Our Favorite Gluten Free Snacks & Treats at Disneyland

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy

Our Favorite Gluten Free Snacks & Treats at Disneyland – Here are some of the gluten free treats and snacks you won’t want to miss at Disneyland and California Adventure.

Gluten Free Snacks and Treats at Disneyland and California Adventure

Talking about Disneyland is one of my top favorite things to do, and today I get to share one of my FAVORITE Disney topics: SNACKS AND TREATS!

Disney does an amazing job accommodating guests with dietary restrictions and allergies (see some of our best tips for eating gluten free at Disneyland here).

Part of what makes it so fun to visit the parks is that it doesn’t *really* matter that we’re gluten free! There are so many fun snacks, drinks, treats, and restaurants that are gluten free. We feel so free to enjoy all the fun, and all the food that Disneyland has to offer.

Today, I thought I’d round up some of our FAVORITE gluten free treats and gluten free snacks at Disneyland and California Adventure. Whether you’re gluten free or not, if you’ve got a visit coming up, you’ll want to add these yummy treats to your list! Here are some of our favorites…

Dole Whip from The Tiki Room at Disneyland - It's gluten free & dairy free!

Raspberry Dole Whip at Tropical Hideaway in Disneyland

THE FAMOUS DOLE WHIP! (TIKI ROOM + TROPICAL HIDEAWAY AT DISNEYLAND)

You knew I was starting here, right? I’d heard a lot of hype about the Pineapple Dole Whip for years before I got to try one. I was certain it would just be hype, but IT. IS. NOT.

IT IS NOT HYPE. IT’S THAT GOOD. It’s my very favorite gluten free treat at Disneyland!

This soft, creamy pineapple soft-serve ice cream is gluten free, dairy free, and vegan, and it tastes like a tropical bite of paradise. You can get it swirled into bowls or in float form with fresh pineapple juice poured over it.

Disneyland also has new flavors of Dole Whip available in the park at the (new-ish) Tropical Hideaway–orange & raspberry! You can get each flavor plain, or swirled with pineapple. We’ve tried all 3 fruit flavors and pineapple Dole Whip is still hands-down our favorite.

IMPORTANT NOTE: The basic ice creams, swirled ice cream, and floats are all gluten & dairy free. However: Disneyland has some new fancy/fun versions of Dole Whip available and some of them come with garnishes that are not gluten free (like Pocky sticks). If you plan to get a fancy Dole Whip, be sure to ask if it’s gluten free, or if you can get it without the gluten-containing garnishes. 

Freshly Popped Popcorn Outside Hyperion Theater in California Adventure Disneyland Popcorn near the Matterhorn

THE POPCORN. (DISNEYLAND & CALIFORNIA ADVENTURE)

Michael and I swear the best popcorn on the planet is made at Disneyland and California Adventure. Maybe it’s because we’re on a Disney high, surrounded by magical music, adorable decorations and people smiling everywhere. Maybe it’s because the popcorn is warm, buttery, salty, and freshly-popped. All I know is, we get some every day we’re there.

It’s the perfect snack to munch on the go, or standing in line, and you can bring it into any of the shows going on in the parks, too. (Basically a perfect gluten free Disneyland snack!)

One fun fact: the popcorn at Disneyland is gluten free AND vegan, including the buttered popcorn! They use a dairy free butter flavoring, and honestly, it tastes just like the stuff you get at the movies. So good. If kettle corn is more your jam, you can find that in the parks, too!

PRO TIPS: You can see a list of all the popcorn carts in the parks here. Our favorite popcorn cart at Disneyland is the one near the Matterhorn and Small World by Fantasyland Theatre. Our favorite popcorn cart at California Adventure is right on Carthay Circle before you turn toward the Hyperion theater. Shoot for freshly popped, if you can! 

Blackberry Mint Julep from Mint Julep Bar at Disneyland Mint Julep from Mint Julep Bar at Disneyland

MINT JULEPS AT THE MINT JULEP BAR (DISNEYLAND)

One of our favorite lunch spots in Disneyland is The French Market (get the Jambalaya, you won’t regret it!). Right next door is the Mint Julep Bar, whose signature drink is (you guessed it) a virgin mint julep. The Disneyland mint julep is non-alcoholic, which makes it a fun one to sip with kids. The mint flavor isn’t too overpowering for my kids, and it’s a fun, refreshing pairing with some of the Cajun-inspired flavors at French market.

If you’re lucky enough to go when they’ve got a seasonal flavor, be sure to try it! The watermelon got rave reviews in the summer, and the blackberry we tried in the fall was our all-time favorite.

PRO TIP: the line gets long, so I recommend using mobile order from the free Disney app on your phone. It’s a great way to save time in line! 

Confetti Cotton Candy from Bing Bong's Sweet Shop at Disney's California Adventure Park

COTTON CANDY (DISNEYLAND + CALIFORNIA ADVENTURE)

My kids love getting cotton candy at Disneyland. They almost always have standard blue and pink, but they often run seasonal flavors as well. My kids love the Candy Corn Cotton Candy (which doesn’t taste like candy corn, it just looks like candy corn.) They’ve also loved the Frozen/holiday-themed one with glittery sprinkles. I’ve been told by several cast members that all flavors of cotton candy in the parks are gluten & dairy-free.

Check at different cotton candy locations throughout the parks, since some carry different color/flavor combinations.

Want to go big? They sometimes have rainbow-colored cotton candy at Bing Bong’s along Pixar Pier in California Adventure (pictured above). It’s basically a colorful, sparkly cotton candy lover’s dream come true.

Giant Pickles at Disneyland

GIANT PICKLES (DISNEYLAND + CALIFORNIA ADVENTURE) 

Giant pickles are one of those old-time-y treats I imagine picking out at a state fair of yesteryear. These have all the old-fashioned charm and bright dill flavor you hope for. Plus, they’re a nice change of pace from all the sweet treats!

These are definitely not low-sodium pickles, but the satisfying juicy crunch is one of my favorite perks of the parks. (Sophie’s favorite pickle stand is near Thunder Mountain in Disneyland, but I think they all taste great!)

Gaston's Famous Brew at Red Rose Taverne in Disneyland

GASTON’S BREW AT RED ROSE TAVERNE (DISNEYLAND)

Located in Fantasyland, right near the Casey Junior Train, Red Rose Taverne is modeled after the pub in Beauty and the Beast. Their signature drink is Gaston’s Famous Brew–(non-alcoholic) apple-mango punch with passion fruit foam.

It looks like something you’d sip from a sloshing mug while singing the “Gaston” song from the movie, but it’s 100% kid-friendly. The foam is a really nice touch and though I’m not usually an apple juice fan, I loved the mango-apple combo with the passion fruit foam. This was a drink everyone in my family said they’d order again.

(Red Rose Taverne also offers gluten-free pizzas, salads, sandwiches, and burgers on their allergy friendly menu (scroll way down to see!) if you want a meal to go with your drink!)

Blue and Green Milk from the Milk Bar at Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge in Disneyland

THE NEW STAR WARS MILKS (DISNEYLAND)

Michael’s a big Star Wars fan, so he was EXTRA excited to check out the new Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge land in the park. I’m not into Star Wars the same way he is, but even so, I thought it was a fun, pretty immersive experience that really feels like you’re on a different planet. So many fun details are on every corner, and two of the most popular are the green and blue Star Wars milk at the Milk Stand!

Inspired by the blue milk from “A New Hope” and green milk from “The Last Jedi,” the Star Wars milks are quickly becoming a cult-favorite for Galaxy’s Edge newbies. 

They come in green and blue, and both are gluten AND dairy-free. The green milk is described as “coconut & rice milk with Mandarin orange, passion fruit, grapefruit, and orange blossom.” The blue milk is described as “coconut & rice milk with flavors of dragon fruit, pineapple, lime, and watermelon.”

I was a little nervous to try them, but both kids LOVED THEM. They had a very fine ice-y, slushy texture (like an Icee + a smoothie) and were both very sweet. The green one tasted a bit like citrus Skittles with some floral notes and the blue one was more sweet and tropical. Michael liked both, but the crowd favorite was blue. I think it’s a fun experience to try them if you make it over to the Star Wars land!

PRO TIP: Skip the lines and use the free Disneyland app for mobile ordering! You’ll likely get your order faster (even if you order while standing in line!) 

Fresh Fruit & Veggie Stands around Disneyland and California Adventure Park

THE FRESH CARTS (DISNEYLAND + CALIFORNIA ADVENTURE)

Sometimes, after all the Dole Whip and the popcorn and the cotton candy, a person just needs some fruits or veggies. No worries! You’ll pay a higher price than the grocery store, but there are fresh carts throughout the park (see a list of locations here). Many of these stands have items that are naturally gluten-free or guaranteed gluten-free:

  • GoGo Squeez Applesauce
  • Chips & Guac (sometimes come with GF tortilla chips, sometimes come with non-GF pretzels)
  • BabyBel cheese (GF, but not dairy-free)
  • Hummus & Carrots
  • Veggies & Ranch Dip (GF, but not dairy-free)
  • Fresh Sliced Fruits – Grapes, Apples, Oranges, Cuties clementines, Pineapple, Mango, Berries, etc.

They also usually have things like Lay’s chips that are gluten-free at these carts!

Vegan Lemon Soft Serve Ice Cream from the Adorable Snowman at Pixar Pier in California Adventure

ADORABLE SNOWMAN “IT’S LEMON!” SOFT SERVE ICE CREAM. (CALIFORNIA ADVENTURE)

Adorable Snowman Frosted Treats is right off Pixar Pier in California Adventure, and they offer a yellow lemon soft-serve ice cream called “It’s Lemon!” that’s both gluten and dairy-free. The texture was silky smooth and delicious. The punchy lemon flavor tasted a bit artificial for my taste, but Michael and the kids LOVED it. They also have a version with the lemon ice cream mixed with a brilliant blue slushy, but that sounded like a bit much this time around. (Maybe next time!)

(If dairy isn’t a problem for you, you can also get your lemon ice cream “capped” with white chocolate and sprinkle pearls.)

If I could only choose one between the Dole Whip and the lemon ice cream, I’d go Dole Whip all the way, but this lemon soft serve is a fun treat on a warm day, and it’s so fun to find another dairy-free ice cream option!

The IncrediCookie from Jack-Jack's Cookie Num-Num's in California Adventure

THE INCREDICOOKIE (CALIFORNIA ADVENTURE)

The IncrediCookie at Jack-Jack’s Cookie NumNums (how’s THAT for a name?) was a totally pleasant surprise on our most recent trip. It’s a gluten-free cakey cookie with a blackberry jam center. It looks like shortbread but is actually really soft and tender. The tangy-sweet blackberry jam was a really nice addition, too!

(They also offer a variety of single-serving milks to go with your cookies at this stand, including soy milk and vanilla almond milk!)

NOTE: if you’ve got a gluten/wheat allergy instead of an intolerance, this may not be the cookie for you, as there is higher risk for cross-contamination in the cookie case. I’m severely gluten intolerant and didn’t have a bad reaction, but if you have an allergy, you’ll want to use your best judgment or speak with the cast member working there. 

The Raspberry Sorbet at Ghirardelli in California Adventure was amazing!

RASPBERRY SORBET FROM GHIRADELLI (CALIFORNIA ADVENTURE)

Everyone in my family but me is dairy intolerant, so we eat gluten AND dairy free at home. It can feel like a big challenge to find quality dairy free ice cream options when we’re traveling, so it always feels like such a treat to get something that’s EXCELLENT quality. The raspberry sorbet from Ghiradelli Soda Fountain and Chocolate Shop in California Adventure is fantastic and one of our favorites.

It’s ultra creamy (not icy, like so many sorbets) and has a delicious, intensely raspberry flavor that’s the perfect sweet-tart pick-me-up in the afternoon. You can choose how many scoops you like, and we always just dig in with a few spoons to share. We love this one!

PS- If you’re not dairy intolerant, there are lots of gluten free ice cream flavors and shakes at Ghiradelli, as well as LOTS of yummy chocolates to sample and enjoy.

Hand Dipped Mixed Berry Sorbet Bar with Dark Chocolate and Chocolate Chip Morsels from Clarabelle's Ice Cream Parlor in California Adventure Park

HAND-DIPPED BERRY SORBET BAR FROM CLARABELLE’S (CALIFORNIA ADVENTURE)

Clarabelle’s ice cream and sweets parlor is on Buena Vista Street and carries lots of old-timey ice cream sundaes (which all have dairy). BUT. They also have a dipped sorbet bar that’s FANTASTIC. You choose a bar + chocolate + topping.

We ordered the berry sorbet bar dipped in dark chocolate with mini chocolate chips and were told it was all gluten-free, and vegan. None of us had any digestive issues after, and it tasted AMAZING. I LOVED it. It was my favorite dairy-free ice cream option in California Adventure.

FYI – We were told the sprinkles were also gluten-free + allergy-friendly, but the blue raspberry burst pop rocks contain dairy. I can’t seem to remember if the Mickey confetti or pearls were ok or not, so be sure to ask! 

DO YOU HAVE A FAVORITE GLUTEN FREE SNACK AT DISNEYLAND THAT I MISSED? SHOUT IT OUT BELOW! I’D LOVE TO GIVE IT A TRY! 

MORE GLUTEN FREE DISNEYLAND POSTS TO LOVE:

Collage of the best gluten free snacks and treats at Disneyland and California Adventure

Similar Posts

2 Comments

  1. My husband and I recently enjoyed our first kid-free visit to the parks and I now have a new favorite Disneyland snack! Like you, I always make sure to have the popcorn (it really IS the best!) and we did snag a box to eat while waiting on the train. As this was our first trip since the addition of Galaxy’s Edge, I had to try the chocolate popcorn and I am completely OBSESSED!!! I have heard good things about the outpost mix, but after trying the chocolate I simply could not bring myself to try anything else. I came home craving it and dreaming about our next Disney trip!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *