The Best Options for a Gluten-Free Fast Food Breakfast

Looking for a quick gluten-free fast food breakfast? We hate to break it to you, but if you’ve been diagnosed with Celiac or are sensitive to gluten, your options are pretty limited. While plenty of fast food joints offer options that are technically gluten-free, none seem willing to put their money where their mouth is and make gluten-free claims - likely due to the potential for cross-contamination. 

Is cross-contamination a concern for you? Maybe, depending on your level of sensitivity. Shared cooking surfaces, blenders, and cooking utensils all provide opportunities for gluten to taint your tasty breakfast. 

Note: When discussing gluten-free breakfast options for the following retailers, we’ll use the term “gluten-free” pretty loosely. Remember that in this discussion,  “gluten-free” simply indicates that the menu items are made with ingredients that do not contain gluten - but we can’t guarantee they are free from cross-contamination. 

Chick-fil-A

All of our gluten-loving friends are obsessed with Chick-fil-A Chicken Biscuits. When you inevitably get dragged there for a friend’s early morning fix, there are a few great gluten-free options on the menu. Many of their Hashbrown Bowls are gluten-free (avoid the nugget and spicy chicken options), as well as the Greek Yogurt Parfait and fruit cup. Bonus: many Chick-fil-A locations use designated gluten-free fryers for their fries and hash browns and have started implementing gluten-free protocols! Be sure to ask if this is the case at your local restaurant.

Jamba Juice

If you’re looking for a quick breakfast, Jamba Juice is not just a healthy option but a relatively safe one for those of us avoiding gluten. All the smoothies at Jamba Juice are gluten-free, as are the current toppings and add-ins. It’s interesting that Jamba Juice states, “Our products contain sesame, milk, eggs, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat and soybeans. Despite using best practices, we cannot guarantee products will be free from allergens through cross-contamination.” While we definitely respect their transparency, Jamba Juice is probably one of your safer bets, as their smoothies are unlikely to come into contact with gluten. 

Starbucks

Well, if you were hoping to find something Celiac-safe at Starbucks, here’s one downer of an allergen statement: "We cannot guarantee that any unpackaged products served in our stores are allergen-free because we use shared equipment to store, prepare, and serve them. Customers with allergies can find ingredient information for products on the labels of our packaged products or online at Starbucks.com/menu."

Thanks, y’all. If you’re starving, some locations have pre-wrapped Rice Krispie treats or gluten-free Kind Bars, and although technically gluten-free, the Egg Bites are cooked in a shared oven (which is a bummer because they are totally delicious). If you’re not super gluten sensitive, you can minimize risk by asking them to use new tongs. Even better, Costco carries Starbucks Egg Bites at certain locations. Check your local store, grab a box, and get your fix at home instead. 

McDonald’s

McDonald’s is another chain that doesn’t have a gluten-free menu due to the risk of cross-contamination. They do offer a few “gluten-free” options. The hashbrowns, egg patty, ham slice, sausage patty and Canadian bacon are gluten-free, but you risk contamination from a shared cooking surface. The Maple Oatmeal is marked  “wheat-free”, but unless you’re a newbie, you probably know to avoid oatmeal unless it’s certified gluten-free (and ideally grown and produced with a gluten-free purity protocol). It’s not specified, but safe to assume, that McDonald’s oatmeal is not. 

Taco Bell

Hope you like hashbrowns because that’s the only gluten-free option on Taco Bell’s breakfast menu! 

Dunkin’ Donuts 

Sadly, you can’t order a donut at Dunkin’ Donuts, but there are a few gluten-free options. Their entire drink menu, along with the Omelet Bites, Sweet Black Pepper Snacking Bacon, and hashbrowns, are all gluten-free. 

Wendy’s

Wendy’s breakfast menu is on par with McDonald’s. The fried potatoes, egg patty, sausage and bacon are all gluten-free - no guarantee on cross-contamination.

What's your favorite place to grab a gluten-free breakfast? If we didn't include your favorite GF joint, hit us up in the comments and we'll add it to the list!