What Condiments Have Gluten? Complete Guide!

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What sauces have gluten?

When you can’t eat gluten you need to start asking yourself, what condiments have gluten? I’ll let you know what condiments are typically gluten free and which ones have gluten.

I’ll also teach you which ingredient words usually mean gluten because there is more than one!

What Condiments Have Gluten?

More and more people are realizing they are sensitive to gluten – you don’t have to have full-blown Celiac or Crohn’s disease to have a bad reaction.

While it’s fairly easy to avoid gluten in the usual suspects—bread, pasta, breakfast cereal, and anything labeled ‘wheat’—gluten is tricky and can show up in the most unexpected places.

If you need a great resource for eating gluten free check out my cookbook, Ditch the Wheat.

It contains 120 gluten free, grain free, and dairy free recipes with a ton of information on how to eat gluten free, what to look for when eating out, and how to make this lifestyle easy for you.

What Condiments Have Gluten?

Why is gluten used in condiments?

Gluten is used in condiments because it is a cheap stabilizer, emulsifier, and thickener.

Food manufacturers often use gluten as an additive in a huge range of processed foods and ingredients of processed foods, from soups to self-basting poultry.

For a lot of people that is fine. If you have any issues with gluten at all, you have to be informed, wary, and vigilant about knowing exactly what’s in the products you’re consuming.

What Condiments Have Gluten?

Condiments make meals more enjoyable.

But, they can also contain unexpected amounts of gluten. It is used as a stabilizer and thickener in many sauce-based products and stops dry products, like spices and seasonings, from clumping.

How to find gluten on an ingredient label

So, how can you quickly and easily avoid buying foods with gluten? Watch for these red-flag words on labels, including the labels of your favorite condiments.

  • barley malt
  • dextrin (sometimes it is made from wheat)
  • emulsifier (this is made from wheat)
  • food starch, modified starch (when it isn’t specified it is either made from corn or wheat. Assume its wheat)
  • gluten containing grains: wheat, barley, rye, spelt, kamult, triticale (a cross between wheat and rye)
  • malt vinegar
  • maltodextrin (sometimes this is made from wheat. Some claim even when it is made from wheat it is gluten free because of the manufacturing process)
  • modified wheat starch
  • oats, oat fiber, anything with oats (oats are usually cross-contaminated with grains that have gluten. Unless the oats are labeled certified gluten free you need to assume they are cross-contaminated)
  • soy (it is usually made from wheat)
What Condiments Have Gluten?

What condiments have gluten?

This is a list of condiments with gluten in them.

  • Barbecue sauce (sometimes, always read the label to check)
  • Black bean sauce
  • Fish sauce
  • Gravy mixes
  • Hoisin sauce
  • Honey garlic sauce
  • Marinades
  • Malt vinegar
  • Mint sauce (depends on the ingredients)
  • Mole sauce
  • Nacho sauce
  • Oyster sauce
  • Plum sauce
  • Salad dressing (depends on the ingredients)
  • Soy sauce (cheap soy sauce is made from wheat, authentic soy sauce is made from soy)
  • Teriyaki sauce
  • White pasta sauce
  • Worcestershire sauce
  • Wasabi (sometimes contains wheat)

You can still enjoy these condiments, just look for a certified gluten free brand. Primal Kitchen is a brand that uses clean ingredients and all of its condiments are gluten free.

And remember, food might be labeled ‘wheat-free,’ but that doesn’t mean that it’s gluten free!

You can still have tasty condiments with your food. There are a number of alternatives and substitutes.

What Condiments Have Gluten?

Gluten free condiments

These condiments and sauces are gluten free. Always read the ingredient label to make sure.

  • Balsamic vinegar
  • Caramel sauce
  • Chocolate sauce
  • Cocktail sauce (sometimes has dextrose which is derived from wheat but during the manufacturing process is made gluten free)
  • Coconut aminos (great alternative to soy sauce)
  • Dijon mustard
  • Distilled vinegar (it is made from wheat but the distillation process makes it gluten free)
  • Guacamole
  • Hollandaise sauce
  • Honey
  • Honey mustard
  • Horseradish sauce
  • Hot sauce
  • Ketchup
  • Jam
  • Mayo
  • Miso paste
  • Mustard
  • Peanut butter
  • Pesto sauce
  • Rice vinegar
  • Relish
  • Salsa
  • Sriracha sauce
  • Sweet and sour sauce
  • Sweet chili sauce
  • Tartar sauce
  • Tamari sauce (great alternative to soy sauce)
  • Tamarind sauce
  • Tomato sauce
  • Tzatziki sauce
What Condiments Have Gluten?

Gluten Free Condiments

More and more companies are producing certified gluten free products, and supermarkets are carrying more gluten free food—enough to fill an aisle in some cases.

I really like Primal Kitchen because it uses clean ingredients and all of its condiments are gluten free.

All the major supermarket chains now have a wider range of gluten free sauces, marinades, and salad dressings available.

Of course, one of the best ways to stay away from gluten on your gluten free diet is to make your own sauces, salad dressings, marinades, and gravies.

What Condiments Have Gluten?

Homemade Gluten Free Condiment Recipes

Here are all of my gluten free condiment recipes.

I have more articles on is ___ gluten free?

Here’s my complete collection of articles that examines each condiment, drink, snack, etc to let you know is it gluten free?

DISCLOSURE: Not intended for the treatment or prevention of disease, nor as a substitute for medical treatment, nor as an alternative to medical advice. Use of recommendations is at the choice and risk of the reader. Ditch the Wheat is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. I may receive monetary compensation or other types of remuneration for my endorsement, recommendation, testimonial and/or link to any products or services from this blog. I only endorse products that I believe in.

Gluten Free Resources

Do you need help with gluten free meals?
I recommend this meal-planning app. It makes cooking gluten free dinners extremely easy and family-friendly.
What gluten free snacks can I eat?
Lots! I have a ton of practical gluten free snack recipes in my cookbook.
How can I eat dessert on a gluten free diet?
You can 100% eat dessert while eating gluten free. Try my dessert cookbook for easy gluten free dessert recipes.
How do I know what is gluten free and what isn’t?
I have a whole section is it gluten free?
How do I make substitutions?
If you need substitution advice I created a ton of resources here.

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