Gift Guide for the Gluten Free
Posted: December 3, 2023 Updated: April 4, 2024
It’s Christmas and you’ve been given the only coeliac in the family as Secret Santa 😱, well my gluten free gift guide is here to help you. Or maybe you’re the only gluten free person at work and you need to drop some serious hints, just send them this link and relax. Hopefully they’ll buy something from it!
Sometimes even the best of us need a helping hand when it comes to gift giving. I’ve been with my husband since 2017, yet buying me a present still makes him sweat. I’m just hard to buy for I guess?
In 2023 I even wrote an entire article just to give him a range of options of what gluten free things to buy for Valentines Day. Spoiler, he bought me 1. 2. and 4. I sorted out option 6 for the two of us.
I set this guide up for Christmas but really it is suitable all year round.
I’ve divided this guide up into a few sections, with links to each group below. You’ll find a back to the top button at the end of each section for easier navigation.
Some links in this post are affiliate links. They provide a small commission to me at no extra cost to you. Running this site is my only job, your purchase might help me afford a nice coffee.
Contents
Gluten Free Food Gifts
I can happily say I’ve eaten a lot of these products. I’ve also got guides to help you with a lot of them too.
Really expensive gluten free ingredients or products
This is inspired by my Valentines post. Basically all you need to do is buy that luxury item your gluten free friend or relative can’t justify spending just on themselves. Here’s a few examples,
- Caputo GF flour – renown worldwide as the best gluten free flour this goes for between $15 and $20 for a 1kg bag. My friend swears by it for her amazing gluten free pizza bases. Note: It contains gluten free wheat starch (totally safe for coeliacs, but not for a wheat allergy)
- Pana Organic ice cream – amazing if you have a GF pal who is also DF or vegan. These tubs are delicious but retail around $15 for a 1 litre tub.
- Bailey’s chocolate truffles – accidentally gluten free and AMAZING. I got these for mothers day and again on my birthday. They are about $20 from Coles and Woolies. I do not share them. New for 2023 is a salted caramel set – I’ve seen it for sale at Myer.
- Haigh’s chocolates are another good example of delicious products that have a hefty price tag. Most of their range is gluten free, check the label before buying.
Sweet treats
I haven’t ordered many sweet deliveries over the years but the few that we have we certainly memorable. By far the best was a place called MannaDew that operates in London and ships around the UK – they do the biggest gluten free pastries and they are to die for.
But, most of my audience is Australian these days so that doesn’t help! Most recently we got a big box from Coeliac Australia accredited Butter Mafia who are able to ship all around Australia. Check out my review to learn about their delicious cookies and slices.
Bellarine Brownie Company make gluten free brownies and rocky roads. I came across a discount code on the Coeliac Australia website – GF2023 will get you a tidy 10% discount.
If you’re based in Brisbane you could check out Australian Wildflour Pastry Co offer a click and collect service for their artisan gluten free cakes.
Sydney-based gluten free folk no doubt know about Sebastien sans Gluten, WholeGreen Bakery and Nutie. You can read my guide to Sydney GF bakeries for even more.
Melbourne probably has the most gluten free bakeries with, Ardor, Glazed, 4me Gluten Free, Kudo, GF Bakery, Strada and Voila Patisserie.
For local more recommendations ask your friendly gluten free Facebook group!
Meal delivery services
If your coeliac pal is more of a savoury person you might like to surprise them with gluten free meals delivered to their home. There’s a few around, but let me know in the comments of any more!
- Pantry by Davies St, based in Melbourne shipping around Victoria
- Yummy Karma, deliver from Sydney to major cities on the east coast
- We Feed You deliver down the east coast of Australia
- Tassie and Adelaide (and eastern Aus) are included in Nourish’d deliveries
If these ready meals are out of your reach (location or cost) check out my guide to GF ready meals at Woolworths.
DIY Hampers
First things first, make sure the container is reusable! As cute as a wicker basket is, is your recipient really going to use it? Probably not. So, if your heart is set on it by all means do it – but buy it from an op shop! Otherwise, go with cardboard, cover an old cardboard box with Christmas wrapping paper to dress it up.
If you really need to buy something new consider a storage container (like something from Kmart) or even tuppaware – my mate baked me a slice for my birthday and put it in this super cute container made from eco-friendly recycled plastic.
Ideas for your gluten free hampers
- Baking kit – some fancy ingredients, some new baking ware and hey presto it’s a full box
- Waffle kit – you can get a mini waffle iron at Kmart for $15, throw in a packet of flour (or a pancake mix), maple syrup and jams and there’s breakfast sorted on Boxing Day.
- Wine and cheese – pick up some fancy crackers (Aldi do some nice ones that don’t cost the earth), their favourite wine, nuts, honey and quince paste. If you’re not travelling far throw in a wheel of fancy cheese (just make sure it keeps cool!).
- Lollies! Literally just a hamper of lollies and chocolates. Check out the my lolly guides for Kmart and Big W for ideas on how to fill it. Also check the Christmas treats guide.
Hampers from the shops
If you’d prefer to skip the stress there are gluten free hampers online. A quick search found a few suitable ones. I’d give Hamper Emporium a miss though, I’m not sure I trust their gluten free filter.
- Whisk and Pin – make a great range of gluten free products alongside their regular range. They’ve got gifts from $33 up to a Christmas feast hamper for $199. The site is really good, going through box contents and ingredients – handy if you have multiple dietary requirements to consider.
- You Me Gluten Free – specialise in 100% gluten free products that are labelled gluten free, so that’s extra peace of mind. They also include the option of booze in their hampers! Including beers and wine. Prices range from $60 – $200.
- Healthy Hampers has a lot of gluten free hampers annnnd a lot of hampers that are also vegan. Similar prices from $60 – $200.
- Byron Bay Gifts have seven different gluten free hampers. What I love with these is that there are Christmas themed add-ons like gingerbread, pudding and candy canes.
Homemade foods
The sky is really the limit on this one. If you want to go the extra mile talk to your friend about what foods they miss and see if you can replicate them. My bestie was going to make me cinnamon buns for my birthday until her oven died a week before so I missed out! Maybe she will make them for me for her birthday… 🤔
Here’s a few suggestions
- Crispy chilli oil (like Lao Gan Ma)
- Jam of any kind
- Cured egg yolks (for a gourmet foodie)
- A Christmassy biscuit spread
One of my friends is actually making me bread for Christmas! Homemade gluten free sourdough and I am so looking forward to it!
Lifestyle gifts and for the home
A lot of the suggestions here I actually own myself! So I definitely endorse this section of the gluten free gift guide.
Many of these items are ideal for a newly diagnosed coeliac as they might be finding themselves overwhelmed replacing or rethinking their way around the house.
Microwave toastie maker
It looks like it’s straight out of a late night infomercial! I got this for my birthday in 2022 after seeing someone on Instagram use it. It’s a bit silly to have at home (I usually use a frying pan) but how amazing would it be for the office?! No need to use the dirty sandwich press in the lunch room.
I’ve also seen a few hacks with people using it to cook hash browns and chicken nuggets! Now that is much much quicker than an oven.
The one I have is from Amazon, there’s one for sale at Bunnings but it’s a bit more expensive.
A separate toaster
One of my friends got her coeliac daughter her very own toaster as a gift a few years ago. She was rapt! This is super handy in a household that isn’t 100% gluten free. We only have a GF toaster at the moment but when my daughter is a bit older I’ll be getting her and her dad a toaster to share so they can have some wheaty treats.
I don’t recommend my toaster (Breville, the ‘just a bit more’) it’s rubbish and toasts unevenly and it was so expensive 🤦♀️.
However, I do recommend spending a bit (i.e. not Kmart) and getting something with a frozen setting as we gluten free folk freeze a lot of bread (all of mine are Coles markdowns).
A gluten free bread knife
Sounds weird right? But have you ever seen one of those cheap bread knives up close, the ones with the really fine serrations? They must be literally impossible to remove gluten from!
I have seen numerous filthy knives during Airbnb stays. Look at the all the bits stuck there, all the food gunk in the ridges!
When I first moved back to Australia we lived in Sydney, right near WholeGreen Bakery which sells fresh whole loaves of bread. I decided a dedicated gluten free bread knife was in order and I set out to buy myself quite a nice one at Myer. I just looked in my drawer and it turns out I settled on a cheaper one – this $10 beauty from Target!
It might sound silly but it’s just nice having something exclusively your own.
Personalised chopping board
A personalised or dedicated gluten free chopping board is a super cute idea for anyone with a shared kitchen. When I bring home a loaf of Kudo or Roundtable sourdough I dedicate my favourite wooden chopping board to it so that I’ve got a clean surface to cut it on until it’s finished.
If it’s a hectic household or you want to make it a bit more special there are folks out there who will do custom engraving on wooden chopping boards. Etsy is a good place to look at a large range of customisable boards.
I’ve looked up a few Etsy sellers that ship within Australia so it’ll get to you before Christmas. All of these are customisable.
- A beautiful round chopping / cheese board
- A slightly longer board with a more natural shape on the sides
- An affordable and eco-friendly bamboo board (lowest price in the list)
- Rectangular acacia chopping board (my favourite)
- A slightly more narrow chopping board
Coeliac Australia membership
This is really one for a very new coeliac. Coeliac Australia membership gives you access to members only website content, a free ticket to the GF expo, quarterly magazines and a free OMG doughnut on your birthday.
First time members also receive a hamper of gluten free products!
The initial membership is $110 and ongoing is $60 per year.
Cooking and Baking equipment
If your gluten free pal is an avid baker they might appreciate some new baking equipment!
While most baking products can be sufficiently cleaned to remove the risk of cross contamination a few items can be considered for replacement.
- Wooden mixing spoons
- Air fryers – much like a toaster I don’t believe you can safely share one.
- Baking trays with eons of baked on goodness. My favourite roasting pans are IKEA.
- Sieve and colander
Some of these items are pretty low cost so consider going the extra mile and getting something to make your GF person feel extra special.
Cook books
There’s so many amazing gluten free cooks, chefs, and content creators out there and in the last year or two oodles of them have published books. Here’s just a short few.
- Back to Biscuits – a dedicated biscuit book by UK GF blogger Glutarama (also available for Kindle)
- The Very Hungry Coeliac – from Master Chef contestant Melanie Persson
- Gluten Free Mediterranean – by Helen Tzouganatos
- A multitude of books by Becky Excell.
Clothes, gadgets and travel
Towards the end of writing this guide I had a few leftover items and wasn’t sure how to group them. So this is that part of the list. There’s lots of humorous products out there for coeliacs as well as a few useful items for travel.
The great thing about this section is it can be a bit lower in cost 👌.
Clothing
I own one gluten free related t-shirt that I picked up from a bakery in Budapest. I won’t post it here as it is not so politely telling gluten where to go 😂. However, you can get much more friendly t-shirts online.
- Two sharks wondering if a human is gluten free
- Too cool for gluten
- Whatever, gluten sucks
- Can I just read the label
- Eat meat not wheat
Most of these T-shirts are shipping from Australia so you’ll get them in time for Christmas.
Toastabags
Branded as a way to make a toasted sandwich in a toaster these little heat proof bags are ideal for travelling coeliacs to use otherwise contaminated toasters. You simply put your bread inside the bag and then pop the whole thing into the toaster. Hey presto, coeliac safe toast!
They are reusable many times but they do get a bit gross once you start using things like fruit toast.
You can buy toastabags at Spotlight stores ($8 pack of 2) – they were hard to find, I found them hanging on frame between displays. Like how beer nuts used to hang at the supermarket.
You can also buy a larger packet of 10 through Amazon, making the price per bag a fair bit cheaper.
Mini magnifying glass
I ran this idea by my friend and she thought it was awesome! If your gluten free pal doesn’t have the best sight, perhaps a magnifying glass will help guide them through the tiny ingredient labels? You can easily get a pocket magnifying glass online for around $10.
Pair that with the ‘can I just read the label’ T-shirt and you’ve got a themed gift. Be sure to include a gluten free product with the smallest possible ingredients label!
Stickers, labels and label makers
Keeping non-GF family members away from your expensive gluten free goods can be hard. It can be made a bit more clear with the use of bright labels. My favourite designs are by Sydney local and coeliac mum Gluten Free Kids Co. They sell a packet of 40 labels that are waterproof and dishwasher safe meaning they are perfect for your food storage containers.
On Etsy you can get a roll of 100 gluten free stickers or if you want something with a bit more versatility you could buy a label maker. We bought a label maker off Amazon this year and I haven’t seen it – my husband is always using it 😅.
Experiences
In a world where we have far too many possessions (I have too many dresses) experiences are an ideal gift. Plus, if it’s something you’re into you can both do it together!
Baking classes
The first thing that came to mind is gluten free baking classes, in particular sourdough baking classes. Eat Cannoli, the maker’s of Roundtable Sourdough regularly host a gluten free baking class at their cafe in Preston, Victoria. I’ve spoken to Eat Cannoli and they will be launching more classes in time for Christmas gifting.
If you’re looking at an online class my good friend Marja continually sings the praises of Naomi Devlin, an expert on all things sourdough. Her courses are done online, and Marja said it was life changing. I’ve tried Marja’s gluten free sourdough and it’s the best I’ve ever eaten (yes, even better than Kudo).
If you’re curious, in terms of a taste / style Naomi’s bread is similar to what you get at Kudo in Melbourne.
I’m willing to bet there are loads of cooking and baking courses out there that offer gluten free options for coeliacs. As much as I’d like to list them, researching them would add several hours work to this article.
If you need starting points look at courses for macarons, chocolates and Mexican cuisine. These three can easily be gluten free.
Gluten Free High Tea
There are oodles of venues that now cater to coeliacs for high tea services. There’s honestly too many to name. My best tip is to jump on your local gluten free Facebook group and ask the friendly members for a recommendation.
A delicious meal out
There are of course loads of gluten free venues and ones that cater safely for coeliacs. Has your friend visited them all? You could take them out for brunch, lunch or dinner.
If they are new parents you could offer to babysit for three hours so they can visit that amazing venue on the other side of the city!
The great thing about this gift is it’s ultra last minute, you’re literally giving them a promise to take them out in January. Too easy.
Gluten Free Gifts for Kids
A gift guide for gluten free kids is … a bit out of my expertise but there’s a few things that come to mind. Let me know in the comments if you have any great gift ideas for coeliac children!
Treat boxes
Happy Gluten Free Kids offer a once-off as well as subscription service which provides a mini hamper full of gluten free treats to excite young kids. The owner is a mum of four (including three coeliacs) so you know everything is kid tested and approved.
Play dough
Play, what? For those without gluten free kids it may surprise you to know that play dough is not gluten free. I mean, there’s a hint in the word dough I guess. Plus is smells awful 😂.
Happily one Aussie mum (and lovely lady) started Gluten Free Kids Co from her home in Sydney, inventing her very own Squishough. It’s endorsed by Coeliac Australia and comes in a range of vibrant colours and delightful scents.
The GF Kid’s Co team are on a bit of a break at the moment so stock is limited – do consider buying a gift card if your favourite item isn’t in stock – or keep it in mind for a little one’s birthday!
If you’d prefer an interactive play dough experience Happy Tummies just started selling a play dough mix! Using your own colours at home you can cook up any kind of gluten free play dough you please. Happy Tummies has a huge range of gluten free and allergy safe products so you could end up buying a few items!
Jack the Silly Yak
I haven’t read this book but I’ve certainly heard of it! But it’s more than a book, there’s also songs and YouTube videos of a young yak called Jack who finds out they are coeliac. There’s the book available to purchase along with related products and free downloadable activities.
Did you enjoy my gluten free gift guide? Tell your friends! And while you’re at it, check out my other amazing gluten free guides.
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