Owned by Kellogg Company, Cheez-It Baked Snack Crackers have been around since 1986. Cheez-Its are a square shaped cheesy snack made with genuine cow’s milk cheese. We know these delicious crackers are not dairy-free, but are they gluten-free?
No, Cheez-It Crackers are not gluten-free. The main ingredients of Cheez-It Baked Snack Crackers are wheat flour, cheese, and oil. The use of wheat flour in all flavors of Cheez-It crackers makes them not gluten-free. The best gluten-free and healthier alternative to Cheez-It crackers is Everybody Eat Cheese-Less Thins, Hu Grain-Free Crackers, and Schar Gluten-Free Table Crackers.
In this article, we will review the nutritional value for Cheez Its varieties, as well as give gluten free alternatives to Cheez Its. Let’s dig in!
Contents
Cheez-It Nutritional Information
Cheez-It Original Baked Snack Crackers
Cheez-It Original Baked Snack Crackers were initially made by the Green & Green Company in 1921. The company was then acquired by several larger companies, until in 2001 Kellogg bought the Cheez It brand along with the Keebler catalog of products.
Cheez-It Original Baked Snack Crackers have 150 calories and 8 grams of fat per serving of 27 crackers or 30 grams. The crackers are baked, not fried, and are made with real cheese. Wheat flour makes these crackers not gluten-free.
Here is the list of ingredients for Cheez-It Original Baked Snack Crackers:
- Enriched Wheat flour
- Niacin
- Reduced iron
- Vitamin B1 [thiamin mononitrate]
- Vitamin B2 [riboflavin]
- Folic acid
- Vegetable oil (high oleic soybean, soybean, palm, and/or canola oil with TBHQ for freshness)
- Cheese made with skim milk
- Whey protein
- Salt
- Cheese cultures
- Enzymes
- Annatto extract
- Paprika
- Yeast
Nutrition Facts (per 30g):
- Calories 150
- Fat 8g
- Carbs 17g
- Protein 3g
- Sodium 230mg
- Sugars 0g
Cheez-It Buffalo Wing Snack Crackers
Promoted as a game watching snack full of spicy heat and cheesy crunch, Cheez-It Buffalo Wing Snack Crackers are baked with buffalo wing flavor. Much like their original Cheez Its counterparts, the Buffalo Cheez It flavor are not gluten-free. The Cheez It Buffalo Wing Snack Crackers contain a large laundry list of ingredients, some unpronounceable. Let’s take a look below.
The list of ingredients for Cheez-It Buffalo Wing Snack Crackers:
- Enriched Wheat flour
- Niacin
- Reduced iron
- Vitamin B1 [thiamin mononitrate]
- Vitamin B2 [riboflavin]
- Folic acid
- Vegetable oil (high oleic soybean, soybean, palm, and/or canola oil with TBHQ for freshness)
- Cheese made with skim milk
- Whey protein
- Salt
- Cheese cultures
- Enzymes
- Annatto extract
- Paprika color
- Sodium diacetate
- Yeast
- Cayenne red peppers
- Vinegar
- Garlic
- Blue cheese
- Hydrolyzed corn and soy protein
- Natural flavors
- Sugar
- Monosodium glutamate (MSG)
- Citric acid
- Lactic acid
- Butter
- Buttermilk
- Disodium guanylate
Nutrition Facts (per 30g):
- Calories 150
- Fat 7g
- Carbs 18g
- Protein 3g
- Sodium 240mg
Cheez-It White Cheddar Snack Crackers
Made with real white cheddar cheese and baked, these crackers contain a huge list of ingredients, and not all are healthy. Cheez-It White Cheddar Snack Crackers are also not gluten-free. There are 150 calories per 28 crackers of Cheez-It White Cheddar Snack Crackers.
Here is the ingredient list for Cheez-It White Cheddar Snack Crackers:
- Enriched Wheat flour
- Niacin
- Reduced iron
- Vitamin B1 [thiamin mononitrate]
- Vitamin B2 [riboflavin]
- Folic acid
- Vegetable oil (high oleic soybean, soybean, palm, and/or canola oil with TBHQ for freshness)
- White Cheddar Cheese
- Milk
- Whey protein
- Salt
- Cheese cultures
- Enzymes
- Monosodium glutamate (MSG)
- Citric acid
- Lactic acid
- Butter
- Disodium Phosphate
- Turmeric Extract Color
- Annatto Extract
- Soy Lecithin
Nutrition Facts (per 29g):
- Calories 150
- Fat 7g
- Carbs 18g
- Protein 3g
- Sodium 200mg
Cheez-It Pepper Jack Snack Crackers
Cheez-It Pepper Jack Snack Crackers use real jalapeno flavor. With a very similar ingredient list of the white cheddar Cheez Its, they are also not gluten free. Nutritionally, Cheez-It Pepper Jack Snack Crackers are similar to the other varieties of Cheez Its we’ve listed so far. There are 7 grams of fat and 150 calories per serving of 26 crackers. These pepper jack cheese crackers contain no sugar but are high carbohydrates.
The ingredients for Cheez-It Pepper Jack Snack Crackers:
- Enriched Wheat flour
- Niacin
- Reduced iron
- Vitamin B1 [thiamin mononitrate]
- Vitamin B2 [riboflavin]
- Folic acid
- Vegetable oil (high oleic soybean, soybean, palm, and/or canola oil with TBHQ for freshness)
- White Cheddar Cheese
- Milk
- Whey protein
- Salt
- Cheese cultures
- Enzymes
- Monosodium glutamate (MSG)
- Citric acid
- Lactic acid
- Butter
- Disodium Phosphate
- Turmeric Extract Color
- Annatto Extract
- Soy Lecithin
- Natural jalapeno flavor
Nutrition Facts (per 30g):
- Calories 150
- Fat 7g
- Carbs 18g
- Protein 3g
- Sodium 270mg
Cheez-It Hot & Spicy Snack Crackers
Cheez-It Hot & Spicy Snack Crackers are punchier than the buffalo wing crackers. Cheez-It Hot & Spicy Snack Crackers do not contain MSG, but are still not gluten-friendly. Slightly higher in fat than the other covered flavors, these crackers are similar in caloric value for a serving of 25 crackers.
The ingredients in are Cheez-It Hot & Spicy Snack Crackers:
- Enriched Wheat flour
- Niacin
- Reduced iron
- Vitamin B1 [thiamin mononitrate]
- Vitamin B2 [riboflavin]
- Folic acid
- Vegetable oil (high oleic soybean, soybean, palm, and/or canola oil with TBHQ for freshness)
- Skim Milk Cheese
- Whey protein
- Salt
- Cheese cultures
- Enzymes
- Citric acid
- Lactic acid
- Onion powder
- Tomato Powder
- Butter
- Disodium inosinate
- Annatto Extract
- Soy Lecithin
- Green Jalapenos
- Distilled Vinegar
- Red Pepper
- Dextrose
- Sodium diacetate
- Soy Lecithin
Nutrition Facts (per 30g):
- Calories 150
- Fat 8g
- Carbs 18g
- Protein 2g
- Sodium 220mg
Cheez-It Italian Four Cheese Snack Crackers
The four cheese that are of Italian origin are Romano cheese, Parmesan cheese, Mozzarella cheese, and Asiago cheese. Consuming 26 cracker of the Cheez-It Italian Four Cheese Snack Crackers has 150 calories and 7 grams of fat. These crackers also have the highest sodium levels of all the Cheez Its varieties at 260mg per serving. Cheez-It Italian Four Cheese Snack Crackers are also not gluten free.
The ingredients in Cheez-It Italian Four Cheese Snack Crackers are:
- Enriched Wheat flour
- Niacin
- Reduced iron
- Vitamin B1 [thiamin mononitrate]
- Vitamin B2 [riboflavin]
- Folic acid
- Vegetable oil (high oleic soybean, soybean, palm, and/or canola oil with TBHQ for freshness)
- White Cheddar Cheese
- Monterey jack Cheese
- Romano cheese
- Parmesan cheese
- Mozzarella cheese
- Asiago cheese
- Milk
- Whey protein
- Salt
- Cheese cultures
- Enzymes
- Monosodium glutamate (MSG)
- Citric acid
- Lactic acid
- Butter
- Disodium guanylate
- Disodium inosinate
- Turmeric Extract Color
- Annatto Extract
- Soy Lecithin
- Onion Powder
Nutrition Facts (per 30g):
- Calories 150
- Fat 7g
- Carbs 18g
- Protein 3g
- Sodium 260mg
Gluten Free Crackers Alternatives
Let’s talk gluten-free cracker alternatives, as there are some great rivals to Cheez Its that are gluten free.
Schar Gluten Free Table Crackers
Schar brand is a top-rated gluten-free crackers. Some reviewers even saying they prefer their flavor and crisp to a gluten laden cracker variety! Schar Gluten Free Table Crackers are made from corn and soy flours and oil. They are also non-GMO, and lactose and preservative free. Easy to digest and shelf stable, these crackers are crispy and enjoyable. For every 6 crackers in a serving there are 160 calories and 4 grams of fat. These crackers are larger than a Cheez It, meaning you need to look at the grams per serving for proper nutrition comparison.
The ingredients for Schar Gluten Free Table Crackers are:
- Non-GMO corn starch
- Non-GMO corn flour
- Blend of vegetable fats and oils (palm fat, sunflower oil)
- Maltodextrin
- Rice syrup
- Modified tapioca starch
- Non-GMO soy flour
- Sea salt
- Yeast
- Guar gum
- Modified cellulose
- Cream of tartar
- Ammonium bicarbonate
- Baking soda
- Citric acid
- Natural rosemary flavor
Nutrition Facts (per 35g):
- Calories 160
- Fat 4g
- Carbs 29g
- Protein 1g
- Fiber 2g
- Sodium 230mg
Everybody Eat Cheese-Less Thins
Everybody Eat Cheese-Less Thins are a crispy rice-based cracker. For 30 grams or 14 cracker thins, they contain 100 calories and 3.5 grams of fat. They are low in sodium and a short list of recognizable ingredients, making them a top choice alternative to Cheez Its.
The ingredients for Everybody Eat Cheese-Less Thins are:
- Brown Rice Flour
- Potato Starch
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Nutritional Yeast
- Paprika
- White Pepper
- Salt
- Garlic
Nutrition Facts (per 30g):
- Calories 100
- Fat 5g
- Carbs 16g
- Protein 1g
- Fiber 1g
- Sodium 135mg
Hu Grain-Free Crackers, Sea Salt
Healthy as can be, these crackers by Hu contain no gluten or grains, no dairy or soy, and no vegetable oils.
The ingredients for Hu Grain-Free Crackers:
- Grain-Free Flour Blend (Almond, Cassava, Organic Coconut)
- Black Chia Seed
- Flaxseed
- Organic Coconut Aminos (Fermented Coconut Nectar, Himalayan Salt)
- Sea Salt
- Organic Apple Cider Vinegar
- Shallot
- Organic Rosemary Extract (Organic Rosemary, Organic Coconut Oil)
Nutrition Facts (per 30g):
- Calories 110
- Fat 7g
- Carbs 11g
- Protein 3g
- Fiber 3g
- Sugars 1g
- Sodium 300mg
Closing the box on Cheez Its
Cheez Its are not gluten-free. In fact, none of the flavors or varieties of the Cheez It brand are gluten free.
The best gluten free cheese cracker on the market is Everybody Eat Cheese-Less Thins. They are better nutritionally than other gluten free crackers. Also, the Everybody Eat Cheese-Less Thins are packed with flavor and we don’t believe for one second that you’ll be missing the cheese from these crunchy gluten free crackers.
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