Gluten-Free Candy List (Updated October 2020)

Those who follow a gluten-free diet have numerous choices when shopping for candy, including popular favorites such as Butterfinger candy bars and Jelly Belly jelly beans. It's also possible to find specialty candies available from brands like YumEarth. But since friends and neighbors may distribute a variety of treats on holidays such as Valentine's Day or Halloween, it's helpful to know which ones are safe.

Listed below is the best available information regarding gluten-free candy, and also treats that are known to contain gluten. The lists are organized by the company that makes them, but keep in mind that candy brands change hands frequently and may be discontinued or reformulated. They might also be re-bagged—which can change the gluten status. Candy listed as gluten-free in the U.S. may not be gluten-free in other countries, including Canada.

Safety Alert

Please remember to use these lists only as a guide, since ingredients and formulas can change at any time. Always check the packaging and ingredients before consuming any candy, even if it appears on this or any other gluten-free list.

Reach out to candy manufacturers directly to get the most recent information about whether or not a particular treat contains gluten. Some brands include the information on their website, while others require that you email or call them directly.

Ferrara Candy

Ferrara makes several popular brands of candy, including some that were formerly Nestle products. The company provides a statement regarding their customers with celiac disease and gluten-free products.

According to that statement, customers should use the Contact Us form on the website to inquire about specific candies. "Due to changes that may occur in the manufacturing and packaging environments," they do not provide allergen or gluten-free lists on their site.

According to a spokesperson for the company, these are the Ferrara candies that are gluten-free:

Atomic Fireballs
Black Forest Gummies and Fruit Snacks
Bob’s Sweet Stripes
Boston Baked Beans
Brach’s Candy Corn (plus many other Brach’s candies – check labels)
Ferrara Gummies and Jellies (Gum Drops, Orange Slices, etc.)
Jawbreakers/Jawbusters
Jujubes
Jujyfruits
Lemonhead (Regular and Chewy)
Now & Later
Rain-Blo Gumballs
Raisinets
Red Hots
Sathers Cherry Sours
Sathers Gummies
SweeTarts (original variety is gluten-free, check labels on other varieties)
Trolli Gummies and Fruit Snacks (all except Sour Brite Bites and Twisted Sour Brite Crawlers)

Othere Ferrara candy that may contain gluten include:

Bottlecaps
Chuckles
Fun Dip
Fruit Stripe
Gobstopper
Laffy Taffy
Nerds
Nips
Pixy Stix
Runts
Spree
Stretch Island Fruit Strips
Super Bubble

Ferrero (formerly Nestle)

In 2018, Nestle sold their confectionary business to Ferrero, another candy manufacturer, and a few brands were sold to Ferrara, a related company. So even though Nestle is still commonly associated with certain treats, you will no longer see the Nestle name on popular candies such as Butterfinger, Crunch, or Baby Ruth.

To get more information about each brand, it's best to visit the particular candy's website or the Ferraro website. According to a spokesperson for the company, these Ferraro candies are gluten free:

Butterfinger Original, Singles, Share Size, Fun Size, Minis
Butterfinger Bites
Tic Tac
Nutella
Raisinets

The company spokesperson also indicated that these Ferraro candies are not gluten-free:

100 Grand
Baby Ruth
Butterfinger Crisp
CRUNCH
Ferrero Rocher
Golden Gallery Signature
Kinder Bueno
Kinder Joy

Hershey's

Hershey's maintains a list of gluten-free candies. Hershey's says that the foods listed as gluten-free do not contain the protein from wheat, rye, barley, spelt, kamut, triticale, farina, vital gluten semolina, malt vinegar or protein derivatives of these foods. If the grain is present, the level has been reduced to less than 20 parts per million.

However, they advise that the best way to know if a product is gluten-free is to check the product label. The following Hershey's candies are listed on their website as gluten-free:

Almond Joy (all except for Almond Joy Pieces candy)
Brookside Dark Chocolate Fruit and Nut Snacks (only some are listed as gluten-free, including Acai and Blueberry Flavors, Goji and Raspberry Flavors, Merlot Grape and Black Currant Flavors, Mango and Mangosteen Flavors, Pomegranate Flavor, and Milk Chocolate Covered Almonds)
Heath Bars (all)
Kisses (only some varieties are are listed as gluten-free, including Hot Cocoa, Hugs, Milk Chocolate Filled with Caramel, Milk Chocolate Filled with Cherry Cordial Crème, Dark Chocolate Filled with Mint Truffle, Meltaway Milk Chocolates, Milk Chocolate, Special Dark Mildly Sweet Chocolate, Candy Cane, Kiss Deluxe, Espresso, Creamy Milk Chocolate, Creamy Milk Chocolate with Almonds, and 7-ounce Giant Kiss)
Milk Chocolate Bar (only in the 1.55-ounce size)
Milk Chocolate Bar with Almonds (only in the 1.45-ounce size)
Milk Duds (all)
Mounds (all)
Nuggets (only some are listed as gluten free, including Milk Chocolates, Milk Chocolate with Almonds, Special Dark Chocolate with Almonds, Extra Creamy Milk Chocolate with Toffee and Almonds, Special Dark Chocolate)

PayDay (all including PayDay Snack Bites)
Reese's Fast Break bar
Reese's Nutrageous bar (standard and king size)
Reese's Peanut Butter Cups (all except for seasonal shaped items)
Reese's Pieces (all except for Reese's Pieces Eggs)
Reese's Unwrapped Mini Minis (milk chocolate and white)
Reese's Pieces Peanut Butter Cups (all except for seasonal shaped items)
Rolo Creamy Caramels in Rich Chocolate (all except for Rolo Minis)
Skor Toffee Bar (all)
Special Dark Snack Bars
York Peppermint Patties (all except for York Pieces Candy, Sugar Free Peppermint Patties, York Minis, and 5-ounce York Shapes)

Some Hershey's products are known to contain gluten, such as the Kit Kat bar, which contains wheat. Also, you always need to avoid seasonal items such as Cadbury Creme Eggs and Reese's pumpkin-shaped candies—even if their ingredients are free of gluten, they may be manufactured on shared lines or in a shared facility. Contact Hershey's by email, phone or text at 800-468-1714 if you have specific questions.

Impact Confections

Impact makes Warheads sour candies and other products. Many of the company's products are considered gluten-free, but be careful, as multiple candies have similar names but very different allergen profiles.

Many products made by Impact Confections are manufactured on equipment that also processes wheat or in a shared facility with wheat. These candies may not be safe for people with celiac disease or non-gluten sensitivity even if they are listed as gluten-free.

Impact Candy products lists the following products as gluten-free. Those products with an asterisk (*) are manufactured on equipment that processes wheat or in a shared facility:

Hotheads Worms*
Melster Circus Peanuts*
Melster Compound Coated Creme Drops*
Melster Compound-Coated Marshmallow
Melster Chocolate-Covered Creme Drops*
Melster Chocolate-Covered Marshmallow
Melster Peanut Butter Kisses*
Melster Salt Water Taffy*
Melster Sanded Marshmallow*
Warheads Colossal Sours
Warheads Extreme Sour Hard Candy*
Warheads Extreme Sour Hard Candy Minis
Warheads Sour Candy Canes*
Warheads Sour Chewy Cubes*
Warheads Sour Dippers
Warheads Sour Dippin’ Pucker Packs
Warheads Sour Dippin’ Rings
Warheads Sour Jelly Beans*
Warheads Sour Pops*
Warheads Sour Worms*
Warheads Super Sour Double Drops
Warheads Super Sour Spray Candy
Warheads Twisted Taffy

Impact products that are NOT gluten-free include:

Warheads Sour Twists (contains wheat)
Warheads Sour Coolers (contains oat fiber)

Jelly Belly

Jelly Belly makes jelly beans in an ever-expanding array of colors and flavors. According to the company, "All Jelly Belly beans are gluten-free, dairy-free, gelatin-free, vegetarian, and OU Kosher." But consumers need to take packaging into consideration.

While most Jelly Belly jelly beans are gluten-free, some may be repackaged in production facilities not owned by the Jelly Belly company. If this is the case, it will be noted on the package. Check directly with the repackaging company regarding the possibility of gluten exposure.

Other types of candy made by Jelly Belly are known to contain gluten. Jelly Belly products that contain gluten include:

Black Licorice Buttons
Chocolate Bridge Mix
Chocolate Deluxe Mix
Chocolate Malt Balls
Licorice Bridge Mix
Licorice Pastels
Seasonal Malt Balls

Seasonal products and seasonal mixes may also contain ingredients that are not gluten-free. To get the most up-to-date information, you can contact Jelly Belly at 800-522-3267.

Just Born

Just Born makes Mike and Ike and several other popular candies. The company is in the process of updating package labels to include gluten-free statements where appropriate. In the meantime, you may need to be careful to read product labels. Some products that are identified by the company as gluten-free may be subject to cross-contamination.

Some Just Born products may be manufactured and/or packaged in a facility that also handles non-gluten-free products. They encourage consumers to read labels carefully for the most up-to-date ingredient and allergen information.

According to Just Born, the following candies are gluten-free:

Mike and Ike Original Fruits
Mike and Ike Mega Mix
Mike and Ike Berry Blast
Mike and Ike Tropical Typhoon
Mike and Ike Jolly Joes
Peeps
Hot Tamales
Goldenberg's Vintage Peanut Chews

According to a spokesperson for the company, there are a wide variety of Peeps products, some of which are co-manufactured or co-packaged (and are labeled as such). The Peeps made in their facility are gluten-free, but they cannot confirm that the same is true for products that are not entirely manufactured and processed by them.

Justin's Nut Butters

Many stores sell Justin's Nut Butters peanut butter cups that are certified gluten-free. The product choices include:

Dark Chocolate Almond Butter Cups
Dark Chocolate Cashew Butter Cups
Dark Chocolate Crispy Peanut Butter Cups
Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups
Milk Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups
Mini Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups
Mini Milk Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups
Mini White Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups
White Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups

Justin's is certified gluten-free by the Gluten-Free Certification Organization, which requires products to contain less than 10 parts per million of gluten.

Mars Wrigley

Mars Chocolate is one of the largest candy makers worldwide. The company makes M&M's, Dove, Snickers, and other products, as well as Wrigley products. The company does not maintain a gluten-free list of products. Instead, it urges gluten-free consumers to check labels and promises to call out any wheat, barley, and rye ingredients by name.

According to a company spokesperson, while several Mars Wrigley products may be gluten-free, they are subject to cross-contamination. The company takes customer safety very seriously and will never label their products as gluten-free because they may be manufactured in a facility that contains gluten. All ingredients are listed on the packaging label. They emphasize that customers should always check the label before purchasing any Mars Wrigley products.

Mars Wrigley products include:

3 Musketeers
5 Gum
Altoids
American Heritage Chocolate
Amicelli
Ballisto
Big Red
Doug
Eclipse
Ethel M Chocolates
Galaxy
Goodness Knows
Hubba Bubba
Juicy Fruit
Lifesavers
m&m's
Maltesers
Mars
Milky Way
Orbit
Skittles
Snickers
Starburst
Twix
Winterfresh
Wrigley's Extra
Wrigley's Spearmint

Smarties

All Smarties candies made by Smarties Candy Company are gluten-free and safe for people with celiac disease, according to the company website. However, the company also discloses that some Smarties products are not manufactured by the Smarties Candy Company. They recommend checking the product’s ingredients. They also provide some guidance about other helpful package indicators.

Always check Smarties brand candies. If the UPC number on a Smarties package starts with with '0 11206', you can be assured that the product is gluten‑free, manufactured in a facility that makes exclusively gluten‑free products and safe to eat for people with celiac disease.

Smarties candies include:

Giant Smarties
Giant Smarties Pops
Love Hearts
Mega Smarties
Original Smarties
Smarties Candy Money
Smarties In a Pouch
Smarties Lollies
Smarties Mega Lollies
Smarties Mega Tropical Lollies
Smarties Theater Box
Tropical Smarties
X-treme Sour Smarties

Spangler

Spangler sells several varieties of candy that are (or were) produced by other companies, including several varieties of Smarties, Dum Dums (lollipops), and Necco Wafers. They also make seasonal products. According to the company, their packaging has information and symbols noting allergens in products (but they show wheat and gluten separately).

The website lists some products as gluten-free:

Circus Peanuts
Dum Dums
Saf-T-Pops
Spangler Candy Canes

You can also use the search function on the Spangler website to find gluten-free candy, and you'll find that Smarties candies packaged by the Spangler company and mixed bags of Smarties and Dum Dums are listed as gluten-free.

However, the company notes that re-bagged items may not be free from gluten. They advise that you check the back of product for these three items:

Address line on the back of the bag: Manufactured by Spangler Candy Company, Bryan, Ohio, 43506 USA.
The current Spangler allergen statement: "This product does not contain peanuts, tree nuts, milk, eggs, fish, shellfish, wheat, or gluten. It has been manufactured on dedicated equipment."
UPC code begins with “0 30800”. This is the code for Spangler's manufacturing facility.

The company also suggests that you direct questions about ingredients to info@spanglercandy.com, or contact them at 888-636-4221.

Sweet's Candy Co.

Sweet's Candy makes a wide variety of loose candies, including saltwater taffy, chocolate jelly sticks, jelly beans, gummy bears, cherry sours, fruit sours and others. They also make bundles for gift boxes and corporate gifts.

According to the company, Sweet's uses recipes that are gluten-free. In addition, all candies made by Sweet's are certified gluten-free by the Gluten-Free Certification Organization.

Tootsie Roll

Tootsie Roll Industries makes a variety of candy products and says that all of their confections are considered gluten-free. According to the company website, "We do not use wheat, barley, rye, oats, triticale, spelt or any of their components, and that includes our dusting on our conveyor belts." You can contact the company with specific concerns or for updated information.

These are the gluten-free candies manufactured by Tootsie Roll Industries:

Andes
Candy Blox
Candy Carnival
Caramel Apple Pops
Cella's Cherries
Charleston Chew
Charms
Child's Play
Cry Baby
DOTS
Dubble Bubble
Fluffy Stuff
Frooties
Fruit Chews
Fruit Chew Pops
Junior Mints
Mini Bites
Nik-L-Nip
Razzles
Sugar Babies
Sugar Daddy
Tootsie Pops
Tootsie Rolls
Wack-O-Wax

YumEarth

YumEarth is a company that makes organic, allergy-friendly sweets. Their products are gluten-free and free from other top allergens, such as dairy, tree nuts, peanuts, egg, and soy.

On the company website, you can choose from chewy candy, chocolates, fruit snacks, gummy bears, hard candy, jelly beans, licorice, lollipops, seasonal treats and sour candy.

Other Types of Candy

There are many other popular treats made by various companies. Some types of candy, however, like candy buttons and candy necklaces, can be made by different companies, so it is difficult to determine their gluten status.

The following products are indicated as gluten-free

Mary Janes (made by Atkinson's)
Bit-O-Honey (made by Pearson's)

Holiday Candy

Finally, check out these lists of different candies and holiday products:

Gluten-Free Candy Boxes (boxed candy you might give as gifts)
Gluten-Free Candy Canes
Gluten-Free Chocolate Bars (premium and gourmet chocolate bar options)
Gluten-Free Easter Candy
Gluten-Free Gum