Gluten-free party food recipes, anyone? I’ve rounded up 60 of my favourites for birthdays, New Year’s Eve and Christmas, from flaky sausage rolls and sesame prawn toast to school dinner cake and bite-sized lemon meringue bars.
I like to put out a few things people can pick up with one hand, then bring out something to pull apart in the middle of the table. For the sweets, I cut brownies and traybakes into small squares so everyone can have a bit of each.
My gluten-free Christmas cookbook
There’s a whole party food chapter in my book, with cheesy chicken Kievs, cheat’s vol-au-vents and a pork, apple and sage sausage roll wreath. Have a look at the recipes from the book further down.
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Savoury recipes · Sweet recipes
Savoury gluten-free party food recipes
Sweet gluten-free party food recipes
Savoury gluten-free party food recipes
1. Gluten-free Puff Pastry Pizza Pinwheels
I sandwich pizza sauce and mozzarella between two sheets of gluten-free puff pastry, then twist the edges into a big pinwheel. It bakes into a golden pull-apart pizza with flaky, cheesy twists. Put it in the middle of the table and let everyone help themselves.
2. Gluten-free Sausage Rolls
These are the sausage rolls I always want to see on a buffet. Gluten-free puff pastry wraps around sausage meat and a little wholegrain mustard, with sesame seeds on top. I cut the rolls into small pieces before baking so everyone gets their own bit of flaky pastry. No pastry making required!
3. Gluten-free Vegetable Spring Rolls
Mark uses rice paper wrappers for these gluten-free spring rolls. Inside there’s shredded cabbage, carrot, spring onion greens and beansprouts, so you get a crunch from the filling as well as the outside. A little sweet chilli sauce goes a long way with these!
4. Gluten-free Sesame Prawn Toast
I missed proper takeaway-style prawn toast for years. Mark spreads a ginger-seasoned prawn mixture onto gluten-free bread, adds a generous coating of sesame seeds and fries it until golden. Cut each slice into little triangles and serve with sweet chilli sauce alongside the spring rolls above.
5. Gluten-free Oven-Baked Arancini
Roasted pepper, courgette and cherry tomato risotto turns into crisp little arancini with a cheesy inside. I make the coating from ready-made gluten-free breadcrumbs and bake them in the oven. They’re handy if you want something crunchy on the buffet while the hob is busy with everything else.
6. Gluten-free Classic No-Yeast Pizza
This is my usual gluten-free pizza with a three-ingredient base. There’s no waiting for dough to prove, so you can get on with choosing toppings. I usually go for pepperoni for a classic party pizza. Cut it into small slices and it suddenly becomes party food!
7. Gluten-free Southern Fried Chicken Goujons
Homemade gluten-free breadcrumbs give these chicken strips a proper crunchy coating. I season the crumbs with paprika, oregano and chilli flakes before coating the chicken. They’re my pick for any gluten-free buffet where you want something familiar to dip into ketchup or mayo!
8. Gluten-free Brazilian Cheese Puffs (Pão de Queijo)
These Brazilian cheese puffs get their springy, chewy centres from tapioca starch. The outside goes golden and the cheese comes through in every bite. I’d put a bowl of them out warm so people can grab one while the rest of the food is coming out. Nice to have a bread-y option too!
9. Gluten-free Doughball Wreath with Baked Camembert
This is the one I’d bring out whole on New Year’s Eve. I arrange cheesy gluten-free doughballs around a Camembert, then finish the bread with garlic oil and parsley. Everyone can pull off a doughball and dip it straight into the melted cheese. Best enjoyed warm!
10. Gluten-free Pesto and Mozzarella Christmas Tree
Cream cheese, pesto and mozzarella go between two sheets of gluten-free puff pastry. I cut it into a tree and twist the branches so there are crisp edges and bits of melted cheese to pull apart. Red or green pesto works, depending on whichever you fancy.
11. Gluten-free Crispy Chicken Bites with Sweet Chilli Dip
For a party I’ve often used Mark’s gluten-free batter to fry the chicken pieces, then pile them onto a plate while they’re crisp. Make the sweet chilli sauce separately and put it in a little dipping bowl alongside the chicken. That way everyone can have as much sauce as they like. My homemade sweet chilli sauce has three heat levels to choose from.
12. Gluten-free BBQ Sticky Chicken Skewers
Chicken, courgette and red pepper are threaded onto skewers and brushed with a sticky orange, treacle and mustard glaze. They work under the grill as well as on the barbecue. I’d bring the skewers out on one big platter so guests can pick one up as they go.
13. Mum’s Gluten-free Sticky Chicken Drumsticks
Mum’s sticky chicken has been turning up at our parties for as long as I can remember. Orange juice, black treacle, honey and mustard give the chicken its sticky coating. Her recipe uses thighs and drumsticks, and drumsticks are especially easy to pick up from a buffet plate.
14. Gluten-free Air Fryer Chicken Tenders
Chicken mini fillets get a coating of seasoned gluten-free breadcrumbs before they go in the air fryer. I use smoked paprika and oregano for plenty of flavour in the coating. These are a good one to cook while the oven is taken up with pastry and pizza!
15. Gluten-free No-Onion Bhajis
Grated courgette is the base for these little bhajis, with curry powder, a pinch of cinnamon and chilli in the batter. They’re crisp around the edges and easy to scoop up from a platter. I’d put them next to the spring rolls for a fakeaway-style spread!
16. Gluten-free Air Fryer Pizza
I cook the gluten-free base in the air fryer first, then flip it and add tomato sauce, mozzarella and pepperoni. It gives the crust time to crisp up before the cheese goes on. Make a couple of small pizzas with different toppings and cut them into wedges for the buffet. Job done!
17. Gluten-free Cheese and Pesto Straws
Twist strips of ready-made gluten-free puff pastry with pesto and grated cheese for a batch of crisp, flaky straws. Serve them in a glass or pile them next to dips and let people help themselves.
18. Gluten-free Coronation Quiche
My gluten-free quiche has a shortcrust pastry case filled with spinach, broad beans, mature Cheddar and fresh tarragon. It’s a good choice when the buffet needs something a bit more substantial. I’d cut it into narrow wedges so a slice fits alongside the other savoury bites. Feel free to customise the filling however you’d like!
19. Gluten-free Smoked Salmon Florentine Mini Frittatas
Smoked salmon and spinach go into these little frittatas alongside cheese and eggs. I make them in a muffin tin, which gives everyone their own neat portion. They’re a nice change in a buffet with lots of things wrapped in pastry and breadcrumbs!
20. Gluten-free Turkey and Bacon Mini Frittatas
Cooked turkey and streaky bacon make these mini frittatas a more substantial finger food. They’re a handy use for leftover roast turkey whenever you have it. I’d serve them alongside the smoked salmon ones so there are two flavours to choose from.
21. Gluten-free Sweet Potato Fritters
I add feta, spring onion greens and smoked paprika to these oven-baked sweet potato fritters. The feta gives a salty contrast to the sweet potato, and there’s a little chilli in the mix too if you a fancy a bit of a kick. They’re easy to steal off a serving plate and dip too!
22. Gluten-free Air Fryer Potato Stacks
Thin potato slices are tossed with garlic-infused oil, smoked paprika and dried herbs, then stacked and air-fried. You get all those crisp edges with softer layers in the middle. I’d serve the little stacks on a tray with a bowl of your favourite dip.
23. Gluten-free Fish Pie Loaded Potato Skins
Think creamy fish pie filling with chives and a little Dijon mustard, spooned into crisp potato skins. I add grated cheese on top before baking. Use smaller potatoes if you want more of a buffet portion, and serve them on a larger platter where people can grab a half.
24. Gluten-free Loaded Sweet Potato Skins
I scoop out the baked sweet potato, season it with paprika and cayenne, then spoon it back into the skins with cheese and chives. Utterly divine! Add a spoonful of yoghurt when you serve them if you like something cool with the chilli.
25. Gluten-free Smoked Haddock Fishcakes
Smoked haddock, mashed potato, capers and lemon zest go into these fishcakes, with gluten-free breadcrumbs for the crust. The original recipe makes larger fishcakes. For a buffet, I’d shape the mixture into smaller ones and bring them out with lemon wedges for squeezing over the top.
26. Gluten-free Prawn and Avocado Sushi Hand Rolls
I roll cooked prawns, avocado and rice in nori sheets with a little chilli and coriander. The cone shape makes them easy to hold at a party. I’d roll them close to serving so the seaweed still has some bite, then put out gluten-free soy sauce for dipping.
27. Gluten-free Garlic Bread Pizza
This is my thin, crisp gluten-free garlic bread in pizza form, brushed with garlic butter and finished with parsley. Cut it into strips to serve with dips, or leave it in wedges so everyone gets a bit of the crisp edge.
28. Gluten-free Southern Fried Chicken Quesadillas
Southern fried chicken, peppers and two cheeses are tucked between gluten-free tortillas. The cheese melts and holds everything in place, so you can cut the quesadillas into wedges and pick them up. I’d serve them warm with a little sour cream and smashed avo (mixed with mayo) for dipping.
29. Gluten-free Two-Ingredient Flatbread
Gluten-free self-raising flour and Greek yoghurt make a soft flatbread you can cook in a pan. I’d make a stack, cut them into strips and put it beside the dips. It also pairs really well for scooping up melted Camembert!
30. Gluten-free Air Fryer Sausage Rolls
I use ready-made gluten-free puff pastry, sausage meat and a little wholegrain mustard, then brush the tops with beaten egg. A mind-blowing creation from just 4 ingredients! Cut them into little rolls before cooking and make a batch while the oven is busy with the rest of the buffet.
Sweet gluten-free party food recipes
31. Gluten-free School Dinner Sponge Cake
Vanilla sponge, a layer of white icing and a generous shake of rainbow sprinkles. This is the traybake that takes me straight back to school dinners. Let the icing set, then cut the cake into little squares for the party table. A jug of custard is entirely up to you!
32. Gluten-free Chocolate Mini Rolls
Little rolls of chocolate sponge with a swirl of vanilla buttercream and a chocolate coating. These were always one of the first things I reached for at birthday parties. You can leave the rolls whole or cut them in half so everyone can see that swirl.
33. Gluten-free Homemade Party Rings
My gluten-free take on the ring biscuits I remember from birthday parties. I cut the middles out of the vanilla biscuits and decorate them with a couple of colours of icing. Put them next to the Mini Rolls and see which plate disappears first!
34. Gluten-free White Chocolate and Raspberry Cheesecake Bites
A buttery gluten-free biscuit base, white chocolate and mascarpone filling and fresh raspberries. I make these as a square no-bake cheesecake, then cut it into individual bites once set. The raspberries bring a little tartness, which is just what I want next to all my deeper chocolate flavour bakes.
35. Gluten-free Iced Gems
Tiny vanilla biscuits with little peaks of royal icing, just like the ones I remember from childhood. I make mine in vanilla, raspberry and blackcurrant. They’re perfect for a bowl in the middle of the sweet table and look right at home next to a plate of Party Rings!
36. Gluten-free Mini Fried Doughnuts
These little fried doughnuts have a crisp, sugared outside and a fluffy middle. They’re already small enough to serve as party bites. I like to pile them into a bowl while they’re still warm and let people help themselves. These go fast so make quite a few!
37. Gluten-free Nutella Christmas Tree
Spread Nutella between sheets of gluten-free puff pastry, cut out a tree and twist the branches. The pastry goes crisp around the chocolate-hazelnut filling. A little icing sugar is all I add at the end before putting it out for everyone to pull apart.
38. Gluten-free Classic Profiteroles
My little gluten-free choux buns are light and hollow in the middle, ready for a cream filling. I like to arrange them on a platter and spoon over the chocolate sauce close to serving. A couple of profiteroles each makes a lovely end to a buffet.
39. Gluten-free Homemade Penguin Bars
Gluten-free Bourbon biscuits are the shortcut to these little chocolate-covered bars. Dip them in melted chocolate and let the coating set before piling them onto a plate. If you still remember looking forward to a Penguin in your lunchbox, these are the ones to make!
40. Gluten-free Ice Cream Sundae Cupcakes
Chocolate cupcakes with a gooey chocolate-spread middle and a tall swirl of buttercream. I decorate them with chocolate sauce, sprinkles and a cherry so they look like little sundaes. They’re a fun choice if you want something each guest can pick up in its own paper case.
Perfect gluten-free party food when cut into small bites
41. Gluten-free Lemon Meringue Bars
My gluten-free shortbread base gets a layer of sharp lemon filling and a cloud of meringue. They have all the flavours I love in a lemon meringue pie and you can slice them straight from a tin. I’d cut them into little squares so guests can try one alongside a brownie.
42. Gluten-free Classic Chocolate Brownies
My classic gluten-free brownies have a thin, paper-y top, chocolate chips throughout and a properly fudgy middle. Give them time to cool before slicing so the squares hold together. One tray goes a long way when you cut the brownies into two-bite pieces!
43. Gluten-free Kinder Rice Crispy Squares
Gluten-free chocolate rice cereal and marshmallows make the chewy base for these no-bake squares. There’s Kinder chocolate in the mix and chocolate over the top. Once it’s set, cut the slab into small pieces for a sweet treat that’s easy to grab.
44. Gluten-free Millionaire’s Shortbread
Buttery gluten-free shortbread, a thick layer of caramel and a chocolate top. I make it in a tin, then slice it into small chunks so it goes further. It’s quite rich, so small squares are just right if you’re serving it with other sweet bites.
45. Gluten-free Rice Krispie Cakes
My childhood-style crispy cakes start with gluten-free crisp rice cereal and melted marshmallows. A little vanilla goes into the mix, and I add mini marshmallows and a chocolate drizzle to finish. They’re a fun one for kids to help decorate once the mixture has cooled.
46. Gluten-free Bakewell Traybake
An almond sponge with raspberries, finished with icing and toasted flaked almonds. It has the flavour of a Bakewell in a traybake you can cut into small pieces. I’d put it next to the brownies for a fruity option with a little crunch on top.
47. Gluten-free Lemon Drizzle Traybake
This gluten-free sponge gets lemon in the batter and a lemon-sugar drizzle over the top. The sugar sets into a crunchy layer while the cake underneath stays soft. I like to slice the traybake into little fingers so not everything I’m serving is cubed!
48. Gluten-free Chocolate Traybake
A soft chocolate sponge baked in one tin and finished with chocolate icing. There’s cocoa and dark chocolate in the sponge, so you still get plenty of chocolate flavour in a small piece. It’s the one I’d make if I wanted the feel of a birthday cake in bite-sized squares.
49. Gluten-free Eton Mess Traybake
Strawberries, whipped cream and broken meringue turn this vanilla sponge into an Eton Mess traybake. Cut the sponge into smaller pieces for a summer party, then add the cream, berries and meringue close to serving so you still get a bit of crunch.
50. Gluten-free Carrot Cake Traybake
Grated carrot, orange zest and warm spices make this a fragrant, soft traybake. I finish it with cream cheese icing and use walnuts or pecans for crunch. It slices neatly into small squares, with a little icing on every piece.
51. Gluten-free Celebration Cookie Bars
My chunky cookie bars are packed with pieces of gluten-free biscuits and chocolate. The recipe gives you a few ways to vary the mix-ins, so you can make a batch with your favourites. Bake the dough in one tin and slice it into squares once cool. Perfect for using with seasonal small sweet treats!
52. Gluten-free No-Bake Millionaire’s Cornflake Bars
A crunchy gluten-free cornflake base with caramel and chocolate on top. These bars set without going in the oven, which is handy when it’s full of other party bakes. Let the layers set properly and use a sharp knife to cut them into little squares.
53. Gluten-free Four-Ingredient Flapjacks
Gluten-free oats, butter, brown sugar and golden syrup make my classic flapjacks. The edges go golden and the middle stays chewy. Bake them in one tin and cut them into small bars for a simple sweet bite that travels well to a party.
54. Gluten-free Biscuit Jar Brownies
In this one, I tuck whole gluten-free biscuits into my fudgy brownie for an undeniably satisfying crunch. Bourbons are one of my favourites, but they work well with seasonal gluten-free biscuits from the free from aisle too!
55. Gluten-free Raspberry Cheesecake Brownies
Chocolate brownie with a cheesecake swirl and fresh raspberries. The fruit gives the fudgy brownie a sharp little kick, and the pale swirl looks lovely when you cut the tray into small squares!
56. Gluten-free Millionaire’s Brownies
I call these brillionaires because they have a fudgy brownie underneath the caramel and chocolate. They’re rich enough that a small square is plenty. Chill the layers until they’re set, then slice the tray so the brownie and caramel show at the edges.
57. Gluten-free Three-Ingredient Nutella Brownies
Nutella, eggs and gluten-free plain flour are all you need for this brownie batter. I sometimes add chocolate chips for a little extra chocolate in the middle too. It’s a handy quick tray to bake when you want something fudgy for the sweet table.
58. Gluten-free Custard Cream Blondies
White chocolate blondies flavoured with custard powder and topped with gluten-free Custard Creams. They’re soft and fudgy underneath the golden, crunchy biscuit tops. I’d cut the slab into small squares so you get a little custard flavour and a bit of biscuit in each bite.
59. Gluten-free Jammy Dodger Blondies
A chewy white chocolate blondie with a swirl of raspberry jam and gluten-free Jammy Dodgers on top. It’s a one-bowl bake that brings back memories of a proper biscuit tin. I let it cool before cutting so the jam and biscuit tops stay in place.
60. Gluten-free White Chocolate and Raspberry Blondies
White chocolate chips and fresh raspberries are folded through a fudgy vanilla blondie batter. The fruit cuts through the sweetness and gives you little pink pockets when you slice it. A tray of small squares is a guaranteed crowd pleaser!
More party food from my gluten-free Christmas cookbook
Here’s a peek inside Gluten-free Christmas. For the savoury table there are Mark’s char siu bao buns, not-prawn toast and cheeseboard biscuits with tomato chutney. For something sweet, there are fudges and truffles, a no-bake wreath and lemon amaretti biscuits.
You can take a look inside my Christmas cookbook or get a copy on Amazon.
Savoury recipes from the book
Sweet recipes from the book
Gluten-free party food FAQs
Which gluten-free party food can I make ahead?
I’d make sweet treats like the party rings ahead so the icing has time to set, and bake a tray of chocolate brownies to cut once cool. Save anything you want to serve crisp, like vegetable spring rolls, for nearer the party.
What gluten-free party food can I make for a kids’ birthday?
I’d put out classic pizza in little slices and a plate of chicken goujons with something to dip them in. For the sweet table, party rings, chocolate mini rolls and Iced Gems are the ones that take me straight back to childhood parties.
What gluten-free party food can I make for New Year’s Eve?
My doughball wreath with baked Camembert is made for pulling apart at the table. Add prawn toast or sticky chicken skewers so there’s something people can pick up while they’re chatting.
Can I use ready-rolled gluten-free puff pastry for party food?
Yes. I use JusRol gluten-free ready-to-roll puff pastry for my sausage rolls, pizza pinwheels and cheese and pesto straws. Follow the instructions on the packet for handling the pastry and check the label on the filling ingredients too.
What gluten-free desserts can I cut into buffet bites?
I’d go for lemon meringue bars, Bakewell traybake or millionaire’s shortbread. Let the bakes cool and any icing or chocolate topping set before cutting. Little squares mean people can pick up more than one kind!
How do I keep gluten-free party food separate on a buffet?
Start with clean worktops, boards and utensils. If you’re serving food that contains gluten too, put the gluten-free food on separate platters (as far from the gluten-containing food as possible) and give each dish its own dedicated serving utensils. Don’t forget to check Coeliac UK’s advice on avoiding cross-contamination!
