Gluten-free candy is available for those with celiac disease or gluten intolerance, but it’s important to read labels carefully and avoid candies with wheat or barley ingredients. Chocolate and sugar are common ingredients in gluten-free candy, but chewy or gummy candies may contain gluten and cross-contamination is possible. Health food stores may offer more guaranteed gluten-free options.
There are several challenges to gluten-free living, but luckily candy is one area where they can be forgiving. Gluten-free candy is candy products that don’t contain gluten, the protein found in wheat and other grains that affects people with celiac disease and gluten intolerance. Gluten can be found in many different food products, most commonly breads and cereals. There is a wide variety of gluten-free candies to choose from to crush a sweet tooth.
Chocolate is the predominant, and perhaps the most favorable, ingredient in the vast majority of gluten-free candies, followed closely by sugar. This is not to say that any chocolate candy is gluten-free, just that the chocolate itself is a gluten-free food. The presence of gluten in candy occurs when ingredients, such as wheat or barley, are added, or when flavoring and fillers are added to the preparation process.
People who are looking for gluten-free candy should avoid candy with wafers, pretzels, or cookie pieces included. Additionally, they must read labels carefully to ensure identification of modified food starches and natural flavors. For example, malt aroma is an indicator of gluten. Modified food starches other than those in corn, potatoes, millet, or other safe grains are also culprits. Many manufacturers list wheat-containing ingredients in the ingredients list itself or as a footnote, so check labels carefully.
Other gluten-free candies are of the hard candy variety. Mints, butterscotch, and other flavored hard candies are widely available gluten-free. The main ingredients are simply sugar and flavouring. Again, be sure to check the labels for those ingredients, and check with the manufacturer if you’re unsure.
There are some candies, especially chewy or “gummy” ones, that likely contain gluten. The only way to know for sure is to check the label; learn to read labels and recognize the ingredients. Also be careful of cross-contamination. Some candies that do not contain gluten-containing ingredients may be manufactured or processed on lines that also produce gluten-containing products. If your sensitivity to gluten is such that cross-contamination can affect you, it’s best to look for products made specifically without gluten.
One source of guaranteed gluten-free candy is your local whole food or health food retailer. The products sold in these stores are designed with specific dietary needs in mind, and their labels will be much easier to decipher. Sure, the candy and food items you sell will likely be more expensive, but it’s an easy way to find the foods you want and need. In regular retailers, convenience stores, and chain stores, your best bet for gluten-free candy is plain candy bars, chocolate-coated peanuts or raisins, and hard candies without artificial flavors, malt flavors, or unidentified food starches.
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