One good thing has come out of the COVID-19 pandemic: gluten-free snacks!
There's been no shortage of delicious snack items that are easy to order online for at-home delivery. Two of the recent gluten-free crackers that I've received FREE samples of are Laiki and Simple Mills. I thought it would be fun to do a taste-off between these two cracker brands.
When it comes down to it, comparing these crackers is like comparing apples to oranges. That's because each cracker brand has distinct flavors and textures. Here's what I mean.
Laiki crackers remind me of eating a Triscuit. It's thick and crunchy, and would be perfect for topping with cheese cubes or whatever you like to top your crackers with. There are a variety of flavors: Red Rice with Sea Salt, Black Rice with Sea Salt, Red Rice with Cracked Black Pepper, and Black Rice with Vegan Cheddar. My favorite was Red Rice with Sea Salt, although I was very excited about the vegan cheddar option!
These crunchy crackers are either made from black rice or red rice, both ancient grain superfoods. Black rice was actually once reserved for royalty, so you can feel like a king or queen when you eat these crackers!
And as for the other ingredients, well, there sure aren't a lot! Sustainably sourced palm fruit oil and sea salt are the two other main ingredients.
All flavors are available in 3.53-ounce or single-serve 100-calorie pack bags. And all of them are good for dipping into hummus and soup, topping on salad, or topping with cheese.
Simple Mills crackers are more of a traditional cracker, but they also make gluten-free pita chips that, while crunchy, are a little lighter. Hands down my family's favorite Simple Mills flavor was Sun-Dried Tomato. It reminded my husband of pizza-flavored Goldfish crackers, while for me, it reminded me of something my college roommates and I used to whip up in the microwave: Wheat Thins topped with mozzarella cheese and pepperoni.
The Simple Mills crackers have a Wheat Thins-esque quality to them, minus the wheat. These crackers are made from almond flour and organic ingredients. They're free of gluten, corn, dairy, and gums/emulsifiers. The baked-not-fried crackers are also Paleo-friendly.
And if Sun-Dried Tomato isn't your thing, try Cracked Black Pepper, Fine Ground Sea Salt, or Rosemary & Sea Salt. If you can tolerate dairy, then you might like Farmhouse Cheddar and Smoky BBQ Cheddar flavors
The Veggie Pita Crackers are a brand new introduction, and they come in Himalayan Salt, Roasted Red Pepper, and Mediterranean Herb. With these, you get 1/3 vegetables per serving. These might be crackers, but they still have that pita chip crunch, while being free of gluten, soy, corn, and gums/emulsifiers. These are also Vegan.
What's the takeaway here? Is there a clear cracker winner?
I guess that depends on what type of cracker you're looking for. If you want something that's more of a Triscuit, then you'll like Laiki. If you want something that's more of a traditional cracker, then Simple Mills crackers will fit the bill.
And if you just want a cracker that is gluten-free (and dairy-free in most instances), then either one of these brands will go nom-nom in your mouth!
What's your favorite gluten-free cracker brand?
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