Are Skittles gluten-free?

Do you love Skittles and follow a gluten-free diet? Learn if this candy is safe to enjoy on a gluten-free diet in this post.

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Are you a fan of Skittles? These fruity candies are a staple at most grocery store checkout lines and are a big hit with kids around the year.

If you love to snack on Skittles or get treats for your kids, you’re likely wondering how these fit into a diet for folks who avoid gluten.

Since we know that gluten can hide in just about any food on the market, candy is no different. That’s why we’re digging into this particular candy to find out what Skittles are, the different flavors offered, and the ingredients in the original and other varieties.

We’ll also answer the question “Are Skittles gluten-free?” and even go through the different varieties one by one to get answers for each of them. 

By the end of this post, you’ll feel confident in which choice you should make about whether or not this candy is safe for you to enjoy on a gluten-free diet.

What are Skittles?

Skittles are a type of fruit-flavored candy that come in a number of colors in their hard outer shell. Their main slogan is “taste the rainbow” due to the seven colors the candies come in. This candy is chewy and has a signature “S” on each candy.

The original flavors of Skittles are strawberry, grape, lemon, orange, and lime. Between 2013 and 2022, Skittles green candies were green apple flavored, but after much feedback from their customers, they brought the original lime flavor back.

You can find Skittles just about anywhere candy is sold. From grocery stores to big box retailers, gas station convenience stores to pharmacies and movie theaters, Skittles are one of the more popular fruity candies on the market today.

Since Skittles were introduced in North America in 1979, the brand has gone on to diversify their flavors and varieties. You can now find Skittles in original, wild berry, tropical, sour, brightside, darkside, smoothies, and zombie varieties.

Skittles also produces gummies, their same signature flavors with a gummy texture instead of a chewy one of the originals.

What are the different flavors of Skittles?

Skittles come in a variety of different flavors, each variety having its own unique flavors. Let’s go through the different flavors of each of their varieties here.

Original Skittles

• Strawberry
• Grape
• Lemon
• Orange
• Lime

Wild Berry Skittles

• Berry Punch
• Strawberry
• Melon Berry
• Wild Cherry
• Raspberry

Tropical Skittles

• Banana Berry
• Kiwi Lime
• Mango Tangelo
• Pineapple Passionfruit
• Strawberry Star

Sour Skittles

• Sour Strawberry
• Sour Green Apple
• Sour Lemon
• Sour Orange
• Sour Grape

Skittles Smoothies

• Strawberry Banana
• Raspberry
• Blueberry
• Peach Guava
• Mango

Skittles Darkside

• Dark Berry
• Forbidden Fruit
• Midnight Lime
• Blood Orange
• Black Cherry

Skittles Brightside

• Tangerine
• Paradise Punch
• Watermelon
• Pink Lemonade
• Banana Kiwi

Zombie Skittles

• Petrifying Citrus Punch
• Mummified Melon
• Boogeyman Blackberry
• Chilling Black Cherry
• Blood Red Berry

Ingredients of Skittles

According to the packaging of Skittles Original, their ingredients are:

Sugar, Corn Syrup, Citric Acid, Hydrogenated Palm Kernel Oil; Less than 2% of: Tapioca Dextrin, Modified Corn Starch, Natural and Artificial Flavors, Colors (Red 40 Lake, Blue 1 Lake, Blue 2 Lake, Yellow 5 Lake, Yellow 6 Lake, Red 40, Blue 1, Yellow 6, Titanium Dioxide), Sodium Citrate, Carnauba Wax.

Read on: Is corn syrup gluten-free?

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. 

Gluten is naturally occurring, and therefore is impossible to strip away from the grain. If a grain naturally has gluten in it, there’s no way to make that food gluten-free.

Gluten or other wheat derivatives are sometimes added to foods as a flavoring or binder.

Are Skittles gluten-free?

By looking at the ingredients list above, we can say that Skittles are gluten-free and therefore, safe for a gluten-free diet.

What flavors of Skittles are gluten-free?

Are all flavors of Skittles gluten-free? Let’s find out!

Are Wild Berry Skittles gluten-free?

Wild Berry Skittles are just like original Skittles, but with new flavors like berry punch, strawberry, melon berry, wild cherry, and raspberry.

The ingredients in Wild Berry Skittles are:

Sugar, Corn Syrup, Partially Hydrogenated Soybean Oil, Fruit Juice From Concentrate (Strawberry, Cherry, Raspberry, Grape, Blackberry), less than 2% Citric Acid, Dextrin, Gelatin, Artificial and Natural Flavors, Food Starch – Modified, Coloring (Includes Red 40 Lake, Blue 2 Lake, Yellow 5 Lake, Blue 1 Lake, Red 40, Yellow 5, Blue 1, Yellow 6), Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C).

Based on this ingredient list, we can confirm that they are gluten-free.

Are Tropical Skittles gluten-free?

Tropical Skittles come in flavors like banana berry, kiwi lime, mango tangelo, pineapple passionfruit, and strawberry star fruit.

Tropical Skittles contain the following ingredients:

Sugar, Corn Syrup, Hydrogenated Palm Kernel Oil; Less than 2% of: Citric Acid, Tapioca Dextrin, Modified Corn Starch, Natural and Artificial Flavors, Colors (Blue 1 Lake, Titanium Dioxide, Red 40, Blue 1, Yellow 5 Lake, Yellow 6 Lake, Yellow 6, Red 40 Lake), Sodium Citrate, Carnauba Wax.

With this list, we can see they don’t vary from Original Skittles too much, making them also gluten-free.

Are Sour Skittles gluten-free?

Sour Skittles are similar to original Skittles but they are coated in a sour shell. Enjoy flavors like sour strawberry, sour green apple, sour lemon, sour orange, and sour grape.

Sour Skittles contain the same ingredients as original Skittles, with the addition of sodium citrate to provide the sour flavor.

Sour Skittles are gluten-free!

Are Skittles Darkside gluten-free?

Skittles Darkside are darker in color and are made to taste a little ‘darker’ than original Skittles. You can enjoy flavors like forbidden fruit, dark berry, midnight lime, pomegranate, and blood orange.

Skittles Darkside are gluten-free, as indicated on their packaging near the ingredients list.

Are Skittles Brightside gluten-free?

Skittles Brightside offers some new flavors to the original Skittles you’re used to. You can expect flavors like kiwi banana, watermelon, paradise punch, pink lemonade, and tangerine.

Skittles Brightside contain these ingredients:

Sugar, Corn Syrup, Hydrogenated Palm Kernel Oil; Less than 2% of: Citric Acid, Tapioca Dextrin, Modified Corn Starch, Natural and Artificial Flavors, Sodium Citrate, Colors (Yellow 5 Lake, Yellow 6 Lake, Blue 1 Lake, Red 40 Lake, Titanium Dioxide, Yellow 6, Red 40, Yellow 5, Blue 1), Carnauba Wax.

Yes, they are also gluten-free.

Are Zombie Skittles gluten-free?

Zombie Skittles are similar to Bertie Bott’s every flavored bean if you’re a Harry Potter fan. Some Skittles taste like melon, black cherry, citrus punch, red berry, while others taste like rotten zombie! Don’t ask me what that tastes like, because I don’t plan to ever find out!

Their ingredient lists states they contain: Sugar, Corn Syrup, Hydrogenated Palm Kernel Oil; Less than 2% of: Citric Acid, Tapioca Dextrin, Modified Corn Starch, Natural and Artificial Flavors, Colors (Red 40 Lake, Blue 2 Lake, Yellow 6 Lake, Yellow 5 Lake, Blue 1 Lake, Titanium Dioxide, Yellow 6, Yellow 5, Red 40, Blue 1), Sodium Citrate, Carnauba Wax.

With this list in mind, we can say that yes, they are gluten-free.

Are Skittles gummies gluten-free?

Skittles gummies are in the flavors of your favorite Skittles candy but with a chewy gummy texture.

The ingredients in this candy are: corn syrup, sugar, modified corn starch, water, gelatin, less than 20% of: citric acid, malic acid, natural and artificual flavors, sunflower oil, colors (red 40, yellow 5, yellow 6, blue 1), and carnauba wax.

Knowing these ingredients, we can say that yes, these are safe to enjoy on a gluten-free diet.

Are Skittles dairy-free?

If you also follow a dairy-free diet in addition to avoiding gluten, you may be wondering if Skittles contain dairy or any dairy products. Lucky for you (and me!), Skittles do not contain dairy products, therefore they are safe to eat on a dairy-free diet.

Skittles are gluten-free and safe for a gluten-free diet. They are also dairy-free and can be enjoyed without worry.

I hope if you’re a Skittles lover, you can feel good about eating them on your gluten-free diet after reading this post! If you want to find out what other candy is gluten-free, check out these gluten-free candy brands.

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