You’re baking a gluten-free dessert, like cupcakes or a birthday cake, and you need the perfect frosting to go with the dessert and round it out. The problem, as you already know, is that it’s tough to find gluten-free frosting, especially at your local grocery store.
Duncan Hines frosting is gluten free. In 2011, Duncan Hines changed its frosting formulas and now offers most of its frosting flavors without any gluten. If you are looking for healthier gluten free frosting, the best alternatives to Duncan Hines are Simple Mills Organic Vanilla Frosting, Miss Jones Organic Vanilla Frosting, or Keto and Co Keto Frosting Mix.
Today, let’s take a closer look at Duncan Hines frosting, discuss its ingredients, as well as healthier gluten-free alternatives. Let’s dig in!
The Ingredients in Duncan Hines Frosting
Duncan Hines used to include a type of wheat paste in most of its frosting formulas. However, 2011 saw the baked goods brand change its formula to incorporate different ingredients instead. This is a great thing for anyone who doesn’t like eating (or who can’t eat) gluten.
Duncan Hines’ classic or most common vanilla frosting is gluten-free and a great basic topping for a cake or cupcake.
Its ingredients are:
- Sugars
- Water
- Palm oil
- Canola oil
- Corn starch
- Salt
- Rum
- Natural and artificial flavors
- Caramel
- Citric acid
- Monoglycerides
- Diglycerides
- Polysorbate 60
- Tartrazine
- Allura red
- Sodium stearoyl-lactylate
- Sodium phosphate
- Tocopherols
- Sodium citrate
- Titanium dioxide
Nutrition Facts:
- 140 cal per serving
- 5 g fat or 7% DV
- 70 mg sodium or 3% DV
- 24 g carbohydrate
- 22 g sugar
When you take a look at the ingredient lists for all other Duncan Hines frostings, you’ll find that they are fairly similar to this basic setup. However, it’s still a good idea to check the exact ingredients of any Duncan Hines frosting before purchasing it.
While these frostings are generally gluten-free, a few may not be, and many include milk, soy, and other potential allergens. Still, it’s nice to know that you can pick up some tasty, gluten-free frosting at the grocery store without having to look for a niche or untested brand.
Other Duncan Hines Frosting Nutrition Facts
As noted above, there are several varieties of Duncan Hines frosting that are not gluten or dairy-free. But let’s take a closer look at the ingredients of some classic Duncan Hines frosting flavors so you know which ones you can use safely.
Duncan Hines Chocolate Frosting
Another great gluten-free frosting option is Duncan Hines Chocolate Frosting, which shares many of the same ingredients as described above. This particular type of frosting doesn’t include any wheat products and it may also serve as a good vegan frosting because it only includes cocoa powder, not Choco with milk added after the fact.
Its ingredients are:
- Sugars
- Water
- Palm oil
- Cocoa powder
- Canola oil
- Cornstarch
- Salt
- Natural and artificial flavors
- Caramel
- Monoglycerides
- Diglycerides
- Polysorbate 60
- Tartrazine
- Citric acid
- Sodium stearoyl-lactylate
- Potassium sorbate
- Sodium phosphate
- Tocopherols
- Sodium citrate
- Acetic acid
Nutrition Facts:
- 130 cal per serving
- 5 g fat or 7% DV
- 100 mg sodium or 4% DV
- 22 g carbohydrate or 7% DV
- 19 g sugar
- 4 g protein
Duncan Hines Milk Chocolate Frosting
Or you could try Duncan Hines Milk Chocolate Frosting, which offers a similar flavor as the regular chocolate flavored as above. Most importantly, there’s just as much gluten-free goodness just as before.
Its ingredients are:
- Sugars
- Water
- Palm oil
- Cocoa powder
- Canola oil
- Cornstarch
- Salt
- Skim milk powder
- Cream powder
- Natural and artificial flavors
- Citric acid
- Lactic acid
- Monoglycerides
- Diglycerides
- Polysorbate 60
- Potassium sorbate
- Sodium citrate
- Sodium phosphate
- Tocopherols
- Sodium stearoyl-lactylate
Nutrition Facts:
- 130 cal per serving
- 5 g fat or 7% DV
- 90 mg sodium or 4% DV
- 22 g carbohydrate
- 19 g sugar
- 5 g protein
Duncan Hines Butter Crème Frosting
Duncan Hines Butter Crème Frosting offers a creamy alternative with a unique flavor profile and texture that’s perfect for particularly rich and moist cakes. It’s also gluten-free, as you can see from the ingredients below.
Its ingredients are:
- Sugars
- Water
- Palm oil
- Canola oil
- Cornstarch
- Salt
- Natural and artificial flavors
- Citric acid
- Monoglycerides
- Diglycerides
- Polysorbate 60
- Tartrazine
- Allura Red
- Potassium sorbate
- Sodium stearoyl-lactylate
- Tocopherols
- Sodium phosphate
- Sodium citrate
- Titanium dioxide
Nutrition Facts:
- 140 cal per serving
- 5 g fat or 7% DV
- 70 mg sodium or 3% DV
- 24 g carbohydrate
- 22 g sugar
Duncan Hines Fluffy White Whipped Frosting
If you want a more recent frosting offering from Duncan Hines, their Fluffy White Whipped Frosting has a made explicitly to be gluten-free and suitable for all manner of cakes and cupcake toppings. It’s definitely the best choice if you feel like frosting is the best part of any cupcake!
Its ingredients are:
- Sugar
- Vegetable oil shortening
- Water
- Corn syrup
- Cornstarch
- Modified food starch
- Cellulose gum
- Cellulose gel
- Modified gun acacia
- Salt
- Artificial flavor
- Potassium sorbate
- Sodium acid pyrophosphate
- Citric acid
- Dextrose
Nutrition Facts:
- 150 cal per serving
- 7 g fat
- 60 mg sodium
- 22 g carbohydrate
- 19 g sugar
Healthy Gluten-Free Alternatives to Duncan Hines Frosting
Although Duncan Hines’ frosting flavors are great choices if you are sensitive to gluten, there are lots of other healthy gluten-free alternatives you can and should check out. Maybe you just don’t like the taste of Duncan Hines! In any event, here are some of the best gluten-free frosting choices around.
Simple Mills Organic Vanilla Frosting
Simple Mills’ Organic Vanilla Frosting is a phenomenal pick for a classic frosting topping. It’s made with coconut oil and is completely devoid of artificial or potentially harmful ingredients, but it offers a nonetheless creamy rich vanilla flavor perfect for muffins, cookies, and cakes of all varieties.
Its ingredients are:
- Organic palm shortening
- Organic powdered sugar
- Organic coconut oil
- Organic tapioca starch
- Organic vanilla extract
- Organic rosemary extract
- Sea salt
- Monk fruit extract
Nutrition Facts:
- 140 cal per serving
- 11 g fat or 14% DV
- 40 mg sodium or 2% DV
- 10 g carbohydrate or 4% DV
- 9 g sugar
Miss Jones Organic Vanilla Frosting
This alternative organic vanilla frosting from Miss Jones has a delightfully homemade flavor and is also made with coconut oil. However, it’s palm oil is Rainforest Alliance-certified, making it great for folks who want to eat environmentally sustainable products only.
Its ingredients are:
- Organic powdered sugar
- Organic palm fruit oil
- Organic coconut oil
- Organic tapioca
- Sea salt
- Natural vanilla flavor
Nutrition Facts:
- 140 cal per serving
- 10 g fat or 16% DV
- 40 mg sodium or 2% DV
- 11 g carbohydrate or 4% DV
- 10 g sugar
Keto and Co. Keto Frosting Mix
Or you could try this unique frosting mix that’s not only great for gluten sensitive folks, but also anyone following the keto diet. Thanks to its unique ingredient mix, it’s the perfect choice if you want to enjoy frosting on a keto cake or cupcake without cheating on your diet!
Its ingredients are:
- Wondrose sugar replacer
- Coconut flour
- Natural flavors
- Baking powder
- Baking soda
- Salt
- Xanthan gum
Nutrition Facts:
- 130 cal per serving
- 11 g fat or 16% DV
- 105 mg cholesterol or 34% DV
- 140 mg sodium or 6% DV
- 70 mg potassium or 2% DV
- 24 g carbohydrate or 8% DV
- 12 g fiber or 50% DV
- 1 g sugar
- 4 g protein
King Arthur Flour Confetti Cake Frosting
Last but not least, you can also try gluten-free frosting from King Arthur Flour. This specialty brand is a surefire choice if you want to make 100% sure that no gluten gets into your cake or dessert recipe whatsoever. It even includes miniature frosting chips for a little added texture and fun; this could be a great choice for decorating a child’s birthday cake.
Its ingredients are:
- Cane sugar
- Rice flour
- White drops
- Organic palm fruit oil
- Nonfat milk
- Multicolored sprinkles
- Cornstarch
- Natural vanilla flavor
- Baking powder
- Salt
Nutrition Facts:
- 290 cal per serving
- 9 g fat or 10% DV
- 370 mg sodium or 16% DV
- 49 g carbs or 18% DV
- 36 g sugar or 66% DV
- 2 g protein
- 60 mg calcium or 4% DV
Final Thoughts
There you have it; Duncan Hines’s frosting flavors are typically gluten-free. Odds are, any flavors you can find at the grocery store will be fine for your homemade, gluten-free cake, cupcakes, or anything other dessert you plan to make.
But we still recommend reading the back of any given Duncan Hine’s frosting ingredient label before making a purchase. That way, you’ll know exactly what that specific frosting flavor has and you won’t be caught off guard.
Related Questions
Does frosting normally contain gluten?
It depends on the brand and the exact ingredient composition. Many frosting flavors contain gluten because they use a wheat-milk paste. Naturally, wheat includes gluten, so these frostings are not good for folks with celiac disease or gluten sensitivity.
Furthermore, any frosting that contains the words “buttercream” in its title is probably not gluten-free since it relies on a wheat and dairy paste to achieve a special consistency. One exception is Duncan Hines’ Butter Crème Frosting, which is gluten-free.
Is Duncan Hines frosting dairy-free as well?
Generally, yes. Even Duncan Hines’s chocolate frosting uses cocoa powder and doesn’t use chocolate with milk already in it, so folks with gluten and dairy sensitivities should be able to enjoy this frosting. That said, there are a few flavors of Duncan Hines frosting that are not dairy-free. These include: Creamy Home-Style Chocolate Butter Cream Frosting, Cream Cheese Frosting, Milk Chocolate Frosting, and Whipped Cream Cheese Frosting.