Gluten-Free Caneles

Canelés de Bordeaux: small fluted cakes with a dark, caramelized crust and a soft, custardy vanilla and rum center. The thin batter rests in the fridge for a day, then bakes in very hot molds for the signature deep-brown shell.

Prep: 20 min Cook: 65 min Total: 1550 min Serves: 12

At a glance: This hard desserts recipe yields 12 servings in about 25h 50m (20 min prep, 65 min cook). It uses 10 ingredients — including whole milk, unsalted butter, vanilla bean — and walks through 7 steps. Updated October 24, 2026. Browse more desserts recipes or return to all gluten-free recipes.

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Cross-Contamination Warning for Gluten-Free Caneles: When preparing this desserts recipe, avoid baking sprays that contain flour for the molds, and wash copper molds well if they have been used for standard batters. Flour dust travels. Bake this on a day the kitchen is not also handling flour that contains gluten, use clean bowls, beaters and baking sheets, and keep the gluten-free flour blend in its own sealed container.

Gluten-Free Notes for Gluten-Free Caneles: Canelé batter uses only a little flour, replaced here with a gluten-free all-purpose flour blend. Use vanilla and a flour blend labeled gluten-free. Rum is distilled and free of gluten, but avoid flavored or spiced rums with added ingredients.

Scale Recipe:

servings

Ingredient amounts update automatically

Instructions

1 Heat the milk, butter and the vanilla bean scrapings and pod until steaming. Remove from the heat and cool to lukewarm. If using vanilla extract, add it with the rum.
2 Whisk the sugar, gluten-free flour blend and salt in a bowl. Whisk in the eggs and yolks until smooth.
3 Slowly whisk in the warm milk, then the rum. Strain into a jar, cover and refrigerate for 24-48 hours.
4 Preheat the oven to 475°F (245°C) with a rack in the lower third. Brush 12 canelé molds (2-inch copper or silicone) thinly with the butter or beeswax mixture, set them on a baking sheet and chill for 10 minutes.
5 Stir the cold batter gently and fill each mold to 1/4 inch from the top.
6 Bake for 12 minutes, then lower the oven to 375°F (190°C) and bake 45-55 minutes more, until the canelés are a deep mahogany brown. If they puff out of the molds, take them out for a minute so they sink back, then return them.
7 Unmold right away onto a rack and cool for at least 1 hour. The crust crisps as they cool.

Tips & Notes

Rest the canelé batter for a full day. It lets the bubbles settle and the flour hydrate, which keeps the canelés from puffing up and gives a smooth, custardy center.
Bake the canelés until they are very dark, almost mahogany. Pale canelés have soft, rubbery crusts instead of the crisp caramel shell.
Eat canelés the day they are baked. The crust softens overnight; a few minutes in a 400°F oven brings back some of the crunch.

Common questions

What cross-contamination risk is specific to Gluten-Free Caneles?

Check whole milk, unsalted butter, vanilla bean, split, or 2 tsp pure vanilla extract before they go into Gluten-Free Caneles. Avoid baking sprays that contain flour for the molds, and wash copper molds well if they have been used for standard batters. Flour dust travels. Bake this on a day the kitchen is not also handling flour that contains gluten, use clean bowls, beaters and baking sheets, and keep the gluten-free flour blend in its own sealed container.

Which gluten-free swaps does Gluten-Free Caneles use?

Gluten-Free Caneles relies on 2/3 cup gluten-free all-purpose flour blend. Keep those gluten-free-labeled products in place of a gluten-containing flour or sauce.

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