Best Gluten Free Brands
New to the world of eating gluten free? Check out some of my favorite gluten free brands and how to replace some of your old staples!
Note: I am a Whole Foods team member, but the opinions in the post below are my own. I do not gain anything or have any obligations to share this information.
Going gluten free is no easy task, and when you have to overhaul your entire pantry it can fee impossible! I’ve been wanting to make a master list of all my favorite gluten free brands for awhile now because I have wasted my money on some bad food over the years. I’d love to save people the struggle especially when the taste of the real thing is still fresh in your mind. Feel free to leave anything I forgot in the comments or leave me any questions you have! P.S. all of these recommendations are my own opinions! I just want to help people find good GF foods 🙂
Bread Products
The first thing you need to find is a good loaf of bread because that’s a staple and you’ll need to adjust to. Below are some of my favorite gluten free brands for bread that I’d recommend trying out to find your favorites.
Udi’s– Udi’s is one of the original brands that has been making GF products for years! I love their multi-grain bread, and I get it in a two pack at Costco. They also make buns, bagels, and other products you’ll find in the freezer section. Their bread used to be pretty small and full of holes, but it has definitely improved over the past few years.
Canyon Bakehouse– They make some amazing bagels and buns! Also found in the freezer section (like most GF foods) they are great to keep on hand. I have also tried their English muffins that were pretty good. Recently I’ve been obsessed with their Heritage Style Whole Grain bread! It’s big, it’s tasty, and it actually tastes good without toasting it.
Mission Foods– Mission makes GF tortillas that taste like I remember four tortillas tasting! Other companies make multigrain wraps that seem healthy, but these feel like classic tortillas. They are sold by the other tortillas, but they freeze great at home!
Schar– Schar is another GF company that makes a lot of different products including ciabatta buns and baguettes. Those are two of my favorites that are unusual finds. They make a sourdough bread that is pretty meh, and I haven’t tried their sandwich bread. I find Schar at Sprouts, and I think it’s more common in the northeast.
Flour and Baking
Cup4Cup– If you want to do any GF baking, please buy Cup4Cup flour! It is incredible, and it’s what I use for all may baking. It was designed to be an GF all purpose flour that you can sub into recipes “cup for cup” and you get amazing gluten free dishes. Their original blend does contain lactose, so it’s not dairy free. I find this brand at Target and Whole foods.
King Arthur– King Arthur makes another good all purpose flour that is dairy free. They also make boxed mixes that are really good. I’ve only seen and tried their brownie mix in the store, but they make so many!
Sweet Lorenes– They sell break apart cookie dough that is gluten free and vegan! They are great for baking, and they can be eaten raw since there’s no egg or wheat flour.
Pasta and Noodles
Banza– Banza is a gluten free brand that makes chickpea pasta. It’s a good protein source, and it doesn’t fall apart like some GF pastas do. I like chickpeas, so I feel like it has a neutral taste. But, if you really don’t like chickpeas, this might not be the best option. They also make boxed mac and cheese and even pizza crusts now! Also their “rice” tastes like a GF orzo to me!
Jovial– I recently tried this brand’s egg tagliatelle pasta, and it’s so good! I use this to replace egg noodles in my mushroom stroganoff recipe, and it really takes the dish to the next level. I’d recommend this brand if chickpeas aren’t your thing. I find this at Whole Foods, and it regularly goes on sale.
Tinkyada– This is the basic rice pasta we’ve been buying for years and I love it! It’s only 2 ingredients and it cooks really nicely. My mom says it has a strong rice taste, but I feel like it tastes like whatever sauce you put on it. I feel like there are better pastas on the market, but this one is tired and true.
Taste Republic– This brand makes fresh gluten free pasta that taste amazing! They make different shaping including lasagna sheets that are really good! I find them at Whole Foods near me. Now they also make tortellini that is
Lotus Foods– Lotus foods makes brown rice ramen blocks that are great for making GF ramen at home! I buy a big package at Costco, but I have also found them at Sprouts and Whole Foods.
Annie’s– Annie’s makes boxed mac and cheese that is really good. This was the only option when I went gluten free, and I’ve just stuck with it. I never went back to Kraft because I like the white cheddar noodles and the more simple ingredients. I buy these at Target especially when they are on sale.
Frozen Foods
Feel Good Foods– Oh my god! These are the best GF frozen foods on the market! This gluten free brand make things nobody else makes like egg rolls, pot stickers, taquitos, empanadas, and even breaded mac and cheese balls. I can usually find them at Sprouts and Whole Foods. I highly recommend splurging for these and treating yourself to some amazing junk food!
Udi’s– Udi’s back on the list because they make some frozen dinners that are actually really good. I love these for when you don’t feel like cooking or for when you are traveling and need a quick dinner to make at someone else’s house. Their ravioli turn out really good and don’t fall apart. Doctor them up with some garlic bread and a salad, and you’ve got an easy dinner for 2.
Sonoma Flatbreads– Okay, I have yet to find the perfect GF frozen pizza but this is pretty good…if you can find it. I had gotten their pizza at Costco with Beyond sausage which was amazing because it’s pretty hard to find things that are GF and vegetarian. If you can find these, even their cauliflower crust is good.
Meat Substitutes
Being gluten free and vegetarian can be tricky because vital wheat gluten makes a great chewy meat substitute. A lot of brands like Morning Star and Gardein are off limits because all their products contain gluten. So below are a few meat substitute brands that make make GF options.
Quorn– Quron makes a few chicken substitutes that are really good! You have to watch out because they have a vegan line that is not gluten free and a GF line that is not vegan. If you are down with eggs, their chicken pieces, chicken cutlets, and meatless roast are amazing! I find their products at Kroger and Whole Foods (and sometimes Publix, but my store has stopped carrying most).
Beyond Meat- Beyond burgers and sausages are gluten free and they are really good! I prefer the sausages to the burgers, but I’ve learned if you mix the burger with spices and reform the patty it’s much better.
Impossible Foods– Impossible are new to the grocery stores, but I’m glad to see another option that’s GF. I believe their first version contained gluten, but now their restaurant and in-store products are GF. To me, they taste like a processed fast food burger, but that’s perfect for me.
Pure Farmland– Another “realistic” meat substitute brand that got the memo that GF vegetarians exist! I really like their breakfast sausages and their meatballs! I find this brand at Publix.
Sauces and Soups
San-J– San-J makes great gluten free soy sauce (tamari) as well as other sauces with a soy sauce base like Teriyaki sauce and Thai peanut sauce. All their sauces are great, and I love that I can trust this gluten free brand for all my sauce needs.
Pacific Foods– Pacific Foods makes GF soups that can be hard to find like cream of mushroom and cream of chicken. They also make some gluten free gravies and just some good canned soups in general.
Desserts and Treats
Jolly Llama- I never really missed ice cream cones, but I did want an occasional sweet frozen treat, and their cones are amazing! Definitely recommend these if you are craving a frozen treat! Plus, they happen to be dairy free, and I swear it tastes like real ice cream! I find these at Sprouts, and they are a great treat!
Good Pop– If you’re caving an ice cream sandwich, good pop has you covered. They make gluten free and diary free ice cream sandwiches and cookies and cream popsicles. They are a bit small and a bit pricey, but I haven’t had an ice cream sandwich in nearly 10 years, so I’ll take it!
Schar– I mentioned their breads earlier, but shar also makes a really great Kit Kat alternative as well as a Twix alternative. They also make graham crackers, chocolate covered shortbread cookies, and ladyfingers which I use to make tiramisu.
Goodie Girl– Goodie Girl is an awesome gluten free brand that makes cookies from your childhood. They have thin mints, fudge stipes, oreos, and animal crackers. Check them out if you are missing any of these cookies!
Glutino– Glutino makes a few good snacks like pretzels and chocolate covered pretzels as well as oreo cookies. They aren’t my go-to anymore, but their stuff isn’t bad if it’s all you can find.
Katz– This gluten free brand has a bunch of different desserts including doughnuts. They also have some soft pretzel bites that are pretty amazing. Their doughnuts and doughnut holes were actually a lot better than I was expecting. I sometimes find this brand in the freezer at Target, but most of their stuff is online. I believe they are a Jewish company, and all their products have a kosher certification.
Beer and Alcohol
I usually drink cider because it feels like the readily available GF alternative to beer. Some of my favorite brands are (depending on where you live) Portland Cider Company, Treehorn Cider, Atlanta Hard Cider, and Strongbow. Wine is also gluten free, so that’s another widely available drink option. Now that hard seltzers have taken off, there are even more options because most of them are gluten free.
Drinks made with malt liquor like Mike’s Hard Lemonade and Smirnoff drinks are not gluten free. Note that some of these products may say “gluten-removed” meaning their products should be below 20 ppm of gluten. If you can drink “gluten-removed” products may depend on how sensitive you are and how badly you want to drink that drink. For me, I skip them just to be safe since it’s not the kind of thing I’m dying to drink.
Liquor that has been distilled should be gluten free even if it came from wheat because the gluten molecules are too big to evaporate and condense in the final product. There is some debate though if there can be cross contamination between the final product and the raw ingredients. I am not a fan of wheat-derived liquors, but if you are I would just proceed with caution and pay attention to how you feel.
Glutenburg– I don’t drink beer, so I’m definitely not an expert on this topic. However, I’ve heard that others love this gluten free brand for beer, and I have tasted it an enjoyed it. They are a Canadian company, and I feel like their products were easier to find in the PNW, but I have seen them stocked at Total Wine near me.
Tito’s Vodka– Some vodkas are made from wheat, but Tito’s uses corn and they are certified GF! It’s frustrating that alcohol doesn’t have to have ingredients lists or declare allergens, so I choose to buy brands that clearly say they are GF.
Trader Joe’s
Let’s give an honorable mention to Trader Joe’s because they do have some good GF products, but obviously, if you don’t have a store near you then these things aren’t accessible.
Pretzels- Trader Joe’s makes the best pretzels in my opinion, and I have even had gluten-eating people tell me they are some of the best pretzels they’ve had.
Stuffing- Every year around Thanksgiving, they bring out a gluten free stuffing that is pretty good especially because nobody else really makes one. I highly recommend grabbing a few boxes next year if you are a stuffing fan. You can read more here about my Thanksgiving must-haves.
Fresh pasta- Trader Joe’s sells a fresh egg pasta fettuccini that is really good, and makes some fancy tasting pasta if you’re into that kind of thing.
Cupcakes- They always have chocolate cupcakes with vanilla frosting and they are pretty good. I could make better cupcakes at home, but I do love the convivence of being able to grab a treat to bring somewhere or for when you are craving a sweet treat. They also recently came out with coffee cake muffins that I just tasted today, and they are incredible! They would have been in the picture but they didn’t last that long!
Okay, I think that’s a pretty good overview of all of my favorite gluten free brands that are staples in my house. Let me know below if I missed anything. Maybe next I’ll pull together a list of my favorite places to eat out at? Let me know if that’s something you’d be interested in. Check out the video below where I rank some of my favorite brands to see some of my least favorite brands.