If you’re gluten free and visiting Canada, there are a few Canadian snacks that are absolutely worth looking for — and you don’t have to hunt down a specialty gluten free store to find them.
These are three of my favourites that you can usually find at regular grocery stores, convenience stores and other retailers across Canada.
Quick note: Packaging and ingredients can change, so always check the label on the product you’re actually buying — even if you’ve had it before.
1. Lay’s Ketchup Chips
If you’ve never had ketchup chips before, I know they sound a little weird. But trust me on this one.
They’re sweet, tangy, salty and have this really distinct ketchup flavour that somehow just works. They’re also VERY Canadian — ketchup chips are one of those snacks I’d immediately tell someone visiting Canada to try at least once.
Even better, Lay’s Ketchup Chips are labelled gluten free right on the bag, so there’s no guessing when you’re standing in the chip aisle.
If you already like salt & vinegar or other tangy chips, there’s a very good chance you’ll like these too.
2. Ruffles All Dressed
Next up: another Canadian chip flavour that is kind of impossible to properly describe.
Ruffles All Dressed are also labelled gluten free right on the bag. The flavour is basically a little bit of everything at once — salty, tangy, slightly sweet and savoury.
Think ketchup, barbecue, salt & vinegar and a few other flavours all mixed together.
It sounds chaotic. It is chaotic. But it’s SO good.
And because they’re Ruffles, you get the thicker ridged chip, which makes them even better in my opinion.
3. Cadbury Caramilk
If you want something sweet, look for a Caramilk bar.
Caramilk is a Canadian classic made with milk chocolate surrounding a soft, gooey caramel centre. The chocolate-to-caramel ratio is SO good, and it’s one of those simple chocolate bars that I will never get tired of.
Unlike the two chip options above, Caramilk isn’t specifically labelled gluten free. The current Canadian ingredient information I checked lists milk and soy, with precautionary warnings for peanuts and tree nuts, but does not list a gluten source.
Worth knowing: In Canada, gluten sources used as ingredients have to be declared on the label. That said, I still recommend checking the package every time, especially with products that aren’t specifically labelled gluten free.
The best part? They’re easy to find
You don’t need to track down a specialty gluten free store for any of these.
Lay’s Ketchup Chips, Ruffles All Dressed and Caramilk are mainstream Canadian snacks that you can find at grocery stores, convenience stores and other retailers across the country.
And maybe my favourite part: they don’t come with the usual gluten free price tag.
Save this list for your next trip to Canada: Lay’s Ketchup Chips, Ruffles All Dressed and Cadbury Caramilk. 🇨🇦
Happy Canadian snack hunting!