Complete California Pizza Kitchen Gluten-Free Menu Guide
Explore the California Pizza Kitchen gluten-free menu with certified gluten-free pizzas, allergen safety tips, and expert advice for celiac-friendly dining.
In the olden days, pizzas, like any other bakery item, were pretty much off-limits if you had a severe gluten intolerance or sensitivity, or, like yours truly, you’re a celiac. That said, you will find that things have changed quite a bit, and for the better! 🍕
Yes, most pizza places nowadays continue to be hellishly dangerous for celiacs, with all their wheat crusts in full display, but more often than not, you’ll probably find another pizza place right around the corner that does cater to celiacs. 👉🚫🌾
Whether it’s a special gluten-free flour crust or a more commonplace cauliflower crust, once you pair that with equally wheat-free and gluten-sensitive toppings, you now have a plate of delectable pizza that any celiac could safely enjoy. 🧀🍅🍄
California Pizza Kitchen (CPK) is one of the best examples of how you can make great gluten-free pizzas, without compromise, either, with cauliflower crusts that mimic the fantastic crunch and/or doughiness of a good, wheat-based pizza crust.
Additionally, with a gigantic menu that’s full of other gluten-sensitive sides, salads, proteins, and even sandwiches, too, our California Pizza Kitchen gluten-free guide here has a lot to go through, including how to be wary of cross-contamination!
Table of Contents
Disclaimer
On that front, even when a restaurant does try to cater to celiacs and anyone with a severe gluten intolerance or sensitivity, you should always be cautious when it comes to the risk of cross-contamination, even with California Pizza Kitchen.
While it’s known that California Pizza Kitchen doesn’t operate a fully dedicated or separate gluten-free kitchen space, they do have established, strict procedures and even designated prep areas to help contain cross-contamination. 🍕🚫🌾
Thanks to their strict standards, training, and practices, in terms of celiac-friendliness, you could argue that they’re definitely a step above most other restaurants, in particular other pizza places, but that’s no excuse for you to throw caution to the wind.
On the one hand, California Pizza Kitchen tries to prepare its gluten-free pizzas and other menu items with dedicated pans, cutting boards, and cutting wheels, and they even use distinct pans to cook their GF pizzas in shared ovens to minimize cross-contact.
On the flipside, I can’t find any public data to suggest that California Pizza Kitchen tests its menu items to meet the FDA’s super strict <20 ppm threshold for food and drink items that could be officially labeled as “certified gluten-free”. ✍️📝
As such, while California Pizza Kitchen is a step above most other places when it comes to minimizing cross-contamination, always prepare for the worst, and assume that even the gluten-free items could still come into contact with gluten.
This is especially so given that California Pizza Kitchen has nearly 200 locations around the world at the time of writing, and even within the US itself, there’s no guarantee that every single CPK location could maintain those high standards.
Trace gluten exposure would expose even those naturally wheat-free menu items to catch glutenous ingredients and make them unsafe to celiacs, including wheat, barley, rye, oats, and/or malt, and CPK even has this to disclose on their website:
We understand the difficulties associated with eating out with food allergies, and we are committed to serving food safely. However, due to the many circumstances, we are unable to guarantee that any menu item is completely free from any particular allergen or animal product, and we assume no responsibility for guests with food allergies, food sensitivities or dietary restrictions.
California Pizza Kitchen Allergen Policy (Gluten-Free)
But hey, on the bright side, at least California Pizza Kitchen makes it really easy for you to check out their entire menu in detail on the official California Pizza Kitchen website, and it allows you to more easily filter out all the items you can’t eat.
Once you’re on the CPK homepage, click or tap on that giant “Menu” tab on the top-most navigation bar, or alternatively, scroll a bit further down and click or tap on that “See Full Menu” button, and this will open up CPK’s online menu. 📑
As you’re browsing through California Pizza Kitchen’s online menu page and checking out pizzas, sides, starters, salads, and more, notice that CPK has added tiny symbols to inform diners about a particular item’s dietary restrictions:
- 🌿 – The leaf symbol denotes that this particular menu item suits vegetarian diets.
- ⭕ – Items with this symbol are made with no gluten-containing ingredients, though they’re not 100% certified gluten-free, so cross-contamination caution is still advised.
- 🔺 – Meanwhile, the green triangle symbol denotes that this specific item contains wheat or gluten ingredients by default, but upon request, it could be made gluten-free.
Now, if you need even more information than those cute little symbols at a glance, you can scroll all the way down to the bottom of the CPK website, and click on the button there that says “Nutritional Info”, right on the website footer. 🌐📩
Doing this will load up an awesome widget that lets you filter out California Pizza Kitchen’s entire menu, depending on factors like the nutritional breakdown, dietary restrictions, and, crucially for us, being able to isolate specific allergens.
For celiacs or anyone who has a pretty severe gluten intolerance or sensitivity, be sure that you’d tick the two boxes on that widget there that says “Made without Gluten” and “Made without Wheat”, and click on “Go To MyMenu” at the bottom.
The widget will then load up search results, showing what the CPK menu looks like after it’s done filtering out every item that contains wheat and gluten, and clicking on each item also shows you what modifications have been made to make them safe.
For example, certain pizzas might show up in the search results, with special modifications which have been personalized for you, like swapping out the original wheat-based crust for gluten-free cauliflower crust instead. 👉🍕🚫🌾
On the off-chance that this still isn’t enough or if you want other ways of filtering CPK’s big menu, click or tap on the hamburger menu on the top-left-hand side of the page, and here, you’ll find a comprehensive Nutrition Information Chart and an Allergen Information Chart.
Starters
Before you jump straight into California Pizza Kitchen’s namesake and signature pies, you’d definitely want to check out their delectable starters first, though make sure you avoid their breaded or flour-wrapped options and pick the safe ones. 🍤🌽
⚠️ Dynamite Shrimp
❌ Avocado Club Egg Rolls
❌ Spinach Artichoke Dip
❌ Mexican Street Corn
⚠️ White Corn Guacamole + Chips
✅ The Wedge
✅ California Olive Oil with Mediterranean Herbs
❌ Szechwan Chicken Dumplings
⚠️ Spicy Buffalo Cauliflower
❌ Spicy Buffalo Chicken Bites
❌ Lettuce Wraps
❌ Lettuce Wraps with Chicken
❌ Lettuce Wraps with Shrimp
❌ Lettuce Wraps with Chicken & Shrimp
❌ Ciabatta Baguette
Out of curiosity, let’s check out in detail what each of these starters is actually made of:
Dynamite Shrimp: Crispy, tossed shrimp coated in a spicy mayo-style “dynamite” sauce. The shrimp often share fryers and prep tools with other wheat items, thus creating a high cross-contact risk, so caution is advised.
Avocado Club Egg Rolls: Rolled in a wheat-based egg-roll wrapper and filled with bacon, avocado, and cheese. The wrapper and frying process include wheat, so this is not safe for celiacs or those needing strict gluten avoidance.
Spinach Artichoke Dip: Warm, cheesy dip typically served with toasted bread or chips. The dip and its served sides are prepared alongside bakery items and toasters, so the ingredient-level and high cross-contact risks make this unsafe by default.
Mexican Street Corn: Charred corn finished with mayo, cheese, and seasonings. While corn itself is wheat-free, this dish is often prepared near battered items and may be served with seasoned toppings or chips that introduce gluten, so treat this as unsafe.
White Corn Guacamole + Chips: House guacamole served with tortilla chips. The guac is wheat-free by ingredient, but chips or fryers may be shared with wheat-containing items, so this has a notable cross-contact risk. As such, remember to proceed with caution.
The Wedge: Crisp iceberg wedge with tomatoes, bacon, and dressing. By recipe and ingredient, this is wheat-free and one of the safer starter choices, but still ask for dressing ingredients and separate plating to reduce any trace contamination, and just to be extra safe.
Szechwan Chicken Dumplings: Steamed or pan-fried dumplings wrapped in wheat dough and often finished on shared surfaces. The wrapper contains wheat, and the item itself is unsafe for anyone who must avoid gluten.
Spicy Buffalo Cauliflower: Breaded or battered cauliflower tossed in buffalo sauce. The coating and frying processes usually involve shared fryers, so although it’s tasty, this is flagged as high cross-contact risk in CPK’s own allergen guide, so remember to approach with caution.
Spicy Buffalo Chicken Bites: Breaded, fried chicken pieces coated in buffalo sauce. The breading contains wheat, and they’re fried/handled with other battered items, so this is not safe for strict gluten avoidance and celiacs alike.
Lettuce Wraps: Typically, a mix of vegetables and sauce meant to be eaten in lettuce cups, but at CPK, these are prepared near wheat products, often with sauces or soy-sauce blends that may include wheat, so you should treat them as unsafe by default.
Lettuce Wraps with Chicken: Same assembly as the above, but with chicken instead, and while the protein itself may be gluten-free, the shared prep, sauces, and prep line practices at many locations create too much cross-contact risk to call this safe.
Lettuce Wraps with Shrimp: Shrimp version of the lettuce wraps. Again, shrimp may be fine by ingredient, but the overall prep and nearby wheat items mean this should be avoided if you need strict gluten-free handling.
Lettuce Wraps with Chicken & Shrimp: A combination version of the earlier two, and with multiple proteins, this further increases touch points on shared prep surfaces and utensils, so this adds cross-contact points and remains unsafe for celiacs without dedicated prep.
Ciabatta Baguette: Oven-baked wheat bread served as a side or for dipping. Like every other bakery item, it contains wheat by ingredient and recipe, and it’s obviously unsafe for anyone avoiding gluten.
Alas, there aren’t a whole lot of celiac-safe starters at CPK, with only two properly safe ones, while their other wheat-free and non-gluten-containing items are exposed to very high cross-contamination risks, but at least you do get some options. 🍗🥬
Salads & Soups
If you need something lightweight to complement your pizzas, the many salads and soups at California Pizza Kitchen range from simple, safe greens to crunchy, flour-forward bowls. That said, approach them with an abundance of caution. 🍲🔥🥣
⚠️ The Original BBQ Chicken Chopped Salad
❌ Crispy Chinese Dumpling Salad
✅ Italian Chopped Salad
✅ California Cobb Salad
⚠️ Steak House Salad
❌ The Charcuterie Salad
❌ Classic Caesar Salad
⚠️ Thai Crunch Salad
✅ Banh Mi Bowl Salad
❌ Korean Crispy Dumpling Salad
❌ Tomato Basil Bisque
❌ Dakota Smashed Pea + Barley
⚠️ Sedona Tortilla
Just so we’re absolutely sure that some of these are safe, let’s take a closer look at them:
The Original BBQ Chicken Chopped Salad: Romaine and mixed greens tossed with BBQ chicken, corn, cheese, and fried tortilla strips. Omit the fried tortilla strips to remove the primary wheat source to make it safe, and ask for separate tossing to reduce cross-contact risk.
Crispy Chinese Dumpling Salad: Mixed greens topped with fried dumplings, crunchy wontons, and Asian dressing. The dumplings and wontons contain wheat, and they’re fried/handled near other bakery items, so this salad is unsafe for strict gluten avoidance.
Italian Chopped Salad: Crisp romaine and iceberg with salami, provolone, tomatoes, olives, and Italian dressing. By ingredient and recipe, this salad is wheat-free, but request no croutons and ask staff to assemble on a clean surface, just in case.
California Cobb Salad: Mixed greens with turkey, bacon, avocado, egg, and a choice of dressing. The base ingredients contain no wheat, though to be extra safe, request dressing on the side and separate utensils/plate to avoid trace contamination from the line.
Steak House Salad: Seared steak over mixed greens with roasted veggies and a savory dressing. The salad can carry fryer/toaster cross-contact depending on prep, so ask for separate plating and confirm the steak marinade contains no wheat thickeners.
The Charcuterie Salad: A composed plate with cured meats, cheeses, and breaded or toasted accompaniments by default. The included breads/crackers create an ingredient-level gluten risk, so avoid this unless the bread components are removed and prep is isolated.
Classic Caesar Salad: Romaine with shaved Parmesan and Caesar dressing, served with garlic-butter croutons by default. Even if you omit the croutons and confirm that the dressing has no wheat-containing stabilizers, you should ideally avoid this if you’re a celiac.
Thai Crunch Salad: Greens, cabbage, carrots, roasted peanuts, wontons, and lime-cilantro dressing. Omit the roasted peanuts and wontons, and swap the lime-cilantro dressing for herb ranch to make it safe, and request fresh utensils to make it substantially safer.
Banh Mi Bowl Salad: Crisp vegetables, pickles, and grilled protein with a tangy dressing inspired by Vietnamese flavors. By ingredient and recipe, this bowl is gluten-free, but you should still ask that sauces be checked for any wheat-based soy sauces or thickeners.
Korean Crispy Dumpling Salad: Salad topped with crispy, wheat-wrapped dumplings and Korean-style sauces. The dumplings and many Korean sauces commonly include wheat, and the shared fryers make this unsafe for celiacs without certified substitutions.
Tomato Basil Bisque: Creamy tomato soup finished with basil and cream. Many bisques are thickened with wheat-based roux or stock additives, and unless the kitchen confirms a wheat-free recipe and dedicated ladles, treat this as unsafe by default for strict gluten avoidance.
Dakota Smashed Pea + Barley: Hearty pea soup blended with barley grains. The barley contains gluten by default, so this dish is not safe for celiacs, and you should avoid it unless a certified gluten-free barley substitute is used, which is super rare.
Sedona Tortilla: A warm corn-tortilla-based soup or bowl finished with tortilla strips and seasonings. Although corn-based, this dish often carries high cross-contact risk (tortilla strips, fryers, and seasoning lines), so ask for dedicated prep and no added wheat toppings.
Compared to CPK’s starters, there are a handful of genuinely low-risk salads, though most of their salad bowls and soups use wheat-based add-ins, fried dumplings, or barley, leaving you with only a few others that could be modified to be safe. 🥗
Main Plates & Sandwiches
If you’re not in the mood for pizza, California Pizza Kitchen’s menu has a bunch of non-pizza entrées that are equally as delicious and filling, ranging from simply grilled seafood to stacked sandwiches, though not all of them are safe. 🍗🐟🎣
✅ Cedar Plank Salmon
❌ Chicken Piccata
❌ West Coast Burger
⚠️ Banh Mi Sandwich
⚠️ BBLT Sandwich
❌ California Club Chicken Sandwich
⚠️ Mediterranean Hummus Sandwich
⚠️ Muffaletta Sandwich
Let’s break down these delectable dishes one by one and check out what they’re made of:
Cedar Plank Salmon: Oven-roasted salmon cooked on a cedar plank with a citrus-herb glaze and seasonal vegetables. By recipe and ingredient, this is wheat-free, but request separate plating and fresh utensils to avoid any cross-contact from nearby breads or fried items.
Chicken Piccata: Lightly floured and sautéed chicken finished in lemon-caper sauce and served with a starch and veg. The chicken is dusted in wheat flour and finished in the same pans used for other dishes, making this unsafe unless a non-breaded grilled option is substituted.
West Coast Burger: A classic burger built on a wheat bun with cheese, avocado, and toppings. The burger bun and any toasted components contain wheat, and without a certified gluten-free bun or lettuce-wrap substitute, this meaty burger is not safe for celiac diners.
Banh Mi Sandwich: Vietnamese-style sandwich on crusty ciabatta with pickled veg, pâté, and grilled protein. You can make this substantially safer by ordering it with a lettuce wrap and asking for the pickles and sauces to be handled with fresh gloves to reduce cross-contact.
BBLT Sandwich: Bacon, lettuce, tomato, and other toppings on a toasted ciabatta or similar bread. Replace the wheat bread with the lettuce-wrap option, and request separate plating to minimize cross-contact. Otherwise, the default version contains wheat, and thus, it’s unsafe.
California Club Chicken Sandwich: Stacked sandwich on a wheat bun with turkey or chicken, bacon, avocado, and spreads. The standard bun and the toasting process introduce both ingredient-level gluten and shared-surface cross-contact, so avoid this unless you order a certified gluten-free or lettuce-wrapped variant.
Mediterranean Hummus Sandwich: Hummus, roasted veg, greens, and often feta on ciabatta or similar bread. Order this as a lettuce wrap to remove the wheat-based bread, and ask staff to use clean utensils and a fresh plate to minimise cross-contact from bakery zones.
Muffaletta Sandwich: Italian-style sandwich on a large wheat loaf with olive salad, meats, and cheese. The bread is the main gluten source, so swap to a lettuce wrap if available and request separate assembly away from bread prep to reduce cross-contact. Otherwise, it’s unsafe.
Sadly, there’s only a single truly safe main dish here, though at least those sandwiches, and they are breaded or served on wheat buns by default, can be made safe by swapping all the bread out for lettuce wraps, but be wary of cross-contact risks. 🍔🥪
Pastas & Baked Mac ‘N’ Cheese
Typically, I would say that California Pizza Kitchen’s pastas and baked macs are the ultimate classic comfort food, with rich sauces, long pastas, and cheesy bakes. Unfortunately, they’re entirely wheat-based, making this entire menu a no-go for celiacs. 🍝🍲
❌ Braised Short Rib Ragu
❌ Chicken Tequila Fettuccine
❌ Kung Pao Spaghetti
❌ Jambalaya Linguini Fini
❌ Shrimp Scampi Zucchini
❌ Bolognese Spaghetti
❌ Garlic Cream Fettuccine
❌ Tomato Basil Spaghetti
❌ Mac ‘N’ Cheese
❌ Burnt Ends Mac ‘N’ Cheese
❌ The Original BBQ Chicken Mac ‘N’ Cheese
❌ Carne Asada Mac ‘N’ Cheese
❌ Wild Mushroom Mac ‘N’ Cheese
❌ Five Cheese Mac ‘N’ Cheese
To figure out what makes these noodle dishes so unsafe for celiacs, let’s take a closer peek:
Braised Short Rib Ragu: Slow-braised short rib in a rich tomato and red-wine ragu tossed with long wheat pasta. The dish relies on wheat pasta and often a flour-thickened sauce, and both the ingredient list and shared pasta pots make this unsafe for celiacs.
Chicken Tequila Fettuccine: Sliced chicken in a tequila-kissed cream sauce served over fettuccine noodles. The fettuccine is wheat-based, and the sauce may use roux or thickeners, while shared pasta equipment and sauce ladles add cross-contact risk, so it’s not safe.
Kung Pao Spaghetti: Stirred spicy kung pao-style toppings served with spaghetti. Despite the Asian flavor profile, the dish uses wheat spaghetti and soy-based sauces that sometimes contain wheat, while shared woks and noodle pots further raise cross-contact risks.
Jambalaya Linguini Fini: Cajun-style proteins and vegetables tossed with linguini. The linguini is wheat pasta, and the dish often uses seasoning mixes or thickeners that include gluten. On top of that, shared pots and utensils on the line increase cross-contact risk, so avoid them.
Shrimp Scampi Zucchini: Shrimp in garlic-butter and lemon, typically served with a pasta base. At CPK, the default version includes pasta rather than being purely zucchini noodles, though the presence of wheat pasta and shared pans means it’s unsafe for strict gluten avoidance.
Bolognese Spaghetti: Hearty meat ragu simmered and served with spaghetti. Classic Bolognese is paired with wheat spaghetti, and the sauce may use tomato paste and thickeners handled in shared equipment, so the ingredient and cross-contact risks make this unsafe.
Garlic Cream Fettuccine: Rich cream and garlic sauce over fettuccine noodles. The fettuccine is wheat-based, and the creamy sauce often shares ladles and pots with other wheat dishes. You’ll find gluten in the ingredients, and with the shared prep, rendering it unsafe for celiacs.
Tomato Basil Spaghetti: Simple tomato-basil sauce with spaghetti. Although the sauce itself may be free of wheat, it’s served on wheat spaghetti and prepared on shared lines and scoops, resulting in ingredient-level and cross-contact hazards for gluten-avoidant diners.
Mac ‘N’ Cheese: Classic elbow macaroni in a cheddar sauce. The macaroni is wheat pasta, and many versions include breadcrumb or crunchy toppings. Because both the pasta and crunchy add-ons contain gluten, this is completely unsafe for anyone with celiac disease.
Burnt Ends Mac ‘N’ Cheese: Smoked burnt ends folded into mac and cheese over elbow pasta. Between the wheat pasta, BBQ sauce components, and likely breadcrumb/crumbly toppings, the dish contains gluten and is prepared near other wheat items, so avoid it.
The Original BBQ Chicken Mac ‘N’ Cheese: BBQ chicken mixed with macaroni and cheese. The base uses wheat elbow macaroni and often includes crunchy or saucy add-ins. Both gluten in the ingredients and the shared prep areas make this unsuitable for strict gluten avoidance.
Carne Asada Mac ‘N’ Cheese: Carne asada served with cheesy macaroni. The macaroni here is wheat-based, and the dish is assembled using the same utensils and warmers as other wheat items, so it carries both direct gluten and cross-contact risk.
Wild Mushroom Mac ‘N’ Cheese: Sauteed mushrooms over macaroni and cheese. Despite the mushroom topping, the elbow pasta, and any crunchy garnish, or the sauce thickeners that contain gluten, kitchen cross-contact is likely, making this unsafe for celiacs.
Five Cheese Mac ‘N’ Cheese: Multiple cheeses melted with elbow pasta. The dish centers on wheat macaroni and is prepared in shared sauce pots and serving utensils. Owing to gluten within the ingredients and cross-contact hazards, it’s not safe for those avoiding gluten.
Given the fact that every single pasta and mac & cheese dish here uses wheat-based pastas, roux, or breadcrumb toppings, with no gluten-friendly alternative or substitute in sight, your taste buds and gluten-intolerant appetite are best served elsewhere. 🧀🍅
California Style Pizzas – CPK Original, Classic & Globally Inspired
Finally, we arrive at California Pizza Kitchen’s namesake, the pizzas, which are very obvious gluten hotspots, with bucket loads of wheat crusts, which come by default, and most of the toppings and glazes also contain hidden wheat thickeners. 🍕🧀🍅
⚠️ The Original BBQ Chicken Pizza
❌ Burnt Ends BBQ Pizza
❌ Wild Mushroom
❌ California Club
❌ California Veggie
❌ The Works
⚠️ Mushroom Pepperoni Sausage
❌ Five Cheese + Fresh Tomato
⚠️ Margherita
⚠️ Pepperoni
❌ Hawaiian
❌ Neapolitan Burrata
❌ Habanero Carnitas Pizza
❌ Cacio E Pepe Pizza
⚠️ Thai Chicken
❌ Sicilian
⚠️ Spicy Chipotle Chicken
❌ Carne Asada
❌ Tostada Pizza
❌ Nashville-Style Hot Honey
⚠️ Traditional Cheese
Let’s take apart these pizzas one by one, and take a closer look at how they’re being made:
The Original BBQ Chicken Pizza: Smoked chicken, red onion, and tangy BBQ sauce on a classic wheat crust. The toppings themselves are usually wheat-free, but the crust and shared ovens mean this is unsafe unless you request the cauliflower crust and strict handling.
Burnt Ends BBQ Pizza: Smoked burnt ends, tangy sauce, and melted cheese atop a standard wheat crust. Because the crust contains wheat and the barbecue toppings are often handled near other oven-baked items, this pizza is not safe for celiacs by default.
Wild Mushroom: A mix of roasted mushrooms, garlic, and cheeses on a wheat-based pizza crust. While the mushroom topping is gluten-free by ingredient, the wheat crust and shared ovens/toaster surfaces make this unsafe for strict gluten avoidance.
California Club: Turkey, bacon, tomato, and greens built on a wheat crust. Although proteins and veg are typically gluten-free by recipe, the wheat crust and standard assembly practices mean this sandwich-style pizza is unsafe for celiacs without certified alternatives.
California Veggie: Roasted seasonal vegetables and cheeses on wheat crust. Veggies themselves are fine by ingredient, but the wheat crust and shared prep equipment create cross-contact risk, which is not safe for strict celiac and gluten-free diets.
The Works: Multiple meats, cheeses, and vegetables piled on a wheat crust. Because this is a multi-component pizza with a standard wheat base and many shared handling steps, it’s not suitable for people needing strict gluten-free meals.
Mushroom Pepperoni Sausage: Pepperoni, sausage, and mushrooms on the default wheat crust. You can pick the cauliflower crust option instead of the wheat crust to reduce ingredient-level gluten, though request separate prep and clean utensils to limit cross-contact risks.
Five Cheese + Fresh Tomato: Blend of five cheeses and fresh tomato on a wheat pizza crust. The cheeses and tomatoes are gluten-free by ingredient, but the wheat crust and shared ovens make this unsafe for celiacs unless you choose the cauliflower crust and strict handling.
Margherita: Simple tomato, mozzarella, and basil on a wheat crust. Order the cauliflower crust option instead of the default wheat crust to remove the ingredient-level gluten, and ask for a clean prep area and utensils to lower cross-contact chances.
Pepperoni: Classic pepperoni and cheese on a wheat crust. Swap out the wheat crust for the cauliflower crust to avoid the primary gluten source, and you should still insist on separate plating and fresh gloves because ovens and slicers are shared in busy kitchens.
Hawaiian: Ham and pineapple on a wheat pizza crust. The toppings are typically wheat-free, but the wheat crust and shared equipment mean this dish is unsafe for celiacs by default and not recommended without a verified gluten-free crust and handling.
Neapolitan Burrata: Burrata, tomato, and basil on a thin wheat crust. The cheese and produce are usually gluten-free, yet the wheat crust and the shared oven use make this unsafe for strict gluten avoidance without the cauliflower crust and strict prep controls.
Habanero Carnitas Pizza: Spicy carnitas, cheese, and honey glaze on a wheat crust. The meat topping can be gluten-free by ingredient, but the wheat crust and glaze cross-contact possibilities make this unsafe for celiacs without a GF crust and dedicated prep steps.
Cacio E Pepe Pizza: Pecorino, cracked pepper, and olive oil on a wheat crust. Though the toppings are naturally wheat-free, the standard wheat crust and shared oven make this unsafe for celiac diners, and it doesn’t appear as though the cauliflower crust option is available.
Thai Chicken: Thai-style toppings with peanut notes on a wheat crust. This pie can be made on the cauliflower crust option to avoid wheat in the base, and confirm the sauces for any hidden wheat thickeners and request separate utensils and plating to reduce cross-contact risk.
Sicilian: Thick-crust wheat pizza with robust toppings. The Sicilian’s thick wheat dough is an ingredient-level gluten source and is prepared in shared ovens, and it’s not safe for celiacs unless a certified gluten-free crust is offered and strict prep is confirmed.
Spicy Chipotle Chicken: Smoky chipotle chicken and cheese on a wheat crust. You can request the cauliflower crust instead of the default wheat crust to remove the base’s gluten, but verify the sauce ingredients and ask for separate prep to limit contamination.
Carne Asada: Grilled steak, onions, and cheese on wheat crust. The steak is usually gluten-free by itself, but the standard wheat crust and shared assembly/cutting boards make this unsafe for strict gluten avoidance without certified GF preparation.
Tostada Pizza: Crispy tortilla-style pizza on wheat crust or dusted shell. Because this item relies on wheat-based crust treatments and shared fryers/processes, it’s not safe for celiacs by default, and it should be avoided unless a verified gluten-free option exists.
Nashville-Style Hot Honey: Spicy honey and toppings on a wheat crust. The honey and toppings might be gluten-free, but the wheat crust and shared prep/oven use render it unsafe for celiac diners without a cauliflower crust option and strict separation.
Traditional Cheese: Classic cheese pizza on wheat crust. You may choose the cauliflower crust option instead of the default wheat crust to remove the primary gluten source, but insist on separate prep, clean utensils, and oven practices to reduce cross-contact risk.
On the bright side, some of these pizzas could be made safer by swapping out those wheat-based crusts for the wheat-free cauliflower crust, although you’re still dealing with a risk of cross-contamination via shared ovens, slicers, and prep surfaces. 🔥
CPKids
For the young’uns wishing to dine at California Pizza Kitchen, they offer a decent selection of kid-friendly plates, including pizzas, pasta, basic proteins, and treats, though most are made with wheat-based crusts or pasta, leaving only a few safe options. 🥗
⚠️ Kids Original BBQ Chicken Pizza
⚠️ Kids Traditional Cheese Pizza
⚠️ Kids Pepperoni Pizza
⚠️ Kids Hawaiian Pizza
⚠️ Kids Mushroom Pepperoni Sausage Pizza
❌ Kids Curly Mac ‘N’ Cheese
✅ Kids Salad
❌ Kids Fusilli Pasta + Tomato Sauce
❌ Kids Fusilli Pasta + Alfredo
❌ Kids Fusilli Pasta + Butter
❌ Kids Fusilli Pasta + Meat Sauce
❌ Kids Fusilli Pasta + Olive Oil
✅ Kids Grilled Chicken Breast
❌ Kids Crispy Chicken
✅ Fresh Fruit
❌ Kids Brownie
⚠️ Kids Sundae
To ensure that your kids can dine safely at CPK, let’s take a closer look at these dishes:
Kids Original BBQ Chicken Pizza: A child-sized BBQ chicken pizza that normally comes on a wheat crust. You can swap to the cauliflower crust to remove the base gluten, but shared ovens, slicers, and handling mean you must request strict separation and fresh gloves.
Kids Traditional Cheese Pizza: Simple cheese and tomato on a wheat crust by default. Choosing the cauliflower crust removes the main gluten source, but insist on separate prep and a clean plate, as ovens and pizza peel surfaces are common contamination points in busy kitchens.
Kids Pepperoni Pizza: Pepperoni and cheese on the standard wheat crust. Pick the cauliflower crust to avoid the base’s wheat, and confirm the pepperoni isn’t dusted with any wheat-containing seasonings, and ask staff to plate away from other pizzas to reduce cross-contact.
Kids Hawaiian Pizza: Ham and pineapple on a wheat crust. Ordering the cauliflower crust swaps out the bun-like base, yet shared ovens and prep areas still create cross-contact risk, so request fresh gloves, a wiped prep surface, and separate plating if you need extra caution.
Kids Mushroom Pepperoni Sausage Pizza: Mixed toppings on a standard wheat crust. You may choose the cauliflower crust to eliminate the base gluten. Still, confirm the toppings and sauces for hidden thickeners and request separate utensils and oven timing to lower contamination chances.
Kids Curly Mac ‘N’ Cheese: Classic elbow-style pasta in cheese sauce, and this is wheat-pasta-based by default. The noodles and cheese sauce are prepared on shared lines, so this item is unsafe for celiacs and should be avoided since gluten-free pastas aren’t available.
Kids Salad: Simple kids salad with greens and dressing. By recipe and ingredient, this is gluten-free, but ask for no croutons and for separate tossing and utensils. Request dressing on the side and a clean bowl to minimise cross-contact from nearby bakery or pasta prep areas.
Kids Fusilli Pasta + Tomato Sauce: Fusilli is a wheat pasta served with tomato sauce. The pasta itself contains gluten and is typically cooked in shared pots, and while the tomato sauce may be a safe ingredient-wise, this dish is not reliable for strict gluten avoidance.
Kids Fusilli Pasta + Alfredo: Buttery, creamy Alfredo over wheat fusilli. The pasta is wheat-based, and the sauce may be prepared in shared cookware. This dish is unsafe for celiacs by default and should only be ordered if a verified gluten-free pasta option exists.
Kids Fusilli Pasta + Butter: Plain buttered fusilli uses wheat pasta. Even with fairly minimal ingredients, the wheat noodles and shared pots/utensils create an ingredient and cross-contact risk, so avoid this, especially since gluten-free pastas aren’t available as of yet.
Kids Fusilli Pasta + Meat Sauce: Meat sauce served with wheat fusilli. The noodles have gluten, and the sauce can include thickeners or be ladled with shared tools. Combined handling and shared cookware make this an unsafe choice for strict gluten-free diners.
Kids Fusilli Pasta + Olive Oil: Fusilli tossed with olive oil is pretty simple, but it still uses wheat pasta. The pasta cooker and strainers are shared, so this is not safe for celiacs by default. It’s only acceptable if a gluten-free pasta option is available (it’s not), with separate prep procedures.
Kids Grilled Chicken Breast: Plain grilled chicken breast is a safe, low-risk protein by ingredient. Make sure to ask that it be prepared without marinades that contain soy/wheat, and request separate tongs and a clean plate to reduce cross-contamination from nearby fried or breaded items.
Kids Crispy Chicken: Breaded, fried chicken pieces coated with wheat-based batter. The coating contains gluten, and they’re fried or handled near other battered products, so this is unsafe for celiacs and should be avoided at all costs.
Fresh Fruit: A simple cup or bowl of fresh fruit is naturally gluten-free and low risk. You should also confirm that the fruit is freshly cut and served with clean utensils or sealed packaging, and ask staff to avoid any crumby pastry contact during plating to keep cross-contact minimal.
Kids Brownie: Baked, wheat-based brownie made from flour and sugar. As a bakery dessert, this contains gluten and is prepared on shared trays, so it’s unsafe for celiacs and should be avoided unless a certified gluten-free brownie is offered, which isn’t right now, sadly.
Kids Sundae: An Ice cream sundae is often gluten-free ingredient-wise, but the toppings (cookie crumbs, cones, and sauces) and shared scoops/blenders create a moderate cross-contact risk. To make this safe, request a plain cup, no toppings, and a fresh scoop from a clean container.
That said, there are some good building blocks to make something celiac-safe, like the salad, grilled chicken, fresh fruits, and even some pizzas, though as long as you pick the cauliflower crust instead of the wheat-based crusts. 🍕🍝🧀🥩🍅
Sweet Treats
If you’re thinking of ending your trip down to California Pizza Kitchen on a sweet and savory finisher, you’re out of luck, as the entire dessert menu is bakery-based, meaning that gluten is baked right into all of these decadent treats. 🍰🎂🧁
❌ Belgian Chocolate Soufflé Cake
❌ Upside Down Cheesecake
❌ Mini Butter Cake Flight
❌ Mini Butter Cake Classic
❌ Mini Butter Cake (Dark Chocolate & Brownie Crumble)
❌ Mini Butter Cake (Fresh Strawberries in Puree)
❌ Mini Butter Cake (Smoked Bacon & Maple)
❌ Butter Cake
❌ Churro Swirl
❌ Key Lime Pie
❌ Red Velvet Cake
To figure out what makes these desserts unsafe for celiacs, let’s break these treats apart:
Belgian Chocolate Souffle Cake: A warm, flour-based chocolate cake with a molten center and often dusted with powdered sugar. The cake batter contains wheat flour, and it’s then baked on shared trays, so this dessert is entirely unsafe for celiacs.
Upside Down Cheesecake: A classic cheesecake with a wheat-based crust or streusel topping and a creamy filling. The crust and finishing touches contain gluten, and they’re prepared on shared surfaces, making this unsuitable for anyone requiring strict gluten avoidance.
Mini Butter Cake Flight: A trio of small butter cake slices featuring different toppings. Each mini cake is made from wheat flour, and they’re baked in the same ovens and on the same sheets as other pastries, so this sampler is not safe for celiacs.
Mini Butter Cake Classic: The plain small butter cake uses a wheat flour base and buttery crumb. Because it is baked and plated alongside other bakery items, cross-contact risks are high, and it should be avoided by those with celiac disease.
Mini Butter Cake (Dark Chocolate & Brownie Crumble): Butter cake topped with brownie crumble and chocolate. The brownie and cake components contain wheat, and they’re handled in shared bakery areas, making this item unsafe for celiacs.
Mini Butter Cake (Fresh Strawberries in Puree): Butter cake served with strawberry puree. Even though the fruit is gluten-free, the cake base contains wheat, and it’s also prepared on shared equipment, so this dessert carries both ingredient-level gluten and cross-contact risks.
Mini Butter Cake (Smoked Bacon & Maple): A sweet-and-salty butter cake topped with bacon and maple glaze. The cake itself is made from wheat flour, and toppings are applied on shared counters, so it is not suitable for strict gluten-free diners.
Butter Cake: A full-size butter cake is a traditional wheat-based dessert with a moist crumb. It is baked and sliced on shared trays and often stored near other pastries, creating both ingredient-level problems and cross-contact issues for celiac diners.
Churro Swirl: Fried dough tossed in cinnamon sugar, often piped into a swirl or served with dipping sauces. The dough is wheat-flour-based and fried or stored near other fried pastries, so this item is unsafe for anyone avoiding gluten completely.
Key Lime Pie: A tart custard set in a wheat-based crust and finished with whipped cream. The crust contains wheat and is prepared with other bakery items, so unless a certified gluten-free crust is available (which isn’t, unfortunately), this pie is not safe for celiacs.
Red Velvet Cake: A layered, wheat-based cake with cream cheese frosting. The sponge and any crumbs are made from wheat flour and handled on shared trays and slicers, making this entire dessert unsafe for people with celiac disease.
While some restaurants do offer gluten-free treats and desserts, CPK isn’t one of them, so if you’re looking for something sweet, you’re not going to find any here. Instead, it’s best that you avoid their desserts with a ten-foot pole! 🧀🍫🍩🍪🍦
Drinks
As with most restaurants, California Pizza Kitchen’s drinks are generally the safest part of its gargantuan menu if you’re a celiac, as they mostly consist of brewed teas, lemonades, sodas, and bottled sparkling water, which are naturally wheat-free. ☕️🍵
✅ Freshly Brewed Iced Tea (Peach)
✅ Freshly Brewed Iced Tea (Strawberry)
✅ CPK Lemonade (Peach)
✅ CPK Lemonade (Strawberry)
✅ Passion Fruit Mango Iced Tea
✅ Coca-Cola
✅ Diet Coke
✅ Zero-Sugar Coca-Cola
✅ Sprite
✅ Barq’s Root Beer
✅ Dr. Pepper
✅ Seagram’s Ginger Ale
✅ Fresca
✅ San Pellegrino Sparkling
Just to be sure, let’s take a closer look at these drinks to make sure there’s no hidden gluten:
Freshly Brewed Iced Tea (Peach): Brewed black tea blended with peach flavoring. It contains no wheat ingredients, though you may request the dispenser nozzle be wiped to minimize any trace gluten cross-contact from shared beverage machines in busy kitchens.
Freshly Brewed Iced Tea (Strawberry): Black tea brewed fresh and enhanced with strawberry flavors. The drink itself is gluten-free by recipe, but if it’s poured from a shared fountain spout, ask the staff to wipe the nozzle before serving to minimise cross-contact.
CPK Lemonade (Peach): Classic lemonade mixed with peach flavor. The ingredients contain no wheat, and it’s typically made in dedicated drink containers. Stirring spoons or shared prep pitchers are the main cross-contamination points, so ask for a fresh pour.
CPK Lemonade (Strawberry): Lemonade blended with strawberry flavoring. Free from gluten ingredients, though if it is prepared in large shared pitchers or stirred on the same counters as bakery items, request clean utensils to reduce trace contamination.
Passion Fruit Mango Iced Tea: Fruity iced tea made with tropical flavors and brewed tea. This beverage contains no gluten components, but if it’s fountain-based or mixed from concentrate, nozzle cleanliness is the key factor for highly sensitive celiac diners.
Coca-Cola: A classic soft drink free of wheat and gluten by formulation. The safest option is a sealed bottle or can, but fountain versions are usually low-risk if the nozzle is briefly wiped by the staff before pouring.
Diet Coke: Zero-calorie cola containing no wheat ingredients. Fountain versions can sometimes share nozzles with sugary syrups, so ask staff to clean the dispenser tip before pouring if you’re highly sensitive.
Zero-Sugar Coca-Cola: A sugar-free cola option with no gluten-containing ingredients. Again, avoid cross-contact by choosing a sealed bottle or having staff clean the fountain nozzle before serving.
Sprite: Lemon-lime soda that’s gluten-free by recipe. A sealed can is the lowest-risk option, but fountain Sprite is generally safe with basic nozzle cleaning.
Barq’s Root Beer: Caffeine-free root beer with no wheat-based ingredients. Bottled servings minimize cross-contamination, while fountain versions may benefit from a wiped nozzle if you’re extremely sensitive.
Dr. Pepper: A spiced soft drink made without gluten ingredients. Whether bottled or from a dispenser, it’s considered safe, but simply request a clean nozzle for extra safety.
Seagram’s Ginger Ale: Ginger-flavoured soft drink free of gluten ingredients. Bottled versions are the safest, while fountain pours are fine with a quick wipe-down of the dispenser.
Fresca: Citrus-flavoured zero-calorie soft drink that contains no wheat ingredients. Canned Fresca is ideal for celiacs, but fountain versions remain low-risk with clean nozzles.
San Pellegrino Sparkling: Bottled sparkling mineral water that is naturally gluten-free. The factory-sealed bottles eliminate most of the cross-contact risk, and they’re always a safe choice for people with celiac disease.
With that being said, while all of these drinks are naturally wheat-free, you ought to be very cautious when it comes to cross-contact, especially from shared dispensers, nozzles, carafes, fountains, and drinks stations, so keep an eye out while pouring. 🥤🧃
To Sum Up
On the whole, I’d say California Pizza Kitchen is easily among the more celiac-friendly pizza chains that I’ve looked at recently, and while it’s no gluten-free sanctuary, given that most pizzas there remain wheat-centric, it’s still pretty decent. 🍕
Thanks to their adoption of wheat-free cauliflower crusts, quite a few of their pizzas can be made gluten-sensitive in lieu of typical wheat-based pizza crusts, whether it’s a kid-friendly pizza, adult-sized pie, or as part of a lunch combo! 🍄🍅🧀
Aside from their pizzas, the highly customizable nature of California Pizza Kitchen’s menu is probably why you have more options here than most other fast-casual pizza chains, such as salads, starter plates, and sandwiches that could be modified.
Simple substitutions like a lettuce wrap instead of a wheat roll for their sandwiches, or their simple omission of croutons from a salad, as well as their kitchens’ relatively strict practices, altogether make California Pizza Kitchen a great pick for celiacs!
In the meantime, if you want recommendations on other restaurants with plenty of gluten-free items, make sure to stay tuned to us here at Great Without Gluten for even more celiac-friendly and gluten-free eating out guides! ✍📝
And, while you’re here, you might also want to check out my other eating out guides and some tasty gluten‑free recipes!
If you’re craving other fast-food or casual dining chains and gourmet meals, do check out my other celiacs-friendly, gluten-free dining out guides to Pei Wei, Wendy’s, Cheddar’s, Bob Evans, BJ’s, Maggiano’s, Carrabba’s, MOD Pizza, Little Caesars, Qdoba, Whataburger, Tim Hortons, Arby’s, In-N-Out, Del Taco, Noodles and Company, Baskin-Robbins, El Pollo Loco, and more! 🍔🍟🍗
Stay safe and gluten‑aware, my celiac friends! 💖🥗
Frequently Asked Questions
While working on this California Pizza Kitchen gluten-free menu guide, I can’t help but notice quite a few interesting questions floating around social media, so I hope these might help:
Is California Pizza Kitchen gluten-free?
No. California Pizza Kitchen is not a certified gluten-free kitchen. Some items are naturally free of wheat, and some pizzas can be made with a cauliflower crust instead of regular wheat pizza crusts, though cross-contact is possible on shared lines and ovens, so caution is still advised.
What are the safest gluten-free options at California Pizza Kitchen for celiacs?
Some safer picks include salads without croutons (such as The Wedge, California Cobb, and the Italian Chopped), Cedar Plank Salmon, the Banh Mi Bowl, as well as the sealed beverages. And, their pizzas can be ordered on cauliflower crust, too, though be wary of cross-contamination.
Does California Pizza Kitchen have gluten-free pizza or cauliflower crust?
Yes! You can pick a cauliflower crust on select pizzas, but not all of them. The cauliflower crust is gluten-free, but their pizzas are then baked in shared ovens. You should request a clean, foil-lined pan, a fresh pizza cutter, and separate ladles and gloves to lower any cross-contact risk.
How should I order at California Pizza Kitchen to minimize gluten cross-contact?
Remember to inform the staff that you have celiac disease or other dietary restrictions, ask for fresh gloves and clean utensils, ask for no croutons or crispy toppings, choose lettuce wraps on the sandwiches instead of bread, and ask that the pizzas on a cauliflower crust be baked on a clean, lined pan with a new cutter.
Which California Pizza Kitchen menu items contain hidden gluten?
Avoid anything breaded or fried in shared fryers, dumplings and wontons, standard pastas and mac ’n’ cheese, bakery breads and desserts, and soups with barley or noodle components. Skip the croutons, too, as well as the crispy onions, in addition to their tortilla strip garnishes.
Photo Credit
Jonathan Konrath from Oakland, USA, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
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Becky ✍️
Hi, I am Becky. I am a passionate recipe maker and having been a coeliac (celiac) for 30+ years I focus on gluten-free recipes. My blog is my online cookbook of gluten-free tasty recipes. You can follow me on X: @beckygwg
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