Whether due to personal choice or medically necessary, gluten-free diets have become much more popular over the last few years. While it’s often easy to plan your meals without gluten, gluten-free snacks are sometimes harder to find. Because most breads, wraps, crackers, and other baked items contain gluten, mid-day snacking on a gluten-free diet can sometimes seem monotonous or just plain hard to do. Sure, you can always eat raw fruits and veggies or plain meat without bread, but that can quickly get boring. Luckily, I have lots of experience with gluten-free snacks, so I decided to compile a list of 20 of my family’s favorites and share them with you. Hopefully, you’ll find a few new things to help ease the snacking boredom. (Spoiler Alert: There’s even a recipe for gluten-free muffins at the bottom!)
1. Coconut Macaroons
These five-ingredient macaroons are an excellent gluten-free snack because they’re sweet, bakery-like confections that’ll make you think you’re getting all the bread goodness. However, they’re gluten-free! Plus, all you’ll need is honey, egg whites, vanilla extract, coconut, and salt – all things you probably already have in your pantry.
2. Apple Chips
Apple chips are sweet, full of cinnamon flavor, and very crispy. If you have an air fryer, some apples, a pinch of salt, and a dash of cinnamon, you can make them in 30 minutes or less. You could, of course, make these with a dehydrator, oven, or other appliance, but it’s just so much easier – and they get so much crunchier – in an air fryer.
3. Apple Oatmeal Bars
Although many people don’t realize it, oats are naturally gluten-free. However, they sometimes come in contact with gluten if processed in the same machines as rye, wheat, etc. However, you can buy certified gluten-free oats, and that’s what you’ll need to make these chewy – but somehow also crunchy – apple oatmeal bars. With ingredients like maple syrup, applesauce, cinnamon, oats, and more, these are the perfect mid-day snacks or breakfast options for fall.
4. Banana Chips
Banana chips don’t get quite as crunchy as apple chips, especially if you cut them in thicker slices. But there’s still enough crunch to them to satisfy your need for a crunchy snack. The natural sweetness of the bananas can appease your sweet tooth. Since each one is dipped in lemon juice before you bake it, there’s even a bit of tart zestiness to them, as well.
5. Ants on a Log
No matter how you make them – traditionally with celery, peanut butter, and raisins or using other ingredients – ants on a log are almost always gluten-free. Also, they’re just a lot of fun to make and eat. If you have a child that needs to stick to a gluten-free diet, get them involved in making these adorable treats. Sometimes just getting to help put them together is enough to inspire them to eat them.
6. Strawberry Banana Granola Yogurt Parfaits
Again, with this one, be sure your oats are certified gluten-free and not processed with gluten-heavy products. If you do that, then you’ll be able to have this sweet, tangy, and crunchy snack anytime you like. Thanks to the yogurt, nuts, granola, berries, and other toppings, this one is also unbelievably filling. You can adjust this parfait to suit your tastes, as well. If you prefer blueberries to strawberries, swap it up. If natural almond butter isn’t your thing, use peanut butter instead.
7. Gluten-Free Chex Mix
Most Chex is naturally gluten-free, but there is Wheat Chex. That cereal, of course, isn’t gluten-free because it’s made from wheat. Additionally, many of the other components of Chex Mix, such as the pretzels and rye chips, aren’t gluten-free. However, you can easily enjoy gluten-free Chex Mix by making your own. The ingredients list is a bit long, but making the mix isn’t difficult at all. It’s just a matter of mixing everything together with the seasoning salt and baking it.
8. Keto Peanut Butter Cookies
Not only are these delicious, old-school peanut butter cookies gluten-free, they’re also keto-friendly! If you’re on a low-carb/keto diet and need to eat gluten-free, you’ll kill two birds with one stone. Additionally, they’re soft, chewy, and tasty enough that anyone would love them, gluten-free/keto diet or not.
9. Peanut Butter Banana Rice Cakes
Rice cakes are another one of those tricky foods. You’d think they should be gluten-free, but sometimes they include barley and other grains, so they aren’t. Alleviate all that uncertainty by buying organic rice cakes and turning them into something even yummier. You’ll only need four ingredients – organic rice cakes, peanut butter, bananas, and honey. These sweet, crunchy snacks are perfect for any time of day.
10. Kale Chips
If you’re looking for a way to incorporate more kale into your diet, try these tasty and (surprisingly) crunchy kale chips. You can tweak them to suit your specific tastes, as well. All you’ll need is kale, melted coconut or avocado oil, and whatever seasonings you like best. I love garlic salt, crushed chives, and just a dash of red pepper.
11. Zucchini Chips
Most of us know how to thinly slice potatoes to make homemade potato chips, but did you know you can do the same thing with zucchini? The flavor is subtly different, but it’s very good, and I can get these even crispier than I get my potato chips. The recipe calls only for olive oil and salt, but I like to add a little garlic to these, as well.
12. Potato Chips
I thought I’d go ahead and leave a recipe for homemade potato chips on here, as well, just in case you needed one. There are plenty of them out there, but I find this one the easiest to follow.
13. Peanut Butter Energy Bites
Whether you’re looking for a protein-packed breakfast on the go or a middle-of-the-day pick-me-up, these peanut butter energy bites fit the bill. They have peanut butter, chocolate, salt, and many other things, but honestly, if you’re like me, you were sold on them from just those three ingredients. Best of all, you can make three dozen of them in 30 minutes or so.
14. Stuffed Dates
Stuffed dates aren’t the most appealing food in terms of looks. I don’t know how many years I passed them by at the appetizer table without giving them a second thought. However, they taste phenomenal, and I’m pretty sad that I wasted all those years when I could’ve enjoyed them. You can stuff dates with all kinds of things, but for this recipe, you’ll need cream cheese, toasted walnuts, orange juice and zest, and honey. They’re sweet, creamy, and insanely good.
15. Granola Bars
This recipe for granola bars is both gluten-free and dairy-free. It’s also chewy and crunchy. It includes chocolate chips, cranberries, sunflower seeds, honey, and more. These granola bars have it all, and they’ll fill you up and keep you full for hours.
16. French Fries
Yes, you can have thin, crispy, perfectly seasoned French fries on a gluten-free diet. You’re welcome.
17. Peanut Butter Banana Smoothie
First of all, there are plenty of smoothies that you can enjoy on a gluten-free diet, so that’s something to celebrate. As long as you stick to fruit, veggies, and nuts, you should be fine. Second, of all the smoothies out there, the peanut butter banana one is one of my favorites. It’s true that I love both of those ingredients, but it’s more than that. This smoothie is so thick and creamy, and it has a ton of protein, so it’ll keep you full for longer. I also love that I can make it with only five ingredients.
18. Baba Ganoush
If you love hummus, you’ll probably also be a fan of baba ganoush. It’s very similar to hummus in appearance and consistency, but you’ll make it with eggplant instead of chickpeas. Additionally, baba ganoush has a much smokier, earthier flavor than hummus. Either way, both spreads are generally gluten-free, so try them both and see which one you like best.
19. Fruit Salad
This recipe for fruit salad is simply a large bowl of mixed fruit tossed in a dressing of honey, lime juice, and lime zest. This is one of the easiest gluten-free snacks you can make. In my opinion, it’s also one of the tastiest, but then again, I could practically live off fresh fruit.
20. Blueberry Muffins
Sadly, you can’t have muffins on a gluten-free diet… or can you?! Sure you can! As long as you use the right, gluten-free ingredients, you can enjoy these scrumptious blueberry muffins guilt-free. (You can also adjust the recipe to use your favorite berries, of course.) All you’ll need is Bob’s Red Mill 1-1 baking flour, baking powder, salt, butter, sugar, eggs, vanilla extract, milk, and blueberries. If you’re serious about living a gluten-free lifestyle, I highly urge you to invest in some Bob’s Red Mill 1-1 baking flour right now. You’ll be amazed at the doors it opens for you. Click on a star to rate it!
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