Honestly, the New Gluten-Free Cheez-Its Taste Even Better Than the Original Ones
I tried the two versions side by side. Here's how they compare.
Image Courtesy of Cheez-It
One of the worst parts of developing a food sensitivity later in life, or of adopting a new diet as an adult, is giving up some of your childhood favorites. They become even more nostalgic to you, the forbidden taste holding an almost magical status in the recesses of your memory.
More and more, though, brands are accommodating shoppers with dietary restrictions, allowing you to turn back the clock — as long as they’re actually good. In 2020, OREO released its first-ever gluten-free cookie, to the joy of shoppers with gluten sensitivities. In 2023, Kraft came out with its first plant-based mac and cheese, perfect for vegans and those who don’t eat dairy. And in April, Jell-O released its-first dairy-free pudding, proving you really can make a creamy dessert with oat milk.
Add one more to the list. This morning, Cheez-It announced the launch of a truly game-changing product: Cheez-It Original Gluten Free crackers, designed to taste like the snack you know and love (and miss). The brand is also releasing three new products (containing gluten). I got to taste them all.
Are the new Cheez-Its certified gluten-free?
Yes. According to an email shared with Food Network, new Cheez-Its are certified by the Gluten-Free Certified Organization (GFCO). The crackers are made in a dedicated gluten-free facility and are safe for those with Celiac disease.
My honest review of the new gluten-free Cheez-Its:
I had the opportunity to sample the lineup of crackers early, comparing the new gluten-free version side by side with the original.
Visually, my original Cheez-Its were more golden-brown than the gluten-free version. Around half of my box of gluten-free Cheez-its were also broken, which is sadly not uncommon with gluten-free products.
Flavor and texture-wise, I was impressed by how similar the gluten-free Cheez-Its were to the original. I had to do several rounds of taste-testing to describe the differences — I felt like I was looking at the same photograph with slightly different camera settings.
Here’s my conclusion: the gluten-free Cheez-Its are crunchier than the original, but also taste more airy. The gluten-free crackers also taste less processed than the original. With these two qualities, dare I say they may taste… better? Most importantly, though, they still taste like Cheez-Its. If you’re gluten-free and have been missing Cheez-Its, these will definitely get the job done.
What are the other new Cheez-It flavors?
Image Courtesy of Cheez-It
Cheez-It is launching three other snacks (containing gluten). I got to try these, too. Here’s what I thought:
- Cheez-It Snap’d Honey BBQ: My favorite cracker of the bunch, these Cheez-Its had a delicious, sweet, ketchup-forward flavor — like a baked barbecue chip but better. While the brand describes Snap’d crackers as ultra-thin, they’re still thicker than potato chips, and I loved tasting the barbecue chip flavor on something denser. While the cheese taste wasn’t prominent, the crackers did have a subtle note of dairy, like eating a barbecue sandwich with sour cream.
- Cheez-It Grooves Loaded Nachos: These crackers successfully capture the spicy, cumin-y Southwest flavor of beef nachos, though they were too salty for my taste. The crackers had the same underlying sour-cream taste as the Honey BBQ, which worked well for a nacho flavor. The Grooves shape reminded me of Triscuits or SunChips.
- Cheez-It Ultimate Snack Mix: After the Honey BBQ, this is the snack in the lineup I could see myself reaching for. The diversity in cheesy crackers made me want to go back for more. The mix felt more like a proper snack compared to eating a bowlful of single-flavored Cheez-Its. I especially appreciated the inclusion of plain pretzels, which helped balance out the saltier cheese crackers.
When can you buy the new Cheez-It flavors?
The new lineup of Cheez-Its will debut nationwide starting in February. All of the flavors will retail for $4.49 per box.
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