Review: New Gluten-Free Cheerios

For the last few months, I have been walking down the cereal aisle every week in hopes of spotting the new gluten-free Cheerios. Last night, I finally found them at Giant! In fact, I almost missed them since the front of the new gluten-free boxes is almost identical to the old ones, except for the gluten-free stamp on the bottom right. Plus, there were many old boxes mixed with the new ones. 

For the majority of my life before celiac disease, one of my favorite things to eat for breakfast was a bowl of Cheerios mixed with Rice Krispies. When I heard last spring that Kellogg’s was discontinuing gluten-free Rice Krispies, I immediately stocked up and set aside several boxes to enjoy with the new gluten-free Cheerios. So last night for dinner, I enjoyed a bowl of gluten-free Rice Krispies mixed with the gluten-free Cheerios! 

When I opened the yellow Cheerios box, I instantly recognized its distinct aroma. The Cheerios were delicious! It is funny that I don’t remember them becoming so soggy in milk. I guess that really stood out to me since the texture is unlike any gluten-free cereal I have eaten in the last eight years, but in a good way. This morning for breakfast, I had a bowl of the gluten-free Multigrain Cheerios, which I loved! Wheat and barley were removed from the Multigrain Cheerios, and they added sorghum and millet instead. All the other Cheerios have the exact same taste as before. 

Instead of using certified gluten-free oats, General Mills has come up with “a way to sort the other grains out of our oats.” Part of this process is explained on the back of the new box. I must admit it is odd to buy a product that shows a pile of oats as “what we put in” and then three piles of what is removed: wheat, rye, and barley. However, I trust General Mills when it comes to gluten-free, and I didn’t have any problems from eating the Cheerios. For more about their process, watch this video. I read on the Cheerios website that “every batch of gluten-free oats is tested to make sure it has less than 20 parts per million of other grains.”

Now, if Kellogg’s would bring back gluten-free Rice Krispies, it would be gluten-free cereal nirvana for all! I look forward to trying gluten-free Honey Nut Cheerios next. They are also available in gluten-free Apple Cinnamon Cheerios and Frosted Cheerios. I am excited to stock up the next time there is a Cheerios sale!

Update August 14, 2015: The Gluten-Free Watchdog has expressed significant concerns over the safety of gluten-free Cheerios for people with celiac disease. Please read her position, so you can make an informed decision for yourself. At the time of my review, I was unaware of these concerns. I ate many bowls, especially of Multigrain Cheerios, and did not experience any problems.