When we were at the store last week, I saw a new Reese’s product – Reese’s Whipps. I finally got around to calling Reese’s (Hershey’s) today and was quite disappointed in their gluten free list. The rep was very helpful, but said he can only confirm the following products are gluten free (and sadly, Reese’s peanut butter cups are not on the list). Why the hell is it so hard to make food without gluten?
Hershey’s Chocolate Bar
Hershey’s Chocolate Bar with Almonds (which is good!)
Hershey’s Kisses (I presume the regular ones only)
Jolly Rancher hard candies and lollipops
Hershey’s Cocoa
Hershey’s baking chocolate – semi-sweet and unsweetened
Hershey’s chocolate chips – semi-sweet
Hershey’s chocolate syrup
Hershey’s gets an F for not having more items without gluten.
That is very interesting and confusing because I have seen Reese’s Peanut Cups on all sorts of gluten free lists….from ice cream flavors to Safe Halloween lists. So – I’m confused….
BAH! I almost cried when I read this. But here’s hoping the rep you talked to was.. umm… slow. LOL
I found this list online that lists all the current GF candies and the PB Cups are on it (Hooray!!!). Thank GAWD for Halloween…. the candy lists are more and more available. =)
Happy PB Cup eating, dear Steve. Life without PB Cups is UNimagineable to me! LOL
http://www.glutenfreeda.com/oct07-halloween-candy2007.asp
My understanding of the Reese’s cups is that although Hershey’s hasn’t specifically tested them (like they have the products that appear on their gluten free list), their ingredients do not contain gluten — Hersheys’ says that their artificial flavors don’t contain gluten, although their natural flavors mights. Reese’s cups don’t contain natural flavors, just artificial flavors. However, that being said, I’m pretty frustrated with Hershey’s unwillingness to be more proactive about their labeling (like Nestle’s is).
See, I thought Reese’s peanut butter cups were (are) safe but then today the rep didn’t list them. The thing I think is odd is their artificial flavors flavors are gluten free but natural flavors may contain gluten. Natural. Get it, Reese’s?!. Sigh. Thanks to each of you for posting that the pb cups are safe.
Bah.
I agree with Rochelle.
It’s SUPER frustrating with the companies that are so worried about covering-their-buttos that they cannot disclose what they really know.
What really scares me is what this says about our culture. Lawsuit happy, anyone?
It’s sad, really.
Yeah, that is pretty sad. There are so many items they make that could EASILY be made gluten-free. I think the biggest issue for them is cross-contamination prospects in their plants, otherwise it seems so simple to make many of their items without the allergen.
(I feel obliged to start my comment with “Bah.”)
Bah.
Your posts always make me hungry for something.
What’s so bad about Gluten?
Whew – thank goodness! Now I do not feel quite so bad for consuming that Breyers Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup ice cream…..
So after receiving some personal attacks on my site about my question. “What is so bad about gluten, I needed to come back and let everyone know, I am not pro-gluten. You won’t find me with a sign on a street corner in protest for it. Save the Gluten!! Nope not me.
I am curently trying to research everything I can about the environment, food we eat and how that effects my body and more importantly my children. I have a 3 year old boy who does not speak. We are going through the gamet of evaluations to find out why. He is also not growing for his age. I came across this blog and found it interesting and hoped to learn more for my family.
Sorry if my simple question offended anyone. I was offended by the person who made that comment,”I hope you have to deal with a child who has autism”. To wish that on a person is just not right.
Steve, as I know you could delete this and not post it on your site, please don’t. Or just take comment #8(mine) off. I still enjoy your blog and hope to learn more.
Take care,
Amy
Amy – I am not going to apologize for any insentive people who may have left you a negative comment. That wasn’t right. To any of us who deal with being gf, it’s about knowledge and teaching and patience. For those that don’t know about gluten, that’s where we come in. Knowledge and teaching and patience. If any of you were rude to Amy regarding her comment, I do hope you will take the time to stop, pause and think about how so many people in your daily life have no clue about gluten, and the more we can teach people, the better off everyone will be.
OH! I feel badly for Amy (and you too, Steve) … and compelled to put in another BAH just to be a brat… and silly. so .. .BAH! What is the world coming to!
I read Amy’s comment just now and my first though was “OH! I remember when I didn’t even know what gluten was and why I would care about it.”
Those were the days, man. LOL
See? I’m slow. I never thought anything other than that about her question.
Never know when this brain of mine will just slow down from it’s current slug-pace and really cause me some problems… LOL
Do you have access to the Silly Yaks candy list for 2007? I didn’t read all the comments, but I think I can download it and send it to you if you want. Reese Cups (Kate’s right) and Snickers are on there, so my day was complete. That and Hershey Bars with Almonds.
But have you heard that you shouldn’t eat Hershey Minatures? Apparently they’re made of run-off chocolate and are heavily cc’d.
Hi Steve…I’m newly diagnosed celiac and live a stone’s throw from Hershey. I had the same difficulty some of the other readers did with obtaining product information.
I found some other chocolates that are good enough that I’ll do just fine.
Green and Black’s Chocolates are all GF except for the caramel and mint filled ones. Their reps were extremely thorough and helpful when i contacted them.
Dagoba chocolates are GF as well. The acai berry one rocks.
I’m glad to hear that the Hershey chocolate syrup is GF though. Now I can lick the spoon when I make the kids’ chocolate milk and not worry. They didn’t tell me that when I called.
Thanks for your site. It’s been helpful. I started one of my own when I got diagnosed, but it’s still a fledgling!
I have been gluten free for 3 years and for those 3 years i have been eating reese’s and I have never felt ill after eating them!!
And does anyone know if the reese’s trees are gluten free?
i have been gluten free for 4 yrs plus but i also am diabetic so always lookin for things i can eat when my sugars are low i did find chapamn’s icecream is gluten free or the ones i have purchased.. which i mainly buy their gluten free mint chip but i also they have banana / strawberry and the ones i buy that are gluten free is also peanut free, if anyone has any suggestions for snacks i can eat plz let me know ty in advance
Thank you for all the comments! I’m making my aunt (celiac!) a cheesecake for her birthday…and I know she loves PB cups. I’ve made it before for other special occasions, but with a different (not so gluten-free) crust. Thanks for helping to assure me the cups are GF!
for anyone interested, here is the recipe!
crust (from Taming the Diabeastie):
2 c. almond meal (Bob’s Red Mill certified GF)
3 tbsp. cocoa powder
1/4 c. splenda
4 tbsp. melted butter (I used Smart Balance- gluten free!)
filling:
2 lbs neufchatel cheese
5 eggs at room temperature
1.5 c. firmly packed brown sugar
1 c. smooth peanut butter (I used JIF)
.5 c. whipping cream
1 tsp. vanilla extract (make sure yours is GF!)
12 Reese’s cups
1 pkg. almonds- chopped
topping:
3 ounces sour cream
.5 c. sugar
to make the crust:
1. fork together the almond meal, cocoa, and splenda
2. add 4 tbsp. melted butter and mix well. if it seems too dry, add 1 more tbsp. butter. if it still seems to dry…1 more will do the trick.
3. press it into the bottom of your springform pan, coming up on the edges slightly.
to make the filling:
1. beat neufchatel in bowl on low until smooth
2. add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each.
3. add brown sugar, peanut butter, and cream; mix until smooth.
4. stir in vanilla, then fold in peanut butter cups.
5. pour into crust.
6. place springform pan into larger baking pan and fill the pan with water. the water should come about 1 inch up the sides of the pan.
7. bake at 275 degrees for 1.5 hours or until firm and lightly browned.
to make topping:
1. combine sour cream and sugar and spread over cheesecake
2. return cake to oven 5 minutes
3. remove from oven and allow to cool one hour.
4. refriderate for at least 4 hours.
ENJOY!
I came across this blog searching to see which Hersheys products are gluten free and might just have to call them to find out for sure.
To glutenfreept
Just want to say that Green and Blacks run lines that contain gluten and rinse between them and lines without, so all their chocolate may contain traces of wheat and in most countries this is stated on the package so beware.
To crumbsonmyfloor
Sorry that you became the target for all that, it’s a sensitive issue and I hope that you get the answers you are looking for.
Is whitman’s Soho gluteen free ? (assorted chocolate)
thanks