Ultimate Cracker Barrel Gluten-Free Menu Guide For 2025
Grilled entrées, sides, pancakes, breakfast specials, sandwiches, meat, & more. Let’s see what else is celiac-friendly in our Cracker Barrel gluten-free guide.
With a homestyle menu filled with hearty meals, be it their buttermilk biscuits, old-fashioned pancakes, or country-fried chicken, it’s no wonder that Cracker Barrel is so well-loved! 🍗🥞
However, like many other country-style comfort restaurants that offer you a slice of good-old Southern cooking, it can be daunting for celiacs or those with non-celiac gluten sensitivities.
Just the thought of shared fryers, griddles, and prep stations alone already sounds like a nightmare when it comes to cross-contamination, and there’s even more bad news. 🍔🍟🧀
Sorry!
Most of Cracker Barrel’s fan favorites contain traces of wheat, barley, rye, and gluten, with a good amount of cross-contact in between. But hey, you’re not completely out of options… 🥗
Cracker Barrel offers gluten-free dishes, including their grilled meats, fresh fruits, and salads. However, it’s best to avoid their famed biscuits, pancakes, and other breaded items.
So, to make sure my fellow celiacs all survive a trip down to Cracker Barrel, our handy Cracker Barrel gluten-free guide aims to share with you what’s safe, and what to best avoid. 🚫🌾
Table of Contents
Disclaimer
That said, it’s worth bearing in mind that Cracker Barrel does not operate a dedicated gluten-free kitchen, and its facilities also handle wheat-based items, all on shared equipment. ✍📝
Moreover, their menu items aren’t tested to meet the FDA’s strict <20 ppm threshold for food to be considered ‘certified gluten-free’, so strict celiacs like us should be extra careful.
In other words, this means that even if a specific menu item doesn’t technically contain gluten in the recipe or ingredients, there’s a risk that it might still pick up trace gluten in the kitchen.
Whether it’s shared utensils or a common prep surface, all that cross-contact means that you should treat these ‘gluten-free’ items more like ‘gluten-friendly’ or ‘gluten-sensitive’, instead.
Speaking of, be prepared for significant cross-contamination at most Cracker Barrel locations, including shared fryers, griddles, and topping stations, possibly exposing otherwise safe items.
To minimize cross-contamination, always speak with your server or the kitchen staff, let them know that you’re a celiac, and ask for fresh gloves, clean utensils, and wiped surfaces. 🚫🌾
Cracker Barrel Allergen Policy (Gluten-Free)
On the bright side, Cracker Barrel makes it relatively easy for you to figure out what is safe to order, as a celiac, or if you have gluten intolerance or non-celiac gluten sensitivity. 🌐
First up, head over to their website, and scroll all the way down, then try to find the ‘Nutrition & Allergens’ tab. Clicking this opens up the handy, official Cracker Barrel Nutrition webpage.
Here, you’ll find a few pretty useful links:
- Nutrition & Allergen Guide
- Allergen Guide – Spanish
- Catering Nutrition Guide
- Catering Allergen Guide
The one that we’re looking for is that first link up there, though the last two links may come in handy if you’re catering from them instead of making a regular order, and it’s mostly similar.
Click on the Nutrition & Allergen Guide link, and it’ll now open up a pretty cool widget that lets you browse through the Cracker Barrel menu and check out the nutritional info for each item.
Besides useful info that might help you plan your diet, such as calories, fat, cholesterol, sugar, protein, carbs, and more, you could also set a calorie range to limit your daily intake, as well.
Additionally, as a celiac, the nice thing about this widget is being able to click on the Allergens tab on the top-right menu bar and click on ‘Wheat’ to filter out every item that has it. 🌾
This is a pretty quick and easy way to see what you can’t order if you have gluten intolerance or sensitivities, and you could even include other allergens here that you might be allergic to.
On top of that, besides filtering out specific allergens, Cracker Barrel’s nutrition and allergens widget lets you filter items that meet specific diets (i.e., Vegetarian, Pescetarian, or Vegan).
Cracker Barrel Classics
There’s no better place to start off our Cracker Barrel gluten-free menu guide than the Cracker Barrel Classics menu, showcasing some of their hearty breakfast skillets and sandwiches. 🥪
While some of them are gluten-friendly by recipe (just be careful with cross-contamination), a few others contain wheat and should be avoided, even if they might be customizable. 🥩🍳
❌ New York Strip Steak & Eggs
❌ Biscuit Benny
❌ Steak & Egg Hashbrown Casserole
❌ Bacon & Egg Hashbrown Casserole
⚠️ Old Timer’s Breakfast
⚠️ The Country Boy Breakfast
⚠️ Grandpa’s Country Fried Breakfast
With that said, let’s check out what these classic fan favorites are made of and see how they stack up in our Cracker Barrel gluten-free menu guide:
New York Strip Steak & Eggs: Grilled strip steak with eggs your way, and this entrée is served with biscuit or toast that contains wheat. Plus, the steak is rested on the same prep surfaces that cook breaded items, making this unsafe for celiacs.
Biscuit Benny: Poached eggs and thick‑cut bacon atop split buttermilk biscuits, smothered in hollandaise. This dish contains wheat in both the biscuits and the sauce prep, making this unsuitable for gluten‑free diets, too.
Steak & Egg Hashbrown Casserole: Tender steak and scrambled eggs are baked into their cheesy hashbrowns, while the casserole itself lists wheat among its ingredients. Since this menu item can’t be modified safely, it’s safe to just skip this one.
Bacon & Egg Hashbrown Casserole: Diced bacon and eggs are folded into cheesy hashbrowns, which also contain wheat flour in the casserole base, and it also shares baking equipment, making this off-limits if you have a gluten intolerance.
Old Timer’s Breakfast: Choice of ham, hamburger steak, or country ham with eggs, some fried apples, and hashbrown casserole. None of these core proteins or sides lists wheat by recipe. To make it gluten‑friendly, simply omit the biscuit or toast, and ask for a clean prep.
The Country Boy Breakfast: A hearty platter of eggs with two meat options, fried apples, and hashbrown casserole. All these ingredients are wheat‑free by recipe, but you’ll want to forgo the biscuits or toast to at least make it gluten-friendly, and ensure fresh utensils.
Grandpa’s Country Fried Breakfast: Country‑fried steak, eggs, fried apples, and hashbrown casserole. Once again, it’s free of wheat and gluten by recipe and ingredients, and like the other items here, be careful when you’re customizing your order and adding sides.
As I mentioned there, these dishes are hugely customizable, with tons of different options and sides, so be careful when you’re ordering to not add gluten items, like biscuits or toast. 🥓🥔
Pancakes & Such
Another staple of the Cracker Barrel menu guide is their pancakes, but for all my fellow celiacs out there, I have some sad news… All of these contain wheat and gluten. 🥞🍯
They’re a breakfast lover’s dream, but unfortunately, all of Cracker Barrel’s pancakes and the French Toast dishes here contain wheat flour, so it’s a no-go if you have a gluten intolerance.
❌ Blueberry Pancake Plate
❌ Chocolate Chip Pancake Plate
❌ Pecan Pancake Plate
❌ Fresh Strawberry Pancake Plate
❌ Cinnamon Apple Pancake Plate
❌ Country Peach Pancake Plate
❌ Fresh Berry French Toast Bake
❌ Strawberry Stuffed Cheesecake Pancake Breakfast
❌ Homestyle Chicken & French Toast
❌ Grandma’s Sampler Pancake Breakfast
❌ Grandma’s Sampler French Toast Breakfast
❌ Momma’s Pancake Breakfast
❌ Momma’s French Toast Breakfast
Just to be extra sure, let’s check out what these pancakes and French Toast dishes are made of and filter out what’s worth avoiding in our Cracker Barrel gluten-free menu:
Blueberry Pancake Plate: Fluffy wheat-based pancakes studded with blueberries and served with deliciously sweet syrup, but it sadly contains wheat and gluten in every flapjack.
Chocolate Chip Pancake Plate: Classic pancakes loaded with chocolate chips, but they’re made on the same wheat batter as the other pancakes here, making it unsafe for celiacs.
Pecan Pancake Plate: Pancakes mixed with pecans, but it’s still a wheat pancake, so avoid this if you’re a celiac like me, or if you have a pretty severe non-celiac gluten sensitivity.
Fresh Strawberry Pancake Plate: Wheat pancakes topped with strawberries, but there are no gluten‑free alternatives or substitutes, making this another unsafe pick for celiacs.
Cinnamon Apple Pancake Plate: Pancakes with cinnamon‑apple compote, but once again, the batter contains wheat flour, with no gluten-free substitutes or alternatives available.
Country Peach Pancake Plate: Wheat pancakes topped with peaches, but even despite how customizable most Cracker Barrel dishes are, this one contains no safe modification.
Fresh Berry French Toast Bake: Bread‑and‑custard bake made from sliced wheat bread, but they’re unsafe for celiacs, as Cracker Barrel doesn’t offer any gluten-free bread options.
Strawberry Stuffed Cheesecake Pancake Breakfast: Pancakes filled with cheesecake and strawberries, but since it’s that same wheat batter as earlier, plus rich filling, skip this.
Homestyle Chicken & French Toast: Breaded chicken with French toast slices, but both of these key elements rely on wheat breading, making this a hazardous combination for any celiac.
Grandma’s Sampler Pancake Breakfast: Trio of pancake varieties with eggs and bacon, but each pancake is wheat‑based, just like all the other pancakes here, with no alternatives.
Grandma’s Sampler French Toast Breakfast: Assorted French toast slices with eggs and some sausage, made from wheat bread, so avoid this if you’re highly sensitive to gluten.
Momma’s Pancake Breakfast: Plain wheat pancakes with eggs and grits, but sadly, there’s no gluten‑free pancake variation available as of writing this, so avoid this one, too.
Momma’s French Toast Breakfast: Classic French toast made from sliced wheat bread, but as with the other French toast items here, this one contains wheat throughout.
In short, every single pancake and French toast at Cracker Barrel is made with wheat flour, so avoid this at all costs, particularly since they can’t be modified to be made celiac-friendly. 🥪
Chicken & Turkey
To satisfy your poultry cravings, our Cracker Barrel menu has a big selection of chicken and turkey dishes, from their crispy sandwiches to tasty homestyle platters. 🍗🐔
Unfortunately, most of these rely on wheat-based batters, buns, or breaded dumplings, which leaves only a few of them relatively safe for celiacs, barring any cross-contamination. 🦃🔥
❌ Campfire Chicken
❌ Crispy Tender Dippers
❌ Signature Saucy Chicken Sandwich
❌ New York Strip Steak & Chicken Combo
⚠️ Classics Sampler
⚠️ Smoky Southern Grilled Chicken
❌ Homestyle Chicken & French Toast
❌ Southern Fried Chicken
❌ Weekday Lunch Chicken & Dumplins
❌ Chicken & Dumplins
⚠️ Grilled Chicken Tenders
⚠️ Maple Bacon Grilled Chicken
❌ Wednesday Lunch Broccoli Cheddar Chicken
❌ Wednesday Broccoli Cheddar Chicken
❌ Thursday Lunch Turkey & Dressing
❌ Thursday Turkey & Dressing
❌ Chicken Fried Chicken
❌ Homestyle Chicken
Let’s take a closer look at each of these chicken and turkey dishes to see why most of them did not make it into my Cracker Barrel gluten-free shortlist:
Campfire Chicken: Marinated chicken breast finished on the grill, then glazed with BBQ, but it’s then served with a slice of Texas toast that contains wheat, so skip this one if you’re a celiac.
Crispy Tender Dippers: Hand‑breaded chicken strips served with dipping sauce, but they’re breaded in wheat flour, making them unsafe if you have a gluten intolerance, with no modifications.
Signature Saucy Chicken Sandwich: Crispy chicken filet tossed in signature sauce on a wheat bun, but this dish contains wheat in both the breading and the bun, making this a hazard.
New York Strip Steak & Chicken Combo: Steak paired with breaded chicken strips and biscuits, though the included breaded chicken and those biscuits contain wheat in abundance.
Classics Sampler: Trio of grilled chicken, sugar‑cured ham, and country ham served with two sides, and best of all, none of the proteins or sides contain wheat ingredients by recipe.
Smoky Southern Grilled Chicken: Boneless chicken breast marinated and char‑grilled, which is also wheat‑free by recipe, though be sure to confirm that no glaze or sauce contains wheat.
Homestyle Chicken & French Toast: Country‑fried chicken atop thick French‑toast slices, where both of these key elements use wheat breading or wheat-based batter, with no substitute.
Southern Fried Chicken: Chicken pieces are breaded in seasoned flour and fried, making this unsafe for gluten‑free diets, whether you’re a celiac or you have severe gluten sensitivities.
Weekday Lunch Chicken & Dumplins: Chicken with drop‑dumplings in gravy, but the dumplings are made with wheat flour, and there’s no easy way to modify this dish to exclude them.
Chicken & Dumplins: Full‑size version of chicken and dumplings, and once again, the dumplings contain wheat, so avoid this one, too, if you’re keeping to a strict gluten-free diet.
Grilled Chicken Tenders: Tenderloin strips seasoned and grilled without breading, and unlike fried chicken tenders, this one’s gluten‑free by recipe, but watch for any grill cross‑contact.
Maple Bacon Grilled Chicken: Grilled chicken breast topped with applewood bacon and maple glaze, and it’s also wheat‑free by ingredients, though confirm that the glaze is gluten‑free.
Wednesday Lunch Broccoli Cheddar Chicken: Chicken breast topped with broccoli‑cheddar sauce on a bed of rice, but since the sauce contains wheat flour, skip this if you’re a celiac.
Wednesday Broccoli Cheddar Chicken: Full entrée version, and like the one above it, the same wheat‑thickened sauce makes it unsafe if you have a severe gluten intolerance.
Thursday Lunch Turkey & Dressing: Roast turkey with traditional dressing, but that dressing contains wheat breadcrumbs, thus making this dish hazardous if you’re a celiac.
Thursday Turkey & Dressing: Full‑size turkey & dressing entrée, and as with the earlier item, that aforementioned dressing contains wheat, so remember to skip this one, too.
Chicken Fried Chicken: Chicken breast is breaded and fried in wheat flour, and like most of the other chicken and turkey dishes here, this one is just as unsafe for celiacs as well.
Homestyle Chicken: Breaded chicken breast with cream gravy, but both the breading and the gravy contain wheat, making this another no-go for celiacs and folks who are sensitive.
Bear in mind that even those items here that don’t technically contain gluten ingredients are still vulnerable to cross-contamination while they’re being prepped, so be extra careful. 🥩
Beef & Pork
Alternatively, if chicken and turkey aren’t your thing, there’s no shortage of beef or pork items in the Cracker Barrel menu, though most of them aren’t celiac-friendly. 🐄🥩🐖
These entrees range from homestyle pot roasts to stacked burgers and ribs, but most of them are made with or include wheat-based gravies, casseroles, buns, and other unsafe sides.
❌ Campfire Beef
❌ BBQ Bacon Smokestack
❌ Hashbrown Casserole Shepherd’s Pie
❌ Pot Roast
❌ New York Strip Steak & Chicken Combo
❌ New York Strip Steak & Shrimp Combo
❌ New York Strip Steak
⚠️ Classics Sampler
❌ Country Fried Steak
❌ Meatloaf
❌ Weekday Lunch Meatloaf
❌ Barrel Cheeseburger
❌ Barrel Bacon Cheeseburger
⚠️ Saturday St. Louis-Style BBQ Ribs
Let’s take a closer peek at each of these beef and pork dishes to see what they are made of, in addition to why they’re a bad fit for our Cracker Barrel gluten-free shortlist:
Campfire Beef: Slow‑cooked beef brisket glazed with savory barbecue sauce, which is served with baked beans and coleslaw, though the sauce contains wheat-based thickeners.
BBQ Bacon Smokestack: Stack of smoked pork shoulder, crispy bacon, and cheese on a biscuit, though the biscuit and barbecue sauce both contain wheat flour, making this unsafe.
Hashbrown Casserole Shepherd’s Pie: Seasoned beef and vegetables topped with cheesy hashbrown crust, but the recipe includes wheat flour in the filling and shared baking tins.
Pot Roast: Braised beef with gravy, served with carrots and mashed potatoes, but like the others here, that gravy is thickened with wheat flour, making this unsafe for celiacs.
New York Strip Steak & Chicken Combo: Grilled strip steak paired with fried chicken strips and Texas toast, though unfortunately for celiacs, the chicken breading and toast contain wheat.
New York Strip Steak & Shrimp Combo: Strip steak served alongside breaded shrimp and roll, but since the shrimp breading and roll contain wheat, you should avoid it if you’re intolerant.
New York Strip Steak: Grilled strip steak with a choice of two sides, and while the steak itself is gluten‑free, some of the typical sides (rolls and gravy) contain wheat, and cross‑contact risk here is quite high, so it’s best to avoid this if you’re highly sensitive to gluten.
Classics Sampler: Trio of grilled chicken, sugar‑cured ham, and country ham served with two sides, and none of the proteins or the sides list wheat ingredients by recipe, thus making this naturally gluten‑friendly, but make sure to be wary of any cross-contamination.
Country Fried Steak: Dredged in seasoned flour and pan‑fried, and then topped with cream gravy, both the coating and the gravy contain wheat, making this hazardous for celiacs.
Meatloaf: Beef and pork meatloaf with tomato glaze, and then served with sides, though that meatloaf binder and the glaze include wheat‑based fillers, with no GF substitutes.
Weekday Lunch Meatloaf: Half‑size portion of the meatloaf with a side, though just like its larger counterpart, the same wheat ingredients are used as the full entrée, making it unsafe.
Barrel Cheeseburger: Beef patty with cheese on a wheat bun, but the bun contains wheat flour, and as of writing, there are no gluten‑free substitutes, so avoid this if you’re a celiac.
Barrel Bacon Cheeseburger: Cheeseburger topped with bacon on a wheat bun, but like most of the buns and pastries at Cracker Barrel, the bun contains wheat flour, with no GF substitutes.
Saturday St. Louis-Style BBQ Ribs: Slow‑smoked pork ribs glazed with barbecue sauce, served with coleslaw. The ribs and the coleslaw are gluten‑free by recipe, but it won’t hurt to double-check the sauce to make extra sure that it’s safe.
Alas, if beef and pork are more to your taste, only two of these are remotely celiac-friendly, and even then, remember to be super careful when it comes to any cross-contamination. 🍔🧀🥓
Seafood
On the flip side, if you’re after something saltier, fishier, and with a hint of the sea, the Cracker Barrel menu has a decent variety of seafood, but most aren’t celiac-safe. 🍤🐟🎣
Ranging from crispy fried catfish to seasoned shrimp skillets, most of these seafood dishes are either breaded or they’re fried alongside wheat-based items, making most of them a no-go!
❌ Campfire Shrimp Skillet
❌ Louisiana-Style Shrimp Skillet
❌ New York Strip Steak & Shrimp Combo
❌ Friday Fish Fry
❌ U.S. Farm-Raised Fried Catfish (2 Pieces)
❌ U.S. Farm-Raised Grilled Catfish (2 Pieces)
❌ Country Fried Shrimp
⚠️ Lemon Pepper Grilled Rainbow Trout
Let’s figure out what these seafood meals are made of, and why only one of them made it into our Cracker Barrel gluten-free menu:
Campfire Shrimp Skillet: Shrimp sautéed with onions, peppers, and barbecue butter, served over rice, but their shrimp seasoning and the butter are prepared with other breaded items, adding even more wheat and gluten cross-contact into the mix.
Louisiana-Style Shrimp Skillet: Blackened shrimp with creole spices atop rice pilaf, but Cracker Barrel’s seasoning blend and the rice share prep areas with wheat and gluten ingredients.
New York Strip Steak & Shrimp Combo: Grilled strip steak paired with fried shrimp and Texas toast, though the fried shrimp breading and the toast contain wheat flour, making it unsafe.
Friday Fish Fry: Beer-battered whitefish fillets served with fries and hushpuppies, and again, that batter and the hushpuppies both contain wheat flour, making it unsuitable for celiacs.
U.S. Farm-Raised Fried Catfish (2 Pieces): Catfish filets breaded in cornmeal and wheat flour, fried in the same oil as breaded chicken, making this unsafe for strict gluten-free diets given how much cross-contamination there is.
U.S. Farm-Raised Grilled Catfish (2 Pieces): Seasoned grilled catfish filets served with select sides, and while grilling eliminates the breading, cross-contamination risks still exist when accounting for shared grills, even though, by recipe, it contains no wheat.
Country Fried Shrimp: Hand-breaded shrimp fried to a golden crisp, but like the other seafood dishes here, that breading contains wheat flour, making this another unsafe pick for celiacs.
Lemon Pepper Grilled Rainbow Trout: Fresh rainbow trout seasoned with lemon pepper and char-grilled, and no wheat ingredients are used, making it the only naturally gluten-friendly seafood entrée here, though you should still be cautious with cross-contamination.
Given that every seafood offering here (except for one) contains wheat in the breading, sides, or batters, not to mention the seasonings, it’s probably worth skipping the seafood menu!
Sandwiches & Burgers
For a taste of Southern comfort food on a soft bun, the Cracker Barrel menu has a decent selection of sandwiches and burgers, but sadly, they’re not celiac-safe. 🍔🥪
Every sandwich and burger here is topped with wheat buns, with no gluten-free substitutes or alternatives, and some of the patties are made with wheat-based breading, as well. 🍗🥓🧀
❌ BBQ Bacon Smokestack
❌ Signature Saucy Chicken Sandwich
❌ Barrel Cheeseburger
❌ Barrel Bacon Cheeseburger
Suffice it to say, their burgers and sandwiches are a no-go if you have a gluten intolerance, but let’s take a closer peek at why they’re not on my Cracker Barrel gluten-free recommended list:
BBQ Bacon Smokestack: Smoked pork shoulder piled on a buttermilk biscuit with cheddar and bacon, but both the biscuit and any BBQ sauce thickener have wheat (and naturally, gluten).
Signature Saucy Chicken Sandwich: Hand-breaded chicken that’s tossed with signature sauce on a toasted wheat bun, though the breaded chicken and the bun itself contain wheat flour.
Barrel Cheeseburger: Beef patty with melted cheese served on a wheat bun, but once again, the bun contains wheat flour, with no gluten-free modifications or substitutes available.
Barrel Bacon Cheeseburger: Cheeseburger topped with applewood bacon on a wheat bun, but once again, that burger bun contains wheat flour, with no gluten-free alternative as of yet.
Long story short, if you’re a celiac or if you have a severe non-celiac gluten sensitivity, you’re a lot safer off ordering something else, especially with a lack of GF burger and sandwich options.
Salads
While salads are normally a safe choice for celiacs, our gluten-free menu guide says otherwise, and only one of these salads is free of wheat and gluten ingredients. 🥗
❌ House Salad
✅ Weekday Lunch Pick 2 Country Combos
❌ Homestyle Fried Chicken Salad
❌ Homestyle Grilled Chicken Salad
Let’s take a closer look at these salads and see why they didn’t make it into the Cracker Barrel gluten-free menu:
House Salad: Mixed greens with tomatoes, cucumbers, and croutons, though the croutons are wheat-based, making this unsafe unless omitted and you’re wary of dressing cross-contact.
Weekday Lunch Pick 2 Country Combos: A choice of two sides or entrées served over greens, and while none of the included country combos list wheat by recipe, make sure you confirm that no croutons or wheat-containing dressings are added to your order.
Homestyle Fried Chicken Salad: Crispy chicken strips atop greens with cheese and tomatoes, but as with the other fried chicken dishes from earlier, the breaded chicken contains wheat flour, making this another unsafe choice for celiacs or folks with gluten intolerance.
Homestyle Grilled Chicken Salad: Grilled chicken over mixed greens, and though the chicken is gluten-free by recipe, the salad prep surfaces and dressings may contain wheat, posing a very significant risk of cross-contamination.
Even if you’re ordering the one safe option here, make sure you’re extra careful with croutons, dressings, and other toppings that might inadvertently introduce gluten into your bowl. 🍅🥒
Soups & Vegetables
Speaking of, the Cracker Barrel gluten-free menu offers up a variety of warm bowls and veggie plates, as a twist to your typical salads, and at least you get more celiac-safe options here. 🥗
❌ Chicken & Dumplin Soup Cup
❌ Chicken & Dumplin Soup Bowl
✅ Bowl of Turnip Greens
✅ Country Vegetable Plate
Just to be extra safe, let’s take a closer peek at how these soups and veggie bowls stack up in our Cracker Barrel gluten-free list:
Chicken & Dumplin Soup Cup: Classic chicken and dumplings, but as we mentioned earlier, way up top, Cracker Barrel’s dumplings are made with wheat flour, making the entire soup unsafe.
Chicken & Dumplin Soup Bowl: A larger portion of the same bowl as the above, which contains those wheat-based dumplings, so skip this if you’re a celiac or if you have a gluten intolerance.
Bowl of Turnip Greens: Slow-cooked turnips seasoned with onions and ham, and best of all, no wheat ingredients are used, making it a safe pick if you’re keeping to a strict gluten-free diet.
Country Vegetable Plate: Four fresh-steamed seasonal vegetables, which are prepared without wheat, making it naturally gluten-friendly, but remember to be wary of cross-contamination.
While two of these veggie bowls don’t contain wheat and other gluten ingredients, make sure you’re careful for cross-contamination from the shared prep area and kitchen space. 🧅🍖🍆
Shareables
While the Cracker Barrel menu has loads of delicious shareables and large platters that are perfect for grazing and sharing, every single one here is filled with gluten. 🧅🥒🧀
Whether it’s wheat in the batter, dough, or the breading, Cracker Barrel’s shareables are quite unsafe for strict celiacs and those with severe gluten intolerance, so be sure to skip this. 🥔🍠
❌ Cinnamon Roll Skillet
❌ Onion Petals
❌ Country Fried Pickles
❌ White Cheddar Cheese Bites
❌ Loaded Hashbrown Casserole Tots
❌ Biscuit Beignets
Just so we know what to avoid in the future, let’s take a look at what makes these shareable quite a bad fit for our Cracker Barrel gluten-free menu:
Cinnamon Roll Skillet: Warm cinnamon-sugar dough baked in a skillet and drizzled with icing, though it contains wheat flour in the dough and the icing prep, so avoid this if you’re a celiac.
Onion Petals: Thick-cut onions dipped in seasoned wheat flour batter and fried, though that breading contains wheat, and there’s a pretty substantial fryer cross-contact risk, too.
Country Fried Pickles: Dill pickle chips breaded in wheat flour and deep-fried, and while this is safe for the pickles themselves, the breading on top of them makes them unsuitable.
White Cheddar Cheese Bites: Cubes of cheddar cheese that are coated in wheat-based batter and then fried, and since the batter contains wheat flour, avoid it if you’re gluten intolerant.
Loaded Hashbrown Casserole Tots: Tater tot-style bites of cheesy hashbrown casserole mixed with wheat-based gravy, which unfortunately contains wheat in the binding and the gravy.
Biscuit Beignets: Small bites of biscuit dough rolled in powdered sugar, but it’s made entirely from wheat-based biscuit dough, making this downright dangerous for celiacs like me.
With so much wheat flour dough, batter, and breading here, Cracker Barrel’s shareables are definitely worth avoiding if you’re a celiac, with no safe modifications possible, either. 🍪🧀
Sides
Thus far, it’s not a great sign for celiacs if you want to order anything from the Cracker Barrel menu, but there might at last be some good news with their sides menu! 🥓🧀
Cracker Barrel’s gigantic sides menu ranges from hearty casseroles to fresh veggies and baked goods, and while most of them are unsafe for celiacs, you do have options. 🥔🍲🍠
Granted, most of these sides come with wheat-based batters, gravies, and breaded elements, but you’ll still find plenty of gluten-friendly choices for folks out there with gluten intolerance. 🥣
❌ Chicken & Dumplin Soup Cup
❌ Onion Petals
❌ Bacon Mac & Cheese
✅ Fresh Fruit
❌ Hashbrown Casserole Tots
✅ Loaded Baked Potato
❌ Loaded Hashbrown Casserole
✅ Loaded Mashed Potatoes
✅ Bowl of Turnip Greens
✅ Country Vegetable Plate
✅ Seasoned Rice
✅ Broccoli
✅ Carrots
✅ Cole Slaw
✅ Corn
❌ Dumplins
⚠️ Fried Apples
❌ Fried Okra
✅ Green Beans
❌ Hashbrown Casserole
❌ Macaroni & Cheese
✅ Mashed Potatoes
❌ Mashed Potatoes with Brown Gravy
❌ Mashed Potatoes with Sawmill Gravy
⚠️ Steak Fries
✅ Turnip Greens
❌ Sawmill Gravy
❌ Brown Gravy
❌ Buttermilk Biscuits
❌ Cornbread Muffins
⚠️ Smoked Sausage Patties
⚠️ Thick‑Sliced Bacon
❌ Coarse Ground Grits
❌ Two Buttermilk Pancakes
✅ Two Eggs
For context, let’s check out what makes some of these sides a relatively safe choice to fit into our Cracker Barrel gluten-free menu:
Chicken & Dumplin Soup Cup: Classic chicken and dumpling soup made with some wheat-flour dumplings, which naturally makes it unsafe for celiacs, or if you’re gluten intolerant, too.
Onion Petals: Thick-cut onions dipped in wheat flour batter and deep-fried, which does contain wheat, and for added cross-contamination, it shares fryer oil with other batter-fried items.
Bacon Mac & Cheese: Elbow macaroni in cheese sauce topped with bacon, but the macaroni is made from wheat, with no gluten-free alternatives, so skip this if you’re trying to avoid gluten.
Fresh Fruit: Seasonal fresh-cut fruit medley, it’s naturally gluten-free and safe for celiacs, but make doubly sure to be mindful of cross-contamination as it’s being prepped and served.
Hashbrown Casserole Tots: Bite-sized pieces of cheesy hashbrown casserole bound with wheat flour, but it contains wheat in the binding and the gravy, making this hazardous to celiacs.
Loaded Baked Potato: Baked potato topped with butter, cheese, bacon, and sour cream, and there are no wheat ingredients, though ensure the toppings are scooped with clean utensils.
Loaded Hashbrown Casserole: Traditional hashbrown casserole with cheese, bacon, and some onions, but the recipe includes wheat flour in the casserole base, so avoid this one, as well.
Loaded Mashed Potatoes: Creamy mashed potatoes mixed with cheese, bacon, and green onions, and while the potatoes and toppings contain no wheat, make sure to check that the gravy is omitted, or you could pick from among the wheat-free gravies.
Bowl of Turnip Greens: Slow-cooked turnip greens seasoned with onions and ham, and it has no wheat ingredients, making it another naturally gluten-friendly choice for celiacs.
Country Vegetable Plate: Choice of four seasonal vegetables, which are prepared with no wheat, and it’s safe for gluten-free diets, so long as you remind the staff about cross-contamination.
Seasoned Rice: Fluffy white rice seasoned with herbs and butter, and it’s also free of wheat, but watch for any cross-contact on shared prep surfaces and trace gluten from shared utensils.
Broccoli: Steamed broccoli florets, pure and simple, with no gluten in the recipe, making this an ideal, celiac-safe side. Of course, it doesn’t hurt to double-check for any cross-contamination.
Carrots: Steamed carrots, once again, pure and simple, it’s naturally gluten-free and a great celiac-friendly option, but as always, it’s best to make extra sure there’s no cross-contact.
Cole Slaw: Shredded cabbage and carrots in a creamy dressing, with no wheat ingredients in the slaw itself, but confirm that the dressing prep station is clean from any contamination.
Corn: Sweet corn kernels, which you could order boiled or steamed, and without any wheat ingredients, which should be quite safe when it’s being served with some clean utensils.
Dumplins: Soft wheat-flour dumplings in gravy, and since this is the very same dumpling that we’ve warned you about earlier, which contains gluten, celiacs ought to skip this entirely.
Fried Apples: Warm cinnamon-sugar apples are sautéed without breading, and it has no wheat ingredients, which should be quite safe, too, but check the cleanliness of the cooking oil.
Fried Okra: Breaded okra slices fried in wheat flour batter, making this unsafe for gluten-free diets. Skip this one, too, if you have a severe gluten intolerance or sensitivity.
Green Beans: Steamed green beans, pure and simple, with no wheat ingredients, and it’s safe when prepared separately, but as always, ensure that you check for cross-contamination.
Hashbrown Casserole: Cheesy potatoes bound with wheat flour, which contains gluten, so skip this if you have celiac disease, as well as any severe gluten intolerance or sensitivity.
Macaroni & Cheese: Classic elbow macaroni in a creamy cheese sauce, though the macaroni contains wheat, and Cracker Barrel doesn’t currently offer gluten-free pasta options.
Mashed Potatoes: Creamy mashed potatoes with butter and milk, with no wheat ingredients, but make sure you avoid the gravy on top, as both gravy options use wheat thickeners.
Mashed Potatoes with Brown Gravy: Mashed potatoes are covered in wheat-flour gravy, but skip this due to gluten and wheat thickeners in the gravy, and order the mashed potatoes as-is.
Mashed Potatoes with Sawmill Gravy: Mashed potatoes smothered in sawmill gravy that was thickened with wheat flour, and as we noted earlier, order the mashed potatoes without it.
Steak Fries: Seasoned steak-cut fries and the potatoes are gluten-free, but check that Cracker Barrel’s fryers and fryer oil aren’t shared with frying any of their battered or breaded items.
Turnip Greens: It’s the same as the bowl version that we looked at earlier, but in combo form, and just like its tinier counterpart, this one is also wheat-free and gluten-friendly, too.
Sawmill Gravy: Country sausage gravy thickened with wheat flour, which contains gluten.
Brown Gravy: Beef gravy thickened with wheat flour, making it unsafe for gluten-free diets.
Buttermilk Biscuits: Flaky biscuits made from wheat flour, which should be avoided if you’re sticking to a strict gluten-free diet.
Cornbread Muffins: Sweet cornbread muffins are made with wheat flour, but they contain gluten, and you should skip this one, as well.
Smoked Sausage Patties: Pork sausage patties that are seasoned and grilled, with no wheat ingredients, and it’s safe by recipe, but remember to be careful with cross-contamination.
Thick‑Sliced Bacon: Applewood-smoked bacon slices, which contain no wheat, but as usual, make sure you verify that the grill prep area is cleaned to minimize any cross-contact risks.
Coarse Ground Grits: Stone-ground corn grits, which are prepared with water or milk only, but when they’re cooked in shared pots, ask the kitchen staff about any potential cross-contact.
Two Buttermilk Pancakes: Wheat-flour pancakes, and as with the many other pancakes here, this one’s also unsafe and downright dangerous for celiacs, or if you’re gluten intolerant.
Two Eggs: Scrambled or fried eggs, with no wheat ingredients, but ensure that they’re cooked on a clean surface and prep station to reduce any possible risk of cross-contamination.
TL;DR, focus on their fresh produce, plain potatoes, rice, and proteins like eggs, sausage, and bacon while avoiding wheat-flour batters, dumplings, casseroles, gravies, or baked goods!
Kids Menu
For your little ones, the Cracker Barrel menu has a neat mix of breakfast favorites, handhelds, and shareables, though most of them are wheat-based and bad for celiacs. 🍪🥞
❌ Mini Chocolate Chip Pancakes
❌ Mini Confetti Pancakes
❌ Mini Buttermilk Pancakes
❌ Scrambled Egg & Biscuit
❌ Biscuit Breakfast Sandwich
❌ Crispy Tender Dippers
⚠️ Grilled Chicken Tenders
❌ Grilled Cheese Sandwich
❌ Crispy Rockin’ Shrimp
❌ Lil’ Barrel Cheeseburgers
❌ Mmmm Mac & Cheese
❌ Veggie Plate
Let’s take a closer look at these kid’s meals and figure out why they’re a hazardous choice for our Cracker Barrel gluten-free menu:
Mini Chocolate Chip Pancakes: Three bite-sized pancakes studded with chocolate chips, but as with the other pancakes here, they’re made with wheat flour, so this sweet stack is off-limits.
Mini Confetti Pancakes: Pancakes with rainbow sprinkles in the batter, and once again, all the pancakes here are made with wheat flour, making them unsafe for celiacs or if you’re gluten intolerant.
Mini Buttermilk Pancakes: Plain mini pancakes, which are made from wheat-based batters, so remember to skip this if your child has celiac disease or is heavily intolerant or sensitive to gluten.
Scrambled Egg & Biscuit: Fluffy scrambled eggs served with a buttermilk biscuit, but the biscuit contains wheat flour and cannot be substituted or swapped out for a GF alternative, either.
Biscuit Breakfast Sandwich: Egg and cheese tucked inside a buttermilk biscuit, and once again, there’s wheat in the biscuit, making this another unsafe choice if you need to avoid gluten.
Crispy Tender Dippers: Hand-breaded chicken strips served with dipping sauce, which are then breaded in wheat flour, making this unsafe for gluten-free diets, so avoid this one, too.
Grilled Chicken Tenders: Seasoned chicken tenderloins grilled without breading, which are also gluten-free by recipe, but be sure to watch out for cross-contamination risks at the grill.
Grilled Cheese Sandwich: Melted American cheese between two slices of wheat bread, and the bread contains gluten, so skip this, especially since there’s no GF alternative or substitute.
Crispy Rockin’ Shrimp: Breaded shrimp fried to a crisp, and the breading contains wheat flour, making this unsuitable if you have a gluten intolerance or a non-celiac gluten sensitivity.
Lil’ Barrel Cheeseburgers: Mini beef patties with cheese on wheat buns, and like every other burger here, those burger buns contain wheat, with no gluten-free substitute to speak of.
Mmmm Mac & Cheese: Creamy macaroni and cheese, but the elbow macaroni is made from wheat, and as of writing, Cracker Barrel doesn’t offer any gluten-free pasta options.
Veggie Plate: Kid-friendly side of mixed vegetables, and although vegetables themselves are gluten-free, this plate may include seasonings or sauced veggies that contain wheat.
If your child has any severe gluten intolerances or sensitivities, it might be worth avoiding the entire Cracker Barrel kids menu completely, given how few celiac-safe options there are. 🌽
Desserts
For a sweet and savory ending, the Cracker Barrel menu has everything from their classic pies to warm skillet treats, as well as packaged dessert items and sweet treats. 🍫🍪
However, celiacs beware: most of these desserts are made with wheat in their doughs, crusts, or batters, making most of them a hazard for folks with gluten sensitivities or intolerance. 🧁
❌ Buttermilk Biscuits
❌ Corn Muffins
❌ Biscuits and Corn Muffins
❌ Cinnamon Roll Skillet
❌ Double Chocolate Fudge Coca‑Cola Cake
❌ Peach Cobbler
✅ Hershey Milk Chocolate Bar
✅ Hershey Milk Chocolate Bar with Almonds
❌ Pecan Log
❌ MoonPie (Chocolate)
For comparison, let’s take a closer look at these dessert items and see why most of them didn’t qualify for my personal Cracker Barrel gluten-free shortlist:
Buttermilk Biscuits: Traditional wheat-flour biscuits that are served warm, which does contain wheat flour in the dough, and worse, it cannot be modified to be made celiac-friendly.
Corn Muffins: Sweet cornmeal muffins made with wheat flour, which is unsafe for celiacs due to the flour in the batter, with no gluten-free alternative or substitute, either.
Biscuits and Corn Muffins: Combination basket of both of the items from earlier, and as such, both of them contain wheat and gluten aplenty, making this mix likewise unsafe.
Cinnamon Roll Skillet: Large wheat flour dough swirled with cinnamon sugar and drizzled with icing, which contains wheat in abundance in the dough and the icing prep.
Double Chocolate Fudge Coca‑Cola Cake: A rich chocolate cake made with wheat flour batter and fry-cut cake glaze, though it contains wheat flour in the cake base and the icing.
Peach Cobbler: Fruit filling topped with a wheat-flour biscuit crust, though both the crust and any rolled topping that goes on top contain wheat, so avoid this if you’re a celiac.
Hershey Milk Chocolate Bar: Plain milk chocolate bar from Hershey’s, which is free of wheat ingredients, and it also comes pre-packaged from the factory to minimize cross-contact.
Hershey Milk Chocolate Bar with Almonds: Milk chocolate studded with almonds, which also contains no wheat ingredients, and with minimal cross-contact risks due to the packaging.
Pecan Log: Nougat and caramel logs are hand-rolled in pecans, but they contain wheat flour in the nougat filler, making them hazardous for celiacs or folks with severe gluten intolerances.
MoonPie (Chocolate): Chocolate-coated marshmallows that are then sandwiched between wheat-flour graham-style cookies, which sadly contain wheat flour, making this off-limits.
So, unless you’re good with just Hershey’s chocolate bars, it’s probably best to skip the entire dessert menu at Cracker Barrel, given how much gluten you’re dealing with here. 🍫🍬🍭
Drinks
From fountain sodas, lemonades, teas, and lattes to juices, here’s some good news for celiacs, as almost all of the beverages in our Cracker Barrel gluten-free menu are gluten-friendly! 🥤
✅ Bottled Root Beer
✅ Diet Coke
✅ Coca-Cola Zero Sugar
✅ Cherry Coke
✅ Coca-Cola
✅ Dr Pepper
✅ Sprite
✅ Mello Yello
✅ Ginger Ale
✅ Pink Lemonade
✅ Southern Half & Half
✅ Peach Tea
✅ Freshly Brewed Sweet Iced Tea
✅ Freshly Brewed Unsweetened Iced Tea
✅ Old-Fashioned Lemonade
✅ Lemonade
✅ S’mores Latte
✅ Iced S’mores Latte
✅ Caramel Latte
✅ Iced Caramel Latte
✅ Latte
✅ Iced Latte
✅ Mocha
✅ Iced Mocha
✅ Vanilla Latte
✅ Iced Vanilla Latte
✅ Freshly Brewed Premium Coffee
✅ Freshly Brewed Premium Decaf Coffee
✅ Hot Chocolate
✅ Reduced-Fat Milk
✅ Skim Milk
✅ Chocolate Milk
✅ Apple Juice
✅ Orange Juice
✅ 100% Pure Florida Orange Juice
Just to be extra sure that these are 100% safe, let’s take a deeper dive at these drinks and see whether they’re a good fit for our Cracker Barrel gluten-free menu:
Bottled Root Beer: Sealed glass bottle of root beer, with no gluten ingredients, and there’s also very minimal risk of cross-contact once it’s been sealed from the factory.
Diet Coke / Coca-Cola Zero Sugar / Cherry Coke / Coca-Cola / Dr. Pepper / Sprite / Mello Yello / Ginger Ale: Fountain sodas and all of them feature gluten-free ingredients, but ask for a quick nozzle wipe to minimize any trace gluten cross-contamination, just to be extra safe.
Pink Lemonade / Old-Fashioned Lemonade / Lemonade: Freshly mixed or dispenser-poured lemonades, with no wheat in the recipe, but do double-check that the dispenser spigot was cleaned before serving, just so we can minimize cross-contact as much as possible.
Southern Half & Half: Equal parts lemonade and iced tea, which are also safe by recipe, but remember to treat them like all the other dispenser drinks, with a quick spigot rinse.
Peach Tea: Flavored iced tea served over ice, and once again, they’re gluten-free ingredients, but ensure that it’s being served from a clean dispenser, especially if you’re highly sensitive.
Freshly Brewed Sweet Iced Tea / Unsweetened Iced Tea: Tea is brewed on-site, and while there are no wheat components in tea leaves, make sure you request a clean brew urn spigot.
S’mores Latte / Iced S’mores Latte: Espresso blended with milk, marshmallow syrup, and some chocolate drizzle. The marshmallow and chocolate flavors contain no wheat, but remember to ask the barista to purge the nozzles used for flavor pumps, to help minimize contamination.
Caramel Latte / Iced Caramel Latte / Latte / Iced Latte / Mocha / Iced Mocha / Vanilla Latte / Iced Vanilla Latte: Espresso-based coffees with flavored syrups or sauces, and the ingredients are gluten-free by recipe. Nevertheless, ensure that the syrup pumps and the steam wand are wiped clean.
Freshly Brewed Premium Coffee / Decaf Coffee: Drip coffee, which is naturally gluten-free, but request a fresh carafe pour to avoid any cross-contamination from shared carafes.
Hot Chocolate: Cocoa mix blended with steamed milk, with no wheat ingredients, but double-check that no toppings or the included powder mix contain gluten ingredients, too.
Reduced-Fat Milk / Skim Milk / Chocolate Milk: Sealed cartons or dispenser pours, and on top of the milk itself being free of gluten, the cartons also pose no cross-contact risk, as well.
Apple Juice / Orange Juice / 100% Pure Florida Orange Juice: Bottled juices, which are factory-sealed, and they’re also gluten-free, making them one of the safer choices here for celiacs.
Remember, while all these beverages are naturally gluten-free by recipe and ingredients, you might still encounter cross-contamination while they’re being prepped and served. ☕🍹🍺
To Sum Up
Overall, the Cracker Barrel gluten-free menu is sparse as a Texan dessert, with few options to cater to celiacs, as well as folks with severe non-celiac gluten sensitivities and intolerance. 🌾
Most of their signature dishes, from pancakes to juicy beef cuts, grilled meats, and skillets, are filled with wheat and gluten aplenty, making them hazardous to celiacs everywhere. 🥩🍗🍖
On the bright side, a few of their meaty protein menu items are hugely customizable, and you could omit glutenous sides or mix-ins here and there, but they’re still quite dangerous! 🔥🥓
Without dedicated kitchen spaces and prep areas, there’s ample cross-contamination, and I personally wouldn’t trust even the safest protein dishes here to be entirely free of gluten. 🍔
That said, particularly for celiacs and folks with severe gluten sensitivities and allergies, it’s probably safe to skip most of these and head over to their sides and beverages menu. 🥔
Still, with your only options being rather simple, lightweight snacks and sides, as well as some factory-sealed beverages, I’m pretty sure that alone won’t make for a pretty filling meal. 😕
In the meantime, if you want recommendations on other places that actually offer you a nice selection of gluten-free items, make sure to stay tuned to Great Without Gluten for even more celiac-friendly and gluten-free eating-out guides! ✍📝
And, while you’re here, you might also want to check out my other eating-out guides and some tasty gluten‑free recipes!
If you’re craving other fast-food or casual dining chains and gourmet meals, do check out my other celiacs-friendly, gluten-free dining out guides to Popeyes, Starbucks, Chipotle, Five Guys, Starbucks (UK), Costa Coffee, Jack In The Box, Jersey Mike’s, Dairy Queen, Shake Shack and more! 🍔🍟🍗
Stay safe and gluten‑aware, my celiac friends! 💖🥗
Frequently Asked Questions
While I was putting together this Cracker Barrel gluten-free guide, I came across a handful of interesting questions on social media and forums, so here’s what I have to say about them:
Does Cracker Barrel offer gluten‑free menu options?
Yes! Cracker Barrel has several naturally gluten‑friendly items, including grilled meats (Smoky Southern Grilled Chicken, and Maple Bacon Grilled Chicken), as well as fresh sides (Fresh Fruit, Country Vegetable Plate, and Seasoned Rice), and select entrées like the Classics Sampler and Saturday St. Louis‑Style BBQ Ribs. Nonetheless, just be careful with cross-contamination.
How do I navigate Cracker Barrel’s allergen guide to figure out what’s safe?
Head over to their website and find the Nutrition & Allergens Guide page. This should open up a really handy little widget page where you could learn more about each item’s nutrition data and allergens. On the menu bar at the top of the page, click on ‘Allergens’ and click on ‘Wheat’ to quickly filter out every single menu item that contains wheat (and therefore, gluten).
Are Cracker Barrel’s sides safe for celiacs?
Many of their sides are naturally gluten‑friendly, such as the Fresh Fruit, Bowl of Turnip Greens, Country Vegetable Plate, Seasoned Rice, Broccoli, Carrots, Corn, Green Beans, Fried Apples, Steak Fries, Mashed Potatoes, Smoked Sausage Patties, Thick‑Sliced Bacon, and more. You can find a handful more sides that contain wheat flour, so remember to avoid these ones.
Can I modify Cracker Barrel Classics to be gluten‑free?
Some Cracker Barrel Classics can be adapted to a gluten-friendly diet, such as omitting biscuits or toast on dishes like New York Strip Steak & Eggs or Old Timer’s Breakfast. While you’re here, make sure you’re also careful to skip any breaded components and add-ons and be sure to ask the staff for clean prep surfaces, fresh gloves, and separate utensils to minimize cross‑contact.
What’s the best way to avoid cross‑contact at Cracker Barrel?
The best thing you could do is communicate your needs clearly and right from the get-go with your server or the kitchen staff. If you’re a celiac, ask the server to highlight parts of the menu that are safe for you to order from, and request fresh gloves, clean utensils, as well as wiped surfaces to help minimize any potential cross-contact from gluten-containing items.
Photo Credit
Mike Mozart, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
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Becky Terrell ✍️
Hi, I am Becky. I am a passionate recipe maker and having been a coeliac (celiac) for 30+ years I focus on gluten-free recipes. My blog is my online cookbook of gluten-free tasty recipes. You can follow me on X: @beckygwg
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