How to host a coeliac at a children’s party

Hosting a children’s party is a lot of work, there’s so much to consider, particularly if one of the guests has coeliac disease. 

Parents of coeliac children navigate the gluten free world every day, and while it’s a hard adjustment at first, after a few months most have the hang of it. 

But what about non-GF families that are hosting a party? They are stressed out because one of the kids attending is coeliac and they don’t know what to do. 

This article is going to help you figure out what you can serve at a children’s party that is gluten free and how to do it safely.

More than a fruit salad and sakatas

I’m sure there are plenty of blogs out there telling you to serve things like yoghurt or fruit pieces, but this article is going to cover those fun treats that are so typical at parties. 

Gluten free food isn’t healthy food, but it’s healthy for people who have coeliac disease or gluten intolerance. 

For coeliac families, in the future I’ll write a related article for parents of coeliacs who are about to attend a children’s party, perhaps for the first time.

I’ve broken down the article into a number of sections, maybe you know about some things but not others so here’s a quick list of the content.

• cross contact and how to manage it
• Identifying gluten free at the table
• gluten free sweet things
• savoury gluten free snacks
• finger food and hot food
• birthday cake options
• handy tips
• non-food considerations
• links and additional resources

I’m going to make one assumption for the party hosts / those reading this article. You’ve just found out a guest is coeliac, and you’ve already looked up what coeliac disease is.

Medical websites and peak bodies like Coeliac Australia will do a far better job of explaining coeliac disease than I will.

You’ve done that? Okay, let’s look at how to look after one at your party.

Cross contact on how to manage it.

Cross contact, or cross contamination, is something to be aware of and vigilant when catering to gluten free people. 

In this instance cross contact refers to gluten particles (like flour, crumbs of bread etc) coming into contact with surfaces, utensils or gluten free food.

Cross contact can occur in

• Tubs of butter that a used knife has been in
• Dips or salsa where a wheat cracker was dipped
• Platters where GF and non-GF products are adjacent
• Buffets where tongs are used for gluten and gluten free items
• Shared plates or drinking cups
• Places where products are sold close together such as pick and mix lollies and deli counters (shared slicer, gloves, tongs etc)
• Cooking appliances that are hard / impossible to clean internally such as toasters and air fryers

Cross contact can be minimised by

• Starting with a clean kitchen / surfaces
• Preparing gluten free food first and storing it in sealed containers or a separate space
• Serving gluten free foods in a separate area or designated part of the table
• Dispensing dips into separate bowls (or a little bowl for the coeliac)
• Having dedicated serving spoons or tongs for each dish
• Labelling cups / plates with names or providing a fresh one each time
• Allowing coeliac guests to serve themselves first before others
• Purchasing prepackaged products rather than from delis and self service areas
• Cooking gluten free items in the oven on a separate tray and on the top shelf

I still do some of these things on a small scale, even when I visit family for small gatherings.

If I’m over for brunch I’ll bring some butter from home (everyone there double dips) and I serve myself from the fruit platter first.

If there are dips my mother always opens a brand new tub, I place spoons in each one for people to use. Inevitably someone will touch the spoon to their wheat bread, so these days I scoop out some dip onto my plate first. 

If people are bringing a plate I have a chat with them about what ingredients they used. Once or twice someone has thoughtfully used a gluten free baking kit, only to add a non-GF ingredient like oat milk. 

On family pizza nights at my parents house I use the oven in the kitchen as it is harder to ensure the outdoor pizza oven is sufficiently clean of flour residue.

Baking and cross contact

You may have decided to make a gluten free cake or treat for your party, there are a few extra things to consider.

Here’s what I recommend

• Buy a new packet of butter (it’s likely that dirty knives have gone back in)
• Buy a new packet of sugar IF you know you have put a used spoon in it – for example spooning out wheat flour and then spooning out sugar
• Avoid using a wooden spoon (honestly, I think it’s safe, but maybe just skip it)
• Give your mixer a thorough clean (check nooks and crannies for dried out batter that’s stuck in places)
• Check that the icing sugar is gluten free (all should be GF in Australia, but some contain wheat to prevent clumping)
• Thoroughly clean your baking tins and cooling racks, a good clean with hot water and soap is sufficient to remove gluten

Things you don’t need to do to minimise cross contact

I’ve read and even heard from friends some well meaning but over the top efforts to make things safe for a coeliac. One girlfriend told me she buys new baking pans and mixing bowls when baking for coeliac friends and colleagues. 

This is absolutely unnecessary, not to mention a huge cost burden. As I’ve mentioned above, hot water and soap is all you need to sufficiently clean cooking and bakeware.

Identifying gluten free at the table

There are so many different ways you can make sure the gluten free products you’ve carefully bought or diligently created are kept separate and safe.

You can

• Set all the gluten free items out on one table and put the gluten containing foods separately on another.
• Put stickers or labels on plates to identify them – even simply putting down some masking tape and writing gluten free. 
• Buy stickers that say gluten free, or even little flags – though these can be a bit overpriced depending on where you shop. 
• Set the table with two table cloths, fold one in half and set all the gluten free food on that one. Then tell your coeliac guest the “pink side is gluten free, orange side has gluten.”

If you’ve got any products that look very similar between the gluten and non-gluten versions then I highly recommend keeping the gluten free ones in their packaging the entire time.

An excellent example of this is gluten free Tim Tams, as they are identical in shape and size.  

So many products are already gluten free and you probably didn’t even know 

Now that you are aware of how to set up your space and ensure GF products remain gluten free, lets look at food options.

Given the range of safe gluten free products available in some categories I’m going to make a request.

Make all of your chips and all of your lollies gluten free.

It won’t cost you anything extra to use only gluten free chip brands and gluten free lollies are really easy to find.*

*lollies are easy to find, chocolate is trickier, but not impossible.

Chocolate and lollies 

Finding gluten free chocolate and lollies can be a daunting task even for seasoned coeliacs. 

I know this because month after month the most popular content on my website are gluten free lolly guides.

However, unlike chips, not many products in the supermarket will have testing info to prove that it is gluten free. 

Instead look for products that are gluten free by ingredient and don’t have may contains for gluten. 

If you’re in Australia, I highly recommend that you consult my gluten free chocolate and lolly guides. I have one for Coles and one for Woolworths, I even have one covering the lollies available at Kmart. 

If you’ve got some time ahead of you and you want it to be as easy as possible, you could also purchase from a gluten free lolly supplier. The GF Lolly Co. is an online only business and all of their products are gluten free. 

Top tip: Take Kati’s gluten free guide to the shops with you and use the pictures to find the products that you need. 

Making lolly bags

Unlabelled products and products out of their packaging are a bit nerve-racking to those on a strict gluten free diet. 

Many parents of coeliacs actually keep a stash of gluten free lollies hidden in the house. When their child returns from a party with a lolly bag of unknown lollies they are swapped for ones known to be safe. 

Then presumably the non-coeliac dad eats the lolly bag that night – that’s what my husband would do. 😁

So, if you’ve gone to the trouble of buying all gluten free lollies, do one easy thing before making them. 

Lay out all the packets on the kitchen bench and take a photo. You can send that to the parent before the party (they will be so happy). They’ll let you know right away if one isn’t suitable. 

If one lolly happens to not be gluten free just omit it from their bag then label that lolly bag with the coeliac child’s name. 

Chips and savoury snacks

In Australia, savoury snacks like chips, crackers and dips will be the least stressful part of making your party gluten free. The reason being, most chips and dips are in fact tested gluten free. There are many gluten free cracker options as well. 

Suitable options are easily identified because they are tested for gluten. Gluten free is displayed on the packaging and there is testing information in the nutrition panel. 

I don’t want to list every brand that is or isn’t gluten free because of course things are subject to change but I’ll give a few examples for each.

Chips

• Smith’s
• CC’s
• Kettle
• Red Rock Deli
• Thins

All of these brands have gluten free clearly marked on the back. 

Basically the brands you don’t want to buy, which are not gluten free are Doritos, Pringles, Twisties and Burger Rings. 

Cheezels are a gluten free alternative to Twisties and if you desperately want Pringles there are a few alternative gluten free brands available. 

Crackers

• Fantastic
• Peckish
• Sakata
• Savoys/Jatz (by Arnott’s, labelled gluten free)

Dips

• Yumi’s 
• Obela
• Chris’
• Black Swan

If you’re looking to be cost effective, home brand (i.e. Coles and Woolworth’s brand) potato chips and dips are gluten free.

The majority of cold cuts / small goods in Australia are gluten free. Hams, salamis, twiggy sticks are good to go.

Cheeseboard items

• Cheese (naturally gluten free!)
• Twiggy sticks
• Pickles
• Dried fruits (check the back for cross contact / may contain statements)
• Kabana (from a packet, rather than deli – see cross contact above)

Combining all of these along with some veggie sticks and you can make an excellent charcuterie board.

Hot Finger food

Hot finger food is probably where you are going to hit a little bit of a wall in catering for a coeliac. 

While plenty of GF party food products exist, such as party pies and sausage rolls, the amounts are smaller than what you’d get in gluten containing products.

Both Coles and Woolworths offer a party pack containing gluten free party pies and sausage rolls.

Depending on your numbers you could feed everyone gluten free finger food. Alternatively, or if you have a large group, you could buy gluten free for the coeliac(s) attending and regular for everyone else. 

Alternatively, you could pick up a packet of gluten free pastry and make some sausage rolls yourself.

I tend to cheat – roll store bought sausages in pastry, egg wash, sprinkle sesame seeds and bake. Almost all supermarket sausages in Australia are labelled gluten free.

Mini hot dogs are naturally gluten free, with many brands at the supermarket being labelled gluten free and having gluten free in the nutrition info. 

Oven chips are another great option that’s still within price differences.

I’ve got a guide covering all of the gluten free oven chip options at the supermarket, including wedges, the king of chips. 

Ensure that the tomato sauce you will be dipping them into is also gluten free.  

Provided you cook these in the oven on a tray without any other products (for example regular chicken nuggets) then you won’t need to worry about cross-contact.

Meal ideas

It didn’t occur to me until seeking more information for this guide, but of course you need food ideas for older kid’s parties.

Fifteen year olds will need something more substantial than a handful of Cheezels and probably don’t squeal with glee at fairy bread.

Here are a few great meal options you can make fully gluten free with a few tweaks 

• Jacket potatoes. All you need to do is check that all the add ins are GF (particularly sauces and any marinated meats)
• Tacos. Buy pure corn tortillas and a gluten free seasoning kit, the salad and cheese will be naturally gluten free.
• Homemade pizza. Set up a production line in the kitchen with all the ingredients in bowls. Let the coeliac(s) make their pizza first (including putting sauce on the base) so that no cross contact occurs. Put their pizza in the oven first and cut their pizza first on a clean surface. 

Consider catering

I know when I think of catering I picture thousands of dollars leaving my bank account for food to feed fifty people. But catering can be as simple as charcoal chicken, takeaway pizzas or even fish and chips. 

For coeliacs, safe gluten free food isn’t guaranteed at all takeaway stores even if it says GF on the menu. However with a bit of research or help from the coeliac kid’s parents you may find some good options. 

There are also professional catering businesses that work exclusively with gluten free food. So depending on the size of your party and your budget it could be a viable option.

Birthday cake options

I can hand on my heart say that no parent of a coeliac child is going to expect you to have a gluten free birthday cake at your party.

Yet, I’ve heard from many people that it has been done. You don’t even have to bake!

If you’re planning to buy a cake to then jazz up (a’la Woolies mud cake style) then there’s actually a great gluten free supermarket option. It’s the Coles chocolate slab cake which measures a massive 1.2kg. 

Other easy to find options include the Cheese Cake shop’s gluten free mud cake (which is made off site and comes in a sealed package) and of course the Bulla ice cream cake. 

But honestly, you don’t need to make your entire cake gluten free for your guest. Coles have a lovely cupcake which is gluten free and vegan and more importantly – absolutely delicious.

Here’s a photo from when I jazzed one up as an Easter treat. You can read my review of the Coles Nature’s Kitchen chocolate cupcake.

A few extra tips for added assurance 

One thing my mother always does for me when we visit is keep the packaging of any new products she’s used.

That small step of keeping the packet, say some marinated chicken, means I can quickly glance and see it’s suitable for me. It gives me the reassurance I need.

I read labels all day long at my job, she doesn’t.

Similarly, if she’s out at the shops buying something for us she might snap a quick photo of the product or the ingredients and send it in a message to double check. 

If you’d rather keep things really tidy in your kitchen, I get that. Take photos of the front of the product and the ingredients. Make sure the ingredient photo shows the allergen and may contain warnings. 

One final food tip

If at any point in preparing, cooking, or hosting something goes wrong, just let your guest know. I can guarantee you they will be more than happy to miss out than be sick for the next week. 

Mistakes happen and your guest will appreciate the effort and the honesty. 

So if the chopping board wasn’t cleaned between cutting bread and cutting vegetable sticks, let them know. 

If the gluten free nuggets were cooked in the tray with the gluten sausage rolls, let them know.

If your kid while eating their wheat toast for breakfast shoved their hand in a lolly bowl, let them know. 

Non food considerations

If you’ve having a party with young kids it’s likely there will be some activities and games. Depending on the activity you may need to consider if gluten will be present.

Here are a few examples

• Play dough is typically made with wheat flour. It’s fine for a coeliac provided they don’t eat it, however if the coeliac is a baby or toddler it won’t be suitable.
• Pass the parcel. If there are treats between the layers, just ensure they are gluten free or buy one to keep aside and swap out if the it lands on the coeliac’s turn.
• Similarly with a piñata, either fill it with gluten free lollies (quite easy to do, check my guides) or keep some GF options aside so that guest can join in.

I’ll add one anecdote I read online, a parent came to collect their coeliac child and was somewhat shocked to find them covered in wheat flour.

I don’t think the post covered why they were coated in flour, other than it was a game that was played. So uh, if your game plan was to throw flour, maybe just buy some cornflour (US cornstarch) instead.

That’s it from me! I hope this has been a helpful guide. Do let me know in the comments if you’ve got any feedback or suggestions for me to add to the list. 

If you’d like to read any articles I’ve referenced in above I’ve put the links again below.

Links and resources

• Gluten free lolly and chocolate guides
• Gluten free ice cream and icy pole guides
• Oven chips that are gluten free

Oh and you might have noticed my Curly Wurly slice (GF Mars bar slice) in a few of the photos.