Just 23 (Really Good) Gluten-Free Snacks, Desserts, And Dinner Staples I Loved This Year

My family's kitchen is often stocked with gluten-free options. While none of us are celiac, it makes it easy for me to quickly supply allergy-friendly snacks for my 6-year-old's classroom or soccer team, or for my husband and I to host friends and family with different dietary preferences. 

Along the way, I've found favorites that I find myself going back to again and again because honestly, they're delicious. Here are some of them. (And if you have a favorite I didn't list, I'd love to hear about it in the comments!)

When it comes to crispy chocolate chip GF cookies — that still retain some chew on the inside — I've yet to find a better version than Tate's. 

Speaking of Trader Joe's, these pretzels from Quinn are the closest (and tastiest) GF version I've found to TJ's famous peanut butter pretzels. However, I'd recommend trying to find these at a retailer near you versus ordering online — as they seem to break easily in transit.

These taste like if Oreos and peanut butter cups had a (not-as-sweet) baby. They're so good! My only gripe is they're kind of pricey per box considering the amount you get but I'll attribute that to the cashews, which are never cheap.

I learned about this cereal from my kiddo's preschool a few years ago and it's been stocked in my kitchen since. All snacks had to be gluten free due to a classroom allergy so teachers would mix these berry-vanilla puffs with regular Cheerios. The result was a not-too-sweet (but sweet enough!) cereal that the kids devoured.

I feel like most people are either a (hot) oatmeal person or a (cold) overnight oats person and I'm the latter. I've tried a few different packaged overnight oat brands but I like Brekki most because the ingredients are super simple and beyond the oats, they in mix things like almonds and flax seeds to add texture. With 8 g of protein per cup, these are great as a quick snack or breakfast on busy mornings.

After seeing these nuggets get top marks in BuzzFeed's chicken nugget taste test earlier this year, I snagged a bag for my kiddo and then, TBH, ended up eating a not-insignificant amount myself. LOL.

Siete's savory gluten-free products — like its chips and slow cooker spice mixes — have never let me down. But this was the year that a few newer sweet products, including these Mexican wedding cookies, made their way into my local Costco. They're almond flour-pecan cookies sprinkled with powdered sugar and cinnamon and they also happen to be vegan.

Continuing on the Costco train: I picked up a bag of these earlier this year because I love anything coconut. And then I (and my husband, and our 6-year-old) started eating through bags with alarming speed. They're so good and snackable! They taste light and airy — with a ridiculously perfect crunch. 

Anyone who has tried gluten-free (dry) pasta will tell you: It can be a shot in the dark — especially when it comes to taste, texture, and ease of cooking. That's why I was excited to discover this new-to-me brand on shelves at Eataly Los Angeles earlier this year. IMO, this pasta delivers on all fronts. It doesn't fall victim to the common pitfalls of other GF pastas: gummy texture, breakage when cooking, or a flavor profile that's overly chickpea or lentil adjacent. 

There are plenty of GF pastas available these days but far fewer prepared pastas, like this one. For a super-easy weeknight dinner, these are great topped with Rao's marinara or a fresh pesto. You'll just want to carefully peel them apart before cooking; otherwise they will stick together and break open.

If you're on the hunt for a cheese-less variety, this is another affordable and reliable refrigerated option from Trader Joe's.

This was the first year I saw Canyon Bakehouse's "heritage style" breads pop up at my local grocery store. You can't really tell in the photo above but the heritage slices are larger than their regular gluten-free breads, which — like most GF bread brands — tend to run smaller than regular bread because of their density.

If I could only eat one food for the rest of my life, it would be tacos. And I love a good store-bought corn tortilla but it wasn't until these recently popped up at my local Whole Foods that I realized store-bought corn tortillas could actually be...great.

I first grabbed these solely due to the fun packaging (LOL) but then was low-key amazed at the difference in taste, texture, and quality. These taste so fresh and perfectly chewy, and they're the most pliable corn tortillas I've come across. (Crucial when it comes to the reheat!) The blue corn variety is my favorite.

These are another allergy-friendly school snack and IMO they really nail the lightly sweetened, delightfully crunchy aspect.