This one is going to hit hard.. Are Sun chips gluten free?

Those French Onion Sun Chips used to be my ABSOLUTE favorite chip. I’m talking like whole bag consumed every time type of favorite. I’m talking “I’m not sharing” type of favorite.

Tough News… Sun Chips are not Gluten Free

When I first started I was pretty devastated to find out that Sun Chips are NOT gluten free. I don’t really know why I thought I had a chance with these, but there is something about Sun Chips that makes you feel like they could be gluten free.

Maybe it’s something about their 100% wholegrain appearance or something to do with their “healthier” chip approach versus your normal Lays Chips or Doritos… which are gluten free by the way. So why can’t Sun Chips be GF?

Sun Chips Backstory and Flavors

Believe it or not Sun Chips have been around for over 30 years. They are associated with Frito Lay and Pepsi. So if that tells you anything, they have the money to do some research and development into GF options… that would be nice…

There are only four types of flavors Harvest Cheddar, Garden Salsa, Original and French Onion. We all know French Onion was the best.

Sun Chips Ingredients

Let’s take a look at the ingredients of my favorite Sun Chips, French Onion, so we can see how close we came to having gluten free sun chips and why I’m frustrated. Here are the ingredients:

Whole Corn, Sunflower and/or Canola Oil, Whole Wheat, Brown Rice Flour, Whole Oat Flour, Sugar, Salt, Onion Powder, Maltodextrin (Made from Corn and Potato), Whey Protein Concentrate, Brown Sugar, Spices (Including Parsley and Paprika), Sour Cream (Cream, Skim Milk, Cultures), Natural Flavors, Butter (Cream and Annatto), Skim Milk, Gum Acacia, Mozzarella Cheese (Milk, Cheese Cultures, Salt, Enzymes), Cheddar Cheese (Milk, Cheese Cultures, Salt, Enzymes), and Green Onion Powder.
CONTAINS MILK AND WHEAT INGREDIENTS.

If I’m reading this right, there is only one ingredient, Whole Wheat, that contains gluten in Sun Chips? You’re telling me you can’t switch that with something else and still give us the chance to devour our favorite chips again?!

Gluten Free Sun Chips Alternative?

To this day, Sun Chips have no GF copy cat. There is no other chip that I have found that could fill in as a suitable “close enough” replacement. If the Sun Chips team can’t figure it out, maybe someone else can! Let me know in the comments below if you have found anything else that scratches the itch.

In the End, Are Sun Chips GF?

Sun Chips are not gluten free, but we are sooooo close! Maybe one day the scientists at Sun Chips will find an alternative for their Whole Wheat ingredient. Until then, I’ll continue to walk past them in the aisle mumbling expletives under my breath!