Over the last three years, I’ve tried every frozen gluten-free waffle I could find. I think there were five different brands/and or flavors, but the only one I liked was the version from Kinnikinnick. I don’t like any of the bread products the company makes so I was reluctant to try the waffles they introduced last year. It was nice that my pre-conceieved notion about the Kinnikinnick waffles proved to be very wrong. The Homestyle waffles offer terrific taste and texture!
Many people like the gluten-free waffles from Trader Joe’s, Van’s and Lifestream. All the brands I’ve seen locally are similar in price – between $3-$4 for a box of six. The serving size is two waffles so this is an excellent value for a safe, easy gluten-free breakfast item. Something most people are looking for these days is a bargain and they are far and few between on items with gluten-free stamped on the package.
The Kinnikinnick waffles are as good as the Eggo brand that I used to buy for visiting kids. I’ve actually served them to gluten eating kids and they just think it’s a square Eggo. They actually taste a little better than I remember Eggo waffles tasting, which is fascinating since Kinnikinnick waffles are free of gluten, dairy, soy, potato, yeast and nuts. They are however, not free of great taste!
Based on a tip from a reader (Dionne), I picked up a box of the new Van’s French Toast. Knowing that I don’t like Van’s waffles at all made me reluctant to the new item but I decided to risk the $2.79 (six pieces) and I’m glad I did. Unlike another frozen gluten-free French toast which I found inedible, the Van’s version is delicious. The toast is also dairy and egg free. Several minutes in the toaster oven turned the stiff unappealing looking frozen perforated toast into perfect French toast sticks. The cinnamon flavor adds a lot to the taste – it’s not too strong but a subtle hint which is perfect!
Neither Kinnikinnick or Van’s would make my top 10 or even top 20 list of gluten-free food companies. However, when it comes to individual products, you can’t judge an item by the manufacturer. This is a lesson I seem to have a hard time remembering. Just as some companies make great and sub-par tasting gluten products, many makers of gluten-free items do the same thing. I’m so glad I tried these two delicious products that are easy on the budget!
Have you tried either of these products or know of another brand we should know about? Let us know in the comments below!
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