Are Starburst Gluten Free? Info and Recipes

  • Starburst Minis came out in 2017.
  • Starburst Minis are completely unwrapped for you.
  • Starburst Minis are smaller Starbursts.
  • Starburst Minis are completely gluten free!

Are Starburst gluten free? Are Starburst Minis gluten free? Is there any possibility of cross-contamination of gluten substances? Are all flavors of Mars’ Starbursts gluten free? Just like their predecessors, Starburst are entirely gluten free if you are in the United States.

With gluten free diets becoming a trend, everyone is getting cautious about what they eat and what they cook. From candies to milkshakes, toffees to desserts, and soups to main courses, people are looking for gluten free products to help them become fit and healthy.

When it comes to candies, toffees, and chocolates, brands rarely make gluten free products. Wheat is what makes for a perfect thickener to make the food rigid and precise in shape. Unfortunately, the alternatives of wheat thickeners are often expensive and need a longer process to produce; that’s why gluten is preferred.

But fear not, just like many tasty gummy bears and candies, Starburst are also gluten free. But what’s inside Starburst Minis? Is there cross-contamination? Let’s dive into the post to know more about these world-famous candies!

What are Starburst Minis and are Starburst Gluten Free?

Are Starburst Minis Gluten Free?
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Starburst minis are produced by the Wrigley Company of UK, which is a subsidiary of the famous chocolate manufacturer Mars Incorporated. Just like its tagline, the Starburst’s soft taffy candies are unexplainably juicy and soft. Wrigley introduced Starburst in 1960, and it was an instant hit among the kids and candy lovers. 

Initially, they came in four standard flavors: strawberry, lemon, orange, and cherry. But currently, they have added multiple flavors and different combinations of taffy candies.

Starburst are bigger toffees and wrapped, while the Starburst Minis are smaller versions of the Starburst released in 2017. They come unwrapped and with many more flavors. There is a slight difference in the ingredients; otherwise, Minis are just the same. They have no gelatin or gluten, making them perfect candies for vegetarians and gluten-free dieters.

Are Starburst Gluten Free?

Answering the question here, Starburst are gluten free candies but not in all geographies. For example, the Wrigley Company has many global manufacturing hubs, and not all manufacture the same candies. They also make big chocolate bars, jellies, and other candies that use gluten.

Suppose the Starburst Minis are manufactured in the US production house. In that case, they are entirely gluten free, but that’s not the case for the candies made in the Netherlands, Czech Republic, and Australia. 

There is a high possibility of cross-contamination of gluten substances during production due to shared equipment. So, remember to pick candies manufactured in the US for gluten free Starburst!

Ingredients of Starburst Minis

Every 8 pieces of Starburst Minis contain 160 calories of 17% fat, 83% carbohydrates, and 0% protein.

Are Starburst Minis Gluten Free?

The candy comes unwrapped, contradicting its predecessor Starburst, which is suitable for vegetarians and vegans. Starburst Minis come in various flavors like apple, orange, blackcurrant, strawberry, lime, and lemon flavors. The ingredients are as follows:

  • Sugar
  • Corn syrup
  • Palm oil
  • Less than 2% of citric acid
  • Pectin
  • Sodium Citrate
  • 1.4% of concentrated fruit juices (Apple, orange, blackcurrant, strawberry, lime, lemon)
  • Artificial flavors
  • Dextrin
  • Modified starch
  • Maltodextrin
  • Flavorings
  • Emulsifier Lecithin
  • Concentrates( Radish, sweet potato, Carthamus),
  • Colors anthocyanins
  • Beta carotene
  • Vegetable carbon
  • Mono and diglycerides
  • Confectioner’s glaze
  • Colors ( yellow6, Red 40, yellow 5, blue 1)
  • Carnauba wax

Are Starburst and Starburst Minis Healthy?

Starburst minis have a high citric acid content that can compensate for your daily dose of Vitamin C. In addition, it aids in iron absorption and will increase body immunity. You can consume it when you have a sore throat to ease the pain. Moreover, these candies show no side effects when you consume them at moderate levels.

Now that you know Starburst Minis’ health benefits let’s look into different recipes to make Starburst minis dishes!

Starburst Mini Gluten Free Recepies

#1 STARBURST MINI CHEESECAKE

This is a layered cheesecake that will have Starburst mini flavors in each layer. This dessert requires no lengthy procedures or even extensive baking, it just takes 30 mins to prep the ingredients, and the dessert is ready.

Ingredients

  • Graham crackers
  • Sugar
  • Butter
  • Cream cheese
  • Heavy cream
  • Lemon juice
  • Powdered sugar
  • Pink, cherry, lemon starburst gelatin
  • Gel food colors like pink, yellow, and cherry red,
  • Strawberry frosting
  • Starburst minis

Steps

  1. Take a 6-inch springform pan and line it with parchment paper, and set it aside.
  2. Take a blender, crush the graham crackers into fine crumbs.
  3. Add powdered sugar to the blender and mix with the fine crumbs.
  4. Take butter and melt it in the microwave.
  5. Now add the fine sugared graham crumbs to melted butter.
  6. Coat the springform pan with the butter mixture to make a fine crust bottom.
  7. It has to be thick, and then after coating, place the pan in the freezer to harden and set.
  8. Take a mixing bowl and stand mixer ( you can use a blender directly but prefer a stand mixer to blend the cheese smoothly), add cream cheese, and blend it to a fine paste.
  9. Now add heavy cream, sugar to the mixing bowl and blend it.
  10. The paste has to be very smooth, and then add lemon juice and powdered sugar to the mixture.
  11. The paste thickens and makes sure there are no lumps, and it’s blended very smoothly.
  12. Now divide the batter into three bowls or more depending on the types of gelatin you want to use.
  13. Here we are taking three bowls.
  14. Add pink gelatin in the first one, the second one with lemon gelatin, and the third one with cherry gelatin.
  15. Use a hand blender or a whisk to mix the three mixtures into a fine paste.
  16. Add food coloring gels according to the gelatin used. ( yellow for lemon gelatin, pink for pink gelatin, and cherry red for cherry gelatin)
  17. Blend the batters again, and you can get your desired colors for the cheesecake layers.
  18. Take starburst minis and cut them into tiny pieces.
  19. Add them to the cheesecake batters according to their flavors.
  20. Make sure they are neatly mixed with the cheesecake batters.
  21. Place the three bowls into the freezer to set for ten minutes.
  22. Take the springform pan from the freezer, check for the crust to make sure it hardened.
  23. Now take the three bowls of cheesecake batter from the fridge.
  24. Add one layer of gelatin batter.
  25. Keep it in the freezer for about an hour.
  26. Take it out and check if that layer is hardened, and once it is,
  27. Add the next layer to the pan, evenly spread out.
  28. Put it back in the freezer for another hour.
  29. Finally, put the third layer and place it in the freezer for an hour.
  30. Make sure each layer is evened and precisely organized.
  31. Take the cake outside the pan and place it on a plate.
  32. Now take strawberry frosting and pipe it out on the cheesecake as you desire.
  33. Take starburst minis and decorate it all over the cheesecake.

You can leave the cake in the fridge for extra firmness, but it can be consumed immediately. Your Starburst Mini cheesecake is ready! It is perfect for birthday parties, kid’s snacks, and maybe just for comfort food. Try it without fail!

#2 STARBURST JELLO SHOTS

Who said candies could only be used for desserts and cakes? You know what? Starburst Minis make perfect jello shots for a party. One such Starburst infused shot was the Starburst jello shots that got famous in Miami. This jello shot takes hardly a few minutes to prepare and will make the perfect party jellos to chew on.

Ingredients

  • Starburst pink jello
  • Hot water
  • Vodka ( preferably plain)
  • Starburst minis

Steps

  1. Take a pan and pour ½ cup of hot water.
  2. Add the Starburst pink jello to it and thoroughly mix it till it dissolves.
  3. Add an equal amount of vodka to make it strong.
  4. Leave the mixture aside for 30 minutes.
  5. Take plastic cups and fill the mixture into them.
  6. Take starburst minis, either cut them and place them on top of the mixture.
  7. Now put them into the fridge and let them set.

There, your Starburst jello shots are ready!

#3 PINK STARBURST MARGARITA

Want a sweet hot cocktail? Want to have a strong tequila Starburst drink? Well, Pink Starburst Margarita is your answer. This is a classic margarita made from Starburst Minis.

Ingredients

  • 1 ounce of Triple Sec
  • 1 ounce of lime juice
  • ½ ounce of simple syrup
  • 2 ounces of tequila
  • Pink starburst minis

Steps

  1. Take Starburst Minis and segregate the pink ones for this cocktail.
  2. For two ounces of tequila, drop a minimum of 6 pink starburst minis into a shaker and leave it overnight.
  3. The candy infuses the tequila to make it sweet and strong.
  4. Now take Starburst infused tequila, one ounce of triple sec, an ounce of lime juice, and half-ounce of simple syrup into a shaker and shake it well.
  5. Add a bit of ice and shake again.
  6. Take margarita glass, rim the edge with lime juice and sugar.
  7. Pour the mix into the glass and serve it!

Your pink starburst margarita is ready. You can try this with the other flavors of Starburst Minis as well. For that, use different flavored alcohol, for example, lemon vodka for lemon starburst, plain tequila for strawberry, lime vodka for blackcurrant, and orange; you can use orange rum. Try mixing different alcohols for different candies.

Homade Gluten Free Starburst Mini

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If you don’t get Starburst Minis manufactured in the US and only have gluten Starburst Minis, fear not. This is a recipe to make your own Starburst Minis at home without gluten. The recipe does not require refined sugar, no coloring agents, corn syrup, or refined oils.

It’s easy to make, and all you would need extra is a silicone mold to make them. You can come up with four unique flavors like strawberry, orange, lemon, and raspberry, or any other of your choice.

Ingredients

  • 1/3 cup of coconut butter ( makes 14 candies)
  • 2 tablespoons of dried strawberry powder / mandarin orange slices
  • 2 tablespoons of coconut oil
  • One tablespoon of water
  • 1 tablespoon of maple syrup
  • Dash of salt
  • 1 tablespoon of orange zest

Steps

  1. Coconut butter can be made by taking 2 cups of pureed coconut shreds and blend it for 10 mins to make it coconut butter.
  2. For strawberry starburst minis:
  3. Take coconut butter and add the dried strawberry powder to it and blend them together.
  4. Now add coconut oil, water, maple syrup, and salt to it and blend it till it becomes a smooth paste.
  5. If you want them sweeter, add the required amount of sugar to your mixture and blend it.
  6. Pour the mixture into silicone molds and make sure there are no bubbles while you are pouring.
  7. Freeze for 20 minutes minimum, and you can serve them to enjoy!
  8. For orange starburst minis
  9. Take coconut butter and mandarin slices and blend them together.
  10. Add coconut oil, water, maple syrup, orange zest, and salt to it and blend it till it becomes a smooth paste.
  11. If you want them sweeter, add the required amount of sugar to your mixture and blend it.
  12. Pour the mixture into silicone molds and make sure there are no bubbles while you are pouring.
  13. Freeze for 20 minutes minimum, and you can serve them to enjoy!

Well, now you know how to make your own Starburst Minis at home! Try making different flavors with different fruits. Fun fact – you can also experiment with vegetable juices!

Conclusion

Starburst Minis are world-famous taffy chewy candies that come in many flavors. They are absolutely gluten free if manufactured in the US, so better check the label before buying it! Starburst minis are extensively used to make tasty cakes, strong sweet cocktails, jellies, and drinks.

They are perfect snacks for kids and will leave no side effects of cavities or raise sugar levels. Well, what’s stopping you now from getting tasty gluten free Starburst Minis to chew?! Don’t forget to try the Starburst recipes!

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