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Review of the Best Frozen Gluten-Free Waffles

in Breakfast, Other

A detailed, non-biased review of the Best Frozen Gluten-Free Waffles featuring my opinion on the taste, texture, toasting ability, and ingredient quality of six popular brands of frozen waffles.

A review of the best frozen gluten-free waffles measuring taste, toasting ability, texture, quality of ingredients, and price.Of all of the foods that I ate when I was pregnant, gluten-free frozen waffles have got to be the most commonly eaten food of all.  They were literally the only thing I could stomach for breakfast from weeks six to 20, and continued to be about the only thing that sounded good during the remainder of my pregnancy.

Throughout those 42 weeks of pregnancy, I tried literally any and every brand of gluten-free frozen waffles that I could find in my area.  As a result, I like to think I am a bit of an expert on which ones are the best.  But instead of just telling you my favorite, I am breaking things down with my own official review of the best frozen gluten-free waffles.

Review of the Best Frozen Gluten-Free Waffles

The Ground Rules

  • I tested six frozen gluten-free waffle brands available in my area (Eastern Iowa in the Midwest).  I selected the variety closest to plain/original.
  • I prepared each brand of waffles in the same way by toasting them on level “3” using the defrost setting of my toaster followed by turning them in the toaster and cooking on level “3” without the defrost setting.  I topped each variety with grass-fed butter or ghee and strawberry jam.  I also tried them toasted and topped with pure maple syrup.
  • I graded the gluten-free waffles on a scale of 1-5 (1 being poor and 5 being excellent).  These ratings were based on taste, texture, and how well they toasted.
  • I also provided feedback on the quality of the ingredients, number of ingredients used, price, other perks, and whether or not I would purchase them again.
  • The products reviewed are listed in alphabetical order, not based on their ratings.
  • This is not a sponsored post.  I was not compensated or provided with free product.  I have not worked with any of the brands below, so I do not have any biases towards one or the other.

The Review

A review of the best gluten-free frozen waffles measuring taste, toasting ability, texture, quality of ingredients, and price.Hy-Vee Gluten-Free Frozen Waffles

Taste: The flavor is definitely lacking in these waffles.  They are a bit bland and don’t seem sweet enough.
Texture: Even after toasting, they are very flaky and a bit too chewy for my liking.
Toasting ability: Along the same lines as the chewy texture, these do not crisp up enough after toasting.  Since they are not crispy enough, the toppings do not spread easily.
Quality of ingredients: These waffles are vegan, but contain ingredients like vegetable oil, soy, and corn.  They are also not organic or non-GMO.
Number of ingredients: 13
Price: $1.99 for an 8 count box at Hy-Vee

Overall score: 2
Would I purchase them again?  I would not purchase these again.

A review of the best gluten-free frozen waffles measuring taste, toasting ability, texture, quality of ingredients, and price.Kashi Gluten-Free Original Frozen Waffles

Taste: The Kashi waffles are pretty flavorful, and I enjoy the almost “nutty” flavor they have.  You can also taste the vanilla and molasses in these, which is pleasant.
Texture: The texture is quite good and provides a whole grain/wheat texture even though they are gluten-free.
Toasting ability: After the double toasting method, these are fairly crispy.  It is easy to spread butter and jam on them without them falling apart.
Quality of ingredients: These waffles are vegan, Non-GMO Project Verified, and do not contain any of the most common allergens.  I love that these are soy-free, but I wish they did not contain canola oil.
Number of ingredients: 12
Price: $3.49 for an 8 count box at Hy-Vee

Overall score: 4.5
Would I purchase them again?  Absolutely.  In fact, this is the brand that I place into my grocery cart most often.

A review of the best frozen gluten-free waffles measuring taste, toasting ability, texture, quality of ingredients, and price.Kellogg’s Eggo Gluten-Free Original Frozen Waffles

Taste: I was a bit surprised about how much I enjoyed the taste of these waffles.  They tasted the most like non-gluten-free waffles out of all of the varieties I tried.
Texture: They were a bit too soft and almost a little bit soggy.
Toasting ability: These waffles did not toast very easily.  I could not get the edges crispy without the inside burning a bit.
Quality of ingredients: This is definitely not my favorite brand as far as ingredients go.  Sugar is listed as the fifth ingredient, and these waffles are made with vegetable oil, soy, and whey.  I appreciate that they are made with whole oat and rice flour, but none of the ingredients are certified organic or non-GMO.
Number of ingredients: 20 (including added vitamins and minerals)
Price: $2.67 for an 8 count box at Fareway

Overall score: 3
Would I purchase them again? I likely would not just based on the quality of ingredients and the fact that they did not toast very well.

A review of the best frozen gluten-free waffles measuring taste, toasting ability, texture, quality of ingredients, and price.Nature’s Path Gluten-Free Homestyle Frozen Waffles

Taste: These waffles are very flavorful and even taste good without any toppings.
Texture: I like how thick these waffles are.  They hold toppings well and soak up the perfect amount of syrup.  I enjoy these best when eaten with ghee and syrup.
Toasting ability: They toast evenly, but the inside does not get quite as crispy as I would like.
Quality of ingredients: I appreciate that these are dairy-free, but I do not love that they contain both corn and soy.  A major plus of these waffles is that they are certified organic and Non-GMO Project Verified.
Number of ingredients: 13
Price: $2.99 for a 6 count box at Natural Grocers

Overall score: 4
Would I purchase them again?  Yes, I would purchase these again.  It is hard to say no to a certified organic brand that tastes pretty darn good.

A review of the best frozen gluten-free waffles measuring taste, toasting ability, texture, quality of ingredients, and price.

Trader Joe’s Gluten-Free Frozen Toaster Waffles

Taste: I like the taste, but did not find them to be exceptionally overwhelming.  They could stand a bit more sweetness and flavor.
Texture: These waffles crisp up decently well when double-toasted.  The texture is good both for spreading with toppings and for drizzling with syrup.
Toasting ability: They toast well, but do flake a bit when spread with toppings.
Quality of ingredients: I appreciate that these waffles are vegan, but I do not like that they contain canola oil, cane sugar, soy, and corn.  They are not organic or non-GMO.
Number of ingredients: 12
Price: $1.99 for an 8 count box at Trader Joe’s

Overall score: 3
Would I purchase them again?  For the price, I would purchase them again, but they would not be my first choice.

A review of the best frozen gluten-free waffles measuring taste, toasting ability, texture, quality of ingredients, and price.

Van’s Foods Gluten-Free Original Frozen Waffles

Taste: The taste is pleasant, but I found the waffles to be rather plain without plenty of toppings.
Texture: I am not a fan of the texture of these waffles.  They are a flaky-crispy as opposed to a crunchy-crispy.
Toasting ability: These toast fairly well, but flake easily when toppings are added.  The inside is a bit chewier than I prefer, even after double-toasting.
Quality of ingredients: These waffles are Non-GMO Project Vertified, vegan, and do not contain corn.  However, they contain both soy and canola oil.
Number of ingredients: 12
Price: $2.99 for a 6 count box at Target

Overall score: 3
Would I purchase them again?  I don’t think I would purchase these again.  In fact, my husband recently bought these on accident and I was actually disappointed when I found them in the freezer.

Places

First place: Kashi
Second place: Nature’s Path
Third place: Trader Joe’s
Fourth place: Eggo
Fifth place: Van’s
Sixth place: Hy-Vee

My Review of the Best Frozen Gluten-Free Waffles #glutenfree #waffles #healthy Click To Tweet
A review of the best frozen gluten-free waffles measuring taste, toasting ability, texture, quality of ingredients, and price.
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{ 21 comments… add one }
  • Christen Dobbs November 6, 2017, 9:52 am
    I LOVE this post! I usually make mine from scratch (I have Celiac Disease), because waffles are sometimes really weird and not always super affordable. Where I live now my options are much more limited, but I'm definitely going to be looking for some of these. Van's is the best I've had so far.
    • ClnEatingVegGrl November 6, 2017, 12:10 pm
      It is definitely nice that so many brands are coming up with GF options these days! I hope you get to try some of these out.
  • Aubry November 6, 2017, 10:29 am
    Love this breakdown + so much great info! I'm a big fan of Eggo waffles. Looks like I need to branch out and try a few of these.
    • ClnEatingVegGrl November 6, 2017, 12:11 pm
      There are so many great options, which always helps keep things interesting. Plus, these would just the "original" flavors. I love that there are other fun flavors like cinnamon and pumpkin spice!
  • Shannon November 6, 2017, 10:45 am
    I figured the Kashi ones would be worth trying! I've always eaten Eggo waffles but had them recently and didn't like them. I guess my tastes have changed!
    • ClnEatingVegGrl November 6, 2017, 3:03 pm
      You should definitely give the Kashi ones a try. I really like them!
  • Amanda | Maple Alps November 6, 2017, 7:26 pm
    I loved the format of this post - comparing and scoring the different brands. Toaster waffles used to be my favourite breakfast thing growing up (especially the blueberry eggo ones), but I haven't purchased or eaten any in years. Kind of forgot they existed....!
    • ClnEatingVegGrl November 6, 2017, 8:32 pm
      It sounds to me like you need to get some back in your life! ;)
  • Elizabeth November 7, 2017, 3:26 pm
    Fun! All I can think of is Stranger Things with the Eggos! I have never had frozen waffles - we always made them from scratch!
    • ClnEatingVegGrl November 7, 2017, 8:33 pm
      You can't go wrong with from scratch! But in a pinch, there are some great frozen options.
  • Dodin237 April 25, 2018, 1:04 pm
    I have always used Trader Joes GF waffles. I have never found any others. The problem is that now they do not seem to carry it anymore. Now I am going to have to find some other brand. Tv's are made in Canada.
    • ClnEatingVegGrl April 25, 2018, 4:11 pm
      What a bummer! Luckily, there are plenty of other great brands to try. I hope you find this review helpful!
  • dodin237 April 26, 2018, 12:26 am
    I am in my 80s and don't do from scratch much anymore. Not only that, I do not own a waffle iron.
    • ClnEatingVegGrl April 26, 2018, 8:32 am
      These frozen brands are definitely easy. I really like the Kashi brand!
  • Mia September 16, 2018, 5:06 am
    One if my doc's wants me to go wheat free so I'm desperately looking for a frozen waffle to replace my beloved Eggos. What do you mean by double toasting? I'm not a vegetarian or vegan, just so you know. Thank you! Very helpful.
    • ClnEatingVegGrl October 26, 2018, 10:37 am
      I actually toast the waffle twice so that it is extra crispy- certainly not a necessity though!
  • ASHWIN T. BANGALORE September 29, 2018, 2:43 pm
    Is there a reason that you don't prefer any oil in the frozen waffles?
    • ClnEatingVegGrl October 26, 2018, 10:35 am
      It's not that I don't prefer oil in waffles, I just don't like the use of oil other than olive oil, extra virgin oil, and coconut oil as other oils tend to be high in Omega 6's, which when out of proper ratio with Omega 3's tend to be inflammatory.
  • Joel March 24, 2021, 4:59 am
    I have celiac disease, diagnosed for 5 years, and have eaten Van’s, Nature’s Path, and Kellogg’s. I’m in Manchester NH and these are the only brands I’ve found. We have a Trader Joe’s, but they didn’t have them when I was last in it (which was a month or two after it opened). So far, the best, most reliable, and flavorful waffles I’ve enjoyed are Nature’s Path, although they’re still the usual GF disappointment from real ones. The best aspect is the number of flavor varieties they have. I’m not big on plain, so I choose their chia seed, chocolate chip, multigrain, and flax seed versions most often. Around here Van’s only offers plain and blueberry, but I’m an over-the-top blueberry fanatic and those aren’t very blueberry-ish. Frankly, I’ve found them more cardboardy than waffley. Even Nature’s Path has the problem of becoming stale fairly quickly in my freezer, whether the box is open or not, and I eat serving sizes, so that’s a thing.
  • Carol January 12, 2023, 10:22 am
    I loved your GF waffle comparison, Hannah! Thanks for sharing it. I’ve had breast cancer stage 1 twice in the past 13 years so I, too, avoid non-GMO, soy & vegetable oils other than olive, avocado & coconut, & eat organic whenever possible. My favorite GF waffle is Nature’s Path Organic Buckwheat Wildberry. I also toast them twice for a firmer texture. They’re so yummy with only ghee or butter. Their only drawback for me is soy oil & soy lecithin, although, both soy products are organic. I’m going to try the Kashi brand. Thank you for the recommendation!
  • Eric April 5, 2023, 9:42 am
    I really appreciate this post. Our daughter has just started going gluten free and we're spending a lot of time trying to sort through options for her to try. So often when I "best gluten-free _______" I end up with generic comparisons that don't provide a lot of information & are probably just written for clicks. The details about the waffles & testing methods are really helpful. We've tried the Kashi, & I like them but the kid was so-s0 on them. I'll be looking for Nature's Path next.
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