Are Milky Ways Gluten Free?

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Kurt Olsen

When you need chocolate to enhance your mood but can’t eat gluten, finding a healthy way to satisfy your want for chocolate might be challenging. Going gluten-free may be difficult, particularly for those with health problems after consuming gluten.

However, are our Milky Ways OK for gluten-free diets? Can you grab one off the shelf without being caught and enjoy that chocolatey, euphoric bliss?

What Are Milky Ways?

Since 1923, people have been able to purchase candy bars that are covered in chocolate and are called Milky Ways.

Mars, Inc., the world’s largest confectionery maker, is responsible for producing Milky Ways. Its taste is a throwback to when chocolate malts were abundant in eateries nationwide, where the characteristic malt flavor originates. However, because of the delectable coating of caramel that is covered in chocolate, it has been a customer favorite for nearly one hundred years.

Milky Way candy bars are so ubiquitous that it’s almost impossible to find a store that doesn’t have them. They are one of the most sought-after candies during Halloween and will likely be included in the haul your children bring home. However, before you try to smuggle one out of there, you should ensure they do not contain gluten.

Are Milky Ways Gluten Free?

Sorry to disappoint you, but the original Milky Way bar does not contain gluten. Because it contains malted barley, it should not be consumed by anyone who is gluten intolerant. But you don’t have to worry about being left out since the Milky Way Caramel and the Milky Way Dark are both gluten-free.

Neither the Caramel nor the Dark includes any components that contain gluten. Although there are no gluten-containing components, the manufacturer cannot guarantee that there will not be cross-contamination because of the nature of the manufacturing process.

Caution is advised since the production facilities that Milky Way uses may also produce other types of candy bars containing gluten. Therefore, you should avoid all Milky Way flavors if you have celiac disease.

Milky Way Ingredients:

The following are some of the primary components of an Original Milky Way bar:

  • Sugar, chocolate, cocoa butter, lactose, skim milk, milk fat, soy lecithin, and artificial flavoring are the ingredients that go into the production of milk chocolate;
  • Hydrogenated palm kernel oil and/or palm oil;
  • Maple syrup
  • Sugar
  • Skim milk
  • Cacao powder that has been treated with alkali; contains less than 2% milkfat
  • Malted barley
  • Whites of eggs
  • Lactose
  • Chocolate
  • Salt
  • Artificial flavors

It is important to note that the following components are for the Milky Ways’ original taste and that the Milky Ways’ original flavor includes malted barley. However, neither the Milky Way Caramel nor the Milky Way Dark has this candy component.

Safe Gluten Free Candy Bar Options:

You may build homemade versions of Milky Way candy bars if you feel you should take your time, and who could blame you? In addition, there is a diverse selection of gluten-free candy bars, including the following:

  • Butterfinger
  • Enjoy Life’s Rich and Delicious Dark Chocolate Bar
  • Rice milk chocolate bar made by Enjoy Life.
  • Ricemilk Crunch with Enjoy Your Life
  • Miniature bars of Enjoy Life’s Winter Dark Chocolate
  • Snickers Bars
  • 3 Musketeers
  • Products made using Dove Chocolate, except for milk chocolate cinnamon graham, cookies and cream, and some seasonal versions such as milk chocolate truffles
  • Almond Joy, except the confectionery known as Almond Joy Pieces.
  • Healthy Snack Bars
  • Hershey’s kisses dipped in milk chocolate.
  • Milk chocolate bars made by Hershey, exclusively available in the 1.55-ounce size.
  • Milk Duds, Mounds, and Almond Joy are some candy bars available.
  • Payday
  • Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups (except any products shaped seasonally).
  • Candies with Rolo Caramels enrobed in Milk Chocolate (except for Rolo Minis).
  • Peppermint Patties made by York, except York Pieces Candy, Sugar-Free Peppermint Patties, York Minis, and York Shapes 5 oz.

Do Mars Milky Ways contain gluten?

The traditional store-bought Mars bars (also known as Milky Way bars) sold in the United States are not gluten-free. They are wheat-free, but not gluten-free due to the presence of barley. This handmade recipe, on the other hand, is gluten-free. Simply use gluten-free certified oats in the nougat.

Are 3 Musketeers gluten-free?

3 Musketeers bars, like many candies, are produced in facilities that also process wheat-based products, so cross-contamination is always a possibility. Even though the ingredients of 3 Musketeers bars don’t contain gluten, it’s always good to double check with the manufacturer before consuming it if you have any gluten sensitivities, as ingredients and manufacturing processes may change over time.

Other candy bars like Milky Way Midnight and Caramel are gluten-free as they don’t have malted barley as an ingredient. But again, always check ingredients and packaging to ensure that the candies you’re consuming are gluten-free, as the situation might change

Why are Milky Way’s gluten-free?

There is no mention of barley malt or any other component that contains gluten in either the simple caramel or the midnight variants of the Milky Way candy bar. This indicates that these two kinds need to be regarded as gluten-free and that it is safe for people with celiac disease or a gluten-free diet to eat them.

Is Milky Way celiac safe?

Sorry to disappoint you, but the original Milky Way bar does not contain gluten. Because it contains malted barley, it should not be consumed by anyone who is gluten intolerant. But you don’t have to worry about being excluded since the Milky Way Caramel and the Milky Way Dark are both gluten-free. Neither the caramel nor the dark include any components that contain gluten.

Contact Us

For more information or to make comments and suggestions, please contact:
Kurt Olsen
Dairy Development Coordinator, Missouri Department of Agriculture
Phone: (573) 291-5704
E-mail: [email protected]