Gluten-free Baileys Yule Log Recipe (dairy-free option) (2024)

Gluten-free Baileys yule log recipe, anyone? This is WAY easier to make than you’d think – best of all, you’d never know it was Coeliac-friendly and wheat-free too.

Gluten-free Baileys yule log recipe – the ULTIMATE Christmas baking project. I put a little spin on my classic festive yule log and well… here we are again!

I’ve made it my mission to make sure that Christmas is just as magical as it is for muggles, despite being gluten-free.

I’m pleased to say that I think this recipe definitely fits the bill here! It’s packed with tons of Baileys flavour and a sweet, chocolatey, indulgent finish.

You might think that making a gluten-free sponge that can roll up would be impossible… but it’s actually incredibly easy!

Here’s a few reasons you need to make my gluten-free Baileys yule log recipe if you weren’t convinced already…

Why make my gluten-free Baileys yule log?

Get all the festive flavour of Baileys wrapped in a super soft sponge and thick, fluffy icing with a beautiful swirl in the middle. Perfect for the festive season!
It’s easier to make than you’d think! Follow the recipe and once you’ve successfully rolled up your sponge, it’s simply a matter of making the filling and icing – both of which are a doddle.
Muggles would NEVER know that this is gluten-free – so you can enjoy it with everyone. If they’re lucky enough to get a slice that is!
Once you’ve nailed this recipe, you can use it to make Swiss rolls and change up the flavour combos however you like.
Baileys is gluten-free, so celebrate that fact by making this!

So what does my gluten-free Baileys yule log taste like?

The sponge is INCREDIBLY light, fluffy and chocolatey, packed full of creamy, Baileys-flavoured filling.

The icing is sweet, indulgent and packed with all that lovely chocolatey flavour that we crave at Christmas time. Lastly, it’s topped with Baileys truffles for the ultimate finish!

Here’s everything you’ll need for this recipe – keep scrolling until you see the recipe card for the measurements and method ??

Gluten-free Baileys yule log recipe: Ingredients

Caster sugar: You’ll need this for the sponge and it’s integral to the structure of the sponge. So don’t reduce the amount if you want this bake to function!
Large eggs: Eggs are crucial when you’re making a sponge without butter for a swiss roll/yule log. So I’d recommend using large eggs to make sure it turns out exactly the same as mine did.
Gluten-free self-raising flour: This is super important as not only does gf self-raising contain baking powder to ensure a light sponge, but it also contains xanthan gum too. And it’s very important in this recipe!
Xanthan gum: This is a gluten replacer that’s so important in this recipe. If you expect gluten-free sponge to roll up like ‘muggle’ sponge, you can thank xanthan gum for making it possible!
Cocoa powder: This gives the sponge and icing a lovely, rich chocolatey flavour.
Double cream: I wanted the filling of this one to be super creamy and light and double cream whips up perfectly to fill our swirl.
Icing sugar: Icing sugar is perfect for the the filling as it vanishes into the cream whilst adding a sweet flavour.
Baileys: Yes, it’s gluten-free and adds tons of festive, boozy flavour!
Dark chocolate:Don’t worry, once you mix this with the butter and icing sugar, the buttercream doesn’t taste especially ‘dark’ at all.
Baileys truffles: Yes, these are gluten-free too! You can find them on Amazon or in B&M.
White chocolate: This is just so you can grated a little on top to finish.

So I thought I’d kick things off with a little frequently asked questions section – if you just want the recipe, then keep scrolling.

But I’ve thrown in some tips here that will be really helpful if this is your first time making this, or you want to adapt it. So here they are!

Gluten-free Baileys yule log recipe: Frequently Asked Questions

Can I make this recipe gluten-free?

It is gluten-free, though nobody would know just by tasting it – trust me!

Bear in mind that minimising cross-contamination is hugely important if you’re Coeliac or making this for someone who is. Here’s some tips from Coeliac UK on minimising the risk of cross contamination.

Also, make sure that all ingredients used don’t have any gluten-containing ingredients. Then make sure that they also don’t have a ‘may contain’ warning for gluten, wheat, rye, barley, oats (which aren’t gf), spelt and khorasan wheat (aka Kamut).

Here’s some more info from Coeliac UK on identifying safe gluten-free products.

Can I make your gluten-free Baileys yule log recipe dairy free?

Of course you can! You just need a few simple swaps:

Instead of using double cream, use: Elmlea Plant Double Cream
Use Stork hard margarine instead of butter for the icing. You might need to add a little extra icing sugar for the buttercream icing just to bring it together, as hard margarine can be a little looser than when using butter.
Ensure all chocolate used is dairy-free and omit the Baileys truffles on top.
Instead of using Baileys, use a dairy-free Baileys equivalent

Also, just double-check that your cocoa powder is dairy free.

Can I make your gluten-free Baileys yule log recipe vegan?

Though it’s easy to make this dairy-free using the instructions above this recipe isn’t so easy to make vegan unfortunately.

The first stage of this recipe involves whisking eggs and sugar together so you can get lots of air into it – that rules out most egg replacements already.

Also, since there’s no gluten in the sponge AND we’re rolling it up, eggs are super important in terms of binding to make sure it doesn’t break and crack easily.

If I was to try and make this vegan, I’d try aquafaba first (3 tbsp per egg) as it’s one of the few egg replacers that can whip up like real egg. If you try making this recipe using aquafaba before I do, please let me know how you get on in the comments below this post.

Is your gluten-free Baileys yule log recipe low FODMAP?

Unfortunately, as double cream is high in lactose, this makes this recipe unsuitable for the elimination phase of the low FODMAP diet. Dairy-free alternatives often contain excess soya or coconut, making those high FODMAP too.

So it’s best to leave this one until you’ve (hopefully) successfully reintroduced dairy. You can always make my classic festive yule log instead.

Is Baileys gluten-free?

Yes, Baileys Irish Cream is gluten-free! As you can see on the Baileys website, the only allergens present are milk.

Where can I find Baileys truffles?

They’re not that easy to find in supermarkets since this recipe was first posted!

Can I make your gluten-free Baileys yule log in a food processor or standing mixer?

Yes – to a stand mixer with a whisk attachment for the cake batter! I personally prefer to use an electric whisk for the cake batter as it only involves short periods of mixing. Here’s a link to the electric whisk I use.

I wouldn’t recommend a food processor for this one – you really need a whisk attachment to get a lot of air into your eggs for this cake to work.

When it comes to buttercream, I prefer to use my standing mixer with the paddle attachment as you have to mix it for a longer period of time (around 10 minutes). So it’s much easier to just let the mixer do the hard work!

Can I make your gluten-free Baileys yule log without any kind of electric mixer at all?

Yep! But just make sure that when you whisk the sugar and eggs together, you use a hand whisk and gets lots and lots of air into the mixture until frothy. It’s super-important that the sponge mixture is really consistently mixed!

Oh and when it comes to the buttercream, it might take you a while! Itcan be a bit of a mission, but just make sure you don’t leave any dry mixture at the bottom of the bowl and you should be fine.

Do I need any special equipment to bake your gluten-free Baileys yule log?

You’ll need is a swiss roll tin – I use this one by Mary Berry and Lakeland, it’s 35cm by 25cm.

If you’re in a bit of a pinch and don’t have a swiss roll tin, you can easily use a baking tray instead as long as it’s roughly the same size and sides aren’t too low.

Oh and make sure you have some baking paper – I use Bacofoil. You’ll definitely need this to successfully roll up your sponge and to stop the sponge sticking to the swiss roll tin.

Can I bake this using the all-in-one method?

In case you didn’t already know, the all-in-one method involves bunging all your sponge ingredients into a bowl at once and mixing them together. That’s instead of adding them gradually.

This isn’t a regular sponge recipe – there’s no butter! So definitely don’t throw all the sponge ingredients at once. Trust me, it won’t turn out ok and we need the sponge to be spot on so it can be rolled without breaking.

For example, the first stage, which involves whisking sugar and eggs, is really important to do separately so you get lots of air into the eggs so they go nice and frothy.

So no – definitely don’t throw everything in the bowl at once, please!

Can I make this recipe without xanthan gum?

In some of my recipes, yes, but I wouldn’t recommend leaving xanthan gum out of this one. You’ll see xanthan gum in a lot of my recipes as it’s an essential ingredient in gluten-free baking.

Without gluten or xanthan gum to bind the cake together, you’ll be left with a very brittle, fragile sponge which won’t work for this recipe. In other words, you won’t have a hope in hell of being able to roll it up without xanthan gum!

Some people have asked if they can use psyllium husk powder instead of xanthan gum, but I’ve found that it definitely results in a denser sponge so I wouldn’t overly recommend it.

Can I make this recipe using other gluten-free flours like buckwheat flour or coconut flour?

There’s a big difference between ‘gluten-free plain/self-raising flour’ and a *singular* type gluten-free flour. When I say ‘gluten-free plain or self-raising flour’ in a recipe, I mean a BLEND of gluten-free flours, not just one, singular flour.

Most gluten-free flour you buy in the supermarket typically contains a blend of rice flour, potato flour, maize flour, tapioca flour AND buckwheat flour. That’s a lot of different flours!

In gluten-free self-raising flour, there’s usually even a little baking powder and xanthan gum in it too which always helps.

So to replace it with just one specific type of flour… that’s not going to cut it at all. Definitely go for a gluten-free flour blend.

Do I need weighing scales to make your gluten-free Baileys yule log?

In short… yes, yes and yes! And I wouldn’t advise attempting any of my recipes without them.

A lot of work went into fine tuning ratios and quantities and for me, baking is all about consistency and precision. I want you to make this recipe and for it to turn out EXACTLY like mine did.

I’d recommending using digital cooking scales like these so you know you’re getting an accurate measurement and replicating my recipe as accurately as poss.

5 tips for the perfect gluten-free Baileys yule log

Ensure you adequately whisk up the eggs at the very start. This is key in a sponge that doesn’t contain any butter.
You MUST roll up the sponge with baking paper inside. There’s no butter in this one and it’ll still be warm, so you’ll find that it loves to stick to itself. Baking paper prevents this from happening!
You MUST roll up the sponge whilst it’s still warm. If you allow it to cool, it’s game over. It will 100% break when you try to roll it up.
Don’t skip adding xanthan gum to this one. We should all be impressed that it’s even possible that you can roll up a sponge without gluten, so don’t expect it to work half as well with out my favourite gluten-replacer: xanthan gum.
Allow the sponge to fully cool, whilst rolled up, before filling it. Not only does allowing it cool whilst rolled up give it it’s swirly shape and structure, but the filling will melt if the sponge is still warm.

Once cooled, store in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to 3-5 days. I say the fridge because there’s cream in the filling after all!

If you wish to freeze it, you can also store it in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months. I’d highly recommend slicing it up first.

To thaw your frozen gluten-free Baileys yule log, allow each slice to thaw at room temperature for around 3 hours.

Gluten-free Baileys yule log recipe: Method

Oh and here’s a printable version of my gluten-free Baileys yule log recipe. Please remember to give it 5 stars if you tried it and enjoyed it as it helps people know it’s worth trying too! ⭐️