Are Doritos Gluten-Free (and What Can I Eat Instead)?

This post goes through all of your favorite Doritos flavors and answers the question "Are Doritos gluten-free?" to detail whether or not Doritos are safe on a gluten-free diet (spoiler: it depends on the flavor!).

Also, at the end of this article, you'll find some other safe (and great tasting!) gluten-free options that are free from gluten.

You can use the table of contents here to jump to any part in the post!

The gluten-free guide below is based on personal experience and research.  Always be sure to discuss any medical changes with your doctor for your personal medical needs. Additionally, this post contains affiliate links.  As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. My full disclosure isn’t that interesting, but you can find it here. 

Are Doritos Gluten-Free?

“Are Doritos gluten-free?” is a tricky question to answer.  

In short: one flavor is a definite YES (Organic White Cheddar), some flavors of Doritos are a MOST LIKELY, and some are a definite NO! 

Do Doritos Contain Gluten?

Doritos are manufactured by Frito-Lay and have approximately 20 flavors (including some special edition flavors). The Frito-Lay website sorts their chip products into two gluten-free categories: 

1. U.S. Gluten-Free Products. 
   These are chip products that have been validated through Frito-Lay analytical testing that the specific products fit the terms for being labeled “gluten-free” according to FDA guidelines.  In other words, they’ve been tested to contain less than 20 ppm of gluten.  Therefore, these products should be considered as being a safe level for individuals with Celiac Disease or other gluten sensitivity.
   
2. U.S. Products Not Containing Gluten Ingredients. 
   These chip products are formulated without gluten-containing grains (wheat, barley, or rye).  However, Frito-Lay has not tested these products to be under 20 ppm of gluten.  Furthermore, these products may (a) be produced on the same equipment that sometimes processes gluten, or (b) the ingredients may have been contaminated with gluten prior to manufacturing. 
   
   Therefore, while these items may meet the standard by some individuals with gluten intolerances, they do not meet the standards to be labeled as gluten-free. 
   
   Personally, I do not view these products as safe for individuals with Celiac Disease, allergies, or other levels of gluten intolerance.

Again, while this post is frequently updated, manufacturer processes change frequently.  Therefore, be sure to double check every bag’s ingredient labels for allergy warnings for wheat, barley, or rye as well as any gluten-free labeling on the package.  If in doubt, remember: do not risk being glutened!  Be sure to contact Frito-Lay’s Consumer Relations toll-free at 1-800-352-4477 for the most up to date information. 

Keep reading for the full current list of Doritos flavors and their gluten-free status as of 12/09/21. 

Doritos Products Labeled and Tested to be Gluten-Free.

According to Frito-Lay’s website, the only Doritos flavor that meets gluten-free labeling requirements is:

• DORITOS® Simply Organic White Cheddar Flavored Tortilla Chips

That said, this one flavor of gluten-free Doritos can be difficult to find. I haven't seen them locally, but they are available on Amazon.com (however, since they are not sold directly by Dorito's, be sure that they still have the gluten-free claim on the bag and that the bag is actually the Organic White Cheddar (not the spicy white cheddar).

Doritos Products Not Containing Gluten Ingredients but Not Verified to Be Gluten-Free

According to Frito-Lay’s website, the following Doritos products/flavors are not manufactured with gluten-containing ingredients but may become contaminated during manufacturing and processing.

In other words, this means that the amounts of gluten in these products has not been verified to be below the acceptable limit for gluten-free labeling as defined by the FDA.

• DORITOS® 3D Crunch Chili Cheese Nacho Flavored Corn Snacks
• DORITOS® 3D Crunch Spicy Ranch Flavored Corn Snacks
• DORITOS® Cool Ranch® Flavored Tortilla Chips
• DORITOS® Dinamita® Chile Limón Flavored Rolled Tortilla Chips
• DORITOS® Flamas™ Flavored Tortilla Chips
• DORITOS® Flamin' Hot® Limon Flavored Tortilla Chips
• DORITOS® Flamin' Hot® Nacho Flavored Tortilla Chips
• DORITOS® Flavor Shots Fiery Habanero Triangles

• DORITOS® Nacho Cheese Flavored Tortilla Chips
• DORITOS® Poppin' Jalapeño Flavored Tortilla Chips
• DORITOS® Salsa Verde Flavored Tortilla Chips
• DORITOS® Simply Organic Spicy White Cheddar Flavored Tortilla Chips
• DORITOS® Spicy Nacho Flavored Tortilla Chips
• DORITOS® Taco Flavored Tortilla Chips
• DORITOS® Tangy Pickle Flavored Tortilla Chips
• DORITOS® Tapatio® Flavored Tortilla Chips
• DORITOS® Twisted Lime Flavored Tortilla Chips

Again, I'd never advocate that these are safe for someone with Celiac Disease or a wheat allergy, but depending on your level of gluten sensitivity and your reason for following a gluten-free diet, these flavors may meet your needs.

Doritos Products Containing Gluten Ingredients

The following products are listed as containing wheat products in the ingredients on Doritos’ website:

• DORITOS® Flavor Shots (all flavors)
• DORITOS® Spicy Sweet Chili

These two specific flavors actually list gluten-containing products on their ingredient lists, so these are definitely not safe on a gluten-free diet.

For more info on whether Doritos are safe on a gluten-free diet, let’s zero in on the two most popular flavors:  Nacho Cheese Doritos and Cool Ranch Doritos.

Are Nacho Cheese Doritos Gluten-Free?

In the United States, Doritos Nacho Cheese Flavored Tortilla Chips are manufactured without gluten but have not been tested to be gluten-free.  The same is true for Doritos Spicy Nacho Cheese Flavored Tortilla Chips. 

You can see the Nacho Cheese Doritos ingredients list at Frito Lay here.

If you’re looking for a safe gluten-free nacho cheese flavored tortilla chip option, definitely scroll down to the options at the end of this post!  There are some great certified gluten-free chip options.

Are Cool Ranch Doritos Gluten-Free?

In the United States, Doritos Cool Ranch Flavored Tortilla Chips are manufactured without gluten but have not been tested to be gluten-free.

See the Cool Ranch Doritos ingredients list for yourself here.

If you’re looking for a safe gluten-free cool ranch flavored tortilla chip option, be sure to scroll down to the options at the end of this post!  There are some great certified gluten-free ranch flavored chip options.

Can people with Celiac Disease eat Doritos?

The bottom line: there is ONE flavor (DORITOS® Simply Organic White Cheddar Flavored Tortilla Chips) that is tested and verified to be gluten-free.

There are many flavors that are gluten-free based on the ingredient list alone, but have not been verified by Frito-Lay to be gluten-free. This means that they may have cross-contamination during the manufacturing process.

There are many other flavors that actually contain gluten ingredients on the ingredients list. Scroll up to see the full lists.

Best Gluten-Free Alternatives to Doritos (and where to buy them!)

The following brands of gluten-free tortilla chips are certified gluten-free (meaning they have been independently batch tested and verified to have under 20 ppm of gluten) and are great tasting alternatives to Doritos.

Many of these brands also are dairy-free or vegan!

Paqui

Paqui chips are probably the closest alternative to Doritos (in my opinion) and come in flavors such as Nacho Cheese, Fiery Chile Limon, Zesty Salsa Verde, and Haunted Ghost Pepper. 

Shop Paqui chips on Amazon here. (plus, these are eligible for subscribe & save, so stock up!)

Late July

Late July corn chips are another great alternative to Doritos.  While they have many varieties of basic tortilla chips, they also have flavors like Nacho Chipotle and Mild Green Mojo (this flavor is one of my all-time favorite chips!)
note: the brand Late July does sell some products that contain wheat, be sure your individual item is certified gluten-free before ordering.

Late July products are sold on both Amazon and Thrive Market.  Click through to cost compare these delicious crunchy chips:

Purchase Late July chips on Amazon here.

Purchase Late July chips at Thrive Market here.

Learn more about how Thrive Market can save you money on gluten-free groceries (+ save up to $20 on your first order) by reading my full review here!

Siete

Siete tortilla chips are not only certified gluten-free by grain-free, dairy-free, and vegan as well.  These chips taste excellent but are thinner than Doritos.  They come in flavors such as Nacho, Ranch, and Lime. 

Siete products are sold on both Amazon and Thrive Market.  Click through to cost compare:

Purchase Siete tortilla chips on Amazon here.

Purchase Siete chips at Thrive Market here. 

Beanitos

Beanitos are a bean-based tortilla chip that comes in a wide range of flavors.  Flavors include the typical Nacho, Ranch, and Lime, but also some unique flavors such as Sweet Chili and Sour Cream and Red Hot Cajun.

While Beanitos are likely to be found in a local grocery store, their products are also sold on Amazon for a better price (and Amazon sells them in individual packs as well for easy portion control).

Shop Beanitos on Amazon here.

Beanfields

Beanfields chips are another bean-based tortilla chip coming in a wide range of flavors.  All flavors of Beanfields are not only certified gluten-free but are vegan as well.  Notable flavors include Nacho Cheese, Jalapeno Nacho, Salt & Vinegar, and Pico De Gallo.

Beanfields chips may be at your local grocery store, but you can usually get a better deal on either Amazon (these are eligible for Subscribe & Save and often have coupons) or Thrive Market.

Shop Beanfields chips at Amazon here.

Shop Beanfields chips at Thrive Market here.

Want to try some of these gluten-free chips?

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