Whether you’re lounging around on a lazy day, grabbing a quick bite to eat in between busy jobs, or looking for an easy snack to please a crowd, there’s nothing like a bag of Ruffles.
Loaded with flavor and providing a satisfying crunch, these chips are a popular brand to have on hand.
If you’re trying to follow a gluten-free diet, you’ve probably noticed just how many foods contain gluten.
Unfortunately, that often includes chips! While the potato base is generally gluten-free, the flavorings and additives are sometimes derived from gluten sources.
So, when you go to grab a bag of Ruffles, make sure to check the label! While some Ruffles flavors are gluten-free, the majority of them are not.
You have to pay very close attention to the ingredients list, and learn exactly what common food terms — such as natural flavoring — can mean.
To help you make safe, and delicious, choices, we’ve put together this guide to which Ruffles potato chips are gluten-free! For the next game day, barbecue, or summer picnic, you can ensure your snacks are safe to eat.
All About Ruffles
Ruffles are a brand of potato chip known for their thicker cut and distinctive folds. They’re made by the Frito-Lay company, and are popular across America.
They come in a large range of flavors, with different varieties being made available on a frequent basis.
It’s the ridges — the waving ruffles that give the brand its name — that makes these chips so moreish. There’s more surface area to the chip, so there are more places for flavor to stick!
They also make Ruffles great for scooping up dip. And you don’t have to worry about a soggy chip falling apart.
Ruffles also have a different texture to many varieties of potato chip. They’re thicker and crunchier, instead of the thin crisp you find with traditional chips.
You can really get your teeth into a bag of Ruffles, which is perfect when you’re after a snack to enjoy with a game!
Thanks to their popularity, you can find Ruffles on the shelves of most grocery stores, big or small.
They’re a really easy choice to grab for when you’re feeling hungry during the day! But when you’re on a gluten-free diet, grabbing a quick bag of chips is rarely quite so simple.
What Flavors Are Ruffles Chips Available In?
Ruffles are available in a huge amount of flavor. They also come in different styles, with Ruffles Baked and Ruffles Double Crunch being popular choices.
Some varieties of Ruffles currently available include:
The flavors listed above are the ones you can expect to see for sale in America. It’s worth noting that Ruffles is an international brand (sometimes sold under different names in different countries).
This means there are a lot of flavors out there, and if you like to travel, you might come across options such as:
All-Dressed
Salt & Vinegar
Cream Cheese
Hot Wings
Onion & Parsley
And Ruffles likes to bring out new flavors all the time! Many of these options are short lived promotions, but some stick around for longer.
What Are Ruffles Made Of?
Ruffles might not look like your standard potato chip, but the ingredients list is pretty much what you would expect to find.
Ruffles Original flavor are made from: “potatoes, vegetable oil (canola, corn, soybean, and/or sunflower oil, and salt”.
If you’re following a gluten-free diet, then that all sounds pretty good! The ingredients list is short, which is always a benefit when checking for gluten, and there’s nothing particularly noteworthy.
Ruffles chips are made from potatoes and fried, which accounts for most of the ingredients list!
However, this is only the ingredients list for Ruffles Original flavor. Take a look at Ruffles Flamin’ Hot flavor, and you’ll discover the ingredients list has more than tripled!
Multiple ingredients have to be used to create the intense flavoring of the different varieties (and to ensure these flavors stick to the crisp and don’t go bad)!
To sum up, the base of Ruffles potato chips is potatoes, vegetable oil, and salt. However, the different flavor varieties add a lot more ingredients, which can make things confusing.
About Gluten
If you’re new to a gluten-free diet, or considering starting one, you might be wondering just why gluten is found in so many different types of foods.
Gluten is a type of protein, and it’s naturally occurring in many types of grains. Wheat, barley, spelt, rye, and other forms of grain all contain gluten.
The gluten in these grains helps them hold their shape, and also provides stretch. This is why bread and dough containing gluten have better stretch and spring than their gluten-free varieties!
Which is interesting, but it doesn’t really explain why gluten might be found in your potato chips!
As mentioned, gluten is found in many forms of grains. These grains are used for more than just making flour. Many types of grain are used to create flavorings.
For example, malt vinegar and yeast extract are both flavorings that contain gluten.
Gluten can also be found in ingredients that act as binders, acting to keep the flavors together and on the chip.
As you can see, there are many reasons why even chips can contain gluten.
Are Ruffles Chips Gluten-Free?
Now to the important bit: do Ruffles contain gluten? The answer is a little complex. Some flavors of Ruffles chips are gluten-free, but other flavors contain gluten.
If you’re craving a bag of Ruffles, then it’s important to pay close attention to the flavor before buying.
Ruffles Original flavor chips are made from just potatoes, vegetable oils, and salt. They are gluten-free, and can be enjoyed by those with a gluten sensitivity.
But many of the other flavors of Ruffles chips are not gluten-free.
What Ruffles Flavors Are Gluten-Free?
While some Ruffles chips flavors are gluten-free, others contain gluten. Below, we’ve listed the Ruffles flavors that are currently gluten-free.
As you’ve probably noticed, it isn’t a very long list compared to how many Ruffles flavors are available! Unfortunately, many of the flavorings used in Ruffles chips are derived from grain sources that contain gluten.
Ruffles often bring out new flavors of chips, or you might come across flavors released for the international market.
Unless these state they are gluten-free on the pack, we recommend steering clear of new flavors. If you want to give them a go, check out the Frito Lay website before eating, for further information.
Do Ruffles Cheddar And Sour Cream Chips Contain Gluten?
Things get a little complex when we get to Ruffles Cheddar & Sour Cream Flavor, which we’ll take a look at now.
Ruffles Cheddar & Sour Cream Flavored Potato Chips are not gluten-free. However, Ruffles Baked Cheddar & Sour Cream Flavored Potato Crisps are gluten-free.
Yeast extract is often derived from barley, and barley contains gluten. So, yeast extract from barley won’t be suitable for a gluten-free diet.
However, you might have noticed other foods labeled “gluten-free” that contain yeast extract. This isn’t a mistake, or anything to worry about. While most yeast extract comes from barley, there are gluten-free varieties available.
Food manufacturers aren’t required to disclose their source of yeast extract.
If you see yeast extract listed in the ingredients, and the food isn’t labeled as gluten-free, it’s better to assume it comes from barley, and isn’t suitable for a gluten-free diet.
If you want to enjoy Ruffles Cheddar & Sour Cream flavor, reach for the baked version, not the original fried. These are safe for a gluten-free diet, and they’re also a little healthier overall!
Do Ruffles Sour Cream And Onion Chips Contain Gluten?
Ruffles Sour Cream & Onion chips are not listed as gluten-free on the Frito Lay website, so it’s best to assume they contain gluten (find out more about Lay’s and gluten here).
A quick look at the ingredients list shows that the Sour Cream & Onion flavoring contains yeast extract, which could be the source of the gluten.
Ruffles Sour Cream & Onion chips also contain natural flavorings. This doesn’t necessarily mean gluten, but natural flavorings can contain gluten.
For example, dried yeast is sometimes used as a natural flavoring, and this can contain wheat starch, which includes gluten.
If you really like Sour Cream & Onion, you don’t have to steer clear of the flavoring altogether. In fact, you don’t even have to avoid Frito Lay!
Lay’s Baked Sour Cream & Onion Flavored Potato Chips are listed as gluten-free, as are Lay’s Stax Sour Cream & Onion Flavored Potato Crisps.
From other brands, the Kettle Brand Sour Cream & Onion Chips are also gluten-free. In fact, all Kettle Brand chips are certified gluten-free!
Do Baked Ruffles Chips Contain Gluten?
Baked Ruffles are the healthier variety of Ruffles chips. Instead of being fried, these chips are baked. They have all the crunch, but a lot less oil is involved.
If you are following a gluten-free diet, you might also be on the lookout for a healthier chip!
Baked Ruffles are available in a limited number of flavors. Currently, gluten-free Ruffles Baked flavors are:
Previously, Ruffles Baked Flamin’ Hot Flavored Potato Crisps have been listed as gluten-free. However, they are no longer on the Frito Lay gluten-free webpage.
A quick look at the ingredients list shows they contain both yeast extract and natural flavorings, which may contain gluten. So, if you’re following a gluten-free diet, we recommend avoiding Ruffles Baked Flamin’ Hot Flavor.
Do Ruffles All Dressed Up Chips Contain Gluten?
Ruffles All-Dressed are flavored with a mixture of ketchup, barbecue sauce, salt and vinegar.
It might sound strange, but this combination actually brings together salty, sour, and sweet, in a pretty delicious way. All-Dressed is the number one Ruffles flavor in Canada, but there are many fans in the US!
Ruffles All-Dressed are currently not listed as gluten-free on the Frito Lay website. A quick look at the ingredients list does show natural flavors, but there are no allergens listed.
Despite there being no clear source of gluten, we still recommend avoiding the All-Dressed flavor if you have a severe gluten intolerance.
Ruffles do sometimes adjust and alter the ingredients used to make their chips. This can happen because of supply issues, new innovations, or simply finding a better way for the chips to taste!
For those on a gluten-free diet, it’s worth keeping a close eye on the ingredients list.
If you see a pack claiming “new” or “improved” flavor or recipe, take another look at the ingredients list.
Useful terms to search for include “yeast extract” and “natural flavorings”. If these suddenly appear, the chips might no longer be gluten-free.
Final Thoughts
A bag of chips is one of the easiest snack foods around! Sometimes, all you want is a quick snack that can deliver flavor. That’s why we love Ruffles. Those crinkled ridges grab onto seasoning, and provide a satisfying crunch.
If you’re following a gluten-free diet, then choosing a bag of Ruffles chips is a little more difficult. While some flavors are gluten-free, it’s only a limited number.
Other flavors contain yeast extract and other gluten products, so they aren’t safe to eat.
We hope this post has helped you navigate the world of Ruffles!
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