Is granola gluten-free? Usually not, unless the label says so

Usually not. Granola is mostly oats, and ordinary oats are contaminated with wheat and barley. Many granolas also add wheat flakes, barley malt or wheat-based crisp pieces.

What to check

• Choose granola labelled gluten-free, made with oats produced to stay gluten-free.
• Grain-free granolas made from nuts and seeds exist; check the label for cross-contact.
• Barley malt extract is a common sweetener in granola and cereal: it contains gluten.
• Yogurt pots with granola and café breakfast bowls: ask what’s in the topping.

Keep reading

• Oats and coeliac disease
• Is malt extract gluten-free?
• Is yogurt gluten-free?

Sources: Coeliac UK, EU Regulation 1169/2011 and 828/2014, US FDA gluten-free rule and FALCPA, Codex Alimentarius (gluten-free = 20 mg/kg or less). Checked 28 September 2026. We inform, we don’t diagnose: for medical questions, your doctor or dietitian has the last word.