• Home
• Eating Out Guides

Ultimate Costa Gluten-Free Menu Guide For 2025

From barista-crafted espressos to tasty breakfast bites, our Costa gluten-free guide aims to wade you through the gluten at the UK’s favourite coffee shop.

Costa Coffee has won hearts and minds across the UK, and they boldly proclaim themselves as ‘the nation’s favourite coffee shop’, mainly thanks to their iconic barista-crafted coffee. ☕🍵

That, and their legendary creamy frappés and tempting on-the-go bites, have since made them a household name. But, that hasn’t tempted me to welcome them with open arms just yet!

The same could be said with Costa Coffee, too… From oat-based lattes to toasted paninis, your typical Costa Coffee uses shared equipment and prep stations, with contamination aplenty. ❗

As such, vigilance is key, even more so when otherwise gluten-free coffee and tea can be found mingling with wheat-filled pastries or other hidden traps, posing risks to anyone who’s allergic.

So, with this ambitious goal in mind, our Costa gluten-free guide is here to help you figure out which drinks and snacks you could safely enjoy, and which ones you should avoid at all costs!

---

Disclaimer

Now, it’s vital for us to bear in mind that Costa Coffee doesn’t operate a dedicated gluten-free kitchen, which might be worth considering if you’re severely allergic to gluten and wheat. ✍

Specifically, Costa Coffee doesn’t test a single menu item to meet the Food Standards Agency’s <20 mg/kg gluten-free threshold, which is why they do not carry a ‘100% certified GF’ label.

Most of the beverages and unpackaged food items at Costa Coffee are prepared using shared steam wands, toasters, grills and worktops alongside gluten-containing products. ☕🚫🌾

This means that even the safest coeliac-friendly choices here are technically classified more as gluten-friendly or gluten-sensitive, rather than being 100% guaranteed gluten-free. 📝

So, remember that as we go through our Costa gluten-free guide, there’s no certainty that menu items that don’t naturally contain gluten won’t pick up traces of it via cross-contact. 🥯

How you proceed would depend on how critical your gluten allergies are, so if you have coeliac disease or have rather severe gluten intolerances and sensitivities, do proceed with caution!

In fact, the Costa Coffee menu and website make this clear multiple times with stark warnings such as this, as a reminder that they can’t isolate every single allergen, including gluten:

We cannot guarantee that our food or drinks are allergen free. Due to the use of shared equipment in the display, preparation and service of our products there is a risk of cross contamination.

---

Costa Coffee Allergen Policy (Gluten-Free)

Costa Coffee has a ton of resources on its official website to help you with nutritional and allergen information, which is quite useful if you’re allergic to anything!

First off, head over to the Nutrition & Allergens page on their website, and moving past all the helpful summaries and overviews above, further below that, you’ll find a handful of links. 💾

These links open up or download PDF files that provide you with nutritional and allergen data for different parts of Costa Coffee’s offerings and large menus, including (but not limited to):

• Costa Coffee’s in-store products, including drinks made in-store, and unwrapped products such as cakes or pastries (this is the one that we’re referring to in our Costa gluten-free guide).
• Other products that are sold at Costa Coffee locations, but not made by them, including a selection of branded drinks, snacks, marmalades, and other off-the-shelf grocery goods.
• Drinks that you can get with Costa Coffee Express and their self-serve coffee machines, with a large list of all the different beverage types and variations expensed from these machines.
• Costa Coffee’s ‘At-Home’ products, where you could learn about the nutrition and allergens in the roast and ground coffees that you could make at home, as well as instant and pod coffee.
• Last but not least, there is the nutrition and allergen data for Costa Coffee’s gigantic variety of ‘Ready To Drink’ canned and bottled coffee drinks, which you can find in many shops.

Alright, going back to that first link up there; this is where you could spend time reading up or scanning through this massive 76-page PDF file, and find some rather useful insight, such as:

• What type of coffee they offer, the number of specific shots for that specific type of coffee, or even the amount (mg) of caffeine is included per drink, even split into takeaway and ‘drink-in’. This ought to be pretty useful if you’re trying to control your daily caffeine consumption.
• Aside from that, you could also find a detailed nutritional breakdown of the nutrients in every single Costa Coffee menu item, including energy, fat, carbs, fibre, protein, sugar, and more. It could be quite handy if you’re also being mindful of your intake, or if you have a strict diet.
• Additionally, Costa Coffee then lists the dietary choices for every single menu item – drinks and food, as well as snacks and so on – such as whether or not a specific cup of coffee or plate of a pastry is suitable for vegetarian and vegan diets, making it easy to figure things out there.
• Oh, and of course, the most important bit for anyone who’s suffering from coeliac disease, you could find an equally extensive and well-kept breakdown of the major allergens that may come with every menu item – egg, milk, soy, fish, sesame, nuts, and even the source of those nuts.

Naturally, for folks like you and me, who are allergic or are completely intolerant to even small doses of gluten, look out for and avoid products that have wheat, rye, barley, and oats. 🚫🌾

This is a great way for someone with coeliac disease like me to quickly filter out what you can or can’t safely order from the Costa gluten-free menu, and I also like how they filter them, too! ✔️❌

Keep a close eye on how this allergen guide splits between items that carry a specific allergen, those that don’t, and those that shouldn’t have said allergen, but may due to contamination.

I’d even suggest keeping this file bookmarked on your phone for easier reference, but with that out of the way, let’s take an even deeper dive into their menu in our Costa gluten-free guide.

---

Coffee

Of course, we have to start with the namesake of the brand, and best of all, the classic coffees in our Costa gluten-free menu are totally free of any gluten-containing ingredients! ☕🚫🌾

However, do bear in mind that while ordering, you have the option of choosing between some different types of milks, such as semi-skimmed, soy milk, whole milk, or even coconut milk. 🥥

If you have coeliac disease, if you’re highly allergic or are intolerant to gluten, or if you wish to maintain a strict gluten-free diet, then make sure you AVOID THE OAT MILK, as it has gluten!

In particular, Costa Coffee’s oat milk contains traces of barley, oats, rye, and wheat, which are all hazardous to anyone with coeliac disease, though all other milk options here are quite safe.

✅ Latte
✅ Cappuccino
✅ Americano
✅ Flat White
✅ Mocha
✅ Espresso
✅ Cortado
✅ Mocha Cortado

For context, let’s see why these simple yet delectable classic coffee drinks are a perfect match for our Costa gluten-free menu:

Latte: Single or double espresso with steamed milk. There’s no gluten in the recipe, but request a wiped steam wand, just in case there’s any cross-contamination with the equipment.

Cappuccino: Equal parts espresso, steamed milk and foam. Once again, they’re all gluten-free ingredients, but the extra foam ups the level of cross-contact risk at the steam wand.

Americano: Espresso shots topped with hot water. It’s just coffee and water, which is ideal if you want zero dairy-related cross-contact, or if you’re also highly allergic to any gluten.

Flat White: Ristretto espresso with a thin layer of steamed milk. This is also naturally gluten-free, but the same steam-wand caution still applies when it comes to cross-contact.

Mocha: Espresso, steamed milk and chocolate sauce. The sauce is wheat-free, but the shared pump heads may harbour crumbs carried over from gluten-containing items.

Espresso: Straight shot(s) of 100% Arabica beans, with no gluten ingredients and very minimal handling, which ought to make this among the safest choices here if you’re allergic to gluten.

Cortado: Equal parts espresso and steamed milk, served in a small glass. Plus, it’s gluten-free by recipe, but as always, watch the steam wand for any cross-contamination.

Mocha Cortado: A cortado with a dash of chocolate sauce. It’s also gluten-free by ingredients, though ensure the sauce pump is clean, especially if you’re critically allergic to gluten.

Additionally, do remember that all these coffee drinks are crafted on shared equipment (steam wands, espresso machines, or counters near baked goods), so there is cross-contact risk. 🍵

---

Other Hot Drinks

If you’re not in the mood for any coffee, then worry not, as there is a decent selection of other hot drinks in our Costa gluten-free menu, and all of them are also mostly gluten-free! 🍫🍵🔥

These toasty warm beverages naturally contain no gluten by recipe, and they’re only made out of cocoa, milk, tea concentrates or steamed milk, and they pose minimal risks by ingredients.

Nevertheless, just like the Costa gluten-free classic coffees from earlier, when ordering, ensure that you avoid the oat milk option, as it contains gluten. 🌾

✅ Hot Chocolate
✅ White Hot Chocolate
✅ Chai Latte
✅ Milk Babyccino

With that out of the way, let’s take these hot drinks apart and look at how they compare to our Costa gluten-free menu:

Hot Chocolate: Steamed milk blended with rich cocoa powder and chocolate syrup. There’s no gluten in the ingredients, but make sure you request a clean steam wand and syrup pump.

White Hot Chocolate: Creamy white chocolate sauce melted into steamed milk. This one’s also free from wheat, but watch the pump head for stray crumbs carried over from the pastry.

Chai Latte: Spiced black tea concentrate mixed with steamed milk. The concentrate is gluten-free, but once again, ensure that the steam wand is wiped between uses, just to be safe.

Milk Babyccino: Steamed milk with a frothy foam top. It’s naturally gluten-free and caffeine-free, which is ideal for little ones, but check that the wand is clean of any trace gluten.

As always, these hot drinks continue to share equipment such as steam wands, pumps, as well as worktops, and cross-contamination is quite possible, so be careful if you’re allergic. 😷🌾

---

Frappé

Alternatively, if you’re craving something much more decadent, then you may want to sample some of our Costa gluten-free menu’s mouth-watering Frappé drinks, which are also safe! ☕

All of Costa Coffee’s Frappés are gluten-free by recipe, made with pure milk, ice, coffee or fruit purées, and syrups without wheat, barley or rye, though remember to avoid that oat milk! 🐄

✅ Tiramisu Frappé
✅ Tropical Mango Bubble Frappé
✅ Strawberry Drizzle Frappé
✅ Salted Caramel Frappé
✅ Salted Caramel Frappé with Coffee
✅ Chocolate Fudge Frappé
✅ Chocolate Fudge Frappé with Coffee
✅ Coffee Frappé

Let’s take a closer peek at these Frappés and see how they stack up against the other drinks in our Costa gluten-free menu:

Tiramisu Frappé: Espresso, milk, ice and tiramisu-flavoured syrup blended until smooth. There are no biscuit or custard mix-ins, making this a safe choice if you have coeliac disease.

Tropical Mango Bubble Frappé: Mango purée, milk, ice and tapioca-style ‘bubbles.’ All the fruit and dairy ingredients are wheat-free, but watch out for any cross-contamination.

Strawberry Drizzle Frappé: Milk and ice swirled with a strawberry purée drizzle. It’s naturally free of gluten ingredients as well, making it a fairly safe pick if you’re allergic to gluten.

Salted Caramel Frappé: Milk, ice and salted caramel sauce. The sauce contains no wheat, but just remember to request a clean blender if you’re concerned about cross-contact.

Salted Caramel Frappé with Coffee: All of the above plus a shot of espresso. The only huge risk here is the use of shared equipment, which might risk some cross-contamination.

Chocolate Fudge Frappé: Milk, ice and rich chocolate fudge syrup. There are no inclusions and mix-ins here that contain gluten in the standard recipe, making it another safe choice.

Chocolate Fudge Frappé with Coffee: Chocolate-fudge base plus espresso. It’s quite safe by ingredients but watch for any blender residue that might carry some traces of gluten.

Coffee Frappé: Classic blend of espresso, milk and ice. It contains only pure coffee and dairy, making it gluten-free by recipe, and comparatively quite coeliac-safe, too.

Nonetheless, while these Frappés are naturally gluten-free, they are blitzed in shared blenders, so if you have coeliac disease or severe gluten allergies, watch for cross-contact. 🥭🍓🍫☕

---

Coffee Over Ice

Few things chill the body on a hot summer’s day any better than some sweet iced coffee, and you can find a nice variety of iced lattes, mochas, and more on the Costa gluten-free menu. 🧊

All of Costa’s ‘Cover Over Ice’ drinks are gluten-free by recipe, made only with espresso, ice, as well as milk and flavourings that contain no wheat, barley, or rye, but avoid oat milk. ☕

✅ Tiramisu Iced Whipped Latte
✅ Vanilla Lavender Iced Whipped Latte
✅ White Chocolate Iced Whipped Latte
✅ Caramel Iced Whipped Latte
✅ Iced Latte
✅ Iced Black Americano
✅ Iced Chai Latte
✅ Iced Cappuccino
✅ Iced Flat White
✅ Iced Mocha

Let’s analyse each of these iced coffee drinks and see how they compare against the others for our Costa gluten-free guide:

Tiramisu Iced Whipped Latte: Espresso over ice with milk, tiramisu-flavoured syrup and some whipped cream. There are no gluten ingredients, but remember to watch the whipped cream dispenser and syrup pump for any cross-contamination.

Vanilla Lavender Iced Whipped Latte: Espresso, milk and ice blended with vanilla and lavender syrups, topped with whipped cream. The syrups and cream are gluten-free but ask for a clean pump and nozzle, especially if you’re highly intolerant to gluten.

White Chocolate Iced Whipped Latte: Espresso, milk and ice combined with white-chocolate sauce, finished with whipped cream. The sauce itself contains no gluten, but make sure you request fresh equipment, particularly if you have coeliac disease.

Caramel Iced Whipped Latte: Classic espresso, milk and ice with caramel sauce and whipped cream. All the components are gluten-free, but cross-contact with the pumps and whipper is possible, more so if you’re highly sensitive to any trace of gluten.

Iced Latte: Chilled espresso topped with cold milk over ice, though it’s just coffee, milk and ice, making this a straightforward gluten-free choice, but a clean jug is still recommended.

Iced Black Americano: Espresso shots diluted with cold water and ice. It contains only coffee and water, and it’s also gluten-free by nature, but ensure that the pour spout is wiped.

Iced Chai Latte: Chai tea concentrate shaken with milk and ice. The concentrate is spice-based and gluten-free, but double-check and watch the shaker for any risks of cross-contact.

Iced Cappuccino: Espresso, cold foamed milk and ice. All the dairy and coffee ingredients are gluten-free, but to be extra safe, confirm that the frothing jug is clean of trace gluten.

Iced Flat White: Ristretto shots over cold milk and ice. A simple, gluten-free espresso-and-milk drink, but remember to ask for a fresh milk jug, especially if you’re highly allergic to gluten.

Iced Mocha: Espresso, cold milk, ice and chocolate sauce. The mocha sauce is gluten-free, but request that the syrup pump be wiped clean (for any traces of wheat or gluten) before use.

That said, while these might be naturally gluten-free, they’re prepared at shared stations with pump-dispensed syrups and whipped cream nozzles, so be diligent if you’re allergic to gluten.

As with the other coffee drinks here, you’re safe as long as you avoid the gluten-containing oat milk option, but to be extra safe, ask the barista for clean equipment and a fresh cup! ☕🍵

---

Other Cold Drinks

Speaking of chilly drinks to soothe yourself on a hot day, the Costa gluten-free menu has other cold drinks too, and folks allergic to gluten can celebrate once more, as these are gluten-free!

All of Costa Coffee’s cold refreshers and lemonades are made out of fruit juices, purees, water, sugar and ice, and best of all, they’re all free of gluten and wheat ingredients. 🍓🍉🍋🧊

✅ Dragon Fruit & Guava Refresher
✅ Strawberry, Watermelon & Mint Refresher
✅ Pink Lemonade
✅ Still Lemonade

Let’s take a closer peek at these cold drinks to see how they stack up against the other drinks here in our Costa gluten-free shortlist:

Dragon Fruit & Guava Refresher: A vibrant blend of dragon fruit and guava purée shaken over ice. All these fruit ingredients are naturally gluten-free but ask for a clean shaker and ice scoop to avoid any risks of cross-contact.

Strawberry, Watermelon & Mint Refresher: Sweet strawberry and watermelon juices infused with mint, poured over ice. There are no wheat ingredients, but just make sure the dispenser tap is wiped before serving, just in case it catches trace gluten.

Pink Lemonade: Classic lemonade tinted pink with a hint of berry flavour. Made from lemons, sugar and natural colourings, it’s gluten-free, but check that the lemonade pump and ice bins are kept clear of pastry crumbs, especially if you’re critically intolerant of gluten.

Still, Lemonade: Freshly squeezed lemons, water and cane sugar, and these are pretty simple and gluten-free. Since it’s drawn from a shared tap, a quick wipe down before use adds extra safety and peace of mind if you have coeliac disease.

As per usual, these cold drinks are dispensed from shared taps and jugs, so if you have coeliac disease or a serious gluten allergy, ask for a fresh cup, wiped nozzles and a clean ice scoop! 🍹

---

Iced Tea

Moving on to the many teas that you could order from the Costa gluten-free menu, all of their iced teas are naturally gluten-free; they’re just tea, fruit purées, syrups and ice. 🍵🧊🍑🥭

✅ Peach Ice Tea
✅ Mango Berry Bubble Tea

It sounds simple enough, but just to be extra sure, let’s look at these iced teas and see if they’re a good fit for my personal Costa gluten-free shortlist:

Peach Ice Tea: Black tea brewed and chilled, and then lightly sweetened with peach syrup and poured over ice. There are no gluten ingredients, but it’s best to ask for a clean tea tap and ice scoop to avoid stray crumbs that might be carried over from Costa Coffee’s pastries.

Mango Berry Bubble Tea: A vibrant fusion of mango and mixed-berry purées blended with tea and ice, finished with gluten-free popping bubbles. All the individual components, like the fruit purées, tea and tapioca pearls, are wheat-free, but the dispenser and shaker should be wiped clean between uses to further minimise any cross-contamination.

Once again, these iced teas are drawn from shared taps and jugs, so if you are highly sensitive to gluten, ask the barista for a clean cup, wiped nozzles, and a fresh ice scoop to be safe! 🍵

---

Tea

Or, if you want something nice and piping hot, there’s a diverse array of hot teas in the Costa gluten-free menu, too! And, unsurprisingly, their loose-leaf and bagged teas are all gluten-free. 🍵♨️

✅ English Breakfast Tea
✅ Decaf Tea
✅ Earl Grey Tea
✅ Green Tea
✅ Mint Tea
✅ Superfruity Infusion
✅ Citrus Zing with Vitamin C
✅ Spiced Apple with Vitamin B6
✅ Mellow Mango with Zinc

Now, let’s see what these teas are made of to see if they’re a worthy contender for our Costa gluten-free list:

English Breakfast Tea: Robust blend of black teas steeped in hot water. It’s also naturally free of gluten, but ensure that the teapot spout and infuser are cleaned between uses.

Decaf Tea: Decaffeinated black tea using the Swiss water process, with no gluten here, just tea leaves. Nonetheless, confirm that the decaf kettle hasn’t been used for any milk-based drinks.

Earl Grey Tea: Black tea scented with natural bergamot oil. It contains no wheat, but request clean scoops and a clean infuser, particularly if you’re highly allergic or are intolerant to gluten.

Green Tea: Pure green tea leaves are lightly oxidised for a delicate flavour, and it’s naturally gluten-free, but make sure you take steps to avoid any cross-contamination with pastry tongs.

Mint Tea: Whole peppermint leaves steeped to release menthol freshness. It’s gluten-free by ingredient, but remember to rinse the infuser basket for extra safety against trace gluten.

Superfruity Infusion: Dried hibiscus, rosehip and berries for tart, sweet notes. There is no gluten in the fruit petals, but ask for a fresh paper filter if you’re very sensitive to any gluten.

Citrus Zing with Vitamin C: Blend of hibiscus, orange peel and lemon myrtle, plus some added vitamin C. Once again, it’s gluten-free by recipe, but handle it like any other tea here, too.

Spiced Apple with Vitamin B6: Apple pieces, cinnamon and cloves infused with vitamin B6. It’s only made from naturally gluten-free spices, but check that the scoop is dedicated to infusions.

Mellow Mango with Zinc: Dried mango chunks and mango leaf infusion enriched with zinc. It contains no gluten, but ensure that the scoop is clean and dry, just to be extra safe.

These teas are pretty much just dried leaves, herbs, and fruit infusions, but as always, do check the infuser basket and ask the barista for wiped tongs to avoid any stray bakery crumbs. 🍞

---

Fruit Coolers

A unique addition to the Costa gluten-free menu is their fruit coolers, and while currently, we’ll only get a couple of them, they’re a sweet, savoury, and refreshingly gluten-free drink! 🥭🍓

✅ Mango & Passion Fruit Cooler
✅ Red Summer Berries

As the last of the in-house and made-to-order Costa gluten-free drinks, let’s see how these will compare against the other drinks here:

Mango & Passion Fruit Cooler: A vibrant blend of mango and passion-fruit purées shaken with ice and water. There are no hidden gluten ingredients, but it’s best to ask for a fresh scoop and a wiped-down dispenser tap if you’re highly sensitive to gluten.

Red Summer Berries: A bright mix of strawberry, raspberry and red-berry purées with ice and water. It’s also naturally free of wheat or barley, but double-check that the fruit-purée pump hasn’t been used for any pastry-based toppings, which is otherwise a no-go for coeliacs.

All of Costa Coffee’s Fruit Coolers are made from pure fruit purée, water and ice, but I suggest that you give the dispenser a wipe and ask for a clean scoop to dodge stray crumbs. 🍸🚫🌾

---

Breakfast

Finally, we get to the many food items that you can pick from the Costa gluten-free menu, and we start off with their breakfast menu; perfect if you need a hearty start or a light bite! 🥐🥪

Alas, it’s not all good news here, as all of these breakfast items contain gluten, with a generous amount of non-gluten-free bread, buns, and pastries, as well as oat cereals. 🥯🥩🌭🍳🍄

❌ Wiltshire Ham & Mature Cheddar Croissant
❌ Pork Sausage Bap
❌ Smoked Bacon Bap
❌ Egg & Mushroom Bap
❌ All Day Breakfast Wrap
❌ Greek Style Yoghurt with Mixed Berry Compote
❌ Wholegrain Jumbo Oats Porridge
❌ Instant Wholegrain Porridge
❌ Seeded Brown Toast (V)
❌ White Toast (V)

While this might be a foregone conclusion, let’s check out what these breakfast items are made of anyway, just to see where they fit into our Costa gluten-free list:

Wiltshire Ham & Mature Cheddar Croissant: Flaky, wheat-flour pastry filled with ham and cheddar, and it contains gluten throughout and is baked alongside other wheat goods, so they’ll come with gluten aplenty, through its ingredients and by cross-contamination.

Pork Sausage Bap: British pork sausage nestled in a soft wheat bap. The sausage is gluten-free by recipe, but the bap bread contains wheat, and there’s also the shared toaster contact risk.

Smoked Bacon Bap: Applewood-smoked bacon on a wheat bap. Bacon is naturally gluten-free, yet the bap itself is made from wheat flour, and there are no gluten-free substitutes, either.

Egg & Mushroom Bap: Fried egg and sautéed mushrooms in a wheat bap, and both fillings are gluten-free, but the bap isn’t, making this absolutely hazardous if you have coeliac disease.

All Day Breakfast Wrap: Eggs, sausage, bacon and cheese wrapped in a wheat tortilla, but it contains multiple gluten sources, mainly between the wrap and the fillings.

Greek Style Yoghurt with Mixed Berry Compote: Creamy yoghurt topped with fruit compote. Sadly, according to the Costa Coffee allergen guide, it contains gluten ingredients, making it unsafe if you’re allergic or are intolerant to gluten.

Wholegrain Jumbo Oats Porridge: Traditional oats, milk and salt. Oats are typically gluten-free by nature, but they’re often processed alongside wheat, and Costa Coffee confirms this through their allergen guide, which mentions the presence of wheat, barley, and oats.

Instant Wholegrain Porridge: Single-serve sachets of oats with dried fruit. Once again, oats are naturally gluten-free, but they’re normally processed alongside wheat, and the Costa Coffee allergen guide once again mentions the inclusion of wheat, barley, and oats.

Seeded Brown Toast (V): Slices of brown bread studded with seeds, but they’re made out of wheat flour, and they’re then baked in communal ovens.

White Toast (V): Classic white bread, entirely wheat-based and toasted on shared equipment, so it’s completely unsafe for anyone with coeliac disease.

There’s not much that you could do here, and even those two porridge dishes still contain some gluten ingredients. In particular, it’s mostly oat, but there could be trace wheat and barley. 🥣

---

Lunch

Moving past breakfast, you may be keen to check out the gargantuan selection of lunch items in our Costa gluten-free menu, but alas, only a single one here is certified gluten-free! 🍞🥐

Most of these lunch items are built with wheat-based bread and buns, like their sandwiches or toasties, and other wheat-based bakery products, such as wraps and flatbread. 🥙🌯🌮🥪

Now is a good time to highlight Costa’s NEW gluten-free Mozzarella & Pesto Toastie. This toastie has been certified by Coeliac UK and carries the Crossed Grain Trademark, ensuring it is suitable for those who have coeliac disease or a gluten sensitivity. Well done, Costa! 🌟🌟

✅ Gluten Free Mozzarella & Pesto Toastie
❌ Chicken Shawarma Flatbread
❌ Tandoori Bhaji Flatbread
❌ Brie, Bacon & Chilli Jam Panini
❌ All Day Breakfast Toastie
❌ Hog Roast Toastie
❌ Chicken & Bacon Toastie
❌ Roast Chicken & Chorizo Panini
❌ Wiltshire Ham & Mature Cheddar Toastie
❌ Cheese & Tomato Toastie (V)
❌ Tuna Melt Panini
❌ Mozzarella & Tomato Panini (V)
❌ New York Deli Bagel
❌ Cajun Spiced Chicken Pizza Wrap
❌ Ham & Cheese Toastie
❌ Heinz Beanz & Cheese Toastie
❌ Vegan Ham & Cheeze Toastie
❌ Roast Chicken & Bacon Sandwich
❌ Prawn Mayonnaise Sandwich
❌ BLT Sandwich
❌ Free Range Egg Mayo Sandwich
❌ Creamy Mac & Cheese (V)
❌ Pork & Apple Sausage Roll

Regardless, let’s analyse every single lunch item here to see how they compare against the rest in our Costa gluten-free guide:

Gluten-Free Mozzarella & Pesto Toastie: Melted mozzarella and basil pesto on certified gluten-free bread, toasted on a separate plate. This is safe by recipe and has minimal cross-contact if the prep station and handling of the food itself are clean, and it’s the only safe one here.

Chicken Shawarma Flatbread: Marinated chicken in a wheat flour flatbread. The filling might be gluten-free, but that flatbread contains wheat, making the whole thing unsafe.

Tandoori Bhaji Flatbread: Spicy vegetable bhaji in wheat flatbread. Once again, that bhaji mix is gluten-free, but the bread is not, posing a huge risk if you’re intolerant to gluten.

Brie, Bacon & Chilli Jam Panini: Brie and bacon in a toasted wheat panini with chilli jam. The cheese and bacon are fine, but that panini is wheat-based, with no gluten-free alternatives.

All Day Breakfast Toastie: Eggs, sausage and cheese on wheat bread. All the fillings are gluten-free by recipe, but like most of the other bread types here, that toastie uses wheat.

Hog Roast Toastie: Pulled pork with apple sauce on wheat toast. As per usual, the filling might be gluten-free, but the toast is not, thus making it dangerous if you’re allergic to gluten.

Chicken & Bacon Toastie: Grilled chicken and bacon in wheat toast. The filling is fine, but that bread contains wheat, and Costa doesn’t offer a gluten-free substitute or bun-less alternative.

Roast Chicken & Chorizo Panini: Chicken, chorizo and cheese in wheat panini. The panini does contain gluten despite the otherwise safe fillings, so avoid this if you have coeliac disease.

Wiltshire Ham & Mature Cheddar Toastie: Ham and cheddar on wheat toast. The meat and the cheese are gluten-free, but the toast isn’t, so avoid this if you can’t eat gluten, as well.

Cheese & Tomato Toastie (V): Cheese and tomato on wheat bread. All the toppings are gluten-free, but the bread contains gluten aplenty, and it is a vegetarian option if that helps.

Tuna Melt Panini: Tuna mayo and cheese in a wheat panini. A familiar story can be found here once again, as the filling is gluten-free ingredients, but the panini bread is not.

Mozzarella & Tomato Panini (V): Mozzarella and tomato in wheat panini. The fillings are safe, like the other sandwich and toastie options here, but once more, that bread contains gluten.

New York Deli Bagel: Filled bagel made from wheat flour. Gluten-free fillings are possible with some modification, but it doesn’t matter anyway, since the bagel is completely unsafe.

Cajun Spiced Chicken Pizza Wrap: Cajun chicken and cheese in a wheat tortilla. The fillings are all gluten-free by recipe and ingredients, but it’s a shame that the wrap contains wheat.

Ham & Cheese Toastie: Ham and cheese on wheat toast. Equally, the fillings inside it should be gluten-free, but the bread contains gluten, and there are no GF substitutes to be found.

Heinz Beanz & Cheese Toastie: Baked beans and cheese on wheat toast. The beans and cheese are gluten-free, but the bread isn’t, making this a hazard if you’re highly allergic to gluten.

Vegan Ham & Cheeze Toastie: Plant-based ham and dairy-free cheese on wheat toast. All the fillings may be gluten-free, but the toast contains wheat and gluten in abundance.

Roast Chicken & Bacon Sandwich: Chicken, bacon and mayo on wheat bread. The fillings are mostly quite safe, but as with the other sandwiches and toasties here, the bread is not.

Prawn Mayonnaise Sandwich: Prawns and mayo on wheat bread. The fillings are gluten-free, but the bread contains gluten, so you should avoid it entirely if you’re allergic to gluten.

BLT Sandwich: Bacon, lettuce, tomato and mayo on wheat bread. The fillings are safe, but the bread is not gluten-free.

Free Range Egg Mayo Sandwich: Egg mayo on wheat bread. Once again, the fillings are gluten-free, but the bread isn’t.

Creamy Mac & Cheese (V): Pasta shells in cheese sauce, but the pasta is made from wheat, so it isn’t safe for coeliacs.

Pork & Apple Sausage Roll: Pork sausage in wheat-flour pastry, but it contains wheat and gluten throughout.

In short, besides that singular certified gluten-free lunch item here, avoid the rest of them, and it’s a shame that Costa Coffee doesn’t offer gluten-free alternatives or substitutes. 🍔🧀🥓

---

Pastries & Sweets

For a sweet and savoury end to your trip down to Costa Coffee, our Costa gluten-free menu has bucketloads of pastries and sweets to choose from, but coeliacs aren’t welcome here. 🍪🧁

Sadly for folks like us, who are deathly allergic to gluten or can’t eat even the tiniest traces of it, every single pastry and sweet dish here at Costa Coffee is made with wheat flour.🍰🎂🥐

❌ Chocolate & Pistachio Cookie Sandwich
❌ Triple Chocolate Muffin
❌ Strawberry & Vanilla Cake
❌ Carrot & Walnut Cake
❌ Triple Chocolate Brownie Cheesecake
❌ Croissant (V)
❌ Almond Croissant (V)
❌ Biscoff Cheezecake
❌ Milk Chocolate Cookie
❌ Chocolate Twist (V)
❌ Pain aux Raisins
❌ Fruited Teacake (V)
❌ Blueberry Muffin
❌ Lemon Muffin (V)
❌ Salted Caramel Brownie
❌ Cinnamon Bun
❌ Millionaire’s Shortbread (V)
❌ Chocolate Tiffin (V)
❌ Raspberry & Almond Bake (V)
❌ Bakewell Tart (V)
❌ Lemon Curd Tart (V)
❌ Lemon Drizzle Loaf Cake

Still, let’s take these pastries and sweets apart to see what they’re made of, and why they are not a great fit for my Costa gluten-free shortlist:

Chocolate & Pistachio Cookie Sandwich: Two wheat flour cookies sandwiching cream, but it contains gluten throughout.

Triple Chocolate Muffin: Rich wheat-based muffin studded with three types of chocolate, but it’s entirely unsafe for coeliacs.

Strawberry & Vanilla Cake: Layered sponge cake made with wheat flour, which does contain gluten in generous quantities.

Carrot & Walnut Cake: Moist carrot cake on a wheat flour base, but alas, it’s unsafe for any gluten-free diets.

Triple Chocolate Brownie Cheesecake: Brownie layer (wheat flour) beneath a cheesecake topping, but it contains gluten via the brownie.

Croissant (V): Traditional laminated wheat pastry, and it’s entirely gluten-based.

Almond Croissant (V): Wheat-flour croissant filled with almond paste, but it contains gluten.

Biscoff Cheezecake: Cheesecake with Biscoff biscuit crust, but unfortunately, the crust is made from wheat biscuits.

Milk Chocolate Cookie: Classic wheat flour cookie with milk chocolate chips, but it’s unsafe for anyone with coeliac disease.

Chocolate Twist (V): Twisted pastry made from wheat dough and chocolate, but once again, it contains gluten.

Pain aux Raisins: Spiral wheat pastry with raisins and custard, though like the other pastries and sweets here, it contains gluten.

Fruited Teacake (V): Soft tea-time cake made from wheat flour and dried fruit, which is, once more, unsafe if you’re highly allergic to gluten.

Blueberry Muffin: Wheat-based muffin filled with blueberry compote, but it contains gluten.

Lemon Muffin (V): Wheat-flour muffin flavoured with lemon, which is unsafe for gluten-free diets.

Salted Caramel Brownie: Brownie made from wheat flour batter and caramel, but as is the case here, it also contains gluten.

Cinnamon Bun: Sweet wheat flour spiral bun with cinnamon sugar, which is unsafe owing to the abundance of gluten found.

Millionaire’s Shortbread (V): Layered shortbread made with wheat flour, which has gluten.

Chocolate Tiffin (V): No-bake chocolate biscuit cake using broken wheat biscuits, which is unsafe due to the wheat biscuits.

Raspberry & Almond Bake (V): Wheat-flour pastry topped with raspberry and almond, but it contains gluten.

Bakewell Tart (V): Short-crust pastry tart made from wheat flour, and once again, it’s unsafe for anyone here who is intolerant to gluten.

Lemon Curd Tart (V): Pastry case made from wheat flour filled with lemon curd, but it contains gluten aplenty.

Lemon Drizzle Loaf Cake: Wheat-flour loaf with lemon drizzle, and once again, it’s unsafe for coeliacs.

Overall, it’s a shame that Costa Coffee doesn’t at least offer one gluten-free pastry, so if you’re craving something sweet, it’s worth checking out gluten-free bakeries instead. 🍫🍋🍓🍥

---

Snacks

If you’re looking to munch on something while you’re sipping a Costa gluten-free coffee or tea, there’s at least some hope with their snacks, as there are some gluten-free options here! 🍉

Many of these snacks are pre-packaged, which reduces any contamination risks, and some of them are also certified gluten-free or otherwise contain no gluten ingredients. 🍪🍫🧇🍿

✅ Watermelon
✅ Lightly Sea Salted Crisps
✅ Sea Salt & Cider Vinegar Crisps
✅ Mature Cheddar & Red Onion Crisps
✅ Sweet & Salty Popcorn
✅ Millionaire’s Shortbread (Gluten Free)
✅ Belgian Chocolate Brownie (Gluten Free)
❌ Bubble Frappé Gingerbread Biscuit
❌ Triple Chocolate Biscuits
❌ Stem Ginger Biscuits
❌ Fruit & Oat Biscuits
❌ Fruity Flapjack
❌ Jammy Shortbread
❌ Mini All Butter Shortbreads
❌ Caramel Waffles

Now, let’s see why some of these snacks somehow made their way into the Costa gluten-free menu, and if they’re truly safe for coeliacs like me:

Watermelon: Simply fresh-cut, single-serve melon, and it’s also naturally gluten-free, with no cross-contact risk if bought pre-portioned, but do double-check that to make absolutely sure.

Lightly Sea Salted, Sea Salt & Cider Vinegar, Mature Cheddar & Red Onion Crisps: All of these are potato crisps in factory-sealed bags, and they’re also gluten-free by recipe, with minimal cross-contact risks, to boot.

Sweet & Salty Popcorn: Pre-popped and pre-bagged, with no wheat ingredients, and they’re gluten-free and coeliac-safe, for an added bonus.

Bubble Frappé Gingerbread Biscuit: Wheat-flour biscuits flavoured with ginger, which contains gluten, and they’re also baked on shared trays, with cross-contamination aplenty.

Triple Chocolate Biscuits: Rich cocoa-based cookies made with wheat flour, which are sadly unsafe for coeliacs, given the gluten-based ingredients, in addition to cross-contact risks.

Stem Ginger Biscuits: Wheat-flour cookies with candied ginger, but they contain gluten, and they also share baking lines, resulting in a gluten double-whammy, including the prep.

Fruit & Oat Biscuits: Oat-and-fruit biscuits often use barley malt extract, but it’s not certified gluten-free, and you should avoid it if you’re highly allergic to gluten and wheat.

Fruity Flapjack: Oat-bar flapjack bound with syrup, but the oats may be contaminated with wheat, making this another no-go if you’re severely intolerant to any gluten.

Jammy Shortbread: Classic jam-filled wheat shortbread, but it contains gluten, and it’s then baked alongside other pastries, posing a huge cross-contamination risk.

Mini All Butter Shortbreads: Rich wheat-flour biscuits, though it’s unsafe for gluten-free diets and folks who are allergic to gluten.

Caramel Waffles: Mini waffle bites made with wheat batter, but they contain gluten, and it’s then prepared on shared presses.

Millionaire’s Shortbread (Gluten Free): Certified gluten-free shortbread base topped with caramel and chocolate, and it’s also factory-sealed, making this quite safe for coeliacs.

Belgian Chocolate Brownie (Gluten Free): Individually wrapped gluten-free brownie, with no wheat in the recipe or ingredients, and it poses a pretty low cross-contact risk, too.

While some of these snacks might be naturally free of any gluten, remember that those items which aren’t pre-packaged might still risk some cross-contact while they’re being handled. 🌾

---

To Sum Up

In conclusion, the Costa gluten-free menu is quite a one-sided affair, although I do congratulate their new product the gluten-free mozzarella and pesto toastie. 🥪

They do have a hearty selection of gluten-free, coeliac-safe drinks, such as coffees, teas, fruity drinks, Frappé, and hot cocoa! ☕

Just bear in mind the cross-contact risks during their drinks prep that naturally come with any café that uses shared equipment, so watch the steam wands, pitchers, and coffee machines.

Moreover, remember to avoid ordering your coffees (and other drinks, too) with their oat milk, as it contains gluten, though the other milk options here are naturally free of gluten. 🍵♨🥥

Elsewhere, when it comes to the food in the Costa gluten-free menu, you’re out of luck, as the breakfast, lunch (apart from one item), pastries, and sweets menus are filled with wheat-based bakery goods! 🚫🌾

Still, if you need to eat something while you’re sipping on a hot cup of coffee, Costa Coffee has some certified gluten-free snacks, crisps, and baked goods too, so you still have some options.

Overall, for me, as someone with coeliac disease, I’d be glad to visit Costa Coffee again, though with an abundance of caution for cross-contamination, and their tiny selection of safe foods.

In the meantime, 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 coeliac-friendly, gluten-free dining out guides to Starbucks, Burger King, McDonald’s, Pizza Express, Greggs, Dominos, Pizza Hut KFC, and more! 🍔🍟🍗

Stay safe and gluten‑aware, my celiac friends! 💖🥗

---

Frequently Asked Questions

As I was working on this Costa gluten-free guide, I found some rather fascinating questions floating across social media and community forums, so I thought I’d try and answer them here:

Does Costa Coffee offer gluten-free menu items?

Costa doesn’t operate a certified gluten-free kitchen, but most of their beverages are naturally free of gluten ingredients (as long as you avoid their oat milk) and some of their pre-packaged snacks, such as the Millionaire’s Shortbread and Belgian Chocolate Brownie, are have officially been labelled gluten-free, among a handful of other snacks.

Which Costa Coffee drinks are safe for coeliacs?

All plain espresso-based drinks (Latte, Cappuccino, Americano, Flat White, Mocha, Espresso, Cortado), Hot Chocolate, Chai Latte, and iced coffees contain no gluten ingredients. Just ask the barista to wipe steam wands and pump heads to minimise cross-contact, particularly for folks who are highly allergic or are completely intolerant to any gluten.

Can I get a gluten-free breakfast at Costa?

Costa Coffee’s in-store breakfast items (croissants, baps, porridge, wraps) all use wheat-based breads or oats that aren’t certified gluten-free and are prepared alongside other baked goods. The only truly safe grab-and-go foods at Costa Coffee would be their pre-packaged snacks, like their selection of crisps, as well as a couple of certified gluten-free bakery products.

Which Costa snacks are coeliac-safe?

If you want to remain strictly gluten-free, order their factory-sealed crisps (Lightly Sea Salted, Mature Cheddar & Red Onion, etc.), Sweet & Salty Popcorn, and the two certified gluten-free treats: Millionaire’s Shortbread and Belgian Chocolate Brownie. The new gluten-free mozzarella and pesto toastie.  The watermelon is also naturally safe.

How can I minimise gluten cross-contact at Costa?

Always remember to inform your barista that you have coeliac disease. While you’re there, you could also ask them for wiped or fresh steam wands, clean pump nozzles, new cups, and sealed snacks (pre-packaged) only. I’d also advise that you avoid any items that are handled on shared toasters, trays, or prep surfaces, just in case there’s a risk of cross-contamination.

Photo credit

Ardfern, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

---

Share the love!

Related recipes 🔗