Are Hershey Bars Gluten Free?
If you have celiac disease or gluten sensitivity, you are probably aware of how challenging it can be to find gluten-free options for your favourite snack. Chocolate lovers know that Hershey’s chocolate bars are one of the tastiest and most popular chocolate choices in the market, but are they gluten-free? In this article, we’ll explore the gluten content in Hershey bars and provide helpful tips for identifying gluten-free chocolates while also discussing the various benefits of consuming gluten-free chocolates.
Benefits of Gluten-Free Chocolates
Over the years, gluten-free diets have become more popular, not just among people with celiac disease or gluten sensitivity, but also for anyone who wants to make healthier food choices. Switching to gluten-free chocolates has several health benefits, including:
- Reducing Symptoms of Celiac Disease and Gluten Sensitivity: Digestive issues, bloating, headaches, and fatigue are some of the common symptoms of celiac disease and gluten sensitivity. Switching to gluten-free chocolate can help alleviate these symptoms.
- Improving Digestive Health: Gluten-free chocolates are easily digestible, which helps maintain healthy digestive function.
- Promoting Energy and Healing: Gluten-free chocolate is high in antioxidants, which promote energy and healing.
- Diabetes-Friendly: Some gluten-free chocolates are low in sugar and carbs, making them the perfect snack option for people with diabetes.
Thankfully, Hershey bars are gluten-free, providing chocolate lovers with the perfect snack option that is not only delicious but also healthy.
Tips to Identify Gluten-Free Chocolate
Before consuming any chocolate, it’s essential to understand the ingredients and labeling to ensure that it is gluten-free. Here are some useful tips:
- Read the Label: Read the entire label to check if the chocolate contains any gluten-related ingredients. Some ingredients that contain gluten include malt, barley, and wheat.
- Familiarize Yourself with Gluten-Free Labels: The US FDA requires foods containing less than 20 parts per million of gluten to be labeled as gluten-free. Therefore, look out for the “Gluten-Free” label on the product.
- Do Your Research: Several resources are available online that list gluten-free chocolate brands. Make sure to check them out before purchasing.
By keeping these tips in mind, you can prevent any allergic reactions or sensitivities while also ensuring that your chocolate is gluten-free.
Comparing Gluten-Free Chocolate Options
While Hershey bars are the perfect snack option for people with gluten intolerance, several other gluten-free chocolate brands are available in the market. It’s essential to compare sugar content, nutritional value, price, taste and other features before making a purchase. Here’s an overview of some popular gluten-free chocolate brands and how they compare to Hershey bars:
- Lindt: Lindt offers several gluten-free chocolate options. They come in several flavours and sizes but can be slightly more expensive than Hershey bars.
- Enjoy Life: Enjoy Life is a well-known gluten-free chocolate company that offers several chocolate chips, bars, and snack options. They are free from several allergens, including gluten, soy, and dairy.
- Ghirardelli: Ghirardelli offers several gluten-free chocolate products, including chocolate chips and bars. They are slightly more expensive than Hershey bars, but the taste and quality are worth it.
Overall, Hershey bars stand out as the perfect gluten-free chocolate option due to their affordability, taste, and availability in most stores.
Hershey Company’s Gluten-Free Certification Process
The Hershey Company has an extensive gluten-free certification process to ensure that all its products are gluten-free. They follow strict food safety protocols, which include ingredient management, sanitation, and allergen control programs. The Hershey Company has received certification for all its gluten-free products from the Gluten-Free Certification Organization (GFCO). This certification process is one of the most rigorous in the industry, ensuring that Hershey bars are entirely safe to consume, even for people with severe gluten intolerance.
Recipe Ideas for Gluten-Free Chocolate Desserts
Now that we have established that Hershey bars are gluten-free let’s explore some gluten-free dessert options that incorporate Hershey bars:
Hershey’s Chocolate Cake
This dessert is quick and easy to make.
Ingredients:
- 2 cups of gluten-free flour
- 2 cups of sugar
- ¾ cup of Hershey’s unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 teaspoons of baking powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons of baking soda
- 1 teaspoon of salt
- 1 cup of unsweetened almond milk
- ½ cup of vegetable oil
- 2 eggs
- 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract
- 1 cup of boiling water
Preparation:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Sift the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a large bowl.
- Add the almond milk, vegetable oil, eggs, and vanilla extract to the dry ingredients. Mix until well combined.
- Add boiling water and mix well until smooth batter is formed.
- Pour the batter into a greased cake pan and bake in the oven for 30-35 minutes.
- Let it cool before serving.
Hershey’s Chocolate Brownies
This mouth-watering dessert is perfect for chocolate lovers.
Ingredients:
- 2 cups of gluten-free flour
- 2 cups of sugar
- ¾ cup of Hershey’s unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 teaspoons of baking powder
- 1 teaspoon of salt
- 1 cup of vegetable oil
- 4 eggs
- 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract
- 1 cup of Hershey’s chocolate chips
Preparation:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Sift the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, and salt together in a large bowl.
- Add the vegetable oil, eggs, and vanilla extract to the dry mixture, and mix until smooth.
- Add the Hershey’s chocolate chips, and stir until they are evenly distributed throughout the mixture.
- Pour the mixture into a greased baking pan and bake in the oven for 30-35 minutes.
- Cool before serving.
These two recipes are perfect for chocolate lovers and are guaranteed to impress your guests.
Conclusion
Choosing gluten-free chocolate options like Hershey bars is essential for people with celiac disease or gluten sensitivity. In this article, we explored the benefits of consuming gluten-free chocolates and provided tips on identifying gluten-free chocolate. We also compared various gluten-free chocolate brands available in the market, where Hershey bars stood out as the perfect go-to gluten-free chocolate option. We also discussed the Hershey Company’s gluten-free certification process, ensuring the safety of all its products. Lastly, we provided some recipe ideas incorporating Hershey bars. We hope this article has been informative for all the gluten-free chocolate lovers out there and has encouraged you to incorporate Hershey bars into your dessert recipes.
