If you have coeliac disease, first choose a cracker whose current packaging clearly states that it is gluten-free. According to the Dutch Coeliac Society, the Crossed Grain trademark provides an additional level of product control. For a light cracker to have alongside cake, consider a rice and maize variety, while a seed cracker offers a different texture. Check both for other allergens, too, and serve the crackers separately from ordinary cake.
You want to serve crackers alongside ordinary cake without crumbs or shared utensils coming into contact with your gluten-free food. The Dutch Nutrition Centre advises checking the gluten-free statement on the label when you buy.
You’re looking for something crunchy to eat alongside cake or serve with a topping. Albert Heijn describes its gluten-free rice and maize cracker as light and crunchy, while Schär’s product description says Fette Croccanti goes well with sweet or savoury toppings.
You’d prefer a different texture from that of a light rice and maize cracker. For Jumbo Lekker Vrij van Gluten’s seed cracker, the label also highlights egg, sesame, possible traces of nuts and the gluten-free status of the oats.
If you have coeliac disease, gluten-free suitability comes before taste and texture. Then compare the nutritional information and any other allergens in the varieties that meet your needs.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Gluten-free, crumb-free serving | Read the current gluten-free statement and, for oat products, look for the Crossed Grain trademark. Use a clean plate and cutlery, separate from ordinary cake. | If I have coeliac disease, my cracker needs to be suitable for my gluten-free diet and kept free from crumbs from the cake on the table. For around 50% of consumers, this suitability comes first. |
| Taste and texture | Decide whether you’d prefer a light rice and maize cracker or a seed cracker, and whether the cracker needs to hold a topping. | With coffee and cake, I mainly want a texture and taste I enjoy at the time. Around 30% of consumers give this choice top priority. |
| Nutritional information and other allergens | Compare fibre, sugars and salt per 100 g, and read the full allergen information, including possible traces. | I want to choose based on nutritional value, or I need to avoid another allergen as well as gluten. For around 20% of consumers, this is the main difference between suitable crackers. |
Appearance tells you nothing about the ingredients. For example, Bolletje lists wheat flour and barley malt extract in its Bagel Crackers Sesam.
Check the current gluten-free statement and ingredients list instead of relying on the product name or appearance.
According to the Dutch Nutrition Centre, oats can come into contact with gluten during processing. So the presence of oats alone doesn’t confirm that a cracker is suitable if you have coeliac disease.
If a cracker contains oats, check the packaging for the official Crossed Grain trademark.
A gluten-free cracker can still contain other allergens. Jumbo lists egg and sesame in its Lekker Vrij van Gluten Zaden Crackers, and says they may contain nuts.
Read the full allergen information, especially if you’re buying crackers for someone else.
You can’t tell how fibre, sugars and salt compare from a short product name. The Dutch Nutrition Centre recommends comparing products per 100 g.
Compare the nutritional information and ingredients lists of the varieties that meet your gluten-free requirements.
This range includes light crackers and seed crackers for different occasions.
Albert Heijn describes its gluten-free rice and maize cracker as light and crunchy, suitable for breakfast or a snack.
Schär Fette Croccanti is a gluten-free cracker that, according to the product description, can be served with sweet or savoury toppings.
These lentil wafers are a related snack, not a product explicitly labelled as a cracker. If you’re looking for something to have with coffee and cake when you have coeliac disease, first check the gluten-free statement on the current packaging and consider whether the rosemary flavour suits the occasion.
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For anyone looking for a rosemary-flavoured lentil wafer as an alternative to a plain cracker. The product description says the wafers are gluten-free; if you have coeliac disease, check the current packaging and read the allergen information too.
For yourself, choose only crackers whose current packaging clearly states that they’re gluten-free. According to the Dutch Nutrition Centre, crackers can contain gluten-containing grains; the Dutch Coeliac Society says the Crossed Grain trademark provides an additional level of product control. Keep your gluten-free crackers separate from ordinary cake and crackers.
If you have coeliac disease, choose an oat-containing cracker only if its gluten-free status has been verified. The Dutch Nutrition Centre warns that oats may be contaminated with gluten and recommends looking for the official Crossed Grain trademark on oat products. Jumbo displays that trademark on its Lekker Vrij van Gluten Zaden Crackers.
Put the gluten-free crackers on a clean, separate plate and use clean cutlery to keep crumbs from ordinary cake away. According to the Dutch Nutrition Centre, even a stray breadcrumb can cause symptoms if you have coeliac disease.
As well as the gluten-free statement, read the full allergen information on the current packaging. For the seed cracker reviewed, Jumbo lists egg and sesame and says it may contain nuts; Schär Fette Croccanti may contain soya. Allergens therefore vary from product to product.
