Is Cheez Whiz Gluten-Free?

Most Cheez Whiz products do not contain gluten. Kraft does not list gluten as an allergen on the recipe. However, Cheez Whiz does contain maltodextrin, which could occasionally be made with wheat, so it is best to check the packaging on your particular Cheez Whiz container before eating it.

About Cheez Whiz

Cheez Whiz is a cheese dip and spread, usually made by the company Kraft. The first processed cheese was created to create a cheese that could last longer.

Cheez Whiz itself, though regularly associated with the United States of America, was not developed for an American audience. It was created for the dish Welsh rarebit, which is essentially an ancient version of cheese fries. Kraft looked to develop a processed cheese that could easily and quickly work with Welsh rarebit. They launched Cheez Whiz in 1952 and in 1953 it hit the American market.

It became a fast hit for people to use in party dips and on cheesesteak sandwiches. Cheez Whiz has a long shelf life, so it is easy to keep for quick meals. The cheese melts quickly which makes it great on sandwiches and mixed with dips.

Kraft says that Cheez Whiz is made with real cheese. It does still have that processed cheese flavor. It is salty and tastes like cheddar cheese.

Cheez Whiz is generally sold in a small bottle or jar, but it has also been sold in bags and slices. It is sometimes sold in the refrigerated section of the grocery store, but it can also be found in the section with pasta or other processed cheese.

Cheez Whiz is usually considered gluten-free. Kraft labels all allergens on their ingredient lists. If you find Cheez Whiz that does say it has gluten, that is likely from the maltodextrin. Maltodextrin is a white flavorless powder that can help thicken sauces. Maltodextrin can be made from rice, corn, potato starch, or wheat. If the maltodextrin in your Cheez Whiz uses wheat, then it will not be gluten-free.

Traditionally, Cheez Whiz is served with cheese fries, but there are a variety of other ways to enjoy it. Cheez Whiz is popular for heating and placing over steamed broccoli. It is also great to mix with salsa for a queso dip with tortilla chips. It also makes a great garnish for baked potatoes.

Ingredients

Kraft Cheez Whiz contains:

Whey, milk, canola oil, maltodextrin, milk protein concentrate, and sodium phosphate.

It also contains less than 2% of whey protein concentrate, modified food starch, salt, lactic acid, mustard flour, sodium alginate, Worcestershire sauce, sorbic acid, milkfat, cheese culture, annatto, and paprika.

Worcestershire sauce contains vinegar, molasses, corn syrup, water, salt, caramel color, garlic powder, sugar, spices, and tamarind.

Nutritional Information

The following table provides the nutritional information for Cheez Whiz.