8 Gluten-Free Licorice Brands to Try

Is licorice gluten-free? It should be gluten-free, but most people are surprised to learn that the main ingredient in licorice is wheat flour. In this article, I’ll discuss why licorice, including Red Vines and Twizzlers, isn’t gluten-free, as well as share a list of 8 brands that make gluten-free licorice. This post contains affiliate links. Please see my disclosures.

My friend had a party at her house with a beautiful spread of desserts. Since the desserts contained gluten, a protein found in wheat, barley, rye, and sometimes oats, she thought she would do something special for me. She bought me a large bucket of licorice from Costco so I wouldn’t feel left out.

I was new to the gluten-free diet at that time, so I didn’t know off-hand that licorice contained gluten. What I did know, however, was to turn over the pail to check the ingredient list before I ate anything. Sure enough, wheat flour is the first ingredient on the list.

My friend and I were both shocked. And while I couldn’t enjoy her kind gesture, we both had a big learning moment to never judge a book by its cover or, in this case, never judge whether or not a food contains gluten based on its appearance.

Are Twizzlers Gluten-Free?

No, Twizzlers are not gluten-free. They contain enriched wheat flour. On the Twizzlers website, its parent company, Hershey’s, clearly states that Twizzlers contain wheat flour (gluten) as well.

Nibs, also made by the Hershey company, contain gluten and should be avoided as well.

Are Red Vines Gluten-Free?

Red Vines are not gluten-free, either. When you look at the Red Vines ingredient list, you see the following ingredients: Corn syrup, high-fructose corn syrup, wheat flour (aka gluten), citric acid, artificial flavor, and Red 40.

There’s nothing much to see except a bunch of not-so-fantastic ingredients, anyway. The bottom line: Red Vines are not gluten-free.

8 Gluten-Free Licorice Alternatives

Even though you can’t enjoy Twizzlers or Red Vines, not all hope is lost because there are several brands of gluten-free licorice available to satisfy your craving for the chewy and sweet candy of your childhood.

Below are eight brands of gluten-free licorice worth checking out. I will add to this list as I learn about new gluten-free licorice alternatives.

(1) YumEarth Gluten-Free Licorice

YumEarth makes organic, vegan, and gluten-free licorice in various flavors, including its original flavor, pomegranate, peach, and black licorice.

All YumEarth products are allergy-friendly and free from peanuts, gluten, tree nuts, milk, eggs, fish, shellfish, and soy. You also won’t find high fructose corn syrup or artificial dyes in these babies.

The licorice looks more like bite-sized nibs than ropes or laces, but the taste is near perfect.

You can purchase YumEarth licorice on Amazon, and I’ve also seen them in Marshall’s and TJ Max at a steal in the past.

(2) Wiley Wallaby Licorice

I recently discovered Wiley Wallaby licorice. I’m impressed with the taste and texture. It’s soft and chewy and has a great flavor and no strange aftertaste.

I also love that Wiley Wallaby licorice contains only one gram of sugar and is certified gluten-free by the GFCO.

It’s important to note that ONLY the Very Berry flavor is gluten-free, which you can find on Amazon.

(3) Mom’s Place Gluten-Free Licorice

Mom’s Place Gluten Free sells handmade gluten-free licorice along with tons of baking mixes and other gluten-free products and essentials. Everything they offer is certified gluten-free.

The company describes the red licorice as “soft and tender to the bite,” and the licorice is shaped like Scottie dogs – so cute! You can purchase them on Amazon or the Mom’s Place website.

(4) Gimbal’s Licorice

After publishing this article, several people messaged me to look into Gimbal’s gluten-free licorice. The company also makes gluten-free black licorice in the shape of cute Scottie dogs.

Gimbal’s original black licorice is allergy-friendly as they are also peanut-, soy-, dairy-, and egg-free.

(5) Candy Tree Gluten-Free Licorice

Candy Tree, a small family-owned business from Holland, makes organic, GMO-free, and gluten-free red and black licorice. It comes in strawberry, cherry, and raspberry flavors in ropes, laces, and bites.

Candy Tree licorice is way overpriced on Amazon, but it’s priced well on the Gluten-Free Mall.

(6) Smart Sweets Gluten-Free Licorice

Another brand of gluten-free licorice is known as Smart Sweets. Not only are the red twists free from gluten, but also they only contain two grams of sugar per bag.

They’re also vegan, GMO-free, free from artificial flavors, and contain no food dyes. On top of that, the product is loaded with soluble plant-based prebiotic fiber and contains 38 percent fewer calories than other licorice brands.

I encourage you to read the reviews on Amazon before buying. It’s a mixed bag, with many people saying they don’t like the taste.

(7) See’s Candies Licorice

See’s Candies says that the vast majority of its candies are gluten-free unless they’re made outside of a See’s Candies facility.

Products made outside of the See’s Candies facilities do not contain gluten per se, but they may be manufactured in shared facilities or shared equipment. These products include candy canes, peanut butter bites, lemon drops, apple pie bites, Hanukkah hard candy, hot cocoa, and chocolate-covered coffee beans.

See’s Candies makes black and red licorice medallions, and if you read the reviews on the See’s Candies website, you’ll see that these products are well-loved.

By the way, I love See’s boxes of chocolate. See what happened when I tested See’s Candies for hidden gluten.

(8) JELLY Belly Scottie Dogs Licorice

JELLY Belly has come out with red and black Scottie dog licorice bite-size candies that are gluten-free, Kosher, vegetarian, non-GMO, and colored with natural sources.

One review on Amazon said, “Can’t believe these are gluten-free! It has the same taste & texture as regular licorice. Really happy with this product!”

Gluten-Free Licorice Can Be Hard to Find

As you can see from the list of licorice brands, gluten-free licorice is hard to find, and you’ll probably need to order it online if you want to enjoy it.

If you can’t find a gluten-free licorice brand you like and are brave enough to try making your own, my friend Nicole at Gluten Free on a Shoestring will show you how. Nicole says her gluten-free licorice recipe is easy to make, although it looks pretty involved to me. Good luck, and let me know if you try it.

Have you found other brands of gluten-free licorice? If so, please leave a comment to share. I will update this article as I learn of more options.

Additional Reading

You might enjoy these articles, too:

• Gluten-Free Candy Guide & Halloween Candy Tested for Hidden Gluten
• Are Candy Canes Gluten Free?
• Are Snickers Gluten-Free? And an Allergen-Friendly Copycat Snickers Recipe
• Are Marshmallows Gluten Free and Testing Jet-Puffed Marshmallows for Hidden Gluten
• Is Nutella Gluten Free? Nima Sensor Tested
• Spooktacular Gluten-Free Halloween Cookies with Egg-Free Royal Icing (Vegan and Allergy-Friendly)