Store-Bought Gluten-Free Breads, Ranked Worst To Best

Can I be honest for a second? Most types of gluten-free bread taste like absolute garbage. There, I said it.

As a person who experiences occasional discomfort, inflammation, and other not-so-fun symptoms as a result of eating gluten, I know how frustrating it is to have to chow down on gluten-free bread that tastes nothing like the "real" thing. And because most types of wheat-less breads don't come loaded with sugar and fun flavors like all the best store-bought gluten-free cereals often do, the unpleasant texture and flavor are all the more noticeable.

Because of this, I've committed myself to trying the store-bought gluten-free bread varieties available at my local markets to see which wheat-less bread offerings, if any, are actually worth your time. I'm dishing up my honest opinion on some of the most popular gluten-free bread brands when compared to wheat-containing bread slices. Bear in mind that most gluten-free bread options, even those that rank high on this list, will still taste, well, gluten-free. Still, I'll analyze the overall texture and flavor of each brand, including size and pricing, in hopes of getting you that much closer to a delicious-tasting gluten-free loaf. Let's get into it.

If you're like me, you're probably surprised to see Udi's Gluten-Free Soft White Bread at the bottom of the list. This popular brand is often chosen as the wheat-less bread of choice at certain fast-food restaurants with the best gluten-free options, including sandwich chains like Jersey Mike's. The problem? When compared against other brands in the lineup, this one simply falls flat — at least, in my opinion.

Udi's Gluten-Free Soft White Bread is priced at $4.92 for a 12-ounce loaf at my local Walmart. Its components include rice flour and sorghum flour, as well as modified food starch, guar gum, and several other ingredients. As of the time of publication, it is dairy and nut-free.

At this point, you're probably wondering what irked me so much about the ever-so-popular Udi's Gluten-Free Soft White Bread. Honestly, it wasn't the taste that threw me off — it was its size and texture. The brand's white bread is ridiculously small and features a dry and extremely hard crust. The white portion of the bread — though admittedly soft and neutral tasting — had a look and feel similar to couch foam. It was extremely dense and not bread-like at all. I get that it's gluten-free, but for me, texture matters. For this reason, I cannot recommend Udi's Gluten-Free Soft White Bread in good conscience.

Sam's Choice Gluten-Free Multigrain Bread may seem like a good option for its wholesome characteristics, but overall, this gluten-free bread was one of my least favorite out of the bunch. At my local Walmart, Sam's Choice Gluten-Free Multigrain Bread was priced at $6.74 for an 18-ounce loaf. Its multigrain ingredients include brown rice flour, whole grain sorghum flour, whole grain millet flour, and a number of seeds, including amaranth and red quinoa.

Though I certainly like the idea of including a variety of grains in my (semi) gluten-free diet, Sam's Choice Gluten-Free Multigrain Bread didn't do it for me. Like several other brands on the list, this option featured very tiny pieces, which would never withstand the toppings of a hearty sandwich. On top of that, the bread featured a harder crust, and its flavor came off as strange to me, almost having the bitter essence of dirt. Tasty, right?

Aside from these qualms, there were a few characteristics of Sam's Choice Gluten-Free Multigrain Bread that I liked, including the soft texture of the bread, how it didn't disintegrate in my mouth, and how the seeds included within weren't annoyingly crunchy or cumbersome. Even with its pros, this gluten-free bread pick wasn't the best of the lineup.

Welcome to the "meh" portion of my gluten-free bread review. Starting with Schär Gluten-Free Artisan Baker Multigrain Sourdough Bread, I was neither disgusted nor wowed by the flavor and texture of this bread. As its name would imply, this multigrain gluten-free option includes multiple grains, including "sourdough" (made of rice and water), quinoa flour, buckwheat flour, modified cellulose, sunflower seeds, and psyllium seed husk. Schär Gluten-Free Artisan Baker Multigrain Sourdough Bread Loaf is also advertised as vegan, and is egg and dairy-free; I found it at Walmart for $5.96 for a 14.01-ounce loaf at the time of publication.

As mentioned, Schär Gluten-Free Artisan Baker Multigrain Sourdough Bread isn't bad per se, it just isn't great. Still, there were some things about this grab that I really enjoyed. The crust wasn't overly dry (though it was still waxy), and the size of the slices wasn't as small as some of its competitors. There were tiny seeds throughout the bread, and there was little to no aftertaste. Still, the density of this bread is tight, and as a result, the bread wasn't as pillowy soft as some of the others ranked higher on the list. Thus, though Schär Gluten Free Artisan Baker Multigrain Sourdough Bread Loaf has a few good qualities, it isn't a gluten-free option you'll find in my cart.

Schär Gluten-Free Artisan Baker White Sourdough Bread is an option you'd usually find in my freezer (yes, gluten-free bread tends to do well when placed in a cooler, unlike other foods that don't freeze well), but after comparing it to other brands on the list, I'm no longer impressed.

At my local Walmart, Schär Gluten Free White Sourdough Bread is sold for $5.96 for a 14.1-ounce pack. Like the aforementioned wholegrain variety, Schär Gluten Free Artisan Baker White Sourdough Bread Loaf is made from "sourdough" consisting of rice and flour. It's non-GMO, dairy and egg-free, and vegan. Its main ingredients are rice and psyllium seed husk, along with a few other components, including millet flour, quinoa flour, and pea protein.

Overall, Schär Gluten Free Artisan Baker White Sourdough Bread Loaf tastes okay — while its flavor isn't totally offensive, it does have a slight stale aftertaste that's common for gluten-free bread options. The "white" portion of the bread is firm to the touch and is very dense, though not quite as dense as Udi's gluten-free white bread. Each piece is quite small, though the bread features a softer crust than most. Overall, I certainly wouldn't deem this brand as best out of the lineup, but if it's between this one and some of the others (I'm looking at you, Udi's white bread), I'd say go for it.

Simple Truth Gluten-Free White Bread is a strong contender in the world of wheat-less bread — sadly, there are enough negative qualities about the bread to keep me from ranking it as high as I want to. Simple Truth Gluten Free White Bread can be found at Kroger and participating Kroger-owned stores. Each loaf is huge at 20 ounces and is priced at only $5.79 per loaf, but that's not all — each slice is enormous.

In fact, this Kroger-branded gluten-free bread offers the biggest bread slices I've ever seen. Each piece is mind-blowingly soft, unlike any other texture I've encountered thus far. I'm assuming this difference is due to its unique ingredients; this is one of the few options that lists a "gluten-free flour blend" composed of potato starch, buckwheat flour, and more as its first ingredient.

With all of its positives, you may wonder why Simple Truth Gluten-Free White Bread tanks so low on my list of gluten-free bread options. This is probably going to sound strange, but Simple Truth Gluten Free White Bread doesn't mix well with saliva. After eating a slice, I got a pasty-like texture in my mouth that lingered, almost like slime. Gross, right?! I also didn't like its mundane flavor — though soft and pliable, the taste was a bit too bland for my taste buds. Thus, though so promising, Simple Truth Gluten-Free White Frozen Bread wasn't all I hoped it would be.

Like Simple Truth Gluten-Free White Bread, I found Simple Truth Gluten-Free Honey Oat Frozen Bread  at my local Pick 'n Save for $5.79 for a generous 20-ounce loaf. In general, I enjoyed the honey oat version of Simple Truth gluten-free bread more than I did the white bread, but that still doesn't mean it's my top pick. Overall, the texture and appearance of Simple Truth Gluten-Free Honey Oat Bread were impressive — the slices were big and fluffy and featured a honey brown hue with a crust decked out in oats. Its flavor was mostly pleasant; it had a touch of sweetness that was missing from the white bread variety, which made it more enjoyable. With that said, the flavor was still remarkably bland — I even used the bread as a base for a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and was sorely disappointed by the results.

I'd also like to note that, regardless of the fact that Simple Truth Gluten-Free Honey Oat Frozen Bread contained slightly different ingredients than the white bread version with the addition of honey and rolled oats, it still left that same paste-like consistency in my mouth. Thus, though I'm still impressed with Simple Truth Gluten-Free bread's size and texture, I'm struggling to give it my hearty stamp of approval.

Udi's Gluten-Free Whole Grain Sandwich Bread is a better option than the white bread version, and though it still isn't my favorite, it has its pluses. Udi's Gluten-Free Whole Grain Sandwich Bread is sold at Walmart for $4.92 for a 12-ounce loaf; like Udi's white bread, this loaf contains no soy, dairy, tree nut, or peanut ingredients. As a whole grain option, expect this Udi's offering to contain brown rice flour, sorghum flour, amaranth flour, teff flour, flaxseed meal (also used to make flax eggs), and more. The brand also contains maltodextrin and a blend of gums (including xanthan gum).

So, what was my opinion of Udi's Gluten-Free Whole Grain Sandwich Bread? Like the last few options, this gluten-free bread didn't blow me away. The slices were incredibly small (which I loathe), and the crust on the bread was hard. Even so, there were aspects about this gluten-free bread that I enjoyed. For starters, the texture was nothing like the white bread variety — rather than being dense and spongy, the whole grain version had lacy holes and pockets throughout, giving a look very similar to regular bread. Its flavor was pretty good, too — there was no noticeable aftertaste, and it didn't immediately dissolve in my mouth. Its texture was soft and fluffy in the middle, and the crunchy little bits throughout were surprisingly enjoyable. All in all, I appreciated this pick, even if it isn't my favorite of the bunch.

Sigh. There's a lot to love about Canyon Bakehouse Mountain White Gluten-Free Bread Loaf, but I still find it slightly lacking. At Walmart, the brand can be found for $5.97 for an 18-ounce loaf, and is made from brown rice flour, sorghum flour, and extra virgin olive oil. It has a shorter ingredient list than most and doesn't feature as many additives, save the xanthan gum, which makes up less than 2% of the loaf. In addition to being gluten-free, Canyon Bakehouse Mountain White Gluten Free Bread Loaf is dairy-free, nut-free, and soy-free. Also, despite being a "white" gluten-free bread, this brand still features 100% wholegrain ingredients.

One thing I love about Canyon Bakehouse Mountain White Gluten Free Bread Loaf is its density. Not only is it fairly soft and pliable, but it looks the part as well. The slices are decently sized and filled with lacy holes as a result of air bubbles that you would naturally see in a high-quality gluten-containing baked bread. Taste-wise, its flavor is very similar to the real thing, making it one of the better choices out there. My only complaint is that, unlike many of the others, this bread dissolved as soon as it hit my tongue, leaving only an unpleasant grainy mass behind. For this reason, I had to knock Canyon Bakehouse Mountain White Gluten Free Bread Loaf down a few pegs rather than featuring it higher up on the list.

Like the previously mentioned Canyon Bakehouse gluten-free grab, Canyon Bakehouse Ancient Grain Gluten-Free Bread isn't a terrible wheat-less option. I found it at my local Walmart for $6.47 for a 15-ounce loaf, which is slightly more expensive than the previous "Mountain White" option from the same brand. The bread contains brown rice flour, sorghum flour, oat flour, and a number of ancient grains you could even consider keeping on hand in your pantry. such as millet, quinoa, and amaranth. There are little to no additives included other than the addition of xanthan gum.

When compared to the white bread variety, Canyon Bakehouse Ancient Grain Gluten-Free Bread slices appear slightly smaller and have more of a bitter bite. It has a soft interior, and the crust wasn't overly hard. Like most in the Canyon Bakehouse gluten-free bread series, each slice featured a natural texture similar to wheat-containing bread. Despite its bitter edge, I found I liked this variety better than the Mountain White version — overall, the pieces seemed slightly softer and more pliable, which is important to me. I'd recommend Canyon Bakehouse Ancient Grain Gluten-Free Bread, especially if you're looking to get a variety of whole grains into your diet.

Canyon Bakehouse 7-Grain Sandwich Bread is a winner in the gluten-free bread category. Like the Mountain White variety, this 7-grain version is cheaper than the ancient grain variety at the time of publication, priced at $5.97 for an 18-ounce loaf at Walmart. Canyon Bakehouse 7-Grain Sandwich Bread includes brown rice flour, sorghum flour, teff, amaranth, and millet as a part of its ingredients.

Overall, I found Canyon Bakehouse 7-Grain Sandwich Bread pleasantly tasty. Like the ancient grain variety, it, too, had a bit of a bitter flavor to it, but nothing too different from what you'd experience from regular whole wheat bread. It's texture was nice and soft, and the pieces were a decent size. Each slice looked natural without being too spongy and dense, and the bread held up even after chewing without disintegrating in my mouth. Overall, I enjoyed Canyon Bakehouse 7-Grain Sandwich Bread and would recommend it as a great whole grain option.

You're probably wondering how a Walmart-branded gluten-free bread ended up as my No. 1 pick. Honestly, I was shocked, too. But Sam's Choice Gluten-Free White Bread earns its keep as the best gluten-free bread I've tried, for more reasons than one.

Before I dive into the details, let's start with its stats. Sam's Choice Gluten-Free White Bread is sold at Walmart for $6.74 per 10 ounces. Its ingredients include brown rice flour, whole grain sorghum flour, xanthan gum, and a few other ingredients. There's also the addition of monoglycerides, fully hydrogenated palm oil, and calcium propionate, all of which admittedly might ruffle your feathers if you're an ingredient purist.

Aside from its less-than-stellar ingredients, Sam's Choice Gluten-Free White Bread was the best out of the gluten-free bread offerings on the list in terms of taste and texture. The bread looked like something from a nearby bakery; it also had a moist crust and soft texture, didn't dissolve in my mouth when chewed, and did not feature the unpleasant aftertaste that the Sam's Choice multigrain variety did.

I liked Sam's Choice Gluten-Free White Bread so much that I decided to put it to the test by using it to make a grilled cheese sandwich (don't forget to salt your skillet before making your grilled cheese). It toasted up perfectly, and its flavor was great. I definitely recommend trying Sam's Choice Gluten-Free White Bread if you're looking for a good replacement for wheat-containing bread.

The ranking of gluten-free bread brands from worst to best was determined by observing their texture and flavor. Pricing, size, and ingredients, though mentioned, did not play a major role in determining each brand's ranking. Pricing and availability are subject to change.

I realize that most gluten-free bread options taste best when toasted, but for the most authentic evaluation of each bread brand's overall taste, texture, and quality, I chose to sample each slice untoasted. As a reminder, though I do experience unwanted symptoms when ingesting high amounts of gluten, I do not have a medical diagnosis related to Celiac Disease, nor do I follow an exclusively gluten-free diet as of the time of publication. As always, consult your doctor for medical advice.