10 best (gluten-free) holiday desserts

To take you from Thanksgiving to New Years.

Hello my dears, 

How are you? Somehow Thanksgiving is next week, and I’d like to say that I’m ready, but really I’m not ready, but actually I kind of am (I did make the pie crusts over the weekend!). I know I sound like a lunatic here, but I think what I’m trying to say is that I’m inviting more flow into the holidays this year, which means I’m planning ahead where needed, but also that I’m taking things one day at a time and letting go of control where I can.

Paradoxes are fun!

My goal this year is to enjoy the process, and if things start to feel burdensome or not fun, then to stop and set it aside for later or delegate it to someone else. As I mentioned in this post, I want the holidays to feel like a reciprocal relationship, where my output is in balance with the seasonal comforts and joys that nourish me.  

Does any of this make any sense?

One thing I do know is that this is my favorite season for baking. I let the heat of the oven warm the kitchen and set the scene with jazz and candles (starting the Saturday after Thanksgiving it will be holiday music and twinkle lights). I invite the smells of butter, cinnamon and gingerbread to soothe me, bringing light to gray days, softening the chill outside.  

As I’ve written about before, baking can be a delicious form of self-care, but only if we don’t get caught up in the results. Below I’ve shared my favorite holiday desserts to take us all the way from Thanksgiving to the New Year, but the goal here is to enjoy the process—the puttering about the kitchen, measuring, tasting, smelling, and being fully present with yourself. As you know by now, while I love baking, I don’t love spending all day baking. I want a rustic, simple bake that will make my kitchen smell incredible and that will taste amazing, but that will also leave me time to snuggle on the couch with my book (p.s. I just finished this and loved it, and am now reading this at the insistence of friends!). Below I’ve shared 10 desserts of varying levels of commitment, all of which can be made ahead, and all of which are gluten-free (but nobody will know). 

I’ve also shared my Holiday Recipes ebook, featuring 25+ recipes (savory and sweet) in the hopes that it will help take some of the pressure off of menu planning. On that note, please let me know if you have any questions about the holidays, menu planning, recipes, or anything! Pop your question in the comments or send me a message. I’m here for you.

10 Incredible Holiday Desserts