7 Simple Gluten-Free Snack Ideas

Who doesn’t love, or periodically need, a healthy, satisfying snack?

Raising two active teen boys, we seem to always need to supplement meals, whether because some crazy after school schedule or because they are just hungry, and need an additional meal.

So with back to school just around the corner, we decided to share some of our favorite simple gluten-free snack ideas!

These easy snacks are my family’s go-to choices at all times of the day, all year round.

Some are actual recipes that can be prepped ahead and stored in the freezer or refrigerator for easy grab-and-go.

Others are simple ideas without “real recipes” that can be assembled in only a couple minutes!

7 Simple Gluten-Free Snacks

Rice Cake with Peanut Butter, Fruit, and Honey

This is one my personal favorites! A healthy twist on the classic peanut butter & jelly, it is super simple and satisfying.

And as it hits all the macro nutrient groups with some carbohydrates, protein, healthy fats plus some fiber (especially if you sprinkle with chia seeds), it gives the perfect energy boost without making your sluggish afterwards.

It is also highly customizable snack as you can use any nut or seed butter you love and add any fruits you have on hand.

My older son particularly enjoys these, as he can store rice cakes and peanut butter easily in his college room, and it is perfect when he needs an afternoon, pre-practice boost!

What you need to make Rice Cakes with Peanut Butter

grab your favorite rice cake (we love Lundberg –  amazon link)

spread nut or seed butter of choice

top with fresh fruit of choice (I happen to love strawberries and raspberries but apples great too!)

drizzle with honey, and

sprinkle with chia seeds or hemp seeds (optional).

Smoothies

My family are big smoothie fans!

Smoothies are perfect any time of day and make a great breakfast, snack or dessert!

The flavor combinations are endless and we love the ability to add in extras like hemp seeds, flax seed meal, protein powder or collagen powder, chia seeds and more!

We have lots of different flavor combinations in the “Smoothie” recipe category on this website. Some favorites include: our Apple Cinnamon Smoothie, Berries n’ Yogurt Smoothie, Blueberry Banana Smoothie and Mint Chocolate Chip Smoothie.

Energy Bites

If you have followed us a while, you know we are big fans of energy bites. They are no bake treats we keep in our refrigerator or freeze at all times for easy grab and go snacks or dessert. 

And they are perfect if you are looking for a snack that stores well in the freezer for months.

They are perfect pre-workouts, post-workouts or essentially any time, as we have been known to eat them in the morning, afternoon and night!

We have lots of seasonal flavors such as our Apple Cinnamon Energy Bites,  Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Energy Bites., and Gingerbread Bliss Bites.

And we have some that are more like dessert such as our No Bake Monster Cookie Bites.

And then there are these Almond Butter Chocolate Chip Energy Bites which are our year round family favorite!

Homemade Popcorn

Popcorn is great to munch on when you’re hungry, and while we prefer to make our own by putting a little bit of oil in a saucepan and then adding in the kernels, but we also love LesserEvil Himalayan Pink Sea Salt Popcorn.

Popcorn in a particularly good choice for serving a large group of people and stores very well for days to come.

Salt to taste and enjoy!

Blueberry Frozen Yogurt Bark

My oldest has been loving frozen yogurt bark all summer!

It is an easy, customizable and naturally gluten-free frozen treat, and it brings a much-needed chill to hot summer days.

Our Blueberry Frozen Yogurt Bark is just 2 ingredients!

Banana Bread with a smear of  Nut or Seed Butter

Our Best Gluten-Free Banana Bread is delicious on its own but adding nut or seed butter takes it to the next level when having it as a snack.

Anytime we have browning bananas, we whip up a quick banana bread as it is a family favorite! It is a super easy recipe and reliably yields a gluten-free banana bread that is moist, soft & fluffy + has the best flavor!

Recipe works well matter what your dietary preferences– Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, Vegan, Nut-Free and chocolate chips and nuts are obviously optional.

This also freezes well — consider freezing individual slices so you can take out of the freezer as needed.

Homemade Cheese Nachos

My youngest son has been enjoying homemade cheese nachos for years now.

To make it we fill a large or small  baking sheet with tortilla chips and add cheese to the top before putting it in the oven. (Preheat oven to broil, and place nachos in oven for about 1 minute of until cheese is melted).

Or if you use a microwave, place chips on a large plate, top with cheese and microwave for 45 seconds to a minute or until cheese is melted.

For those of you with hungry teenagers, this is a great way to fill them up any time of day and it is easy enough for them to make on their own at any hour of night!

 

What are your go to gluten-free snacks? We are always looking for new ones, so please share in the comments below.

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