Are you a chocolate lover navigating the gluten-free world? If so, you’re in the right place to discover which brand-name chocolate bars are safe to consume when following a strict gluten-free diet. And we’re not talking about Hershey’s Milk Chocolate Bar or mass-produced candy bars here; instead, we’re talking about premium chocolate brands. You’ll also see how Theo chocolate fared when tested for hidden gluten. This post contains affiliate links. Please see my disclosures.
Living with celiac disease, non-celiac gluten sensitivities, gluten intolerance, food allergies, and/or other dietary restrictions poses a unique set of challenges, especially when it comes to indulging your sweet tooth.
You have to worry about gluten ingredients, including wheat, barley, and rye, being used in making a chocolate bar and about cross-contamination. Cross-contamination occurs when a chocolate bar is gluten-free but comes in contact with gluten during the manufacturing process, perhaps when another bar made by that manufacturer contains pretzels or another source of gluten.
In this ultimate guide to gluten-free chocolate bar brands, I’ll share the top 10 gluten-free chocolate bars available today. All are labeled gluten-free or certified gluten-free, or the manufacturer explicitly states on its packaging that its products have no gluten-containing ingredients.
Of course, a manufacturer can change its ingredient list and/or production facility anytime. The latest and most accurate information about any brand will always be on the label itself. When in doubt, don’t consume a product. As you’ll see below, there are always safe options.
Get ready to gift your sweetheart gluten-free chocolate this Valentine’s Day or any day of the year!
(1) Alter Eco – Certified GF
All Alter Eco chocolates are certified gluten-free by the GFFP. They’re also USDA Organic, Fair Trade, and Certified B Corporation.
Alter Eco makes various dark chocolate bars, called Blackout bars, and bars called Truffle Thins, Grassfed Milk Chocolate, Quinoa Crunch bars, and more.
(2) Beyond Good
Beyond Good is unique in that it uses “single origin” chocolate, which means the cocoa used to produce the chocolate comes from one place, not a blend of cocoa beans from different origins. For example, its Madagascar chocolate bars are made solely from Madagascar cocoa, while the Uganda bars are made with cocoa from Uganda.
Beyond Good chocolates are labeled gluten-free, but there is little information about allergens on the company’s website.
The chocolate comes in various flavors, and I recommend reading individual labels carefully and only buying products labeled “gluten-free.”
(3) Chocolove
Some Chocolove bars are gluten-free; if they are, they are labeled gluten-free on the front or back of the wrapper. Whenever a company labels its products “gluten-free,” it has verified that it meets the FDA gluten-free labeling guidelines and contains less than 20 ppm of gluten.
Chocolove comes in a variety of gluten-free flavors, including Raspberry Rose in Ruby Chocolate, Cinnamon Ganache in Milk Chocolate, Hawaiian Sea Salt, Peppermint in Dark Chocolate, Mint Creme in Dark Chocolate, and Maple Glazed Salted Pecans.
Beware, however, that some bars, like Cherries in Dark Chocolate and regular Dark Chocolate bars, bear the allergen label “May contain traces of wheat.” Read the ingredient label carefully!
(4) DAR Art Bars
DAR Chocolate is an artisan chocolate bar with a twist. Each limited-edition chocolate bar is wrapped in a piece of art curated by DAR and features various artists. Museum-grade prints of the art featured on the chocolate wrappers are available, and all proceeds go to the artist.
I spotted this beautiful Hibiscus Flour in Dark Chocolate Bar at Whole Foods in January 2024. The cover art is by Austin Fowler. The bar contains 72% cacao and no gluten ingredients – in fact, it’s labeled “gluten-free.” All chocolate bars are made with certified organic cacao and are ethically traded.
When you browse the DAR shop online, you’ll find beautifully designed wrappers with various whimsical flavors, including Salted Caramel Coffee Milk, Dark Coffee, Pumpkin Spice, Cinnamon & Cloves, Lemongrass & Ginger, Crunchy Jalapeno, and Wild Orange, to name a few.
(5) Endangered Species – Certified GF
Endangered Species is a brand on a mission to make a lasting impact on wildlife and habitats around the globe. It offers 10 percent of its annual net profits to organizations that support its mission.
While you might feel warm and fuzzy about supporting a brand doing good in the world, you might wonder if the chocolate is truly gluten-free.
The good news is that all Endangered Species chocolate bars are certified gluten-free by the Gluten-Free Certification Organization (GFCO), so you can trust the name no matter what flavor you buy.
Most Endangered Species chocolate bars are Certified Vegan (check labels), Kosher (dairy), Fair Trade, and non-GMO project Verified.
I love that Endangered Species comes in many delicious flavors, so I never feel I’m missing out. Some of my favorite flavors include Raspberry Filling, Orange, Rich Caramel, Fudgy Peanut Butter, Almonds and Sea Salt, Hazelnut Toffee, Forest Mint, Espresso Beans, Blueberry, Cranberry and Almonds, Cinnamon Cayenne and Cherries, and more. Even its Oat Milk chocolate is certified gluten-free.
(6) Hu
I’m a bit confused by Hu and whether its chocolate is gluten-free. On the company’s website, Hu says “all” its products are certified gluten-free, but it doesn’t say by which certifying agency.
I believe Hu; I’m just struggling to back up this claim with facts since the Hu bar I found wasn’t labeled gluten-free.
I found the pictured Almond Butter + Puffed Quinoa Dark Chocolate bar at Whole Foods, and nowhere does it say it’s gluten-free, let alone certified gluten-free. The only allergen disclosure statement on the packaging says it’s produced using shared equipment with wheat.
I sent a note to the company to verify that all of its products are certified gluten-free. I’ll update this article when I have more information.
(7) Lily’s – Certified Gluten-Free
Lily’s has set itself apart from the chocolate bar pack by making all of its chocolate sugar-free. Lily’s uses stevia to sweeten its chocolates. All Lily’s products, including its chocolate bars and baking chips, are certified gluten-free by the GFCO. They’re also non-GMO, fair trade, and kosher.
Lily’s chocolate comes in various yummy flavors, including Almond Dark Chocolate, Birthday Cake White Chocolate, Blood Orange Extra Dark Chocolate, Crispy Rice Dark Chocolate, and Mocha Hot Cocoa Extra Dark Chocolate.
(8) Milkboy Swiss Chocolates
Milkboy Swiss doesn’t offer much information about allergens and ingredients on its website, but relying on the label, the Alpine Milk with Crunchy Caramel and Sea Salt is labeled “gluten-free.” Check each bar’s ingredient label for the most accurate information on a specific product.
(9) Taza Chocolate – Certified GF
You’re going to love knowing that all Taza Chocolate bars are certified gluten-free by the GFCO.
Taza Chocolate says it uses stone-ground chocolate, which means its cacao beans are unrefined and minimally processed. This technique allows Taza to ensure its chocolates have a bold flavor and texture.
Taza Chocolate bars come in many varieties, including Raspberry Crunch, Hazelnut Praline, Chocolate Cookie Crunch, Lemon Cookie Crunch, Cornflake Crunch, Sea Salt & Almond, Toffee, Almond & Sea Salt, and Almond Milk Quinoa Crunch, as pictured below.
(10) Theo
Theo is another popular chocolate bar brand, but unfortunately, none of its bars are labeled gluten-free on the packaging itself. However, many of them do not appear to contain gluten ingredients, and Theo states on its website that “most” of its products are gluten-free except for select items made in their Confection Kitchen.
After perusing the Theo website, I found a list of chocolate bars that the brand deems as gluten-free even though it’s not labeled “gluten-free” on the packaging itself. This includes Sea Salt, Salted Almond, Orange, Coffee Toffee, Raspberry, Salted Toffee, Mint, Cherry Almond, Brown Rice Quinoa Crunch, Hazelnut Crisp, Coconut, Milk Chocolate Salted Almond, Salted Cashew, Almond Brittle Crunch, and its pure chocolate bars, peanut butter cups, and Bittersweet Baking Bar.
However, the brand notes on its website, in an allergen disclosure statement, that its products are made on equipment that also processes milk, wheat, and tree nuts and in a facility that handles peanuts, eggs, and sesame. Read labels carefully when purchasing Theo products.
Because I didn’t feel confident that Theo chocolates were gluten-free without being labeled as such, I decided to test one with my Nima Sensor, a portable gluten-detecting device that gives you a peak inside of the food you’re eating.
You put a small pea-sized amount of food into a single-use test capsule and then put the capsule inside the device. In 1-2 minutes, Nima will reveal a smiley face (no gluten found) or a wheat symbol and gluten-found message.
My article, ” What You Need to Know About Nima Sensor Before You Buy – Perspective from a Celiac & Nutrition Professional, ” explains the pros and cons of using a Nima sensor.
Here’s how Theo’s Chocolate performed when put to the Nima test. As you can see, Nima smiled.
Avoid these Chocolate Bar Brands
Blue Stripes: Blue Stripes says on its website, “All of our products are made with gluten-free ingredients. However, the products are manufactured on lines that are exposed to gluten from other productions. The lines are cleaned very thoroughly after production runs, but we have not verified they are below the 20 ppm threshold yet.”
Chuao: While some Chuao chocolate bars are made without gluten ingredients, many contain gluten (wheat flour) and should be avoided. Since the brand makes so many non-GF bars, it’s best to avoid their entire line-up to avoid confusion.
Divine: The label on Divine chocolate bars says, “May contain wheat,” which is reason enough for me to put it back on the shelf.
Lindt Chocolate: I’ve debated whether or not to recommend Lindt on my list of gluten-free chocolate bars. My gut tells me that too many of its products contain gluten, either as a cereal ingredient or barley component, to be worthy of making my list.
However, I concur that some Lindt products are gluten-free, including its white chocolate products and high-cocoa-content chocolate bars from the EXCELLENCE line. Lindt says the packaging will contain the most definitive information on allergens.
Omnom: I noticed that the Omnom chocolate bar I found at Whole Foods contained barley malt, which is gluten. It also includes an allergen disclosure statement, “Made in a facility that handles gluten.”
Tony’s Chocolonely: While many of Tony’s Chocolonely bars are made without gluten ingredients, the ones I’ve seen say, “May contain wheat.”
Vosages Haut-Chocolate: Vosages makes some products that contain gluten and some that are labeled “gluten-free.” One interesting thing to note about some Vosages bars is that they contain wheat but bear a disclosure label that says, “The wheat has been processed to allow this food to meet the FDA requirements for gluten-free labeling.” Without a certified gluten-free label, I’m not sure I want to take any risks.
Whole Foods Market 365: Avoid the 365 brand of chocolate bars. The allergen disclosure statement on the back says it may contain wheat.
Chocolate Lovers Unite
If you love chocolate, you’re probably relieved to know that you don’t have to give it up just because you can’t eat gluten. All the brands on my list offer gluten-free products to satisfy your gluten-challenged lifestyle, and any of these premium chocolates will make you feel loved this Valentine’s Day or year-round.
Additional Reading
Get the scoop on gluten-free candy in my Ultimate Gluten-Free Halloween Candy Guide (20+ Candies Tested for Hidden Gluten).
Looking for a box of chocolates? Check out my list of Gluten-Free Boxes of Chocolates (and assorted chocolate brands) before you buy. I discuss Godiva, Ghirardelli, Whitman, and more.
One of my favorite boxed chocolates is from See’s Candies – I tested them with my Nima, and they’re gluten-free!
Curious about which chocolate chips are gluten-free? Read Are Chocolate Chips Gluten Free?
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