Snacking is a universal pleasure, but for those with celiac disease or gluten intolerance, the hunt for the perfect bite can be a tricky quest. Thankfully, the search for the best store-bought, gluten-free snacks is becoming more accessible, partly thanks to brand awareness.
Whether you’re committed to a gluten-free lifestyle or just exploring, this guide offers an array of delicious store-bought and homemade gluten-free snack options, ensuring everyone can indulge in their snack cravings.
Rice cakes and nut butter
Peanut butter on rice cakes is an easy and nutritious snack choice that’s also delicious. Adding peanut butter takes a bland rice cake to the next level. This is a great kid-friendly option to satisfy their hungry after-school stomachs.
Opt for rice cakes made exclusively from rice without additional ingredients to guarantee a gluten-free snack. You can also use another type of nut butter, such as almond butter, or keep the snack nut-free by using seed butter.
Popcorn
Popcorn is a great gluten-free snack and often a universal stand-in for many processed snacks that use gluten-containing flour. Pop your own and portion into baggies when on the go, or choose from one of the many popcorn brands that line convenience store shelves. Chocolate-covered popcorn makes a dessert-like snack that satisfies any sweet tooth, whereas popcorn topped with the right salt and spices is perfect for savory lovers.
Granola bars
Granola bars have come a long way since the crumbly, hard-as-a-rock packaged stuff our parents used to fill our lunch boxes. Thankfully, there are many gluten-free granola bars to choose from in stores these days. Many use oats, a naturally gluten-free grain, as the base and branch out with different add-ins and flavors.
Kate’s Real Food Bars offers an organic, non-GMO, gluten-free energy bar in multiple flavors that make an excellent choice for busy lives. The bars are soft and chewy, and I personally love how many varieties include chocolate to make this snack taste like a real treat. I also appreciate the balanced macronutrient content of the bars. The fat from whole food ingredients, like coconut and almond butter, helps keep me satisfied much longer than carbohydrate-dominant snacks.
Making your own bars is also easy to do. This homemade chocolate granola bar recipe uses accessible ingredients and can be easily customized to your preferences.
“Eating gluten-free has really been very impactful for my family due to autoimmune conditions such as celiac and Type 1 diabetes. With three teenagers in the home, having good snacks around is not only important but a requirement. What I have found with many store-bought gluten-free snacks is that they skyrocket blood sugar for diabetics with the replacement ingredients that are often used. Having mastered the art of making homemade gluten-free granola bars has been a lifesaver for us.”
— Trina Krug, Trina Krug
Potato chips
The fact that potatoes are naturally gluten-free might seem like divine intervention for those with a salty tooth. Potato chips are an excellent replacement for other snacks like crackers and pretzels that may be off-limits on a gluten-free diet.
Fruit chips and bars
The world of chips doesn’t end with potatoes. Fruit chips are popping up in convenience stores, airports and grocery stores as an easy choice for healthy snacking, and they’re naturally gluten-free as well.
Everything from apple chips to banana chips and most fruits in between is becoming popular among the gluten-free snack options. If you own a dehydrator or air fryer, making these fruit snacks yourself is simple and cost-effective.
Fruit bars are similar to chips except that the fruit isn’t dehydrated. They consist of just one ingredient — or multiple fruits mixed together— and are then shaped into a bar and individually wrapped. If you can’t find whole fruit, these bars and chips make an excellent substitution with a similar nutritional profile.
Tortilla chips
Authentic tortilla chips are made with 100% corn, which is naturally gluten-free. Read the label carefully before indulging — some brands will sneak in other wheat-based flours — but tortilla chips make a great salty snack and pair perfectly with gluten-free friendly dips like salsa, guacamole or hummus.
“With the high price of store-bought gluten-free snacks and the sometimes long ingredient lists with questionable ingredients we’d prefer to avoid, we almost always opt for homemade. Things like energy balls and bars freeze great, and it’s convenient to have them on hand at all times in case a snack is needed last minute. They also travel well, making them perfect for traveling.”
— Erin Dooner, Texanerin Baking
Dips
With the abundance of gluten-free crackers now available, dips like hummus, guacamole and salsa are also popular among gluten-free dieters. Naturally gluten-free, these dips can be purchased in-store or easily made at home with simple ingredients.
Cheese sticks
Cheese sticks may seem like a throwback to childhood, but they’re a delicious and simple gluten-free snack that everyone can enjoy. They’re an excellent choice for those seeking a quick, nutritious, higher-protein option naturally free from gluten. Their portability and individual packaging also make them a perfect on-the-go treat for any time of the day.
Jerky
Meat sticks and jerky are the preferred snacks for those seeking a higher protein option without gluten. Individually wrapped meat sticks offer great portability. Both often come in a variety of flavors with a combination for everyone.
Roasted chickpeas
This gluten-free snack has become popular lately thanks to some mainstream brand awareness and marketing. A surprising find to most, once roasted, chickpeas become the perfect snack to satisfy a crunchy craving.
They can be spun into various savory flavors like BBQ, herbed, curry or taken in a sweet direction. Once you try these cinnamon toast roasted chickpeas, you’ll quickly become addicted to their sweet taste and crunchy bite.
Dried veggies
The dried vegetable category of gluten-free snacks can encompass a variety of options, such as kale chips and snap pea crisps. You’ll find both made by mainstream brands and available in almost any snack aisle these days, but they’re also recipes that can be made at home, either in your oven with some patience or a dehydrator.
Wrapping it up without the gluten
The world of gluten-free snacking is vast and varied, offering something for everyone, from the sweet tooth to the savory seeker. With the increasing availability and variety of store-bought and homemade options, those with celiac disease, gluten intolerance or simply a preference for gluten-free eating have an abundance of choices.
Gina Matsoukas is the writer, photographer and recipe creator of Running to the Kitchen. Focusing on healthy, seasonal, whole-food recipes, her work has been featured in various online and print publications including Food Network, Prevention Magazine and Women’s Health. Gina lives in central New York, where she enjoys an active outdoor life.