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Happy Celiac-Safe Halloween

A variety of Halloween candies are gluten-free while others are not. Some may have no gluten-containing ingredients but still not be safe for those with celiac disease due to manufacturing. Sometimes the miniature version of a gluten-free candy won’t be gluten-free due to the manufacturing process!

It’s always best to read labels and check regularly, in case ingredients or facilities have changed. If you’re unsure, contact the manufacturer directly.


Gluten-Free Candy List

Hershey’s keeps an updated list on their website. Their gluten-free candies include:

  • Almond Joy – All Except Almond Joy Pieces Candy
  • Heath
  • Hershey’s milk chocolate kisses
  • Hershey’s milk chocolate bars (1.55oz only)
  • Mounds
  • Payday
  • Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups – All Except Seasonal Shaped Items
  • Rolo Caramels in Milk Chocolate Candies – All Except Rolo® Minis
  • York Peppermint Patties – All Except York Pieces Candy, Sugar Free Peppermint Patties, York Minis, and York Shapes (5 oz.)

Mars Chocolate does not specifically label any of their products gluten-free, but state that they will include any gluten-containing ingredients on their labels. The following Mars candies contain no gluten ingredients on their labels:

  • M&Ms (except pretzel, crispy, and potentially seasonal items)
  • Milky WayCaramel Bars (not the original Milky Way Bar)
  • Snickers Bars
  • 3 Musketeers
  • Dove Chocolate products (all flavors EXCEPT for milk chocolate cinnamon graham/cookies and cream, and some holiday varieties, such as milk chocolate truffles)

Nestle calls out a few of their candies as being gluten-free, these include but are not limited to:

  • Butterfinger Bars, fun-size
  • Butterfinger Bars, single
  • Goobers
  • Raisinets

They also have candies with no gluten-containing ingredients, but not labeled gluten-free, including:

  • Baby Ruth
  • Sweet Tarts
  • Laffy Taffy
  • Oh-Henry!
  • Sno-caps
  • Pixy Stix

The following Nestle products, among others, are not gluten-free

  • Kit Kat
  • Nerds
  • 100 Grand

Enjoy Life has a range of chocolate bars that are gluten-free including:

  • Enjoy Life Dark Chocolate Bar
  • Enjoy Life Ricemilk Chocolate Bar
  • Enjoy Life Ricemilk Crunch
  • Enjoy Life Winter Dark Chocolate Minis

Additional gluten-free candies include:

  • Mike and Ike
  • Kerr’s Fiesta Pops
  • Tootsie Rolls
  • Junior Mints
  • Tootsie Pops
  • Jelly Belly Beans
  • Dots
  • Charleston Chew
  • Smarties
  • Skittles
  • Starburst
  • Lifesavers
  • Atomic Fireballs
  • Lemonhead
  • Red Hot’s
  • Tic Tacs

To learn more about gluten and candy, please watch the recording of our Facebook Live video, where Beyond Celiac staffers discuss gluten-free Halloween candy:


Get the Beyond Celiac Label Reading Guide

Other Gluten-Free Candy Lists


Halloween Ideas for Parents of a Gluten-Free Child:

  • Make a game of sorting the candy after the trick or treating.
    • Our Director of Scientific Affairs, Amy Ratner, did this with her daughter Amanda, who has celiac disease: Amanda would trick-or-treat with the other kids, accepting whatever was given to her. At the end of the night they would sort out the candy that contained gluten. For each gluten-containing candy, Amy gave Amanda one gluten-free candy. It helps to have different sizes, too—if Amanda got a King-sized Twix bar, she could exchange it for a King-sized Hershey’s chocolate bar.
    • Let your child use the gluten-containing candy as “currency.” They can exchange candy for little toys, a trip to the movies, or more TV time.
  • If they are old enough, talk to your child about the fact that they may not be able to eat all the candy, but they can still have a lot of fun.
  • Skip the trick-or-treating and have Halloween fun at home or with friends or family who understand and will help you keep your child safe.
  • Host a “Trunk or Treat” event at a local park or parking lot with friends and family that know which candies are safe!

Additional Resources for a Celiac-Safe (and fun!) Halloween:

https://www.beyondceliac.org/living-with-celiac-disease/info-for-parents/articles/how-to-embrace-gluten-free-halloween/

Gluten-Free Halloween Recipes

Pumpkin CakeCauldron CakesCandy Corn Muffins

Think you may have celiac disease?

Symptoms Checklist
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