Are you a fan of Rice Krispies? If so, you may have wondered if rice krispies are gluten-free, especially if you follow a gluten-free diet. Find out the details and the answer to that question in this post.
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Snap, crackle, pop! Remember that catch phrase way back when for the Rice Krispies brand of cereal? If you’ve been thinking of If you’ve been thinking of going gluten-free or you’ve been gluten-free for awhile, you might be wondering if certain foods contain gluten.
In this post, I’m going to walk you through this answer to the question of “are rice krispies gluten-free?” Plus, we’ll go over the ingredients in Rice Krispies, how to check for gluten in a specific Rice Krispie cereal product, and talk through which puffed rice cereals are safe for a gluten-free diet.
Rice Krispies Ingredients
According to the Kellogg’s website, Kellogg’s Rice Krispies cereal contains rice, sugar, and 2% of less of salt, malt flavor, iron (ferric phosphate), niacinamide, vitamin B6 (pyridoxine hydrochloride), vitamin B2 (riboflavin), vitamin B1 (thiamin hydrochloride), folic acid, vitamin D3, and vitamin D12.
Upon first glance, you might not see any specific wheat ingredients in this list, but with a closer look, there is in fact, gluten hiding in one of the ingredients.
How to check for gluten in a product
The easiest way to check for gluten in a specific food product is to read the ingredient list. When you know the many names of gluten you can go through the ingredient list and look for those hidden sources that gluten might be hiding under.
Ingredient lists are listed in descending order of quantity each ingredient. The first item in any ingredient list will be the one that is used the most in the food. The last item in any ingredient list is what is used the least. While this doesn’t matter if you stay away from gluten entirely in your diet, if you have an intolerance and you can tolerate small amounts, a food that has the gluten containing ingredient near the end of the list might not concern you much.
An easy way to find out if a product is gluten-free is to look for the “certified gluten-free label” on a package. You might also look for the “Contains:” area on an ingredient list, usually at the bottom of the list. Oftentimes this will say “Contains: Wheat” that will also indicate the presence of gluten in a product.
Do Rice Krispies have gluten?
While at first glance it might look like Rice Krispies don’t contain gluten, in fact they do contain a gluten-containing ingredient in the malt flavoring. Malt is a common hidden source of gluten they’ll want to avoid if you are eating a gluten-free diet.
Do Rice Krispie treats have gluten?
If Rice Krispie treats are made using Kellogg’s Rice Krispies, they will have gluten. Kellogg’s Rice Krispies contain malt flavoring, which is a hidden name for gluten. If you’re eating a gluten-free diet, you will want to avoid eating Rice Krispie treats, unless you make them yourself using a gluten-free crispy rice cereal.
Are Rice Krispies gluten-free?
Rice Krispies are not gluten-free, because they contain malt flavor which is a hidden name and source of gluten.
Gluten free puffed rice cereal brands
There are a few gluten-free puffed rice cereal brands that are safe for a gluten-free diet. You can find many of these at your local grocery stores, and if you can’t find them there, you can also look for them on sites like Amazon or Thrive Market, or other health food stores.
Barbara’s Organic Gluten-free Brown Rice Crisps Cereal
Barbara’s organic gluten-free brown rice crisps cereal is gluten-free, USDA organic certified, contains 2 grams of sugar per serving, is non-GMO project certified, and is also vegan (safe for a dairy-free diet too!).
Out of the three gluten-free crispy rice products I was able to find, this is the one that seemed the most likely to be gluten-free without a chance for cross-contamination. It didn’t indicate it used a shared facility with wheat or other gluten-containing ingredients.
Like all products when you’re on a restricted diet, you’ll want to do your research and double check ingredient lists. If necessary, follow up with the company to find out if something is 100% gluten-free.
One Degree Organic Foods Sprouted Brown Rice Crisps
One Degree organic foods sprouted brown rice crisps are considered gluten-free, because they have no gluten-containing ingredients in the ingredient list. They are USDA organic certified, contains 1 gram of sugar per serving, grams of sugar per serving, is non-GMO project certified, and is also vegan (safe for a dairy-free diet too!).
While this product does not contain any gluten-containing ingredients, it is manufactured in the same facility as wheat, so it could have some potential for cross contamination. With a gluten intolerance, you will likely be able to tolerate this product, but with an allergy or Celiac’s disease, it is probably best to avoid.
Nature’s Path Gluten-free Crispy Rice Cereal
Nature’s Path gluten-free crispy rice cereal is gluten-free, USDA organic certified, contains 0 grams of sugar per serving, is non-GMO project certified, and is also vegan (safe for a dairy-free diet too!).
Interestingly, while they are labeled as gluten-free, the notes on the back of the package indicate that the product may contain wheat. Based on the other products that Nature’s Path manufactures, I assume this means there may be some potential for cross contamination.
If you’re super sensitive even to small amounts of gluten due to cross contamination from shared facilities, then you may want to avoid this product. With a gluten intolerance, you will likely be okay with this product, but an allergy or Celiac’s disease, you’d probably want to avoid this one.
Do you love Rice Krispies cereal? Or Rice Krispies treats? If you’re gluten-free, you’ll definitely want to check out this Rice Krispies treat recipe that is gluten-free and dairy-free!
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