Archive for Product Advisory
Easter Candy
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[2010 Update: I can't believe how many different Easter candies show up every year. I've added quite a few this year. I even added a category for pre-filled plastic eggs.
Some items to note: 1) Cadbury's Creme Eggs don't have gluten listed in their ingredients this year. Yay! 2) The original Reese's peanut butter eggs and even the small size do not have gluten in the ingredients. However, there is wheat flour in the the Reese's miniature candies that are foil-wrapped, including the mini Reester Bunnies. Boo!
I've done my best to make accurate updates, and will continue to do so as I find more this month. If you happen to find a mistake, or question the gluten safety of the candy, please add a comment below so everyone can read and benefit from the discussion. Thanks, and have a Happy Easter!]
So I’ve been shopping at our local discount and grocery stores for gluten-free Easter candy. You’ll find my list of Safe and Unsafe Candy below. My determination of “Safe Gluten-Free Candy” and “Unsafe Candy” is based solely on me reading package labels at the stores in my area. After each “unsafe” candy, I have noted why I chose to consider it unsafe. Whether it has gluten in the ingredients or the possibility of trace amounts due to cross-contamination, you can decide for yourself. Please keep in mind that products do vary their packaging and labeling, so it’s always best if you read the labels yourself. However, I know sometimes that isn’t always possible, especially this time of year when our kids are going to community egg hunts. So, here’s what I found in our stores. I hope it helps and gives you peace of mind while you enjoy the “Safe” Easter candies.
Safe Gluten-Free Candy
Jelly Beans
- Gimbal’s Jelly Beans
- Jelly Belly Jelly Beans (including original and sour flavors)
- Just Born Jelly Beans (including original fruit flavored, licorice flavored (black), berry flavored, and spice flavored)
- Jolly Rancher Jelly Beans (including fruit smoothie flavors)
- Lifesaver Jellybeans
- Mike and Ike Jelly Beans
- Nerds Bumpy Jelly Beans (Wonka) (Be careful. This had cross-contamination warnings on the packages I found last year.)
- Russel Stover Pectin Jelly Beans
- Spree Jelly Beans (Cherry, Lemon and Green Apple)
- Starburst Jellybeans (original, tropical, and red fruits)
- SweeTart Jelly Beans (Be careful. This had cross-contamination warnings on the packages I found last year.)
- Teenee Beanee Jelly Beans (including Island Breeze, Americana Medley, and Country Retreat flavored packages)
Plastic Eggs Pre-filled with Candy
- Bee Flowers and Fairies Egg Hunt (includes Smarties, Super Bubble bubble gum, Taffy Werks, Jelly Bean Werks, and Lemonheads)
- Bee Sport Ball Eggs (includes Smarties, Super Bubble bubble gum, Taffy Werks, Jelly Bean Werks, and Lemonheads)
- Bee Noah’s Ark Easter Egg Hunt (includes Smarties, Super Bubble bubble gum, Taffy Werks, Jelly Bean Werks, and Lemonheads)
- Bug Collector Candy Filled Egg Hunt (includes Ferrara Pan jellybeans, Tropical Chewy Lemonhead and Friends, Chewy Lemonhead and Friends, Jaw Busters)
- Mmmm…Cupcakes Egg Hunt (includes Ferrara Pan jellybeans, Red Hots, Tropical Chewy Lemonhead and Friends, Chewy Lemonhead and Friends, Jaw Busters)
- Peace and Love Egg Hunt (includes Ferrara Pan jellybeans, Red Hots, Tropical Chewy Lemonhead and Friends, Chewy Lemonhead and Friends, Jaw Busters)
- Dress Up Candy Filled Egg Hunt (includes Ferrara Pan jellybeans, Tropical Chewy Lemonhead and Friends, Chewy Lemonhead and Friends, Jaw Busters)
- Farm Friends Candy Filled Egg Hunt (includes Ferrara Pan jellybeans, Tropical Chewy Lemonhead and Friends, Chewy Lemonhead and Friends, Jaw Busters)
- Game Time Candy Filled Egg Hunt (includes Ferrara Pan jellybeans, Tropical Chewy Lemonhead and Friends, Chewy Lemonhead and Friends, Jaw Busters)
- Glow in the Dark Egg Hunt (includes Ferrara Pan jellybeans, Red Hots, Tropical Chewy Lemonhead and Friends, Chewy Lemonhead and Friends, Jaw Busters)
- Nighttime Candy Filled Egg Hunt (includes Ferrara Pan jellybeans, Tropical Chewy Lemonhead and Friends, Chewy Lemonhead and Friends, Jaw Busters)
- Outdoor Adventure Candy Filled Egg Hunt (includes Ferrara Pan jellybeans, Tropical Chewy Lemonhead and Friends, Chewy Lemonhead and Friends, Jaw Busters)
- Pet Shop Candy Filled Egg Hunt (includes Ferrara Pan jellybeans, Tropical Chewy Lemonhead and Friends, Chewy Lemonhead and Friends, Jaw Busters)
- Rainforest Candy Filled Egg Hunt (includes Ferrara Pan jellybeans, Tropical Chewy Lemonhead and Friends, Chewy Lemonhead and Friends, Jaw Busters)
- Speedster Cars Candy Filled Egg Hunt (includes Ferrara Pan jellybeans, Tropical Chewy Lemonhead and Friends, Chewy Lemonhead and Friends, Jaw Busters)
- Wonka Egg Hunt with a Golden Egg (includes Nerds, Laffy Taffy, and SweeTarts)
- Wonka Egg Hunt Zero Gravity (includes Nerds, Laffy Taffy, and SweeTarts)
- Wonka Egg Hunt Hard 2 Find (includes Nerds, Runts, and SweeTarts)
Other Easter Candy
- Almond Joy Eggs
- Andes Creme de Menthe Thins
- Brach’s Jelly Bean Nougats
- For Butterfinger candy, look under Nestle
- Cadbury Caramello Bunnies (as found Mar. 2009)
- Cadbury Dairy Milk Chocolate Bunny
- Cadbury hollow milk chocolate egg filled with Cadbury mini-eggs
- Cadbury mini-chocolate eggs – Royal Dark and Dairy Milk Chocolate
- Cadbury Creme Eggs — This year, the regular and mini eggs I found did not have gluten listed in the ingredients. (Last year “Glucose (wheat)” was listed in the ingredients. Many Celiacs consider the glucose, even from wheat, to be gluten-free due to all the processing.)
- Cadbury Caramel Eggs — This year, the regular and mini eggs I found did not have gluten listed in the ingredients. (Last year “Glucose (wheat)” was listed in the ingredients. Many Celiacs consider the glucose, even from wheat, to be gluten-free due to all the processing.)
- Cadbury Orange Creme Eggs
- Carousel Bubble Gum Eggs
- Carousel Easter Egg Surprise Lollipops (as found Mar. 2009)
- Charms Blow Pops and Blow Pop Minis
- Cry Baby Eggs
- Dairy Good Easter bunnies (chocolate flavored, foil-wrapped)
- Dairy Good Easter eggs (chocolate eggs)
- Dairy Good Chocolate and White Chocolate Crosses
- Disney Princess plastic eggs with candy and stickers inside
- Dove Chocolate Eggs (including milk chocolate, milk chocolate almond, peanut butter, and dark chocolate varieties)
- Dove Fairy Bunny hollow milk chocolate
- Dove Solid Chocolate Bunnies (both milk chocolate and dark chocolate varieties)
- Dove Truffle Eggs
- Dubble Bubble Eggs (egg-shaped bubble gum) and Speckled Bubble Gum
- Easter Bunny Egg-head family filled with Power Candy
- Farley’s Kiddie Mix includes Now & Laters, Jawbreakers, Super Bubble bubble gum, Tootsie Roll Midgees, Sassy Tarts and Smarties
- Florida Natural Healthy Treats fruit snacks eggs (as found Mar. 2009)
- Frankford Marshmallow Chicks and Bunnies
- Fun Dip (Wonka)
- Gimbal’s candies, all varieties (see allergen statement)
- Hershey’s milk chocolate eggs
- Hershey’s Special Dark chocolate eggs
- Hershey’s milk chocolate hollow egg with candy-coated milk chocolate eggs inside
- Hershey’s milk chocolate hollow Bunny
- Hershey’s candy-coated milk chocolate eggs
- Hershey’s Bliss milk chocolate eggs with a meltaway center
- Hershey’s Bliss dark chocolate eggs
- Hershey’s Bliss Hollow Milk Chocolate Bunny
- Hershey’s Solid Milk Chocolate Speedy Bunny and Princess Bunny
- Hershey’s Kisses
- Hershey’s Kisses filled with Caramel
- Hershey’s Kisses with Almond
- Hershey’s Marshmallow Eggs
- Hershey’s Milk Chocolate Bunnies, Springtime Flowers, and Crosses
- Lifesaver hard candies – Original and Pastels
- Lifesaver Eggsortment (including jellybeans, gummies and pops)
- Lifesaver Gummies – Original, and Bunnies and Eggs
- Lindt white and dark chocolate bunnies as well as Lindt Chocolate Carrots did not have any gluten listed in the ingredients, but are at risk of cross-contamination. (See Lindt listing below.)
- Melster Chocolate Flavored Marshmallow Bunnies
- M&M’s — original, peanut, Speck-tacular Eggs, and Bunny Mix
- Mounds Eggs (as found Mar. 2009)
- Nestle’s Nest Eggs (Nestle’s Crunch Nest Eggs are not gluten-free.)
- Nestle’s milk chocolate Nest Eggs
- Nestle’s creamy caramel Nest Eggs
- Nestle’s Butterfinger chocolate Nest Eggs
- Nestle’s Butterfinger Creme Eggs
- Palmer’s Bunny Bites foil-wrapped eggs (includes both soft caramel and peanut butter flavors)
- Palmer’s Baby Binks hollow milk chocolate bunny
- Palmer’s Bunnyettes (milk chocolate)
- Palmer’s Butter Cream Flavored eggs
- Palmer’s Carrot Patch Pete (solid milk chocolate bunny)
- Palmer’s Fudge Filled Big Ears (foil-wrapped bunnies with big ears)
- Palmer’s Hollow Bunnies (milk flavored and milk chocolate flavored)
- Palmer’s Little Beauty milk chocolate bunny
- Palmer’s Milk Chocolate Flavored and premium milk chocolate eggs
- Palmer’s Peanut Butter Filled chocolate eggs
- Palmer Poppin’ Rockin’ Egg (hollow egg filled with Pop Rocks)
- Palmer’s Soft Caramel Cups
- Palmer’s Super Sports Balls
- Palmer’s Quax hollow milk flavored candy duck (“The Yummy Ducky”) — Be careful with this one. In one store, this statement was included on the boxes: “Manufactured on equipment which processes wheat, peanut butter and other tree nuts.” In other stores, this statement was not on the boxes. Made in different facilities?
- Peeps (all shapes and colors) — “Gluten Free”
- Peeps milk chocolate covered marshmallow
- PEZ candy
- Pixy Stix Green Grass (Wonka)
- Giant Pixy Stix (Wonka)
- Pop Rocks in plastic egg
- Reese’s Easter Assortment Eggs (including peanut butter eggs, white peanut butter eggs, and miniatures) – This does not include the foil-wrapped mini eggs, which do have gluten.
- Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup minatures
- Reese’s Pieces Pastel Eggs
- Reese’s Peanut Butter Eggs – large and small size, but not the foil-wrapped mini eggs (see Unsafe list below)
- Reese’s Reester Bunny — large size only, but not the mini-sized (see Unsafe list below)
- Ring pops
- Sixlets
- Skittles eggs and fun-size
- Smarties candy rolls “Contain none of the following: gluten (from wheat, barley, oats and rye), milk, egg, fish, Crustacean shellfish, tree nuts, wheat, peanuts, or soybeans.”
- Snickers mini’s
- Sour Patch Bunnies
- Starburst fruit chews – funsize
- Swedish Fish Eggs soft and chewy candy
- Sunny Seed Drops chocolate covered sunflower seeds
- Tootsie Rolls (including midgees and fruit rolls)
- Tootsie Pops
- Wonka Everlasting Gobstopper Eggbreakers
- Wonka Giant Pixy Stix
- Wonka Hoppin’ Nerds
- Wonka Runts Freckled Eggs
- York Peppermint Patties
- Zachary real chocolate Marshmallow Eggs
- Zachary solid milk chocolate Bunnies
- Zipperz Lollipops (as found Mar. 2009)
Unsafe Candy (may contain gluten)
Jelly Beans
- Brach’s Jelly Bird Eggs (includes classic, black, orchard fruit, and premium tiny jelly-bird eggs) — “Packaged on equipment that also packages products containing traces of milk, egg, wheat, peanuts, tree nuts, and/or soy protein.”
- Brach’s Hawaiian Punch Jelly Beans — “Packaged on equipment that also packages products containing traces of milk, egg, wheat, peanuts, tree nuts, and/or soy protein.”
- Sour Patch Jelly Beans — “Manufactured in a facility that processes peanuts, wheat, milk, soy, cashew nuts.”
Other Easter Candy
- Brach’s Chocolate Bunnies — “malt extract” is listed in the ingredients. “Manufactured on equipment that also manufactures products containing peanuts, tree nuts and wheat.”
- Cadbury Creme Eggs — “Glucose (wheat)” is listed in the ingredients, but many Celiacs consider the glucose to be gluten-free due to all the processing.
- Cadbury Caramel Eggs — “Glucose (wheat)” is listed in the ingredients, but many Celiacs consider the glucose to be gluten-free due to all the processing.
- Child’s Play Easter Mix — “Packed on equipment that also manufactures products containing peanuts, tree nuts and wheat.” (as found Mar. 2009)
- Chick Feed sunflower seeds “May contain wheat, peanuts, and tree nuts.”
- Ferrero Rocher candy — “wheat flour” in ingredients
- Frankford Cookies and Creme Eggs — “wheat flour” in ingredients
- Frankford Crispy Eggs (milk chocolate flavored) — “malt extract, milk and soy” listed in ingredients. “Manufactured in a facility that also processes peanuts and wheat.”
- Frankford solid milk chocolate bunny — “Manufactured in a facility that processes peanuts and wheat.”
- Galerie Edible Easter Grass (imported from Germany) — “May contain wheat.” on label
- Hershey’s miniatures — “malt” listed in ingredients. “Allergy Information: May contain wheat.”
- Hershey’s Cookies ‘n’ Creme eggs — “wheat flour” in ingredients
- Kit Kat Bunny Ears and Kit Kat minis — “wheat flour” in ingredients
- Lindt Chocolate — Lindt US website addresses the question of gluten with this note: “Unfortunately, at this time we cannot guarantee that Lindt chocolate is gluten free. Our white and extra dark (70% cocoa and above) chocolate products by nature do not contain barley malt. However, because they run on the same production lines as other products there is a chance of cross contamination.”
- Lindt Lindor Truffles Eggs — “malt powder” listed in ingredients
- Lindt Assorted Chocolates with smooth filling — “barley malt powder” listed in ingredients
- Lindt milk chocolate bunnies (Gold Bunny, wrapped in gold foil) — “barley malt extract” listed in ingredients
- Lindt Bugs & Bees — “wheat and barley malt powder” in the ingredients.
- Lindt mini eggs, mini lamb, lamb, and mini chicks — “barley malt powder” listed in ingredients
- Mayfair Kid’s Play basket stuffers (including Fuit Chews, Teaberry Gumballs, Spout Bubble Log, Atomic Fireballs, Super Bubble bubble gum, Easter Pops, Jawbreakers, Airheads, Lemonhead, and Smarties) — “Packed in a facility that processes peanuts, nuts, milk products, soy protein, wheat, eggs and sesame seeds.”
- Mighty Malts Speckled Malted Milk Eggs — “malted barley and wheat flour” are listed in the ingredients.
- Milky Way minis — “malted barley” in ingredients
- Milky Way Bunnies — surprisingly, no gluten was listed in the ingredients; “Allergy Information: May contain peanuts, tree nuts, egg and wheat.”
- Nestle Butterfinger Egg with pieces in chocolate (this does not include the foil-wrapped eggs or the fun-size butterfingers) — “Made on equipment that also processes nuts and wheat.”
- Nestle Crunch Nest Eggs — “Barley Malt” listed as an ingredient. “Made on equipment that also processes peanuts, nuts and wheat.”
- PAAS eggs — “malt” listed in ingredients
- Palmer’s Double Crisp chocolate candy (including Bunnies, Bunnyettes, Pops, Chick a Dees, Bunny Munny and Eggs) — “barley malt” listed in ingredients
- Palmer’s Lil’ Crispy chocolate bunny — “malt” listed in ingredients. “Manufactured on equipment which processes wheat, peanut butter, and tree nuts.”
- Palmer’s My Little Bunny — “barley malt” listed in ingredients; “Manufactured on equipment which processes wheat, peanut butter and tree nuts.”
- Palmer’s Cookies ‘n Creme Eggs — “bleached wheat flour” is listed in ingredients. “Manufactured on equipment which processes wheat, peanut butter, and tree nuts.”
- Palmer’s Crispy Peanut Butter flavored eggs — “malt” listed in ingredients.
- Palmer’s Eggbert Double Crisp — “Barley malt” listed in ingredients.
- Palmer’s Quax hollow milk flavored candy duck (“The Yummy Ducky”) — Be careful with this one. In one store, this statement was included on the boxes: “Manufactured on equipment which processes wheat, peanut butter and other tree nuts.” In other stores, this statement was not on the boxes. Made in different facilities?
- Peter Rabbit real milk chocolate bunny — “Manufactured in a facility that processes peanuts and wheat.”
- Peter Rabbit hollow milk chocolate bunny — “Manufactured on shared equipment that processes peanuts, almonds, cashews, walnuts, hazelnuts, wheat and egg.”
- Reese’s milk chocolate and peanut butter eggs (mini eggs foil-wrapped individually) — “wheat flour” listed in the ingredients
- Reese’s mini-Reester Bunnies — “wheat flour” in ingredients
- Russel Stover chocolate candy — With the exception of the jelly beans, every RS product I looked at had a similar statement of cross-contamination: “Products have been produced on shared equipment with peanuts, tree nuts, eggs, and wheat.” Some of their products had additional allergens listed to those above.
- Snickers Eggs — “Allergy Information: May contain tree nuts, egg, and wheat.”
- Snickers Creme Sports Eggs — “Allergy Information: May contain tree nuts, egg, and wheat.”
- SpongeBob Squarepants Eggs plastic egg with sour candy and stickers — “Manufactured in a facility that processes peanuts, almonds and wheat.”
- SpongeBob Squarepants gummy Krabby Patties — “Manufactured in a facility that processes peanuts, almonds and wheat.”
- SweetTart Gummy Bunnies (Wonka) — “wheat” listed as an ingredient
- Trolli Gummi Bunnies — “Packaged on equipment that also packages products containing traces of milk, eggs, wheat, peanuts, tree nuts, and/or soy protein.” (as found Mar. 2009)
- Twix — “Wheat Flour” listed in ingredients (as found Mar. 2009)
- Twizzlers Tweeters — “wheat” listed as an ingredient (as found Mar. 2009)
- Twizzlers Rainbow Twists — “wheat” listed as an ingredient
- Twizted Strawberry Blast pull-n-peel candy — “wheat” listed as an ingredient
- Twizzlers Strawberry Mini Bars — “wheat” listed as an ingredient
- Whitman’s Sampler — “Allergy Information: Products have been processed on shared equipment with tree nuts and wheat.”
- Whoppers Robin Eggs (includes mini-Robbin Eggs, too) — “barley malt and wheat flour” in ingredients
- Wonka’s eggs — “oat flour” listed as an ingredient; “Made on equipment that also processes peanuts, nuts and wheat.”
- Wonka Easter Nerds Rope — “Made in a facility that also processes wheat and egg.”
- Wonka Mix-Ups (including SweeTart chews, Laffy Taffy, SweeTarts, and Nerds) “Made in a facility that also processes wheat and egg.”
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Notable Links:
- More information about Jelly Belly candy.
- Information on allergen-free Easter candy can be found at Sure Foods Living.
- Gluten Free Is Life also has a list of Easter candy safe for the gluten-free diet.
- Check out the recipe for making Chocolate Eggs in a Cookie Basket.
- More gluten-free candy lists for Halloween Candy and Valentine Candy.
Probiotic Chocolate Bars
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A couple months ago, I received an email offer to try Attune Chocolate Bars. About two lines into the email (where it said a gluten-free snack and chocolate!), I was sold. “Show me the chocolate!” was my response.
Attune says their chocolate bars are “packed with more beneficial probiotic cultures than yogurt (with less sugar than most brands), are low in calories (with 100 or fewer) and have calcium and fiber for better health on the go.” You’ll find more specifics on the nutritional content at the Attune Foods website.
I was told to put these into the refrigerator when I received them. They contain probiotics, so putting them into the refrigerator insures that the probiotics will stay alive and well. (“Un-refrigerated cultures begin to decline within a month.” is what it says on the box.) I did as I was told, but I was really excited to try them so I took one out and read the packaging. I know I was told that they were gluten free, but it was new to me and my habit is to read the labels. I was surprised and disappointed to see a cross-contamination warning about being made in a facility where wheat is processed. So, I put it back into the refrigerator and there it sat until I finally got around to asking the company about this.
I was very happy with their response: “We take the issue of cross-contamination very seriously…. Attune uses only gluten free ingredients in making their Probiotic chocolate bars, but as stated on the packaging, the bars are made on equipment that also processes wheat. At this time, we do not have the ability to manufacture our products in a gluten-free facility but want you to know that every batch of Attune bars is tested by an independent lab called Silliker to verify that the bars meet the gluten free standard of testing less than 5 parts per million of gluten.” Considering that the proposed standard to the FDA is 20 ppm, 5 ppm sounds good to me.
So, I decided to give them a try. They come in seven different flavors: Dark Chocolate, Coffee Bean Dark Chocolate, Raspberry Dark Chocolate, Almond Milk Chocolate, Chocolate Crisp, Mint Chocolate and Blueberry Vanilla. I started with the dark chocolate and moved on from there.
How do they taste? Like a chocolate bar. I suggest before eating them, that you take them out of the refrigerator and let them come to room temperature first. Chocolate is always best at room temperature, don’t you think? They are like small, thin chocolate bars. Not exactly smooth and creamy chocolate, but yummy just the same. I saved the blueberry vanilla flavor for last. It, too, was very good. My only problem with these is that I want to eat more. But, I kept to one a day, and they were soon all gone.
Where do you find them? The email I received said they are kept in the refrigerated yogurt section of more than 3,000 retailers across the U.S. such as Safeway, Whole Foods, H-E-B, Hannaford, Wegmans, A&P, and Bristol Farms. I looked in the yogurt section at our local Wegmans week after week, but couldn’t find them. I should’ve asked for them at Customer Service, but always forgot to do that by the time I got around to the front of the store. It wasn’t until recently that I finally found them. They were in the refrigerated section within their Nature’s Marketplace area. Of course! Why didn’t I think of that sooner? They are being kept beside the organic yogurts and other allergen-free, dairy-type products. I had the option to buy one chocolate bar for 99 cents or buy a box of 7 for $6.69. I went for the box.
They only had one flavor to offer: Milk Chocolate Crisp. That was alright with me. Normally, I would choose dark chocolate over milk chocolate, but I actually enjoyed the Milk Chocolate Crisp best. It reminds me of a Hershey’s Krackel or a Nestle Crunch bar, both of which are not Gluten Free. Attune puts the rice crisps in the chocolate bars, but they are flavored with molasses instead of the gluten-containing barley malt. So now I can eat a crispy chocolate bar and feel like I’m doing my body good by eating probiotics, too. What a great find. I love having these for an afternoon snack. I pull one out of the refrigerator in the morning, and then have it after lunch when I’m feeling that afternoon slow-down. If you are having a hard time finding these at your local grocery store, you can also order them online at www.attunefoods.com.
Related Links
- Attune Foods website and nutrition information
- National Institute of Health talks about Probiotics
- Article at Celiac.com talks about live bacteria (probiotics) blocking the toxic effects of wheat.
- FDA (Food & Drug Administration) proposed rule for labeling gluten-free foods and standard to be set at 20 parts per million. And, for an easier read, check out the Q&A on the proposal.
- Europe’s FSA (Food Standard Agency) new ruling for the gluten content of gluten-free products to no more than 20 ppm.
Gluten-Free Valentine Candy
Posted by: | CommentsUpdated Jan. 27, 2010
With Valentine school parties coming up, I like to buy gluten-free candy for my kids to give to friends. But, I also try to be aware of what candy my kids are likely to be given by their friends and classmates. So I went to the local grocery stores and discount stores to read the candy labels. Now I’ve got a good idea of what candy my kids might get that they can actually eat. The lists below are based on reading the packages of valentine candy I found in various stores around our home.
Any candy I found with cross-contamination warnings in the allergy statements I have put in the “Unsafe” list below, whether it has gluten ingredients or not. So, if you do not avoid those candies, you might want to review that list for additional candy without gluten ingredients.
One of the candies I was surprised about this year was the small Reese’s peanut butter hearts. The package of individually, foil-wrapped hearts says they contain “wheat flour” in the ingredients. I was surprised because the Reese’s peanut butter hearts that are in the traditional orange packaging do not contain gluten. Just another reminder that we have to keep reading labels.
Gluten-Free (Safe) Candy and Treats
- Andes creme de menthe Valentine Sweet Heart Assortment
- Animal Planet fruit-flavored lollipops
- Baby Ruth
- Betty Crocker Valentine Fruit by the Foot – “Gluten Free”
- Bottle Caps (Wonka)
- Butterfinger hearts
- Charms Blow Pops and Valentine Pops
- Charms Zip-a-dee mini pops
- DeMets Turtles
- Disney Lollipop Rings (Flix Candy)
- Dove milk chocolate, dark chocolate, and caramel candy
- Dum-Dums lollipops “Gluten Free”
- Fun Dips (Wonka)
- Gobstopper Hearts (Wonka) (as found Feb. 2009)
- Galerie Candy Jewelry Making Kit
- Galerie Diamond Ring with candy treats
- Galerie Edible Gummy Eyeballs
- Hershey Bliss chocolates including milk chocolate with raspberry meltaway centers
- Hershey Kisses (includes milk chocolate, filled with caramel, cherry cordial creme, with almonds, Hugs, and Hugs raspberry)
- Hershey’s Pot of Gold truffles
- Hubba Bubba Max bubble gum, and bubble tape
- Jelly Belly conversation beans
- Jolly Rancher candy (including heart-shaped lollipops)
- Juicee Gummee Baby Bears (as found Feb. 2009)
- Laffy Taffy, small and long sticks (Wonka)
- Life Savers candy and lollipops
- Marvel lollipops (as found Feb. 2009)
- M&Ms – fun size and mini’s packages
- Nerds, boxes and ropes (Wonka) Beware of this one: I found one package (Wonka Mix-Ups with Nerds, Bottle Caps and Laffy Taffy) that said the Nerds were “Made in a facility that also processes wheat and egg.” All other packages of Nerds I found did not have this cross-contamination statement.
- Peeps marshmallow shapes, hearts and I?U – “Gluten Free”
- PEZ
- Pixy Stix (Wonka)
- Pop Rocks popping candy
- Reese’s peanut butter cups, miniatures, and peanut butter hearts (but not the individually, foil-wrapped small hearts)
- Reese’s Pieces
- Skittles “Gluten Free”
- Smarties Valentine Love Hearts candy rolls “Contains none of the following: gluten (from wheat, barley, oats and rye), milk, egg, fish, Crustacean shellfish, tree nuts, wheat, peanuts or soybeans.”
- Snickers fun-size and mini’s
- Starburst “Gluten Free”
- Sweetheart Conversation Hearts including chocolate flavored hearts, large hearts, Dazzled Tarts, Twilight Saga New Moon Forbidden Fruits heart packages, and heart bracelet packages (Necco) [Last year, I found some of these that had cross-contamination warnings. They could still be out there in discount stores.]
- 3 Musketeers cherry with dark chocolate mini’s
- Tootsie Rolls and Tootsie Pops (including vanilla and cherry fruit rolls)
- Warheads
- York Peppermint Pattie Hearts
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Unsafe Candy and Treats (may contain gluten)
- Any chocolate candy with crisps is likely to have wheat flour or barley malt, so check carefully.
- Air Heads “Manufactured in a facility that processes wheat flour.”
- Brach’s candy including conversation hearts “Packaged on equipment that also packages products containing traces of milk, egg, wheat, peanuts, tree nuts and/or soy protein.”
- Bubblicious Bites “Manufactured in a facility that processes peanuts, almonds, cashews, walnuts, hazelnuts, milk, wheat and eggs.”
- Choxie chocolate candy “May contain tree nuts, peanuts, wheat and egg.”
- Crunch (Nestle) snack-size and hearts contains “barley malt“; “Made on equipment that also processes peanuts, nuts and wheat.”
- Disney lollipops packaged with Valentine cards (including Tinkerbell and Toy Story characters) “Manufactured in a facility that processes peanuts, almonds, cashews, walnuts, hazelnuts, milk, wheat and egg products.”
- Disney Princesses Crispy Chocolaty Hearts contains “malt extract“; “Manufactured in a facility that processes peanuts and wheat.”
- Dora and Diego Crispy Chocolaty Hearts contains “malt extract“; “Manufactured in a facility that processes peanuts and wheat.”
- Ferrero Rocher contains “wheat flour.”
- Hershey’s Miniatures “May contain wheat.”
- Kit Kat contains “wheat flour“
- Lindt chocolate candy contains “barley malt powder“
- Littlest Pet Shop lollipops “Manufactured in a facility that processes peanuts, almonds, cashews, walnuts, hazelnuts, milk, wheat
- Love Duck with conversation heart candy (found at Target) “May contain milk, soy, peanut, tree nuts, wheat and egg.”
- Reese’s peanut butter filled chocolate hearts (this refers to the small, individually foil-wrapped hearts) Contains “wheat flour.”
- Russel Stover chocolates – Every package I found had a cross contamination warning, whether it had gluten or not in the ingredients.
- Spongebob Squarepants Crispy Chocolaty Hearts contains “malt extract“; “Manufactured in a facility that processes peanuts and wheat.”Spongebob Squarepants lollipops “Manufactured in a facility that processes peanuts, almonds, cashews, walnuts, hazelnuts, milk, wheat and egg products.”
- SweetTart Hearts (Wonka) “Made in a facility that also processes egg and wheat.”
- SweetTart Hearts Gummies contains “wheat“
- Transformer Crispy Chocolaty Hearts contains “malt extract“; “Manufactured in a facility that processes peanuts and wheat.”
- Twix contains “wheat flour“
- Whoppers contain “barley malt and wheat flour” and egg products.”
Of course, I can’t possibly be prepared to know the gluten content for every candy my kids might get. So, if something new comes home with no ingredient label, I go to the Internet and try to look up the manufacturer online. Many will list the ingredients of their products online. But if you can’t find the list of ingredients, be sure to check out their FAQ’s (frequently asked questions) page. I often find that companies will address the gluten-free question there.
I hope this helps you make informed decisions about which candy celiacs can and can’t eat, but remember it’s always a good idea to read the labels for yourself. The package labeling can vary if the candies were packaged or manufactured in different facilities or on different dates. I am not an expert, simply a mom trying to make good gluten-free choices for my family. If you find any mistakes or revisions that need to be made to the list, please add the information in the comments form below so that other readers can benefit from your knowledge, too. Thanks!
Menu Plan Jan. 11
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This week, the Gluten-Free Menu Swap is being hosted by Kimberly at Gluten-Free Is Life. She chose Gluten-Free Pizza as the theme for the week. I have to tell you I have tried a lot of gluten-free pizzas: frozen, made with mixes, made from scratch, and at restaurants. A few have been awful, most have been pretty good, but I still haven’t found my favorite.
For frozen pizzas, I have had good luck with Foods by George and Amy’s rice crust pizzas, but my favorite frozen pizza to buy is Glutino’s cheese pizza. It is a small, personal-size pizza to which we add toppings before baking.
And the pizza crust mixes I’ve tried? Chebe
I’ve also made pizza crusts from scratch, most recently from Robert Landolfi’s Gluten Free Every Day Cookbook
Last week, I tried going to zPizza to try their gluten-free pizza, but was disappointed to find that the restaurant near us had been closed. I was very disappointed with the gluten-free pizza at Uno’s. I should probably give it another try, but the one I tried was cold, and fell apart when I tried to pick it up. So far, my favorite restaurant gf pizza is Godfathers found in the midwest.
Monday – White, Chicken Chili
Cooking up some chili made with chicken, white beans, chicken broth, etc. Serving with arepas.
Tuesday – Leftovers
I already have too many leftovers in the refrigerator. I think I’m going to have to start eating more leftovers for lunch.
Wednesday – McDonald’s
I’ve promised to take the kids to McDonald’s this week (though I can’t remember why). They always get a Happy Meal with a burger (served without a bun).
Thursday – Rice Bowls
I’ll be using slow-cooked Mexican chicken to top Cilantro Rice, black beans, and green chiles. I’ll garnish with shredded cheese and guacamole.
Friday – Pizza!
I think I’ll try a couple new gluten-free pizza crusts I found at Wegmans: Schar shelf-stable Pizza Crust
Saturday – Saucy Shrimp
I’ll be making a recipe I got from the Bonefish Grill website. I’ll serve it with leftover Cilantro Rice.
Sunday – Leftovers
More leftovers to eat up.
Need more menu ideas?
- Laura at OrgJunkie.com hosts Menu Plan Monday every week. You’ll find links to hundreds of meal plans (not necessarily gluten-free) there.
- Or, check out some of my past menu plans.
Gifts for Celiacs or Those on a Gluten-Free Diet
Posted by: | CommentsStill doing some Christmas shopping? I have most of mine done, but I still have a few I need to get. If you are snowed in this weekend like I am, you can still order gifts online and have gifts arrive before Christmas! Just be sure to order on Amazon no later than Tuesday. (Although, Amazon’s Christmas Ordering Deadlines Page 
1. Happy Tiffin – Have you seen these yet? My sister sent me one for my birthday this year. She said she thought it would be perfect for us to take our own gluten-free foods with us to food events: potlucks, school events, dinner parties, picnics, etc. She was right. We’ve used it while touring museums, to potlucks, and school events. She bought me the large one, which really holds a lot of food. If you are someone who likes to take food with you to parties so that you know it’s safe, you need to get one of these. Of course, it would be great to take lunch to work, too. Amazon carries similar containers with 2 and 3 tiers. Choose from a variety of shapes and sizes of To-Go Ware
2. Breadmaker with a gluten-free setting – I’ve considered getting this for myself, but haven’t quite committed to it, yet. I certainly think it would be nice to have. They can be expensive, but what really concerns me is the amount of counter space it would take up. I found three on Amazon that have gluten-free settings: Breadman 2-Pound Convection Breadmaker
(on sale for $190). Do you have a bread maker? What are your thoughts about them?
3. The Gluten-Free Almond Flour Cookbook – Written by Elana Amsterdam of Elana’s Pantry, this is one of the newest gluten-free cookbooks out this year. As the title suggests, it focuses on using almond flour instead of grain flours in the recipes. As a result, the recipes are low glycemic, low in cholesterol and dairy, and high in protein and fiber. If you are buying this for a friend, be aware that almond flour is not readily available in stores. Most people order almond flour online (Honeyville or Nuts Online).
4. Make It Fast, Cook It Slow – Another new cookbook out this fall was written by blog author Stephanie O’dea all about cooking using a slow-cooker, or Crock Pot. To get a sample of the recipes in this book, check out her website full of gluten-free slow-cooker meals. And, did I mention that all the recipes are gluten-free? New to the gluten-free diet? This book shows you that you can cook gluten-free for the whole family, even with a busy schedule!
5. Gluten Free Every Day – This cookbook came out earlier this year. Author and chef, Robert Landolphi, learned to cook gluten-free meals when his wife was diagnosed with Celiac Disease. Just like the title says, these are foods to cook and eat everyday. Many of the recipes are familiar foods with a new twist. I’ve enjoyed all the recipes I’ve tried. Some of the recipes took more time than I have every night to cook, but the results were delicious.
6. BabyCakes – This is a fun cookbook of cupcakes and treats from Erin McKenna’s New York bakery where she produces all the goodies in her cookbook. The cookbook is not exclusively gluten-free, but a lot of the recipes are gluten free, as well as vegan and sugar-free. This book is also new out this year.
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7. Gluten-Free Baking Classics – I originally bought this book because a friend recommended it for its pie crust recipe. The pie crust is amazingly wonderful, but it’s just the beginning. Author Annalise Roberts shares her great recipes for muffins, sweet breads, cookies, cakes, pies, bread, pizza crust, and more in this cookbook. I use the flour mix suggested in the book, and love to use it as an all-purpose gluten-free flour.
8. Bette Hagman’s The Gluten-Free Gourmet Cooks Comfort Foods – Bette Hagman is well-respected for her many gluten-free cookbooks. She was one of the first to publish gluten-free cookbooks, and an inspiration for many other gluten-free cooks out there. The book has many great recipes, and tips for cooking with gluten-free flours.
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9. Ratio – This is not a cook book. It doesn’t have recipes and doesn’t focus on gluten-free foods and flours either. Instead it tells you how to combine ingredients in the right ratios to end up with a good food product. It gives you the confidence to experiment and create your own recipes.
10. The G-Free Diet- The book written by Elisabeth Hasselbeck. It’s new this year, so your celiac friends may not have it yet. This is not a cookbook. It is a personal book written about living gluten-free, with personal experiences and tips on how to make your gf lifestyle easier to maintain.
