Is Hot Chocolate Gluten Free?

Hot cocoa mixes are delicious, especially during the winter months. However, if you’re allergic to gluten, you may not enjoy drinking it.

Fortunately, there are plenty of options available to those who suffer from celiac disease. You can find gluten-free hot chocolates at most grocery stores, health food stores, and online retailers.

Gluten is naturally absent from hot chocolate. However, if you purchase it from a coffee shop or make it using pre-made mixes, there is a possibility of gluten contamination.

Not every brand of hot chocolate is gluten-free. Some brands contain wheat flour, barley malt, rye, oats, buckwheat, corn syrup, milk powder, soy sauce, salt, sugar, vanilla, caramel coloring, artificial flavors, preservatives, emulsifiers, stabilizers, thickeners, gums, starches, yeast, and/or modified food starch.

What Do You Mean By Gluten?

Hot cocoa is a delicious treat that everyone loves. However, not everyone knows if it’s safe to drink. Some people think that drinking hot cocoa means they must consume bread products, pasta, pizza, etc., which may cause serious health problems.

Others believe that hot cocoa is made with hot milk, which makes it okay to eat. To lessen symptoms, people with gluten-related diseases like celiac disease must limit or avoid gluten-containing products or gluten-containing food.

What Is Gluten Contamination?

Gluten cross-contamination refers to any substance that may cause harm to those who suffer from celiac disease. After consuming gluten, people who have celiac disease have immune system attacks on the lining of the small intestine.

Symptoms include abdominal pain, diarrhea, fatigue, weight loss, bloating, gas, nausea, vomiting, headaches, joint pain, skin rashes, eczema, depression, anxiety, irritability, mood swings, muscle cramps, numbness, tingling, memory problems, insomnia, constipation, heartburn, migraines, mouth sores, tooth decay, and hair loss.

How To Make Gluten-Free Hot Chocolate At Home?

All you need is milk, cocoa powder, vanilla extract, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt.

You can add any number of toppings to your hot chocolate, including marshmallows, whipped cream, mini chocolate chips, chopped nuts, and dried fruit. Just remember to keep the toppings small enough to fit inside the mug without overflowing.

Make a batch of gluten-free hot chocolate today!

Ingredients

All you need is milk, sugar, vanilla extract, cocoa powder, cinnamon, and salt.

To make gluten-free hot chocolate at your house, start by heating 1 cup of milk in a saucepan over medium heat until steaming. Add 2 tablespoons of unsweetened cocoa powder and stir well.

Let simmer for 3 minutes. Add a half-teaspoon of vanilla extract after taking the pan off the heat. Stir well. Pour into mugs and sprinkle with ¼ teaspoon of cinnamon and ⅛teaspoon of salt. Enjoy!

Method

Pre-mixed mixes are convenient, but they tend to be expensive. However, if you prefer convenience over cost, you may want to consider buying a premade mix. There are plenty of options available, including those made by brands like Bob’s Red Mill® and Arrowhead Mills®.

Gluten-Free Hot Chocolate Brands

There are lots of gluten-free hot chocolate brands available today. Some are made with milk, others are made with soy milk, and still, others are made with almond milk. There are even some that are made with coconut milk. 

BariWise High Protein Hot Cocoa

This gluten-free hot chocolate brand makes delicious high-protein hot cocoa. Their product comes in two flavors: vanilla bean and cinnamon spice. Both are made with 100% natural ingredients including organic cacao powder, coconut milk, almond milk, vanilla beans, cinnamon, and sea salt.

They also include 10 grams of protein per serving. You can find Bari Wise products at Whole Foods Market, Sprouts Farmers Markets, Costco, Target, Walmart, Amazon, and online at www.bariwise.com.

InJoy Organics

This gluten-free hot chocolate brand offers a variety of flavors including vanilla bean, cinnamon spice, hazelnut, and caramel. Their products are made using only organic ingredients, and they are certified kosher.

Hershey’s

Hershey’s gluten-free list includes chocolate bars, milk chocolate candies, ice cream treats, baked goods, and hot cocoa beverages. Hershey’s products are available at grocery stores across the country. You can find Hershey’s products in supermarkets, convenience stores, drugstores, and online retailers. 

Mrs. Bryant’s Dutch Colony

This gluten-free hot chocolate brand was created by Mrs. Bryant, a woman who wanted to find a delicious alternative to her favorite childhood treat. She searched high and low until she found a recipe that worked perfectly for her. Now, she shares her secret recipe with everyone else.

Mrs. Bryant’s Dutch colonial is made with organic dutch cocoa powder, vanilla bean paste, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, ginger, cardamom, cacao nibs, coconut milk powder, agave nectar, and sea salt. You won’t believe how delicious this drink tastes!

Swiss Miss

Swiss Miss is a brand of hot chocolate made by Nestlé USA. Swiss Miss is available in several flavors including vanilla, caramel, hazelnut, mocha, chocolate with marshmallows, chocolate orange, chocolate mint chip, and white chocolate raspberry. Each flavor comes in a variety of sizes, including single-serve cups, travel packs, and bulk containers.

Swiss Miss is gluten-free label and vegan-friendly. All of its products are certified kosher and halal. You can find Swiss Miss at grocery stores nationwide.

V!VA Caffeinated Hot Chocolate

These gluten-free hot chocolate products offer a variety of flavors including vanilla bean, cinnamon spice, caramel nut, hazelnut, and mocha almond. V!VA Caffeinated hot chocolates come in two sizes: small and large. Each cup comes with a shot of espresso and a splash of milk. You can find V!VA caffeinated hot chocolates at grocery stores nationwide.

Hot Chocolate With No Gluten Ingredients

There are plenty of hot chocolate recipes that include gluten-containing ingredients. However, there are also delicious actual chocolates without any gluten at all. 

Equal Exchange Hot Cocoa

Equal Exchange Hot Cocoa Equal Exchange gluten-free Hot Cocoa mix is made without gluten ingredients. It’s delicious hot cocoa classics that are free of artificial flavors, sweeteners, preservatives, dairy-free milk products, soy, wheat-containing ingredients, nuts, eggs, meat, fish, shellfish, yeast, peanuts, tree nuts, sesame seeds, mustard, vinegar, salt, natural sugar substitute, alcohol, caffeine, artificial colorings, artificial flavorings, MSG, hydrogenated oils, trans fats, high fructose corn syrup, and GMOs.

It’s 100% natural and organic. It’s also certified kosher and vegan. It’s available in regular and decaf varieties.

Ghirardelli

This best-known hot chocolate mixes use Ghirardelli cocoa powder, which is gluten-free. You can find Ghirardelli at most grocery stores, including Whole Foods Market.

Ingredients:

1 cup milk

2 cups water

3/4 cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 tablespoon Ghirardelli Cocoa Powder

In a pan over medium heat, mix the ingredients and bring them to a boil. Simmer for five minutes on low heat, stirring occasionally, until the sauce slightly thickens. Serve warm.

Keurig Cafe Escapes

Keurig Cafe Escapescan is a great option if you’re trying to avoid gluten. Keurig Cafe Escapes are made without any wheat flour, barley, rye, oats, Spelt, triticale, durum, semolina, farina, malt, or any other grain ingredients.

Instead, they use only pure cane sugar, cocoa powder, vanilla bean paste, natural flavors, and nonfat milk. These hot chocolate drinks come in two varieties: Classic and Decaf. Both are delicious and healthy options for those who prefer not to drink coffee.

Land O’Lakes

This hot chocolate recipe uses Land O’Lakes milk instead of regular milk. Land O’Lakes is a brand of dairy products made by Kraft Foods Inc., a subsidiary of Mondelez International.

Land O’Lakes is known for its quality and variety of dairy products including ice cream, yogurt, cheese, butter, sour cream, cottage cheese, frozen desserts, snacks, beverages, and pet food.

Nestlé

This hot chocolate recipe uses only gluten-free ingredients. You won’t find any wheat flour, barley malt, rye, oats, Spelt, triticale, Kamut, farina, semolina, durum, graham, buckwheat, rice, corn, tapioca starch, potato starch, dextrose, sucrose, fructose, glucose, lactose, molasses, honey, agave nectar, cane sugar, brown sugar, high fructose corn syrup, artificial sweeteners, preservatives, emulsifiers, stabilizers, thickeners, colorings, flavor enhancers, salt, etc.

Trader Joe’s

This hot chocolate recipe uses only gluten-free ingredients. You won’t find any wheat flour, barley malt, rye flour, oats, corn syrup, granulated sugar, milk powder, soy protein isolate, carrageenan, xantham gum, guar gum, locust bean gum, tapioca starch, potato starch, dextrose, salt, baking soda, vanilla, cocoa butter, lecithin, artificial flavors, natural flavors, preservatives, emulsifiers, stabilizers, colorings, or hydrogenated oils.

Hot Chocolates Brands That Are Not Gluten-Free

There are plenty of hot chocolate brands that are not gluten-free. However, there are only a handful of hot chocolate brands that actually state that they are gluten-free.

These include:•Café du Monde Hot Chocolate•Chocolate Cafe Hot Cocoa•Dreyer’s Ice Cream Hot Chocolate•Hershey’s® Hot Chocolate•M&M’s® Hot Chocolate•Sauza® Hot Chocolate•Schweppes® Hot Chocolate•Smoothie King® 

You’ll find that most of these hot chocolate brands are made with milk instead of cream. Milk is naturally gluten-free, so it makes sense that these hot chocolate brands are gluten-free.