Gluten Free Candy: Brands, Ingredients & Varieties

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Candy is associated with parties, festivals, and happiness. However, purchasing for someone who is gluten free or for yourself can be challenging because many sweets contain hidden gluten. That is why we have put together this list of gluten free candy to aid you in securely navigating the online and physical candy aisles. 

When looking for sweets, those on a gluten free diet have lots of options, including well-known favs like Butterfinger candy bars and Jelly Belly jelly beans. Below, we will explore the delicious world of gluten free candy. 

Is Candy Gluten Free?

In spite of the fact that candy is inherently gluten free, many companies include gluten-containing ingredients in their recipes. Therefore, you should use some care, read the ingredient label, and preferably search for a verified gluten free statement.

It’s important to keep in mind that there is a significant chance of cross-contact contamination even if a candy product doesn’t contain components that contain gluten, such as wheat, barley, or rye.

Candy that doesn’t contain gluten should be marked as such. Not all brands, though, are willing to spend money on FDA testing to obtain their gluten free candy accreditation.

Oats are frequently processed alongside gluten grains or on the same machinery as gluten grains, which causes them to absorb a lot of gluten particles. This renders them unsafe for people with celiac disease or gluten sensitivity unless they are “purity protocol” verified gluten free oats. Products made from corn and soy are frequently handled with gluten and, unless they have a gluten free candy certification, are at a high risk of contamination.

11 Candy Brands That Produce Gluten Free Candy

Hershey’s

As Hershey’s claims, gluten free candy is free from any protein derived from wheat, rye, barley, spelt, kamut, triticale, farina, essential gluten, semolina, or malt vinegar. If the grain is visible, the amount has been decreased to less than 20 parts per million.

Hershey’s advises that the best way to identify whether a product is gluten free is to study the label on it. According to the official website, the following Hershey’s sweets are gluten free: Almond Joy, Heath Bar, Milk chocolate bars, Mounds, Milk Duds, Reese’s Pieces, Skor Toffee bars, and others. 

The Kit Kat cookie, which includes wheat, is one of Hershey’s products known to contain gluten. Additionally, even though their components may be free of gluten, holiday sweets like Cadbury Creme Eggs and Reese’s pumpkin-shaped candies should always be avoided because they may be produced on common lines or in a shared building. 

Mars Confections

One of the biggest confectionery manufacturers in the world is Mars Chocolate. Along with Wrigley goods, the business also produces M&M’s, Dove, Snickers, and other goods. The business doesn’t keep an inventory of its gluten free goods. Instead, it advises gluten free customers to read labels and makes a pledge to identify any ingredients that contain wheat, barley, or rye.

While a number of Mars Wrigley products may not contain any gluten-containing ingredients, a business spokesperson claims that they could still become contaminated. Because they might be produced in a facility that uses gluten, the business will never label its goods as gluten free. The label on the container lists each component. They stress that before buying any Mars Wrigley goods, consumers should always read the label.

It is known that M&Ms (most varieties), Milky Way Caramel Bars (not the original Milky Way Bar), Snickers Bars, and 3 Musketeers are gluten free.

Smarties

According to the business website, the entire line of Smarties candies produced by the Smarties Candy business is gluten free and suitable for celiac disease sufferers. However, the Smarties Candy Company does not make all Smarties goods. The manufacturer advises examining the product’s components.

The Smarties candy is safe for individuals who are allergic to gluten, as it is made in a facility that produces only gluten free products. Besides, it’s suitable for consumption by people with celiac disease if the UPC number on the box begins with “0 11206.” A few examples of the gluten free Smarties candy are Love Hearts, Original Smarties, Mega Smarties, Pops, and Giant Smarties.

Just Born

Just Born produces several well-known sweets, including Mike and Ike. The business is in the process of updating product labels to reflect suitable gluten free statements. In the interim, you might need to be cautious when reading product labels. Cross-contamination may occur with some goods labeled as gluten free by the business.

Some Just Born items may be produced and/or packaged in a factory that also deals with non-gluten free goods. The business advises customers to closely scan labels for the most recent information on ingredients and allergens.

The following sweets, according to Just Born, are gluten free: Mike and Ike Jolly Joes, Mike and Ike Mega Mix, Hot Tamales, and Peeps.

There are many different Peeps goods, some of which are co-produced or co-packaged, according to a business spokesperson. (and are labeled as such). Products that are not completely created and processed by Just Born might not be gluten free, but Peeps produced in the Just Born factory are.

Ferrero

2018 saw the sale of Nestle’s confectionery division to Ferrero, another candy producer. A few trademarks were also transferred to Ferrara, a connected business. So, even though Nestle is still frequently linked with some sweets, you won’t find the Nestle brand on well-known candies like Butterfinger, Crunch, or Baby Ruth.

It is recommended to go to the Ferrero website or the website for the specific confectionery to learn more about each brand. There are many Ferrero sweets, according to a corporate representative, that are gluten free. The list includes Butterfingers Original, Butterfinger Bites, Tic Tacs, and Nutella.

Impact Confections

Numerous items from Impact Confections are thought to be gluten free, but be cautious as many sweets have the same titles but very distinct allergen profiles. Many of Impact Confections’ goods are produced on machinery that also processes wheat or in a location where wheat is also produced. Even though they are labeled gluten free, these sweets might not be suitable for individuals with celiac disease or gluten sensitivity.

The following candy items are marked as gluten free by Impact Candy. Products marked with an asterisk (*) are made in a common building or on machinery used to process wheat. Gluten free candy that are made by Impact Confections are Warheads Twisted Taffy, Warheads Super Sour Double Drops, Melster Compound-Coated Marshmallow, and others. 

Ferrera

Ferrara produces several well-known confectionery labels, some of which were formerly Nestle goods. Ferrara advises consumers to use the website’s Contact Us page to make inquiries about particular candies. On the website, there are no inventories of ingredients to avoid, including celiac. These are the Ferrara candies that are gluten free, according to a business representative. The list includes Atomic Fireballs, Jujyfruits, Lemonheads, Red Hots, Raisinets, and many others. 

Jelly Belly

Jelly Belly produces jelly beans in a wide variety of hues and tastes. “All Jelly Belly beans are gluten free, dairy-free, gelatin-free, vegetarian, and OU Kosher,” the business claims. However, buyers must take packing into account. There are no gluten-containing components in Jelly Belly jelly beans. According to their website, they never use any wheat-containing components when making jelly beans.

Even though the majority of Jelly Belly jelly beans are considered gluten free candy, some of them might be repackaged in factories that aren’t controlled by the Jelly Belly business. The program will make note of this if it applies. Inquire immediately with the reprocessing business about the likelihood of gluten contact. Seasonal candy goods and mixes might also include gluten-containing components.

Products from Jelly Belly that contain gluten include Black Licorice Buttons, Chocolate Malt Balls, Chocolate Bridge Mix, Licorice Pastels, Chocolate Deluxe Mix, Licorice Bridge Mix, and Seasonal Malt Balls.

Spanglers

Several types of Smarties, Dum Dums (lollipops), and Necco Wafers, as well as other candies, made (or formerly made) by other businesses, are sold by Spangler. They also produce goods for the seasons. The business claims that information and icons on its packaging identify product allergies, and it shows wheat and gluten separately.

The Spangler company’s Smarties candies and combined packages of Smarties and Dum Dums are labeled as gluten free candy when you use the search feature on the Spangler website to look for such confections. The business warns that re-bagged products might not be gluten free. 

Tootsie Rolls

All of the candies produced by Tootsie Roll Industries, which produces a wide range of sweets, are said to be gluten free. According to the company website, they don’t use any of the following: wheat, barley, rye, oats, triticale, spelt, or any of their parts, including sprinkling on belt lines. The gluten free candy produced by Tootsie Roll Industries includes Andes, Cry Baby, DOTS, Dubble Bubble, Fluffy Stuff, Junior Mints, Frooties, and others. 

Sweets Candy Co.

Among the many loose sweets produced by Sweet’s Candy are cherry sours, fruit sours, gummy bears, jelly beans, salty taffy, and chocolate jelly sticks. The business claims that Sweets employs gluten free candy recipes. In addition, the Gluten free candy certification Organization has verified that all Sweet’s sweets are gluten free.

Bottom Line

In this article, we explored some of the most popular brands and learned about gluten free candy that is manufactured by them. Not all sweets that may be gluten free are included in this collection, however, it gives the overall picture. Given that production procedures are subject to change, it is crucial to check labels to ensure that all components are free of gluten.