After spending so many hours in front of a screen each week, nothing is as rewarding as relaxing with my family on weekends.
I use my free time to barbecue, bake countless cookies, and invent or try new recipes. Most of these recipes use chocolate as a topping or as the core component (like my wheat-free vanilla chocolate ginger shortbread recipe, which I’ll share soon).
This is where chocolates like Galaxy, Cadbury, and a host of others shine. In their natural form, cocoa doesn’t contain gluten. However, to carve out their own niche taste, individual companies will add other ingredients that may contain gluten.
That said, here is the unfiltered research I conducted to help you decide which Galaxy chocolates are worth picking up from the aisle.
Is Galaxy Chocolate Gluten Free?
When it comes to chocolate and everything I buy, I start by analysing the ingredient list, but that is only the starting point.
I have learnt from researching items on the shelves that some products without gluten-containing ingredients may be produced in a shared manufacturing line, which can introduce cross-contamination.
The gluten-free status of a Galaxy chocolate depends on the individual variety. Galaxy’s Dairy Free bar, unlike Smooth Caramel and Cookie Crumble, is officially gluten-free, as stated on Galaxy’s website.
For a clearer view of which Galaxy chocolate is safe for you, let’s have a detailed breakdown:
Gluten-free range
1. Galaxy Dairy Free
I feel this range was created so coeliacs don’t feel left behind. A whopping six flavours: classic chocolate, salted caramel, hazelnut praline, crumbled cookie, fruit & nut, and honeycomb.
For me, the downside to most non-dairy, vegan, or gluten-free ranges has been inconsistent texture or taste, but that is not the case here.
According to Galaxy, these products are dairy-free, registered with the Vegan Society, and produced in a gluten-free environment, providing reassurance on the risk of cross-contamination.
Other Galaxy products to check
Galaxy Ripple
Based on the ingredient list of the Ripple bar sold in the UK, Galaxy Ripple is gluten-free. Its only listed allergens are soy and milk, but not wheat, rye, or barley.
However, to conclude my investigation on whether a product is suitable for coeliacs, I checked documentation sent to Lynas or Erudus.
I discovered a while back that goods supplied to wholesalers by companies like Galaxy also include documentation detailing their ingredients and whether they contain gluten-containing cereal, have less than 20 ppm of gluten, or are suitable for coeliacs.
I didn’t find the expected document on Lynas or Erudus for Ripple or any other Galaxy chocolate. Which means I can’t use this route to confirm if it’s suitable for coeliacs.
Galaxy Smooth Milk Chocolate:
The Galaxy Smooth Milk Chocolate bar does not list wheat, rye, or barley. Also, it does not have a “may contain wheat” warning, which they use on some of their chocolate bars. This makes the bar gluten
Galaxy Minstrels
Just like smooth milk chocolate, Galaxy Minstrels doesn’t list rye, wheat, or barley among its ingredients. It also doesn’t feature a “may contain gluten” warning.
However, something’s off on the ingredient list: starch. I emailed Galaxy to confirm the source of the starch, and they said it is from maize.
You may be wondering if I enquired about the gluten status of Minstrels. Well, yes! But if you’ve been following some articles I have posted, you’ll notice most of these companies are usually vague when asked about their product’s gluten status.
However, going by the ingredient list, Minstrels are gluten-free.
Galaxy chocolates to avoid
This list consists of bars that contain wheat or “may contain wheat” warnings.
- Galaxy Caramel 48g and Galaxy Smooth Caramel 135: An inscription on the wrapper says, “may contain wheat”, making it not suitable for people with coeliac disease.
- Galaxy counters: “may contain wheat”
- Galaxy Salted Caramel: “may contain wheat”
- Galaxy Cookie Crumble: Uses wheat flour.
Gluten-free alternatives to Galaxy chocolate
NOMO Creamy Choc
This chocolate bar brings joy to lovers of plant-based confectionery. It is a creamy alternative to Cadbury milk chocolate and Galaxy. It is made in a segregated area and is gluten-, egg-, dairy-, and nut-free, as the manufacturer states on their website.
Lindt Excellence: 70%, 85%, 90% and 99%
If you’re a fan of tiramisu, you’ll definitely enjoy this one. According to Lindt, this range offers a rich chocolate flavour. It is suitable for people with gluten sensitivity, as wheat or barley is not listed among the ingredients. Instead, it has a higher chocolate content. Hence the percentages. Lindt still encourages you to check the wrapper.
Pro tip: don’t expect it to be as creamy or sweet as Galaxy. This is tailored specifically for lovers of dark chocolate.
Final Thoughts
Galaxy’s Dairy Free range is the strongest option in this research because the manufacturer explicitly states that it is produced in a gluten-free environment.
Galaxy Minstrels, Ripple, and Smooth Milk Chocolate can also be considered, as they don’t contain gluten-containing ingredients. However, I’d prefer not to list them as fully confirmed gluten-free options due to the absence of documents from Erudus or Lynas