Gluten-free holiday treats

[JIN MOUSA]

I've gone into full tilt cookie mode this month, mixing and freezing dough for 8 different kinds of cookies. I plan to bake them all next week and put together boxes to bring to friends and neighbors. I have two close friends who have celiac disease, and I feel like i'm really letting them down. All of the dough so far is standard cookie fare, with regular flour. I plan to make cream cheese mints, which are gluten-free, but other than that I don't know what to do for them. And I would feel bad delivering a box of treats, of which they could enjoy 10%.

 

So hit me with your best (easy) gluten-free cookies/treats. 

[Lawana]

Chocolate no bake oatmeal (gluten free) cookies. Fudge. Jelly candy

 

ETA Walnut stuffed dates rolled in sugar

Edited December 16, 2017 by Lawana

[Caroline]

There are easy flour-free peanut butter cookies. Add a Reese’s peanut butter cup to the top.

Edited December 16, 2017 by Caroline

[KungFuPanda]

Rice crispy treats with Christmas shaped sprinkles on top?

[Caroline]

Rice crispy treats with Christmas shaped sprinkles on top?

Rice Krispies aren’t gluten free.

[Jean in Newcastle]

Rice Krispies aren’t gluten free.

Some brands are.

[wintermom]

Coconut stacks made with gluten-free oats. 

 

You may want to ask them whether possible cross-contamination is going to be a factor for them eating. Your baking sheets, bowls, etc. could have trace amounts of flour. 

[Prairie~Phlox]

If they are true celiacs, they might not eat anything you make. My bil is & I know is very strick about eating where cross contamination might occur. I cook gf for my untested daughter that has issues & am very careful, but he won't eat anything that I make. Just throwing that out there.

[JIN MOUSA]

If they are true celiacs, they might not eat anything you make. My bil is & I know is very strick about eating where cross contamination might occur. I cook gf for my untested daughter that has issues & am very careful, but he won't eat anything that I make. Just throwing that out there.

 

 

Coconut stacks made with gluten-free oats. 

 

You may want to ask them whether possible cross-contamination is going to be a factor for them eating. Your baking sheets, bowls, etc. could have trace amounts of flour. 

 

We see them usually once a week and they're able to eat things others have prepared (including myself), obviously as long as things have been washed and such. Thank you though!

[Ali in OR]

Muddy Buddies made from Rice Chex cereal (recipe on box): rice chex, peanut butter, melted chocolate chips, powdered sugar.

[BarbecueMom]

I didn't feel up to GF baking this year, so I made four kinds rock candy.  Cinnamon, root beer, creme de menthe, and strawberry.

[Seasider]

I would love a little fruit basket or even a couple of beautiful oranges. I know that's not cookies, but to me it's a treat and definitely gluten free.

[Joyofsixreboot]

We're doing macarons. We're using this recipe. Trying lemon, chocolate and raspberry filling.

 

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[G5052]

Yes, cross-contamination is a concern. My youngest is not a celiac, but is so sensitive that she can't even order gluten-free items at certain restaurants. We have to ask a lot of questions about everything that we're given at church. It comes across as rude, but we have to know. If she gets a tiny amount of gluten, it can take 3-5 days to get back to normal.

 

I'm gluten-free as well, but cross-contamination doesn't affect me. I can tolerate tiny amounts of gluten, but I had a single shortbread cookie Monday night at a party by choice, and my gut was off for a day. 

[Mom22ns]

There are very few Christmas candies that have gluten. For GF holidays, stick to candy instead of cookies. 

Chocolate fudge

PB fudge

White chocolate fudge

Anything GF dipped in chocolate or almond bark (nuts, oranges, candy canes...)

Peanut brittle

Toffee

Divinity

Potato candy

Carmel Corn (also known as Christmas crack around here!)

I think I could do this all day. Cookies are actually very easy to make GF as well. Buy a package of GF flour and make a few small batches of non-roll-out cookies. Snickerdoodles, Chocolate chip, Sugar Cookies that are rolled into balls rather than rolled out and cut. GF dough doesn't hang together great for rolling and forming, but it can work.

[Spryte]

Great suggestions already, and since your kitchen is safe for him - don’t forget Buckeyes. We make ours with Sunbutter.

[LarlaB]

I have Celiac and to be honest, have a hard time trusting GF foods made by even my closest friends. LOL    Certain family members, I will trust homemade products but I'm just so nervous RE cross contamination and people unfamiliar with GF products. I appreciate the thought but have trust issues. 

You are so sweet to want to do this!  Maybe make some fudge, candies and things that are familiar and obviously 'naturally' GF.  

[amy g.]

I have Celiac and to be honest, have a hard time trusting GF foods made by even my closest friends. LOL Certain family members, I will trust homemade products but I'm just so nervous RE cross contamination and people unfamiliar with GF products. I appreciate the thought but have trust issues.

 

You are so sweet to want to do this! Maybe make some fudge, candies and things that are familiar and obviously 'naturally' GF.

My celiac kid had a 5 hour Greek final on Thursday. Her room mate made her a celebratory meal for the end of the semester.

 

Now Dd is so sick from cross contamination.

 

I wish we could have more gifts and celebrations that don’t involve food at all.

[amy g.]

I’m on a ranting roll, because my other celiac kid is on her way to her swim team holiday party.

 

Last year, they wanted to decorate gingerbread for an activity. I told them that it would be really awesome to have an activity that all of the swimmers could participate in so they make different holiday crafts.

 

Guess what the activity is today.

 

It isn’t enough that I have to feed her before and after because there won’t be anything for her to eat other than what we have brought, but then she will get to stand around and watch her friends decorate gingerbread.

 

Older Dd gets sick from inhaling air with flour in it. Hopefully younger Dd won’t get sick from the party. If she does, then I guess she won’t even be able to attend next year.

 

Way to build team unity.

[Spryte]

OP, here’s an idea: maybe adjust your idea of homemade treats? If making something is important, how about an easy to make candle? Or soap? Or bath scrub? Or if you crochet or knit, something small? Even a poinsettia!

 

I suggested buckeyes, above, since you said your friend doesn’t have an issue with cross contamination in your kitchen, but I have to tell you that with all the other baking you’ve been doing, there’s been a lot of flour flying around the kitchen so things may be more contaminated than usual. Just bear that in mind.

 

Our kitchen is GF, as DS is actually allergic to wheat, among many other LTFAs, and it’s better for me that way (celiac). I’m always caught off guard when I eat at a friend’s house and realize later there must have been X contamination. It’s such a bummer, especially around the holidays. I’m just getting over a bad few days, after being glutened. Even though I know you’d never intentionally gluten your friend, it really can happen. And - ouch. Reactions vary, but I’ve had almost a week of pain and things are just now getting back to semi-normal.

 

Whatever you do, it’s really sweet of you, and your friend is going to be thrilled! You’re a kind friend. :)

[Jenny in Florida]

Chocolate no bake oatmeal (gluten free) cookies. Fudge. Jelly candy

 

ETA Walnut stuffed dates rolled in sugar

 

Just be careful about the oatmeal. Not all oatmeal is gluten free.

[JIN MOUSA]

Thanks for all the great ideas everyone! In addition to the cream cheese mints, I'm going to make fudge, flourless peanut butter cookies, and maybe rock candy. 

 

And thank you also for the pointers regarding cross contamination. I'm now planning on getting all my flour-y doughs into the freezer by Monday, then do some cleaning Tuesday and Wednesday, including the kitchen. On Thursday morning I'll do all my gf stuff, get those finished, packaged, and out of the kitchen before baking and finishing the other items. 

 

Again, we regularly eat with these friends, so I'm confident this basic level of sanitation and separation will work for them. 

 

And I'm so sorry to hear about the extreme challenges people face with cross contamination, and especially with other people who don't understand or (worse) don't care. 

[ocelotmom]

I'm looking at variations on chocolate bark with pistachios and dried cranberries/cherries right now. 

[Seasider]

I’m on a ranting roll, because my other celiac kid is on her way to her swim team holiday party.

 

Last year, they wanted to decorate gingerbread for an activity. I told them that it would be really awesome to have an activity that all of the swimmers could participate in so they make different holiday crafts.

 

Guess what the activity is today.

 

It isn’t enough that I have to feed her before and after because there won’t be anything for her to eat other than what we have brought, but then she will get to stand around and watch her friends decorate gingerbread.

 

Older Dd gets sick from inhaling air with flour in it. Hopefully younger Dd won’t get sick from the party. If she does, then I guess she won’t even be able to attend next year.

 

Way to build team unity.

Similar here with party activities involving decorating food. It makes me sad when people aren't willing to be a little more creative than sticking with the old standbys.

 

DH and I were talking about the whole Christmas treat thing yesterday. Years ago, sweet treats this time of year were special BECAUSE we didn't get them all the time. Nowadays, sugar is everywhere, everyday. No year-long wait for holidays. It makes me kind of sad. And I don't bake holiday cookies anymore, there's just too much already in circulation.

[LuvToRead]

Cheerio Treats.  Just sub Cheerios for Rice Krispies in your favorite Rice Krispy Treat recipe. 

[JudoMom]

I've made Christmas Crack with Glutino (I think that's the name) crackers.

[solascriptura]

It’s sweet that you’re thinking of them, but they probably won’t eat anything you make for them. The kitchen needs to be gluten free too. Maybe you could buy them something instead.

[cintinative]

OP, if you are going to bake anything, or even make fudge or candy in your pans, line them with parchment or wax paper (fudge) first.  That will create another layer of protection. Also I would make sure you run any pans through the dishwasher or really soak them and scrub them in hot soapy water.  If you have any doubts of them being clean, buy aluminum disposable pans.  Also, put parchment down on the counter when you are working, just in case there are trace crumbs from someone's sandwich, crackers, etc.

 

If you are going to buy candy, my Celiac kid loves tootsie rolls and tootsie pops. Maybe a bouquet of Tootsie pops would be cute?  Also full sized Reese cups are okay. **Warning** any Reeses "shapes" are NOT gluten free, for example, Reeses' trees.  

 

The rice krispies that Aldi sells (their brand) is gluten-free.  

 

My son will very rarely eat anything someone else makes, so as others have mentioned, don't be offended if the child will not eat it. He just doesn't enjoy being sick for weeks.