Nut Free Chocolate

Having a peanut or tree nut allergy doesn’t mean you have to miss out on chocolate! This list of nut free chocolate options will help you get your fix without the allergens.

Jump to:

• What does nut free mean?
• What's included in this list
• Nut free and allergy friendly chocolate
• Nut free chocolates that contain other allergens
• Nut free chocolate chips
• Make your own chocolate treats

What does nut free mean?

In this article, nut free means free from peanuts AND tree nuts. With that said, it should be noted that these are different types of food allergens.

Peanuts are legumes that grow underground and tree nuts (you guessed it) grow on trees. In the US, there are 19 different varieties of tree nuts that are classified as such for food labeling regulations (more on that in minute).

You can be allergic to peanuts and not allergic to tree nuts. You can also be allergic to one type of tree nut and not the others. The challenge is avoiding cross-contact between different nuts.

What is cross-contact?

Cross-contact happens when foods touch each other and their proteins mix. Now each food has a little bit of protein from the other making them both unsafe.

To prevent it, companies must have good manufacturing practices. These practices might include thorough cleaning of shared lines, testing for allergens, and having dedicated manufacturing lines.

Some companies have dedicated nut free facilities. This means their products are made in a building that does not handle nuts at all. These are the best!

How do you know if something is nut free?

In the US, companies must clearly identify any of the top 9 food allergens on food labels. This is according to the Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act of 2004 (FALCPA).

These allergens include peanuts, tree nuts (all varieties), dairy, wheat, soy, eggs, fish, and shellfish. (Of note, sesame is the 9th allergen and will be required starting in 2023.)

Companies often use advisory statements to warn about cross-contact. Examples of advisory statements include "may contain traces of (allergen)" or "produced in a facility that also handles (allergen)."

It's a good idea to pay attention to these statements if you're avoiding the allergen noted. You can choose to avoid the product or contact the company to get more details (allergen info).

Be sure to read every label every time as companies change their manufacturing practices often and without warning.

What's included in this list

Products on this list are peanut and tree nut free first and foremost. Equally important was to include products that are at low risk of cross-contact with peanuts and tree nuts.

I chose to only include products made in dedicated peanut and tree nut free facilities. And, luckily, I found plenty of options!

This is not an exhaustive list as many more chocolate candies are peanut and tree nut free. With that said, the products and companies included here are less likely to change manufacturing practices and that gives me more peace of mind including them.

What about other allergens in chocolate?

Chocolate candies often contain other common allergens like dairy, eggs, soy, and wheat/gluten.

This list includes mostly brands that are free from the top 9 allergens and are made in dedicated facilities to prevent cross-contact. I do include a section of chocolates that are nut free but do contain other allergens.

Disclaimer: This list is meant to be a starting place in finding safe chocolate options. Please do your own research and read every label, every time.

Nut free and allergy friendly chocolate

Looking for nut free chocolate that is also free of other common allergens like dairy, eggs, soy, and wheat/gluten? Then this section is for you!

Amanda’s Own Confections

Amanda's Own was founded by food allergy parents whose daughter, Amanda, has severe allergies to dairy and egg. 

• Free from: The top 14 allergens including tree nuts, peanuts, dairy, gluten (wheat, barley, rye) soy, egg, sesame, mustard, shellfish, fish, sulfites, and lupin. Additionally, most of the products are also corn-free.
• Contains: No common allergens are used and products are made in a dedicated facility free of these allergens.
• Products available: A wide variety of chocolate bars with themed wrappers, and chocolates in various shapes (Easter bunnies, hearts, Santa, etc). Other offerings include sunflower butter cups, cookie dough, chocolate spread, chocolate clusters, barks, and more.
• Where to buy: Online at Amandasown.com or shop on Amazon.

Enjoy Life

Enjoy Life Foods started making “free from” foods in 2001, including chocolate. You can read all about the ingredients used in their products in their very thorough ingredient glossary.

• Free from: The top 14 allergens including peanuts, tree nuts, gluten (wheat, barley, rye), dairy, soy, eggs, fish, and shellfish. 
• Contains: No major allergens. Some of the baking chocolate is produced in a facility that also processes dairy and soy but they are produced on a dairy-free and soy-free line.
• Products available: Baking chocolate (dark morsels, mini morsels, mega chunks, mini white morsels), chocolate bars (rice milk, rice milk crunch, dark chocolate, and mini bars). A variety of cookies, bars, protein bites, and snacks are also available.
• Where to buy: Shop online, at the Enjoy Life shop on Amazon, or find a store near you.

Free2b Foods

Free2b started making Sun Cups in 2008. This was in response to a food allergy dad challenging them to create a candy cup that his peanut-allergic son could enjoy. The rest is history!

• Free from: Peanuts, tree nuts, dairy, eggs, soy, gluten, fish, shellfish, corn, mustard, and sesame. These products are also free from artificial colors, flavors, sweeteners, and hydrogenated oils. Free 2b makes products in a dedicated facility, and they're certified gluten free, vegan, and Kosher Pareve.
• Contains: No major food allergens.
• Products available: Sun Cups (dark chocolate, chocolate, dark chocolate mint) packaged in two packs, singles, and minis. Dark chocolate melts are also available for baking.
• Where to buy: Shop online, at the Free2be shop on Amazon, or find a store near you.

Gerbs

A family-owned and operated business started in 2003, they handle all aspects of the operation – purchasing, production, inspection, storage, distribution, and shipping on their 100% dedicated packaging equipment. They started making pumpkin seeds and now they offer other nutritious snacks like seeds, dried fruit, and baking ingredients (including chocolate!)

• Free from: Peanuts, tree nuts, gluten (wheat, barley, rye), legumes, eggs, soy, dairy, fish, shellfish, mustard, sesame, and lupine. Gerbs makes products in a dedicated facility free of these allergens.
• Contains: No major food allergens.
• Products available: Dark chocolate chips (mini, traditional, and jumbo sizes), dark chocolate-covered nibs, dutch cocoa powder, natural cocoa powder, cacao nibs as well as a variety of seeds, dried fruit, and baking ingredients.
• Where to buy: Shop online at Gerbs.com or at the Gerbs shop on Amazon.

No Whey! Foods

If you’re looking for allergy friendly substitutes for popular candies everyone knows and loves, be sure to check out No Whey! Foods. Treats such as No Tricks (Twix), Pea Not Cups (peanut butter cups), No No’s (M&M’s), and No Whey bars (Milky Way/Snickers) are very similar to the classics but without the allergens.

• Free from: Peanuts, tree nuts, dairy, eggs, soy, wheat, gluten, sesame, fish, shellfish, artificial colors, artificial flavors. Products are vegan and kosher. No Whey makes their products in a dedicated facility.
• Contains: No major food allergens. Corn is used in some products.
• Products available: Allergy friendly versions of popular candies like M&M’s, Twix, and Snickers, truffles, various chocolate bar varieties, morsels, chocolate-covered pretzels, and many seasonal items like chocolate bunnies for Easter and No No’s (M&Ms) candy cane tubes for Christmas.
• Where to buy: Shop online at Nowheychocolate.com or at the No Whey! Foods store on Amazon.

Pascha

Pascha makes chocolate bars and morsels with plant-based ingredients and without common allergens. Products certified organic, gluten free, and vegan. 

• Free from: Peanuts, tree nuts, dairy, eggs, soy, wheat/gluten, fish, shellfish, celery, mustard, sesame, lupine, sulfites, corn. Made in a dedicated top 8 free facility.
• Contains: No major allergens. If you're avoiding corn, a couple of products have corn-derived ingredients. You can read more about that on their website.
• Products available: Chocolate bars in a number of varieties including dark chocolate, white chocolate, dark chocolate with coffee, and dark chocolate with cocoa nibs. Other products include several baking chocolate varieties including 100% cacao, 85% cacao, 75% cacao, 55% cacao, “no milk”, and white chocolate. 
• Where to buy it: Shop online at paschachocolate.com or at the Pascha Chocolate store on Amazon.

Nut free chocolates that contain other allergens

These companies also make delicious chocolates that are peanut and tree nut free and made in dedicated nut-free facilities.

I've put them in a separate section because they do have other allergens like dairy. Even so, these companies are transparent about manufacturing practices and do have some products that are free of common allergens other than nuts.

Dean's Sweets

Dean's Sweets was founded by Dean and Kristin Bingham and is based in Portland, Maine. They make hand-dipped chocolates and all of them are peanut and tree nut free.

• Free from: They do not use peanuts, tree nuts, or eggs in any of their products.
• Contains: Dairy, soy, and wheat/gluten. They do make several gluten free products in a dedicated gluten free facility. They share details about allergens in their products and potential for cross-contact in this article.
• Products available:  Thirty-plus varieties of truffles, caramels, and buttercreams as well as a variety of chocolate bars, sauces, and hot chocolate.
• Where to buy it: Shop online at deanssweets.com

Vermont Nut Free Chocolates

Vermont Nut Free Chocolates was founded by a mom of a child with a peanut allergy. The company specializes in peanut and tree nut free treats.

• Free from: Peanuts and tree nuts. Made in a dedicated facility.
• Contains: Dairy, eggs, soy, and wheat. They identify shared lines with these common allergens on the labels. 
• Products available: A wide variety of nut free chocolates including nut free Easter eggs and chocolate bunnies, solid chocolate in fun shapes, and boxes of assorted chocolates like truffles, fruit creams, crispy cups, and raisin chocolates. 
• Where to buy it: Shop online at vermontnutfree.com or at the Vermont Nut Free Chocolates store on Amazon.

Nut free chocolate chips

As you might have noticed, many of the brands listed above make nut free chocolate morsels along with candies. In the following section, I've included a few more companies that specifically make nut free chocolate chips that are also allergy friendly.

Bake Believe

Bake Believe makes no-sugar-added chocolate morsels that are sweetened with erythritol, which is a non-nutritive sugar alcohol. They make all of the morsels in a dedicated peanut and tree nut free facility.

• Free from: Peanuts and tree nuts, gluten; the dark chocolate and semi-sweet baking chips and bars are free from the top 8 allergens. 
• Contains: The milk chips, white chips, and melting wafers contain dairy. 
• Products available: Baking chips, baking bars, and melting wafers (dark chocolate, milk chocolate, and white chocolate varieties).
• Where to buy: Shop online, find a store near you or shop on Amazon.

Nestle Toll House Allergen Free Morsels

I'm sure you've heard of a little company called Nestle, right? They make all sorts of products, including allergen free morsels in semi-sweet and dark chocolate. They're free of the top 8 allergens and widely available in grocery stores (bonus!)

• Free from: Peanuts, tree nuts, eggs, soy, wheat, dairy, fish, shellfish.
• Contains: No major allergens. Per the website, in cases where they cannot rule out cross-contact with a major allergen, they add an advisory statement as a precaution.
• Products available: Dark chocolate and semi-sweet chocolate.
• Where to buy: Find a store near you or shop on Amazon.

Equal Exchange

Equal Exchange makes a variety of fair trade products including chocolate bars and morsels. They source their ingredients at fair prices directly in partnership with small farmer co-ops.  

• Free from: Peanuts, tree nuts, dairy, eggs, soy, wheat/gluten
• Contains: No major allergens. The chocolate chips/morsels are from a dedicated facility free from peanuts, tree nuts, milk, eggs, soy, or gluten.
• Products available: A variety of chocolate bars and morsels are available. Two of the products they make do contain almonds, however, to prevent cross-contact, they make those products in a different facility than the chocolate chips.
• Where to buy: Shop Equal Exchange online or shop on Amazon.

Guittard

Guittard makes a variety of products from chocolate bars to baking chocolate. Although they do make some products with nuts, according to their allergen policy, their chocolate morsels are made in a peanut and tree-nut-free facility.

• Free from: peanuts, tree nuts, gluten, soy, and eggs.
• Contains: Dairy. The labels clearly state these chocolate chips are not suitable for those with a dairy allergy.
• Products available: A wide variety of chocolate chips including semi-sweet, super cookie, milk chocolate, green mint, extra dark, choc-au-lait, butterscotch, unsweetened, bittersweet, and akoma.
• Where to buy: Find a store near you or shop on Amazon.

Make your own chocolate treats

Buying pre-made chocolate candies is great for certain occasions. On the other hand, making your own treats is a lot of fun, too!

Here are some of our favorite recipes that use chocolate morsels (all are free of the top 9 allergens!):

So, as you can see, there are quite a few nut-free chocolate options available, many made in dedicated facilities which means they’re safe from cross-contact with peanuts and tree nuts. And many are free of other common allergens.

If you are just avoiding one type of tree nut or just peanuts you most likely have many more options. Hopefully, this gives you a good start on your search for your new favorite chocolate treat!

And this is one last reminder to please, please (please!) read every label every time. Do your own research to make sure what you buy is safe for you.

Enjoy!