Ice cream is naturally gluten free and is — in my opinion — absolutely essential to good living. But, as so often happens, hidden glutens creep in and try to spoil our fun.
I enjoyed reviewing the gluten free ice cones manufactured by Barkat and available at The Gluten Free Mall. Click here if you would like to read my review and/or purchase these taste treats.
TCBY (the country’s best yogurt) lists many items prepared without gluten-toxic ingredients. There are obvious cross contamination concerns in an establishment like this.
Wendy’s provides a complete list of items with gluten ingredients and those without. Keep in mind that these items are referred to "Frosties", not ice cream
Trader Joe’s lists a number of frozen desserts on page 4 of its "No Gluten Ingredients List".
Coldstone Creamery lists almost all the ice creams and most of the mix-in as gluten free. However, all mix-ins are done on the same stone. The staff will prepare your ice cream with mix-ins separately, but that does not totally solve the problem the same ice cream scoops have been used on all the ice creams for heaven-knows-how-long.
As a celiac who must also watch his weight, I heartily endorse Skinny Cow and its products. Click here for a list of products that are gluten free.
Dairy Queen lists products that contain wheat but does not deal with rye, barley, or oats.
Updated 8/04/09
I just wanted to add a comment about Coldstone Creamery. Our local shop was mor than happy to handle the question of cross contamination. When I asked they retrieved a fozen pan from the feezer and mixed my daughters creation on that. Although the could not guarantee that it was gluten free, it cut down tremindiously on the croass contamination since only her’s had been prepared on that pan. Hope this helps out!
What a marvelous idea!!!! I will e-mail the company and ask them if they do that in all their stores and if not/why not. I usually get pretty good results when I announce that I will publishing their answer on the internet. I hope many of you ice cream lovers will also send e-mails. Paul a.k.a The Gluten Free Guy
I just wanted to add something about Baskin and Robbins. I am always worried about cross contamination and have had people tell me to request a clean scooper, but they use the same scoops in all the ice creams all day and they ust put them back into a bucket of water to clean them off. So it seems inevitable to me that there could be residue from gluten containing ice cream in the gf ice creams. I will only buy prepacked quarts now unless they have a fresh tub of something out that hasn’t been scooped. Then I request a clean scoop.
Thanks for the great tips on avoiding cross contamination! It would be a shame to have to give up ice cream, so speaking up certainly sounds like an easier alternative:)
Just so you all know, it seems HoneyBerry Ice Cream is gluten-free. I don’t have celiac’s instead I have gluten-intolerance, but so far from their eating soft-serve and other things (obviously any baked goods is out of the question, drinks probably depend on what you get), I haven’t noticed any problems. The first time I went there, I asked if their ice-cream/yoguart/etc is gluten-free and they said it is.
Very good ice cream by the way. ^_^
I own some Ben & Jerry’s stores and our staff is trained to go in the back room and get a scoop that has not been used to serve other flavors that day and was washed and sanitized the previous night. Some of our stores will even set aside a “golden scoop” that is used only for these special occasions. We are also very happy to open a new box of ice cream from the freezer if the customer has cross contamination concerns.
I’m trying to find out if Jerseymaid’s Tin Roof Sundae ice cream is gluten-free. If anyone knows the answer, I’d appreciate knowing.
I was told at my Support Group meeting that Breyer’s ice cream, vanilla, the one without artifical flavors or natural flavors is gluten free. I have eaten it with no problems. Be sure and read label as some of their vanilla does have artificial flavors and natural flavors.
I have not tried it yet,but on chapmans website, they state that many of their products are gluten free, and also have a gluten free symbol on their containers.
My Baskin Robbins is very accomidating, and will get out a brand new tub of ice cream just for me!
Cold Stone makes all ice creams in the same mixer…
My young son has celiacs and enjoys his ice-cream. Chapmans ice-cream is his favorite and it never bothers him. And, on another note, it’s nut-free as well! ^_^