Ultimate Raising Cane’s Gluten-Free Menu Guide For 2025
Famed for their simple yet perfectly fried chicken fingers, our Raising Cane’s gluten-free guide is here to walk you through the many glutenous dangers within.
Chicken tenders and their same-same-yet-different twin brother, chicken fingers, are hands down one of the tastiest and most delicious creations in foodie culture today, but not if you have celiac disease, because that’s where it gets tricky. 🍗
Sure, creating gluten-free chicken fingers is possible, and most of the time, simply swapping out the wheat-flour breading for gluten-sensitive substitutes is usually more than enough to get you something pretty close in texture and flavor. 🐔🔥
Plus, you could still preserve that fantastic crunch as you make your first bite, and right into that juicy chicken below. Nevertheless, while it’s easy enough to do that in your kitchen, it’s quite challenging if you’re a huge chain like Raising Cane’s. 😋
Undoubtedly *the* place you think of when you’re craving chicken fingers, they keep a very small yet focused menu built around breaded chicken fingers, crinkle fries, and a handful of tasty sides, and that simplicity is what makes them great. 🌶️
However, most of Raising Cane’s menu uses wheat, be it in the breading, buns, or to thicken dipping sauces, and as our Raising Cane’s gluten-free guide would show, between that and fairly high cross-contact risks, you’re better off dining elsewhere!
Table of Contents
Disclaimer
Speaking of, that cross-contamination risk is a very real hazard that you have to look for, in particular because, unlike some restaurants that go the extra mile to prevent contamination risks for celiacs, Raising Cane’s doesn’t really match that. 📑
In fact, Raising Cane’s, mainly because their entire menu is filled with breaded and battered items anyway, doesn’t even operate a dedicated gluten-free kitchen, and as such, you could experience trace gluten exposure relatively easily. 👉🚫🌾
This would likely be due to Raising Cane’s heavy reliance on shared fryers, prep surfaces, as well as cookware and utensils, among others, in addition to common assembly lines, which would be shared between wheat-free and wheat-based items. 🍔
In other words, even if you do order something from Raising Cane’s menu that doesn’t have wheat in it, or even other glutenous components like barley, malt, rye, and/or oats, it might still pick up traces of wheat and gluten from other items during the prep.
This is a superb reminder to treat even (in theory) the safest, most “gluten-friendly” item on Raising Cane’s menu more like “gluten-sensitive” instead of 100% certified “gluten-free”, as there’s fairly limited protection against cross-contamination. ❗❗❗
To make things more complicated, just like most restaurants, Raising Cane’s doesn’t test its menu items to meet the FDA’s pretty strict <20 ppm threshold for a particular food or drink item to be labeled and certified as actually being gluten-free. 🥪🍟
So, remember to approach with caution when you’re dining at or ordering from any Raising Cane’s location as a celiac or as someone with a severe gluten intolerance or sensitivity. To drive the point home even further, here’s what Raising Cane’s has to say:
We make every attempt to identify ingredients that may cause allergic reactions for those with food allergies; however, there is always a risk of cross-contact in our kitchens. There is also a possibility that manufacturers of the products we use could change the formulation at any time, without notice. Customers concerned with food allergies need to be aware of this risk.
Raising Cane’s Allergen Policy (Gluten-Free)
On the bright side, at least Raising Cane’s makes it super easy for you to filter through their small and focused menu to identify all the items that you have to avoid, and also figure out which ones are actually safe for celiacs to enjoy. 🍗🍲🌶️
It starts by heading to the Raising Cane’s website, and once you’re on the homepage, all you have to do is scroll all the way down until you reach the footer, and then click or tap on the text that says “Allergen & Nutritional Information”. 👈
Doing this will load up Raising Cane’s allergen and nutrition information page, where you’ll notice a PDF viewer (which you could otherwise open in a new tab if it’s easier to read that way, or even download it) in both English and Spanish. ✍️📝
This PDF contains an in-depth nutritional breakdown of every single item on Raising Cane’s menu, including important data like calories, cholesterol, fiber, carbs, protein, sugar, and a bunch more, which is handy if you’re conscious about your diet.
Elsewhere, this PDF also contains a list of allergens that might be present in each and every item on Raising Cane’s menu, which is exactly what we’re looking for to determine which of their menu items we’d need to avoid as a celiac. 🌾🤔❓
- Of course, if you’re a celiac like me, or if you have a severe gluten intolerance or sensitivity, then make sure that you keep an eye out for any menu items marked in the allergen tab to bear the letter “W”, which means that it contains wheat.
- Additionally, you may also want to look out for any items that have an asterisk (*) symbol, which denotes that this item is cooked in shared fryers with shared fryer oil, and they may contain wheat or gluten allergens from cross-contamination.
- At the very bottom of the PDF also reveals some other interesting facts, including a simple disclosure that products containing gluten are prepped in Raising Cane’s kitchens, and the coleslaw, beverages, and their special Cane’s Sauce are gluten-free.
Combos, Tailgates & Extras
Naturally, there’s no better place to start sifting through Raising Cane’s menu than their delectable chicken fingers, seeing that most of their combo menus and bundle sets are built around them, as well as fries, toasts, slaws, and dipping sauce. 🍗🍟
❌ Chicken Finger
❌ Crinkle-Cut Fries
❌ Texas Toast
✅ Coleslaw
✅ Cane’s Sauce
❌ Chicken Sandwich
❌ 3 Finger Combo
❌ Box Combo
❌ Caniac Combo
❌ Sandwich Combo
❌ Kid’s Combo
For context, let’s check out what each of these is made of to see why they’re so unsafe:
Chicken Finger: Breaded, seasoned chicken strips coated with wheat flour and fried. This item contains wheat by ingredient, and the wheat-based batter plus the shared fryers and utensils create a high cross-contact risk for celiacs, so avoid it entirely.
Crinkle-Cut Fries: Cut potatoes are seasoned and fried in shared oil at many locations. Potatoes are wheat-free by ingredient, but shared fryers and seasoning stations introduce cross-contact risk, so treat these as unsafe unless staff confirm dedicated fryer practices.
Texas Toast: Thick-sliced white bread, buttered and toasted on shared griddles. It contains wheat flour and is prepared near other breaded items, creating both ingredient-level gluten and cross-contact hazards, so it is unsafe for strict gluten avoidance.
Coleslaw: Shredded cabbage and vegetables mixed with a dairy-based dressing. By ingredient and recipe, it contains no wheat, and it’s one of the safer sides here, though request separate utensils and a clean container to reduce any trace cross-contact on the line.
Cane’s Sauce: Signature dipping sauce of mayo-based, tangy seasonings. The recipe does not typically include wheat ingredients, so it is generally safe by ingredient, though ask for a fresh ramekin and confirm the ladle/bottle hasn’t been cross-dipped into breaded items.
Chicken Sandwich: Fried or breaded chicken fingers served on a wheat bun. The sandwich contains wheat in both the bun and often the breading for the patty, and shared toasters and prep surfaces add cross-contact risk, so this is unsafe for celiacs by default.
3 Finger Combo: Meal including three breaded fingers, fries, toast, and sauce. Because it bundles multiple wheat-containing or fryer-exposed items, the combo carries ingredient-level gluten and many cross-contact points, making it unsafe for strict gluten avoidance.
Box Combo: Larger combo with chicken fingers, fries, toast, and sauce served together. The assortment combines several wheat-containing components and shared fryer and toast prep, creating an elevated cross-contact risk and rendering it unsafe for celiac diners.
Caniac Combo: Extra-large combo with multiple breaded fingers, fries, toast, and extras. This meal multiplies both ingredient-level gluten and cross-contact points from fryers, tongs, and shared plating, so it is not safe for anyone requiring strict gluten-free handling.
Sandwich Combo: Sandwich built around the chicken finger on a wheat bun plus fries and a side. The bun and the breading provide clear ingredient-level gluten, and shared prep equipment increases cross-contact risk, so the combo is unsafe for celiac diners.
Kid’s Combo: Child-sized meal including breaded chicken fingers, fries, and Texas toast. All of the core components here are wheat-containing or exposed to shared fryers, and the bundled nature increases cross-contact risks, thus making it unsafe for strict gluten avoidance.
Unsurprisingly, given that Raising Cane’s delicious chicken fingers are breaded and battered with wheat, alongside the wheat-based toast and shared fryer cross-contamination, most of these combo sets are unsafe, barring only a couple of options. 🍞🔥
Condiments
Aside from chicken fingers, the other big thing that Raising Cane’s is well-known for is their dipping sauces and condiments, because there is no better sidekick to tasty chicken fingers, featuring tiny extras, but a huge peace of mind. 🥣🍲🌶️
✅ Honey Mustard
✅ Ketchup (Dip N Squeeze Cup)
✅ Louisiana Hot Sauce Packet
✅ Kraft Mayonnaise Packet
✅ Sugar Packet
✅ Splenda Packet
✅ Equal Packet
✅ Sweet ‘N Low Packet
✅ Iodized Salt Packet
✅ Black Pepper Packet
✅ Lemon Wedge
Just to be sure that these are actually safe, let’s take a deeper dive into how they’re made:
Honey Mustard: A mayo and mustard-based sauce blended with honey and seasonings. The ingredients contain no wheat, and pre-portioned packets lower cross-contact risk, though ask for an unopened packet rather than a shared pump when possible.
Ketchup (Dip N Squeeze Cup): Tomato concentrate, vinegar, sugar, and spices in a sealed single-use cup. The sealed packaging means negligible ingredient or cross-contact risk, making it a very low-risk condiment for celiac diners.
Louisiana Hot Sauce Packet: Vinegar-forward hot sauce made from aged peppers and salt. The ingredient list contains no wheat, and the single-serve packet format keeps cross-contact risk minimal, but avoid any communal bottles at the counter.
Kraft Mayonnaise Packet: Emulsified oil, egg, and vinegar in a factory-sealed packet. By recipe and ingredient, it contains no gluten, and the sealed portion reduces cross-contact, though be sure to confirm that staff haven’t double-dipped a shared spoon into an opened tub.
Sugar Packet: Pure granulated sugar in a factory-sealed packet. This is an ingredient-level gluten-free item, and it’s one of the safest condiment options because the sealed packaging eliminates almost all cross-contact concerns.
Splenda Packet: Sucralose-based sweetener in a sealed packet. The packet contains no wheat ingredients, and the single-use format makes cross-contact extremely unlikely, so it is safe for celiac diners and folks with gluten intolerance or sensitivity.
Equal Packet: Aspartame-based tabletop sweetener in a sealed packet. There are no wheat ingredients present, and single-serve packaging avoids shared-scoop contamination, making this a safe choice for gluten-sensitive customers.
Sweet ‘N Low Packet: Saccharin-based sweetener in a sealed packet. The ingredient list does not include wheat, and factory-sealed packets further minimize cross-contact risk from shared containers or spoons.
Iodized Salt Packet: Plain salt with trace iodine in a sealed packet. Salt contains no gluten, and the one-use packet format eliminates cross-contact, though avoid shared shakers or hands-first handling in busy prep areas.
Black Pepper Packet: Ground black pepper in a sealed sachet. Pepper is naturally gluten-free, and sealed packets prevent contamination from shared grinders or open spice jars, so it is very low risk for celiac diners.
Lemon Wedge: Fresh citrus wedge used to garnish drinks or food. Lemon itself contains no gluten, but request a fresh, clean wedge and ask staff to handle it with fresh gloves to avoid cross-contact from nearby pastry or prep surfaces.
While celiacs like us aren’t going to find anything to dip into these condiments, at least the sauces here are actually safe, with simple compositions that omit wheat and gluten, not to mention being served in sealed packets, too. 🍯🍅🍋
Drinks
If you’re thirsty, then good news, because like most restaurants, Raising Cane’s drinks menu is filled with generally pretty safe beverages that are naturally free of any wheat or gluten, though, as always, be wary of cross-contamination. 🍵☕️🥤
✅ Sweet Tea
✅ Unsweet Tea
✅ Lemonade
✅ Half Sweet/Half Lemonade
✅ Half Unsweet/Half Lemonade
✅ Half Sweet/Half Unsweet
✅ Barq’s Root Beer
✅ Coca-Cola Cherry
✅ Coca-Cola
✅ Coca-Cola Zero
✅ Diet Coke
✅ Diet Mountain Dew
✅ Mountain Dew
✅ Diet Pepsi
✅ Pepsi
✅ Pepsi Zero
✅ Dr Pepper
✅ Fanta Fruit Punch
✅ Fanta Orange
✅ Gatorade Fruit Punch
✅ Hi-C Flashin Fruit Punch
✅ Mello Yello
✅ Mug Root Beer
✅ Orange Crush
✅ Pibb Xtra
✅ Powerade Mtn Berry Blast
✅ Sprite
✅ Starry
✅ Tropicana Fruit Punch
✅ Apple Juice Drink Pouch
✅ Milk 1% Box
Just in case there’s hidden gluten in any of these drinks, let’s take a closer peek to be safe:
Sweet Tea: Brewed black tea sweetened with sugar and chilled. The ingredients contain no wheat, but fountain or pitcher service can introduce trace contamination, so ask for a sealed bottle or freshly poured cup with a wiped nozzle if you’re highly sensitive.
Unsweet Tea: Plain-brewed black tea served cold. By ingredient and recipe, it contains no gluten, and it’s usually a low-risk choice, though you should still request a fresh pour and a cleaned fountain nozzle or sealed bottle to minimize any dispenser cross-contact.
Lemonade: Freshly mixed lemon juice, water, and sugar. Lemonade contains no wheat ingredients. If prepared from a shared pitcher or dispenser, ask for a fresh pour or sealed bottle to reduce any remote cross-contact concerns in busy outlets.
Half Sweet/Half Lemonade: A 50/50 mix of sweet tea and lemonade. The ingredients themselves remain wheat-free, though it’s often dispensed from shared equipment, so you should request a fresh pour from a clean nozzle or a sealed option when available.
Half Unsweet/Half Lemonade: A balanced pour of unsweet tea and lemonade. All these components lack wheat in the ingredients list. As with other fountain mixes, remember to ask staff to wipe the nozzle or prepare it in a clean container to limit cross-contact for sensitive diners.
Half Sweet/Half Unsweet: Equal parts sweet and unsweet tea mixed together. The ingredients are wheat-free, but cross-contact via shared pitchers or dispensing nozzles is possible, so you should ask for a clean pour or sealed bottle if you need extra assurance against trace gluten.
Barq’s Root Beer: Classic carbonated root beer made from flavored syrup and carbonation. The syrup contains no wheat ingredients, and sealed bottles or cans are safest, so if it’s fountain-served, ask for a wiped nozzle to minimize any cross-contact risk.
Coca-Cola Cherry: Cherry-flavored cola soda made from syrup and carbonation. There’s no wheat in the standard recipe, and sealed cans or bottles eliminate dispenser concerns. For fountain pours, request that staff wipe the nozzle before serving if you are very sensitive.
Coca-Cola: Classic cola syrup and carbonation with no wheat ingredients. Bottled or canned Coke is very low risk, while fountain options are acceptable if the nozzle is clean, but sealed containers are ideal for celiac diners seeking extra safety.
Coca-Cola Zero: Zero-sugar cola with the same low gluten risk as regular cola. The ingredient lists do not include wheat. You might want to prioritize sealed bottles or cans, and if served from a fountain, ask staff to check or wipe the dispenser nozzle first.
Diet Coke: Zero-calorie cola free from wheat ingredients by formulation. The sealed can or bottle is the lowest risk. With fountain dispensing, confirm the nozzle is clean to reduce any unlikely cross-contact from adjacent syrup lines.
Diet Mountain Dew: Low- or zero-calorie citrus cola alternative using flavored syrup. There’s no wheat in the standard recipes. Sealed cans or bottles reduce cross-contact concerns, and ask for a wiped nozzle for fountain pours when you need extra protection from contamination.
Mountain Dew: Citrus-flavored soda made from syrup and carbonation and contains no wheat ingredients. Bottled options minimize cross-contact risk. Fountain pours are generally low-risk, but ask staff to wipe the nozzle to be extra cautious.
Diet Pepsi: Zero-sugar cola with no wheat-containing ingredients. You could also choose sealed bottles or cans for minimal risk. If you’re pouring from a fountain, request that the server clean the nozzle to avoid any remote cross-contact from shared dispensers.
Pepsi: Classic cola with standard syrup formulation that does not include wheat. Sealed bottles and cans are the safest option. For fountain service, a wiped nozzle and fresh cup reduce cross-contact risk for very sensitive celiac diners.
Pepsi Zero: Sugar-free cola that contains no wheat ingredients. Packaged cans or bottles are the safest choices. When fountain-dispensed, ask the staff to wipe the nozzle and use a fresh cup for the lowest cross-contact exposure possible.
Dr Pepper: Spiced cola-style soda with no wheat in typical ingredients. Bottled or canned servings further minimize cross-contact. If you’re using a fountain, please ask the staff to clean the nozzle beforehand to reduce any unlikely contamination from nearby dispensed items.
Fanta Fruit Punch: Fruit-flavored soda made from syrup and carbonation, and the ingredients do not include wheat. The sealed bottle is preferred, but the fountain versions are acceptable if the nozzle is cleaned to lower the chance of cross-contact for the ultra-sensitive.
Fanta Orange: Orange-flavored soda with no wheat-containing ingredients by recipe. Sealed bottles or cans are the lowest-risk option. Otherwise, for fountain pours, ask for a wiped nozzle and a fresh cup to minimize any cross-contact from other dispenser lines.
Gatorade Fruit Punch: An Electrolyte sports drink typically sold in sealed bottles. The ingredients contain no wheat, and sealed packaging eliminates dispenser cross-contact, making it a safe, low-risk hydration option for celiac diners on the go.
Hi-C Flashin Fruit Punch: Fruit punch-style fountain syrup is often available bottled or from a dispenser. The formula contains no wheat ingredients, but fountain nozzles can be a cross-contact source; choose a sealed bottle or request a wiped nozzle if possible.
Mello Yello: Citrus soda made from flavored syrup and carbonation with no wheat ingredients. Bottled options are safest. However, if it’s fountain-served, ask staff to clean the nozzle before pouring to reduce any accidental cross-contact from shared equipment.
Mug Root Beer: Another classic root beer with no wheat in its standard ingredients. Choose sealed bottles or cans for the lowest risk. For fountain service, request a clean nozzle and fresh cup to minimize any remote contamination from adjacent syrups.
Orange Crush: Orange soda made from flavored syrup and carbonation, and does not include wheat ingredients. As such, the factory-sealed bottles are the safest option, though fountain versions are acceptable if the nozzle is wiped and a fresh cup is used to lower cross-contact.
Pibb Xtra: Spiced cola alternative made from syrup and carbonation without any wheat ingredients. You should prefer sealed cans or bottles if you’re highly sensitive. For fountain pours, ask the staff to wipe the nozzle and use a clean cup to reduce cross-contact risks.
Powerade Mtn Berry Blast: A Sports drink sold in factory-sealed bottles and contains no wheat. Sealed packaging removes dispenser concerns, making this a safe and convenient choice for celiac diners who want electrolytes without cross-contact worries.
Sprite: Lemon-lime soda with no wheat in the ingredient list. Sealed cans or bottles are the lowest-risk option. If you get it from a fountain, ask for a wiped nozzle and a fresh cup to further minimize any unlikely cross-contact from other syrup lines.
Starry: Lemon-lime style soda with a simple syrup formulation that contains no wheat ingredients. As with the other sodas here, you should opt for sealed packaging where possible or request the nozzle be cleaned prior to pouring to reduce cross-contact risk.
Tropicana Fruit Punch: Packaged fruit punch is usually sold in sealed containers. The bottling process keeps ingredients isolated and free from wheat cross-contact, making it one of the safer beverage choices for celiac diners when available.
Apple Juice Drink Pouch: Single-serve, factory-sealed apple juice pouch with no wheat ingredients. The sealed format eliminates dispenser and pump cross-contact concerns, making it an excellent low-risk beverage for celiac kids and adults.
Milk 1% Box: UHT or refrigerated 1% milk in a sealed carton or box. Milk is naturally gluten-free by ingredient, and factory-sealed cartons avoid cross-contact with kitchen equipment, making this a very low-risk option for celiac diners.
Just to be extra safe, you should consider sealed bottles, cans, pouches, and cartons over an already-opened beverage that’s been poured for you, or ones that come from shared nozzles and dispensers, especially against contamination risks. 🍊🍋🍺
To Sum Up
As you can see, there’s a very clear-cut conclusion that we could make with Raising Cane’s, which is to avoid them like the plague if you’re a celiac. At the most, if you’re stopping by a local Raising Cane’s, maybe grab a drink and nothing else. 🍗🍟
Otherwise, there’s not much on Raising Cane’s menu, food-wise, that’s safe for celiacs, and that selection only extends to their special Cane’s Sauce and the coleslaw, and while they’re delicious, that’s not really a whole lot to satisfy a hungry belly, is it?
The entirety of Raising Cane’s menu revolves exclusively around their chicken fingers, which have all been breaded with wheat and then dipped in equally glutenous batters, before they are then fried in shared and contaminated fryer oil. 🥗🥣🍲🥪
With so much gluten in the ingredients and via cross-contamination, I’d personally consider skipping all of their food items, and until Raising Cane’s can figure out how to make a tasty gluten-free chicken finger, consider stopping by elsewhere instead. 🍔
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 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, California Pizza Kitchen, Baskin-Robbins, El Pollo Loco, and more! 🍔🍟🍗
Stay safe and gluten‑aware, my celiac friends! 💖🥗
Frequently Asked Questions
While working on this Raising Cane’s gluten-free menu guide, I came across some interesting questions floating around social media and food forums, so I hope these Q&As might help:
Is Raising Cane’s gluten-free?
No. Raising Cane’s does not operate a certified gluten-free kitchen. Many menu items contain wheat or are fried and handled with wheat products, including their staple food items like the chicken fingers, leaving you with only a handful of actually safe options, mainly beverages.
What Raising Cane’s menu items are safest for celiacs?
The safest choices here, by recipe and ingredient, include the sealed bottled drinks, the lemon wedge, and simple condiments. Otherwise, most of the food at Raising Cane’s either comes in contact with wheat via contamination or is heavily breaded and battered with wheat.
Can I make Raising Cane’s gluten-free by modifying menu items?
Because Raising Cane’s itself is centered on breaded, fried chicken and shared fryers, there are very limited safe modifications, if any at all are available. The only avenue you may have when it comes to their food items is ordering a coleslaw, but with extra precautions on top of it.
How should I order to minimize cross-contact at Raising Cane’s?
First and foremost, remember to inform the staff that you have celiac disease, ask staff to use fresh gloves and a clean plate, request that your order not be toasted or touched to breaded items, and choose sealed drinks, all of which should help minimize cross-contact risks.
Does Raising Cane’s publish their allergen or gluten information?
Yes! Raising Cane’s posts some of its allergen and nutrition information on its website and in some restaurants. Always check the official allergen chart before you go and confirm with staff at the location for the most up-to-date details on included allergens and their fryer practices.
Photo Credit
Tony Webster from Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States, 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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