When we went shopping for gluten-free crackers, we were shocked by how many options there were (granted, we were at Whole Foods, which is likely to carry more brands than the corner store). We picked four that varied in flavor, texture, and price, and nibbled away. Get our thoughts—and let us know your favorite brands.
If you've never eaten gluten-free crackers, you might be imagining cardboard. But because most of them are made with rice, they have the crispiness and slick sheen of the rice crackers you find in those Asian snack mixes (we're going with a general point of reference here for the uninitiated).
There is, of course, a ton of variation. Much of the gluten-free aisle is in fact filled with packages labeled rice crackers—thin little disks in every flavor imaginable. Since we were pretty familiar with those, we picked crackers that were a bit more complex, meant to be snacked on like potato chips, used on a cheese plate, or topped with an appetizer.
Here are the types we tasted:
• Blue Diamond Nut Thins, Barbecue flavor (on top, round with orange flecks)
• Mary's Gone Crackers, Herb flavor (next one down, ragged edge with seeds)
• Back to Nature Gluten Free Multi-Seed (square, pale tan color)
• Natural Nectar Cracklebred in Sundried Tomato & Oregano (on the bottom, orange rectangles)
We liked three of these very much and one not quite. Since they are all very different crackers with unique qualities, we won't rank them 1 to 4. Instead, here's a little high school yearbook-style evaluation.
Most Snackable on Their Own: Blue Diamond Barbecue Nut-Thins ($2.99)
If you like barbecue-flavored potato chips, this is your cracker. The seasoning is dusted on, but it's powerful. The cracker itself is crunchy and light—it's easy to pop one after another into your mouth. A little artificial tasting, but still tangy and spicy.
Most Versatile: Back to Nature ($3.19)
We really liked the taste of these on their own (although not as zingy as the barbecue crackers); they're toasty, slightly salty, and nutty, with no aftertaste. But because they have a nice, square shape and a hearty-but-not-overwhelming flavor, they'd be great on a cheese plate.
Most Attractive: Mary's Gone Crackers ($4)
These are lovely to look at, filled with seeds, deep brown, ruffled on the edges. They're rustic and crunchy, kind of like Raincoast Crisps. As far as flavor, they fell a bit flat compared to the Back to Nature crackers, but they do make a nice presentation. And they're sturdy, so they could hold a hefty appetizer.
Most in Need of a Topping: Natural Nectar Cracklebred ($3.50)
Ok, we weren't big fans of these. For starters, they look like these sponges to us. The texture is puffy and airy, which was pleasant (although we think they'd crumble when you tried to spread anything on them), but the sun dried tomato flavor tasted stale. We think the plain version would be even more bland. They also left a plasticky aftertaste. However: If you like this light, almost-melt-in-your-mouth texture, these could be a good vehicle for a slice of meat or spoonful of tuna.
We'd love to know your favorite brands of gluten-free crackers. Faith mentioned that she likes Byron Bay. What about you? Which do you buy?
Related: Vegan & Gluten-Free Recipe: No-Bake Sunflower Oat Bars
(Image: Elizabeth Passarella)
Eileen's Beachside Oasis Kitchen
How to Make Fresh Pasta Dough in the Food Processor
Good Food to Share 
The Big Book of Small, Cool Spaces 
Apartment Therapy Presents 
The Eight-Step Home Cure 
Floral Drink Dispen...
Small Cool Lessons: Discovering Small Space Design Ideas That Really Work
Marisa and Peter's Playfully Eclectic Home
Blue Diamond makes a few types of Nut Thins; I usually get the plain ones, which are good and have no artificial-tasting stuff on them.
Sesmark g-free brown rice crackers are good for dipping into things (salsa, guacamole) or topping with cheese (and or deli meat). I buy a ton of these because they are versatile and I always have them with me when I go out of town because I never know if there will be enough g-free food around! They also come in a few flavors but I like the plain ones.
Back to Nature also makes tasty g-free white cheddar crackers - but I haven't seen them in the store lately :(
I, too, like the plain Nut Thins as a basic everyday cracker. I'm also a huge fan, however, of the Glutino brand veggie-flavored ones. They have a ton of flavor without tasting artificial, and go really well with cheeses and meats.
Trader Joe's makes an Edamame cracker that I really like. The Nut Thins cheese flavored crackers are decent, if you don't mind a little fake cheese flavor.
TJ's sesame rice thins are quite good. I usually have Mary's Gone (plain flavor) crackers in the house and they are well received by everyone who's tried them!
I've tried 3/4. I like the cracklebred because it's good with cream cheese (I think it was onion and chive flavoured but I might be mistaken.) They're really light and crispy, which I like, and really low in calories unlike other crackers.
Hot Kid Rice Crisps... Please ignore the brand. I didn't even know it was called that until I check two seconds ago. Kinda bland, but tasty with cheese and hummus/dip and they have enough salt to not taste like cardboard... but BEWARE of "natural" flavor = boooooooooring and no salt. Like eating unsalted newspaper.
My favorites are Glutino vegetable flavor for something basic, and Mary's Gone Crackers if I want more texture. I've never been a fan of the nut thins but I haven't seen barbecue or other flavors. I'll have to try to find those.
Trader Joe's onion and chive seeded crackers are a great gf option.
I've reviewed them here: www.GFinSF.com
Blue Diamond Almond or Pecan Nut Thins. They're great with most cheeses, especially soft ones. For the cheeses that don't work as well with Nut Thins, I go for Glutino Multigrain.
I like the pecan thins by Blue DIamond. I also really like Ener-g crackers. They are square and crisp and nice with spreads or whipped cream cheese.
I absolutely love Mary's Gone Crackers! I love them with cheese, though if you're a person who likes to eat crackers plain (like my husband) they might be a bit much. I never eat crackers without a topping, so they're great for me. I love the black pepper flavor, while the herb kind is my least favorite.