A good piece of chocolate is among the world’s finest culinary delights, and there’s nothing quite like sinking your teeth into a decadently rich bar and embarking on a sensory journey around the world.
If you have a diet restriction, you might be wondering whether chocolate is still allowed in your comfort food repertoire. Luckily, you don’t need to give up on your love of this indulgent treat if you are avoiding gluten. Let’s talk about gluten and chocolate — plus which delightful Vosges Haut-Chocolat gourmet treats are made using zero ingredients that contain gluten.
What is gluten?
Gluten is a type of protein found in grains like wheat, rye, and barley. It’s an important part of many baking projects that use these grains. When kneaded into a dough, the gluten forms a structure that traps carbon dioxide in the dough, which then allows the dough to build strength, structure, and elasticity.
But even though gluten is an important structural protein in traditional baked goods like bread and pasta, it doesn’t mean that it’s good for everyone. In fact, certain people have gluten intolerances or even chronic diseases that don’t allow their bodies to properly digest this protein, leading to serious health effects.
Celiac disease is one of the best examples of this. Celiac disease is a serious autoimmune disorder that’s triggered by gluten. People with celiac disease can’t properly digest gluten. In fact, their immune systems consider gluten a threat. To neutralize the “threat,” the immune system launches a defensive process called inflammation. Unfortunately, this kind of chronic inflammation can damage the gut over time, leading to long-term digestive issues as well as other symptoms like abdominal pain, nausea, diarrhea, and fatigue.
In addition, some people have another kind of gluten sensitivity, or intolerance, that leaves them with uncomfortable or painful symptoms like stomach pain, bloating, headaches, or fatigue. While this kind of sensitivity isn’t a chronic autoimmune disorder like celiac disease, it is still difficult and painful for these people who eat gluten.
In short: in most healthy people, there isn’t evidence to suggest that gluten on its own can be damaging to your health. However, for people who are sensitive to gluten or who have celiac disease, eating gluten can be dangerous.
How to know if your chocolate is gluten-free
The good news for those of us who love to indulge in rich chocolate is that chocolate on its own is a gluten-free food as it doesn’t naturally contain wheat or other grains.
However, that isn’t to say that all of your favorite chocolate treats are guaranteed to be gluten-free. Many chocolate bars or baked goods can contain gluten from other ingredients that are added into the product. Some common examples of chocolates that may contain gluten include:
- Chocolate wafers
- Chocolate cookies
- Chocolate bars that contain biscuits
- Chocolate cake
The easiest way to avoid gluten in your chocolate is to look for a gluten-free certification on the label. If your chocolate bar is not officially certified, it does not necessarily mean that the bar is made with ingredients that contain wheat. However, they might be processed on machinery that is also used to process other products that do contain gluten. If you have an especially severe sensitivity or intolerance to gluten, or if you have celiac disease, always look for certified gluten-free chocolates only to avoid any potential cross-contamination.
Our Favorite Gluten-Free Chocolates
Disclaimer: While most haut-chocolat items do not contain gluten, all our products are processed on machinery that also processes items containing gluten. We perform a thorough cleaning and swab testing in between production runs. Although we use the highest standards for avoiding cross-contamination, there is a possibility that some products may contain trace amounts of gluten. As some gluten allergies are incredibly severe, we do not advertise our haut-chocolat as certified gluten-free.
Caramel Marshmallows
Neither caramel nor marshmallows contain gluten, which makes these Caramel Marshmallow pieces the perfect sweet treat to satisfy any sophisticated sweet tooth. Each signature Madagascar bourbon vanilla marshmallow is handcrafted and covered with small batch caramel, 62% cacao dark chocolate, and adorned with crushed walnuts and pecans for the perfect flavor explosion.
Peanut Butter Bonbons
Peanut butter and chocolate are a favorite flavor pairing for a reason! These bonbons are made with creamy non-GMO peanut butter, pink Himalayan salt, and rich and velvety chocolate, creating the perfect balance of sweet and savory goodness in each comforting bite.
Bapchis Caramel Toffee
This handcrafted toffee is a tried-and-true favorite. Using a recipe from Katrina’s grandmother, these deliciously rich and buttery toffees are sprinkled with pink Himalayan salt, sweet and indulgent milk chocolate, and topped with roasted pecans and walnuts.
Comfort Food Tower
When both sweet and salty are calling your name, the Comfort Food Tower is the perfect solution. This luxurious gift box contains some of our best comforting favorites, from the fluffy caramel marshmallows, rich peanut butter bonbons, and buttery caramel toffee.
Bestselling Chocolate Library
If you find it hard to choose just one of our superior sourced chocolates, indulge in a curated library of our favorites instead! This collection contains all of our gluten-free bestsellers like Raw Honey Cacao, Turmeric Ginger, Pink Himalayan Crystal Salt Caramel, Matcha Green Tea & Spirulina Super Dark Chocolate, Banana Coconut Super Dark Chocolate Bar, and Barcelona Exotic Cholcate Bar.
9pc Dark Chocolate Truffle Collection
Our 9 piece dark chocolate truffle collection offers a unique mix of flavors, textures, and aromas that are gluten-free. These chocolates provide an immersive experience when consuming in 2 bites, and taking in the aromatic scents of the perfume notes within the chocolate truffles.
9 piece Vegan Collection
This plant-based 9 piece vegan collection offers vegans (and non-vegans) a luxury chocolate option that is dairy-free, decadent, flavorful, and will transform the your impression of vegan chocolate. These are also a great option for people that need suitable chocolate options that won't spike thier blood-sugar levels.
Conclusion
From indulgent toffees and deeply flavored truffles to fan-favorite chocolate bars, there’s a gluten-free option for every chocolate lover with Vosges Haut-Chocolat.
