Gluten-free Christmas sweets: turrón, panettone and king cake (plus sugar-free options)
There are two kinds of gluten-free Christmas: the improvised one (“it doesn’t have flour, right?”) and the safe one. If someone at your table has coeliac disease or a real gluten sensitivity, sweets are the easiest place to get it wrong: hidden ingredients, traces, fillings, coatings and mixed bakeries.
This guide is built for buying (and getting it right): gluten-free turrón, gluten-free panettone, gluten-free king cake, plus a section on sugar-free turrón.
The only thing that matters: the label
If coeliac safety is the goal, keep it simple: look for a clear gluten-free statement. If it says “may contain” or the information is unclear, don’t treat it as safe.
15-second shopping checklist
1) Clear gluten-free declaration on pack.
2) Allergens: wheat, barley, rye, non-certified oats, spelt.
3) Watch for “malt”, “crunch”, wafers/crumbs, cookie-style fillings.
4) Check fillings and coatings too.
Gluten-free turrón: the easiest win
Most classic turrón styles can be gluten-free, but “crunch” versions, wafer layers or cookie/brownie styles are common traps. Label first, always.
Gluten-free panettone: the wow factor
Panettone is where cross-contamination and fillings matter most. Choose a clearly labelled gluten-free product and a clean ingredient list.
Gluten-free king cake: tradition without stress
King cake is delicate because many bakeries handle wheat. If you need it safe, only buy clearly labelled gluten-free options.
Bonus: sugar-free turrón
“Sugar-free” doesn’t automatically mean “healthy”. It usually means sugar is replaced with sweeteners/polyols. If you want it, go for the double filter: sugar-free and gluten-free.