Is Butter Gluten Free? Yes & No

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Is Butter Gluten-Free?

On the gluten free diet, you have to question everything including butter! Is butter gluten free? We’ll delve into why it is and why it isn’t.

Substitute for Butter, butter on french toast.

What is Butter?

Butter is a dairy product made from the fat and protein of cow’s milk. It is solid at room temperature and used in cooking and baking. It has a creamy texture and a rich, buttery flavor.

A package of Kerrygold butter.

Butter Ingredients

Butter is made from the simple ingredients of cream and salt.

Cream* (milk), Sea salt. May contain: whey cream. (source)

A brick of butter cut into smaller pieces with a knife.

How is Butter Made?

Butter is made by churning cream until it becomes solid. This process changes the structure of the fat molecules and creates the creamy texture of butter.

It also adds air to the butter, which is what makes it spreadable.

Butter is so simple to make you can make it at home using a mason jar or your food processor.

A bowl of butter.

Is Butter Gluten Free?

Yes, butter is naturally gluten free. The only ingredients that are usually added to butter are salt.

Sometimes other flavors are added like garlic or sweet flavors like blueberries to turn it into a finishing butter, so always read the ingredients label.

French bread with butter on it.

Does Butter Have Gluten?

Cross-contamination is how butter can be filled with gluten. If you’re reaching for the butter at a dinner party, at your home (if you share it with others), or where someone might have used a knife to spread their butter on bread or toast and then slathered on more butter with the same knife, the butter is now contaminated.

My dad is notorious for contaminating the butter. When he visits I have to give him a separate piece of butter to keep in the fridge that he can fill with as many bread crumbs as he wants.

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.

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Carol Lovett is the founder of Ditch the Wheat and a Globe and Mail bestselling author of the cookbook, Ditch the Wheat. She has been eating gluten free since 2010. She loves all things food, natural living, and spiritual. She's also a reiki master and crystal healer.

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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