Reese's Puffs: 11 Things You Should Know

Reese’s Puffs, is a delicious breakfast cereal with a smooth chocolatey flavor. There’s more to this cereal than its sweet taste though and quite a few things to consider about it. For example, is Reese’s Puffs healthy, and should it really be something you’re feeding to your kids or yourself?

The point of this article is to cover some of those frequently asked questions about Reese’s Puffs and clear the air. We’ll cover a variety of topics from if Reese’s Puffs are dairy-free to even considering how safe they are for your pets to eat.

So let’s get to it!

What’s Are Reese’s Puffs Made Of?

Like most modern-day cereals, Reese’s Puffs is full of processed ingredients, thankfully still containing a number of vitamins and minerals.

According to General Mills website, Reese’s Puffs contain the following ingredients.

Whole Grain Corn, Sugar, Reese’s Peanut Butter (peanuts, sugar, monoglycerides, peanut oil, salt, molasses, corn starch), Dextrose, Corn Meal, Corn Syrup, Canola Oil, Salt, Hershey’s Cocoa, Caramel Color, Trisodium Phosphate, Natural Flavor. Vitamin E (mixed tocopherols) Added to Preserve Freshness.

Contains PEANUT INGREDIENTS

It should go without saying that anyone with a peanut allergy should NOT be eating Reese’s Puffs as they do contain peanut ingredients.

Are Reese’s Puffs Dairy Free?

Most people eat cereal with milk, which is obviously not dairy-free. But, are the contents of Reese’s Puffs dairy-free without added milk?

At first glance, it seems that they might not be as one of the ingredients is Reese’s Peanut Butter. However, the ingredients used to make this peanut butter for the cereal do not state anything related to dairy. Because there are no dairy ingredients listed, then Reese’s Puffs are dairy-free.

I always say though, that industrially produced food should always be eaten with a sense of caution. Foods that are produced in manufacturing alongside other foods may become cross-contaminated. So while there are no dairy ingredients listed for Reese’s Puffs, cross-contamination may be a possibility.

Are Reese’s Puffs Gluten Free?

Onto our next frequently asked question about Reese’s Puffs, are they gluten-free? The puffs are made from whole-grain corn as opposed to whole-wheat flour. Since there’s no flour or other gluten-containing ingredients, Reese’s Puffs are gluten-free and safe to eat!

I’ve said it before, although the ingredients are gluten-free, you should still be cautious about cross-contamination from nearby ingredients being used in other recipes.

Are Reese’s Puffs Vegan?

So what about Reese’s Puffs vegan status? Sadly, the short answer is NO, Reese’s Puff’s are not vegan.

The reason Reese’s Puffs aren’t vegan is surprising because of the vitamin D3 added. Vitamin D3 is obtained from lanolin, the layer between wool and skin on wool-bearing animals such as sheep.

Are Reese’s Puffs Healthy?

How about the health status of Reese’s Puffs. Are they healthy, unhealthy, or somewhere in between?

Well, Reese’s Puffs aren’t the healthiest cereal on the market, but they also aren’t the worst. For example, like most cereals, Reese’s Puffs comes with a bit higher amount of sugar than would be preferred. Coming in at 10g of sugar per 3/4 cup serving, this cereal offers a bit too much.

Another downside of this cereal is the amount of sodium. While it’s not soaring high, 160mg per serving is just a little on the medium-high side. Aside from that, there are minerals and vitamins that have been added (they aren’t inherent in the base ingredients) making the cereal a little more well-rounded.

Are Reese’s Puffs Halal?

The topic of Reese’s Puffs being halal or not is an interesting question. According to Halalsign, the status of Reese’s Puffs halal declaration is still unknown. But, there is a comment left that they are halal as long as it’s confirmed there has been no alcohol used in their creation. So, according to them, Reese’s Puffs are halal if no alcohol has been used.

Do Reese’s Puffs Have Chocolate?

What about chocolate? Sure, Reese’s Puffs have a hint of chocolatey taste, but is it artificial flavors or actual chocolate being added?

It’s not an artificial ingredient, there is a small amount of chocolate added to the cereal. So if it was a concern of having chocolate in your breakfast, maybe stay away from Reese’s Puffs.

Are Reese’s Puffs Low FODMAP?

According to Spoonful, Reese’s Puffs can be moderate to high FODMAP. The tricky part with classifying something as high or low FODMAP is that serving size can play an important role in its classification.

So while there are FODMAPs present in Reese’s Puffs, it may be high FODMAP for some but alright in smaller servings. The best course of action would be to consult your doctor or dietician.

Can Dogs Eat Reese’s Puffs Cereal?

How about dogs, can they eat Reese’s Puffs? I talked about the ingredients earlier and brought up that Reese’s Puffs has some chocolate added in. In case any readers aren’t aware, it is very dangerous for a dog to eat chocolate. Even though there’s only a small amount in Reese’s Puffs, it would be better safe than sorry to avoid letting your dog eat the cereal at all.

If your dog does manage to eat any amount of Reese’s Puffs, keep an eye on how they respond and contact a vet to ensure they are fine.

Can Cats Eat Reese’s Puffs Cereal?

In the same way chocolate can be lethal for dogs, it can be lethal for cats. Because of chocolate toxicity to cats and its presence in Reese’s Puffs, you should avoid letting your cat eat this cereal! Similar to dogs, a small nibble might not cause any harm, but you should be cautious about any amount they ingest and prepare to get them to a vet if they show negative symptoms.