Is Almond Roca Gluten-Free?

Is Almond Roca Gluten Free

Is Almond Roca gluten-free?

Almond Roca is made from chocolate, nuts, and toffee. The packaged traditional Almond Roca and other flavors of Roca are gluten-free. In fact, the only way to have gluten in an Almond Roca recipe is to make it yourself with cross-contaminated almonds or chocolate. 

These sweet, crunchy treats are produced in only one factory in Tacoma, WA, only used for Almond Roca and other Rocas, as well as Mountain Bars, a chocolate and peanut candy bar.

While Mountain Bars don’t contain gluten, they are listed by Brown and Haley as being manufactured using equipment that is also used for peanuts, tree nuts, milk, soy, and wheat. 

However, Almond Roca is listed as being manufactured on equipment used for peanuts, tree nuts, milk, and soy. There is no cross-contamination happening in the manufacturing of Almond Roca.

Additionally, they are listed on many gluten-safe websites and even under Gluten-Free Foods sections of online stores.

About Almond Roca

Almond Roca is a form of buttercrunch, sometimes known as English Toffee. It isn’t technically toffee, however.

Toffee is made with brown sugar, while the treat that is made in America and referred to as toffee is made with white granulated sugar. Brown and Haley themselves refer to all of their Roca as buttercrunch and not toffee. 

The classic Almond Roca is a small log of buttercrunch coated in almonds and chocolate, which comes in individual foil packets inside a resealable tin. They are especially popular during the holiday season as small gifts. 

Almond Roca was named by a librarian in Tacoma in 1923 when it was created by J.C. Haley and Harry Brown. When the iconic pink tin was introduced a few years later, the shelf life of the candies extended and they became a popular candy worldwide. 

In the ‘50s and ’60s, Brown and Haley expanded their Almond Roca lines, creating Almond Roca bits, Gold Nuggets, and bars. However, in the ‘70s as the chocolate market changed, they focused on only Almond Roca and the Mountain bars and narrowed their product line.

Different flavors of Roca were not available until 2002 when Starbucks helped introduce Mocha Roca. Until that point, different flavors of Roca were only eaten as samples by employees of the company. 

Now there are several types of Roca, including Cashew, Sea Salt Caramel, Dark Chocolate, and Macadamia. They all feature a buttercrunch center, only changing the nuts or the coating. 

Additionally, the company sells Almond Roca as smaller bites and ‘thins’, which are similar to Toffee (or Buttercrunch) bark. 

Ingredients

  • Sugar
  • Almonds
  • Butter (Cream, Salt)
  • Palm Kernel Oil
  • Palm Oil
  • Cocoa Processed with Alkali
  • Skim Milk Powder
  • Whey Power
  • Soy Lecithin
  • Unsweetened Chocolate (cocoa mass)
  • Natural Flavor (Vanilla)
Nutrition Facts Almond Roca
Serving Size 3 pieces (36g)
Calories 200
Total Fat 14g
Cholesterol  15mg
Sodium 50mg
Total Carbohydrates 18g
Protein 2g

Sources

faq — BROWN & HALEY – ALMOND ROCA

Brown & Haley History — BROWN & HALEY – ALMOND ROCA

Friday Favorite: Brown & Haley Almond Roca – BeFreeForMe.com

The History of English Butter Toffee – Woody Candy Company

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