Wondering if oats are gluten-free? You’re in the right place! The answer is it depends!
This blog post has the quick answer – are the more in-depth information you need!
Oats are a true pantry staple! They’re great for making overnight oats, baked oats, instant oats, and so much more. They can also be used in recipes like cookies, muffins, cakes, or even savory recipes.
But if you have Celiac disease, wheat allergy, or a gluten intolerance, you probably want to know: are oats gluten-free?
Oats are a topic of debate in the Celiac community, so you may have heard different answers, depending on who you ask. But I’m here to set the record straight!
Check out this guide for everything you should know about eating oats if you’re gluten-free.
SHORT ANSWER: Are Oats Gluten-Free?
It depends.
Pure oats are naturally gluten-free. But sometimes, they come in contact with wheat and other gluten-containing ingredients while they’re grown and processed.
For example, they might be transferred in a vehicle that also transfers wheat. Or they might be packaged in a machine that also packages foods that contain rye and barley.
Ultimately, the only way to be confident your oats are gluten-free is by buying certified gluten-free oats.
Table of Contents
- SHORT ANSWER: Are Oats Gluten-Free?
- Are All Oats Gluten-Free?
- How Do You Know Which Oats Are Gluten-Free?
- Are Quaker Oats Gluten-Free?
- Are Rolled Oats Gluten-Free?
- Are Steel Cut Oats Gluten-Free?
- Are Whole Grain Oats Gluten-Free?
- Is Oat Flour Gluten-Free?
- FAQs
- GLUTEN-FREE RECIPES USING OATS
- The Bottom Line
- MORE ARTICLES ON GLUTEN-FREE LIVING
Are All Oats Gluten-Free?
No, not all oats are gluten-free products.
Even though oats are free of gluten in their natural form, they may come in contact with gluten when they’re transported or packaged. For this reason, many types of oats have a risk of cross contamination with gluten.
The best way to ensure you’re getting gluten-free oats is by looking for certified gluten-free food labels. These oats are packaged and processed in a separate facility that does not have any gluten ingredients. They’re also tested to make sure they contain less than 20 ppm gluten.
Check out this recipe for customizable gluten-free overnight oats!
How Do You Know Which Oats Are Gluten-Free?
The fastest way to spot gluten-free oats is by looking for a gluten-free label on the packaging. Most oats won’t have wheat on the ingredients list, but they do have a high risk of gluten contamination.
Only certified gluten-free oats are tested to ensure the gluten content is less than 20 ppm.
If you want to take more time to research, you can also read about the brand online to find out how they process their oats. If they use a separate facility that does not process gluten ingredients, they’re probably gluten-free.
You also might like this article on is oat milk gluten-free?
Are Quaker Oats Gluten-Free?
Not all Quaker oats are gluten-free. Quaker oats with a gluten-free label are certified gluten-free, but regular Quaker oats are not.
Gluten-free Quaker oats are made in a separate facility, then tested to ensure they contain less than 20 ppm gluten.
Here’s what Quaker has to say on its website:
While oats are naturally gluten free, they may come in contact with gluten-containing
grains such as wheat, rye and barley at the farm, in storage or during transportation.
As the world’s leader in oat milling for 140 years, our team of experts developed a
breakthrough cleaning system to remove these stray grains so that we can deliver gluten-free oatmeal consumers can trust.
Some specifics on the process for making Quaker Gluten Free Oatmeal:
• Our breakthrough mechanical and optical sorting system aggressively seeks out and removes gluten-containing grains based on length, density and color in a dedicated cleaning house for gluten free products.
• We implement testing protocols across a variety of checkpoints during the milling process to verify our high quality oats meet FDA standards while maintaining Quaker’s standards for quality, taste and texture.
• During the milling process, dedicated cutting and flaking equipment is used.
• Any and all ingredients that are added during packaging are validated to be gluten free.
• The packaging line is thoroughly cleaned with a validated procedure to prevent cross-contamination.
• Once packaged, there is an additional inspection check point on samples from each production run to ensure they meet FDA and Quaker standards for gluten free.
Are Rolled Oats Gluten-Free?
Some rolled oats are considered gluten-free foods, while others are not. This is because oats may come in contact with wheat, barley, or other gluten-containing products when they’re being transported from the farm or packaged.
To know for sure, look for oats that have a gluten-free label.
Here’s a list of gluten-free rolled oats:
- Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free Rolled Oats
- One Degree Organic Foods, Sprouted Rolled Oats
- Vitacost Quick Oats Gluten Free
- O Organics Organic Oats Old Fashioned
- Good & Gather Organic Old Fashioned Oats
- Thrive Market, Organic Quick Oats, Three Seed
- Nature’s Path Organic Gluten Free Old-Fashioned Oats
- GF Harvest Gluten-Free Rolled Oats
Check out these articles on is oatmeal gluten-free, is farro gluten-free and is quinoa gluten-free.
Check out this recipe for creamy coconut gluten-free steel cut oats!
Are Steel Cut Oats Gluten-Free?
As with all types of oats, some steel-cut oats are gluten-free, while others are not. It all depends on how they are transported and packaged. Some steel cut oats may come in contact with wheat, barley, or rye during this process, meaning they cannot be considered gluten-free.
You can be confident you’re getting steel cut oats if they have a gluten-free label.
Here are some gluten-free steel cut oat brands:
- Arrowhead Mills, Organic Steel Cut Oats, Gluten Free
- Anthony’s Organic Steel Cut Oats, 3 lb, Gluten Free
- Bakery On Main, Whole Grain Steel Cut Oats, Gluten Free
- Bob’s Red Mill, Organic Gluten-Free Steel Cut Oats
- One Degree Organic Foods, Sprouted Steel Cut Oats
- Great River Milling, Steel Cut Oats, Gluten Free
- Good & Gather Steels Cut Oats
- Proper Good Perfectly Plain Steel Cut Oatmeal
- O Organics Organic Oats Steel Cut
- Happy Belly Steel Cut Oats Gluten Free
- Vitacost Steel Cut Oats Gluten Free
Are Whole Grain Oats Gluten-Free?
Not all whole grain oats are gluten-free. The only way to be sure is by buying certified gluten-free oats. Otherwise, there’s a chance that the whole grains may come in contact with wheat, rye, or barley while they’re being transported, processed, and packaged.
Is Oat Flour Gluten-Free?
Not all oat flour is gluten-free.
Even though oats are naturally free of gluten, there is a high risk of cross-contaminating with wheat in the manufacturing facility. This means that regular oat flour may contain gluten.
So if you want to make gluten-free baked goods, it’s very important to use certified gluten-free oat flour (I like Bob’s Red Mill).
Certified gluten-free oat flour is safe for people with Celiac disease because it’s made in a separate facility. It’s also been tested to ensure it contains less than 20 ppm of gluten.
So when in doubt, look for the gluten-free label on any oat flour you buy at the grocery store! You can also make homemade oat flour in a food processor or high-speed blender, but you’ll need to buy gluten-free oats to make them.
Need a substitution for oat flour? Check out how to substitute oat flour.
Looking for great oat flour recipes? Here are some of my favorites!
FAQs
Yes, oats are a wonderful staple ingredient of a gluten-free diet. You just need to make sure you’re buying gluten-free oats, since regular oats may cross-contaminate with gluten during the production process.
No, regular Quaker oats are not gluten-free. For gluten-free Quaker oats, you must buy the product with a gluten-free label. These oats are processed and packaged in a gluten-free facility. They’re also tested to make sure they meet FDA standards for gluten-free.
No, Honey Bunches of Oats are not gluten-free. They’re not made in a gluten-free facility and have a high risk of cross-contamination with gluten ingredients during the manufacturing process.
Some of Bob’s Red Mill oats are gluten-free, while others are not. Make sure you buy the oats with a certified gluten-free label to ensure they’re gluten-free.
No, Cheerios Oat Crunch cereal is not gluten-free. They’re not made in a gluten-free facility and have a high risk of cross-contamination with gluten ingredients.
Not all oats are safe for people with Celiac disease. Even though pure oats are gluten-free, oats often come in contact with gluten ingredients when they’re transported or packaged. For this reason, it’s important to look for a gluten-free label on all types of oats, including rolled oats, quick oats, and steel-cut oats. Any oats that do not have a gluten-free label may contain gluten.
Pure oats are naturally gluten-free. However, oats can easily be contaminated by gluten-containing grains, such as wheat, rye, or barley. If oatmeal does not have a gluten-free label, there’s a good chance it came in contact with gluten while being transported, milled, or packaged.
GLUTEN-FREE RECIPES USING OATS
The Bottom Line
Are oats gluten-free?
Sometimes.
Oats are naturally gluten-free grains, but they sometimes contaminate with other gluten grains while they’re transported, milled, or packaged.
If you need to buy gluten-free oats, make sure they have a gluten-free label. These are the only uncontaminated oats that are tested to ensure they meet FDA standards for gluten-free.
Oats that don’t have a gluten-free label may have cross-contaminated with gluten during the manufacturing process.
