The standard Hershey’s Milk Chocolate Bar has no gluten ingredients.
Yes. The standard Hershey’s Milk Chocolate Bar is sugar, milk, chocolate, cocoa butter, lactose, milk fat, soy lecithin, PGPR, and vanillin — no wheat, barley, rye, or oats. Hershey’s labels products that contain gluten, and the plain bar (and plain Kisses) is recognized as having no gluten ingredients. CRITICAL: Hershey’s Cookies ‘n’ Creme contains wheat, and cookie/pretzel/crisped-rice variants are NOT gluten-free — check the specific bar.
The plain Hershey’s Milk Chocolate Bar is gluten-free in the way that matters for most people: it has no gluten ingredients. It’s the cookie, pretzel, and crisped-rice variants that aren’t — most notably Cookies ‘n’ Creme, which is made with wheat.
What’s in the Hershey’s Milk Chocolate Bar
The standard bar is made from sugar, milk, chocolate, cocoa butter, lactose, milk fat, soy lecithin, PGPR, and natural flavor (vanillin). Per FDA labeling rules, the gluten-containing grains are wheat, barley, rye, and their hybrids — none of those bar ingredients is on that list. Hershey’s labels products that contain gluten; the plain bar and plain Kisses are recognized as having no gluten ingredients.
Cross-Contamination Risk
Manufacturing
Low
- Standard bar has no gluten ingredients.
- Hershey’s labels gluten-containing products.
- Cookies ‘n’ Creme / cookie-inclusion variants differ.
Bulk / Baking Aisle
Medium
- Bulk-bin chocolate can share scoops with gluten candies.
- Chopped/baking chocolate near flour-dusted items.
- Buy sealed bars if highly sensitive.
Home
Low
- Sealed bars; no special handling.
- Confirm the variant (not Cookies ‘n’ Creme).
Hershey’s Variants — GF Status
- Hershey’s Milk Chocolate Bar (plain) — no gluten ingredients
- Hershey’s Milk Chocolate with Almonds — no gluten ingredients (tree nut)
- Hershey’s Kisses (Milk Chocolate, plain) — no gluten ingredients
- Hershey’s Cookies ‘n’ Creme — NOT gluten-free (contains wheat)
- Cookie/pretzel-inclusion or crisped-rice variants — NOT gluten-free (wheat / barley malt)
What to Look For — Or Avoid
- Plain Milk Chocolate / Almond bar / plain Kisses
- No “Contains: Wheat” / barley malt on the label
- Sealed packaging (not bulk bin) if highly sensitive
- Hershey’s Cookies ‘n’ Creme (contains wheat)
- Cookie/pretzel-inclusion or crisped-rice variants
- Assuming all Hershey’s products match the plain bar
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Hershey’s Milk Chocolate Bar gluten-free?
Yes. The standard bar is sugar, milk, chocolate, cocoa butter, lactose, milk fat, soy lecithin, PGPR, and vanillin — no wheat, barley, rye, or oats. Hershey’s labels products that contain gluten; the plain bar has no gluten ingredients.
Is Hershey’s Cookies ‘n’ Creme gluten-free?
No. Hershey’s Cookies ‘n’ Creme contains wheat (the cookie pieces) and is not gluten-free. Do not assume it matches the plain milk chocolate bar — it is a different product with a gluten ingredient.
Are Hershey’s Kisses gluten-free?
Plain Hershey’s Kisses Milk Chocolate are recognized as having no gluten ingredients, like the plain bar. Filled, cookie, or special-edition Kisses should be checked individually, since some contain wheat or barley malt.
Is the Hershey’s Almond bar gluten-free?
The Hershey’s Milk Chocolate with Almonds bar has no gluten ingredients (almonds are a tree nut, not a grain). The tree-nut allergen is unrelated to gluten. Confirm the current label as with any candy.
Does Hershey’s label gluten on its products?
Yes. Hershey’s identifies products that contain gluten on its labels. The plain Milk Chocolate Bar and plain Kisses are recognized as containing no gluten ingredients; variants with cookie, pretzel, or crisped-rice components are labeled accordingly.
Can people with celiac disease eat a Hershey’s bar?
The plain Hershey’s Milk Chocolate Bar has no gluten ingredients and is generally considered safe for celiac disease. Avoid Cookies ‘n’ Creme and cookie/pretzel/crisped-rice variants, and confirm the current label since it is not third-party certified.