Gluten Free Christmas Chocolates and Treats
Get ready to indulge in the festive spirit with a delightful collection of gluten-free Christmas chocolates and treats that are as delicious as they are merry!
Well hello. It seems like we were only just talking about Easter treats, and now here we are… tumbling into Christmas!
Food is a huge part of the season, and when you have Coeliac disease, food allergies or other dietary requirements, it can also cause a lot of extra worry about what you can and can’t eat.
I’ve put together this list of 28 gluten free Christmas chocolates and treats (plus some extra suggestions) that will satisfy any craving for a little bit of festive sweetness, to help you navigate the holiday season a little more easily.
The list is broken down into gluten free Christmas chocolates, lollies and baked goods. While each section is listed in no particular order, I have numbered them so that if your family or friends are asking what they can safely get you for Christmas, you can send them this post with the numbers of the treats you fancy 😉
Be sure to let me know in the comments if I’ve missed your Christmas favourites!
Gluten Free Christmas Treats
There are two kinds of gluten free Christmas treats in this list – the first are those that are labelled gluten free, which means they meet the gluten free labelling regulations in New Zealand and Australia.
The second are those that are gluten free by ingredient, which means that they are not made with any gluten-containing ingredients, but have not been tested for gluten and may be made on equipment that also handles gluten.
Reading Ingredient Labels
Make sure you check the packet ingredients to ensure that what you’re buying is gluten free, don’t just take the word of someone on the internet (even if it is me, I’m still human). I’ve added the info available to me on the packets of the products I purchased and on the brand’s websites, but sometimes labelling and ingredients change, so always make sure that what you’re buying is safe.
When checking labels for gluten, remember the acronym BROW – barley, rye, oats and wheat. Labels must state if they contain these ingredients.
Some products may state “may contain gluten” or “may contain traces” of gluten, due to being made on the same equipment as products that do contain gluten. This statement doesn’t make them any more or less safe than those without that label, as it is a completely voluntary label that the manufacturer can choose to include (or not).
Many Coeliacs (including my Dad) comfortably eat “may contain” products, however, always assess your own (or the person you’re buying for’s) risk appetite for products made on shared equipment.
Note: In New Zealand, glucose syrup from wheat is considered by Coeliac NZ to be so highly processed that it is gluten free. However, Coeliac Australia notes that there is a small chance some highly sensitive Coeliacs may still react to it and that it is an individual’s choice whether to consume it.
Glucose syrup from wheat is not safe for those with a wheat allergy.
Key:
✅✅ = Gluten free (includes those with the Crossed Grain logo, and those labelled gluten free).
✅ = Gluten free by ingredient (no gluten-containing ingredients, with or without a “may contain” gluten statement).
💟 = Labelled suitable for certain allergies or dietary requirements, or other notable points.
‼️ = Other allergen warnings and may contain statements from the packaging.
Gluten Free Christmas Chocolate
Whittaker’s Candy Cane Block
Whittaker’s Candy Cane Block has their 5-roll refined creamy milk chocolate with crunchy pieces of minty candy cane. I think this has quite a light peppermint flavour, so if you like mint but don’t like it to really hit you in the mouth, then this is a nice option. Available from most supermarkets.
✅ Gluten free by ingredient
💟 Palm oil free
‼️ Contains milk and soy, may contain peanuts, tree nuts, gluten.
Queen Anne Marshmallow Santas
I’m a big fan of Queen Anne marshmallow products and these are no exception. These are strawberry flavoured marshmallow Santas, coated with milk chocolate. Queen Anne also has a lot of other gluten free Christmas products and other chocolates including caramel chocolates and ginger cremes (which have been recommended to me but I haven’t found in our local shops, yet!). Available from supermarkets and online.
✅✅ Gluten free
‼️ Contains milk and soy
‼️ May contain egg, nuts and sulphites
Rainbow Christmas Santas & Christmas Treats
The Christmas Santas (pack of 10) are strawberry marshmallow coated with milk chocolate, and the Christmas Treats (pack of 15) contains various shapes (Santas, trees and what I think is a snowman?) in three flavours – vanilla, strawberry and honeycomb. All individually wrapped, so handy for stockings. Available from supermarkets and The Warehouse.
✅✅ Gluten free
💟 NZ made
‼️ Contains milk and soy
Nestlé Scorched Almonds
A Christmas classic since even before the old TV ad with the little girl wrapping scorched almonds as Christmas presents (“To Mummy aaaand Daddy”). Available from most supermarkets, The Warehouse, dairies… pretty much everywhere that sells chocolate.
✅ Gluten free by ingredient
‼️ Contains milk, soy, almonds, hazelnuts and macadamias
‼️ May contain peanuts other tree nuts, gluten
Waikato Valley Scorched Almonds
NZ-made scorched almonds, these are also available in dark and white chocolate, caramel, and fruit and nut versions. Available from The Warehouse.
✅ Gluten free by ingredient
‼️ Contains milk, soy and almonds
‼️ May contain gluten, peanuts or other tree nuts
Kinder Character Hollow Figures
These cute little characters are made with that delicious Kinder chocolate, which is gluten free by ingredient. There are also some multipacks of smaller figures, too. Note: these ones are not Kinder Surprises so they don’t contain a toy inside, however there are also some Christmas Kinder Surprises available. Available from supermarkets and The Warehouse.
✅ Gluten free by ingredient
‼️ Contains milk and soy
Cadbury Christmas Mix
The Cadbury Christmas Mix box contains a mixture of Cadbury’s Christmas treats, including Dairy Milk Santas, popping candy elves, hazelnut chocolates, Dairy Milk baubles and Caramello baubles. Available from supermarkets, The Warehouse, Kmart, and pretty much anywhere else that sells Cadbury products.
✅ All are gluten free by ingredient
‼️ All contain milk and soy, and the hazelnut ones contain nuts
‼️ There are different “may contain”s for each type of chocolate on the back of the pack. These include gluten, wheat, peanuts, tree nuts.
There are quite a lot of Cadbury products that are gluten free by ingredient, so just have a read of the ingredients to check. Some of the Cadbury Roses and Cadbury Favourites flavours contain gluten so I definitely recommend avoiding both of those if you’re looking for a gift for someone gluten free.
Cadbury Milk Tray
If you’re looking for some cheap and cheerful boxed chocolates, Cadbury Milk Tray is gluten free by ingredient and contains ten different flavoured milk chocolates. Available in most supermarkets and at The Warehouse.
✅ Gluten free by ingredient
‼️ Contains milk, hazelnuts, soy
‼️ May contain other tree nuts
Toblerone
I love Toblerone any time of year, but I couldn’t walk past this cute Christmas packaging. This is the original milk chocolate Toblerone with honey and almond nougat, but there are other Toblerone flavours that are also gf by ingredient. Available from supermarkets and The Warehouse.
✅ Gluten free by ingredient
💟 Suitable for vegetarians
‼️ Contains milk, almonds, soy and egg
Baileys Chocolate Truffles
I have bought these several times for my Mum, knowing that she’ll share them with me. I guess that means that I like them 😂 Available from supermarkets and The Warehouse.
✅ Gluten free by ingredient
‼️ Contains milk and soy
‼️ May contain nuts
‼️ Contains alcohol
Terry’s Chocolate Orange
Made with real orange oil, these are a classic for fans of the choc-orange flavour combo. It comes in both milk and dark chocolate. Available from supermarkets and The Warehouse.
✅ Gluten free by ingredient
💟 Suitable for vegetarians
‼️ Contains milk and soy
‼️ May contain nuts and wheat
Sweet William Mylk Chocolate Santas
A great option for those with multiple food allergies, as they’re made in a dedicated facility. There are 12 individually packaged chocolate Santas in the pack. Available from health food shops and The Warehouse online.
✅✅ Gluten free
💟 Dairy free
💟 Nut free
💟 30% less sugar than regular milk chocolate
‼️ Contains soy
Lindt White Chocolate Truffles
I tossed up whether to include these because Coeliacs need to note that the majority of Lindt chocolates are not gluten free because they contain barley malt flavouring. However there are some white chocolate flavours that are gluten free by ingredient, including these plain white chocolate ones, and the white chocolate and strawberry ones. Available from supermarkets and The Warehouse.
✅ Gluten free by ingredient
‼️ May contain peanuts and tree nuts
Moo Free Selection Box
Contains a fizzy orange bar, Santa bar, Bunnycomb® bar and snowman bar. Comes in a cute cracker-shaped box. This is one of the few treats I’ve found that is also soy free. While a little on the pricier side, these are a great option for people with multiple allergies or dietary requirements. Moo Free also makes a bunch of other Christmas chocolates. I bought these from our local Simply Organic shop, but they’re also available online.
✅✅ Gluten free
💟 Dairy free
💟 Soy free
💟 Suitable for vegetarians and vegans
NOMO Advent Calendar and Reindeer
NOMO means “no more missing out” and these are another great option for those with multiple foods to avoid. The advent calendar contains 24 chocolate “drops” and the reindeer have a cookie dough flavoured centre covered in chocolate. Available from supermarkets and The Warehouse, and I found the reindeer at Chemist Warehouse, of all places.
✅✅ Gluten free
💟 Dairy free
💟 Egg free
💟 Nut free
‼️ Does not seem to contain soy, but according to their website is processed on equipment that does.
Whittaker’s Cocoa Pods
Another Whittaker’s favourite, these Cocoa Pods are a little fancier than a block of chocolate. Milk chocolate with a soft hazelnut gianduja filling, they come in this bag of 10 or a box of 16.
✅ Gluten free by ingredient
✅ Palm oil free
‼️ Contains milk, soy and hazelnut
‼️ May contain gluten, peanut, other tree nuts
Gluten Free Christmas Lollies
Horners Candy Canes
These are the classic peppermint candy canes, however, Horners also have fruit-flavoured candy canes that are also gluten free too. My favourite brand of candy canes – and I am weirdly fussy about candy canes. They can’t be chewy, and the peppermint flavour needs to be right. These ones are perfect. Available from supermarkets.
✅✅ Gluten free
💟 Nut free
💟 Vegetarian
‼️ May contain milk and soy
Chupa Chups Candy Cane Flavour
Another cute stocking stuffer, there are 25 lollipops per bag. I bought these from our local Fresh Choice, but they’re also available from The Warehouse.
✅ Gluten free by ingredient
‼️ May contain traces of milk
Elf on the Shelf and Rudolph Pop-Ups
These strawberry pop-up lollipops would make a super cute little stocking stuffer. Available from The Warehouse.
✅ Gluten free by ingredient
‼️ Not suitable for children under 3 years old (small parts)
Ma Baker Christmas Tree Mallows
Little pink white and green tree-shaped marshmallows. I really love Ma Baker marshmallows, they’re lovely and soft with a light flavour. These would be cute pressed into the top of some homemade rocky road to give as gifts. Available from supermarkets.
✅✅ Gluten free
‼️ May contain traces of milk, tree nuts, sesame, peanuts and soy
Finn’s Assorted Fudge Selection
Ok, I guess fudge doesn’t really fit in the lolly section but I didn’t have another section to put this in. Finn’s Fudge Selection includes Russian, caramel sea salt, french vanilla, Irish cream, choc mint and choc-salted caramel flavours. Available from Countdown/Woolworths and on the Finn’s Fudge website.
✅✅ Gluten free
‼️ Contains milk
Dr Bugs Gourmet Popcorn Treats – Candy Cane
I’m adding these a week after publishing this post, after my bestie sent me a parcel of Dr Bugs popcorn for Christmas. This Candy Cane flavour would make a festively red addition to a grazing platter. This is currently only available in their Christmas box, but if you’re looking for some festive snacks, this is a great option. Available on the Dr Bugs website.
✅✅ Gluten free
✅ NZ-grown corn
‼️ Contains milk and soy
Gluten Free Christmas Baked Goods
Walker’s Gluten Free Shortbread
Light and crunchy gluten-free shortbread. This seems like a decent-sized box but there are only 9 biscuits in it, so just keep that in mind. Available from some supermarkets.
✅✅ Gluten free – certified by Coeliac UK
‼️ Contains milk
‼️ May contain traces of almonds, hazelnuts, pecans, pistachios and walnuts.
JonJon Gluten Free Fruit Mince Bites
Cute little bite-sized pies. You can serve these as is, or warm them up and serve them with a dusting of icing sugar and/or whipped cream. If you’re not a fruit mince fan, JonJon also make apricot bites and berry bites. Available from supermarkets.
✅✅ Gluten free
‼️ Contains milk and soy
JonJon Gluten Free Brandy Snaps
Now, I am a big fan of making homemade gluten free brandy snaps, because I love how much lighter and crunchier they are, but if you’re in a hurry or just don’t want to faff about making them yourself, then these JonJon ones are great. There are 8 in a pack, and it comes with some delicious serving suggestions on the back of the box. Available from supermarkets.
✅✅ Gluten free
‼️ Contains soy
Free From Gluten Gingerbread Cookies
If you’re not in the mood to bake your own gluten free gingerbread cookies, then these gluten free gingerbread cookies are perfect to eat as-is, or you could decorate them yourself. Available from Countdown/Woolworths.
✅✅ Gluten free
💟 Suitable for vegetarians
‼️ Contains egg, milk and soy
Free From Gluten Individual Fruit Pudding
These are a good option if only one person needs a gluten free Christmas pudding. It can be steamed or microwaved. If you don’t like fruit pudding, they also have a chocolate sponge version. Available from Countdown/Woolworths.
✅✅ Gluten free
‼️ Contains egg, almonds and sulphites
‼️ May contain milk, peanuts, brazil nuts, cashews, hazelnuts, macadamias, pecans, pine nuts, pistachios, walnuts, sesame, soy.
Pams (New World & Pak n Save) and JonJon (various supermarkets) also have gluten free Christmas puddings in a larger size.
Aunt Betty’s Gluten Free Plum Pudding
Two individual servings of plum pudding with French brandy. Another great option to take for Christmas lunch if everyone else can eat gluten. Can be microwaved or steamed. Available from most supermarkets.
✅✅ Gluten free
💟 Suitable
‼️ Contains milk and egg
‼️ May contain almonds, pecans.
Phoenix Gluten Free Christmas Tarts
Four traditional-style Christmas fruit mince pies. These are a little on the pricey side, but very nice. Available from some supermarkets, some BinInn stores, and online. On their website they also have a nice selection of other gluten free Christmas products.
✅✅ Gluten free
‼️ Contains soy and egg
Pams Gluten Free Traditional Fruit Mince Tarts
Lovely little fruit mince tarts. Very traditional taste, as with most fruit mince pies I feel like they could have had a little more fruit mince in them, but overall they’re very nice. Available from New World and Pak n Save.
I’m 99.9% sure that these are the same as the JonJon fruit mince bites. The ingredients and nutrition panel are virtually identical. So if you have a choice between the two, I’d go with whichever is at the cheapest price.
✅✅ Gluten free
✅ Does not contain egg (not labelled egg free)
‼️ Contains sulphites, soy and milk
Other Fruit Mince Tarts
I actually had some trouble finding fruit mince pies for this post, there were others I wanted to get but couldn’t find in our local shops. I’m keeping an eye out for the Bakeworks Home St fruit mince tarts.
I’ve seen mixed reviews of the Free From Gluten fruit mince pies this year – with people saying the pastry was hard and dry, but they were more palatable when heated up in the microwave and served warm.
Don’t forget, if you can’t find any in the shops or just want to make your own, I have an easy and delicious gluten free fruit mince pie recipe on my other website.
Will you be trying some of these treats this year? Have I missed your favourite gluten free chocolates or treats? Let me know in the comments below 💜
Merry Christmas! 🎄
You have not missed anything, you have my favourite in there
Thank you for doing this – GF bandy snaps! Perfect for a number of adults in the house that love this special treat.