethos that gives way to flavors like jasmine boba and purple sweet potato. Perhaps one of mochi’s most redeeming qualities is that it’s naturally gluten-free, which means the frozen treats lover in your life can indulge in any of the flavors (there are dairy free options too!) care-free.
The Canelle et Vanille Cookbook
Get this cookbook for the person in your life who aspires to turn their kitchen into a high-end bakery. This book from author Aran Goyoaga goes beyond the basics with recipes like a chocolate hazelnut torte and lemon meringue tartlets. You might want to plan a visit to the home of this book’s recipient so you can sample treats that will have you convinced you underestimated the potential of gluten-free baking.
Masienda Tortilla Starter Kit + MASA Cookbook
Another great gift for your project-seeking friend who longs to become an expert at making tortillas at home. This Masienda starter kit includes both blue and white corn masa harina (nixtamalized corn flour that is naturally gluten-free) and a tortilla press in your color of choice. Once they’ve mastered the tortillas, it’s time to take it to the next level with the tantalizing recipes in Masienda founder Jorge Gaviria’s new cookbook. They’ll never have to leave home next time a craving strikes for a tostada, flauta, or quesadilla.
Jovial Pasta Variety Pack
Jovial organic brown rice pasta is so good that even my gluten-loving parents keep it in the pantry. No matter the shape (although the fusilli is my go-to), Jovial nails the texture. It tastes equally great with any kind of sauce or in a big bowl with butter and parmesan. Plus, it’s free of the top eight allergens so you can share your pasta feast with just about anyone.
