The answer to "are Milky Way Chocolate Bars gluten-free" is yes AND no. Really! Yes, you can have Milky Way Chocolate Bars if you have gluten intolerance BUT there's catch. There's only one type of Milky Way that's gluten-free. Grab only THIS kind!
🍫Is Milky Way Gluten-free?
Unfortunately, Milky Way candy bars are not gluten-free.
Milk Way candy bars contain gluten, in the form of barely extract. Barley extract contains a small amount of gluten.
Always check the label of the candy and the ingredients list on the label to be sure you're safe from gluten.
Jump to:
- 🍫Is Milky Way Gluten-free?
- 📝Ingredients in Milky Way Chocolate Bars
- 😋Which Milky Way is Gluten Free?
- ✅Ingredients in Milky Way Midnight Dark Bars
- 🚫Are Milky Way Salted Caramel Chocolate Bars Gluten Free?
- 🚫Is Milky Way Safe for Gluten Intolerance?
- 🍫Gluten Free Chocolate Bar Options Besides Gluten Free Dark Chocolate Milky Way
- 🌾What is Gluten?
- 🥖Is Gluten Bad for me?
- 🍞What foods have gluten?
- 🍑Bottom line on gluten-free Milky Way bars
- 💬 Comments
📝Ingredients in Milky Way Chocolate Bars
Here's the ingredients in Milky Way bars as listed on the manufacture's website:
INGREDIENTS: MILK CHOCOLATE (SUGAR, COCOA BUTTER, SKIM MILK, CHOCOLATE, LACTOSE, MILKFAT, SOY LECITHIN, ARTIFICIAL FLAVOR), CORN SYRUP, SUGAR, PALM OIL, SKIM MILK, LESS THAN 2% - MILK FAT, COCOA POWDER PROCESSED WITH ALKALI, BARLEY MALT EXTRACT, LACTOSE, SALT, EGG WHITES, CHOCOLATE, ARTIFICIAL FLAVOR.
Interestingly, they don't list gluten as one of the allergens in the allergen label.
As of the time of writing this, the allergen statement for Original Milky Way is:
"CONTAINS MILK, EGG AND SOY. MAY CONTAIN PEANUTS."
This might be due to the fact that the gluten contained in the Milky Way chocolate bar from the barley extract is less than 20 parts per million.
When the gluten contained in a product is less than 20 parts per million, the manufacture doesn't have to list "gluten" as a potential allergen.
That doesn't mean YOUR body won't react to it, even if it's a small amount of gluten.
And just be sure always check ingredient lists. And not only that: listen to YOUR body.
Especially with gluten intolerance because you might not test positive for celiac disease but you might have symptoms of gluten intolerance with small amounts of gluten.
Ok fun fact?
Milky Way Chocolate Bars were first sold in 1924 and are the oldest Mars chocolate bar brand still around!
According to the chocolate bars' website, the flavor was made to "capture the taste of malted milkshakes and named after a famed malted milk drink of the day, not the MILKY WAY galaxy."
And I always thought it was about the galaxy!👾
😋Which Milky Way is Gluten Free?
First of all - did you know there's different varieties of Milky Way candy bars?
There's the Original Milky Ways, the Milky Way Midnight Dark Chocolate Bar, and the Milky Way Salted Caramel Chocolate Bar.
Here's the good news: one variety of Milky Way is gluten free:
- Milky Way Midnight Dark Bars are gluten-free🥳
It's sooo nice to know that you can still have Milky Way chocolate bars when you're eating a gluten-free diet. You just gotta reach for a Milky Way Midnight Dark Bar!
✅Ingredients in Milky Way Midnight Dark Bars
Milky Way Midnight Dark Chocolate Bars are gluten-free. Woohoo!
Milky Way Midnight Dark Bars contain the following ingredients as listed on the manufacture's website:
INGREDIENTS: SEMISWEET CHOCOLATE (SUGAR, CHOCOLATE PROCESSED WITH ALKALI, CHOCOLATE, COCOA BUTTER, MILKFAT, SOY LECITHIN, NATURAL FLAVOR), CORN SYRUP, SUGAR, PALM OIL, SKIM MILK, LESS THAN 1.5% - MILKFAT, LACTOSE, SALT, EGG WHITES, NATURAL AND ARTIFICIAL FLAVORS, CHOCOLATE.
The allergen statement on the Milky Way Midnight Dark Chocolate Bars is:
"CONTAINS MILK, EGG AND SOY. MAY CONTAIN PEANUTS."
None of the ingredients listed in the Milky Way Midnight Dark Chocolate Bar contain gluten.
Always, always, check the ingredient list on the package. You can't 100% rely on the allergen statement on the package of the chocolate bar.
🚫Are Milky Way Salted Caramel Chocolate Bars Gluten Free?
Milky Way also has a caramel bar, but the Milky Way Caramel Bar is not gluten-free.
Like the original Milky Way, the Milky Way Caramel Bar contains some gluten in the form of barley malt extract.
Here's the ingredients as listed on the manufacture's website:
INGREDIENTS: MILK CHOCOLATE (SUGAR, COCOA BUTTER, SKIM MILK, CHOCOLATE, LACTOSE, MILKFAT, SOY LECITHIN, ARTIFICIAL FLAVOR), CORN SYRUP, SUGAR, PALM OIL, SKIM MILK, LESS THAN 2%— MILKFAT, LACTOSE, COCOA POWDER PROCESSED WITH ALKALI, BARLEY MALT EXTRACT, SEA SALT, SALT, EGG WHITES, ARTIFICIAL FLAVOR.
Again, like the original Milky Way Chocolate Bar, the Caramel Milky Way contains some gluten from the barley malt extract ingredient.
Even with the small amount of gluten, you need to know YOUR body and what you react to.
🚫Is Milky Way Safe for Gluten Intolerance?
No, Milky Ways are not safe for you if you have gluten intolerance because they contain gluten. BUT here's a catch - and it's a good one: there's one type of gluten-free Milky Way bars!
- Milky Way Midnight Dark Bars are gluten-free!
So that means you CAN eat Milky Way Chocolate Bars if you have gluten intolerance or celiac disease.
The catch is: you have to stick with the Milky Way Midnight Dark Chocolate Bar.
🍫Gluten Free Chocolate Bar Options Besides Gluten Free Dark Chocolate Milky Way
So when you're cruising down the candy aisle at the grocery store or about to raid your kids Halloween stash, what are some gluten-free chocolate options?
Here's some popular chocolate bars that are also gluten free:
- Areo Chocolate Bar
- Hershey Original Chocolate Bar
- O'Henry Chocolate Bar
- Pay Day
- Reese's Peanut Butter Cups
- Snickers
There are so many gluten-free options when it comes to chocolate bars so dig in😋
Note the list above and the ingredients listed in this post are from products in the United States. If you're elsewhere in the world, be sure to ready those ingredient lists for wheat flour, barley extract or other gluten-containing ingredients.
🌾What is Gluten?
Gluten is a mixture of proteins found in wheat, barley, rye, spelt, kamut and triticale.
Gluten is what gives dough its elasticity and helps bread and other baked goods maintain their shape.
🥖Is Gluten Bad for me?
Gluten isn't necessarily "bad" for you or unhealthy. For many people, gluten is a completely healthy part of their diet.
But if you have celiac disease, gluten sensitivity, or wheat allergy, consuming gluten can cause a whole bunch of symptoms.
Reactions to gluten can involve the immune system (celiac disease) and cause damage to the lining of the small intestine.
Symptoms of gluten intolerance or gluten sensitivity can range from digestive issues to skin rash to fatigue or "brain fog".
🍞What foods have gluten?
Major sources of gluten in a "typical" North American diet include:
- Bagels
- Buns
- Bread
- Cake
- Cereals
- Cookies
- Crackers
- Muffins
- Oats (unless labeled "gluten-free"; regular oats can contain wheat from cross contamination in the field they’re grown in)
- Pancakes
- Pasta
- Tortillas
- Waffles
But there's many "hidden" sources of gluten in products you might not think of. Soy sauce, beer, Twizzlers and even chicken broth have gluten containing ingredients!
🍑Bottom line on gluten-free Milky Way bars
So the GOOD news is: you can eat Milky Way bars on a gluten-free diet.
The catch is that the variety of Milky Way chocolate bar that's gluten-free is the Milky Way Midnight Dark Chocolate Bar.
When it comes to going gluten-free for life, become a reader of ingredient lists! That way, you'll always be able to make an informed decision about what you're eating.
Jump into the world of Eats by April below and let's go on the journey of gluten-free for life, together!
~April
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