Need some fresh wedding dessert ideas for common dietary restrictions? Friends, you’re in the right spot!
There are plenty of reasons why a couple may want to plan a wedding that accommodates dietary restrictions. It may be that the couple themselves don’t eat a certain type of food. Or, that they want to make sure that all their guests enjoy the spread. Or, there is a certain guest that they are catering to. And while it’s difficult to plan a whole menu that eliminates certain ingredients, it’s not that hard to focus just on dessert.
Dessert is easy to adapt for many different reasons. For example, dessert isn’t usually a big part of the overall wedding budget. And, many people skip dessert. Plus, dessert can be what you want it to be. Yes, wedding cakes may be the main star, but it’s easy for them to accommodate dietary restrictions if you have the right baking ingredients. More on that later.
Wedding Dessert Ideas For Common Dietary Restrictions
This post is going to share with you wedding dessert ideas for common dietary restrictions. In particular, it will share ideas for vegan, dairy-free, and gluten-free wedding desserts. Unfortunately, I do not share recipes in this post. Instead, I provide links to resources with recipes. I promise that most professional bakers will work with you to adjust their ingredients to adhere to any of these diets, and that in some cases you can even DIY your own wedding desserts with the tips in this post.
Let’s get into it!
VEGAN WEDDING DESSERT IDEAS
If you’re not entirely sure what a vegan is, let me break it down for you.
A vegan diet means no animal products. This includes meat, fish, dairy, eggs, and in some cases, honey. It all depends on the person eating the diet and how they feel about animals aiding in the production of the ingredients. Some vegans are very extreme, and will avoid refined sugar that has been processed with the use of animal products. However, there are many vegan-friendly sugars out there (like organic cane sugar and beet sugar).
The best wedding dessert ideas for vegans can include a plethora of delicious ingredients. Barring any allergies or general aversions, most vegans will eat nuts, fruits, grains, and oils. Many eat dark chocolate as well. When you think about it, there is a whole world of opportunity for vegan desserts given the ability to use so many versatile ingredients. For example, oils are an effective substitute for butter or milk. And, flax eggs (ground flax meal mixed with water) can be used in place of an egg.
EXAMPLES OF VEGAN FRIENDLY WEDDING DESSERTS:
- Fruit salad
- Bars with a nut base or fruit layers
- Coconut whipped toppings
- Brownies with dark chocolate, flax eggs, and an oil base
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES FOR VEGAN FRIENDLY WEDDING DESSERTS:
- Best Vegan Desserts (From Brides)
- Vegan Wedding Desserts (From NST Pictures)
- Vegan Wedding Desserts For Your Vegan Wedding Guests (From George Street Photos)
DAIRY FREE WEDDING DESSERT IDEAS
While vegan food may imply dairy-free, let’s explore some specifically dairy free wedding dessert ideas.
Dairy free is just as the name implies. No dairy. This means no milk, butter, or cheese. However, eggs are okay to use. Additionally, those who are dairy free can also enjoy nuts, fruits, sugar, honey, flour, and oil. There are lots of reasons why someone does not eat dairy. The main reasons are typically that they are lactose intolerant, have an allergy, or dairy makes them feel sick.
With the use of eggs, more options come up for dairy free desserts than vegan options. This may make things easier for you if you’re making your own wedding dessert, or working with a baker. Plus, refined sugar and honey provide more options than if they have to be omitted.
EXAMPLES OF DAIRY FREE WEDDING DESSERTS:
- Cookies made with dairy free butter, or no butter at all. Peanut butter or oil can often be used in place of butter.
- Meringues, made with egg whites and sugar
- Cupcakes or cake made with an alternative milk, like almond or oat milk.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES FOR DAIRY FREE WEDDING DESSERTS:
GLUTEN FREE WEDDING DESSERT IDEAS
Of all the dietary restrictions, gluten free may be one of the most confusing.
Gluten is a general name for proteins found in wheat, rye, and barley. Historically, almost all bread and bready things contained gluten, as anything made from all purpose or wheat flour had gluten in it. However, these days there are many gluten free options that can substitute the “real thing”. This is great as more and more people have discovered they cannot tolerate eating gluten, for a variety of personal reasons.
One of the great things about a gluten free menu is that there still are many ingredients that can be used, barring any allergies or other restrictions. For example, eggs and nuts are okay to use. And, dairy is fine as well. Alternative flours made from almonds or coconut can be excellent replacements for all purpose flour. In fact, I love baking with almond flour because it provides great flavor and similar texture as all purpose flour.
EXAMPLES OF GLUTEN FREE WEDDING DESSERTS:
- Cake made with almond flour
- Custards (as long as they are not thickened with flour)
- Cookies and brownies made with coconut flour
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES FOR GLUTEN FREE WEDDING DESSERTS:
- Gluten Free Desserts (From All Recipes)
- Gluten Free Desserts (From Insanely Good Recipes)
- Delectable Dessert Recipes You Would Never Guess Were Gluten Free (From Simply Recipes)
CLOSING THOUGHTS
Friends, it’s awesome that you’re looking for wedding dessert ideas for common dietary restrictions. If you are someone who eats just about anything, it can be a daunting task to accommodate those who are vegan, dairy free, or gluten free. However, your wedding guests who are able to indulge in the desserts you serve will thank you and their experience at your wedding will be enhanced because of it. Happy wedding planning!
More From Hummingbird Wedding Advice
Non Alcoholic Mocktail Recipes For Your Wedding
Dessert-Only Wedding Reception Do’s & Don’ts
How To Build An Amazing Charcuterie Board
Did you find this post helpful, inspiring? PIN it to your Wedding Food Board on Pinterest!
Leave a Reply