Is Amaretto Gluten Free? Let’s Find Out

Living a gluten free life has been on a roll for some time. While eating gluten free may sound fancy, it actually is a big bummer. You have to restrict yourself from eating and tasting the food that is most hyped about. 

Ever wondered if the sweet Italian liqueur Amaretto is safe for celiac consumption or not? Is Amaretto gluten free? 

Yes, Amaretto is gluten free. The liqueur is made from drupe seeds, which are gluten free. Amaretto does not contain harmful gluten ingredients like wheat, barley, or rye, hence it’s a safe drink for gluten allergic people. 

However, getting complete information about Amaretto to ensure it’s 100% safe for celiacs is crucial. Hence, let’s get going and find out if there is any hidden gluten in Amaretto. 

Is Amaretto Gluten Free? 

Going by the ingredients, Amaretto is gluten free. Drupe seed is the base ingredient in Amaretto, which is not a gluten protein. Other ingredients used in the sweet liquor are- peach stone, almond, and apricot kernels, which are entirely free from gluten grains. 

Gluten is found in only specific grains like- wheat and barley and anything that is made out of these ingredients. As long as any liquor or food item is free from these ingredients, either as a direct ingredient or as flavorings, they are considered gluten free. 

But the Food and Drug Administration has released a few more conditions to consider any edible item completely safe for celiacs, that is- 

• The food item must be made in a gluten free facility without using shared equipment. 
• The gluten content has to be below 20ppm 
• The last and quite apparent condition is the absence of gluten items. 

Some Amaretto flavors have additives like caramel, spices, and herbs. These herbs, spices, and caramel are also free of gluten ingredients. However, ask your health expert before consuming Amaretto to keep things safe. 

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Ingredients In Amaretto & It’s Manufacturing Process 

The main ingredients in Amaretto are- bitter almonds, apricot kernels, almonds, or peach stones. Everything together provides an almond like flavor to the liquor, containing about 21 to 28 percent of alcohol. 

All the ingredients are mixed together, and at last, it goes through a distillation process. Amaretto is a great cooking ingredient as well. It is added to desserts, ice creams, and other sweet, savory recipes. 

Amaretto is also added to chicken and other meat dishes. It’s often an ingredient in vegetable and fish sauce as well. 

Can Gluten Get Added To Amaretto? 

All the ingredients used in Amaretto are free of gluten. It does not have any ingredient that is derived or sourced from wheat or barley. Additionally, the liqueur goes through a distillation process which gets rid of any heavy substances like gluten, so consumers can rest assured of not consuming any gluten when they drink Amaretto. 

Other Allergies To Be Careful Of While Drinking Amaretto 

While Amaretto is free of gluten, consumers often question nut allergies. Since the liqueur has a strong almond flavor, people with nut allergies fear consuming the drink. But should people with nut allergies be concerned about drinking Amaretto? 

The answer is no. The nutty flavor comes from apricot, peach pits, and the fleshy parts of almonds. So people should not fear peanut allergy as these nuts come nowhere close to peanuts. 

Liquor Substitute To Amaretto: Both Alcoholic & Non-alcoholic 

Amaretto is delicious in itself, but if you want to try similar liquors or if Amaretto is not available near you, you can try out these Amaretto substitutes. I have mentioned alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks, which taste similar to Amaretto. 

1. Coconut Liqueur 

Coconut liqueur, like the Malibu rum, is a great substitute for Amaretto. You can taste a nutty coconut flavor in the drink, and it’s best to add in meat recipes. 

2. Coffee Liqueur

The coffee liqueur has a different taste than Amaretto, but it is an excellent substitute for desserts and ice creams. If you can’t find Amaretto to add to your ice cream or other dessert recipes, you can use coffee liqueur instead. 

3. Apricot Pit Liqueur 

Apricot pit liqueur is another substitute for Amaretto. Apricots are the key ingredient in such liqueurs, and such drinks taste somewhat similar to almond liqueurs like Amaretto. 

4. Hazelnut Liqueur 

Hazelnut liqueur has a similar taste, nuttiness, and color as Amaretto and is one of the best substitutes for the drink. 

Recipes With Amaretto: Gluten Free & Delicious 

As I mentioned already, Amaretto is a common ingredient in desserts, cocktails, and other sweet, savory recipes. Let’s see a couple of delicious yet gluten free recipes with this drink. 

1. Italian Amaretti Cookies 

Ingredients 

• 20ml Amaretto liqueur 
•  2 egg whites 
• ¼ tsp vanilla extract 
• 190 gram ground almonds 
• 170 gram caster sugar 
• 2 ½ tsp icing sugar & 2 ½ tsp caster sugar for coating 

Method 

Step one 

Preheat the oven to 325°F and line a baking dish with baking paper. 

Step two 

Whisk the egg whites in a bowl till they become stiff. Fold in sugar, ground almond, and vanilla in the whisked eggs. Now add the Amaretto liqueur and mix well to get a nice sticky dough. 

Step three

Take icing sugar and caster sugar into two different bows for coating the cookie doughs. Scoop out small balls of the dough and roll them using your hands. Now roll the balls into caster sugar, then icing sugar, and place them into the baking dish. Repeat the procedure with the remaining dough and place the cookies next to each other, keeping gaps in between. 

Step four 

Slightly press the top of the cookie balls using your finger and bake them for about 20 minutes in the preheated oven. Once done, let the cookies cool down in the baking dish for 5 minutes and then transfer them to a wire rack and let them cool down completely. 

2. Amaretto Sour 

Ingredients 

• 1 ½ ounce Amaretto 
• 2 tbsp lemon juice 
• 1 tbsp bourbon whiskey 
• 1 tsp maple syrup 
• 2 dashes of angostura bitters 
• 1 egg white (optional) 

Method 

Add all the ingredients into a cocktail shaker and shake well for about 15 seconds. Now add ice and shake for another 30 seconds. Pour the drink into a cocktail glass and serve immediately. 

Conclusion 

I hope that I could throw some light on the famous Italian liqueur Amaretto and its gluten status. Amaretto is gluten free and safe for gluten sensitive people to drink, but it ultimately comes down to personal choices. 

Did you find this post on Amaretto and its gluten content useful? Let me know your thoughts in the comments. Keep watching this space for more related posts. 

FAQs 

Does Amaretto Contain Barley?

No, Amaretto does not contain barley. Amaretto is made from drupe seed, almond, peach, and apricot kernels. Some flavors have herbs, spices, and caramel. 

Is Disaronno Liqueur Gluten Free? 

Yes, Disaronno liqueur is gluten free. The makers have said that the drink is made with high-quality natural ingredients that have no gluten in them. 

Is Gozio Amaretto Gluten Free? 

Yes, Gozio Amaretto is gluten free. It is made from bittersweet almonds, and no gluten ingredients are added to the drinks. 

Is Kahlua Gluten Free? 

Yes, Kahlua is a completely gluten free liqueur. It’s made from pure coffee, sugar, and rum and all of these are gluten free ingredients.