Our Favorite Store-Bought Gluten-Free Snacks for Kids • One Lovely Life

Our Favorite Store-Bought Gluten-Free Snacks For Kids. Easy to buy gluten-free snacks for kids. Perfect for school, travel, taking on the go, or keeping on hand for friends and family!

We started school on Monday! We’re learning virtually for the time being, but I’ve gotten lots of requests for ideas for gluten-free options for lunches and snacks. I’ve got LOTS of school lunch ideas (like these and these), but today I thought I’d tackle some store-bought snacks.

If you were part of our (free!) snack camp this summer (you can still sign up!), you know we love homemade snacks. They’re a fun, low-pressure way to get kids in the kitchen, an easy way to incorporate healthy ingredients, and a simple way to cut down on waste and single-use packaging.

BUT. Sometimes you can’t use homemade snacks. Maybe you’re traveling, need to send something in for school (some schools require individually packaged or store-bought snacks), have a friend whose gluten-free child comes over for playdates, or you want to keep something on hand in your purse/diaper bag/car for emergencies.

So today I’m sharing a BIG list of store-bought gluten-free snacks we love.

WHAT THIS LIST IS: A list of store-bought gluten-free snacks for kids. Great when you’re traveling, need to send something pre-packaged for school, or want to have something on hand for a friend or playmate who comes over. Includes fun/treat-type snacks and more healthy options. (You can also get this list emailed to you in a handy printable by signing up here!)

WHAT THIS LIST ISN’T: A collection of nutritionally “perfect” snacks without any trace of added sugar, single-use packaging, or a single processed ingredient. Many of the snacks below would be in the healthy-ish category. Some are decidedly on the treat side. Feel free to use the options that work for you and skip the ones that don’t!

Now, let’s get to it! Here are our favorite store-bought gluten-free snacks…

APPLESAUCE POUCHES + FRUIT CUPS

I’m all for applesauce pouches for snacks on the go, or when you need something shelf-stable. My kids love GoGo Squeeze brand best, but any kind will do! (Plus, they’re typically allergy-friendly!)
Or, fruit cups packed in 100% juice like mandarin oranges can be a yummy option!

FRUIT LEATHER + DRIED FRUIT.

Fruit leather is simple and easy. Usually, it’s just 100% fruit! We get these in bulk since they travel and store so well. But most brands of natural fruit leather are a great choice!
That’s It fruit bars are a thicker version of fruit leather made with different blends of fruit. They can be a great option!
Little boxes of raisins are super easy to take on the go!

GLUTEN-FREE CRACKERS.

Trying new kinds of gluten-free crackers can be a pretty disappointing experience. There are a lot of REALLY bad ones. BUT. There are also more and more great ones out there. Some of our faves are:

Trader Joe’s 3-Seed Sweet Potato Crackers – Kind of like small circle tortilla chips. They’re GREAT with dairy-free cheese, salsa, hummus, etc.
Simple Mills Almond Flour Crackers – Lots of flavors available + also paleo-approved!
Hu Kitchen Crackers – These are grain-free/paleo-approved, too! We like the Sea Salt and Pizza flavors best. The ingredients are pretty impressive!
Mary’s Gone Crackers Thins – These have a wheat thin vibe but are a little thicker.
Schar entertainment crackers (kind of like GF Ritz crackers)
Schar table crackers (GF saltines)

GLUTEN-FREE ANIMAL CRACKERS.

Annie’s Gluten-Free Animal Crackers. The Snickerdoodle bunny crackers are Milo’s favorite. Sophie prefers the Cocoa Vanilla bunnies. They’re kind of like GF teddy grahams!
Kinnikinnick Kritters Animal Crackers. Come in three flavors – vanilla, graham, and chocolate!
Glutino Animal Crackers. The graham-style animal crackers are my all-time favorite for flavor and texture, but my kids like the original/vanilla ones best.

GLUTEN-FREE GRAHAM CRACKERS

Pamela’s Gluten-Free Graham Crackers. They come in honey or cinnamon varieties. These have the best flavor, but they do contain butter. Skip them if you’re strictly dairy-free!
Kinnikinnick S’moreables Graham Crackers. This brand is a little easier to find at places like Sprouts, Whole Foods, Natural Grocers. They’re a bit thick, but my kids like them!
Nairns Gluten-Free Oat Grahams. These come in little packets (great for packing on the go!) and have an almost British biscuit feel. We really like them. (I get them at Sprouts!)
Schar Honeygrams. My kids are hit and miss on these, but I LOVE them for GF s’mores!

GLUTEN-FREE GRANOLA BARS.

Annie’s gluten-free chocolate chip granola bars
Annie’s gluten-free oatmeal cookie granola bars are another good flavor. I get them at Kroger (Fry’s)
Made Good gluten-free granola bars (nut-free!!!) – Try the Cookies & Creme!
This Bar Saves Lives gluten-free granola bars. (another nut-free option.)
Made Good Granola Minis. These are basically granola bar balls!

GLUTEN-FREE PRETZELS.

Snyders Gluten-Free Pretzels and Glutino Gluten-Free Pretzels are our go-to.
Snack Factory Gluten-Free Pretzel Crisps are great for dipping in hummus or guacamole.
Quinn Snacks Gluten-Free Pretzels are another good choice!
The Peanut Butter Stuffed Gluten-Free Pretzels from Quinn are a fun addition to trail mix or as more of a treat! (They also come in chocolate peanut butter!)

ENERGY BARS + PROTEIN BARS

Health Warrior Chia Bars. The dark chocolate is Milo’s favorite, while Michael loves the Caramel Sea Salt best. (All gluten-free + vegan)
Larabars – Mostly made from fruit & nuts. My favorite flavors are the Cherry Pie or Apple Pie!
RX Bars. These are pricey, so I only get them on sale. I like the Maple Sea Salt + Chocolate Cherry Flavors

POPCORN + POPCHIPS.

Angie’s BoomChickaPop Kettle Corn is gluten-free AND dairy-free!
Angie’s BoomChickaPop Sea Salt Popcorn is a good gluten-free, dairy-free salty popcorn.
SkinnyPop is another option (though I prefer the Angie’s flavor!)
SkinnyPop Popcorn Mini Cakes – These are like mini rice cakes made from popcorn. They come in several flavors and are all GF! We like Cinnamon Sugar and Sea Salt best.
Safe and Fair Sweet & Salty Kettle Popcorn Quinoa Chips – We love everything we’ve tried from Safe + Fair! These popcorn chips are SO GOOD.
Safe and Fair Drizzled Popcorn. While you’re there, we love their drizzled popcorn. The Birthday Cake and Key Lime flavors are our two favorites, but they’re constantly rotating new ones into the mix! (Get 20% off your first order from Safe + Fair with this link.)

TRAIL MIX.

Orchard Valley Harvest Chocolate Raisin Mix – The chocolate raisin mix is delicious!
Orchard Valley Harvest Honey Roasted Nuts – The honey roasted nut mix is a hit with my kids
Enjoy Life Seed + Fruit Mix – This is actually NUT FREE, which means it’s also school-safe. We like the Mountain Mambo combination best.

VEGGIE STRAWS + PUFFED SNACKS.

Veggie Straws are definitely no health food, but it’s REALLY fun for my kids to get to eat a “normal” snack that some of their friends are eating now and then. Plus, they’re pretty easy to find and keep on hand.
Hippeas Snacks. These are like Pirate’s Booty (which is also gluten-free), but their flavors are also vegan which means they’re safe for dairy-free folks! The vegan white cheddar is our favorite, but we’ve liked most of the ones we’ve tried!

SHOP SOME OF OUR FAVES: