Contributor: Sarah Friggieri is a gluten-free food blogger based in Australia. Check out her other work here.

No gluten-free Easter is complete without three essentials: friends, family, and gluten-free easter eggs! Chocolate is — and always will be — one of my favourite things to put in my mouth. In fact, even as I’m writing this, I’m enjoying a gluten-free mudcake from The Cheesecake Shop for lunch (don’t judge — it’s my birthday!). I always feel safe eating this, as it’s baked, decorated and sealed off the premises, which means a lower risk of cross-contamination.

However, not all products can be trusted. So, in the lead-up to Easter, I thought I’d share a few tips to avoid being ‘glutened’— and offer a few recommendations on nommylicious treats.

Remember BROW

It’s an easy acronym that’ll remind you of what you’re not supposed to eat: barley, rye, oats, and wheat. Don’t be afraid to explain it to your loved ones too — it’s likely they’ll be gifting chocolate at this time of year and would rather give you something you can enjoy than must throw out.

Always Read the Label

Even if you’ve been eating something for decades, you should always check the label to ensure none of the above-mentioned ingredients are listed — recipes change all the time, even on market favourites! Allergens are usually in bold, but don’t rely on that. Warnings such as ‘May contain traces of wheat’ are also important, as this increases the risk of cross-contamination; something may be gluten-free by ingredient, but that doesn’t always make it safe for us to eat.

Stock-up on GluteGuard

When in doubt, just don’t eat it. If everything seems okay but your anxiety is getting the better of you, take a GluteGuard tablet before popping anything into your mouth — it’ll help digest small amounts of gluten and reduce the symptoms of accidental gluten ingestion due to cross-contamination.

My Top Gluten-Free Chocolate Picks for Easter 2022

• Cadbury Dairy Milk Easter Bunny, Dairy Milk Humpty Dumpty, Dairy Milk Hollow Easter Egg, Cherry Ripe Egg, and Cherry Ripe Bunny. There are many more safe Cadbury options available (just check the labels in store or online at cadbury.com.au, but to me nothing beats chocolate in bunny or egg form).
• Ferrero Rocher Milk Chocolate and Hazelnut Hollow Squirrel (the same deliciousness, just without the wafer) and Grand Ferrero Rocher.
• Haigh’s Milk Chocolate Frog Egg, Milk Chocolate Salted Macadamia Brittle Egg, and Milk Chocolate Duck with Mini Eggs. This is a beloved Adelaide-based company that’s been around since 1915. Thankfully, there are Haigh’s stores across Australia now.
• Lindt Dark Chocolate and White Chocolate Gold Bunny. I know this is super-surprising, since most Lindt products contain barley malt extract, so enjoy them while you can!

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