Gluten-free crackers: A few great ones are out there

I figured that gluten-free products had become ubiquitous enough that I could rely on an ordinary supermarket for a selection of crackers. Not quite. The places I looked had one or two but I ended up at health food stores and Whole Foods to get a wide variety.

We tried these six gluten-free crackers. Let us know your favorites too.

Our favorite, from Jilz, was also the priciest. (Isn’t that the way it goes?) The others were pretty much in line with other crackers.

Jilz Cracked Pepper and Sea Salt Crackerz are vegan and free of gluten, grains, dairy, soy and corn. They’re made with almond, sesame, chia and flax. They’re light and crunchy, and come in three flavors. Jill Morris started making crackers for her gluten-intolerant husband in her home. Now there’s a dedicated facility in Ventura; the crackers are available in some West Coast stores and online. A one-ounce serving has 100 calories, with 3 grams of fiber and 7 of fat. ($6.99 for a five-ounce container at Erewhon.)

A close second was the widely available Blue Diamond Almonds line of Artisan Nut Thins. Theses have disappeared faster than other crackers at parties at our house. We like the one with brown rice flour, almonds and sesame seeds, which has a nice, salty crunch that would go well with cheeses or dips. The crackers have 13 calories apiece, with 3 grams of fiber and 4 grams of fat in a serving (about 13 crackers).

We also like the popular Mary’s Gone Crackers, a longtime staple for the gluten-free community. Our favorite is the original – too many flavorings can interfere with the topping. They taste super-healthy, full of seeds. Ingredients include organic brown rice flour, quinoa, flax and sesame. A serving (13 crackers) has 140 calories, with 3 grams of fiber and 5 grams of fat.

Glutino’s original Table Crackers were most like traditional old-fashioned crackers. They seem perfect for peanut butter, or a flavorful cheese. They don’t have a strong flavor on their own, which could appeal to kids. Ingredients include corn starch, soy flour, palm oil and sugar. A serving is three large crackers, with 160 calories, no fiber and 7 grams of fat.

Rosemary Flackers from the Minneapolis company Doctor in the Kitchen were too seedy for us although we liked the rosemary flavor, which complemented the Manchego cheese we had. Flax seed is the first ingredient, and others include apple cider vinegar and herbs. Flackers are dehydrated at low temperature and were developed by a doctor. Six crackers have 110 calories, with 7 grams of fiber – more than twice the others -- and 8 grams of fat.

Hol-Grain’s Brown Rice Crackers contain rice and salt. That’s it. So their flavor is not unlike rice cakes, but the form is a very thin cracker. They’re delicate and perfect for lighter toppings. Made in New Iberia, La., they’re the lowest calorie of the crackers we tried. Seven crackers have 60 calories, no fiber and no fat.

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Try making crackers on your own

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