Does Raisin Bran Have Gluten? (& GF Alternatives)

Last Updated on June 8, 2024

Breakfast time can feel difficult to navigate when you have an intolerance to gluten, because the majority of breakfast foods do contain gluten. Breads, cereals, pancakes, waffles – all traditionally contain gluten. But does raisin bran have gluten? Let’s take a closer look.

What Is Raisin Bran?

You’ll likely already be familiar with raisin bran, sometimes referred to as sultana bran instead. Raisin bran is a cereal most often served at breakfast which consists of bran flakes and raisins. The most common raisin bran is the cereal made famous by Kellogg’s, but Post and General Mills both offer raisin bran options too. In fact, raisin bran is one of the most popular breakfast cereals available!

Ingredients In Raisin Bran

The ingredients in raisin bran can differ depending on which brand you’re buying. However, the most common ingredients usually found in raisin bran are:

• whole grain wheat
• raisins
• wheat bran
• sugar
• brown sugar syrup
• malt flavor
• salt
• vitamins and minerals

Nutritional Information Of Raisin Bran

You may be curious as to the nutritional value when it comes to raisin bran. Each cup of raisin bran contains the following:

• Calories: 185
• Fat: 1.6g
• Sodium: 210mg
• Potassium: 350mg
• Carbs: 46g
• Dietary Fiber: 7g
• Sugar: 18g
• Protein: 4.6g

Does Raisin Bran Have Gluten?

As you can probably tell from the list of ingredients, raisin bran is definitely not gluten free. In fact, besides the raisins, it’s made entirely from wheat. While there are many types of bran available, the bran used in the majority of cereals is wheat bran. The bran is simply the outer layer of the kernel.

All popular raisin brans are made using wheat bran, and often contain barley too (which is usually listed as malt flavor). For this reason, you may want to make your own raisin bran (using a non gluten containing grain), or purchase a gluten free alternative to raisin bran.

Gluten Free Raisin Bran Alternatives

While there are many alternatives to raisin bran available, there are two brands that I’ve found most similar to Kellogg’s Raisin Bran, and make for the ideal start to the day. Let’s take a closer look.

Deliciously Ella

The first is from a brand called Deliciously Ella, which has a huge selection of products for a gluten free diet. The Deliciously Ella Crunchy Multigrain Flakes (with hazelnuts, raisins and toasted coconut chips) are incredible, as well as being nutritious. This product is suitable for vegans, as well as those who are gluten free.

The only ingredients in this product are:

• maize
• brown rice flour
• roasted hazelnuts
• raisins
• coconut sugar
• amaranth flour
• toasted coconut chips
• millet flour
• salt

Freee

My second choice is the Organic Gluten Free Fruit and Fibre Flakes from Freee. The perfect blend of sultanas, apple, coconut and banana. This product is also Kosher and suitable for a vegan lifestyle.

The ingredients in this product are:

• brown rice
• maize flour
• maize bran
• rice bran extract
• coconut
• banana chips (dried banana, coconut oil, sugar)
• sultanas
• apple
• cane sugar
• salt

Gluten Free Raisin Bran Recipe

Raisin bran is super simple to make yourself, and usually healthier too as it’s as natural as can be! This recipe is not just suited to those following a gluten free lifestyle, but also those following vegan or paleo diets. This recipe is inspired by one from Healy Eats Real. Let’s take a closer look.

Ingredients

With just three ingredients needed, this raisin bran alternative couldn’t be easier. The ingredients you’ll need for this recipe are:

• 2 cups of coconut flakes (preferably thick and on the larger side)
• 1 teaspoon of cinnamon
• 1/3 cup of raisins/sultanas

Step-by-step To Make Gluten Free Raisin Bran Recipe

Step 1: Prepare

Gather all of the ingredients you need for this recipe and preheat your oven to 325F. Grab a cookie sheet and spread out the coconut flakes evenly. Once laid on the sheet, lightly sprinkle the cinnamon over the top. Be sure that each flake is evenly coated.

Step 2: Bake

Place the cookie sheet into the center of your preheated oven and bake for around 5 minutes. They may need slightly longer before turning golden brown in color, so check every few minutes until the flakes reach that color. You’re aiming for a slightly toasted flake. Remove from oven and leave to cool.

Conclusion

I hope this post has helped to answer the question: does raisin bran have gluten? And given you an idea of which gluten free alternatives there are when it comes to still enjoying raisin bran. Nowadays, it’s super easy to find substitutes for almost every gluten containing food!

FAQs