Other than Butterfingers, Reese’s peanut butter cups are one of my all-time favorite candy. So when I went gluten free, I had to answer the question: are Reese’s gluten free?
So the quick answer to the question is yes. Reese’s are gluten free, but there is some more information you should be aware of as you make your candy selection.
Are Reese’s certified gluten free?
That cool symbol we know and love from the Gluten Intolerance Group, is not on Reese’s. What this means, is they are not truly certified gluten free.
You can see their “gluten free” label below. This is provided by Hershey’s. This means there are no gluten containing ingredients. It does not garuntee against cross contamination like a third party certification would.
Why does this matter?
This is important to keep in mind because Hershey’s is a large company with several lines of candy. I don’t know for sure that their factory lines don’t have Kit Kat, which are not gluten free, and their Reese’s peanut butter cups on the same assembly line.
Anyone have experience with that? Leave a comment below!
I really hope the larger companies turn to a third party certification like Oreo. A third party certification shows commitment to the community and not just their bottom dollar. A boy can dream!
What I like about Reese’s
When you grab a Reese’s, you will see a “smart label” that you can scan with your phone. It takes you right to that particular product’s nutrition information and per the FDA it requires them to list the allergens.
This is a really cool feature and I appreciate Hershey’s effort in providing as much transparency as possible. Maybe the next step will be gluten free certification? hmmmm?
Gluten Free Dad’s Recommendation
Reese’s are gluten free! Thanks to the FDA, we can trust the ingredient label. As I stated earlier though, cross contamination is always on my mind for my friends with Celiac disease.
So far from what I have heard, my friends with Celiac disease have not had an issue with Reese’s.
But only you know what is best for you, so use your discretion and arm yourself with the information you need to make the best choice!
Let me know what you think in the comments below! I’d love to hear your thoughts or questions!
Re: Reececups, I have read that the individual wrapped mini are not GF. That was about a year ago. Has something changed or was I miss informed.
Reeces does a good job marking their wrappers. If it’s not labeled, I would steer clear!
-Lenny
Thanks for checking on Tootsie Roll’s… Just wanted to let you know about Reese’s worth clarifying. Regular Peanut Butter Cups (standard and small) are gluten free. However most Holiday one’s are not, and are not made in Hershey PA. Would recommend putting a comment to check the packaging.
FYI: Not sure about the large ones now and the multiple flavor.
BTW – one of the things I miss is licorice. There’s a site that has GF licorice! The red is not as good but it’s so nice having it available. https://licorice.com
Thanks for your site! It’s nice having it.
Paula,
Great points. I’ll look into it as well.
Appreciate the heads up on licorice!
-Lenny