Are Red Vines Gluten-free?

Find out what Red Vines are made of, the flavors they come in, and if this popular candy is safe for folks on a gluten-free diet.

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If you love Red Vines or the black licorice from Red Vines, you’ve probably seen these in packages at movie theaters or in giant tubs with licorice twists all standing upright in grocery stores and Costcos.

Red Vines are a classic red or black licorice that has been around for decades. The red flavor tastes of mixed berries, according to the Red Vines website, whereas the black licorice Red Vines taste just like they sound like – black licorice.

Whether you like to bite the ends off and use Red Vines as a straw or a whistle, like my son, you may have wondered if this candy is safe for us folks who are avoiding gluten.

In this post, find out what Red Vines are, what flavors Red Vines come in, what ingredients are in Red Vines, and of course if this candy is safe for a gluten-free diet. Plus get a list of gluten-free licorice brands you can shop for.

What are Red Vines?

Red Vines are a name brand of licorice that are a popular movie candy and treat for anytime. Red Vines are produced by the American Licorice Company.

Red Vines most popular is their red flavor, followed by their black licorice, though they do have other flavors as well.

What flavors and varieties do Red Vines come in?

Red Vines

Red Vines Original Red
Red Vines Black Licorice
Red Vines Grape
Red Vines Sugar-Free Strawberry
Red Vines Sugar-Free Black Licorice
Red Vines Jumbo Original Red
Red Vines Jumbo Black Licorice
Red Vines Mixed Bites
Red Vines SuperStrings
Red Vines Red Ropes

Red Vines Made Simple

Red Vines Made Simple Cherry
Red Vines Made SimpleMixed Berry
Red Vines Made SimpleMini Bites Mixed Berry
Red Vines Made SimpleMixed Berry

What is gluten?

Gluten is a protein found in most wheat products, and acts as the “glue” that helps to hold wheat, barley, kamut, spelt, farro, durum, bulgur, rye, and semolina together to maintain their shape.

You can find gluten in whole grains, but also in many processed foods as well. If you purchase wheat bread, there will be gluten in it, because wheat by nature has gluten.

Many processed foods, including candy, have hidden gluten in them in the form of gluten or wheat derivatives. These are used as flavorings, binders to keep ingredients together, or other additives.

Red Vines ingredients

According to the Red Vines website, the ingredients in the Original Red Vines are:

“Corn syrup, high-fructose corn syrup, wheat flour, citric acid, artificial flavor, red 40.”

The ingredients in their black licorice are:

“Wheat flour, corn syrup, high fructose corn syrup, cane sugar, cocoa powder (added for color), salt, anise flavor, licorice extract.”

Since Red Vines contain wheat flour, this candy is not safe for folks on a gluten-free diet. All varieties of Red Vines contain wheat and gluten.

According to the Red Vines FAQ Page, “Unfortunately, Red Vines® are not a gluten free candy because they contain wheat flour.”

Gluten-free Licorice Brands

Though Red Vines contains wheat flour and therefore gluten, there are other licorice options available that are safe for folks on a gluten-free diet to eat.

Next time you’re craving licorice, look for one of these gluten-free licorice options instead. Some are more easy to find in stores than others, but you can also look on sites like Thrive Market and Amazon to get them shipped to your home.

If you love Red Vines and have wondered if this candy is safe for your gluten-free diet, I hope this post has helped you get the information you’ve been looking for.

There are plenty of gluten-free licorice options available, but sadly Red Vines is not one of them. Get more candy options with the Ultimate Gluten-free Candy List.

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Are Red Vines Gluten-free?

What are Red Vines?

What flavors and varieties do Red Vines come in?

What is gluten?

Red Vines ingredients