16 Gluten-Free Aldi Snacks, Ranked Worst To Best

Whether you're gluten-free by choice or out of necessity (due to celiac disease or another medical condition), you know how hard it is to find gluten-free snacks that are actually tasty. Moreover, you certainly understand the frustration of shopping for gluten-free alternatives and spending twice as much for a bag with half the product of glutinous options. One of my daughters has celiac disease, and we keep our home strictly gluten-free, so I understand this irritation.

In an effort to keep our grocery costs low and hopefully discover some new and satisfying snacks, I decided to check out the gluten-free snacks at Aldi. Aldi is known for offering many cheap and healthy snacks, but it also has a relatively large selection of gluten-free offerings. My husband, my two daughters, and I did a taste-test of all of the snacks I picked up, comparing notes on flavor, texture, and how filling each is. After trying each one, we ranked them from worst to best. Some of these snacks were easy to place, based on the great — or horrible — impression they gave us, while others took a bit more debate before we ultimately landed on the best placement. Read on to discover which of these gluten-free snacks you might want to try for yourself, and which might simply be a waste of your money.

Barbecue chips are not my favorite. I often find that they have too much of a kick and a smoky flavor. However, Clancy's Mesquite Barbecue Kettle Chips take the cake (and not in a good way). Before you dismiss my opinions due to the fact that I generally dislike barbecue chips, you should know that neither my husband nor my daughters liked these either — and they typically enjoy barbecue chips.

While these have the smoky flavor that you'd associate with barbecue, they're completely missing that sweetness that should complement it. That leaves them really lacking in the taste department. If all of that isn't enough to persuade you that these are some of the worst BBQ chips (and something you'll want to avoid at Aldi), it gets worse: they also have a strong aftertaste that gives the sensation that your tongue is burning. It takes a second to kick in and lingers, and I didn't really notice it until after I had a sip of my drink.

Clancy's Cheese Puffs left a lot to be desired. I was actually excited to give these a try after looking at the bag. You can see a lot of cheese on the puffs — so much so that it was actually visibly stuck to the inside of the bag. However, that excitement faded after I held the bag to my nose. Despite how cheesy they looked, I didn't smell anything. And, sadly, that theme continued after taking a bite. Where was the cheese? It's clearly labeled on the bag, you can see it sticking to the puffs, and there's evidence of it on your fingertips, but you can barely taste it at all. 

What you can taste, however, is a very corny aftertaste. As it turns out, corn meal is listed as the first ingredient. These do have a decent crunch (I almost had to cover my ears as my daughters were chomping away), so they could be a good pick for someone looking to satisfy their need for something to munch on, but they're definitely not for me.

These Lunch Buddies Chocolate Pudding Cups look like they're supposed to be a dupe of the Snack Pack Chocolate Pudding Cups. I was interested to see if they'd be a good choice for a cooling and sweet afternoon snack or even dessert. However, the similarities between these and the Snack Pack cups end with their looks.

While Snack Pack has a smooth, creamy, and thick texture, these really missed the mark in all of those categories. The pudding feels overly thin as soon as you put it in your mouth. Plus, despite being made with real sugar, they also have a very unpleasant aftertaste that reminds me of what treats made with artificial sweeteners taste like. 

I'm sensing a bit of a theme with some of the "cheesy" and salty snacks you can find at Aldi: They're not very cheesy. These Simply Nature White Cheddar Puffs also had a very light coating of cheese. This could be a benefit, however, if you're trying to snack when working or driving and don't want to get cheese all over your keyboard or steering wheel.

Beyond their lack of cheese, these also weren't a hit with anyone in my family due to their texture. They are very airy, and it almost feels like you're crunching on some packing peanuts (especially considering you can't really taste the cheese). I won't be picking these up again — we'll stick to the Trader Joe's White Cheddar Corn Puffs or Pirate's Booty that have a much better texture and flavor, in my opinion. However, these would still be a far superior option to the barbecue kettle chips or chocolate pudding cups above.

I wasn't sure what I would think of these, and questioned how the parmesan and herb seasonings would pair with the sweet potato flavor. We hit our first setback when trying to open the bag. My husband started and couldn't get the bag open. I laughed it off, but also couldn't open it without grabbing a pair of scissors.

Once we finally got the bag open, we all had mixed feelings about these. The cheese flavor was very strong (there goes that theory about all Aldi's cheesy snacks). In fact, it was so strong that I didn't initially taste the sweet potato at all. Weirdly, though, my husband and I both did reach back into the bag a few more times than we anticipated. This is definitely a more unique option that you might want to try. Many of the chips are very folded over, though, so they probably wouldn't be the best for dipping.

If I were to rank the sour cream and onion chips I've had over the years, these would not be anywhere close to the top. Sour cream and onion is one of my favorite chip flavors, so I've tried quite a few different brands. These are very thin — almost too thin — and there were a lot of broken pieces in the bag. If you want something to pair with some dip, I definitely wouldn't recommend these.

The flavor just isn't fully there, either. Despite the authentic sour cream and onion smell in the bag, when you actually bite into a chip, you hardly taste the onion part of the sour cream and onion. They also feel greasier than many of the other sour cream and onion chips I've had recently. So, while I definitely wouldn't rank these at the bottom of this list, I also don't think they deserve a higher ranking than this. I briefly debated ranking them higher than the next choice because they could make a more filling snack — but why would you want to fill yourself up with a subpar snack?

Overall, these Black Forest Juicy Burst Fruit Flavored Snacks left a pleasant impression upon us all. The box includes a mix of cherry, grape, strawberry, and apple fruit snacks. Each is filled with a thick, syrupy juice that helps enhance its taste, and the fruit flavor is pretty strong (in a good way). The four different flavors also seem to complement one another, so you won't need to worry about an unpleasant combination if you put a small handful into your mouth at once.

However, there are a few reasons these didn't rank higher up on the list. One of the primary reasons is because each pack only includes six or seven pieces, which isn't going to be enough to leave most people full and satisfied. The flavors are also not very evenly distributed. We opened up three packs — one had only two flavors, one had three, and the other had all four.

I'd say that putting Clancy's Original Corn Chips towards the middle of this ranking was a pretty easy decision. They look like a Fritos knockoff — both from the color and design of the bag and the size and shape of the chips in it. Like Fritos, they offer a satisfying crunch. However, I don't think that their taste is a perfect match for that of Fritos. They are a bit plainer, in my opinion.

I'd still say that these were good overall. I wasn't disappointed to have a good portion of the bag left behind after tasting — unlike with those barbecue chips. While I'd rank these slightly below Fritos, my husband actually liked them more. Surprisingly, he doesn't generally like Fritos (or corn chips in general), which may be why he preferred the plainer taste of these more than I did.

For plain corn tortilla chips, I actually thought that these were pretty good. Compared to some other tortilla chips I have tried that feel a bit too thick, I was impressed with the lighter and airier texture of these; however, they still feel like a pretty solid chip. So, if you've ever dealt with the frustration of having your chip break when you try to scoop up some dip, then you'll likely appreciate this attribute. With just the right amount of salt and a good crunch, this is really a satisfying corn tortilla chip. 

Part of the reason the Simply Organic Yellow Corn Tortilla Chips didn't rank a bit higher is because they are just plain tortilla chips. If you're looking for something to pair with fire-roasted salsa, dip in some grilled corn and avocado guacamole, or top with cheese for tasty nachos, these should be a top contender. However, on their own as a snack, they may leave just a bit too much to be desired.

I wasn't expecting to like Benton's Chocolate Coconut Macaroons all that much. I rarely love anything with a coconut flavor, but these taste nice. I appreciate the addition of the chocolate that helps balance out the coconut, but personally feel that they could use a bit more of that chocolatey goodness — particularly on the base layer.

The texture is another thing that Benton's got right. They have a slightly cakey feel to them, but aren't overly soft, so they won't completely crumble or fall apart in your mouth. These might have even ranked a bit higher if I hadn't peeked at the nutrition label. Each cookie has 160 calories, which seems a bit high considering their size — one might not fill you up enough when you're looking for an afternoon or evening snack. Still, these could find their way into my cart every now and then.

I enjoyed these dice-size Colby Jack cheese cubes from Happy Farms. For the most part, the pieces in the bag are evenly cut, making them easy to snack on or even appropriate to put out on a cheese platter or charcuterie board. Overall, they have a good flavor, with a mild to medium sharpness. However, they do feel like they're missing something — or, that at the minimum, they could stand to be a bit creamier.

I could see snacking on these by themselves on an occasion, but overall I think they'd be more satisfying if you paired them with some crackers. Each serving does offer 7 grams of protein per 7-cube serving, so they're likely to fill you up and help you refuel better than some of the chips on this list. 

Whether you're looking for a snack to pack for work or you want something other than potato chips to satisfy your need for a crunch, you might find these Fit & Active Cheddar Cheese Rice Snacks to be a good choice. Unlike some of the other chips that I sampled from Aldi, I could really taste the cheese flavor. However, it isn't overpowering or too strong. The cheese was also evenly distributed over each crisp, which allows for a consistent flavor with each bite.

With 17 crisps in each 30-gram serving, these also may make you feel like you're getting more "bang for your buck," to help you feel satisfied and ready to tackle the rest of the day after your snack break. If you're familiar with Quaker Cheddar Rice Crisps, I'd say that these are quite similar, despite having a slightly denser and heavier feel to them.

This is one of the chip bags that I was most looking forward to sampling. Unlike some other similar chips that I've had recently, I appreciate that these didn't feel overly oily. They also really delivered when it came to crunch. The deep ridges and overall solid feel also make them a good option for dipping, since they don't seem likely to fall apart when you try to scoop some dip.

However, though I liked them, I didn't love them enough to bump them into the top three for this ranking. While the cheddar taste is very noticeable, the sour cream flavor seems to be too subtle. The other thing that I wasn't happy with was the distribution of the coating — it's just not very even. 

My family and I were all really impressed with Clancy's White Cheddar Cheese Popcorn. As soon as I opened the bag, I noted that it actually smelled like real popcorn. The taste didn't disappoint, either. It definitely tastes like popcorn, but you can also clearly detect the cheese flavor. You don't lose the taste of the popcorn, unlike with some other brands that are overly cheesy.

The slightly lighter ratio of cheese to popcorn is also evidenced by how your fingers look when they come out of the bag. The cheese seems to mostly stay stuck on the popcorn instead of transferring to your fingers and leaving them fully coated after a few handfuls. I think this would make a great snack for a quick afternoon break or during a movie night. My husband had one small complaint — he noted that the popped pieces somehow seem really small for popcorn. However, I didn't notice this as much, and he still agreed that this belonged towards the top of the ranking anyway.

If you're gluten-free now, but used to love Nacho Cheese Doritos, then you know the struggle is real. Doritos are not labeled gluten-free, so many people with celiac disease or other gluten intolerance issues stay away from them. If you're missing them, then I think you'll really enjoy these Nacho Cheese Tortilla Chips from Clancy's. While they aren't an exact dupe, they're the best substitute I've found so far. This was the first bag we emptied after the taste-testing was complete.

The chips are sturdy and don't fall apart easily, so they're another good option to consider pairing with some dip. I wish they were just a bit cheesier — I picked up the taste of the corn chip under the cheesy coating more than I remember with the original Doritos. They also have a slightly stronger aftertaste than Doritos, but it wasn't strong enough to turn me off.

If you asked me where I thought these Elevation Cookie Dough Protein Energy Bars would rank before I conducted the taste-test, I would have guessed they'd end up in a much lower spot. However, I was pleasantly surprised after taking a few bites. They actually have a good cookie dough flavor, and the chocolate chips taste like real chocolate chips. I've been disappointed by too many protein bars over the years, and I was fully expecting that "fake" taste with these. As a bonus, the entire bar is fully coated in chocolate (that also really tastes like chocolate), which you can't tell from looking at the box.

With 15 grams of protein, these will also make a more filling and satisfying snack than most of the other gluten-free items I tasted. My family is also avoiding all oats at the moment out of concerns that they're causing an issue for our daughter. However, after inspecting the label, I was happy to see that these don't contain any oats, unlike some similar products on the market.

After purchasing these snacks from Aldi, I sat down with my family to sample them all. We taste-tested all of these in one sitting to make sure we had a clear recollection of the flavor and texture of each when ranking them. When tasting, we each shared notes about the texture, the strength (or lack thereof) of the flavor, and how satisfying we thought each would be as a standalone snack. While there were a few that we had some differing opinions on — like the Lunch Buddies Chocolate Pudding Cups that my kids said tasted great, but my husband and I both didn't like at all — we seemed to have a similar consensus on most of these.

To get a more accurate representation of the flavor of each item, we each took a sip of our drinks between bites. We also tried to spread out some of the more similar flavors, such as the Cheese Puffs, White Cheddar Puffs, and Nacho Cheese Tortilla Chips. This way, the different flavors wouldn't mix in our mouths as much and give us potentially conflicting information.