12+ Best Gluten-Free Sauces for Your Pantry (2024 Update)

The basic ingredients to avoid when searching for gluten-free sauces include wheat and wheat flour, soy sauce, and miso.

In addition to wheat and wheat products like soy sauce and miso when you have gluten sensitivities, you may also need to avoid:

• starch,
• modified food starch,
• hydrolyzed vegetable protein,
• hydrolyzed plant protein,
• textured vegetable protein,
• dextrin, maltodextrin,
• glucose syrup,
• caramel,
• malt flavoring,
• malt extract,
• malt vinegar (distilled vinegar is OK), and
• brown rice syrup unless the product is specifically labeled as gluten-free.

The best rule of thumb when searching to buy a gluten-free sauce is to make sure that it is labeled “certified gluten-free” and has been produced in dedicated gluten-free facilities. This means that the product has been tested for contamination or cross-contamination with gluten.

If not, then read the ingredient list carefully and check for any gluten ingredients.

See my related article answering the question, “is bbq food healthy?”

But, of course, it’s not always possible to make your own sauces.

For your shopping convenience, I’ve rounded up some of the best gluten-free condiments and sauces based on taste, availability, versatility, and price. These also happen to be all dairy-free too!

Many of these products are organic, and I find that searching out brands that have organic lines sometimes means they are more conscious of ingredients overall. Many also cater to diets like Paleo and Keto or are aware of other dietary restrictions such as dairy and eggs.

See my article on the differences between clean eating and paleo diets.

Just remember to read every label every time to make sure a product fits into your lifestyle.

Gluten-free doesn’t always mean safe for people with celiac disease, for example. Oftentimes nuts and coconuts are used to replace dairy, so keep that in mind if you have nut allergies.

By the way, this post is not sponsored; all opinions are my own.

Most or all of these products should be available online or at local grocery stores.

Ranch dressing is a kid-approved favorite for good reason. Creamy and cool, it pairs nicely with cut veggies in addition to putting on a salad.

If your kids don’t like eating vegetables, one of the best ways to encourage them to try them is to offer a dipping sauce like ranch dressing. This brand is one of the best options for a gluten-free and dairy-free ranch-flavored dip.

Often salad dressings will contain canola oil or soybean oils, so if you are avoiding those I recommend this option because it uses avocado oil.

See my article with my list of the healthiest cooking oils.

Primal Kitchen is hands down one of my favorite brands. I think I’ve liked every product of theirs that I’ve tried!

Once again, BBQ sauce is notorious for having added sugars, but this one doesn’t. The sweetness of the tomatoes comes through with the tang of apple cider vinegar. This one also serves as a great steak sauce with a tomato paste base.

This one is definitely close to recipes I’d make myself and is great on my Air Fryer Chicken Wings or Air Fryer Chicken Tenders.

I sound like a broken record, but again – sugar is in so many foods you can buy off the shelf. This one does contain organic cane sugar, but I prefer that over high fructose corn syrup for sure.

See my related article with the best sugar-free foods.

Some foods do need sweetness to give us a familiar childhood taste, but we can make sure and elevate our standards when eating comfort foods. This brand certainly fits the bill with quality ingredients.

The kids (and picky husbands) will definitely enjoy the flavor of this ketchup.

This is a great brand to find at your local grocery store. Rao’s has an entire line of classic pasta sauces, and the marinara is a great jar to grab for Sunday dinner.

This variety is sugar-free and has a classic Italian taste that the entire family will love. The ingredients are really clean and include olive oil. It’s as close to homemade as you can get.

And, if you’re looking for pasta options, don’t miss my blog post with the best gluten-free pasta brands.

Avocado oil adds richness to this sauce that you might find lacking in some dairy-free options.

This Alfredo sauce is vegan as well, so it’s a great way to make a classic meal for the family and ensure everyone can enjoy one dish.

Many people are surprised to find that most brands of soy sauce and teriyaki sauce are off-limits when they go gluten-free (see more in my article with tips for going gluten and dairy-free).

Coconut Aminos are a great option to use in place of soy sauce and in the base of a homemade teriyaki sauce. It has the saltiness you might be craving in Asian-inspired dishes and fits a lot of allergies.

Use coconut aminos in my Instant Pot Pineapple Chicken and Instant Pot Peanut Chicken recipes. I use it in place of tamari which is a gluten-free soy sauce (but I prefer to avoid soy).

Having a delicious mayo in your fridge comes in handy when you want to make a sandwich as well as making your own ranch dip from scratch. I look for options using cage-free eggs and healthy oils like this one.

So many standard mayo options are made from soybean and canola oils and include excess sugars. This is a good, clean, option that I highly recommend!

Use this clean mayo in my recipes for Salmon Salad with Mayo, Keto Canned Salmon Salad, and Curry Chicken Salad.