From their famous burgers to their classic frosty, Wendy’s has become a fast food favorite for Canadians and Americans alike. But if you follow a gluten free diet, trying to eat out at a fast food restaurant like Wendy’s can be really difficult.
This helpful guide of Wendy’s Gluten Free Menu will tell you everything you need to know about eating gluten free at Wendy’s before you hit the drive thru window. That way you can make a safe and informed decision for yourself.
Keep reading to learn all about Wendy’s gluten free menu items and how they handle gluten in their kitchens, or use the table of contents to head straight to the category you’re curious about.
Jump to:
The gluten-free guide below is based on personal experience and research. Always be sure to discuss any medical changes with your doctor for your personal medical needs. Additionally, this post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. My full disclosure isn’t that interesting, but you can find it here.
Does Wendy’s do gluten free?
Wendy’s does their gluten free reporting a little differently than most other fast food restaurants. Instead of focusing on gluten as most restaurants do, Wendy’s states whether their products contain wheat or not.
Since wheat is one of the main sources of gluten, anything that contains wheat is not safe for gluten free consumption. Each of the items on their menu has a section for allergens where any known allergens are highlighted.
The allergen sections of their menu items change slightly depending on whether you’re in the United States or Canada. In the USA, Wendy’s menu identifies the major nine (9) food allergens as defined by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). In Canada they identify the 12 priority food allergens as defined by Health Canada.
When it comes to menu items, Wendy’s does have several items on their menu that are wheat free. While this may seem like good news, you'll have to dig deeper to ensure the products do not contain barley or rye, and cross contact is a significant concern with Wendy’s as they use common food handling and preparation areas.
For this reason, Wendy’s does not guarantee that any of their items are gluten free. It’s up to you to determine what your risk tolerance is for cross contact when eating at Wendy’s or any other restaurant for that matter.
Wendy’s does customize menu items and they even encourage you to customize your order to suit your dietary needs.
Unveil the keys to gluten-free success!
Get customized recipes, tips, and resources that match your unique vibe.
Is anything at Wendys celiac safe?
Wendy’s has many menu items that are gluten free based on ingredients, however since they use shared preparation areas and equipment there is a high concern for cross contact. So while Wendy’s is transparent about the allergens in their ingredients, it doesn’t necessarily mean it will meet your dietary needs.
Whether or not their food is safe for celiacs tends to come down to your own personal risk tolerance for cross contact.
Only some Wendy’s locations have dedicated gluten free fryers. They have included a warning on their website for both Canada and the U.S. that their fries are cooked in the same oil as menu items that contain wheat and other allergens. Using a shared fryer puts food over the safe limit to meet the definition of gluten free.
The best thing to do is to inquire at your specific location to ensure you’re getting the most accurate and updated information.
Wendy’s Gluten Free Items
As you’ll see from the list below, Wendy’s does have several items and ingredients that are gluten free. Please keep in mind that even when the ingredients itself are gluten free, the food preparation procedures may lead to cross contact resulting in a final product that is no longer gluten free.
Always exercise caution when choosing your food and keep in mind they can customize your order to help suit your dietary needs.
Wendy’s Mains
Wendy’s does not offer gluten free buns, however you can customize your order to be made without a bun or alternatively you can order a lettuce wrap. Additionally, Wendy’s breaks down their menu items by ingredient so you can actually see which ingredients contain wheat.
- Baconator without the bun
- BBQ Bacon Cheeseburger Single without the bun and without crispy onions (*Canada Only)
- BBQ Bacon Cheeseburger Double without the bun and without crispy onions (*Canada Only)
- BBQ Bacon Cheeseburger Triple without the bun and without crispy onions (*Canada Only)
- Loaded Nacho Cheeseburger without the bun
- Dave’s Single without the bun
- Dave’s Double without the bun
- Dave’s Triple without the bun
- Son of a Baconator without the bun
- Bacon Deluxe ¼ lb. Single without the bun (*Canada Only)
- Bacon Deluxe ½ lb. Double without the bun (*Canada Only)
- Bacon Deluxe ¾ lb. Triple without the bun (*Canada Only)
- Big Bacon Classic without the bun
- Big Bacon Classic Double without the bun
- Big Bacon Classic Triple without the bun
- Bacon Double Stack without the bun
- Jr. Bacon Cheeseburger without the bun
- Jr. Cheeseburger Deluxe without the bun
- Jr. Cheeseburger without the bun
- Jr. Hamburger without the bun
- Double Stack without the bun
- Cheesy Cheddarburger without the bun (*Canada Only)
- Grilled Chicken Ranch Wrap without the wrap
Wendy’s Gluten Free Salads
- Parmesan Caesar Salad without the seasoned crouton & parmesan crisp crumble
- Cobb Salad without the crispy onions
- Apple Pecan Salad
- Taco Salad
- Grilled Caesar Salad without the crouton crumble (*Canada Only)
- Caesar Side Salad without the crouton crumble (*Canada Only)
Sides
Wendy’s has a number of gluten free sides available. Keep in mind that because they use shared preparation surfaces and most locations do not have a dedicated gluten free fryer, cross contact is a concern.
- French Fries
- Queso Fries
- Baconator Fries
- Chili Cheese Fries
- Chilli Cheese Nachos (*Canada Only)
- Cheese Fries
- Chili
- Sour Cream and Chive Baked Potato
- Plain Baked Potato
- Bacon Cheese Baked Potato
- Chili & Cheese Baked Potato
- Apple Bites
Breakfast
- Bacon, Egg & Swiss Croissant without the croissant
- Sausage, Egg & Swiss Croissant without the croissant
- Egg BLT without the croissant (*Canada Only)
- Bacon, Egg & Cheese biscuit without the biscuit
- Sausage, Egg & Cheese biscuit without the biscuit
- Egg & Cheese biscuit without the biscuit
- Breakfast Baconator without the bun
- Bacon Breakfast Wrap without the tortilla (*Canada Only)
- Sausage Breakfast Wrap without the tortilla (*Canada Only)
- Egg & Cheese Breakfast Wrap without the tortilla (*Canada Only)
Beverages
- Blueberry Pomegranate Lemonade
- Pineapple Mango Lemonade
- Original Lemonade
- All-Natural Lemonade
- Strawberry Lemonade
- Coca-Cola
- Coca-Cola Zero Sugar
- Diet Coke
- Sprite
- Dr. Pepper
- Diet Dr. Pepper
- Barq’s Root Beer
- Nestea
- Strawberry Passion Fruitopia
- Fanta Orange
- Minute Maid Light Lemonade
- Hi-C Flashin’ Fruit Punch
- Dasani Bottled Water
- Hot Coffee
- Iced Coffee
- Peppermint Frosty Cream Cold Brew/Peppermint Chocolate Frosty-ccino (Canada)
- Chocolate Frosty Cream Cold Brew/Chocolate Frosty-ccino (Canada)
- Caramel Frosty Cream Cold Brew
- Vanilla Frosty Cream Cold Brew/Vanilla Frosty-ccino (Canada)
- Cold Brew
- Hot Tea
- Decaffeinated Hot Coffee
- Iced Tea
- Sweet Iced Tea
- Pure Life Bottled Water
- Milk
- Chocolate Milk
- Honest Kids Apple
- Honest Kids Fruit Punch
- Simply Orange Juice
- Simply Apple Juice
Frosty
I consider the Frosty’s one of the safer gluten free menu items at Wendy’s since they are ALL gluten free.
- Chocolate Frosty
- Peppermint Frosty
Bakery
There are no gluten free menu items available from Wendy’s bakery section. Currently all items are made with wheat flour and are not safe for gluten free consumption.
Frequently Asked Questions about Wendy’s and Gluten
Does Wendy's offer lettuce wrapped burgers?
Yes, Wendy’s is happy to customize your order to suit your dietary preferences and a lettuce wrap is one of the ways you can do this.
Is Wendy’s Frosty celiac safe?
The Frostys are all gluten free and because of that, I think of them as one of the safest items to consume from Wendy’s as there’s less risk of cross contact.
What are Wendy’s chicken nuggets breaded with?
Wendy’s chicken nuggets are breaded with wheat flour and are not safe on a gluten free diet.
Unveil the keys to gluten-free success!
Get customized recipes, tips, and resources that match your unique vibe.
More Gluten Free Menu Reviews:
- Gluten Free Chick-Fil-A guide
- Gluten Free Chipotle
- The McDonald’s Gluten Free Menu
- Gluten Free Subway
Leave a Reply