Find out what menu items from Cold Stone Creamery do not contain gluten and what to know about their allergen statement.
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If you’re an ice cream lover and enjoy getting a sweet treat once in a while, you may not be a stranger to Cold Stone Creamery. This fun ice cream shop is known for its delicious ice cream with loads of different mix ins to create your own decadent dessert.
If you’ve been just getting started with a gluten-free diet and wondering how you can still fit your favorite ice cream trips into your life with dietary restrictions, this post is for you. We’re talking all about Cold Stone Creamery in this post and what options are available for you.
Find out what menu items you can find at Cold Stone Creamery that have no wheat ingredients, what the company’s stance is on allergens, and what you can expect to find for gluten-free options. We’ll also go through what to be aware of as it relates to ordering from any ice cream shops when you’re avoiding gluten.
Before we get into it, let’s be sure we’re on the same page as it relates to the basics of gluten and where you can find it in different foods, as well as what you’ll want to know about Cold Stone Creamery’s view on allergens in their restaurants.
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 is often found in the form of wheat and grain products, like bread, flour, or crackers. It can also be found 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 many ice cream shops?
Depending on the fast food restaurant you’re visiting, you may find gluten in a variety of places. Ice cream cones, ice cream with mix-ins, and toppings like cookies, cake, or candy bites.
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 an ice cream shop can be the difference between ordering something that you think is safe for your gluten-free diet and getting sick, and being knowledgeable about what specific menu items you’ll be able to eat without any worries of later reactions.
Cold Stone Creamery allergen statement
According to the Cold Stone Creamery website, here’s what they have to say about Food Allergens and Sensitivities:
“Some Cold Stone Creamery products contain ingredients associated with common food allergens such as eggs, milk, peanuts, soybean, tree nuts, and wheat and might also affect individuals with sensitivities to gluten. To learn specific details about the contents of our products, please view our Food Allergens and Sensitivities chart.”
They go on to say “We encourage you to educate yourself about our menu items. If you have further questions regarding the nutritional information, contact us.”
The Cold Stone Creamery Food Allergies and Sensitivities document from their website states:
“Your health is of utmost concern to us. Please be aware that Cold Stone Creamery® products may contain traces of allergens (peanuts, tree nuts, soybeans, wheat, milk or eggs) or food sensitivities from a manufacturing facility and preparation on site.”
What to know about cross contamination at restaurants
Most 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 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 these restaurants entirely or be sure that this restaurant takes cleaning and sanitization measures very seriously.
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 the risk.
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.
Gluten-free Cold Stone Creamery Menu Items
Many menu items from Cold Stone Creamery contain gluten, including some flavors of their ice cream, waffle cones, cookie, and candy mix ins. Due to this, the probability of cross contamination of gluten in different ice cream flavors and among tools is likely high.
Use your best judgment based on what you know about your level of sensitivity to gluten to help you decide what to eat.
Let’s go through the different options you may find at Cold Stone Creamery that contain no wheat or gluten ingredients, but are not at all considered to be “gluten-free” by the restaurant.
Since I also follow a dairy-free diet and you might too, I’ve noted those without milk ingredients in this list as well. These items are marked with an asterisk (*) and are both without wheat or milk ingredients.
This information was compiled from the Cold Stone Creamery Food Allergies and Sensitivities document, which is akin to their allergen menu.
Ice Cream
- Amaretto Ice Cream
- Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal Ice Cream
- Banana Ice Cream
- Black Cherry Ice Cream
- Brown Sugar Ice Cream
- Butter Pecan Ice Cream
- Butterscotch Pudding Ice Cream
- Caramel Apple Ice Cream
- Caramel Chocolate Cheesecake Ice Cream
- Caramel Latte Ice Cream
- Cheesecake Ice Cream
- Cherry Vanilla Ice Cream
- Chocolate Ice Cream
- Chocolate-Dipped Strawberry Ice Cream
- Chocolate Hazelnut Ice Cream
- Chocolate Peanut Butter Ice Cream
- Chocolate Pudding Ice Cream
- Chocolate Raspberry Truffle Ice Cream
- Cinnamon Ice Cream
- Coconut Ice Cream
- Coffee Ice Cream
- Cotton Candy Ice Cream
- Dark Chocolate Ice Cream
- Dark Chocolate Peppermint Ice Cream
- Dulce De Leche Ice Cream
- Egg Nog Ice Cream
- French Vanilla Ice Cream
- Fudge Truffle Ice Cream
- Ghiradelli Chocolate Ice Cream
- Key Lime Ice Cream
- Lucky Charms Ice Cream
- Marshmallow Ice Cream
- Mint Ice Cream
- Mocha Ice Cream
- Oatmeal Cookie Batter Ice Cream
- Orange Dreamsicle Ice Cream
- Peach Ice Cream
- Peanut Butter Ice Cream
- Peppermint Mocha Ice Cream
- Pink Cotton Candy Ice Cream
- Pistachio Ice Cream
- Pistachio Pudding Ice Cream
- Pumpkin Ice Cream
- Pumpkin Cheesecake Ice Cream
- Raspberry Ice Cream
- Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup Ice Cream
- Rum Raisin Ice Cream
- Salted Caramel Ice Cream
- Salted Chocolate Caramel Ice Cream
- Sea Salt Fudge Ice Cream
- Sea Salt Sweet Cream Ice Cream
- Sea Salt Vanilla Bean Ice Cream
- Strawberry Ice Cream
- Strawberry Cheesecake Ice Cream
- Sweet Cream Ice Cream
- Vanilla Bean Ice Cream
- Vanilla Lite No Sugar Added Ice Cream
Sorbet
- Countrytime Pink Lemonade Sorbet*
- Lemon Sorbet*
- Mojito Sorbet*
- Orange Sorbet*
- Peach Mango Sorbet*
- Pineapple Sorbet*
- Pineapple Orange Banana Sorbet*
- Raspberry Sorbet*
- Strawberry Sorbet*
- Strawberry Lemonade Sorbet*
- Strawberry Mango Banana Sorbet*
- Watermelon Sorbet*
Frozen Dessert
- Silk Chocolate Almondmilk*
Candy & Cookies
- Almond Joy
- Butterfinger
- Chocolate Chips
- Chocolate Shavings
- Ghirardelli Caramel Square
- Gumballs*
- Gummy Bears*
- Heath Bar
- M&M’s
- Peanut M&M’s
- Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup
- Reese’s Pieces
- Snickers
- White Chocolate Chips
- York Peppermint Patties
Other Mix-Ins
- Chocolate Sprinkles
- Coconut*
- Lucky Charms Marshmallows*
- Marshmallows*
- Peanut Butter*
- Rainbow Sprinkles*
- Sugar Crystals*
- Toasted Coconut
Fruit
- Apple Pie Filling*
- Bananas*
- Blackberries*
- Black Cherries*
- Blueberries*
- Cherry Pie Filling*
- Maraschino Cherries*
- Peach Pie Filling*
- Pineapple Tidbits*
- Raisins*
- Raspberries*
- Strawberries*
Nuts
- Cashews*
- Macadamia*
- Peanuts*
- Pecans*
- Pistachios*
- Roasted Almonds*
- Sliced Almonds*
- Walnuts*
Toppings
- Caramel
- Cinnamon*
- Cream Cheese Frosting
- Frosting
- Fudge
- Honey*
- Marshmallow Creme*
- Nutella
- Reese’s Peanut Butter Sauce*
- Rich’s On Top Whipped Topping
Signature Shakes
- Chocolate Silk Shake*
- Oh Fudge!
- Reese’s Chocolate Peanut Butter Dream
- Savory Strawberry
- Very Vanilla
Signature Smoothies
- Blueberry Banana
- Mango Pineapple
- Pineapple Blueberry
- Strawberry Banana
- Strawberry Mango
Signature Cupcakes
- Reese’s Peanut Butter Ice Cream Cups
Frostings
- Ganache Frosting
- Vanilla Bettercreme
Is Cold Stone Gluten-free?
Cold Stone does not promise any gluten-free products or gluten-free ice cream coming from their ice cream shops.
If you’ve ever been to Cold Stone Creamery, you’ve seen that there are plenty of mixing of tools and ingredients on their bench surface and mixing stone.
Though they will do their due diligence in cleaning surfaces and listening to customers who have concerns about gluten in their ice cream, there’s no way to make sure 100% that there is no cross contamination at this ice cream shop.
There are many ice cream flavors, mix ins, fresh fruit, and toppings that contain no gluten or wheat ingredients. Review the list above in this post for all the menu items that have no gluten in their ingredients lists, but know that they are not considered gluten-free options by Cold Stone.
If you have celiac disease or a severe gluten allergy, you’ll definitely want to avoid this ice cream option unless buying something that is sealed and packaged.
If you have food intolerances, you’ll need to use your best judgment around what your body can tolerate in relation to cross contamination. You might consider ordering your ice cream in a cup, and asking for a new scoop or a clean scoop to be used on your order.
Is Cold Stone Dairy-free?
Though Cold Stone Creamery is not considered a dairy-free establishment, they do offer some items that do not contain dairy ingredients. Their sorbets contain no dairy, as well as their Silk Almondmilk frozen dessert. A number of their mix-ins and toppings are also dairy-free.
Review the list in this post and look for the asterisk (*) to determine what options are available if you’re avoiding dairy in your diet.
Are Cold Stone Ice Cream Cakes Gluten-free?
Unfortunately, none of the Signature Cakes from Cold Stone Creamery are considered safe for a gluten-free diet. All of the options they serve contain wheat and/or gluten.
It’s best to avoid their ice cream cakes if you’re following a gluten-free diet.
Is Cake Batter Ice Cream from Cold Stone Gluten-free?
Looking at the ingredients list of cake batter ice cream from Cold Stone, we can see the following ingredients:
“SWEET CREAM ICE CREAM [Cream, Nonfat Milk, Sugar, Corn Syrup, Whey, contains less than 1% of: Guar Gum, Cellulose Gum, Carrageenan, Mono and Diglycerides, Polysorbate 80, Annatto (color)], CAKE BATTER MIX [Sugar, Enriched Bleached Flour (Wheat Flour, Niacin, Reduced Iron, Thiamin Mononitrate, Riboflavin, Folic Acid), Canola or Soybean Oil, Corn Syrup Solids, Dextrose, less than 2% of Food Starch-Modified, Salt, Natural and Artificial Flavors (contains Milk Derivatives), Annatto (color), Turmeric (color)].”
Reviewing this list, there is enriched bleached flour which contains wheat flour, making this not a safe choice for someone whose dietary needs are to avoid gluten.
Is Cinnamon Bun Batter Ice Cream from Cold Stone Gluten-free?
To find out if Cinnamon Bun Batter ice cream is gluten-free, let’s look at the ingredients:
“SWEET CREAM ICE CREAM [Cream, Nonfat Milk, Sugar, Corn Syrup, Whey, contains less than 1% of: Guar Gum, Cellulose Gum, Carrageenan, Mono and Diglycerides, Polysorbate 80, Annatto (color)], CAKE BATTER MIX [Sugar, Enriched Bleached Flour (Wheat Flour, Niacin, Reduced Iron, Thiamin Mononitrate, Riboflavin, Folic Acid), Canola or Soybean Oil, Corn Syrup Solids, Dextrose, less than 2% of Food Starch-Modified, Salt, Natural and Artificial Flavors (contains Milk Derivatives), Annatto (color), Turmeric (color)], CINNAMON.”
This ice cream contains enriched bleached flour with wheat flour. This type of ice cream should be avoided on a gluten-free diet.
Is Cookie Dough Ice Cream from Cold Stone Gluten-free?
To get our answer, let’s have a look at the ingredients list of cookie dough ice cream from this ice cream parlor.
In the Classic Cookie Dough Ice Cream, these ingredients are what you’ll find:
“SWEET CREAM ICE CREAM [Cream, Nonfat Milk, Sugar, Corn Syrup, Whey, contains less than 1% of: Guar Gum, Cellulose Gum, Carrageenan, Mono and Diglycerides, Polysorbate 80, Annatto (color)], FLAVOR BASE [Enriched Bleached Flour (Wheat Flour, Niacin, Reduced Iron, Thiamin Mononitrate, Riboflavin, Folic Acid), Sugar, Brown Sugar, Soybean Oil, Salt, Natural and Artificial Flavors (contains Milk Derivatives), Caramel Color].”
We can see that it contains wheat flour in the enriched bleached flour, making this not a great choice for someone with gluten sensitivity or a good dietary choice for someone avoiding gluten.
Is Silk Chocolate Almondmilk Frozen Dessert Gluten-free?
These are the ingredients in Silk Chocolate Almondmilk frozen dessert:
“CHOCOLATE FLAVORED SILK [Almond Milk (Water, Almonds), Cane Sugar, Organic Coconut Oil, Chocolate Flavor Base (Cane Sugar, Water, Cocoa processed with alkali), Corn Syrup, Dextrose, Maltodextrin, contains less than 1%of Locust Bean Gum, Guar Gum, Pea Protein, Salt, Natural Flavor].”
This flavor does not contain any gluten or dairy ingredients. Use your best judgment as to whether this is a good option for you based on what you know about your body’s reaction to ordering from restaurants where there is a risk of cross contamination.
If you’ve been wondering if you can order anything from the menu at Cold Stone on a gluten-free diet, I hope a rundown of their menu has helped you get the information you’ve been looking for.
While even the items listed in this post may not contain wheat ingredients, they’re also not considered “gluten-free” by Cold Stone Creamery themselves. There is a very clear chance for cross contamination, so keep this in mind when ordering anything from this ice cream shop and trying to stay away from gluten.
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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