While not all Häagen-Dazs ice cream flavors are gluten-free, the Company makes dozens of flavors of ice cream, sorbets, and ice cream bars that ARE gluten-free!
Meaning of "Gluten-Free" for Häagen-Dazs
For those of us with celiac disease or gluten sensitivity, the gluten-free diet is not a choice. Häagen-Dazs takes the time (and money) to test and verify its gluten-free flavors and add "gluten-free" to the label.
Important! Check the package. Häagen-Dazs always marks on the container if a product is gluten-free.
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In the United States, the Gluten Free Food Labeling Rule is lengthy, but for the purpose of ice cream, I'll over-simplify it to get to the part we care about:
If ice cream is labeled gluten-free, that means it doesn't have gluten ingredients and the manufacturer is stating that the product does not contain more than 20 parts per million (ppm) of gluten due to cross-contact with gluten ingredients.
That last part is a big deal with ice cream. Many popular flavors (like Cookies & Cream) contain gluten ingredients. Even naturally gluten-free flavors have a risk of cross-contact with gluten on production lines. We rely on additional information from ice cream manufacturers to decide which products are safe.
To dig a little deeper, I emailed Häagen-Dazs, and it responded with the following information:
- If a finished product contains oats, barley or rye, these ingredients would be declared in the ingredient list on the package. (Note, this is not required by the FDA. Thank you, Haagen-Dazs for going the extra mile!)
- Our products with gluten-free claims on the package have gone through the testing process to ensure our testing shows less than 20 ppm (parts per million) of gluten.
- Ingredients and manufacturing conditions CAN and DO change. If you need to pay attention to the gluten in your diet, we strongly encourage you to always check the product label and the list of ingredients.
- If the product does not contain one of the known nine allergens but is made on the same line with potential for cross-contact, or in the same facility with potential for cross-contact, we add at the end of the ingredient listing that it "May Contain" the allergen. (Note, this includes wheat, but not barley and rye, as they are not on the list of the top nine allergens.)
Bottom line, Häagen-Dazs ice cream products which are labeled gluten-free are the safest. If a package of Häagen-Dazs ice cream is not labeled gluten-free but there are no gluten ingredients listed, you can trust that there are no hidden gluten-containing ingredients, but the product is not tested and verified to be below 20ppm. Finally, the words "may contain wheat" on the label means the ice cream is not safe for individuals with celiac disease or for others who are sensitive to cross-contamination.
Luxury Ice Cream
Häagen-Dazs markets its products as "luxury" ice cream. I agree. When you think of Häagen-Dazs, you imagine a deeply indulgent ice cream experience with ridiculously rich sweet cream and the finest ingredients, real ingredients you can pronounce.
Check out these ingredient lists:
- Chocolate Ice Cream: cream, skim milk, cane sugar, cocoa processed with alkali, egg yolks
- Strawberry Ice Cream: cream, skim milk, strawberries, cane sugar, egg yolks
- Rum Raisin Ice Cream: cream, skim milk, cane sugar, raisins, egg yolks, rum
- Butter Pecan Ice Cream: cream, skim milk, sugar, pecans, lactose-reduced skim milk, corn syrup, egg yolks, coconut oil, salt, butter (cream, salt), vanilla extract
- Mango Sorbet: water, sugar, mango puree, natural flavor, carrot juice concentrate (for color), lemon juice concentrate, pumpkin juice concentrate (for color), pectin
Traditional flavors, such as vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry have just a handful of essential ingredients. The basics are real cream and milk (from cows not injected with the growth hormone rBST), cane sugar, and egg yolks. More complex flavors sometimes, but not always, have a longer list of ingredients. But they are still all items you'll recognize.
You can taste a significant difference between thick, rich Häagen-Dazs and some other brands with lots of additives.
Häagen-Dazs is also phasing out GMO ingredients. If a particular container of ice cream has no GMO ingredients, it will state "non-GMO" on the packaging.
Which Häagen-Dazs Products are Labeled Gluten-Free?
Häagen-Dazs has dozens of gluten-free options. All of the following products are currently labeled gluten-free at the time of writing. But ALWAYS check the package for the "gluten-free" symbol for the latest and most accurate information about the ice cream you are about to eat!
Gluten-Free Häagen-Dazs Ice Cream Flavors
- Butter Pecan
- Chocolate
- Chocolate Peanut Butter
- Coffee Chip
- Coffee
- Dulce de Leche
- Honey Salted Caramel Almond
- Mango
- Matcha Green Tea
- Mint Chip Ice Cream
- Peppermint Bark
- Pineapple Coconut
- Pistachio
- Rocky Road
- Rum Raisin
- Strawberry
- Vanilla
- Vanilla Bean
- Vanilla Chocolate Chip
- Vanilla Swiss Almond
- White Chocolate Raspberry Truffle
Gluten-Free Häagen-Dazs Sorbets (Non-Dairy)
If you need to avoid gluten and dairy, Häagen-Dazs makes two sorbets that are gluten-free and non-dairy.
- Mango
- Raspberry
Gluten-Free Häagen-Dazs Ice Cream Bars
- Chocolate Dark Chocolate Ice Cream Bar (regular size and mini)
- Coffee Almond Crunch Ice Cream Bar (regular size and mini)
- Peppermint Bark Ice Cream Bar
- Vanilla Milk Chocolate Almond Ice Cream Bar (regular size and mini)
- Vanilla Milk Chocolate Ice Cream Bar
Does Häagen-Dazs make Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free Ice Cream?
Sadly, Häagen-Dazs has discontinued its gluten-free, non-dairy ice cream and ice cream bars. The two sorbets, mango and raspberry sorbet, are still gluten-free and non-dairy.
For those craving a premium brand of non-dairy ice cream, Ben & Jerry's has a good selection of non-dairy, certified gluten-free ice cream.
Portion Control
Want a decadent treat without having to undo the top button of your jeans? Häagen-Dazs offers Mini Ice Cream Bars in several varieties, as well as 3.6 oz cup sizes for its ice cream flavors.
I highly recommend savoring your tiny cup of ice cream with a Tiny Ice Cream Spoon.
Save Money
Costco sometimes sells bulk packages of Häagen-Dazs ice cream bars. Normally, the ice cream bars come in packages of 3, but at Costco, I have found them in packages of 15. Perfect for a summer pool party!
