Are Andes Mints Gluten Free? (Plus GF Andes Mints Recipes)

Last Updated on September 1, 2024

Are Andes mints gluten-free? They are super popular in the US, but are they safe to consume on a gluten-free diet? Let’s take a closer look. Plus delicious recipes for mint brownies and cookies.

What Are Andes Mints?

If you’re from the US, you’ll likely already be familiar with Andes mints. They are rectangular candies that consist of a mint green layer, in between two chocolate layers – almost like a chocolate mint sandwich! They often come wrapped in foil, and you can find them in almost every grocery or convenience store. Andes Mints have actually been around for 100 years – so they’re definitely a candy favorite!

Ingredients In Andes Mints

There are several different flavors of Andes mints, but the original flavor is Creme de Menthe. The ingredients in the Creme de Menthe candy are:

• Sugar
• Palm Kernel
• Palm Oil
• Cocoa (processed with alkali)
• Nonfat Milk
• Lactose
• Milk Protein Concentrate
• Soy Lecithin
• Natural and Artificial Flavors
• Peppermint Oil
• Colors (Yellow 5 Lake, Blue 1 Lake)

Are Andes Chocolate Mints Gluten-Free?

As you can see from the ingredients, the Creme de Menthe flavored Andes mints contain no gluten! The only allergens that are listed on the ingredients label are milk and soy. On their website, they state that this product does not contain any gluten, tree nuts, or peanuts; which means it’s suitable for a range of dietary lifestyles.

Are Andes Candies Gluten-Free?

According to The Gluten Free Bar, all flavors of Andes candies (and all of Andes baking chips) are completely gluten-free and safe for consumption. Some of their delicious gluten-free candies include:

• Cherry Jubilee (the same as the traditional chocolate sandwich, but with cherries instead)
• Toffee Crunch (buttery, toffee goodness)
• Mint Parfait (an inverted version of the Creme de Menthe! A chocolate middle, in a minty sandwich)
• Peppermint Crunch (perfect for the festive season, with crunchy pieces of peppermint)
• Mint Cookie Crunch (minty, with a crunch and the cookie, is made with rice flour, no need to panic!)

As you can see, it’s super easy to enjoy Andes candies when following a gluten-free lifestyle. They are 100% safe and highly recommended as the candy of choice in the gluten-free community.

Andes Gluten-Free Mints Recipes

Now that we know the mints are gluten-free, let’s take a look at some recipes! It can be difficult to find tasty gluten-free candy-like Andes, so why not incorporate them into sweet treats such as cookies or brownies? Let’s take a closer look at some delicious recipes to try yourself at home.

Gluten-Free Andes Mint Brownies

This recipe from Flippin’ Delicious is chewy, fudgy – and altogether, yummy! You can make this recipe yourself in just under an hour.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup butter (melted)
• 1 cup of white sugar
• 2 eggs
• 3/4 cup of cocoa powder
• 1/4 teaspoon of salt
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup of gluten-free flour
• 1/4 teaspoon of xanthan gum (check if this is already in your flour, it often is)
• 1/4 cup of milk chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup of Andes mints (chopped and ready to go)

Method

1. Preheat your oven to 350F and line a baking tray with baking paper/parchment paper.
2. Mix the cocoa powder, butter, and sugar in a bowl.
3. Once combined, add the eggs, salt, and vanilla (and xanthan gum if needed). Mix well.
4. Sprinkle around 3/4 of the choc chips and mints into the batter mix and combine well.
5. Pour the batter onto the baking sheet and sprinkle the remaining quarter of choc chips and mints over the top.
6. Bake for around 30-35 minutes (or until a toothpick comes out almost clean when placed in the center of the tray)

Learn more about: Does Cocoa Powder Have Gluten?

Gluten-Free Andes Mint Cookies

You may prefer to make cookies and these cookies from My Gluten-Free Kitchen are utterly scrumptious. You may need a few more ingredients, but they’re ready in under 30 minutes; giving you plenty of time to make other tasty treats!

Ingredients

• 1 cup all-purpose gluten-free flour
• 1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum
• 1/8 cup cocoa powder
• 1/8 cup dark cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 8oz choc chips
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
• 5 tablespoons of butter (softened)
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup additional choc chips
• 3/4 cup Andes baking chips (1/2 for batter, 1/4 for topping)

Method

1. Mix the flour, xanthan gum, cocoa, baking powder, and salt. Leave to one side.
2. Melt the chips. Once melted completely, set aside to cool slightly.
3. Beat the butter until smooth and gradually add the sugars, mixing well.
4. Reduce the speed and add the eggs and vanilla, continually mixing.
5. Once mixed, gradually add the melted chocolate – stirring as you pour.
6. Now add the dry ingredients from step 1 and mix until combined.
7. Stir in the additional choc chips and the 1/2 cup of Andes baking chips.
8. Preheat oven to 350F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Use a medium ice cream scoop and scoop balls of dough onto the baking sheet.
9. Add the 1/4 Andes baking chips on top of the cookie dough balls.
10. Bake for around 12 minutes. The edges will be set, but the center will be gooey and soft.

Conclusion

I hope this post has helped to answer the question: are Andes mints gluten-free? And helped to give you some inspiration for some yummy sweet treats to enjoy using Andes mints. If you’re a fan of these candies, you’ll be thinking yourself extremely lucky, as we can eat them with ease (and use them in all our baking!).