No cheese board is complete without crackers. But, most crackers are off-limits to people with celiac disease and gluten intolerance. If you’re following a gluten-free diet, you don’t have to give up on crackers completely – there are many delicious gluten-free crackers you can try.
So, what crackers are gluten-free? Many manufacturers started to make delicious gluten-free crackers. From plain and lightly salted to seeded and flavored crackers with herbs and spices, there are a lot of gluten-free crackers on the market. Back to Nature, Crunchmaster, Ener-G, and Foods Alive are a few gluten-free cracker brands.
Keep reading to discover the best gluten-free cracker brands! We’ll also tell you what is gluten in crackers and whether certified gluten-free crackers taste differently than the original ones.
What Is Gluten in Crackers?
There are several types of crackers, but they are all made from dough using wheat flour. Soft wheat flour is preferred for making crackers because it has a low and constant absorption.
However, soft wheat flour contains gluten, making traditional crackers unsafe for people with celiac disease or non-celiac gluten sensitivity. Crackers made using barley flour, rye flour and Spelt flour also have gluten and aren’t suitable for people following a gluten-free diet.
Traditional crackers are made from low-moisture doughs that are low in sugar and high in fat. Some types of crackers, like saltine crackers, contain yeast in addition to sodium bicarbonate to reduce the elasticity of the dough and provide the signature flavor.
Yeast is naturally gluten-free, but there are many different kinds of yeast. So, you should always double-check to ensure the yeast is labeled gluten-free.
What Are Gluten-Free Crackers made of?
Gluten-free crackers are made using gluten-free flour and natural ingredients, like nuts, seeds, sunflower oil, cassava, or tapioca starch.
Unlike traditional crackers, gluten-free crackers are made without wheat, barley, rye, or Spelt flour and are safe for anyone following a gluten-free diet. In most cracker recipes, soft wheat flour is substituted with a combination of gluten-free flour and starches, such as rice flour, almond flour, rice flour, gluten-free oat flour, potato starch, or tapioca starch.
These flours are used to create a gluten-free flour blend which is combined with water and oil to form the dough. Flavorings and seasonings, like salt, herbs, cheese, or seeds, can be added to the dough or sprinkled on top of crackers before baking.
There are several ways to make gluten-free crackers, especially if you’re baking at home. For most homemade gluten-free cracker recipes, you’ll need to combine the wet, and dry ingredients, roll out the dough and cut it into rectangular, square, triangular, or any other shape before baking.
List of Gluten-Free Cracker Brands
Whether you choose or need to follow a gluten-free diet, there are many gluten-free crackers you can grab for a snack. Saltines, crisps, and flatbreads are now safe for people with celiac disease or non-celiac gluten intolerance. They can be found in grocery stores across the county.
Both large and small manufacturers offer a variety of deliciously crunchy crackers. Here are the best gluten-free cracker brands you can trust:
1. Absolutely Gluten-Free
This well-known and trusted gluten-free brand uses only the finest natural ingredients to create healthy and flavorful gluten-free products. Absolutely Gluten-Free makes plain and flavored crackers, including Original, Onion, and Cracked Pepper crackers and three kinds of flatbreads.
Absolutely Gluten-Free crackers are certified gluten-free by the GFCO, meaning they have less than 10 ppm of gluten. These crunchy potatoes and tapioca-based crackers are sold in many large chain stores like Target and supermarkets like Whole Foods and Food Lion. You can also order Absolutely Gluten-Free crackers on Amazon.
2. Crunchmaster
Crunchmaster makes different types of gluten-free crackers using various kinds of grains and seeds, including whole-grain brown rice, corn, and oat fiber. All Crunchmaster’s crackers are certified gluten-free by the Gluten-Free Certification Organization and have less than 10 ppm of gluten.
This brand makes several types of crackers in various flavors:
- Avocado Toast Crackers – salt and pepper, and ultimate everything flavors
- Multi-Seed Crackers – roasted garlic, rosemary & olive oil, original, ultimate everything, artisan cheese garlic flavors
- Multi-Grain Crackers – garden vegetable, sea salt, and aged white cheddar flavors
- Grain-Free Crackers – lightly salted and Mediterranean herb flavors
- Protein Snack Crackers – sea salt flavor
- Tuscan Peasant Crackers – sea salt and olive oil flavor
In addition to crackers, Crunchmaster brand also makes thins and crisps.
3. Back to Nature
Owned by B&G Foods, the Back to Nature Food brand makes both gluten-free and gluten-containing crackers. The brand’s gluten-free crackers are certified gluten-free by the Gluten-Free Certification Organization and have less than 10 ppm of gluten.
Back to Nature produces four rice thin cracker flavors, including Multi-Seed, Sesame Seed, Sea Salt & Cracked Black Pepper, and White Cheddar crackers. This company also makes two kinds of dippable crackers – Rosemary Garlic Dipper Crisps and White Cheddar Dipper Crisps.
Please note, Back to Nature gluten-free rice thin crackers are made on the same equipment that processes soy, milk, and tree nuts. You might want to avoid snacking these crackers if you’re allergic to nuts or are lactose intolerant
4. Ener-G
Enery-G is well-known for producing tasty gluten-free bread and other allergy-friendly foods. This company makes cinnamon and flax-flavored gluten-free crackers that are non-GMO and certified gluten-free.
Ener-G tests its gluten-free products to ensure they contain less than 5 ppm of gluten. All of Ener-G’s products are made in dedicated wheat-free, gluten-free, peanut-free, tree-nut-free, dairy-free, soy-free, and kosher-certified facilities.
5. Edward & Sons Trading Company
Edward & Sons make Brown Rice Snaps, which are available in many supermarket stores, and online on the company’s website. These round rice crackers are packed in clear plastic packages and come in various flavors, including Plain, Unsalted Sesame, Vegetable, Black Sesame, Onion Garlic, Toasted Onion, Tamari Seaweed, and Tamari Sesame.
Edward & Sons’ crackers are organic and are labeled as “Certified Gluten-Free”. The company tests all of its gluten-free products to ensure they contain less than 5 ppm of gluten.
6. Glutino
Glutino, a ConAgra company, is another well-known gluten-free food brand. This company produces different types of sweet and savory gluten-free snacks, including several kinds of table crackers and snack crackers.
Glutino gluten-free table and snack crackers are available in five delicious flavors, including Original, Multigrain, Vegetable, and Cheddar.
This company is certified gluten-free by the Gluten-Free Certification Organization and tests its gluten-free products to ensure they have less than 10 ppm of gluten.
7. Foods Alive
Foods Alive uses a dedicated gluten-free facility to produce only gluten-free, organic, dairy-free, non-GMO, vegan, and kosher products. The company’s cracker line-up consists of 11 delicious flavors: Everything, Lemon Crunch, Chocolate Macaroon, Coconut Curry, Original, Onion Garlic, Mexican Harvest, Italian Zest, Rosemary Hemp, Ginger Snap, and Maple and Cinnamon.
Foods Alive crackers are made from wholesome, natural ingredients like organic flax, almonds, sesame, chia, and sunflower seeds. Order these healthy gluten-free crackers online, or purchase them at natural food stores or larger grocery chains like Whole Foods or Kroger.
8. Mary’s Gone Crackers
Mary’s Gone Crackers produces several types of gluten-free crackers using wholesome ingredients like quinoa, brown rice, and seeds. All Mary’s crackers are made in a dedicated gluten-free facility and are organic, vegan, and kosher.
Mary’s Gone Crackers products are certified gluten-free by the Gluten-Free Certification Organization and are non-GMO verified. Mary’s cracker line-up consists of four types of crackers that come in various flavors:
- Cheezee Crackers – cheddar, and cheese & herb flavors
- Original Crackers – original, herb, black pepper, and jalapeno flavors
- Super Seed Crackers – classic, basil & garlic, everything, jalapeno, seaweed & black sesame, and rosemary flavors
- Real Thin Crackers – tomato basil, olive oil + black pepper, chipotle, sea salt, and garlic rosemary flavors
Do Gluten-Free Crackers Taste Different?
Most gluten-free crackers taste similar to traditional, gluten-containing crackers. Many crackers are made with seasonings, herbs, or cheese, which give the cracker the bulk of its flavor.
Because gluten-free flours taste differently and have different properties than wheat flour, gluten-free crackers can’t taste and feel exactly the same as regular crackers. But the differences in texture and flavor are so minimal that many people can’t tell the difference between a gluten-free and a traditional cracker.
Conclusion
People following a gluten-free diet don’t have to give up cheese platters, cracker sandwiches, and cracker party spreads. Many great gluten-free companies produce delicious crackers.
Gluten-free cracker options are virtually endless these days! Whether you’re caving a lightly salted, super seeded, plain, or flavored cracker, there are more options than ever to choose from.
If you have celiac disease or non-celiac gluten intolerance, look for certified gluten-free cracker brands that make their products in dedicated gluten-free facilities.
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