Food Holidays & Occasions Christmas 12 Recipes for a Gluten-Free Christmas Dinner From starters to desserts, we have you covered. By Food & Wine Editors Food & Wine Editors This is collaborative content from Food & Wine's team of experts, including staff, recipe developers, chefs, and contributors. Many of our galleries curate recipes or guides from a variety of sources which we credit throughout the content and at each link. Food & Wine's Editorial Guidelines Updated on November 27, 2023 Cooking a gluten-free menu can be tricky to begin with, but it's even harder around the holiday season, when wheat pops up in everything from Christmas cookies to dinner rolls. Luckily, there are plenty of options that allow you to serve a festive meal that everyone will love, whether or not they want to avoid gluten. For starters, curate a butternut squash soup and side dish like Coconut-Creamed Swiss Chard or gratin. Select a main course protein from centerpiece-worthy lamb shank, a holiday ham, and salmon. And for dessert, choose from chocolate pretzel crinkle cookies, a honey-pear sweet cream galette, or cacao-nib meringues. We even have a candy to gift or bring to parties. Find these recipes and more of our favorite gluten-free holiday dishes below. 01 of 12 Butternut Squash Soup with Bacon and Crème Fraîche Erin Kunkel Topping each bowl of this soup with a dollop of crème fraîche and crumbled bacon turns a classic fall soup into something worthy of a special meal. Get the Recipe 02 of 12 Gluten-Free Parker House Rolls © Kamran Siddiqi These fluffy, buttery rolls are an incredible gluten-free version of the original. Get the Recipe 03 of 12 Coconut-Creamed Swiss Chard Victor Protasio Unsweetened coconut milk and refined coconut oil combine to add a creamy richness to this vegan Swiss chard side from chef Rocco DiSpirito. Get the Recipe 04 of 12 Rutabaga, Celery Root, and Potato Gratin Photo by Greg DuPree / Food Styling by Torie Cox / Prop Styling by Christine Keely Rutabaga and celery root bring an earthy depth and an engaging, subtle sweetness to the potato mixture in this classic, flavorful gratin. Get the Recipe 05 of 12 Apple Cider Glazed Ham Photo by Greg DuPree / Prop Styling by Missie Crawford / Food Styling by Ali Ramee Brown sugar, honey, mustard, and apple cider give spiral-cut ham a spectacular transformation for a holiday meal centerpiece. Get the Recipe 06 of 12 Slow-Roasted Salmon with Walnut-Olive Vinaigrette Photo by Jennifer Causey / Food Styling by Rishon Hanners / Prop Styling by Audrey Davis A vinaigrette bolstered with chopped olives, toasted walnuts, and fresh parsley is a bold finishing touch for roasted salmon basted with smoked paprika and lemon. Simply read all labels to ensure ingredients like white wine vinegar are gluten-free. Get the Recipe 07 of 12 Banana Leaf-Wrapped Lamb Shank Tamales with Morita Chile Salsa DYLAN + JENI At event producer Paola Briseño González's holiday tamale parties, these smoky braised-lamb tamales get a pop of freshness from bright cilantro-onion relish, while a wrapper of banana leaves perfumes the masa with a softly sweet aroma as they steam. Get the Recipe 08 of 12 Honey-Pear Sweet Cream Galette Erin Kunkel Floral sweetness from honey and pears is nicely balanced by tangy cream cheese in this fall galette with a flaky, buttery, and crisp crust that's gluten-free thanks to two kinds of rice flour and arrowroot. Get the Recipe 09 of 12 Vegan Coconut-Ginger Caramels Photo by Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Torie Cox / Prop Styling by Christine Keely For these ginger- and chile-spiked caramels, plant-based fat from coconut replaces the typical butter, resulting in creamy, chewy caramels that are perfect for anyone on your gift list. Get the Recipe 10 of 12 Chocolate Pretzel Crinkle Cookies Greg DuPree This cookie recipe replaces flour with very finely ground gluten-free pretzels. The cookies can be made ahead and frozen for up to three months. Get the Recipe 11 of 12 Gluten-Free Cacao Nib Meringues Justin Walker Made with chocolate, cacao, and cocoa, these intensely flavored meringues have a delicate, crispy exterior with a soft, chewy, marshmallow-like interior. Get the Recipe 12 of 12 Coconut Arroz con Leche Tamales DYLAN + JENI Lightly sweetened coconut rice pudding provides a custardy contrast to the tender masa in these dreamy dessert tamales that make a festive holiday breakfast. Get the Recipe Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit