Find out if potato chips are gluten-free, what they’re made of, where gluten hides, and get a list of gluten-free potato chip brands and flavors.

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Who doesn’t love potato chips as a snack, for dipping, for packing with a picnic, or to serve at a barbecue? They’re a staple as a summertime side dish, with sandwiches for lunch, and can be found at just about any grocery store or even gas station.

For those of us who follow a gluten-free diet, even something as simple as potato chips needs to be inspected with a thoughtful eye.

Gluten can hide in even the most unlikely of places, which is why I decided to do a deep dive into potato chips and answer the question of “are potato chips gluten-free?”

In this post, we’ll talk about what potato chips are made of, if they are gluten-free, and what some gluten-free potato chip brands and flavors are.

By the end of this post, you’ll be able to walk into just about any store and choose something that works for your gluten-free diet.

What are potato chips made of?

Potato chips in their most simple state are made of thinly sliced potatoes, oil, and salt. Potato chips are usually deep fried or baked until crispy, and eaten plain as a snack, with dip, or as an appetizer.

Many brands of potato chips offer a variety of flavors, ranging from cheese to herbs to spicy hot. There are hundreds, if not thousands, of potato chip flavors available on the market today. 

Flavorings, preservatives, and additives are also likely to be added to many potato chips.

What is gluten?

Gluten is a protein found in most wheat products, and acts as the “glue” that helps to hold wheat, barley, kamut, spelt, farro, durum, bulgur, rye, and semolina together to maintain their shape.

You can find gluten in whole grains, but also in many processed foods as well. If you purchase wheat bread, there will be gluten in it, because wheat by nature has gluten.

When you think of squishing a piece of bread in your hands, it will form a ball, then will bounce back. That bouncing back is often indicative of gluten. The gluten is the naturally sticky glue that is part of many whole grains.

Many processed foods have hidden gluten in them in the form or gluten or wheat derivatives. These are also in the form of flavorings, binders to keep ingredients together, or other additives.

Read on: What is gluten in food? The basics of a gluten-free diet

Are potato chips gluten-free?

Many brands of potato chips are gluten-free, while others contain gluten. The brands that opt to keep their processing and ingredients simple are more likely to be gluten-free than those that use a laundry list of ingredients in their products.

Even some brands that have gluten-free potato chips may offer some flavors that are not gluten-free, so you’ll always want to check ingredients lists for any hidden sources of gluten.

There are some brands that are better than others about identifying gluten in their products or having a gluten-free label. For example, Frito Lay products and Kettle Brand chips are excellent about disclosing which flavors of their chips contain gluten.

If in doubt, check out the list below to find the brands and flavors that are safe for a gluten-free diet, as I’ve done some research to help you get some quick and easy options.

Also be aware of the potential for cross contamination, when companies use the same processing equipment for potato chips that contain gluten as well as those that don’t.

A potato chip might not contain any gluten-containing ingredients, but still have the possibility of coming into contact with gluten if it’s made on the same lines.

Read on: 101 Gluten-free Dairy-free Snacks

Are all potato chips gluten-free?

While many potato chips are gluten-free, there is always a risk of gluten being added as a flavoring or from cross contamination.

Depending on the level of sensitivity you have to gluten, you may want to look for a gluten-free label on the bag of potato chips before buying.

As required by the FDA, a packaged food can have 20ppm or less of gluten in order for it to have the gluten-free label on the product. If you can’t risk even the potential for cross contamination, be sure to look for that gluten-free label.

Gluten-free Potato Chip Brands

All the brands and flavors in this list have a gluten-free label and are noted by their manufacturer on their products or their websites.

If you follow a dairy-free diet in addition to a gluten-free diet, I have marked the flavors that are dairy-free with a (D) to help you find your options quickly and easily.

365 by Whole Foods Market

• Barbecue Potato Chips (D)
• Classic Potato Chips (D)
• Kettle Cooked Texas BBQ Kettle Chip (D)
• Kettle Cooked Himalayan Salt & Apple Cider Vinegar Potato Chips (D)
• Organic Sea Salt Potato Chips (D)
• Organic Barbecue Potato Chips (D)
• Rippled Cheddar & Sour Cream Potato Chips
• Rippled Sea Salt Potato Chips (D)
• Sea Salt Potato Chips (D)
• Sour Cream Potato Chips

Better Made

Kettle Cooked

• Jalapeno (D)
• Mesquite (D)
• Original (D)
• Sweet Onion (D)
• Salt & Pepper (D)

Potato Chips

• Barbecue (D)
• Cheddar & Sour Cream
• Garlic Dill (D)
• Honey BBQ (D)
• Jalapeno (D)
• Lightly Salted (D)
• No Salt (D)
• Original (D)
• Rainbow (D)
• Red Hot (D)
• Salt & Vinegar (D)
• Sour Cream & Onion
• Southern Style Sweet Heat (D)
• Sweet Barbecue (D)
• Wavy (D)

Cape Cod

Classic

• Dark Russet (D)
• Original (D)
• Original Lightly Salted (D)
• Sea Salt & Cracked Pepper
• Sea Salt & Vinegar (D)
• Sour Cream & Onion
• Sweet & Spicy Jalapeno
• Sweet Mesquite Barbecue (D)

Less Fat

• Less Fat Original (D)
• Less Fat Sea Salt & Vinegar (D)
• Less Fat Sweet Mesquite Barbecue (D)
• Less Fat Aged White Cheddar & Sour Cream

Waves

• Waves Sea Salt (D)
• Waves Honey BBQ (D)
• Waves Jalapeno Ranch
• Waves Less Fat Sea Salt (D)
• Waves White Cheddar & Sour Cream

Waffle Cut

• Sea Salt Waffle Cut (D)

Eatsmart Naturals

• Garden Veggie Crisps (D)

Food Should Taste Good

• Sweet Potato (D)

Good Health

Avocado Oil

• Barbecue
• Jalapeno (D)
• Lime Ranch
• Sea Salt (D)

Olive Oil 

• Cracked Pepper & Sea Salt (D)
• Rosemary (D)

Sweet Potato

• Sea Salted (D)

Kettle Brand

Almond Oil

• Fiery Thai (D)
• Wood Smoked (D)

Avocado Oil

• Chili Lime (D)
• Himalayan Sea Salt (D) 
• Tropical Salsa (D)

Krinkle Cut

• Buffalo Bleu
• Dill Pickle (D)
• Salt & Fresh Ground Pepper (D) 
• Sea Salt (D)
• Spicy Queso
• Wasabi Ranch

Organic

• Country Style Barbecue (D)
• Jalapeno (D)
• Pepperoncini (D) 
• Salt & Fresh Ground Pepper (D)
• Sea Salt (D)

Potato Chips

• Backyard Barbecue (D)
• Bourbon BBQ (D)
• Chili Verde (D)
• Honey Dijon (D)
• Jalapeno (D)
• Korean Barbecue (D)
• Maple Bacon (D)
• New York Cheddar
• Pepperoncini (D)
• Sea Salt (D)
• Sea Salt & Vinegar (D)
• Sour Cream & Onion
• Sriracha (D)
• Unsalted (D)

Reduced Fat

• Sea Salt (D)

Lay’s

Baked 

• BBQ Flavored Potato Crisps
• Baked Original Potato Crisps
• Baked Sour Cream & Onion Flavored Potato Crisps

Potato Chips

• Classic (D)
• Lightly Salted (D)
• Simply BBQ Thick Cut Flavored (D)
• Simply Sea Salted Thick Cut (D)

STAX Potato Crisps

• Bacon & Cheddar Potato Skins Flavored
• Buffalo Wings with Ranch Flavored
• Cheddar Flavored
• Chile Limón Flavored
• Flamas® Flavored
• Mesquite Barbecue Flavored
• Original (D)
• Salt & Vinegar Flavored
• Sour Cream & Onion Flavored

Wavy

• Lightly Salted Potato Chips (D)
• Original Potato Chips (D)

Read on: Are Lay’s chips gluten-free?

Luke’s Organic

Potato Chips

• Barbecue (D)
• Sea Salt (D)
• Sour Cream + Onion
• Wavy (D)
• White Truffle & Sea Salt (D)

Kettle Style Potato Chips

• Barbecue (D)
• Cheddar & Sour Cream
• Ketchup with Mustard & Pickle (D)
• Sea Salt (D)
• Sea Salt & Vinegar (D)

Maui Style Potato Chips

• Onion Flavored (D)
• Original
• Salt & Vinegar Flavored (D)

One Potato Two Potato

• Cinnamon & Brown Sugar Sweet Potato Chips (D)
• Garlic & Herb Root Veggie Chips (D)
• Himalayan Pink Salt Root Veggie Chips (D)
• Organic Sea Salt Sweet Potato (D)
• Simply Sea Salt Sweet Potato Chips (D)

POPchips

Potato

• Barbeque (D)
• Buffalo Ranch
• Crazy Hot
• Jalapeno (D)
• Original (D)
• Sea Salt (D)
• Sea Salt and Vinegar (D)
• Sour Cream & Onion

Ridges

• Buffalo Ranch
• Cheddar & Sour Cream
• Tangy Barbecue (D)

Route 11 Potato Chips

• Barbecue (D)
• Chesapeake Crab (D)
• Dill Pickle
• Lightly Salted (D)
• Mama Zuma’s (D)
• Salt and Pepper (D)
• Salt N Vinegar
• Sour Cream & Chive
• Sweet Potato (D)

Ruffles

• Baked Cheddar & Sour Cream Flavored Potato Crisps
• Baked Original Potato Crisps (D)
• Flamin’ Hot® BBQ Flavored Potato Chips
• Original Potato Chips (D)
• Simply Sea Salted Potato Chips (D)

Read on: Are Ruffles gluten-free?

Saratoga Chips

• Balsamic Vinegar (D)
• Cinnamon Sweet (D)
• Cracked Pepper (D)
• Dark Russets (D)
• Honey BBQ (D)
• Old Glories (D)
• Original Himalayan (D)
• Rosemary Garlic (D)
• Salt & Balsamic (D)
• Salted Sweet Potato (D)
• Thai Sweet Chili (D)
• Wavy Kettle (D)

Terra

Exotic Vegetable Chips

• Blues (D)
• Exotic Harvest (D)
• Exotic Potato (D)
• Heritage Blend (D)
• Original (D)
• Mediterranean (D)
• Stripes & Blues (D)
• Taro (D)

Sweet Potato Chips

• BBQ Sweets (D)
• Red, White & Blues (D)
• Sweet Potato with Sea Salt (D)
• Sweets & Beets (D)
• Sweet Potato No Salt Added (D)
• Sweets & Blues (D)
• Sweets & Carrots (D)
• Sweet Chipotle with Avocado Oil (D)
• Sweets & Apples (D)

Utz

Kettle Classics

• Crab (D)
• Dark Russets (D)
• Gourmet Medley (D)
• Jalapeno
• Mash Up Smokin’ Sweet Crab
• Maui BBQ (D)
• Original (D)
• Sweet Potato (D)
• Smokin Sweet BBQ
• Reduced Fat Original (D)

Potato Chips

• Crab (D)
• Carolina Barbecue (D)
• Honey Barbecue (D)
• Onion & Garlic (D)
• Original (D)
• Original No Salt Added (D)
• Red Hot (D)
• Salt & Pepper
• Salt & Vinegar
• Southern Sweet Heat BBQ (D)

Ridge Cut

• Jalapeno Cheddar

Ripples

• BBQ (D)
• Cheddar & Sour Cream
• Fried Dill Pickle (D)
• Original (D)
• Original Reduced Fat (D)
• Sour Cream & Onion

Wavy

• Heluva Good Buttermilk Ranch
• Heluva Good French Onion
• Original (D)

Are my favorite brands of potato chips gluten-free?

If your favorite brands of potato chips didn’t make the list above, find out here if your favorites are gluten-free.

Are Better Made potato chips gluten-free?

Better Made Kettle Chips and most of their potato chips and potato sticks are gluten-free. Find a full list of their potato chips and their allergen information here.

Are Kettle chips gluten-free?

Kettle Chips brand of potato chips are gluten-free. Their website states that all of their products are gluten-free and certified. They are processed in a gluten-free environment.

Get more information on their website here.

Read on: Are Kettle chips gluten-free?

Are Lay’s potato chips gluten-free?

Many flavors of Lay’s potato chips are gluten-free. Use the list above to help you determine which flavors to purchase next time you’re at the store.

Read on: Are Lay’s chips gluten-free?

Are Miss Vickie’s chips gluten-free?

The Miss Vickie’s website does not share information about gluten, however there are no gluten ingredients in any of their products.

None of the flavors have a gluten-free label on their packaging, so we know that this brand either does not test this brand of chips for gluten or they know there is some cross contamination happening during manufacturing and they cannot use a gluten-free label.

Read on: Are Miss Vickie’s chips gluten-free?

Are Pringles gluten-free?

According to the Pringles website, Pringles contain wheat starch and are therefore not gluten-free or safe for a gluten-free diet.

Read on: Are Pringles gluten-free?

Are Ruffles potato chips gluten-free?

Some flavors of Ruffles are gluten-free and have been tested and certified to be so. See the list above to find out which flavors to choose next time you’re out buying potato chips.

Read on: Are Ruffles gluten-free?

I hope this post has given you some information to help you make an informed decision next time you’re out buying snacks. 

Remember that most potato chips when made with simple ingredients are gluten-free, but the places to be aware of are cross contamination from shared processing equipment and gluten added in from flavorings. 

Always look for gluten-free labels and check ingredients lists before purchasing.

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