Gluten-Free Halloween Candy List

Gluten-Free-Halloween-Candy---A-Dash-of-Megnut

Halloween is coming up quickly and you know what that means… CANDY!! For those on a gluten-free diet because of celiac disease, gluten intolerance, or other health issues, navigating trick-or-treating can be a little… well… tricky.

However, Halloween doesn’t have to be such a bummer for kiddos with gluten allergies and intolerances. With some research and due diligence, they can enjoy trick-or-treating with their friends!

Gluten-Free Halloween Candy Tips

  • Read your labels. Many products will change over time so even if you think a candy may be gluten-free, always double check.
  • Watch for barley malt. In the United States, companies are required to label if a product contains wheat. However, they aren’t required to call out other gluten-containing ingredients, like barley. Malt barley can be a common ingredient in some candy so be sure to check the ingredient labels for it.
  • Be cautious of seasonal shapes and sizes. During the holidays, some companies use extra manufacturing facilities to keep up with demand. These facilities may not be gluten-free and make some of your typically gluten-free favorites no longer a good choice. Often times, “seasonal” and “special shape” varieties of candies are not gluten-free.
  • Double check variety packs. Variety packs are not your friend. Often, companies will make wholesale purchases of popular name brand candies and repackage them in large variety packs. There is greater chance for cross-contamination in the packaging process. Stick with candy that you know is produced and packaged at the company’s normal facilities.

The Teal Pumpkin Project

The Teal Pumpkin Project is a great way to show your support of kids living with food allergies or who may not be able to eat candy at all. It’s a great idea to always have non-food treats for trick-or-treaters at your home so every kid can enjoy.

All you have to do is place a teal pumpkin in front of your door to indicate you have non-food treats available. Why teal? Well it’s the color of food allergy awareness!

You can also add your home to the  Teal Pumpkin Project map so those looking for non-food treats can find your house!

Top 8 Allergen Free Candy

There are a few companies to make candy that is free from the top 8 major allergens —  milk, eggs, fish, crustacean shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat and soybean.

Enjoy Life Halloween Chocolate Minis (comes in 4 flavors!)

Smarties – Read Smarties allergy statement for more info – There are some products with the Smarties brand that are not manufactured by Smarties Candy Company. If the UPC code starts with “0 11206” then it is packaged in the Smarties facility and safe from the top 9 allergens.

Surf Sweets – All products are certified gluten free, vegan, kosher, and free of the top 8 allergens. I also love that they use plant-based colors!

Spangler Candy – Childhood favorites like Dum Dums and Saf-T-Pops! Products may contain trace amounts of soy oil in some of their candies, but are free from wheat, gluten, dairy, peanuts, tree nuts, eggs, fish, shellfish, and sesame. Note that two of the Circus Peanuts products are produced in a separate facility that is not free of allergens. Those two products are the 7 Ounce Stand-Up Re-closeable Pouch (UPC: 0 30800 52100 9) and the 6 Pack Tray (UPC: 0 30800 52200 6)

No Whey Chocolate – Think spider pops, skull chocolate pops, but they also have a variety pack that is free from the top 9 allergens! Note that candy is produced in a dedicated, but not certified facility, from the top 9 common allergens. They’re also vegan and kosher!

Gluten-Free Halloween Candy List - A Dash of Megnut

Gluten-Free Candy List

his list is meant to be a guide to begin your own research. Always check labels and call companies if you are unsure if a product is gluten-free before consuming. Companies are often changing ingredients and facilities, so this information is subject to change. I will be updating this post as new information is available.

Other allergens? This list of dairy free halloween candy from Simply Whisked is a great resource.

Note that the following candy do not contain gluten ingredients, but some may be manufactured in a facility containing gluten. If you have Celiac Disease, please use your best judgment if you decide to eat candy that is made in a facility with gluten.

Refer to ingredient labels for the most up-to-date information. I have noted which candies are certified gluten-free and have linked to any allergen statements from candy companies.

Sixlets 

While Sixlets apparently no longer has its own website, their packaging is labeled as gluten-free and peanut-free. Many of their packaging is also described as “classroom-safe”, but keep in mind that Sixlets do contain dairy if that’s an issue for you. Since Sixlets no longer has a website, refer to the product packaging for the most up-to-date information.

Tootsie  

All Tootsie products are gluten-free, including:

  • Tootsie Rolls
  • Tootsie Pops
  • Caramel Apple Pops
  • Dots
  • Junior Mints

Tootsie has the following statement on their website – “At this time, all of our confections are gluten free. We do not use wheat, barley, rye, oats, triticale, spelt or any of their components and that includes our dusting on our conveyor belts. We do use corn and soy products in the manufacturing of our products.”

Yum Earth

All Yum Earth products are gluten-free, but some products are manufactured in a facility that contains gluten.

On their FAQ page, Yum Earth notes “Our Organic Fruit Snacks, Made with Organic Assorted Flavor Gummy Bears and Gummy Worms, Organic Pomegranate Gummy Bears, Organic Licorice, Organic Sour Twists and Organic Sour Beans are manufactured at a facility that also manufactures products containing wheat on shared equipment.”

They also say “Our Organic Fruit Snacks, Made with Organic Assorted Flavor Gummy Bears and Gummy Worms, Organic Pomegranate Gummy Bears, Organic Giggles, Organic Sour Giggles, Organic Licorice, Organic Sour Twists and Organic Sour Beans are packaged at a facility that also packages products containing wheat. “

Mars Wrigley

If you’ve ever wondered if Snickers are gluten-free, then Mars is a big one for you! Mars is the maker of a lot of Halloween candy classics, including M&Ms, Milky Ways, Snickers, and Dove chocolate.

Always double check with the individual product allergy statements to ensure nothing has changed before consuming Mars products.

Keep in mind that many times seasonal and temporary flavors are made in separate facilities and are NOT gluten-free. Also, different shapes and sizes of products will sometimes have different ingredients and allergens.

M&Ms

M&M’s does not label its products gluten-free, but discloses any allergens on the product packaging. Keep in mind, there are numerous flavors that contain barley malt extract as an ingredient, which is NOT gluten-free. I’ve noted those products below.

The following flavors of M&M’s do not contain any gluten ingredients:

  • Original Milk Chocolate M&M’s
  • Peanut M&M’s
  • M&M’s White Chocolate Peanut
  • M&M’s Minis
  • M&M’s Dark Chocolate
  • M&M’s Almond
  • M&M’s Caramel
  • M&M’s Fudge Brownie
  • M&M’s Peanut Butter

The following flavors MAY contain wheat (do NOT consume if you are celiac)

  • M&M’s Peanut Mix – There is a warning label that this product may contain wheat.
  • M&M’s Dark Chocolate Mint – There is a warning label that this product may contain wheat.

The following flavors are NOT gluten-free and contain gluten as an allergen:

  • M&M’s Crunchy Cookie – This product is NOT gluten-free. Please note that this product has an allergen warning that it “may contain wheat”. However, it contains Barley Malt (GLUTEN) which is not required to be disclosed as an allergen. Always watch for barley malt or other gluten-containing ingredients besides wheat.
  • M&M’s Crispy – This product is NOT gluten-free. Similar to the Crunchy Cookie flavor, this product contains barley malt extract, which makes it NOT gluten-free.
  • M&M’s Pretzel – This product is NOT gluten-free. It contains both wheat and barley malt extract as ingredients. Do not consume.

Also, please note that some seasonal and temporary flavors may have risk of cross-contamination so always check labels! Manufacturing lines sometimes change during high-capacity months which may mean that normally gluten-free flavors are produced on equipment that also handle wheat or gluten.

Read the M&Ms product pages for the most up-to-date allergen and nutritional information.

3 Musketeers

As of October 2022, all 3 Musketeers products are gluten-free. While they are not certified gluten-free, there are no gluten ingredients found in the products.

You can read the 3 Musketeers product pages for the most up-to-date nutritional information on each individual product.

Milky Way

The Original Milk Chocolate Milky Way bar is NOT gluten-free because it contains barley malt. This is another example where there is not a contains wheat statement, but the product is still not gluten-free because of barley.

The following Milky Way products do not contain gluten ingredients:

  • Milky Way Simply Caramel Milk Chocolate Candy Bar
  • Milky Way Midnight Dark Chocolate Candy Bar

Be sure to double check ingredients before consuming. You can also review the Milky Ways product pages for individual nutritional information for each product.

Dove Chocolate

Dove does not label if their candy is gluten-free, but you can refer to the Dove product pages or the product packaging to find out which flavors do not contain gluten.

As of October 2022, all flavors except for the Milk Chocolate Cinnamon Graham and Cookies and Cream do not contain gluten ingredients.

Dove will change manufacturing lines and facilities during busy seasons and allergen statements may change, so always check the product packaging before consuming.

Snickers

At the time of this post, all Snickers candy bars are free from gluten containing ingredients:

  • SNICKERS Milk Chocolate Candy Bar
  • SNICKERS Almond Candy Bar
  • SNICKERS Peanut Butter Candy Bar
  • SNICKERs White Chocolate Candy Bar
  • SNICKERS Peanut Brownie Squares Candy Bar
  • SNICKERS Creamy Peanut Butter Square Candy Bars
  • SNICKERS Crunchy Peanut Butter Chocolate Squares
  • SNICKERS Dark Chocolate Almond Brownie Candy Bars
  • SNICKERS Minis Chocolate Candy Bars

Snickers products that have a “may contain wheat” warning:

  • SNICKERS Ice Cream Bars

You can refer to the SNICKERS product pages to see the nutritional information and allergen statements for each product.

Hershey

Hershey has it’s own gluten-free list on their website so you can see which products are gluten-free. They even will label on product packaging if a product is gluten-free!

The following products are gluten-free according to Hershey:

Almond Joy

All except Almond Joy Pieces are gluten-free.

Heath Bars

All Heath Bar products are labeled gluten-free on their packaging.

Hershey’s Kisses

Only certain varieties are gluten-free. The classic milk chocolate kiss is gluten-free as well as some other flavors. These flavors are always changing, so refer to product packaging for which ones are safe to consume.

Hershey’s Hugs

All varieties are considered gluten-free according to Hershey.

Hershey’s Nuggets

Only certain varieties are considered gluten-free according to the website:

  • Milk Chocolate
  • Milk Chocolate with Almonds
  • Special Dark Chocolate with Almonds
  • Extra Creamy Milk Chocolate with Toffee and Almonds
  • Special Dark Chocolate

Note that the Hershey’s Nuggets Truffles do not appear to have any gluten-containing ingredients, but they are not labeled gluten-free on the website so I would steer clear of them for now unless that gets updated.

Hershey’s Chocolate Bars

The following two chocolate bars are considered gluten-free:

  • Hershey’s Milk Chocolate Bar (1.55oz only)
  • Hershey’s Milk Chocolate Bar with Almonds (1.45oz only)

Note that the HERSHEY’S SPECIAL DARK Organic Chocolate Candy Bar does not look to be gluten-free.

Milk Duds

All Milk Duds varieties are considered gluten-free.

Mounds Bars

All Mounds Bars are gluten-free. However, MOUNDS COLLIDERS™ Layered Dessert is NOT gluten-free.

Payday Candy

All Payday candy bars are considered gluten-free.

Reese’s

The following Reese’s candy products are considered gluten-free besides what is otherwise noted:

  • Reese’s Fast Break Bar
  • Reese’s Nutrageous Bar
  • Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups – All Except Seasonal Shaped Items
  • Reese’s Pieces Candy – All Except Reese’s Pieces Eggs
  • Reese’s Pieces Peanut Butter Cups – All Except Seasonal Shaped Items

Rolo

All Rolo candies appear to be gluten-free according to the website. In the past, the Rolo Minis were also not gluten-free. However, those do not appear on the website any longer so they may have been discontinued.

Note, that the ROLO® COLLIDERS™ Layered Dessert is NOT gluten-free.

Skor Toffee Bars

Skor toffee bars are labeled gluten-free.

York Peppermint Patties

Most York Peppermint Patties are gluten-free. The ones that are NOT gluten-free are the York pieces, York Minis, York Colliders and some seasonal shapes.

Wrigley 

  • Cremesavers
  • Hubba Bubba Gum
  • Hubba Bubba Bubble Tape
  • Lifesaver Gummies
  • Life Saver Big Ring Gummies
  • Lifesaver Hard Candy
  • Skittles
  • Sour Skittles
  • Skittles Darkside
  • Starburst
  • Starburst Fruit Flavored Candy Corn

Wrigley is a subsidiary of Mars Incorporated.

Jelly Belly

All flavors of Jelly Beans are considered gluten-free.

As stated on the company website, “All flavors of Jelly Belly beans are free of gluten. We do not use any wheat, rye, barley, or oats in the basic recipe for Jelly Belly jelly beans. The modified food starch listed on the package is cornstarch.”

All other Jelly Belly confections are gluten-free except for Licorice Pastels and Speckled Chocolate Malted Eggs.

Ferrera USA

Some of these items in the past have been owned by Nestlé but were sold in March 2018 to Ferrera USA.

  • Butterfinger regular sized, fun size, share pack and Butterfinger Dark Candy Bar are gluten-free (Butterfinger Bites, Butterfinger Minis, Butterfinger Cups, and special holiday-shaped Butterfinger items are NOT gluten-free)
  • Black Forest – gummies and fruit snacks are all certified gluten-free
  • Brach’s Naturally Flavored Candy Corn (NOT their normal candy corn)

Nestlé products that do not contain gluten ingredients but not tested to ensure under 20 ppm:

  • Baby Ruth
  • Oh Henry!
  • Sno-Caps
  • Wonka Pixy Stix
  • Laffy Taffy (including Laffy Taffy Rope)

Mondelez International

Sour Patch

  • Sour Patch Kids
  • Sour Patch Xtreme
  • Sour Patch Xploderz
  • Sour Patch Watermelon
  • Swedish Fish

Mondelez has the following statement on their website, “When labeling products, we consider – and label for – all possible sources of the 8 major allergens recognized by the FDA. These are eggs, fish, crustacean shellfish, milk, peanuts, soy, tree nuts and wheat. If there is any risk of cross contamination we will label the allergen in the “manufactured on equipment that processes.” See the full statement regarding allergens here.

Airheads

  • Regular Airheads
  • Sour Airheads

Airheads has a very clear statement about what products are gluten-free and which are not. They also label on their products that they are produced in a facility with wheat because the Airheads Xtremes contain wheat and are produced in the same facility. See their statement here.

Just Born, Inc

  • Hot Tamales (all except Licorice Bites)
  • Just Born Jelly Beans
  • Peanut Chews (all except Original Dark)
  • Peeps (all except Rainbow Pops)

Just Born verified the modified food starch in their products is made from corn, not wheat. See their FAQ section which refers to questions about allergens.

about megan

I’m Megan

A gluten-free food blogger from Chicago and lover of all things food, showing you gluten-free can be easy and delicious, too. Let’s make gluten-free stress free together! Read more…

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

2 Comments

  1. Good list. One you missed is Zolli Candy. Zollipops, Zolli Drops and Zaffi Taffy are allergen-free, gluten-free, sugar-free and kosher. They have a BOGO coupon on its website – and is available at Walmart, Target, CVS, Walgreens, Kroger, Amazon.com (and others).