Gluten Free Sauces & Condiments Swaps 🫙🔄️

When you first transition to a gluten free diet, one of the biggest surprises is discovering just how many everyday products contain gluten. You might expect to avoid obvious foods like bread, pasta and cakes, but you probably wouldn’t have anticipated the hidden gluten lurking in so many sauces and condiments. From HP Sauce to Branston Pickle, gluten is often an unexpected ingredient in products you might not have thought to check.

The most important thing to remember is to check EVERY label. You might assume that certain products are gluten free because they don’t ‘look like’ they’d contain gluten, but it’s a sneaky ingredient that often finds its way into lots of products.

And yes, we could all sit there and say that you should be trying to enjoy naturally gluten free products and cut out the processed rubbish, but come on - who wants a dry bacon butty or a flavourless casserole?

But don’t worry - Gluten Free Glee has got you covered and answered questions like ‘gluten free alternatives to soy sauce?’ and ‘is marmite gluten free?’. We’ve found gluten free substitutes for some of the nation’s favourite sauces and condiments, so you can still enjoy dipping, cooking and marinating your favourite flavours.

Bonus, most of the items listed can be found in the ‘regular aisle’ and not in the Free From section of a supermarket, so they won’t always come with that higher priced gluten tax! In fact, some are even cheaper than the real thing! 🤑

Like we always say when it comes to writing about gluten free products; ALWAYS check the ingredients before you buy. Use this blog as a guide and let us influence your next shop, but please keep in mind that ingredients can change at the drop of a hat and you don’t want to be caught out by presuming a product recipe will stay the same forever.

Keep scrolling to see a list of gluten free sauce and condiment swaps! 👇🏼😃

🔍 Find a gluten free substitute for:

• HP Sauce 💂🏻

• Colman’s English Mustard 🌭

• Hoisin Sauce 🦆

• Marmite 🍯

• Worcestershire Sauce 🧡

• Soy Sauce 🍣

• Malt Vinegar 🍶

• Oyster Sauce 🦪

• Branston Pickle 🥒

• Curry Sauce 🍛

HP Sauce 💂🏻

One of the hardest pills to swallow for those gluten free, is the realisation that brown sauce/HP Sauce is NOT gluten free because it contains both barley & rye. If you’re a red sauce person, then you’re probably okay with this, but if brown sauce is a must-have on your full English breakfast then you’ll be wanting a gluten free brown sauce alternative and FAST. Good news is that the ASDA Just Essentials Brown Sauce is naturally gluten free and is also a lot cheaper than HP Brown Sauce so you won’t break the bank with this swap. Tesco’s own brand Brown Sauce is also gluten free, so why not have a try of them both and see which one passes the taste test!

Colman’s English Mustard 🌭

First up, don’t panic because the Colman’s English Mustard Powder IS gluten free but the actual jar of sauce contains wheat and not a lot of people know this. There are a few brands out there for a gluten free english mustard alternative, but the best I’ve found is the Tracklements Strong English Mustard which you can buy direct or in most major supermarkets. For other types of mustard, French’s Classic Yellow Mustard is gluten free but be careful of other brands where barley is added to the ingredients and dijon mustard is usually gluten free but again, always check!

Hoisin Sauce 🦆

You’ve probably worked out by now that 99% of the time, hoisin sauce contains wheat and is a no-go for gluten free folk. But have you heard of Yau’s sauces? They are all completely free from gluten, wheat, dairy and nuts - yes even their Satay Sauce is nut free and uses pumpkin seeds instead of peanuts!

So if you’re looking for a gluten free hoisin sauce to stir-fry, marinate or smear onto duck pancakes, then click here to check out Yau’s Hoi Sin Sauce and the rest of the sauces range and where to buy them.

Marmite 🍯

You either love it or hate it, so if you love it, you’ll be glad to know that there are lots of gluten free alternatives to Marmite! Pre 2016, marmite was considered safe for those gluten free but it is no longer suitable for a gluten free diet because it contains more than 20 ppm of gluten. Most supermarket own branded yeast extract is gluten free and a lot of the time, a much cheaper alternative to Marmite so a win-win!

The following supermarket own brand yeast extracts are gluten free:

⭐ Tesco Yeast Extract
⭐ Sainsbury’s Yeast Extract, Reduced Salt
⭐ Aldi Mighty Yeast Extract
⭐ Morrisons Yeast Extract
⭐ Lidl Yeast Extract
⭐ Asda Yeast Extract

Vegemite also isn’t gluten free but they do actually have their own gluten free version which you can buy here in the UK.

Worcestershire Sauce 🧡

Yep, that sauce that’s really difficult to pronounce and often comes out as ‘Wschshsestushar Sauce’ is not gluten free in the UK (I hear that in the US, it is!). But no fear, because the steel city is here to save the day with Sheffield’s most loved condiment, Henderson’s Relish which is completely gluten free and you can find it in most major supermarkets. This is the best gluten free alternative to Worcestershire Sauce!

Soy Sauce 🍣

Now this isn’t always the case, so do make sure to read labels, but the majority of the time, Tamari is a great gluten free alternative to soy sauce, which contains wheat and is a strict no-go for gluten free folk. More and more restaurants are using tamari instead of soy sauce to be more inclusive to those gluten free which is amazing and even the Tesco sushi packets in the meal deals use gluten free soy sauce. Perfect for lunch on-the-go!

Malt Vinegar 🍶

With ‘malt’ being the main ingredient in ‘malt vinegar’, it’s not super easy to find a gluten free version of vinegar which is free from barley and most people just end up using white wine vinegar which just isn’t the same on your chippy! The best gluten free alternative to malt vinegar I’ve tried has been this Fish & Chip Shop non-brewed vinegar which you can buy online and is actually used in a lot of chip shops that offer gluten free. In fact, keep an eye out because I’ve noticed that most of the chip shops that use it, also sell it.

Coeliac UK used to consider barley malt vinegar gluten free, but changed their policy in 2020. If you look on the Sarson’s website under FAQ’s, they state ‘All of our products contain barley, which is not gluten free’ so although you may have had this in the past, it’s important you find a safer alternative.

Oyster Sauce 🦪

Oyster sauce or fish sauce usually contains wheat so if this is an ingredient you need, opt for this Healthy Boy Oyster Sauce which is gluten free! You can pick it up in most major supermarkets or online!

Branston Pickle 🥒

Another product which used to be considered safe by Coeliac UK but now isn’t is Branston Pickle and they specify on their website that Branston products are not gluten free. If you have coeliac disease, it’s so important NOT to base whether something is safe on how you feel after eating. We see a lot of people say ‘I’m coeliac and I’ve always eaten this without any problems’ which is dangerous advice. Although you may not get any physical symptoms, if you’re consuming gluten, you will be causing damage to your gut which you might not necessarily know about. The only way to be safe is to avoid all products which contain gluten or have a may contain warning.

Stokes’ Sticky Pickle is a great gluten free alternative to Branston Pickle!

Curry Sauce 🍛

Who doesn’t love a chip shop curry sauce! But most powders or pre-mixed sauces are packed out with wheat and not suitable for those gluten free. M&S however, have a bottled Chip Shop Curry Sauce which is completely gluten free! They also have a fresh tub in the fridge section which is also gluten free.

So, have we missed any? Or is there anything you want us to find a gluten free alternative to? Drop us a message on any of our socials and we’ll work out magic! 🕵🏼

📸 Follow us on Instagram
👤 Follow us on Facebook
🐦 Follow us on Twitter
🎵 Follow us on TikTok

❗This blog was updated in August 2024 and ingredients may change over time. Please use this as a guide but always double check the ingredients and allergens when you shop for the product.