Your Guide to a Gluten-Free Valentine's Day

Give back to the community and enjoy delicious gluten-free treats.

Feb 12, 2026

Valentine’s Day is almost here—and if you’re looking to give back this holiday, I wanted to share a couple easy ways to do so. I’ve also rounded up the best gluten-free Valentine’s Day candies and recipes for gluten-free Valentine’s Day meals, treats, and mocktails.

Table of contents:

Support celiacs in need this Valentine’s Day
Gluten-free donuts that give back
Gluten-free Valentine’s Day candies
Gluten-free Valentine’s Day recipes
Gluten-free Valentine’s Day mocktails

Support celiacs in need this Valentine’s Day

FOODiversity, a non-profit organization dedicated to reducing food insecurity for people with celiac disease, food allergies, and dietary restrictions, recently launched a “Spread the Love” fundraiser to help those in need.

According to FOODiversity, more than 25% of households in the US have at least one dietary restriction—and as per the United States Department of Agriculture, there’s been a rise in food insecurity for the third year in a row.

For families who experience both dietary restrictions and food insecurity, this can make accessing safe food incredibly difficult. And as we know, eating gluten-free and allergen-friendly foods in these cases is a medical necessity, not a choice.

When people with celiac disease and food allergies can’t access the food they need, they’re at risk for long-term and potentially life-threatening health consequences.

Enter FOODiversity, which partners with households and community food providers across the country to increase access to gluten-free and allergen-friendly foods.

To support their Spread the Love fundraiser, you can do the following:

Donate here to help provide safe food to families in need.
Like, comment, and share FOODiversity’s Instagram post to increase the fundraiser’s reach.
Check your company’s employee matching program to see if you can double your impact with a single donation.

Gluten-free donuts that give back

One of my favorite small gluten-free businesses in New York City, Maki’s Donuts, is doing a fundraiser this month to help support Minnesotans during this time of crisis.

For all of February, if you purchase gluten-free donuts or merch, Maki’s Donuts will donate all proceeds (minus the cost of goods) to Community Aid Network MN, which provides more than 500 families each week with free food, diapers, and supplies.

@makisdonuts

Ariel | マキのドーナツ on Instagram: "🍩SECOND ANNUAL FUNDRAISER🍩

Hi…

Donuts are available for pickup in Astoria, Queens, or delivery in New York City, while merch can be shipped. I highly recommend the mochi donuts! Fill out the form here to order (orders close on February 28).

Gluten-free Valentine’s Day candies

Not all Valentine’s Day candies are gluten-free or celiac-safe. Which ones are, though? My friend Alexa Prass, RD, of Gluten Freedom Nutrition, put together a list of 12 Valentine’s Day candies that are gluten-free, including a few options that are also top 9 allergen-free:

@glutenfreedomnutrition

Gluten Freedom Nutrition, LLC on Instagram: "Valentine’s Day tr…

And contrary to that popular myth circulating on social media, the Reese’s holiday shapes are actually gluten-free. You may have heard the holiday shapes aren’t gluten-free because they don’t have a gluten-free label and the molds are supposedly dusted with flour.

Tayler Silfverduk, RD, celiac dietitian, did some digging last year and confirmed the ingredients don’t contain gluten. The company also shared their cross-contact protocols with her. Based on what she found, the holiday shapes should generally be gluten-free and celiac-safe.

You can learn more here:

So, go ahead and enjoy those Valentine’s Day peanut-butter filled hearts! Although, my personal favorite this year for Valentine’s Day is the red velvet Reese’s—let me know if you’ve tried them.

Gluten-free Valentine’s Day recipes

If you’d prefer to whip up your own sweet treats or dine in this Valentine’s Day, here are a few delicious recipes:

Margaret Clegg has a recipe for gluten-free Valentine snack cakes.
Rachel Ciordas has a recipe for gluten-free chocolate raspberry Boston cream pie.
Lauren Less has a recipe for a gluten-free, dairy-free Valentine’s Day charcuterie board.
Patricia Maguire has recipes for a romantic gluten-free Valentine’s Day dinner.

Gluten-free Valentine’s Day mocktails

I met with Citreve at a gluten-free expo last year and was really impressed with the company! Citreve is a line of freeze-dried garnishes that I’ve been enjoying using in mocktails.

The brand shared these two recipes with me that are perfect for Valentine’s Day.