Five things you can eat instead of Cherry Ripe
Posted: August 8, 2023 Updated: June 21, 2024
Cherry Ripe is a much loved Aussie chocolate bar but it’s not for you if you are coeliac, or a eating gluten free, vegetarian, vegan or halal diet. Why? Well, for coeliacs and strictly gluten free folk Cherry Ripe has a may contain statement for wheat.
The recipe also contains gelatine, meaning vego folks and those following diets avoiding gelatine have to give these sweet treats a miss too.
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- Five gluten free swaps, gluten free versions of products you love and miss.
Can I eat a Cherry Ripe?
It’s a question that keeps popping up in coeliac and gluten free forums. Made by Cadbury the label has a may contain warning for wheat. Some folks don’t mind may contain warnings, but most are quite cautious, especially those who have fallen ill thanks to a may contain (Yep, 🙋).
Cadbury are quite diligent and reasonable with their may contain warnings, so if you see one it is best avoided. What do I mean by this? Well, at Easter their products are made in a separate facility and most Cadbury Easter chocolates are gluten free by ingredient.
But their primary range are made in facilities with everything else and the risk of cross contact with wheat products is much higher. Remember, Cadbury makes items with wafers and biscuits too!
Gluten Free Cherry Ripe alternatives!
In the list below are all the Cherry Ripe alternatives I’ve come across, and for our dairy free and vegetarian friends I’ve also listed if they are suitable for you. Let me know your favourite in the comments!
By the way if you make to to the bottom of the list you’ll see an extra special Cherry Ripe bar alternative.
Noshu
Noshu as the name hints, is a brand with low or no sugar in it’s recipes. As a side benefit, many of their items are gluten free but not all of them. You may have seen their donuts in the fridge section at your local supermarket, I reviewed their strawberry donut a while back.
Noshu Dark Chocolate Cherry & Coconut
Gluten free by ingredient, and vegetarian. Looking at the design on the pack I’d say this has a pretty good chocolate to filling ratio. But ah, portion control might be a little harder with this packet!
Allergens: Milk, soy, sulphites. May contain: Peanut, tree nuts.
Noshu Low Carb Cherry & Coconut Indulgence Bars
It’s important to note that the ingredients are different between the two Noshu cherry chocolates. Both are still gluten free and vegetarian. But they do differ in their sugars and sugar-like compounds.
You can buy these bars in a box of 5 x 32g or as a single 42g bar.
Allergens: Milk, soy, sulphites. May contain: Peanut, tree nuts, sesame.
Health Lab
I’ve actually reviewed a few of Health Lab’s range of bars, you can read the review of their cherry bars and two more. Reviewing those bars was what part inspired the of making this article!
Samantha’s Cherry mylk chocolate bars
These are legit gluten free (nil detected) and vegan. In fact, they are a firm favourite of my vegan brother. I’ve seen these in packs of four at the supermarket and some searching online showed single packs but I haven’t come across those myself.
Allergens: Soy. May contain: Milk, peanut, tree nuts, lupin, sesame, sulphites.
The Confectionery House
Aussie brand The Confectionery House make a number of lollies and chocolates that are gluten free by ingredient. You can buy them online from gluten free retailers like Happy Tummies.
Fun fact, they also make a Jaffas lolly that is gluten free by ingredient!
Dark Choc Cherry Bites
These look fab, just like mini Cherry Ripe bites! They don’t have gelatine either, so that makes them suitable for more people.
Allergens: Milk, soy. May contain: Peanut, tree nuts.
Pana Organic
If you’re not familiar with Pana Organic they are a Melbourne based company with all their products being both plant based and legit gluten free (nil detected).
Dark Choc Cherry and Coconut
The dark choc cherry and coconut bars by Pana Organic are the newest products on the list. Released in May 2023 they look almost identical to the original.
Allergens: Nil. May contain: Peanut, sesame, tree nuts.
Haighs
Haigh’s is a wonderful South Australian company producing premium chocolates. They are available across their stores in Australia and to buy online. Most of their range is gluten free with excellent filters and labelling available.
Dark Cherry Bars
Haigh’s dark cherry bars are available in a four pack, and I think available as single chocolates in store. In terms of ingredients these are very similar to a Cherry Ripe, even so far as that they contain gelatine so they are not vegetarian.
Allergens: Milk, soy. May contain: Nuts.
Cherry Liqueurs
Ok, so this actually isn’t anything like a cherry ripe in terms of form but it’s got all the right ingredients.
Cherry liqueurs are something I gravitate towards when I come across them. I think they must be quite popular in Europe because I would often spot them in the Polish section of the supermarket when I lived in London. In Italy you can get a similar cherry dark chocolate in the grocery store, Mon Cheri by Ferrero.
Either way, delicious and highly addictive. But they do contain perceptible alcohol so keep that in mind. Most I’ve come across are gluten free by ingredient so just check the label before you buy.
Cadbury
Say whaaaaat! But I just told you up there that Cadbury Cherry Ripe isn’t gluten free?! Well, if you read closely you’ll see I mentioned that Easter chocolates are made in a separate facility. So, everyone can eat the Easter editions of this sweet treat.
The Cherry Ripe Easter egg and Easter bunny are both gluten free and vegetarian – no gelatine in the recipe! That made me very happy (GF lady) and my nephew (vegetarian) super impressed.
Here’s some details about them and you can read my full review on the Cherry Ripe eggs and bunnies.
Got a craving for more gluten free sweet treats? Check out my review of the Woolworths gluten free lamingtons!