19 allergy-proof desserts

Rule number one for dining: always save room for dessert. Even if you’re dealing with a gluten, nut or lactose intolerance or allergy. There are plenty of desserts you can eat, so here are some tips.

Lactose-free
No ice cream, tiramisu or crème brûlée; as a ‘lactose patient’, it can be difficult to make it through the dessert menu. But don’t worry: sorbet is completely lactose-free. Of course, you can also simply replace the milk in ice cream with a plant-based alternative, such as coconut milk. And anyone who thought cake was off-limits because of the butter it often contains clearly hasn’t tried this olive oil cake. Another ever-reliable option: sticky rice. More on that later.

Gluten-free
Unlike those avoiding dairy, you can happily tuck into crème brûlée. Mmmm. Try this pandan version or go for the Spanish variety: crema Catalana. Cookies, cakes and other baked goods can easily be made gluten-free too. Simply choose almond flour, as in this moist polenta cake with caramel. Or these brownies, in which the flour is replaced with a mixture of cornstarch and unsweetened cocoa powder.

Nut-free
This dessert with strawberries, creamy burrata and basil is on the table in no time and tastes even better with a glass of rosé champagne. Completely nut-free, so PARTY TIME. Just like these cheerful green kue dadar guling (pandan crêpes with coconut), by the way. In the mood for pie? Go for the irresistibly delicious and famous crack pie from New York’s Milk Bar. Or key lime pie—just make sure you use Digestive Original biscuits for the base; they are nut-free.

Egg-free
This apple and cherry crumble may come from the Big Green Egg, but it is completely egg-free. Just like this fantastic Turkish cheese dessert, by the way. Want something a little simpler? Hangop is a breeze to make; you just need to prepare it the night before. Or go for panna cotta—our favorite? Christina Tosi’s cereal milk panna cotta.

Super allergy-proof
Have you hit the jackpot and got multiple allergies or intolerances? Or are you having someone with a nut allergy and someone with a gluten allergy over for dinner? Thank goodness there are super desserts that are super allergy-proof. The aforementioned sticky rice, for example. With pandan, or mango. All excellent. In English-language recipes, by the way, don’t be misled by the name ‘glutinous rice’: sticky rice contains no gluten, so it fits perfectly into a gluten-free diet. The same goes for coconut: a coconut is not a nut, but a fruit. Another great dessert that everyone can eat? Sorbet. And are you really in the party mood? Booze it up!

Read also:

• You don’t have an allergy, you’re just being difficult
• Fruit allergy? Try these tips
• Do you really have a food allergy?