Gallery: 7 Gluten-Free Sweets We Love In San Francisco

Though traditionally made with almond or hazelnut flour, not all macarons are gluten-free. Luckily, Miette makes their macarons the old-fashioned way, with two coarsely ground-almond meringue cookies sandwiching flavored buttercream or ganache. All the flavors are good, but the coffee (top) and chocolate-orange (bottom) are personal favorites for their intense flavor. And thanks to the almond flour, the cookies have a ton of chew.

Miette: 449 Octavia Street, San Francisco, CA 94102 (map); (415) 626-6221; miette.com

Beware Nutella fans. This brownie ($3.50) is addictive. The over-sized brownie is a little dense—in a good way—as your teeth sink in, the intensely chocolatey crumb starts to melts a little, blooming chocolate flavor on your tongue. Big chunks of hazelnuts make sure that the nutty flavor is just as prominent as the chocolate. A rich and decadent brownie that makes you wonder why you need flour in the first place.

Greens: 15 Marina Boulevard
San Francisco (map); 415) 771-6222; greensrestaurant.com

Florentines are definitely an underrated sweet—because what's not to love about two thin almond cookies sandwiched around bittersweet chocolate? At Fillmore Bakeshop, each chewy cookie ($2.25) is easily palm-sized. The main star of the cookie are the almonds, with their toasty, caramel-like flavor. These are elegant yet satisfying cookies that would be great for a GF dessert plate.

Fillmore Bakeshop: 1890 Fillmore Street, San Francisco, CA 94115 (map); (415) 923-0711

It's a telling sign that Kara's keeps their selection of gluten-free cupcakes on a pedestal—they're great examples of well executed gluten-free cake (which is not an easy thing to do.) There were five GF flavors when I visited, but the vanilla-coconut cupcake was recommended, and I'll second the gesture. The base cake has a soft, moist crumb that is slightly springier than normal cupcakes, but otherwise tastes like good vanilla birthday cake. The frosting is a tangy cream cheese, the chewy shards of real coconut adding a burst of tropical flavor.

Kara’s Cupcakes: 3249 Scott Street, San Francisco, CA, 94123 (map); 415-563-2253; karascupcakes.com

Gluten-freers looking for a good coffee shop should hit up Jane on Fillmore. There's always gluten-free options (and vegan ones, too) in the breakfast sweet, cookie, and cake categories. I chose the muffin ($4.35) because hey, vegan and gluten-free muffins aren't easy to pull off, and this is both. But Jane manages, creating a breakfast sweet that's not only GF, but also does right by the banana. Instead of a heavy, cloying muffin, this actually tastes "fresh", which I don't think I've ever said about banana-flavored anything. In addition, the chocolate chips are nice and bitter, there's a heavy dose of cinnamon, and lots of lopsided muffin top (because we all know that's the best part.)

Jane: 2123 Fillmore Street, San Francisco, CA 94115 (map); (415) 931-5263; janeonfillmore.com

If you're eating gluten-free in San Francisco, you definitely can't miss Mariposa Baking Co. All of their sweets are gluten-free (and many are vegan), so there's no worry about what to choose. My favorite option? Definitely the brownies ($3) which are incredibly rich and fudgy. If you're a fan of chewy, chocolately, almost truffle-like brownies then these are for you.

Mariposa Baking Company: One Ferry Building
San Francisco, CA 94111 (map); 415-291-3276; mariposabaking.com

Macarons should be small bursts of flavor with a chewy, satisfying texture. The Italian Pistachio macaron ($1.70) at Chantal Guillon in Hayes Valley is exactly that—like the essence of pistachios with an extra touch of sweetness.

Chantal Guillon: 437A Hayes Street San Francisco, California 94102 (map); (415) 864-2400; chantalguillon.com