You’ve got to know: Are potato chips gluten free? Well, it’s a little complicated. We’ll spill all the details in this post!
Potato chips are salty snacks that make the perfect accompaniment to a sandwich or summer BBQ spread. Though the original plain potato chip is still the most popular, flavors like barbeque and sour cream and onion are close runners-up.
Amazingly enough, Americans consume 1.85 billion pounds of potato chips every year—which comes out to 6.6 pounds per person!
With statistics like that, it’s easy to understand why you’d want to enjoy potato chips, even if you’re on a gluten-free diet.
But are they gluten-free?
Here’s the short answer: For the most part, yes, potato chips are gluten-free. After all, potatoes are naturally gluten-free, and most potato chips have a simple ingredient list that includes potatoes, vegetable oil, and salt.
Still, as with most packaged snacks, it’s important to check the label to make sure the bag of potato chips you’re buying is gluten-free. (Some brands of potato chips may contain malt vinegar or wheat starch, which are gluten ingredients.)
Check out the rest of this article to learn more about which potato chips are gluten-free, and which aren’t.
You might be interested in these articles on are mashed potatoes gluten-free, are potatoes gluten-free, are doritos gluten-free, are tortilla chips gluten-free, are pringles gluten-free, is corona gluten-free and are cheetos gluten-free.
You also might like these articles on is ketchup gluten-free, are takis gluten-free, are fritos gluten-free, is naan gluten-free and Chick-fil-A gluten-free?
You also might like these Homemade Potato Chips.
Table of Contents
Quick Answer: Are Potato Chips Gluten Free?
Yes, most potato chips sold at grocery stores in America are gluten-free, with the main ingredients being potatoes, vegetable oil or sunflower oil, and salt.
But it’s always smart to check the label to ensure you’re buying gluten-free potato chips. Some potato chips made be manufactured in facilities alongside products that contain gluten, and meaning they could pick up trace amounts of gluten in the manufacturing process.
The safest option is to buy a bag of potato chips that are certified gluten-free.
Which Brands of Potato Chips Are Gluten-Free?
Many brands make potato chips that are gluten-free. Sometimes potato chips that don’t have a gluten-free label are still gluten-free—the lack of label just means that the brand does not test to verify the chips contain less than 20ppm of gluten.
Here’s a list of popular potato chips that are gluten-free:
- Kettle Brand. Kettle brand potato chips come in tons of different flavors, from Honey BBQ to Honey Dijon and Salt & Vinegar. They’re thick and extra-crunchy, and have inspired plenty of copycat kettle chips. Best of all? Every flavor has a certified gluten-free label!
- Late July Organic Potato Chips. These potato chips are very thin and crisp. They’re made from basic ingredients with minimal additives and are also certified gluten-free.
- Frito-Lay. According to the Frito-Lay website, Ruffles and Lay’s meet the gluten-free requirements set by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
- Cape Cod. These East Coast-inspired potato chips are certified gluten-free and have a gluten-free label on the back of the bag. They’re made from potatoes, vegetable oil, and salt.
- Market Pantry. This Target-brand potato chip is also certified gluten-free and has a gluten-free label on the bag. The chips are made from potatoes, vegetable oils, and sea salt.
Want a sandwich to go with your chips? Check out this article on Jersey Mikes gluten-free.
Which Lay’s Potato Chips Are Gluten-Free?
Luckily, 17 flavors of Lay’s potato chips are gluten-free.
The Frito-Lay website provides a full list of Lay’s potato chips flavors that are gluten-free, including:
- LAY’S® Baked BBQ Flavored Potato Crisps
- LAY’S® Baked Original Potato Crisps
- LAY’S® Baked Sour Cream & Onion Flavored Potato Crisps
- LAY’S® Classic Potato Chips
- LAY’S® Lightly Salted Potato Chips
- LAY’S® Simply Sea Salted Thick Cut Potato Chips
- LAY’S® STAX® Bacon & Cheddar Potato Skins Flavored Potato Crisps
- LAY’S® STAX® Buffalo Wings with Ranch Flavored Potato Crisps
- LAY’S® STAX® Cheddar Flavored Potato Crisps
- LAY’S® STAX® Chile Limón Flavored Potato Crisps
- LAY’S® STAX® Flamas® Flavored Potato Crisps
- LAY’S® STAX® Mesquite Barbecue Flavored Potato Crisps (Only the STAX are gluten-free. NOT the Lays Kettle Cooked Mesquite BBQ Chips which contain barley malt.)
- LAY’S® STAX® Original Potato Crisps
- LAY’S® STAX® Salt & Vinegar Flavored Potato Crisps
- LAY’S® STAX® Sour Cream & Onion Flavored Potato Crisps
- LAY’S® Wavy Lightly Salted Potato Chips
- LAY’S® Wavy Original Potato Chips
Are Pringles Gluten-Free?
No, Pringles are not gluten-free. These chips are made with wheat starch, making them unsafe for those with Celiac disease or a gluten intolerance. In fact, Pringles are not technically potato chips—the brand distinguishes them as “potato crisps”.
Are Potato Chips Gluten-Free? FAQs
Most potato chips and tortilla chips do not have gluten. If you’re on a gluten-free diet, it’s safe for you to eat Kettle brand chips, Lay’s, Ruffles, Late July chips, and Cape Cod potato chips, among many others.
No, Lay’s potato chips do not have gluten in them, and all flavors are listed as gluten-free on the Frito Lay website.
Many junk foods are naturally gluten-free, such as most brands of potato chips and plain tortilla chips, Hershey’s bars, and Snickers. Foods like ice cream, French fries, and tacos are typically gluten-free, too.
The Bottom Line
So are potato chips gluten free?
Good news: In most cases, yes, potato chips are gluten-free and made with naturally gluten-free ingredients like potatoes, oil, and salt.
All flavors of popular potato chip brands like Kettle chips, Lays potato chips, and Ruffles are gluten-free, along with Cape Cod potato chips and Late July potato chips.
But if you have a wheat allergy, it’s always best to check the ingredient lists to ensure the brand you’re buying is certified gluten-free.
Happy snacking on your gluten-free chips!
For more gluten-free product information check out are snickers gluten-free, are grits gluten-free and are marshmallows gluten-free and are french fries gluten-free.
Hello, I believe Lays Kettle Cooked Mesquite BBQ flavored chips are not gluten free. They list malted barley flour on their list of ingredients.
Thanks for pointing this out. It’s only the STAX variety (LAY’S® STAX® Mesquite BBQ Flavored Potato Crisps) that are gluten-free. You’re right that the LAY’S® Kettle Cooked Mesquite BBQ Flavored Potato Chips are NOT gluten-free. I’ve added a note to clarify.