Not All Chocolate Is Gluten Free. Here's Why

If you've ever wondered how many products have hidden gluten, ask a seasoned celiac sufferer. Most people know that wheat proteins are lurking in bread, pasta, and plenty of packaged snacks, but anyone who's had the condition for a while will tell you that it's the unexpected foods, like fast food French fries, that can wreak havoc. Chocolate, for example, might seem like a safe product, but unfortunately, not all chocolate products are gluten-free. Not only do some candy bars contain cookies and wafers, which are more obvious contaminations, but many types of chocolate have extra ingredients mixed in, or they have coatings and fillings that are derived from wheat flour.

If you've been diagnosed with celiac disease, or you have a gluten intolerance, it's important to read the packaging on everything you eat, including chocolate and candy made with chocolate. While some companies label their products as gluten-free, a lot of them don't, so it's not a bad idea to look up some of your favorites to know what you can and can't eat when it's time for a little treat.

Although chocolate is loved around the world, sadly the majority of it contains at least some gluten-derived components. Ingredients to look out for on candy packaging include wheat, flour, barley, and barley malt. You may see other ingredients that might contain wheat, such as dextrose, dextrose syrup, glucose, glucose powder, and caramel color — but even though these may start as wheat (or corn), they are so refined that even the Celiac Disease Foundation says they are safe. While they contain such small amounts of gluten that some people can tolerate them, if you're not sure where your body stands, skip any chocolate products with any ingredient that can be made from wheat just to be safe.

If you're out in the wild looking for something sweet, or in the grocery store for sourcing ingredients for a gluten-free chocolate olive oil cake, the good news is that there are plenty of chocolate varieties that are safe for celiacs. Look for dark and bittersweet chocolate varieties that have very few ingredients listed on their packaging, and it doesn't hurt to keep a few big names in your mental back pocket. Hershey's signature milk chocolate bars and their Kisses as well as Reese's Peanut Butter Cups are all safe, for instance.

A diagnosis of celiac disease requires a lot of patience, especially when it comes to reading food labels, and products like gluten-free bread can get expensive, but don't be discouraged in your search for chocolate. You won't be able to find gluten-free versions of every type of candy bar (goodbye for now, Twix), but there are plenty of new favorites to discover that can scratch the itch for a taste of chocolate.