Oreos are one of the most popular snacks in the country, beloved by kids and adults alike. It doesn’t end at cookies: Oreo cakes, ice cream, pudding, and other confections are widely popular.
Given their creamy frosting center, it may be odd to think of Oreos as a potentially vegan snack. That’s why so many new vegans are thrilled to learn that they may be able to continue eating their favorite cookies! But are Oreos actually vegan? Here’s what you need to know:
Many vegans refer to Oreos as “accidentally vegan,” meaning they don’t contain animal products — but they weren’t created to be a specifically vegan treat.
Oreos do not contain milk, eggs, or any other animal-derived products, so they are technically vegan in that sense. Plant-based cookies and cream lovers rejoice!
There are two caveats, though:
Since Oreos are produced in factories that use animal products, there’s always the chance of cross-contamination (something to consider if you have a severe allergy or dietary restrictions that strictly prohibit dairy, eggs, or animal products).
Some vegans define veganism as more than just the absence of animal products in food and may consider general animal welfare in lifestyle choices. That’s why you may see cosmetics or hygiene products labeled “vegan.” This not only means they don’t contain any animal derivatives, it means they are not tested on animals and no animals were harmed in the making or extraction of the product or ingredients. Some vegans see animal welfare as the most central tenant of veganism. Therefore, they consider ingredients that may harm animals during their production as not vegan.
Here's the official statement from the company: "Many OREO products are suitable for Vegans, but may include cross-contaminants of milk, so please check allergen advice. You can find a complete list of our Vegan certified products onThe Vegan Society Website."
Unbleached enriched flour: This is the standard flour used in processed foods. “Enriched” means it contains added vitamins and minerals like folic acid and B vitamins. This is a plant-derived product and is vegan.
Palm oil: While it is technically derived from plants, many people do not consider palm oil vegan because the harvesting process can be detrimental to the environment. Some vegans may abstain from Oreos because of this.
Sugar: Similarly, white sugar uses the charred bones of animals in the processing from raw sugar cane to table sugar. The bones of livestock are charred to produce carbon, which is used to filter the sugar and remove the color and impurities. While there is no trace of bone or the charred carbon it produces in sugar, some vegans may avoid Oreos because animals have to die to produce this ingredient.
Soybean oil and/or canola oil: Both these oils are made from plants and are vegan.
Oreos also contain small amounts of flavorings and preservatives, including cocoa, high fructose corn syrup, leaveners, salt, soy lecithin, and artificial flavors, all of which are not animal-derived and considered vegan.
What Oreo Flavors Are Vegan?
Most varieties of Oreos are vegan, including the Classic, Double Stuf, Mega Stuf, Golden, and Thins varieties.
More vegan flavors are Peanut Butter Creme, Java Chip, Chocolate Creme, Birthday Cake, Mint Creme, Dark Chocolate Creme, Lemon Golden Oreos, Black and White Cookie, Caramel Coconut, Carrot Cake, Chocolate Marshmallow, Gingerbread, Pumpkin Spice, Halloween Orange Boo, Red White and Blue, Space Dunk, Tiramisu Thins, Mint Thins, Lemon Thins — and likely many more as seasonal flavors are released.
However, always check the ingredients if you're abroad, as different manufacturers use different formulas. For example, some peanut butter flavored Oreos are not vegan in the UK.
What Oreo Flavors Are Not Vegan?
The fudge-coated varieties are not vegan, as the fudge coating contains milk.
Toffee Crunch Oreos contain confectioner’s glaze, which, depending on where you are geographically, can be made with shellac (a product derived from beetles).
Oreo Cakesters are not vegan, as they contain milk and eggs.
If you’re unsure, always check the ingredients list. If you see eggs, milk powder or solids, lactose or lactic acid, whey, casein, carmine, or gelatin, the product is likely not considered vegan.
Many vegans refer to Oreos as “accidentally vegan,” meaning they don't contain animal products — but they weren't created to be a specifically vegan treat. Oreos do not contain milk, eggs, or any other animal-derived products, so they are technically vegan in that sense. Plant-based cookies and cream lovers rejoice!
Fortunately, loads of candies are vegan, so we can indulge our cravings (mostly) guilt-free. Most dark chocolate is vegan, as are popular sweet treats such as Smarties (known as Rockets in Canada), Oreos, Airheads, Jujubes, and Swedish Fish (some Swedish Fish contain beeswax, so be sure to check the label).
Since the food label only indicates “sugar,” Oreos likely contain a mix of vegan beet sugar and non-vegan refined cane sugar. While most vegans still consider this acceptable, stricter vegans will want to abstain.
It's a bit ironic that milk's favorite cookie is accidentally vegan, but we're not complaining. Many of the Oreo varieties are also plant-based including the new Churro Oreos, Mint Oreos, and Double Stuffed. With so many flavor options, we'll never tire of this classic cookie.
The bottom line. Most types of peanut butter are free of animal products and can be enjoyed as part of a vegan diet. However, some varieties are made in facilities that also process animal products or contain refined sugar that was produced using bone char or non-vegan ingredients like honey or fish oil.
Since 1966, Doritos has satisfied customers' snack cravings with their flavored tortilla chips. But unfortunately for vegans, only one variety is vegan-friendly: Spicy Sweet Chili. The other Doritos flavors contain various dairy products and animal-derived flavors, none of which are vegan.
No, unfortunately, Cheetos aren't suitable for vegans. In fact, they're not even vegetarian-friendly. They contain dairy (which you might have guessed they're cheese flavour) but they are also produced by using animal enzymes making them non-vegan or vegetarian.
Not all Takis flavors are vegan, as they contain animal ingredients, like milk or whey, in the recipe. But there are plenty of options that are totally animal-free. The original Fuego flavor, for example, which tastes like hot chili pepper and lime, is vegan.
By standard definitions, regular Sour Patch Kids candies are vegan because they don't contain animal products. However, the sugar in all of the Sour Patch Kids candies was likely, at least in part, processed with animal bone char. That may be reason enough for some vigilant vegans to abstain.
With that in mind, the simple answer is: yes.Skittles Classic Fruits are suitable for vegans. Though the bag only brands them as 'Suitable For Vegetarians', classic Skittles do have a vegan friendly status as they contain no animal products.
In the strictest definition of the word, honey is not vegan. As the product of a living being –honeybees, though there are other some 20,000 bee species to be found around the world – honey falls into the same category of non-vegan food products as milk and eggs.
Gluten free oreos are free of several allergens: They do not contain any dairy products, animal products, peanut butter. They are therefore not only safe for those with celiac disease, but those on a vegan diet. The flours that they use are gluten-free flour (such as rice, tapioca, oat).
Palm oil is made from palm, which is a vegetable product, and while the oil is technically vegan in that, it contains no direct animal products, its environmental impact is often the reason why many vegans choose to steer clear of this oil.
Yes, Ritz Crackers are vegan. I don't know if I'd go as far as to say whether they're actually tasty or not but a lot of people do like them and it turns out that you can eat them if you're lactose-intolerant, so go figure. Buy these if you're interested in adhering to a plant-based diet and enjoy Ritz Crackers.
Without trees to fill these roles, many former forest lands can quickly become barren deserts. Palm Oil is used in over 50% of all products in America from Cereal, Snack Foods, Shampoo, Make Up, Peanut Butter and even American's Favorite Cookie, Oreo. Yes, it is true, palm oil is one of the ingredients in Oreo Cookies.
Introduction: My name is Saturnina Altenwerth DVM, I am a witty, perfect, combative, beautiful, determined, fancy, determined person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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