21+ Flourless Baking Recipes

If you are gluten-free or if you have just run out of flour in the cupboard but you still have a hankering for something sweet and delicious then these fabulous flourless baking recipes are perfect for you.

What Is Flourless Baking?

This is different to gluten-free baking with gluten-free flour blends. Instead of all-purpose flour or gluten-free flour these recipes use a variety of naturally gluten-free wholefood ingredients that will be familiar to your kitchen. There are no tricky binders or specialist shops you need to visit.

Instead, you can create delicious cakes, decadent desserts, grain-free cookies and sweet treats using binders like

• Eggs
• Nut butters
• Chocolate
• Cream

With great structure and texture using ingredients like:

• Nuts
• Cornmeal
• Ground almonds (often called almond flour)
• Desiccated coconut
• Sweet potato
• Oats

Why Go Flourless?

There are many reasons why you might choose to seek out recipes which specifically don’t use any flour. It can be a textural thing with smooth and creamy recipes or a health thing if you need your recipes to be coeliac-safe. Or perhaps you’ve just run out of flour and need some recipes that do without.

However, if you are exploring gluten-free baking for the first time then flourless baking is something I will always recommend to my new baking students.

New to gluten-free baking?

Gluten-free baking can feel overwhelming. There are so many different kinds of flours. I always advise to start with easy flourless recipes if you haven’t baked gluten-free before, so you can gain confidence with familiar ingredients. Let’s keep it simple.

The following recipes are perfect as they are all naturally flour-free and require minimal effort and whole ingredients.

And then if you want to take the next step and start learning how to start introducing gluten-free flours into your kitchen then you can read my Beginners Guide To Gluten-Free Baking.

Is Flourless the same as Gluten-free?

Flourless cakes are typically gluten-free. However for our purposes here the meaning is slightly different:

• Flourless recipes contain no commercially processed flours, grains, starches or nuts.
• Gluten-free recipes contain no gluten, commonly found in wheat flour, and often use gluten-free flours as alternatives.

In this collection, “flourless” means the recipes are made without processed or commercially milled flours that you wouldn’t typically make at home—like coconut flour or store-bought gluten-free blends.

Instead, I’ve focused on using whole, recognisable ingredients that some recipes might require you to easily grind yourself in a standard kitchen, such as oats or almonds. So while some recipes may call for oat flour or almond flour, these are flours you can make at home by blitzing whole oats or almonds in a food processor. I am also including polenta / cornmeal as I don’t consider this a ‘flour.’

I’ve updated the collection to remove any recipes using more refined or specialty flour substitutes, keeping the focus on simple, whole-food alternatives.

Flourless Chocolate Recipes

Flourless Olive Oil Chocolate Cake

This Flourless Chocolate Cake works without any flour by relying on eggs and melted chocolate to provide structure and richness, making it naturally gluten-free. The recipe’s intense chocolate flavour is beautifully enhanced by extra virgin olive oil, creating a moist, indulgent texture that’s perfect for both dairy and dairy-free variations.

Chocolate Coconut & Pistachio Slice

This rich and easy Chocolate Coconut & Pistachio Slice is naturally flourless, using nuts and coconut to create a satisfying, chewy base. Topped with a smooth chocolate ganache, it’s perfect for picnics, afternoon tea, or a sweet treat any time.

Gluten-Free Chocolate Torte with Sweet Potato

This Gluten-Free Chocolate Torte uses sweet potato as a natural binder and moisture provider, replacing flour to create a fudgy, dense texture. The sweet potato helps give the torte its rich, decadent feel while keeping it dairy-free, flourless, and refined sugar-free.

Chocolate Hazelnut Cake

This Chocolate Hazelnut Cake uses ground hazelnuts in place of flour, giving it a naturally grain-free structure with a moist, tender crumb. The combination of nuts and melted chocolate creates a rich, satisfying texture without the need for any grains or gluten.

Ground Nut & Nut Butter Recipes

Cashew Butter Cookies with Chocolate Chips

These easy gluten-free and flourless Cashew Butter Cookies hold together using just cashew butter, sugar, and egg—no flour needed. The nut butter provides structure and richness, resulting in crisp edges and a chewy centre.

Almond Flour Brownies

These Almond Flour Brownies are rich, fudgy, and completely gluten-free, using finely ground almonds in place of traditional flour. The almond flour adds moisture, structure, and a delicate nuttiness that pairs beautifully with dark chocolate.

Dairy and Egg-Based Recipes

Coconut Matcha Macaroons

These Coconut Matcha Macaroons use desiccated coconut and egg whites to create structure and chew without any flour or grains. The natural oils in the coconut help bind the mixture, while the matcha adds a fresh, earthy flavour that balances beautifully with dark chocolate.

Banana Walnut Pancakes

These Flourless Banana Walnut Pancakes use mashed banana and eggs as the base instead of flour to create a light, tender texture. The walnuts add structure and crunch, making these 5-ingredient pancakes both simple and satisfying without any grains.

Red Berry Eton Mess with Mascarpone

Red Berry Eton Mess is built from whipped egg white meringue, fruit, and cream—no flour or grains involved. The crisp-chewy meringue adds texture, while the rich mascarpone cream and muddled berries make it indulgent yet light.

These next two recipes aren’t baked but they are incredible flourless desserts which use dairy and eggs to thicken and create structure and texture.

Blond Chocolate Mousse with Peanut Butter

This Blond Chocolate Mousse has a rich, airy texture created by whipped cream and melted chocolate—no flour needed for structure. The addition of peanut butter adds body and depth, making it a luxurious dessert perfect for special occasions.

Mango Lime Pudding

This Mango Lime Pudding uses gelatine to set the mixture instead of any flour or starch. The combination of condensed milk, cream, and fresh lime creates a silky, tangy-sweet dessert that's both rich and refreshing—perfect for make-ahead entertaining.

Cornmeal / Polenta Recipes

Sweet Cornmeal Muffins with Blueberries

These Sweet Cornmeal Muffins with Blueberries use a combination of cornmeal and ground almonds for structure instead of traditional flour. The cornmeal gives a light, crumbly texture, while the ground almonds add moisture and richness—perfectly balanced by bursts of juicy blueberries.

Whole Lemon Cake with Thyme

This Whole Lemon Cake with Thyme relies on a combination of polenta and ground almonds for its tender, moist texture instead of traditional flour. The pureed whole boiled lemons add vibrant tanginess, while the floral thyme complements the citrus, making it a uniquely fragrant and delicious dairy-free cake.

Whole Orange Cake with Chocolate Chips

This Whole Orange Cake with Chocolate Chips uses ground almonds and polenta to create a moist, tender crumb without traditional flour. The pureed whole boiled orange adds bright citrus flavour and moisture, while the chocolate chips bring bursts of indulgent sweetness.

Oat-Based Flourless Recipes

I’ve separated the oat-based recipes here as even though oats are definitely considered flourless baking, oats are not always acceptable for gluten-free diets. Choose certified gluten-free brands because they are often cross-contaminated with gluten during growing, harvesting, or processing. Additionally, some people with coeliac disease or gluten intolerance react to avenin, a protein in oats, even if they are certified gluten-free. Due to these concerns, some countries, like Australia, do not classify oats as a safe gluten-free food.

Now I’ve got all the caveats out of the way, here are some truly delicious oat-based flourless recipes:

Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies

Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies use oats and peanut butter to provide structure and chewiness without any flour. With just 7 simple ingredients, these cookies are delightfully chewy, and the chocolate coating adds an irresistible finishing touch.

Banana Oat Bread

Banana Oat Bread uses ground almonds and rolled oats instead of traditional flour. Greek yoghurt adds moisture and a tangy note, while bananas and nutrient-packed seeds make it a wholesome, satisfying snack or breakfast, especially delicious with salted butter or nut butter.

Savoury Muffins with Cheese and Bacon

These Savoury Muffins with Cheese and Bacon rely on rolled oats and defatted almond flour for a tender, moist crumb. Cream cheese helps bind the ingredients together, while cheesy notes, savoury bacon bits, and a touch of honey create a perfectly balanced, grab-and-go breakfast treat.

Easy Pumpkin Oatmeal Muffins

These Pumpkin Oatmeal Muffins use gluten-free rolled oats and almond flour to create a moist, tender texture without traditional flour. Warm autumn spices enhance the flavour, making them the perfect seasonal treat.

Bramley Apple Flapjacks

These Bramley Apple Flapjacks are naturally flourless, using oats and butter to create a chewy, golden base. The tart, fluffy Bramley apples soften into the mixture, while cinnamon adds warming spice, making these flapjacks a comforting, flavour-packed gluten-free treat.

White Chocolate Raspberry Flapjacks

White Chocolate Raspberry Flapjacks are made with oats and golden syrup to create a chewy, buttery base without any flour. Tangy raspberries and sweet white chocolate chunks add bursts of flavour, making these gluten-free flapjacks an irresistible treat.

Banana Flapjacks (sugar-free)

These Banana Flapjacks use oats combined with mashed banana and Medjool dates to bind and sweeten the mix without any added flour or sugar. The dates add natural caramel notes while the banana keeps them moist and tender—perfect for a wholesome, chewy snack.