The Best Commercial Gluten Free Bread Brands

If we asked what anyone’s favorite food is, we’d get a hundred answers. Variety is key to any thriving market. Gluten-free products are no exception to this concept. The gluten-free industry has grown exponentially over the last few decades, and gluten sensitive consumers have spent hundreds of dollars trying out their options. Everyone has an opinion. And we want yours!

As members of this community, Christine and I have scoured forums, blogs, and websites to see what our readers and others have to say about the brands they’ve discovered and enjoy. We’ve also heard the laments about what they miss tasting and enjoying when their diets changed. (These sort of discussions resulted in this post and this post.) In these discussions, we discovered a few names being gushed about and wanted to present them in a post. We also wanted to give you the chance to applaud the companies you enjoy, discover some new ones to try, or offer something else to share with the rest of our readers!

Canyon Gluten-Free Bakehouse is a recently sprouted contender. In 2007, one co-founder Cristi Skow, was diagnosed with Celiac Disease. She’d suffered for years and was glad to have a better understanding of her body. But she missed the bread. Canyon breads were baked in her home in Colorado before going out into the world.

Canyon Gluten-Free Bakehouse produce two types of breads that we saw over and over in the forums: the seven grain and the deli rye. Every time it was mentioned, speakers praised their textures and flavors. But like many marketed gluten substitute options, cost was a concern. The good news is that coupons and discounted bulk purchase of all their products are available on their website: www.canyonglutenfree.com

Udi’s Gluten Free wasn’t originally a bakery. It started as a bar-on, but in 1994 they opened a Bakery café in Colorado. Twelve years later, they baked their first loaf. The company has grown rapidly since then, and now many gluten-free eaters. It seems they know the perfect make-up of white bread, and consumers are vocal about it! Price was a concern here as well, but again they offer some discounting on their website: www.udisglutenfree.com

There is something about bagels that makes them very unique. It’s a combination of butter flavor and the springy-yet-soft texture that has made them a favorite breakfast food in the U.S. That texture is largely due to gluten avoiders’ nemesis. But there is hope and Sweet Note Bakery is constantly mentioned in the gluten-free online community for the best bagels around. If you haven't had a chance, check out Christine’s interview with the company here.

Schar has been around longer than most gluten-free companies. Unlike many stories we hear, they didn’t start in the United States or because someone was diagnosed with a health problem. The company’s focus on health dates back to 1922, when children’s nutritional needs were being researched with doctors and other elites in the medical fields of the day. As their research expanded, so did their companies reach, which started in Italy and swept northward across Europe. Shortly thereafter, gluten-free became a forefront concern, especially for children. Their first official product line nix wheat launched in 1981 in alliance with coeliac societies and MDs, and the U.S. became part of its international reach.

Today, their deli style bread has stolen hearts. People have especially mentioned enjoying it without having to toast it first. If you chose to purchase directly from the company via their website, you can get bulk order discounts. Check it out here.

So when you crave a slice of toast, sandwich, or other normally-gluten foods, which brand do you prefer?