The Popular French Dessert You Might Not Know Is Gluten-Free

French desserts aren't particularly known for naturally being gluten-free, requiring you to look for modified recipes or designated gluten-free bakeries if you want to safely enjoy croissants and éclairs. However, there is one luxurious French dessert that doesn't call for any glutenous ingredients: crème brûlée. The classic crème brûlée recipe only consists of vanilla, egg yolks, heavy cream, and sugar — ingredients that are naturally without gluten, making this dessert a great option for celiac and gluten-intolerant folks.

Although crème brûlée looks and sounds very fancy, you don't need to be a French chef to make it. Start by making vanilla custard that bakes in the oven just short of an hour. The trickiest part of this dessert (but also the most fun) is making the caramelized top — sprinkling the sugar on top of the baked custard and caramelizing it with a torch to a crispy texture and glossy, golden-brown color. Using the torch can, admittedly, be a bit intimidating, so alternatively you could opt for our simple hack for perfect crème brûlée crust without a torch. There's also a simpler recipe for crème brûlée that went viral on TikTok and only calls for three ingredients, the main one being vanilla ice cream. If you'll be attempting the TikTok crème brûlée, make sure the ice cream you're using doesn't contain any gluten, as store-bought ice cream could contain additives that are not gluten-free.

Although the original recipe is completely gluten-free, there are still several ways crème brûlée could contain gluten. When you're ordering it at a restaurant or buying it at the store (either ready-made or as a powdered mix), you should still be double-checking the ingredients. Store-bought mixes can include gluten-based starch thickeners and other additives that might not be disclosed on the front of the package. In a restaurant, ask the waiter for details about how their crème brûlée is prepared — they could be using a powdered mix that's not gluten-free or vanilla extract that's made with wheat-derived alcohol. Another problem restaurants could pose is cross-contamination: For people with celiac disease, crème brûlée needs to be prepared in a completely gluten-free environment, with kitchen tools that were not previously handling gluten.

Last, but certainly not least, keep an eye out for toppings. Occasionally, crème brûlée comes with sweet toppings, such as crushed cookies and other confections. Those are generally not gluten-free. If you're making this creamy dessert at home and love the idea of toppings, tasty gluten-free options include fresh fruit, marzipan, and crushed nuts. If you're looking to enjoy French desserts beyond the brûlée, we have some additional good news — you can absolutely enjoy macarons on a gluten-free diet, too.