Are Starbucks Egg Bites Gluten-Free?

From drinks with a day's worth of caffeine to a full-blown secret menu, we love the variety Starbucks offers. Their drink options are seemingly endless, but they also have plenty of tasty food items to suit every palate and even dietary restrictions. If you're a gluten-free eater, however, the food offerings at Starbucks might feel frustratingly slim. Most are bread-based baked goods or sandwiches loaded with gluten. One item, however, is happily free of both bread and gluten: Egg bites. 

Starbucks first introduced their egg bites in 2017, starting with a bacon-gruyère option and the egg white and red pepper flavor. Since then, they've added more variations, all of which are made without gluten-containing ingredients, according to Starbucks. While the company doesn't label them as certified gluten-free due to potential cross-contamination, they are made without wheat, making them a great option for most gluten-free eaters. So, yes, Starbucks egg bites are gluten-free — but as always, if your allergies are severe, we suggest playing it safe and avoiding the food in case of cross contamination.

If you've got a gluten sensitivity, there are certainly plenty of Starbucks menu items you should avoid ordering. However, despite the menu leaning heavily on gluten-filled pastries and sandwiches, there are still a few safe options. 

If you get the egg ick for breakfast, you can still enjoy Starbucks' oatmeal, made with certified gluten-free oats, and their Greek yogurt parfaits should be fine if you skip the granola. Most protein boxes are not fully gluten-free, but they include gluten-free options like cheese, nuts, and fruits. If you're only mildly sensitive, you can still enjoy the protein boxes, just be sure to eat around the bread or crackers inside. Starbucks also usually sells some pre-packaged snacks near the register, including KIND bars and Hippeas chickpea snacks, both of which are gluten-free.

Of course, we suggest exercising caution with all of these items, and acknowledging that you always risk some cross-contamination at chains like Starbucks. The drinks, of course, are also mostly gluten-free. So, even if you can't grab a bite to eat, you can certainly enjoy a safe, buzzy coffee.