Guide to Ordering Gluten Free at Pizza Hut and Review

Pizza Hut is one of the giant household names that’s thrown its hat in the ring to join the gluten-free waive. They even came up with a little tagline to go with it: “All the Flavor, None of the Gluten.”

For Pizza Hut, this is a joint venture with Udi’s, another big name in the GF world. Udi’s brings the crusts, and Pizza Hut handles the toppings, prepping, and baking.

The menu includes some of Pizza Hut’s traditional pizzas and a create-your-own option made on Udi’s 10 ” premade gluten-free crust.

To check how Pizza Hut’s gluten-free version compares to others in the industry, we looked up everything about their GF menu on all websites and then ordered a pizza to see for ourselves.

So, whether you’re celiac, gluten-sensitive, or just reducing gluten intake, read this post to get all the nitty-gritty details you need to know about ordering gluten-free at Pizza Hut.

Oh- and spoiler alert- the pizza was okay but nothing to write home about.

Pizza Hut Gluten Free Crust Option

The only gluten-free crust option at Pizza Hut is Udi’s 10″ premade GF crust. So, essentially, you’ll be eating Pizza Hut’s toppings on Udi’s crust which is also sold in select grocery stores in the frozen aisle.

That said, there’s no proprietary secret sauce to tell you about with respect to this crust.

But, since we’re on the topic, let’s look at what’s made of and what the numbers are.

Pizza Hut’s (Udi’s) Gluten Free Crust Ingredients, Nutrition Facts, and More

Gluten-Free Crust Ingredients: Water, Tapioca Starch, Brown Rice Flour, Canola Oil, Egg Whites, Dried Cane Syrup, Tapioca Syrup, Tapioca Maltodextrin, Salt, Xanthan Gum, Yeast, Cultured Corn Syrup Solids And Citric Acid (Natural Mold Inhibitor), Enzymes.

There are different sets of numbers on the internet for the nutritional value of this crust. We went with Pizza Hut’s/nutritionix website’s label because it seems the most accurate, as of late.

However, if you’re interested in finding out the nutritional information of pizza combinations offered on this crust, you can go to Pizza Hut’s allergen menu list and click on your choice of food or combination. From there, you’ll be directed to a nutrition fact label that is specific to your selection.

Also, keep in mind, that the gluten-free crust is only offered at 1/3 of Pizza Hut’s U.S. locations.

To see if your nearest location offers the GF crust, go to Pizza Hut’s website and use the find-your-store feature to look up your location’s menu in detail.

Pizza Hut’s Gluten Free Toppings

Pizza Hut has plenty of gluten-free toppings, sauces, and ingredients to choose from to top your pizza.

You can also select from their popular pizzas to be made on the gluten-free crust. In fact, they have a special menu that lists the most popular combinations available as gluten-free pizzas.

Hence, there is no shortage of gluten-free toppings and you can certainly make your gluten-free pizza adhere to additional dietary restrictions and your taste preferences.

You can use Pizza Hut’s/nutritionix allergen menu feature to select the allergen(s) you’d like to eliminate and get a list of food and beverage items that do not include your allergen(s) of choice.

Just be cautious and use your own judgment as well because this system is not perfect.

As for their gluten-free toppings and ingredients, here’s what you can expect to see:

Pizza Hut’s Gluten-Free and Lifestyle Diet Options (Vegan, Keto, and Vegetarian)

Pizza Hut’s special diet menu doesn’t extend much beyond their gluten-free crust.

In the U.S. market, they have had trials of special menu items to broaden their non-traditional pizza options, but nothing has been made permanent…yet.

You can always get creative and build your own pizza to get as close as possible to your dietary needs and wants. But, at this point, Pizza Hut should NOT be your stop for non-traditional or alternative pizza choices.

They may offer toppings that are regional, but nothing other than Udi’s gluten-free crust is set as a regular nationwide menu item.

For now, the best you can get with Pizza Hut is vegetarian or any other combination that can be made on their gluten-free crust.

Is Pizza Hut’s Gluten Free Pizza Safe for Celiacs?

Pizza Hut’s gluten-free pizza is NOT safe for Celiacs or people with a severe gluten allergy/intolerance.

The main reason for this is that Pizza Hut’s kitchens are NOT gluten-free environments and, as such, there is a super high risk of cross-contamination.

In fact, other than a separate pizza cutter and crust, there is no other special equipment or procedures in place to protect against gluten cross-contamination.

And, in Pizza Hut’s defense, they never claimed to be a Celiac-safe environment. They only offer a gluten-free crust as an option for those who wish to minimize their gluten intake for dietary reasons.

Pizza Hut’s Gluten Free Pizza Review | Taste Test and Experience

After studying their GF menu and getting more acquainted with the nitty-gritty details, we randomly chose one of our local Pizza Huts and popped in to see what the actual preparation is like for gluten-free pizza orders.

We decided to order the Veggie Lover’s on the gluten-free crust. The pizza was ready in 15 minutes and was handed to us in a special box that they use for gluten-free orders.

Based on our order, here is each aspect of our gluten-free pizza experience at Pizza Hut in more detail:

The Employees & Pizza Preparation

The employees were pretty nice but didn’t have much knowledge of gluten-free specifics beyond the obvious.

They knew about the menu and that a separate cutter must be used for gluten-free pizzas, but that was about it. We didn’t get the vibe that they had any extra training on allergens for more in-depth questions.

As for the preparation, unlike the open kitchen concept at Blaze, Pieology, or MOD Pizza restaurants, pizzas are prepared on counters away from the customer’s sight.

So, you will just have to trust that all the right procedures, if any, are being followed to keep the pizzas as gluten-free as possible.

Again, in Pizza Hut’s defense, they do have a disclaimer that their kitchens are NOT gluten-free and can’t guarantee against cross-contamination.

So, we settled for the only three things they offered: Udi’s GF crust, the use of a separate pizza cutter, and a different to-go box.

The Pizza (Taste & Texture)

The pizza was…fine. It wasn’t great, but it wasn’t terrible either.

It was a bit heavy on the cheese, but the rest of the toppings were fine. The veggies were fresh and the sauce was flavorful, if a bit too sweet. It was like eating any other Pizza Hut pizza, just on a smaller base without the gluten.

The biggest issue we had was with the texture. First, it didn’t seem like the crust was fully cooked because it was a bit more chewy than usual.  

Second, the overall texture of the pizza was dense and gummy. We couldn’t figure out whether this was because the crust wasn’t cooked all the way or because the cheese could’ve been fresher.

Overall,  it was an edible pizza, but don’t go in expecting anything amazing. It’s just a basic pizza on a GF crust from the good old Pizza Hut.

Price

Prices at Pizza Hut are not much different from newer pizza restaurants that offer more variety of special diet-friendly options such as Pieology or Blaze Pizza.

One exception with Pizza Hut is that they don’t charge for the gluten-free crust as an add-on and that’s probably because they’ve worked the cost into their overall pizza prices.

We ordered the signature Veggie Lover’s pizza on the gluten-free crust and here is the breakdown of what we paid:

FAQs

Is Pizza Hut’s Gluten Free Crust Vegan?

No, the gluten-free crust at Pizza Hut is not vegan. It contains eggs.

Currently, Pizza Hut doesn’t offer any vegan-friendly crust options.

Is Pizza Hut’s Gluten Free Crust Dairy Free?

Pizza Hut’s gluten-free crust is dairy-free, but in the U.S. market, Pizza Hut does not offer any dairy-free cheese at this time.

So, if you can do pizza without cheese, then you may find yourself a dairy-free pizza option at Pizza Hut.

What Types of Gluten Free Crusts Does Pizza Hut Offer?

Pizza Hut only offers one gluten-free crust and it’s made by Udi’s Gluten Free Foods company.

Final Words

There is no doubt that Pizza Hut has its die-hard fans. The brand has been around for a long time and many people have fond memories of eating their pizzas as kids.

If you’re one of those fans and want to reduce or minimize your gluten intake, then, by all means, continue to enjoy your favorite pizza at Pizza Hut.

But if you’re looking for something new or restaurants that are more accommodating of people with lifestyles diets such as gluten-free, then you’re better off checking out some of the newer places.

Pizza Hut is trying to stay relevant in a time when some people are moving away from traditional pizzas and looking for healthier, more innovative options.

But the brand still has ways to catch up to its competitors.