I'd love ideas for gluten free snacks/finger food/dessert for a family gathering please!

[ladeluge]

As the title says, I'm hosting an afternoon gathering of 12 people including 4 kids under 8. Two coeliac guests.

It will be a very relaxed affair, finger sandwiches, pinwheel sandwiches, cocktail sausages, party bites and dips (M+S or similar!). That kind of thing. Plenty of booze also of course....

I'm not sure what to do for the gluten free two. I suppose I could do sandwiches on gluten free bread, some ham, carved chicken, cheeses to "make your own" with the gf bread. I'm afraid of the sausages and sausage rolls in case they have any wheat stuff in them, I'm never sure so I will steer clear. Please help with any nice ideas for them, as I feel they miss out a bit on the scoffing! But it may be that I am overthinking it all.

My two signature desserts are Tiramisu and Banoffee Pie, both contain wheat in the biscuits i'd say. What can I provide that will suit everyone, as I'd rather not make an issue of the gf two and serve the same dessert for everyone.

Thanks if you have ideas that won't make the gf 2 unwell 😊

I would make it all gluten free. If it’s not the chance for cross contamination is far too high and you run the risk that your coeliac guests will be a) ill or b) hungry as they can’t eat anything.

Can you make your desserts with gluten free biscuits for everyone?

I would not do sandwiches- glutenfree bread is always better toasted.
You can get gluten free sausage rolls but they need to be heated up.

What about a couple of bowls of tortillas and/or crisps for gluten free dipping? Check the ingredients obviously.

Nairns make a really delicious gf rosemary and seasalt flatbtread (it's really just fancy crackers) which you could serve with the cheeses, will need butter.

I'd have more ideas if I wasn't flat on my back with bloody covid again. 🙄

https://www.marksandspencer.com/c/food-to-order/adventures-in-food/made-without

Oh yes, cross contamination - I need to watch that alright. Thanks for reminding me! Although I did think I would put the gf food on a separate little table, but that doesn't appeal to me as it kind of makes an issue out of something that the GF 2 can't help!

I like the look of some of the M+S free from stuff, thanks for that.

I'm steering towards all GF, but our lot (non coeliac) love their bread and cakes and stodgy puddings!

@heldinadream hope you feel better soon, and thanks for the ideas. I hope you will be done with the C word for the party season.

Savoury flapjacks - there are loads of variations online but my dc like this one moorlandseater.com/savoury-flapjacks-with-vegetables-nuts-seeds-cheese/
Slices of frittata or individual frittata muffins
Mini rarebit potatoes realfood.tesco.com/recipes/mini-rarebit-potatoes.html
Chicken satay skewers
Halloumi and bacon bites www.theglutenfreeblogger.com/gluten-free-halloumi-and-bacon-bites/

Brownies www.goodhousekeeping.com/uk/food/recipes/a537596/flourless-brownies/
Macaroons www.carnation.co.uk/recipes/coconut-macaroons-recipe
Rice Krispie slices or rocky road - most marshmallows are gluten free and so you’d just have to get gf Rice Krispies or digestives.

The term "gluten free" is legally protected I believe which might help when looking for nice snacks.

Sainsbury's and M&S have a good range of GF food and snack but I'd make sure you buy from specific GF section as gluten can be hidden in things you wouldn't imagine.

I found last Xmas that co op did some great party foods that all presents as naturally GF

I believe the schar gluten free bread is one of the nicer ones as my mom gets this. I think Morrisons do a lot of free from nibbles.
I made my mom the Jamie Oliver gluten free lemon drizzle cake which went down well with guests, even the ones that don't normally have gluten free.

https://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/fruit-recipes/gluten-free-lemon-cake/

Mini crustless quiece cooked in a muffin tin.

Gf sausages or pigs in blankets. Black farmer sausages are the best gf for me.

Or use the above sausages. Squeeze out the saysage meat and make two balls per sausage and wrap in streaky bacon like a little nest abd bake for a stuffing ball.

Ricotta stuffed peppers

Olives and cheese

Salmon and cream cheese on gluten free crackers.

Homemade spicy potato wedges with dip

Cheese gf sausage and pineapple on sticks

Good grief….don’t make it all GF! Your guests won’t thank you for that. GF food is never as nice, especially the bread. Some good suggestions already. Crisps, crackers, dips.m and do samosas and spring rolls. Maybe mini jacket potatoes? Hummus and gf breadsticks.

yes be careful of cross contamination.

You can buy GF biscuits to make your banoffi pie base.

I would ask coeliac guests if they would like shop bought gf food, sealed/carefully handled, or are they happy for you to make something. I believe that some people are so sensitive that you would need separate baking pans etc. Also have to ask if they are happy with 'may contain'.

If they are happy for you to bake/prepare food:

Schar frozen rolls are my favourite
Check shop bought ham isn't breaded
Dessert: the Finest GF cakes from Tesco are tasty - carrot cake and chocolate cake especially

Some snacks - popcorn - make it yourself.

Sainsbury's do some salt and vinegar chickpeas.

Chutneys are often GF, and are if you make your own.

I'd be tempted to just do everything gluten free.

You can make arancini style rice balls with various fillings and just coat in egg to fry.

You can also make a sort of 'breadcrumbs' with gluten free cereal - be careful though Kellogg's corn flakes are not GF but some others are. So you can roll sausages in the breadcrumbs for a sort of sausage roll.

You can make 'kebabs' with cheese, fruit and olives.

Or chicken and veg kebabs.

You could do all the layers of a banoffee pie in a glass or a dish without the base.

Mini baked potatoes using salad potatoes, or boil them, lightly crush and put in oil.

Tomatoes or small peppers filled with cream cheese, spring onions and bacon - either cook the bacon and cool and stuff them as a cold dish or stuff and then bake.

I'm a coeliac and I'd be mortified if I felt other people had to suffer through gluten free breads for my sake to avoid the risk of contamination. If I was that worried about that, I'd bring my own. Don't go overboard, have meats, cheeses, dips, mini skewers that everyone can eat and then just one GF carb (roll or crackers) and it's easy to make a gluten free desert for everyone - pavlova, cheesecake or trifle with gluten free elements, flourless chocolate cake, orange and almond cake etc.

Buffets are difficult for coeliacs. There is a high risk of cross contamination as guests pick up food with gluten in and then use the same hand for the gluten free stuff - possibly transferring crumbs from one to the other and suddenly the gluten free food also has gluten in it....

I would worry about this more than your gluten free guests feeling singled out by having a separate table of food just for them!

Having everything gluten free makes this less of a problem but as pp have said, not everyone would like this option.

I think sometimes, choosing foods that are naturally gluten free is better than trying 'replacement' foods. So rice based rather than pasta, salads or vegetable dishes rather than bread based.

But this takes a lot of planning! We often do chilli and nachos, or jacket potatoes and toppings. For cold buffets, rice salads, cold meats, cheese and crudités work well.

As a coeliac family, we would not want to cause a lot of stress - perhaps just ask what would.work for them?

As a coeliac I’m just pleased to be able to eat something! Anything! Always grateful someone had made an effort.

some great ideas on here and yes, keep things separate. Your gf guests won’t mind at all.

Lots of the sainsburys ttd sausages are gluten free. Their ttd sourdough is also not bad.

I have just become intolerant and I am on a learning curve!

Salad wraps - a large lettuce leaf with cucumber cut lengthways and carrot batons. Can be made less dry with yoghurt dips, cottage/cream cheese.
Stuffed tomatoes - rather like vol-au-vents but work either cooked or raw.
Mushrooms - see above.
Homemade ice-cream, dish with alpro soya and sweetener.
Mashed potato pizzas/ frittatas/ crustless quiche.
Cornflake cakes/ rocky road etc
Gluten free chocolate cakes etc.

As PP said, it will probably work better to make it all gluten free and work in vegetarian options etc. It seems daunting at first but it's easy once you get started.

You can achieve stodge with things like potato wedges. Mini tortillas or crustless quiches, Gf crackers, GF sausage rolls, GF alternatives in the puddings.
Falafel, onion bhajis. Meatballs,

Plenty of cheese. Hummus, guacamole, tzatziki with tortillas (check ingredients)

Meringues work well too.

The other day are friend served an orange polenta cake - it was really delicious and similar to a drizzle cake. It wasn't as crumbly as this one looks.

Lemon Polenta Cake | Nigella's Recipes | Nigella Lawson

I would rethink the food.. for 8 adults and 4 kids.. you could offer a different type of relaxed meal.. bowls.of chilli and rice (mild one for children) or jacket potatoes and toppings.

For dessert.. Eton Mess (not very seasonal but easy!), ice cream, baked apples or crumble using gluten free oats and custard, gluten free flap jacks,

Check that they can eat oats, some coeliacs can’t tolerate even gluten free oats. So Nairns products are not suitable.

(Coeliac here!)

Popcorn.
Tortillas.
Sausages - glute freen some places do cocktail sausages but not many so check carefully.
Sausage rolls can be made with gf sausages and gt just rol much nicer than shop ones generally.
Rolls I would say are better than bread if not toasting - but be aware that you need to use separate butter, condiments, spreads etc. as using one that has has gluten knife in will contaminate.
Sweets
Chocolate
Pittas and hummus
Crudities
Falafel
Onion bhajis
Nachos / jacket potatoes and chilli / rice - be aware Doritos are NOT gluten free, own brand tortillas are good and cheaper!
GF pizzas potentially?
Fairy cakes? / gf cake
Gf breadsticks

Re. doing it separately for your coeliac guests I personally would feel happier with you doing this and putting this aside / serving first for coeliac guests or doing entirely gluten free as I never feel comfortable with risks of cross contamination with every one's hands being in everything. Not saying I would expect all guests to have gf bread etc. but if so then gf food needs to be seperate.

As an aside - for labels you need to be looking for Wheat, Barley, Rye, or Oats (unless specifcally gf oats and even then some coeliacs can be reactive) or any May contains of wheat, barley, rye or oats. Check everything - sauces, drinks, food, you name it (you'd be surprised the things it appears in!) If they say this they are not suitable. Equally re. Cross contamination very important. Use clean seperate utensils for anything gf, no double dipping or using spreads etc like butter or hummus which have been used with gluten bread, chopping boards which are plastic not wood and can be dishwashered ideally, own toaster or grill separately, seperate dishes for anything gluten, usw foil / greaseproof if putting something directly on trays in oven as may be crumbs left over from whatever was cooked before, flour if making anything obviously gluten free including on counter top if sticky, vigilant hand washing and wiping down etc.

M&S is your friend. They put the wheat symbol with a cross on the front of the GF products. Most of their own brand sausages are now GF, there's a GF quiche. Agree with PP that Nairn are not a good choice but rice crackers and most tortilla crisps are okay (including sweet chilli type) and the kids will eat those too.

Ah thanks everyone, you are so kind to take the time to advise me.

OK for a start I am going to make a crustless quiche in a square/oblong dish that I can cut up into small sections. It will be plain enough with just cheese, onion, and finely chopped red and green pepper + herbs. I think that will do one dish anyway.

Next is a tray of halved jacket potatoes. Not sure of the filling, but I think cream cheese as a base will be ok, then bowls of tuna, cheese, chopped tomato, and......? so folk can help themselves,

I will buy GF crisps, and that kind of stuff.

Devilled eggs. Retro cubed cheese and pineapple on sticks

GF sausage rolls. Chicken strips wrapped in bacon.

GF crackers

I'll buy in a big pavlova for dessert (is that completely GF) and I'll give the GF biscuit Banoffee a go. Not sure if it will work, but it should be ok.

Any dangers in the above for the GFs?

There are some other great ideas above that I will incorporate. Thanks for the inspiration!

check the pavlova - most are gluten free but occasionally you can find one that isn't!

We make banoffee with GF chocolate digestives - if using plain GF digestives I would suggest adding a little more butter than usual as GF stuff tends to be a bit drier. The chocolate adds enough extra that they aren't too crumbly..