Archive for Product Advisory
Quick and Easy Gluten-Free Appetizer Everyone Loves: Pepper Jelly with Cream Cheese
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You’ve probably tried Pepper Jelly over Cream Cheese with crackers, right? When we get together with my husband’s family, we almost always have it for an appetizer. My mother-in-law makes a wonderful pepper jelly every year. Sorry, I don’t have that recipe to share with you. Simply Recipes has a good recipe for it. But you can also find it in the stores or on Amazon. Just be sure to check the labels to make sure they’re gluten-free.
Here’s the very simple non-recipe: Place your cream cheese on a plate or serving dish and pour the jelly over the top. Then, spread gluten-free chips or crackers around it, for a nice presentation. How easy is that?! Now check out my notes and my new twist on it below.
Additional Notes and Ideas:
- I like to use whipped cream cheese (or whip it myself) because it’s a little easier to dig into with crackers.
- If you’re like me, and don’t tolerate dairy well, then try Toffutti’s non-dairy cream cheese. I buy the Non-Hydrogenated Plain variety in the yellow tub. With the jelly on top, you won’t notice the difference. OK, maybe you will, but it still tastes really good.
- Another fun option is to buy the blocks of cream cheese (Tofutti’s works, too) and cut them into holiday shapes with cookie cutters. You can make a whole tray of cream cheese Christmas trees, stars, holly leaves, etc.
Use any favorite gluten-free crackers or chips that don’t break too easily. Gluten-free rice crackers, Crunchmaster Multi-Grain Crackers, and FoodShouldTasteGood Multigrain Tortilla Chips
(in the photo above) are my favorites for this.
- Sometimes I get jelly or jam that is too solid, and doesn’t want to pour or spread easily. In this case, I usually just put the jelly into the microwave for 20-30 seconds and stir well. Then, pour/spread it over the cream cheese.
- For a festive holiday look, use both green and red pepper jelly. Add sweet pepper slices, cranberries, or raspberries for garnish.
- Use any kind of jelly. Pepper jellies have a nice spice and flavor that complements the cream cheese, but you can use any favorite jelly. In fact, that’s just what I did by combining two flavors that always taste good together: chocolate and raspberry.
Chocolate and Raspberry Variation. When I received a sample of FoodShouldTasteGood’s Chocolate Tortilla Chips, I knew what I wanted to try: Cream Cheese and Raspberry Jelly served with the Chocolate Tortilla Chips. Delicious treat! (It looks nice with a couple fresh raspberries on top, but I didn’t have the raspberries or the raspberry jam for the photo. Fortunately, the triple-berry jam I used in the photo turned out just as tasty.)
If you haven’t tried the Chocolate tortilla chips, you really should. They have a rich cocoa flavor, and are just lightly sweetened. The flavor really works well with the creaminess of Tofutti, and the tart, sweetness of the jelly.
More Holiday Gift Ideas — Gluten-Free Food Gifts
Posted by: | CommentsI’ve got more gift ideas to give to friends and family who are following a gluten-free diet. I told you last month about some new ideas for gluten-fee cooks: cookbooks, calendar, and magazines. Now, I’m thinking about food gifts. This is something that is not always easy to find for people who are gluten-free. In the past, you’d have to make it yourself, package it, and deliver/ship it. But now there are some options to make your holiday shopping a little easier. Here are some that I found online.
Gluten-Free Food Packages
Gluten-Free Palace has a variety of gift boxes and baskets with gluten-free cookies.
Gourmet Gift Baskets has a selection of gift baskets with gluten-free food products — cookies, crackers, chips, dips, etc.
I Can Have That! offers gift baskets that are tailored to your special diet needs. You can order, Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, Nut-Free, or free from any of the other major allergens. And right now they’re offering free shipping on orders over $65. Enter coupon code “Holiday 2012″ at checkout now through Dec. 19.
Jules GlutenFree. In addition to her books, and the occasional cooking class, Jules also sells gluten-free baking mixes online. She has a great variety of products that would be a wonderful gift for someone new to the gluten-free diet or a seasoned baker. Some of the product packages change with special deals being offered. But, you can’t go wrong with the Starter Pack. If you purchase quickly (because supplies are limited), you may even be able to purchase the Cookie Tree Building Kit.
Katz GlutenFree is a gluten-free bakery that ships delicious gluten-free goodies: Breads, Muffins, Cookies, Cakes, Pies, Doughnuts, etc. Everything is baked in a dedicated facility that is gluten-free, dairy-free, and nut-free. They have also put together some gluten-free gift packages that I’m sure would be appreciated by celiacs and others eating gluten free. With their wide variety of tasty treats, you’re sure to find something to send to your loved ones.
Nuts.com - Assuming there are no nut allergies in the house, these are a great option. This site sells a lot more than just nuts: sweet treats, dried fruit, snacks, and baking supplies. Check out their gluten-free page of products to get started.
Saratoga Gift Basket Company offers several gift baskets with gluten-free treats, snacks, dessert items, etc.
So Lucky is an online business that prepares and ships gluten-free food and gift packages. The gluten-free food products are thoughtfully put together in fun themes. The So It’s Time to Entertain Holiday Box includes Emily G’s Cabernet Sauvignon jam, Bob’s Red Mill Cornbread Mix, 2 Turkey Gravy Mixes, 2 Suss Cinnamon Apple Caramels, Namaste Spice Cake Mix, Glutino Multigrain Crackers, and a seasonal dish towel. Check out all of their products at SoLuckyGifts.com.
Other Food Packages that may be Gluten-Free – Check labels and/or with Customer Service before purchasing.
Harry and David – They offer a variety of food gift packages and many include gluten, so I recommend that you order their delicious fruit. They have a variety of fruit presentations from which to choose. Some of the baskets in their holiday fruit gift collection do come with products that contain gluten, so order carefully.
Hickory Farms – We’ve eaten products from Hickory Farms in the past with no problems from gluten. However, they don’t claim that all their products are gluten-free. So make sure you confirm with the company that what you’re ordering is gluten-free. Or, to be on the safe side, you can’t go wrong with a fruit and nut basket.
Wines – Most people in the gluten-free community consider wine to be gluten-free.
Wines Country Gift Baskets – To avoid gluten, I would stick with ordering just the wine. They ship wine to most states, but check before you spend too much time placing an order. They also sell holiday wreaths and decor, which make nice gifts.
Wine.com – Another site that ships wine, champagne, and gift products. Check out the holiday wine sets, but avoid the food and candy products that may contain gluten. They sell a group of “green wines” that use sustainable, organic and/or biodynamic practices. They also sell accessories for wine and entertaining.
2012 Gift Ideas for Gluten-Free Cooks — Calendar, Cookbooks and Magazines
Posted by: | CommentsThanksgiving is over and it’s time to start thinking about Christmas. Here are some fun ideas for gifts to give to those who cook and live gluten-free. Great for someone new to the gluten-free diet, but also good for the seasoned gluten-free cook because I’ve included cookbooks and products that are new this year!
Calendar with Gluten-Free Recipes
Diane at The W.H.O.L.E. Gang created this fabulous monthly calendar with gluten-free recipes for 2013. There is a wonderful recipe printed on each calendar card with beautiful full-color photos. On the back of each card is easy-to-follow directions for making the gluten-free and dairy-free recipe, along with suggestions for making it vegetarian, vegan, and paleo.
I love the small size of it (a CD case). Perfect for stockings or easy shipping! You can order it directly from Diane’s website, where you’ll also find a list of the recipes and more details about it.
Cookbooks for a Busy Gluten-Free Family
The The Everything Gluten-Free Slow Cooker Cookbook by Carrie Forbes was just recently released. I haven’t seen the book myself, but I’ve tried many of Carrie’s recipes from GingerLemonGirl.com, and I’ve always had good results with them. What busy family couldn’t use a good slow-cooker recipe to help them manage a week filled with a myriad of activities? You can order the cookbook directly from GingerLemonGirl, or on Amazon.
Gluten-Free on a Shoestring, Quick and Easy: 100 Recipes for the Food You Love–Fast! is another cookbook designed to help busy families manage a gluten-free diet. The author, Nicole Hunn, includes tips for advance meal prep, kitchen shortcuts, and make-your-own mixes to get meals on the table fast. And like her first cookbook
, this one also provides inexpensive solutions for a complete gluten-free meal. But what really gets my attention is those gluten-free glazed chocolate doughnuts on the cover! Must try soon.
Gluten-Free and Dairy-Free Cookbooks
The Dairy-Free & Gluten-Free Kitchen written by Denise Jardine provides recipes that are dairy-free, as well as gluten-free. It has a nice variety of recipes for cheese and sauces including a Creamy Macadamia and Pine Nut Cheese, a Mustard Cream Sauce, and a Spicy Peanut Sauce. A few more recipes that got my attention, but I haven’t tried yet, are Crispy Pizza Crust, Chocolate Orange Pudding and Pumpkin Cheesecake.
The Spunky Coconut Dairy-Free Ice Cream Cookbook: Soy-Free, Sugar-Free, Vegan Written by Kelly Brozyna, also author of the blog The Spunky Coconut. These recipes are made with coconut milk, cashew nut milk, and/or hemp milk using a blender or an ice cream maker. What a variety of flavors: Blueberry Lavender, Roasted Banana, Spiced Apple Tea, as well as the classics Chocolate and Vanilla. Order this and other cookbooks at The Spunky Coconut Bake Shop or on Amazon.
This year, I’ve been trying to include more Paleo-friendly meals into my diet. The paleo diet is free of all grains, so it is also gluten free. My husband and I both felt great after being on the diet for just a week. We aren’t ready to commit to it full-time, but I am making some small changes to our meals to make more of them paleo-friendly. You, too, may be interested in some of these cookbooks.
I purchased Eat Like a Dinosaur: Recipe & Guidebook for Gluten-free Kids this year. It was written and created for families with young kids. My daughter loves the story in the front of the cookbook that tells about how the author’s family transformed their health and lives by learning to “eat like a dinosaur.” It embraces the paleo diet and has lots of fun recipes to get the kids engaged in the diet, too.
Practical Paleo: A Customized Approach to Health and a Whole-Foods Lifestyle This author also has a blog at Balanced Bites. She is a certified nutrition consultant who writes in this book about how good food can improve your health. This is not just a cookbook. It is a guide to the paleo diet that explains it in detail, including foods to eat and foods to avoid. It gives instructions for grocery shopping, gives tips for eating out, explains how to regulate your blood sugar with food, and provides lots of great recipes.
Everyday Paleo Family Cookbook: Real Food for Real Life This is a follow-up to her first cookbook Everyday Paleo
and her children’s book Paleo Pals: Jimmy and the Carrot Rocket Ship
. Like so many paleo books, this book focuses on how to improve your health by making good food choices and staying active with your family. There are lots of full-color photos of the recipes. And, I love that she’s included recipes great for families with kids — slow-cooker recipes and “fruity creations and treats.”
Magazines
You didn’t know there were magazines specific to the gluten-free diet? Yep, in fact, there are several now! When buying a subscription for a friend, why not order one for yourself, too?
Simply Gluten Free Magazine is the newest of the gluten-free magazines, just being released this fall, in time for the holidays. It’s a bi-monthly publication created by the multi-talented Carol at Simply…Gluten-Free, this magazine is sure to include her delicious recipes and beautiful photographs that are always tempting. Must get a subscription to this one! You may also be interested in her cookbooks: Simply . . . Gluten-free Desserts and Simply . . . Gluten-free Quick Meals.
Delight Gluten Free Magazine does a great job of keeping its readers up to date on the latest news and trends for the gluten-free lifestyle. It publishes six times a year and provides gluten-free recipes, articles and tips for living gluten free. With editors and writers that continue to be engaged in the gluten-free community, it is sure to have information relevant to anyone eating gluten free.
Living Without Magazine, a bi-monthly magazine, addresses a variety of food allergies and sensitivities, including gluten-free and dairy-free. It provides delicious new recipes in every issue, as well as articles and tips about living with food allergies. You’ll read about new studies and topics to address with your doctor.
Safe Gluten-Free Halloween Candy!
Posted by: | CommentsOct. 25, 2012 – I’ve updated the candy list again this year. I often make changes to the list throughout the year as I come across something new or changes to ingredients. I’ve worked on adding more links to candy companies’ websites. This year, there are more companies that are providing ingredient listings and allergen statements about their candy products on their websites. I provided these links so that if you need more information about a candy, you can check their websites and/or contact them directly. I hope you find it helpful.
You can read the 2010 update below for the details about the organization of the list. The short version is this: The green listing is for candies I believe to be gluten-free and safe to eat. The orange listing is for candies that don’t have gluten ingredients listed, but may have gluten due to cross-contamination or other possible concerns. You may want to avoid candies in the orange listing if you are a celiac and/or are strict about adherence to a gluten-free diet. The red listing is candy that contains gluten and should not be eaten by anyone on a gluten-free diet.
We all want to make the best decisions we can for ourselves and our families. So, as I’ve said in the past: If you find additions or corrections to make to the list, please put them in the comments so that others may benefit from the information and discussion. Thank you, and have a safe and happy Halloween!
Gluten-Free (Safe) Candy and Treats
- 3 Musketeers Mint with dark chocolate Bar and Fun size (Oct. 2012)
- Act II Popcorn Balls (Oct. 2009)
- Albert’s Gummy Eyeballs (Oct. 2009)
- Albert’s Iced Halloween pops (lollipops) (Oct. 2009)
- Almond Joy fun size bars “Manufactured in a facility that also processes peanuts.”
- Angry Birds Fruit Gummies and Fruit Snacks “Nut Free — Gluten Free” (Oct. 2012)
- Baby Ruth bars and fun size
- Barrels of Candy by Treat Street (Oct. 2010)
- Bazooka Big Mix (includes bubble gum, bubble gum filled candy, candy chews, and bubble gum filled lollipops) (Oct. 2012)
- Betty Crocker Fruit by the Foot (Oct 2012) Wicked Webs Berry Wave mini feet (Oct. 2011)
- Betty Crocker Halloween fruit flavored snacks, Screamin’ Strawberry Tattoos (Oct. 2012) Fruit Gushers, Fruit Roll-ups, and Mini Rolls – “Gluten Free” (Oct. 2011)
- Bit•O•Honey (Oct. 2009)
- Big Blow bubblegum (Oct. 2012)
- Black Forest Fruit Snacks Little Monsters (Oct. 2012) “This product was manufactured in a facility where milk, tree nuts, peanuts and soy are used in the production of other products.”
- Black Forest Gummy Tarantulas (Oct. 2010)
- Black Forest Gummy Fun Bugs Juicy Oozers (Oct. 2010)
- Bubbly lollipop + gum (Oct. 2009)
- Butterfinger original bar and fun size (Oct. 2012) “Contains peanut, milk and soy ingredients.”
- Candy Checkers (made for Target 2009)
- Caramel Apple Pops (lollipops made by Tootsie Roll) (Oct. 2011)
- Charleston Chew fun size (Oct. 2011)
- Charms Blow Pops and Blow Pop Minis “Milk and Soy may be present.” (Oct. 2010)
- Charms Candy Carnival Package (Blow Pops, Sugar Babies, Zip a Dee mini pops, Sugar Daddy, Pops, Sugar Mama Caramel, Tear Jerkers sour bubble gum, Blow Pop Bubble Gum) (Oct. 2009)
- Charms Fluffy Stuff Spider Web cotton candy (Oct. 2009)
- Chewy Lemonheads and Friends (Oct. 2012)
- Child’s Play “Produced in a facility that does not use peanuts, tree nuts, eggs or gluten.” (Oct. 2011)
- Colombina Scary Eyeballs bubblegum (Oct. 2009)
- Colombina Fizzy Pops (Oct. 2009)
- Comix Mix Candy Sticks (Tom and Jerry, Flintstones, Scooby Doo, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Popeye) – “Gluten Free” (Oct. 2009)
- Cracker Jack caramel coated popcorn and peanuts (Oct. 2012)
- Disney Halloween Candy Mix (jelly beans, gummies, candy bracelets and candy characters from Cars, Tinkerbell and Toy Story) “Manufactured in a facility that processes peanuts, hazelnuts, almonds, walnuts, milk and soy.” (Oct. 2010)
- Dove pieces (Dark Chocolate, Milk Chocolate, Peanut Butter Milk Chocolate, Caramel Milk Chocolate) (Oct. 2011)
- Dots Gumdrops – including Candy Corn Dots (candy corn flavored), Ghost Dots (assorted fruit flavored), and Bat Dots (blood orange flavored) (Oct. 2011)
- Dubble Bubble bubblegum “Milk and Soy may be present.” (Oct. 2011)
- Dum Dums Lollipops (including Shrek Pops-2010) – “This product does not contain peanuts, tree nuts, milk, eggs, wheat or gluten. It has been manufactured on dedicated equipment.” (Oct. 2012)
- Dum Dums Chewy Pops – “This product does not contain peanuts, tree nuts, milk, eggs, wheat or gluten. It has been manufactured on dedicated equipment.” (Oct. 2012)
- Farley’s Kiddie Mix (includes Smarties, SweetTarts, Now and Later, Jaw Breakers, Super Bubble and Lolli-pops) (Oct. 2009)
- Ferrara Pan Caramels “This product contains milk and soy. This product distributed in a facility where peanuts and tree nuts are used in the production of other products.” (Oct. 2010)
- Ferrara Pan Lemonhead & Friends candy mix (includes Applehead, Cherryhead, Grapehead, Chewy Lemonhead & Friends, Chewy Atomic Fireball, and Red Hots) (Oct. 2012)
- Florida’s Natural Healthy Treats Nuggets, Sour String, Fruit Stiks – “Gluten Free” (Oct. 2009)
- Fright Fingers Popcorn Kit (Oct. 2009)
- Frankford‘s Bugs Gummy Candy (Oct. 2009) *reports of quality issues in 2010, see comments below*
- Frankford‘s Gummy Body Parts (Oct. 2009) *reports of quality issues in 2010, see comments below*
- Frankford‘s Marshmallow Pals (Oct. 2009) *reports of quality issues in 2010, see comments below*
- Fruit Ninja Sour Gummies “Nut Free — Gluten Free” (Oct. 2012)
- Game Night boxes of candy game pieces (includes Operation, Sorry!, Monopoly, Life, and Clue) (Oct. 2009)
- Ghoulish Gourmet Popcorn Balls (found at Walmart) “Gluten Free” “Nut Free” Contains soy. (Oct. 2012)
- Grave Gummies (Yummy Gummies) (Oct. 2009)
- Gummy Pirate Choppers (Oct. 2009)
- Haribo Gummi-Bears including original and Gold-Bears minis (Oct. 2012)
- Heath milk chocolate English toffee bar snack size “Contains almonds.” (Oct. 2012)
- HERSHEY’S Gluten-Free Listing - Be sure to check the unsafe lists below for Hershey’s candy that may contain gluten.
- Hershey’s Kisses (Candy Corn flavored candy, Caramel, Caramel Apple flavored filling, Milk Chocolate, Chocolate Meltaway, Pumpkin Spice, Hugs, Hugs & Kisses, Cherry Cordial Creme, Milk Chocolate with Almonds, Special Dark) (Oct. 2012)
- Hershey’s Milk Chocolate bars and snack-size bars “Manufactured on the same equipment that processes almonds.” (Only the 1.55 oz. size in on Hershey’s gluten-free list. Oct. 2012)
- Hershey’s Milk Chocolate with Almonds bars and snack-size bars (Only the 1.45 oz. size in on Hershey’s gluten-free list. Oct. 2012)
- Hot Tamales – “Gluten Free” (Oct. 2012)
- Humphrey Popcorn Balls - “Gluten Free” (Oct. 2012)
- Jelly Belly jelly beans
- Jelly Belly candy corn “Manufactured in a plant that processes peanuts.” (Oct. 2012)
- Jolly Rancher hard candy and Doubles Candy (Oct. 2011)
- Jolly Rancher Hard Candy Stix, Lollipops and Fruit Chews (Oct. 2012)
- Jr. Mints fun size “Milk and eggs may be present. Nut Free, Gluten Free, Peanut Free” (Oct. 2012)
- Jujyfruits (Oct. 2009)
- Kellogg’s Spongebob Squarepants fruit flavored snacks (Oct. 2012)
- Kraft Jet-Puffed Boo Mallows and Ghost Mallows marshmallows (Oct. 2011)
- Lemonheads (Oct. 2012)
- LifeSavers Gummies including Big Ring Gummies, Sweet ‘n’ Sour, and Scary Assortment (Oct. 2012)
- Lightning Bugs gummy candy “Manufactured in a facility that processes peanuts, almonds, hazelnuts, walnuts, milk and soy.” (Oct. 2012)
- M&M’s (original, peanut, peanut butter) Check the unsafe lists below for which M&M products to avoid. (Oct. 2012)
- Mallo Cup (Oct. 2009)
- Marvel Heroes Candy Sticks (Hulk, Spiderman, Wolverine) – “Gluten Free.”
- Melster Peanut Butter Kisses ”Contains peanuts, milk, soy.” (Oct. 2012)
- Mike and Ike including Original Fruits, Red Rageous, and Zours – “Gluten Free” (Oct. 2012)
- Milky Way Midnight Bar (Original Milky Way Bars are NOT gluten-free. See the Red Unsafe List below.) Contains milk, egg, and soy. “May contain peanuts.” (Oct. 2012)
- Mentos (Oct. 2012)
- Mini Sour Dudes Straws (Oct. 2009)
- Monstaz Pops (jack-o-lantern lollipops) (Oct. 2009)
- Monster Hunt plastic monster eggs filled with candy bones, skulls and pumpkins (made for Target 2009)
- Mounds dark chocolate fun size bars “Manufactured on the same equipment that processes almonds. Manufactured in a facility that also processes peanuts.” (Oct. 2011)
- Necco’s list of gluten-free products (Oct. 2012)
- Necco’s Mary Jane Peanut Butter Kisses “Contains peanuts and soy. Manufactured in a facility that also processes tree nuts, milk, and eggs.” (Oct. 2011)
- Necco’s Sky Bar 4 in 1 chocolate bar (Oct. 2009)
- Nestle Milk Chocolate fun size bars (Oct. 2009)
- Nestle Raisinets (milk chocolate) fun size “Made on equipment that also processes peanuts.”
- Nik-L-Nip wax bottles with juice
- Now and Later (Farley’s & Sathers) (Oct. 2011)
- Operation Gummy Candy (Oct. 2009)
- Palmer Peanut Butter Cups (Oct. 2009)
- PayDay peanut caramel bar snack size
- Peanut M&M’s (Oct. 2012)
- Pearson’s Bun candy (maple, caramel, and vanilla) (Oct. 2012 – Pearson’s FAQ’s indicate “Gluten Free”)
- Peeps Jack-o-lanterns, Ghosts and Chocolate Mousse Cats – “Gluten Free” (Oct. 2011)
- PEZ candy – “PEZ candy is tree nut, peanut and gluten free.” (Oct. 2012)
- Pop Rocks (Oct. 2012)
- Rain•Blo Bubble Gum Eyes of Terror (Oct. 2009)
- Raisinets (Oct. 2010)
- Razzles candy gum
- Not all Reese’s candy is gluten-free. Seasonal-shaped candies may contain wheat starch, or gluten. Read labels carefully.
- Reese’s Fast Break candy bars and snack size (Oct. 2012)
- Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups snack size and miniatures (Oct. 2012)
- Reese’s Peanut Butter Pumpkins (Oct. 2011)
- Reese’s Pieces (Oct. 2012)
- Reese’s Select Peanut Butter Cremes (Oct. 2011)
- Reese’s Select Clusters (Oct. 2011)
- Reese’s Whipps (Oct. 2011)
- Ring Pop (Oct. 2012)
- Sixlets – “Gluten Free” “Made in a facility that does not process nuts.” (Oct. 2012)
- Skeleton Pops (lollipops) (Oct. 2009)
- Skittles includes Original, Sour, Wild Berry, Fizzl’d Fruits, and Crazy Core – “Gluten Free”
- Smarties (this is the small candies sold in rolls, not Nestle’s chocolate candies) – “Contains none of the following: gluten (from wheat, barley, oats and rye), milk, egg, fish, crustacean shellfish, tree nuts, wheat, peanuts, or soy beans.” (Oct. 2012)
- Snickers original bars, fun size and mini’s - Contains milk, soy, peanuts, and egg. “May contain almonds.” (Oct. 2012)
- Snickers Almond - Contains milk, soy, almonds, and egg. “May contain peanuts.” (Oct. 2012)
- Snickers Peanut Butter Squared fun size – Contains milk, soy, peanuts, and egg. “May contain almonds.” (Oct. 2012)
- Snickers Fudge bar mini’s (Oct. 2009)
- Snickers Dark – Contains milk, soy, peanuts, and egg. “May contain almonds.” (Oct. 2012)
- Sour Patch Kids candy (Oct. 2012)
- Starburst Fruit Chews includes Original, Sour and Sweet, and Tropical – “Gluten Free” (Oct. 2012)
- Starburst Gummibursts and Sour Gummibursts – “Gluten Free”
- Sugar Babies caramel candies – “Nut free, gluten free, peanut free. Contains soy and milk. Egg may be present.” (Oct. 2012)
- Sugar Daddy Caramel Pops - “Nut free, gluten free, peanut free. Contains soy and milk.” (Oct. 2012)
- Super Bubble bubble gum (Farley’s & Sathers) – (Oct. 2012)
- Swedish Fish (Oct. 2012)
- Sweethearts conversation hearts Forbidden Fruits (candy packaging of The Twilight Saga, New Moon the movie) (Oct. 2009)
- Sweet’s Candy Corn Taffy – “This product is Gluten Free. Manufactured in a facility that processes peanuts and tree nuts.” (Oct. 2010)
- Tootsie Pops (original and miniatures) - “Nut free, gluten free, peanut free. Contains soy and milk.” (Oct. 2012)
- Tootsie Rolls midgies and snack bars - “Nut free, gluten free, peanut free. Contains soy and milk.” (Oct. 2012)
- Transformers Candy Mix (gummy shields, fruit chews, candy shields, gum rocks) (Oct. 2009)
- Trolli Gummy Candy Mix including Classic Bears, Big Bold Bears, and Sour Brite Crawlers (Oct. 2012) *Trolli Sour Frite Crawlers did have a cross-contamination warning on packages in 2010.
- Wack-O-Wax lips and fangs (Oct. 2010)
- Warheads Extreme Sour hard candy and Sour QBZ chewy cubes (Oct. 2012) *Warheads Sour Twists contain Wheat Flour.
- Wonka Bottlecaps – (Oct. 2012)
- Wonka Chocolate Laffy Taffy (Oct. 2009)
- Wonka Gobstoppers – (Oct. 2012)
- Wonka Pixy Stix (original and giant) (Oct. 2011)
- Wonka Laffy Taffy (original, Howlin’ Laffy Taffy, and Ropes) (Oct. 2012)
- Wonka Lik-M-Aid Fun Dip (Oct. 2012)
- Wonka Sluggles Gummies – Made on equipment that also processes milk. (Oct. 2012)
- X-scream Mouth Morphers Fruit Gushers – “Gluten Free” (Oct. 2009)
- York Peppermint Patties Pumpkins – on Hershey’s Gluten Free List (Oct. 2012)
.
Use Caution with these treats. (May contain traces of gluten.)
- AirHeads – On packaging: “Manufactured in a facility that processes wheat flour.” (Oct. 2011) On Airheads.com FAQs: “Airheads do not contain gluten; however, they are processed in a facility that uses wheat flour in other items, so Perfetti Van Melle does not claim that Airheads are gluten free.” (Oct. 2012)
- Brach’s Autumn Mix – Contains soy. “Made on equipment that processes milk, egg, and soy. Milk, egg, wheat, peanuts, tree nuts and soy may be present in the manufacturing and packaging area.” (Oct. 2012)
- Brach’s Candy Corn – Contains milk and soy. “Made on equipment that processes milk, egg, and soy. Milk, egg, wheat, peanuts, tree nuts and soy may be present in the manufacturing and packaging area.” (Oct. 2012)
- Brach’s Caramel Apple Candy Corn - Contains milk, soy, and natural flavor. “Made on equipment that processes milk, egg, and soy. Milk, egg, wheat, peanuts, tree nuts and soy may be present in the manufacturing and packaging area.” (Oct. 2012)
- Brach’s Caramel Candy Corn - Contains milk, soy, and natural flavor. “Made on equipment that processes milk, egg, and soy. Milk, egg, wheat, peanuts, tree nuts and soy may be present in the manufacturing and packaging area.” (Oct. 2012)
- Brach’s Chocolate Caramel Candy Corn – Contains milk, soy, and natural flavor. “Made on equipment that processes milk, egg, and soy. Milk, egg, wheat, peanuts, tree nuts and soy may be present in the manufacturing and packaging area.” (Oct. 2012)
- Brach’s Halloween Mellowcremes - Contains soy and natural flavor. ”Made on equipment that processes milk, egg, and soy. Milk, egg, wheat, peanuts, tree nuts and soy may be present in the manufacturing and packaging area.” (Oct. 2012)
- Brach’s Indian Corn - Contains soy. “Made on equipment that processes milk, egg, and soy. Milk, egg, wheat, peanuts, tree nuts and soy may be present in the manufacturing and packaging area.” (Oct. 2012)
- Brach’s Mellowcreme Pumpkins - ”Made on equipment that processes milk, egg, and soy. Milk, egg, wheat, peanuts, tree nuts and soy may be present in the manufacturing and packaging area.” (Oct. 2012)
- Brach’s Sweet and Salty Mix - Contains milk, soy, and peanuts. “Made on equipment that processes milk, egg, and soy. Milk, egg, wheat, peanuts, tree nuts and soy may be present in the manufacturing and packaging area.” (Oct. 2012)
- Brach’s Milk Maid Royals Nougats “Manufactured in a facility that also manufactures products containing traces of wheat, peanuts and/or tree nuts.” (Oct. 2010)
- Chuckles Ju Jubes – “Packed on equipment that also packages products containing traces of milk, egg, wheat, peanuts, tree nuts, and/or soy protein.” (Oct. 2009)
- Farley’s Harvest Mix and Candy Corn – This product is made by Brach’s. See the Brach’s listings.
- Flash Pop Ring! – Contains High Maltose Syrup. “This product may contain traces of gluten, soy, peanuts, tree nuts and seed.” (Oct. 2012)
- Hershey’s Bliss (Milk Chocolate, Milk Chocolate with Almonds, Milk Chocolate with Meltaway Center, White Chocolate with Meltaway Center, Milk Chocolate with Raspberry Meltaway Center, Dark Chocolate) (Oct. 2012 – Although I found no gluten ingredients, this is not on Hershey’s gluten-free list 2012.)
- Hershey’s Nuggets (Milk Chocolate, Milk Chocolate with Almonds, Milk Chocolate with Toffee and Almonds, Special Dark, Special Dark with Almonds) There does not appear to be any gluten in the ingredients, nor does the packaging have a statement warning of possible cross-contamination. Hershey’s claims that these have no gluten in them. (2012) There were, however, some readers who commented in 2010 that they had reactions to these. That doesn’t mean these candies do have gluten, but if you are like some other readers, you may experience similar reactions.
- Hershey’s Mr. Goodbar fun size (Oct. 2012 – Although I found no gluten ingredients, this is not on Hershey’s gluten-free list 2012.)
- Hershey’s Rolo chocolate covered caramels (Oct. 2012 – Although I found no gluten ingredients, this is not on Hershey’s gluten-free list 2012.)
- Milk Duds (Oct. 2012 – Although I found no gluten ingredients, this is not on Hershey’s gluten-free list 2012.)
- Palmer Fright Bites (vampire teeth) – “Manufactured on equipment which also processes peanuts, wheat, and tree nuts” (Oct. 2009)
- Palmer Bag of Boo’s fudge bars – “Manufactured on equipment which also processes peanuts, wheat, and tree nuts” (Oct. 2009)
- Palmer Tricky Treats (mix of Googly Eyes, Boneheads, and Pumpkin Patch chocolate candies) – “Manufactured on equipment which also processes wheat, peanut butter and tree nuts.” Be very careful with these Palmer candies. I found another package labeled Palmer Trick or Treat Mix that contains barley malt.
- Russell Stover’s Assorted Chocolates – “Products have been produced on shared equipment with peanuts, tree nuts, eggs and wheat.” (Oct. 2009) Statement on the Russell Stover website: “Most of our products do not contain gluten from added ingredients. Those that do contain wheat gluten, such as S’Mores and the Cookies and Cream Rabbit, clearly show the presence of wheat in the ingredient listings. However, please be aware that products containing wheat are produced on equipment that’s also used to make our other products. So, we can’t rule out the possibility of cross-contact, despite efforts to prevent it. Because of that possibility, we do not declare any of our products to be gluten-free.
- Spongebob Squarepants Gummy Krabby Patties – “Manufactured in a facility that processes peanuts, almonds, wheat, and eggs.” (Oct. 2010)
- Trolli gummy candy Sour Frite Crawlers – “Packaged on equipment that also packages products containing traces of milk, egg, wheat, peanuts, tree nuts and/or soy protein.” (Oct. 2010)
- Wonka Spooky Nerds – “Made in a facility that also processes wheat and egg.” (Oct. 2012)
- Wonka Chewy Runts – Contains egg. ”Made in a facility that also processes wheat.” (Oct. 2012)
- Wonka Chewy Spree – Contains egg. ”Made in a facility that also processes wheat.” (Oct. 2012)
- Wonka Shockers - ”Made in a facility that also processes wheat.” (Oct. 2012)
- Wonka SweeTarts Boo Bag – Packages of SweeTarts, SweeTarts Twist and Mini Chewy SweeTarts were labeled with “Made in a facility that also processes egg and wheat.” (Oct. 2010)
- Wonka Mix-Ups (SweeTarts Skulls and Bones, Bottle Caps, Spooky Nerds, Howlin’ Laffy Taffy) The Laffy Taffy did not have a warning, but the other candies were labeled with this warning: – “Made in a facility that also processes egg and wheat.” (Oct. 2010)
- Wonka Monster Treats (SweeTarts Skulls and Bones, Spooky Nerds, Howlin’ Laffy Taffy) The Laffy Taffy did not have a warning, but the other candies were labeled with this warning: – “Made in a facility that also processes egg and wheat.” (Oct. 2010)
- Wonka Giant and Mini Chewy SweeTarts – “Made in a facility that also processes wheat.” (Oct. 2010)
- Wonka SweeTarts – “Made in a facility that also processes egg and wheat.” (Oct. 2010)
- Wonka SweeTarts Variety Mix – “Made in a facility that also processes egg and wheat.” (Oct. 2010)
- Zed Candy Skulls and Bones (fruit flavored hard candy) (Oct. 2009) Not sure if these candies are out this year (2010). Last year, there were news reports of recalling this candy due to foreign material being present. To be clear, I saw no indication of them containing gluten.
Unsafe Candy and Treats (Do not eat these if you cannot tolerate gluten in your diet.)
- 100 Grand – contains barley malt “Made on equipment that also processes peanuts, egg, and soy.” (Oct. 2010)
- Butterfinger Crisp – contains wheat flour (Oct. 2012)
- Chex Mix – contains wheat (Oct. 2012)
- Clark Bar Wicked Mix (includes mini Clark, Dark Clark, Clark Coconut and Clark Peanut Butter Crunch) – contains malt flavoring, peanuts, milk, soy, wheat and barley. “Processed in a facility that also processes eggs and tree nuts.” (Oct. 2009)
- Farley’s Chewy Mix (includes Caramel Creams, Bit-O-Honey, Slo Poke and Assorted Toffees) – contains wheat flour (Oct. 2009)
- Frankford Fun Size Mix (Peanut Butter, Caramel and Crispy Chocolate Covered Candies) Crispy Candies contain malt extract. Contains milk and peanuts. (Oct. 2010)
- Goetze’s Caramel Creams – Contains wheat flour, milk, and soy. (Oct. 2010)
- Good & Plenty – contains wheat flour. (Oct. 2012)
- HERSHEY’S gluten-free list
- Hershey’s Cookies & Creme snack size bars – contains wheat flour “Manufactured on same equipment that processes almonds.” (Oct. 2010)
- Hershey’s Kisses Cookies and Creme – contains wheat flour (Oct. 2010)
- Hershey’s miniatures – contains malt (Oct. 2010)
- Hershey’s Take 5 Bar – contains wheat flour (Oct. 2010)
- Keebler Gripz Chips Deluxe cookies – contains wheat flour (Oct. 2009)
- Kit Kat snack size – “Contains milk, wheat, and soy. Manufactured in a facility that also processes peanuts.” (Oct. 2012)
- Licorice – Almost ALL brands of licorice and licorice flavored candy contain wheat flour.
- Lindt milk chocolate with smooth filling truffle balls with jack-o-lantern wrapping – contains barley malt powder (Oct. 2010)
- Milky Way bars, fun size and mini’s – Contains milk, egg, soy, and malted barley. “May contain peanuts.”
- Mini Oreo packs – contains wheat flour (Oct. 2010)
- Nestle Crunch bars and fun size – contains barley malt; “Made on equipment that also processes peanuts, nuts and wheat” (Oct. 2010)
- Nestle Crunch Crisp – contains wheat flour and barley malt (Oct. 2010) “Contains milk and soy ingredients. May contain peanuts, nuts and wheat.” (Oct. 2012)
- Palmer Double Crisp Googly Eyes – contains barley malt; “Manufactured on equipment which also processes peanuts, wheat, and tree nuts” (Oct. 2009)
- Palmer Double Crisp Monster Munny – contains barley malt; “Manufactured on equipment which also processes peanuts, wheat, and tree nuts” (Oct. 2009)
- Palmer Ghostly Goodies – contains barley malt; “Manufactured on equipment which also processes peanuts, wheat, and tree nuts” (Oct. 2009)
- Palmer Trick or Treat Mix – contains barley malt “Manufactured on equipment which also processes wheat, peanut butter and tree nuts.” (Oct. 2010)
- Pepperidge Farm Goldfish cheddar crackers – contains wheat flour (Oct. 2012)
- Quaker Chewy Fright Night Chocolate Chip granola bars – contains rolled oats, malted barley, whole grain rolled wheat, whole wheat flour (Oct. 2009)
- Reese’s Sticks wafer bars – contains wheat flour (Oct. 2009)
- Rice Krispies Treats mini squares – contains malt flavoring (Oct. 2009)
- Riesen Chocolate Caramels – “Contains milk, wheat, and soybeans. Processed in a facility where peanuts, hazelnuts, almonds, and other tree nuts are found.” (Oct. 2010)
- Ritz Bits peanut butter sandwiches – contains wheat flour (Oct. 2009)
- Snyder’s Pretzel snack sacks – contains wheat flour (Oct. 2012)
- Stauffer’s Animal Crackers – contains wheat flour (Oct. 2009)
- Teddy Grahams packs – contains wheat flour (Oct. 2009)
- Toad-Ally Snax Popcorn Plus – contains wheat flour and malt “May contain traces of peanuts, tree nuts, milk, soy, wheat, and eggs.” (Oct. 2010)
- Twix fun size – “Contains milk, soybean and wheat products. May contain peanuts.” (Oct. 2012)
- Twizzlers (twists and rainbow twists) – contains wheat flour (Oct. 2012)
- Twizzlers Pull-n-Peel Candy – contains wheat flour (Oct. 2012)
- Utz Halloween Pretzel treats – contains wheat flour and malt syrup (derived from barley) (Oct. 2009)
- Warheads Sour Twists contain wheat flour. (Oct. 2012)
- Whoppers – contains barley malt and wheat flour (Oct. 2012)
- Wonka Kazoozles – Contains wheat flour. “Made in a facility that also processes egg. (Oct. 2011)
[Oct. 23, 2010 - The candy list is updated! I made some changes to the list because I get so many questions and comments. First of all, you should know that the category I put the candy in is determined by me, a concerned parent, based on reading the ingredients, allergy statements, and cross-contamination warnings on candy packages I find in the stores in our area. I also review websites for product information and contact companies if necessary. If you see a date after the product, that is the last date I actually read the label. If you see any statements in quotation marks, that means I have taken it directly from the packaging. If, while I’m shopping, I read allergy statements that refer to other allergens, I may include them in my list for people avoiding them. It's always best if you can check the ingredients of the candy yourself because it can vary if they were packaged or manufactured in different facilities or on different dates. But let’s face it, there is a lot of different candy out there. So, I hope this helps some of you.
Second, I’ve reorganized the candy list a little. The first green section is candy that I believe to be safe for people avoiding gluten. I didn’t find any questionable ingredients on the labels, nor did I find cross-contamination warnings. Or, I was able to confirm with the company through their website or emails that the candy is safe. The second section I created is for questionable candies. These are candies that appear to have no gluten in the ingredients. However, I feel uncertain about its gluten status, or the candy packaging may include a statement that warns of possible cross-contamination with gluten. Whatever, the case, I have listed the reason for being in this section so you can determine what you are comfortable eating. I personally do not allow my kids to eat any candy unless it is in the safe, green section. The last red section is for the Unsafe Candy. This is the candy that I would not recommend to anyone on a gluten-free diet. The packaging labels clearly state that the candy has gluten in the ingredients. I color-coded the sections to make it easier to determine which list you were reading. Let me know if you think that it makes it easier to read or worse.
Now, my disclosure statement: I’m not a doctor, nor an expert about candy or gluten. I’m simply someone who has been trying to keep gluten out of my family’s diet for 7+ years. I hope that the information I’ve provided helps other families, too. If you find additions or corrections to make to the list, please put them in the comments so that others may benefit from the information. Thanks. I hope you have a Happy Halloween!]
History of my Halloween Candy List:
Ever since my kids started getting candy from trick-or-treating, I’ve been trying to figure out which candy has gluten and which doesn’t. It was easy in the beginning because they didn’t really get much candy, and I could always just throw it out (or give away to non-celiacs) without them realizing it. Then, I found the list that circulates around the web every year. It’s a list that Melonie Katz and many other parents of celiac children put together. They combined resources to look up ingredients and call companies to get a list of safe and unsafe candies for celiacs. Here is the 2009 GF Candy List .
Then, my kids started having Halloween parties at school, and getting more candy from trick-or-treating. Sometimes, they would get some unusual candies that you only see at Halloween time. They are a little more difficult to look up online. As a result, I just started reading all the packages of candy in stores. I started doing it just casually, out of curiosity. Then, I started to write it down, so I could better remember come Halloween night. Now, I go to several stores (grocery, discount, dollar, etc.) to see what candy our neighbors and classmates might be offering for Halloween treats. Since not everyone is as crazy as me, I thought I would share with you my findings.
Gluten-Free Treats and Snacks in the Classroom
Posted by: | CommentsEarlier this month, I mentioned in my review of Mi-Del cookies that I give my kids’ teachers a small care package of gluten-free snacks at the beginning of the year for them to store in the classroom for my kids. These are not meant to be the snacks that my kids get to eat everyday. (I send my kids to school each day with gluten-free snacks and lunch.) The snacks in this care package are there for backup reasons because sometimes snacks and treats are offered in the classroom that aren’t gluten-free. And having these in the classroom makes sure that my kids are not left out of any last-minute activities involving gluten. For example:
- Probably the most common situation: A classmate brings in cupcakes, cookies, or treats to share with the class for their birthday. My son chooses a package of cookies out of his gluten-free package.
- The class earns a reward (popcorn) for good behavior or reaching a class goal, but the teacher isn’t sure if it’s gluten-free. My son gets a bag of popcorn or chips out of the gluten-free package.
- The teacher creates a project that involves building something with pretzels or crackers, but forgets to tell us in advance. My daughter gets out her gluten-free pretzels or crackers to use instead.
- My daughter’s snack or lunch didn’t make it to school and the cafeteria doesn’t offer anything gluten-free. My daughter can eat from her GF care package if I’m unable to bring it to school.
- It is perhaps unlikely, but should an emergency situation arise and the school is on lock-down, I know my kids will have something they can eat without getting sick.
What’s in a Gluten-Free Care Package? I like to choose self-contained, single-serve, small packages of gluten-free items that won’t spoil in the teacher’s cabinet or desk. I also try to present it to the teacher in a small container that is easy for them to store. A large zip-style bag, or medium size plastic container clearly labeled Gluten-Free for my son or daughter seems to work well. Here are some items that we have used for this purpose:
- Midel, S’mores cookies
- Pamela’s 2-Count Cookie Packs: Chocolate Chunk Pecan Shortbread
and Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip
- Pebbles Treats Fruity Pebbles variety
and Cocoa Pebbles variety
- Schar Chocolate Hazelnut Bars
- Schar Sandwich Creme Cookies (2 cookies in each package) Vanilla Creme variety and Chocolate Creme variety
- Surf Sweets Gummy Bear Snack Packs
Salty Snacks:
- Ener-G Foods Pretzel Rings
- FoodShouldTasteGood Multigrain Tortilla Chips
- Glutino Pretzel Twists Snack Packs
- Pirate’s Booty
- Schar Gluten Free Snack Crackers
These come in a box of 6 individual packs. Each pack contains 8 crackers.
- Smartfood White Cheddar Popcorn
(Be careful! We have not experienced any problems with this product, however it is not guaranteed gluten-free. According to Frito-Lay, there are no gluten ingredients in this product. Unfortunately, they do no currently test these for traces of gluten.)
- Annie’s Homegrown Bunny Fruit Snacks
- Ocean Spray Craisins 100-calorie Packs
- Simply Fruit Fruit Rollups
Rice, Granola, or Energy Bars:
- Bakery On Main Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Granola Bars
- Can Do Kid Bars
- EnviroKidz Peanut Choco Drizzle Crispy Rice Bars
Communicate with the teacher! It’s been my experience that most teachers are familiar and comfortable with this arrangement. However, I strongly suggest that you discuss it with the teacher before sending a small care package of food to school. This may not work in all classrooms or for all teachers. Along with the package of food that I provide to the teacher, I like to attach a brief note to remind the teacher what it is for, and to please let me know if at any time during the year it needs to be replenished.
Make it easy on yourself. Our family is fortunate to live in an area with gluten-free snack items available at our grocery stores. If this isn’t the case for you, you can order some items online. A single box of the Schar sandwich cookies with your student’s name clearly written on it would do the trick. Or, perhaps a small bag of your child’s favorite candy would work for you.
More occasions to use a gluten-free care package. All of these items would also be great gluten-free additions for a gluten-free lunch, a gift to send to college students, and for a travel pack.
Do you do something similar? Please feel free to add any other ideas in the comments.














