Gluten free and craving mac and cheese but don’t want to waste $$$ on something only fit for the trash? Well, you’re in luck! We bought every kind of gluten free mac n cheese and taste-tested them one-by-one. We’re sharing our honest review here. We try it, so you don’t have to!
Estimated reading time: 17 minutes
One of the hardest parts of eating gluten free due to celiac disease, non-celiac gluten sensitivity, or any other reason, is the price tag for trial and error.
Didn’t like that bag of pretzels you bought? Don’t even think about throwing them away, they cost you $6!
Like everything else gluten free, macaroni and cheese is expensive and also, pretty risky. After trying every single brand of this convenient boxed dinner we could get our hands on, we can honestly say that there are some worth buying and some that would be better…somewhere else.
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PLEASE NOTE that taste preferences vary from person to person, so while we are offering our own, unsolicited, unsponsored opinions, you might like something we don’t recommend or vice versa. Opinions even varied among our own family members!
With that being said, we think you’ll find these gluten free mac and cheese reviews helpful for your wallet and your mouth.
And if you find a brand not listed here, feel free to leave a comment on where to buy so we can try it!
Please note that this post is in no way sponsored or an endorsement of any product/brand. We personally purchased and tested each of these so our opinion would be unbiased.
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On to the reviews!
Table of contents
GLUTEN FREE MAC & CHEESE BRANDS
We sourced several grocery stores and the internet to find every kind of gluten free mac and cheese available, including Walmart, Target, Good Earth Market, Harmons Grocery, Amazon, and Thrive Market.
Here is are the gluten-free products we tested, in no particular order:
Gluten Free Mac & Cheese Brands
Thrive Market Organic Gluten-Free Mac & Cheese
Annie’s Organic Gluten Free Red Lentil Spirals & White Cheddar
Annie’s Gluten Free Rice Pasta & Cheddar
Banza Mac & Cheese made with Chickpea Pasta
Funny Farm Goat Cheddar Cheese Brown Rice & Quinoa Shells Macaroni & Cheese Dinner
Kraft Gluten Free Macaroni & Cheese Dinner
Super Fat Low Net Carb Mac & Cheese made with Lupini Bean Pasta
Gluten Free Vegan Mac & Cheese Brands
Banza Plant-Based Mac with Chickpea Pasta (shells + vegan cheddar)
Thrive Market Organic Plant-Based Mac (corn, rice, & quinoa pasta with cheddar flavor)
Daiya Delux Mac & Cheeze (with dairy free cheeze sauce & gf elbow pasta)
RATING METHOD
We prepared each box of gluten free mac and cheese according to the package directions. We used whole milk (unsweetened almond milk for vegan) and always added the optional unsalted butter.
The pasta was cooked in a large pasta pot, watched carefully, cooked to al dente, then drained (and rinsed, in the case of bean pastas) and served immediately.
For this taste test, we rated each box of mac and cheese on a scale of 1-5 (1 being the worst, 5 being the best) using the following criteria:
Flavor: Did it taste like regular wheat pasta or was there a bitter flavor or funky aftertaste?
Texture: Did the gluten-free pasta cook to a traditional al dente texture? Or was it mushy or overly chewy?
Appearance: Was the cheese sauce a traditional cheddar color? Was the gluten free pasta an appropriate thickness and did it hold together well? Was the sauce the right consistency or too thick/thin?
Final Rating: An average of the above criteria to formulate a final rating.
GLUTEN FREE MAC AND CHEESE REVIEW
Here are the final results from our gluten free mac and cheese review, as tasted by 2 adults and 2 kids (plus a baby, but not sure if that one counts)
***If you’re looking for the vegan or plant-based results, keep scrolling)
Thrive Market Organic Gluten-Free Mac & Cheese Review
Thrive Market organic gluten-free mac and cheese flavor was a little bland, and the texture of the noodles was not sturdy. The color was odd. Based on these factors, the brand received a final rating of 2.5 and was not recommended.
You all know I’m a big fan of Thrive Market for gluten free grocery shopping, so this really was disappointing.
Certified Gluten Free? NO Allergens listed: MILK
Flavor: 3 a little bland
Texture: 2 The the gluten free macaroni pasta was not very sturdy, and also overly chewy.
Appearance: 2 Pale and the noodles didn’t hold together particularly well.
Final Rating: 2.5 Would not recommend
Annie’s Organic Gluten Free Red Lentil Spirals & White Cheddar Review
Annie’s organic gluten free red lentil spirals had a well-flavored sauce with a bit of a beany aftertaste from the lentil pasta. The pasta had a red color and chewy texture that might not be appealing to kids. Although the flavor of the white cheddar sauce was enjoyed, the texture of the pasta was not preferred compared to other brands.
Certified Gluten Free? NO Allergens listed: MILK
Flavor: 3.5 The sauce is flavored well. The lentil pasta has a bit of a strong flavor and a beany aftertaste, as expected since it is made from lentils.
Texture: 2 The lentil pasta is a little flimsy and prone to falling apart. It is different than regular pasta because it is made from lentils, so if you’re expecting it you might be ok with it.
Appearance: 4 Might look weird to kids because of the red pasta color.
Final Rating: 3 If you’re looking for a nutrient-dense pasta with a white cheddar sauce, it’s not too bad. We preferred Banza, although we really did like the flavor of the white cheddar sauce.
Annie’s Gluten Free Rice Pasta & Cheddar Review
Annie’s gluten free mac and cheese had a well-flavored sauce but overly thick and chewy, long and thick macaroni noodles that was off-putting.
Certified Gluten Free? NO Allergens listed: MILK
Flavor: 4 sauce was flavored well,
Texture: 2 The cooked noodles were overly thick and chewy, even after added cooking time.
Appearance: 2 The macaroni noodles were long and thick.
Final Rating: 2.5 Would not recommend
Banza Mac & Cheese made with Chickpea Pasta Review
Banza gluten free mac and cheese made with chickpea pasta had a well-flavored cheese sauce with a beautiful color and nicely shaped elbow pasta that holds together well. Although the pasta is a little chewier than regular pasta due to being bean-based, the brand received a final rating of 4 and is a great fit for those who like bean-based pasta.
Certified Gluten Free? NO Allergens listed: MILK
Flavor: 3.5 cheese sauce is well flavored and a beautiful color. You can tell the pasta is bean-based, but as long as you like chickpea-based pasta, you will like it. The sauce is flavored well.
Texture: 3.5 A little chewier than regular pasta because it is made from beans. Again, not an issue if you’re accustomed to bean pastas.
Appearance: 5 Nicely shaped elbow pasta, that holds together well, perfectly creamy sauce.
Final Rating: 4 If you like bean-based pasta, this is a great fit for you.
Funny Farm Goat Cheddar Cheese Brown Rice & Quinoa Shells Macaroni & Cheese Dinner Review
Funny Farm goat cheese mac and cheese is a unique mac and cheese brand that may be enjoyable for those who like goat cheese, but might not be suitable for everyone. Although the flavor resembles that of goat cheese, the texture of the noodles was rated as one of the best among the brands tested, with a creamy and well-coated sauce. Overall, the brand received a final rating of 4, but only recommended for those who like goat cheese.
Certified Gluten Free? NO Allergens listed: MILK
Flavor: 3 This is an interesting mac and cheese that some might enjoy, but it’s definitely not for everyone. While the box says it doesn’t have a “goaty aftertaste”, the flavor definitely resembles that of goat cheese. If you like goat cheese, you might like this one. I (Celeste) love goat cheese, and thought this one was pretty good! Different, but good. My husband Allan does not like goat cheese, and hated it.
Texture: 5 This is one of the best, if not the best, noodles in any of the boxes of mac and cheese we tried. It held up well and had a similar taste and texture to wheat pasta.
Appearance: 4 Pasta held up well, color was just right and the sauce was creamy and coated the noodles well.
Final Rating: 4 IF you like goat cheese. If you don’t like goat cheese, don’t get this one!
Kraft Gluten Free Macaroni & Cheese Review
Kraft gluten free mac and cheese was a crowd favorite among taste-testers and is recommended for those who enjoyed Kraft mac and cheese as a kid and want to revisit that nostalgic taste. The texture of the noodles was particularly impressive as it closely matched that of regular wheat macaroni noodles, and we love that it’s also certified gluten free.
Certified Gluten Free? YES, by NSF Allergens listed: MILK
Flavor: 4 If you’re after a nostalgic mac and cheese that tastes just like it did when you were growing up in the nineties, this is the one! If you never cared for Kraft macaroni and cheese, you still won’t like this one 🙂
Texture: 4 I’m not sure how they did it, but Kraft matched the texture of their regular wheat macaroni noodles pretty well and we gotta admit, we loved the classic cheesy goodness of this classic comfort food.
Appearance: 4 Looks like Kraft mac and cheese!
Final Rating: 4 Again, if you liked Kraft mac and cheese as a kid, this will take you down memory lane and it’s a quick dinner kids will love.
Super Fat Low Net Carb Mac & Cheese made with Lupini Bean Pasta Review
Super Fat keto mac and cheese was found to have an unpleasant flavor and texture with super thick noodles that only slightly resembled pasta. Although it may be an option for those on a keto diet, the reviewers did not recommend it.
Certified Gluten Free? YES, by GFCO Allergens listed: MILK
Flavor: 2 This might not be the worst thing we ever put in our mouths, but it wasn’t great either. We used whole milk instead of cream, but also added extra butter. Maybe if we would have used cream it would have tasted better?
Texture: 1 The noodles were super thick, and a weird, chewy, mushy texture that only slightly resembled pasta. Very slightly.
Appearance: 2 Again, thick noodles.
Final Rating: 1.5 As far as we know, this is the only keto mac and cheese option so if that’s your lifestyle, maybe you would want to try it. We loved that it was certified gluten free as there aren’t many options with certifications. Personally, we did not like it and would not recommend it.
VEGAN GLUTEN FREE MAC & CHEESE REVIEW
We tested the plant-based/vegan gluten free mac and cheese separately and used Silk unsweetened almond milk and Miyoko’s Creamery dairy free butter.
Melt is actually my go-to vegan butter substitute, and the one I would normally recommend, but Miyoko’s worked OK.
If we’re going to be honest, no one in our family would eat any of the plant-based gluten free mac and cheese. Maybe you get used to the different flavor if you regularly eat dairy free?
I don’t know. We’ve even made homemade vegan alfredo sauce before the whole family liked, but this stuff just didn’t taste good to us.
Sharing the official review anyway…
Thrive Market Plant-Based Mac and Cheese Review
Thrive Market dairy-free mac and cheese had a strong and unpleasant flavor that no one enjoyed. Additionally, the noodles were not sturdy and overly chewy, with a pale appearance that did not hold together well. Overall, it would not be recommended.
Certified Gluten Free? NO Allergens listed: NONE
Flavor: 1 Strong, unpleasant flavor no one liked. Again, maybe we just aren’t used to dairy free cheese flavor?
Texture: 2 The noodles were not very sturdy, and also overly chewy.
Appearance: 2 Pale and the noodles didn’t hold together particularly well.
Final Rating: 1.5 Would not recommend
Banza Plant-Based Mac and Cheese Review
While many of our family members like Banza pasta and enjoyed the gluten free dairy-based macaroni and cheese, not one of us liked the Banza plant-based mac and cheese. Honestly, it ended up in the garbage.
Certified Gluten Free? NO Allergens listed: NONE
Flavor: 1 again, didn’t like the flavor at all.
Texture: 3.5 The noodles were sturdy and held together pretty well but had a bit of extra chewiness because they’re bean-based.
Appearance: 4 Color and overall appearance was fairly good.
Final Rating: 2.5 Would not recommend based on the flavor of the sauce.
Daiya Deluxe Mac & Cheeze Review
Daiya mac and cheeze definitely tastes different than dairy-based mac and cheese, but is a much better option than the others we tried. We enjoyed the ease of preparation, it was nice that we didn’t have to worry about using a separate milk and butter as the cheese sauce was already prepared.
Certified Gluten Free? NO Allergens listed: NONE
Flavor: 3 This cheezy mac was much better than the other dairy free brands. Definitely didn’t like it as much as the regular milk-based mac and cheese but if you need to be dairy free, this is the one we would recommend.
Texture: 4 The pasta was a fairly good texture, be sure to watch it closely as it will be mushy if cooked even a bit too long.
Appearance: 4 Pasta held together well and the vegan cheese sauce was a beautiful color and good consistency.
Final Rating: 3.5 Our top pick for dairy free.
CONCLUSION
In conclusion, finding gluten-free options that are both affordable and delicious can be a difficult task. Trying out different products can be expensive and may lead to frustration which is why we wrote this gluten-free mac and cheese review to provide a helpful guide for those seeking an alternative to traditional wheat pasta!
This review offers a comprehensive assessment of various brands’ flavors, textures, and appearance. It also offers insight into whether certain brands are certified gluten-free or contain allergens like milk.
Taste preferences vary from person to person, and opinions even differ among family members. Overall, this review is an excellent starting point for those looking to purchase gluten-free mac and cheese and a helpful resource for those looking to save money and find a brand they love.
Remember to check labels when purchasing gluten free mac and cheese or any other gluten free products to make sure they’re suitable for your dietary needs! Product recipes can change at any time, and the information provided in this blog post may or may not reflect the current product information.
Do you have a gluten free mac and cheese you love? Share in the comments!
Linda Tanzini
Thursday 15th of June 2023
My favorite brand of mac & cheese is live free @aldi. I don't currently have box in pantry to share ingredient. They have shells and strait noodles
thereislifeafterwheat@gmail.com
Friday 16th of June 2023
Ok good to know! Unfortunately, I don't have an Aldi's near me but I've heard great things about it!
Soraya
Friday 12th of May 2023
I really enjoy Trader Joe's GF frozen Mac & Cheese. I use a tiny funnel to add extra water to the container before I microwave it for 5 minutes, so the mac is a little softer and sauce a little thicker.
Can you please compare Trader Joe's GF frozen Mac & Cheese to the best ones you've tested so far?
Thank you,
Soraya
thereislifeafterwheat@gmail.com
Friday 12th of May 2023
Ooh great idea! It's a bit of a drive to TJ's for me, but I'll pick some up and add it to the review. I would like to do a comparison of the frozen options too!