Find out what menu items from California Pizza Kitchen do not contain gluten and what you need to know about their gluten-free options.
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If you have a California Pizza Kitchen near you, you may have wondered if this restaurant has any safe options for you and your gluten-free diet.
California Pizza Kitchen offers some gluten-free crust options for their pizzas, but in this post we’re going to dig into what that really means for folks like you and I who actually avoid gluten in our diets.
This restaurant offers some gluten-free options, but it’s one thing to say something is safe for folks on a gluten-free diet, and it’s another for it to actually be gluten-free.
We’re going to dig into the gluten-free menu items from California Pizza Kitchen and talk about what options there are for folks who are looking for a quick place to pick up pizza or order delivery on a gluten-free diet.
We’ll cover the allergen statement by California Pizza Kitchen, plus go into some of the details of things you may not have thought about when it comes to gluten cross contamination in various restaurants.
If you’re a California Pizza Kitchen fan, you won’t want to miss this post!
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.
Where can you find gluten in food?
Gluten can be found in the form of wheat and grain products, like bread or flour in the more obvious places.
You can also find gluten as a binding ingredient, an ingredient added for texture like to make a food more crispy, or as a thickening agent.
Where can you find gluten in restaurants?
Depending on the restaurant you’re visiting, you may find gluten in a variety of places.
At fast food restaurants, there will be gluten in hamburger buns, the breading of crispy chicken sandwiches or chicken nuggets, some French fries, salad dressings, croutons on salad, and chili or soup options.
At other restaurants, you’ll find gluten in flour in sauces, in pizza or other pastry dough, pasta, and as a thickener in some soups.
Where gluten is found in the menu items will vary from restaurant to restaurant. That’s why it’s always a good idea to review menus from home, and see if you can find any allergen information before you get to the restaurant itself.
Being able to review nutritional information and allergen statements before visiting a fast food restaurant can be the difference between ordering something that you think is safe for your gluten-free diet and getting sick.
Being knowledgeable about what specific menu items you’ll be able to eat without any worries of later reactions is crucial to sticking with your gluten-free diet.
California Pizza Kitchen allergen disclaimer
According to the California Pizza Kitchen website, here is what they have to say about allergens, including gluten, in their kitchens:
“Allergen and Gluten Information: Before placing your order, please inform the manager at the CPK location you are ordering from if anyone in your party has a food allergy or dietary restriction.
We understand the difficulties associated with eating out with food allergies, and we are committed to serving food safely. However, due to the many circumstances, we are unable to guarantee that any menu item is completely free from any particular allergen (unless it is a validated gluten-free pizza) or animal product, and we assume no responsibility for guests with food allergies, food sensitivities or dietary restrictions.
The nutrition, allergen and/or gluten information presented on the MyMenu platform is based on information provided to California Pizza Kitchen from food manufacturers and ingredient suppliers. CPK’s menu is diverse and contains a wide variety of foods, many of which contain one or more of the eight major allergens:
Crustacean shellfish, eggs, fish, dairy, peanuts, soybeans, tree nuts and wheat. Ingredients or production and processing methods used by our suppliers may vary or change without notice and there may be product differences among regional suppliers.
Additionally, normal kitchen operations involve shared cooking and preparation areas, and cross-contact with other foods may occur during production or we may occasionally need to substitute ingredients in menu items.
Due to current kitchen space, only the pizzas listed on our separate Gluten-Free Pizza menu can be prepared using Gluten Intolerance Group-validated procedures. Be sure to thoroughly read the allergen and cross contact information presented on MyMenu and inform a manager or your wait staff of your particular needs.”
What you need to know about the gluten-free menu and options at California Pizza Kitchen
California Pizza Kitchen has an interactive menu that allows you to select allergens you’d like to avoid to help you narrow down your selections. The tool has options for “Validated Gluten-free,” “Made without Gluten,” and “Made without Wheat” for you to which level of sensitivity you have to make an informed decision about which menu items work best for you.
These are the notes given for each of the different options from the website:
“Validated Gluten-free”: These gluten-free pizzas are prepared using the strict procedures approved by the Gluten Intolerance Group (GIG), using a verified gluten-free crust and other ingredients verified by our suppliers as gluten-free. Please inform a manager of any allergies or special dietary needs (e.g. gluten intolerance).
“Made without Gluten”: These menu items are made using gluten-free ingredients based on information from our suppliers. However, due to our current kitchen space, only the pizzas listed on our separate Gluten-Free Pizza menu can be prepared using the Gluten Intolerance Group’s certified procedures. These non-certified menu items are prepared in shared cooking and preparation areas and may not be completely free from gluten. Guests should inform a manager of any gluten intolerance.
“Made without Wheat” means there are no wheat or wheat derivative ingredients in the food.
They offer a gluten-free cauliflower crust that “features a custom blend of cauliflower, mozzarella cheese, egg whites, rice flour, herbs and spices. These gluten-free pizzas are prepared using the strict procedures approved by the Gluten Intolerance Group (GIG), using a validated gluten-free crust and other ingredients verified by our suppliers as gluten-free.”
There’s a note that explains that only the pizzas that are on the dedicated Gluten-free Menu can be made using the procedures that allow them to keep cross contamination at a minimum. Keep this in mind when ordering from this restaurant.
What to know about cross contamination at restaurants
Most fast food and carryout restaurants are not considered gluten-free establishments so it’s useful to keep this in mind when making decisions about where to go and what to order.
It’s important to know that even if a fast food restaurant claims that their menu items do not contain gluten, that the possibility and probability of gluten in their products is going to be high if there is even one menu item with gluten available.
Depending on your level of sensitivity to gluten, this can be make or break information for you.
If you are Celiac and are allergic to trace amounts of gluten, you’ll likely want to avoid most fast food restaurants that offer any bread products or French fries that are cooked in a shared fryer with other gluten-containing ingredients.
If you are not sensitive to gluten at the trace level and have adverse reactions to gluten due to a food intolerance, you may decide that these trace amounts of gluten from cross contamination are worth risking for a quick, easy, and convenient food option.
Being aware of how you have reacted to gluten in your diet in the past and how much gluten it takes for your body to react is useful knowledge when it comes to situations like these.
Use your best judgment about what you know about your body, how you react to gluten, and what the risks are for you specifically.
California Pizza Kitchen Gluten-free Menu Items
The information listed here are the menu items that California Pizza Kitchen lists as either Validated Gluten-free or Made without Gluten on their interactive menu.
Only the Gluten-free Pizzas and CPKids Gluten-free Pizzas are considered Validated Gluten-free by the company, meaning they are the only menu items that can be prepared with a minimal chance of cross contamination.
The other menu items listed will have notes about if they are made with gluten-free ingredients or made without wheat. This will help you make decisions about what to order based on what you know about how your body reacts to gluten and your level of sensitivity.
Small Plates
These are made with Gluten-free Ingredients, not Validated Gluten-free.
- Petite Wedge
- California Olive Oil with Mediterranean Herbs
Power Bowls
These are made with Gluten-free Ingredients, not Validated Gluten-free.
- Banh Mi Bowl
Salads
These are made with Gluten-free Ingredients, not Validated Gluten-free.
- Waldorf Chicken
- California Cobb
- Italian Chopped
In addition to these, the following salad options are also considered “made without wheat” by CPK:
- The Original BBQ Chicken Chopped Salad
- Roasted Veggie
Main Plates
These are made with Gluten-free Ingredients, not Validated Gluten-free.
- Cedar Plank Salmon
Gluten-free Pizzas
All these options are included in the Validated Gluten-free, Gluten Free Ingredients, selections on the California Pizza Kitchen interactive menu.
- GF Original BBQ Chicken Pizza
- GF Pepperoni
- GF Mushroom Pepperoni Sausage
- GF Margherita
- GF Traditional Cheese
CPKids Gluten-free
All these options are included in the Validated Gluten-free, Gluten Free Ingredients, selections on the California Pizza Kitchen interactive menu.
- GF Original BBQ Chicken Pizza
- GF Mushroom Pepperoni Sausage
- GF Pepperoni
- GF Traditional Cheese
CPKids
These are made with Gluten-free Ingredients, not Validated Gluten-free.
- CPK Salad
CPKids Sweets
These are made with Gluten-free Ingredients, not Validated Gluten-free.
- Fresh Fruit
Lunch Duos
These are made with Gluten-free Ingredients, not Validated Gluten-free.
- Pizza + Soup or Salad
Lunch Size Pizzas
These are made with Gluten-free Ingredients, not Validated Gluten-free.
- 7″ Original BBQ Chicken Pizza on Cauliflower Crust
- 7″ Pepperoni Pizza on Cauliflower Crust
- 7″ Mushroom Pepperoni Sausage Pizza on Cauliflower Crust
Lunch Size Salads
These are made with Gluten-free Ingredients, not Validated Gluten-free.
- The Mediterranean
- Super Spinach + Quinoa
Does California Pizza Kitchen have gluten-free pizza?
California Pizza Kitchen offers a few menu items that are considered “Validated Gluten-free” by the company. This means they can be prepared with a minimal chance of cross contamination.
There are other menu items (listed farther up in the post) that contain no gluten ingredients, but are subject to cross contamination during preparation. Shared workspaces in the kitchen or shared tools and equipment is where cross contact and contamination is most likely to occur.
Does California Pizza Kitchen have gluten-free Margherita pizza?
Yes, one of the few options from California Pizza Kitchen that is considered Validated gluten-free is their Margherita pizza.
This Validated Gluten-free label on their menu means the company will take special precautions when preparing it to keep it separate from other gluten-containing menu items when you ask for it.
Is California Pizza Kitchen cauliflower crust gluten-free?
California Pizza Kitchen offers a cauliflower crust that contains these ingredients:
“a custom blend of cauliflower, mozzarella cheese, egg whites, rice flour, herbs and spices.”
This cauliflower pizza crust option is said to be gluten-free and doesn’t contain any gluten-containing. The Validated Gluten-free crusts from CPK are prepared using the procedures and guidelines outlined by the Gluten Intolerance Group.
If you’ve been looking for information on what you can eat at California Pizza Kitchen while on a gluten-free diet, I hope this information has been helpful for you.
Some of their pizza options are prepared in a way that may be able to work for your diet, while others have more chances for cross contamination in the kitchen prep areas.
Looking for more information on gluten-free restaurants?
Be sure to check out my Gluten-free Restaurants post or get all the information in one place with my Gluten-free Restaurant Guide!
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More Gluten-free Restaurant Menu Items
If you’re looking at other popular restaurants and wondering what gluten-free menu items they offer, be sure to check out my Gluten-free Restaurant Guide. I’ve outlined all the gluten-free options from 45+ popular restaurants and fast food chains.
- Gluten-free Fast Food: Options from Major Chains
- Gluten and Dairy-free Diet: 4 Restaurant Tips
- Applebee’s Gluten-free Menu Items
- Arby’s Gluten-free Menu Items
- Blaze Pizza Gluten-free Menu Items
- Boston Market Gluten-free Menu Items
- Buffalo Wild Wings Gluten-free Menu Items
- Burger King Gluten-free Menu Items
- California Pizza Kitchen Gluten-free Menu Items
- Cheesecake Factory Gluten-free Menu Items
- Chick-Fil-A Gluten-free Menu Items
- Chilis Gluten-free Menu Items
- Chipotle Gluten-free Menu Items
- Cracker Barrel Gluten-free Menu Items
- Crumbl Cookies Gluten-free Menu Items
- Culver’s Gluten-free Menu Items
- Denny’s Gluten-free Menu Items
- Domino’s Gluten-free Menu Items
- Dunkin Donuts Gluten-free Menu Items
- Einstein Bros Bagels Gluten-free Menu Items
- Firehouse Subs Gluten-free Menu Items
- First Watch Gluten-free Menu Items
- Five Guys Gluten-free Menu Items
- IHOP Gluten-free Menu Items
- Jack In The Box Gluten-free Menu Items
- Jimmy John’s Gluten-free Menu Items
- KFC Gluten-free Menu Items
- Little Caesar’s Gluten-free Menu Items
- Longhorn Steakhouse Gluten-free Menu Items
- McDonald’s Gluten-free Menu Items
- MOD Pizza Gluten-free Menu Items
- Nothing Bundt Cakes Gluten-free Menu Items
- Olive Garden Gluten-free Menu Items
- Outback Steakhouse Gluten-free Menu Items
- Panda Express Gluten-free Menu Items
- Panera Gluten-free Menu Items
- Papa Johns Gluten-free Menu Items
- Papa Murphy’s Gluten-free Menu Items
- P.F. Chang’s Gluten-free Menu Items
- Pizza Hut Gluten-free Menu Items
- Qdoba Gluten-free Menu Items
- Red Lobster Gluten-free Menu Items
- Red Robin Gluten-free Menu Items
- Ruby Tuesday Gluten-free Menu Items
- Shake Shack Gluten-free Menu Items
- Smashburger Gluten-free Menu Items
- Sonic Gluten-free Menu Items
- Starbucks Gluten-free Menu Items
- Subway Gluten-free Menu Items
- Taco Bell Gluten-free Menu Items
- Texas Roadhouse Gluten-free Menu Items
- Wendy’s Gluten-free Menu Items
- Whataburger Gluten-free Menu Items
- Wingstop Gluten-free Menu Items
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