easter candy Archives -

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Every time we turn around there’s another holiday or celebration just around the corner, and buying season-specific treats can become pricey quickly. Add on to this the restriction of buying gluten free and usually the expense adds up even faster, but that doesn’t have to be the case.

In our home, we are always on the lookout for gluten-free products that look good, taste good, and are inexpensive. While we try to make good choices about extra chemicals in our treats via coloring, additives, and preservatives, we also make exceptions on holidays. If we were to get all-natural, organic food for everything our kids ingest, we’d go broke. So, we try to make the best choices we can given our set of circumstances.

Believe it or not, there are a ton of easy, gluten-free choices in terms of candy. However, those with Celiac Disease, Gluten Sensitivity, and other allergies should always be cautious, especially around the holidays.

Stay AWAY from molded chocolates!

As a rule, I find that molded chocolates are a NO GO. Yes, I’m afraid that means no more Cadbury Eggs, Reese’s Peanut Butter Eggs, and basically any other Chocolate egg you can find. Bunnies, my friends, are OUT too!

These types of specialty chocolates are difficult for manufacturer’s to maintain as gluten free. Some of the additives needed to ensure the chocolate fits the molds and stays together by the time it gets to the consumer contain gluten. Also, the many of the production facilities that the candy is produced are not gluten free, so the risk of cross-contamination goes up.

Since no one wants a sick kiddo for a holiday, it is best to just stay away from these products in grocery stores. Some local stores may provide GF chocolate bunnies, but you are really going to have to search to find them. Also, you can always check out Etsy, as independent chocolatiers have shops on there and sometimes offer gluten-free novelties. Be aware of this Price Warning though: these items are not going to be cheap. If they are a must-have in your Easter baskets, then they might be worth it for you. At a $20+ price tag, they are not a necessity in our baskets.

Thankfully, my kiddos never noticed that the “Big” Chocolate Bunny was replaced with a plush version instead, so all is well in my home!

Plenty of Other “Candy” Choices

Now, that you know what to generally stay away from, let’s talk about what you can include in your Easter baskets. It sounds like I say this ALL THE TIME, but it always bears repeating.

Please Double Check!

Please double check all of the products you pick up and make sure that the allergens that you are personally trying to avoid or to take out of your child’s diet are not on the ingredient list. For a quick check, I always scan for the “Gluten Free” stamps on the labels.

Always be sure to double check for the Gluten Free notation on the product’s label. If it’s not there, it’s probably NOT safe.

1. Jelly Beans

Hooray! What would Easter be without jelly beans? Most of the manufacturers of these candies list gluten free on there packages. Jelly Belly are the favorite in our household, because of their unique flavors.

(ASIDE: If you haven’t tried Bean Boozled with your family yet, you have to give it a try. You’re kids will love it! It’s a fun, quick game where you have to try to pick the good tasting jellybean over the identically-looking gross one. So, it definitely bring out the laugh in our house. We LOVE this game for car rides or long lines.)