If you love frozen yogurt but must eat gluten-free, don't despair. There are many gluten-free frozen yogurt options available.
Grocery Store Options
Most grocery stores have an entire aisle dedicated to frozen novelties including frozen yogurt but it can be hard to figure out which products are gluten-free. When it comes to gluten, it's not usually the milk in the yogurt that's the problem but the added flavorings and other ingredients.
Depending on how the frozen yogurt is made, cross contamination may also be an issue. Check the labels or contact the manufacturer to determine if gluten-free products are made on separate machinery than those containing gluten.
Look for the following brands in your grocer's freezer section:
Turkey Hill
Made in Pennsylvania Amish country and shipped throughout the country, Turkey Hill offers a nice variety of frozen yogurt flavors that are gluten-free.
- PomBlueberry Chocolate Truffle
- Greek Frozen Yogurt Baklava
- Vanilla Bean
- Chocolate Marshmallow
- Neapolitan
- Fudge Ripple
- Nutty Nana
- Peach Melba
Kemps
Kemps has been in the dairy business since 1914. Their website says that their frozen products are gluten-free as long as they do not contain add-ins such as cookies, brownies, brownie batter, cake pieces, graham crackers or pie pieces. According to those guidelines, the following flavors are safe to eat on a gluten-free diet:
- Vanilla
- Chocolate Chip
- Strawberry
- Chocolate
Haagen-Dazs
The Haagen-Dazs brand started over 50 years ago in New York City but is now known worldwide. According to their website, Haagen-Dazs' products are generally gluten-free unless bakery products are added. This means the following frozen yogurt flavors are gluten-free:
- Coffee
- Vanilla
- Vanilla Raspberry Swirl
Frozen Yogurt Shops
Frozen yogurt stores are quite popular and many have gluten-free options. However, again, be aware of the risk of cross-contamination. If the yogurt shop uses the same machine for multiple flavors, cross-contamination may occur.
When in doubt, it's best to err on the side of caution and address any concerns you have about how the yogurt is handled with the store manager.
Cold Stone Creamery
Founded in 1988, Cold Stone takes the personalization of frozen yogurt to a whole new level. They are the only national ice cream/frozen yogurt shop to blend ingredients to order on a frozen granite stone. For consumers with food allergies, they offer a helpful food sensitivities chart. According to the chart, the following frozen yogurt flavors are gluten-free:
- Chocolate
- Raspberry
- Banana
Menchies
Created in 2007 by a husband and wife team, Menchies provides delicious frozen yogurt and fresh toppings in a fun atmosphere. In 2010 they were named the number one growing franchise in the United States. In fact, they are currently the largest self-serve frozen yogurt franchise in the world with 350 franchises worldwide.
All of Menchies' frozen yogurt flavors are gluten-free except the following:
- Cookie Dough Monster
- Pineapple Cake
- The Apple of My Pie
- The Berry Bunch
- Honey Graham Crumble
- Mudslide Pie
- I Dream of Cookies and Cream
- Red Velvet Royale
- Strawberry Shortcake Delight
- Takes the Cake Batter
- Uber Fudgy Brownie Batter
- Devil's Food Cake
Orange Leaf
Headquartered in Oklahoma, Orange Leaf is known for their freshly made frozen yogurt and fun atmosphere, but also for their orange spoons, specially engineered for eating frozen yogurt.
All of Orange Leaf's frozen yogurt is gluten-free except these flavors:
- Cookies and Cream
- Cookie Cake
In addition, their waffle cones and FroYo cookies contain gluten.
Pinkberry
Pinkberry yogurt's unique, tart flavor sets them apart from other frozen yogurt shops. They've developed a strong following in California and New York where most of their franchises are located.
Pinkberry states on in its nutritional information booklet (page two) that it offers many gluten-free options, but because they also offer toppings and flavors that contain gluten they cannot guarantee that cross-contamination hasn't occurred within the store. Having said that, their frozen yogurt flavors are gluten-free except for the following:
- Chocolate Chip Cookie
- Cookies and Cream
- Mint Chocolate Cookie
- Apple Pie A La Mode
TCBY
One of the original frozen yogurt shops, TCBY opened its first yogurt shop in 1981 and now has 360 stores nationwide. They offer many gluten-free alternatives. In fact, with the exception of their Brownie Batter, Cake Batter, Cheesecake, Cookies and Cream, Mrs. Field's Chocolate Chip Cookie, and pumpkin flavors, all of their frozen yogurts are gluten-free.
A Word About Toppings
Although many frozen yogurts shops offer some gluten-free toppings, cross-contamination is a major concern. Most gluten-free toppings sit next to those that contain gluten and it's easy for one topping to fall into another's container. In addition, topping spoons could become mixed up, especially in self-serve shops.
Once you're comfortable that cross-contamination hasn't occurred, you can enjoy these gluten-free toppings:
- Butterfingers
- Heath Bars
- M&Ms (plain and peanut)
- Reese's Peanut Butter Cups
- Reese's Pieces
- Snickers
- Almond Joy
- Mounds
- Gummy bears
- Marshmallows
- Coconut
- Gumballs
- Fresh fruit
- Nuts
Enjoy Refreshing Gluten-Free Treats
Just because you're on a gluten-free diet doesn't mean you can't enjoy a visit to the frozen yogurt store. Armed with the right information, you can make an informed choice and enjoy a refreshing treat without risk to your health.
