Are Chocolate Peanut Butter Cheerios Gluten Free? (Find Out Now!)

Cheerios are a simple yet iconic cereal invented in the 1940s. They were originally called Cheerioats, with the main ingredient being whole grain oats. With its growth in popularity and witty marketing, Cheerios developed yet an even more iconic cereal, Honey Nut Cheerios (an even more iconic cereal) in 1979. Since then Cheerios has released an array of flavors and products, like the one we will discuss in this article, Chocolate Peanut Butter Cheerios.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cheerios are gluten-free as this cereal doesn’t contain gluten ingredients. However, it is not certified gluten-free due to potential cross-contamination during manufacturing. The best gluten-free and healthier cereal alternatives to Chocolate Peanut Butter Cheerios include High Key Cocoa Protein Cereal, Catalina Crunch Chocolate Peanut Butter, Love Grown Chocolate Power O’s, and Magic Spoon Peanut Butter Cereal.

In this article, we will discuss the nutritional value of Peanut Butter Chocolate Cheerios and other Cheerio products, as well as offer healthy alternative gluten-free certified cereals. Let’s dig in!

Contents

Are Cheerios Healthy?
What is Fortified Cereal?
Chocolate Peanut Butter Cheerios Nutritional Information
Healthy Gluten-Free Alternatives to Chocolate Peanut Butter Cheerios
Final Thoughts
Related Questions
- Related Guides

Are Cheerios Healthy?

Like most breakfast cereals, Cheerios are highly processed and loaded with sugar. When consuming Cheerios, one should be mindful of the sugar content and stick to the lower sugar Cheerios such as plain or multigrain. Chocolate Peanut Butter Cheerios contain more sugar than the Original Cheerios but less than Honey Nut Cheerios.

The Cheerios brand uses high-carb sweeteners and a variety of genetically modified organism (GMO) ingredients like corn, wheat, and rice. Don’t be fooled by the name or packaging, honey is not one of the main ingredients in Cheerios. Ingredients are listed in descending order by their weight and quantity. Honey is listed as the 12th ingredient with corn, whole grain wheat, and sugar being the primary ingredients.

What is Fortified Cereal?

Most grains, cereal bars, and cereals are fortified, meaning minerals and vitamins are added. Cheerios are a fortified cereal meaning it contains added vitamins and minerals, such as iron, vitamin B3, zinc, folic acid, and vitamin B12. These vitamins and minerals are added to increase the nutritional content of the cereal as refined whole grains lose most of the nutrients when processed.

Food with added vitamins and minerals may seem like a healthy choice, however, some fortified cereals have been found to be over fortified which has been harmful to consumers, according to a report from the Environmental Working Group. It’s also better to get vitamins and minerals directly from whole food ingredients that skip processing.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cheerios Nutritional Information

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cheerios

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cheerios are made with whole grain oats, cocoa, and peanut butter with 15 grams of whole grains per serving.

The list of ingredients for Chocolate Peanut Butter Cheerios are:

Whole Grain Oats
Sugar
Peanut Butter (peanuts, sugar, monoglycerides, peanut oil, salt, molasses, corn starch)
Dextrose
Corn Starch
Corn Syrup
Canola Oil
Salt
Cocoa Processed with Alkali
Caramel Color
Tripotassium Phosphate
Natural Flavor
Vitamin E (mixed tocopherols) Added to Preserve Freshness.
Vitamins & Minerals:
Calcium Carbonate
Zinc and Iron (mineral nutrients)
Vitamin C (sodium ascorbate)
B Vitamin (niacinamide)
Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine hydrochloride)
Vitamin B1 (thiamin mononitrate)
Vitamin B2 (riboflavin)
Vitamin A (palmitate)
B Vitamin (folic acid)
Vitamin B12
Vitamin D3

Nutrition Facts (per 1 cup or 42g):

Calories 150
Fat 4.5
Cholesterol 0mg
Carbs 25g
Dietary Fiber 3g
Sugars 9g
Sodium 230mg
Protein 4g

Honey Nut Cheerios

The list of ingredients for Honey Nut Cheerios are:

Whole Grain Oats
Sugar
Oat Bran
Corn Starch
Honey
Brown Sugar Syrup
Salt
Tripotassium Phosphate
Rice Bran Oil and/or Canola Oil
Natural Almond Flavor
Vitamin E (mixed tocopherols) Added to Preserve Freshness.
Vitamins & Minerals
Calcium Carbonate
Zinc and Iron (mineral nutrients)
Vitamin C (sodium ascorbate)
B Vitamin (niacinamide)
Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine hydrochloride)
Vitamin B2 (riboflavin)
Vitamin B1 (thiamin mononitrate)
Vitamin A (palmitate)
Vitamin B (folic acid)
Vitamin B12
Vitamin D3

Nutrition Facts (per 1 cup, 37 g):

Calories 140
Fat 2g
Cholesterol 0mg
Carbs 30g
Dietary Fiber 3g
Sugars 12g
Sodium 210mg
Protein 3g

Original Cheerios

The list of ingredients for Original Cheerios are:

Whole Grain Oats
Corn Starch
Sugar
Tripotassium Phosphate
Vitamin E (mixed tocopherols) Added to Preserve Freshness.
Vitamins & Minerals
Calcium Carbonate
Zinc and Iron (mineral nutrients)
Vitamin C (sodium ascorbate)
B Vitamin (niacinamide)
Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine hydrochloride)
Vitamin B2 (riboflavin)
Vitamin B1 (thiamin mononitrate)
Vitamin A (palmitate)
B Vitamin (folic acid)
Vitamin B12
Vitamin D3

Nutrition Facts (per 1 cup, 37 g):

Calories 140
Fat 2.5g
Cholesterol 0mg
Carbs 29g
Dietary Fiber 3g
Sugars 2g
Sodium 190mg
Protein 5g

Cheerios Oat Crunch

The list of ingredients for Cheerios Oat Crunch are:

Whole Grain Oats
Sugar
Whole Grain Corn
Modified Corn Starch
Canola Oil
Corn Starch
Honey
Corn Bran
Whole Grain Rice
Whole Grain Millet
Whole Grain Sorghum, Salt
Cinnamon
Tripotassium Phosphate
Baking Soda
Color (caramel color and annatto extract)
Vitamin E (mixed tocopherols) Added to Preserve Freshness
Vitamins & Minerals
Calcium Carbonate
Zinc and Iron (mineral nutrients)
B Vitamin (niacinamide)
B Vitamin (calcium pantothenate)
Vitamin C (sodium ascorbate)
Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine hydrochloride)
Vitamin B2 (riboflavin)
Vitamin B1 (thiamin mononitrate)
B Vitamin (folic acid)
Vitamin A (palmitate)
Vitamin B12
Vitamin D3

Nutrition Facts (per 1 cup or 40g):

Calories 230
Fat 5g
Cholesterol 0mg
Carbs 34g
Dietary Fiber 4g
Sugars 15g
Sodium 230mg
Protein 4g

Healthy Gluten-Free Alternatives to Chocolate Peanut Butter Cheerios

Catalina Crunch Chocolate Peanut Butter

Catalina Crunch offers an all-natural cereal with zero sugar, gluten & grain-free, and is non-GMO. This cereal is keto-friendly and contains a specialty Catalina Flour blend (pea protein, potato fiber, non-GMO corn fiber, chicory root fiber, and guar gum).

Here is the list of ingredients for Catalina Crunch Chocolate Peanut Butter:

Pea Protein
Potato Fiber
Non-GMO Corn Fiber
Chicory Root Fiber
Guar Gum
Tapioca Flour
Peanut Oil
Sunflower Oil
Peanuts
Cocoa Powder
Baking Powder
Natural Flavors
Sea Salt
Calcium Carbonate
Stevia Extract
Monk Fruit

Nutrition Facts (per ½ cup, or 36g):

Calories 110
Fat 5g
Carbs 14g
Dietary Fiber 9g
Sugars 0g
Protein 11g
Sodium 150 mg
Calcium 50mg
Iron 1.9mg
Potassium 80mg

RX Chocolate Almond Cereal

RX Chocolate Almond Cereal is made with real non-GMO, gluten-free, and protein-packed ingredients.

Here is the list of ingredients for Three Wishes Cereal:

Brown Rice
Almonds
Whole Grain Sorghum
Coconut Sugar
Pea Protein
Honey
Cocoa
Chocolate
Salt
Natural Flavors
Rosemary Extract

Nutrition Facts (per 65g):

Calories 270
Fat 9g
Carbs 39g
Dietary Fiber 4g
Sugars 12g
Protein 12g
Sodium 310mg
Calcium 60mg
Iron 4.9mg
Potassium 310mg

High Key Cocoa Cereal

High Key Protein Cereal contains clean gluten-free ingredients, low sugar, low carbs, and is keto-friendly.

Here is the list of ingredients for High Key Protein Cereal:

Milk Protein Isolate
Erythritol
Medium Chain Triglycerides
Inulin
Allulose Syrup
Cocoa Powder with Potassium Carbonate
Natural Flavors
Natural Caramel Color
Sunflower Lecithin
Salt
Monk Fruit Extract

Nutrition Facts (per ½ cup, 28g):

Calories 90
Fat 5g
Carbs 11g
Sugars <1g
Protein 10g
Dietary Fiber 3g
Erythritol 6g
Sodium 25mg

Magic Spoon Peanut Butter Cereal

Magic Spoon Peanut Butter Cereal is gluten-free, sugar-free, and high in protein with 14g per serving. This cereal is sweetened with monk fruit and allulose.

The ingredients for Magic Spoon Peanut Butter Cereal are:

Milk Protein Blend (Casein, Whey Protein Concentrate)
Sweetener Blend (Allulose, Monk Fruit Extract)
Oil Blend (High Oleic Sunflower Oil, Avocado Oil)
Tapioca Starch
Peanut Oil
Peanut Flour
Inulin (from Chicory Root and Agave)
Natural Flavor
Peanut Extract
Salt

Nutrition Facts (per 1 cup, 36g):

Calories 170
Fat 9g
Carbs 10g
Fiber 1g
Sugars 210g
Protein 14g
Sodium 210 mg

Love Grown Chocolate Power O’s

Love Grown Chocolate Power O’s are a great healthy vegan and gluten-free alternative that is primarily made out of beans, rice, and cocoa. It is also made with non-GMO ingredients.

The ingredients for Love Grown Chocolate Power O’s are:

Pea Protein
Cassava Flour
Tapioca Starch
Potato Starch
Chicory Root Fiber
Almond Flour
Honey
Flax Seed
Coconut Sugar
Coconut Oil
Natural Honey Flavor
Salt
Rosemary Extract

Nutrition Facts (per 1 cup, 40g):

Calories 130
Fat 1.5g
Carbs 27g
Fiber 4g
Sugars 9g
Protein 4g
Sodium 80mg

Final Thoughts

As we have seen, Cheerios has a variety of ingredients that don’t necessarily make them the best breakfast cereal to start our day. Sure, having Cheerios once in a while will do no harm, however when considering breakfast foods we should be consuming real ingredients and real nutritional value.

Never be fooled by cereals that use strategic packaging, branding, and words that fool us into believing it’s a healthy addition to our diet. For instance, Cheerios states that Chocolate Peanut Butter Cheerios are used with real chocolate and peanut butter, however if we look closer at the nutrition information we see that the peanut butter also contains added sugar, molasses, and cornstarch. The “real chocolate” is processed with alkali meaning it is chemically manipulated to reduce acidity. Natural cacao is simply roasted and then ground into a powder.