Traditional mandel bread is not gluten-free. It's made with wheat flour, like most twice-baked cookies. But it happens to be one of the easier cookies to make gluten-free well, and we make a version we're genuinely proud of.
If you're baking for someone with celiac disease or a gluten sensitivity, or shopping for a gift and not sure, here's the honest picture.
Why traditional mandel bread has gluten
Gluten is the protein in wheat, barley, and rye. Classic mandel bread recipes are built on wheat flour, which means they contain gluten. There's nothing unusual about that. It's a flour-based cookie.
So if a recipe or a package doesn't specifically say gluten-free, assume it isn't. That's true of almost all mandel bread you'll find, homemade or in a store.
Why mandel bread adapts well to gluten-free
Here's the good news.
A lot of cookies fall apart when you pull the wheat out. Gluten is what gives baked goods structure and chew, and gluten-free versions often end up crumbly, chalky, or dense.
Mandel bread has an advantage. It's twice-baked and made with oil, so it was never going for soft and chewy in the first place. The texture you want, a delicate crunch on the outside and a softer inside, is easier to hit without gluten than a chewy cookie would be. The second bake and the oil do a lot of the work that gluten would otherwise do.
That's why gluten-free mandel bread, done right, comes very close to the original. It's not a sad substitute. It's a cookie that adapts.
Our gluten-free version
We make Gluten-Free Chocolate-Chip MandelBites, and they started as a farmers market experiment. They became a favorite fast, and the thing people say most often is that they can't tell the difference from our regular chocolate-chip.
They're made with a gluten-free flour blend instead of wheat. Everything else, the approach, the second bake, Grandma Jeanne's recipe, stays the same.
An honest word about how we make them
Our gluten-free MandelBites are made with separate equipment under a strict changeover protocol, in a kitchen that also bakes our wheat-based products. We take the separation seriously, because a gluten-free product you can't trust isn't a gluten-free product.
What we are not is a dedicated gluten-free facility. For most people avoiding gluten, our process is more careful than a shared kitchen might suggest. For someone with celiac disease or a severe reaction, the facility question is a personal call, and we'd rather give you the full picture than a shortcut. When in doubt, ask us. We'll tell you exactly how it's made.
The full ingredient and allergen information is on every product page and every package.
Frequently asked questions
Is mandel bread gluten-free?
Traditional mandel bread is not gluten-free, because it is made with wheat flour. Gluten-free versions exist, including ours, made with a gluten-free flour blend instead.
Is traditional mandel bread made with wheat?
Yes. Classic mandel bread and mandelbrot recipes use wheat flour, which contains gluten.
Does Lazar Family Bakehouse make gluten-free mandel bread?
Yes. We make Gluten-Free Chocolate-Chip MandelBites with a gluten-free flour blend, prepared on separate equipment under a strict changeover protocol in a kitchen that also handles wheat.
Does gluten-free mandel bread taste different?
Less than you'd expect. Because mandel bread is twice-baked and made with oil rather than relying on gluten for texture, the gluten-free version comes close to the original. Many of our customers can't tell them apart.
Is gluten-free mandel bread safe for celiac disease?
Our gluten-free MandelBites are made on separate equipment with a strict changeover protocol, but not in a dedicated gluten-free facility. Anyone with celiac disease should read the full allergen information and decide what works for them, or ask us directly.
Try it
Our Gluten-Free Chocolate-Chip MandelBites are in the gift boxes, and you can build a box around them with Pick Your Mix. Denver locals can order right on our site, and we ship locally. Everywhere else ships through Goldbelly. New to mandel bread? Start with what mandel bread is.