15 Surprisingly Vegan Snack Foods You Should Try
There are a lot of reasons why someone might decide to start a vegan diet. It may be due to ethical concerns, environment, health, or even just personal preference. As pop singer Lizzo revealed to Vanity Fair, her decision to go vegan had nothing to do with outside entities and everything to do with how it made her feel. Eating plants simply made her feel good.
Of course, this does not mean you have to give up all of your favorite snacks. When the midday munchies hit, even those who follow a vegan diet need delicious plant-based foods that they can reach for. Thankfully, being vegan does not eliminate many of the best snacks and treats. While not developed to be so, many are nonetheless vegan. Whether you are craving salty or sweet, there is a vegan snack for you. Do not be fooled by packaging or even names that may indicate otherwise. We studied the ingredients list of the following 15 snacks and can give them the vegan seal of approval.
1. Oreo cookies
Oreo cookies came on the market in 1912 and have been gracing our snacking plates ever since. Oreos are one of those great treats that can take you right back to childhood with just one bite. If you adhere to a vegan diet or simply want to incorporate more plant-based food, you do not have to give up these delightful bits of the past.
Many Oreo cookies are vegan. This includes the Original chocolate sandwich cookies, as well as the Gluten-Free cookies, which are perfect for those who cannot have gluten or dairy. It may be surprising to find out that Oreo cookies are vegan, especially considering the cream filling, but as it turns out, no real dairy was needed to give these cookies their creamy taste. Instead, it is all done with oil and sugar.
Now, of course, the classic way to eat an Oreo is to twist, lick, and dunk it into an ice-cold glass of milk. As long as that glass of milk is plant-based, such as soy or oat milk, there is no reason this long-held eating tradition needs to fade from a vegan diet.
2. Ritz crackers
Ritz crackers may have sneakily cornered the vegan market. Why, you may ask? For a number of reasons. First of all, when it comes to Ritz, the first thing most people think of is that flakey, buttery taste. That taste is at the forefront of every Ritz cracker flavor, and yet, there is not a drop of butter or even dairy of any kind in any of the Ritz Original crackers. This also includes flavors such as garlic butter, which is delicious and, amazingly enough, completely vegan.
One look at the nutrition label for Ritz will have you see that none of the flavors within the original line contain any dairy, eggs, or meat whatsoever. That even includes the bacon flavored Ritz, which use smoke flavoring, Torula yeast, and spices to mimic the flavor of bacon. The only Ritz Cracker in the original lineup that is not suitable for all vegans is the honey wheat, which does contain real honey derived from bees. Aside from that, though, feel free to eat Ritz crackers to your vegan heart's content.
3. Twizzlers and Red Vines
One of the most challenging types of foods for vegans to find is gummy-type foods. These often include gelatin, which is made by extracting protein from animal remains. However, just because you are going vegan does not mean all gummy candies are off the table. For example, red rope rivals Twizzlers and Red Vines are both vegan. We decided to put these two together as they are naturally very similar, and we did not want to make the judgment call of only including one. The more, the merrier!
Red Vines contain just corn syrup and wheat flour to achieve their gummy consistency, with some added citric acid, flavors, and red dye 40 to give it that distinctive bright color for the Original Red flavor. Twizzlers use a similar construction using corn syrup, sugar, and cornstarch as their gummy base before adding some oils, salt, and of course, red dye 40. While some may think red dye 40 is animal derived, like some other food coloring, it is not and is 100% vegan. This is great news for all the gummy rope fans of the world, who can continue to enjoy their snacks whenever they please.
The vegan options with these extend past the red flavors and into the other options from the companies and into the other flavors such as licorice.
4. Act II Butter Lovers Popcorn
For those who like to sit down and snack on some popcorn during a good movie, you will be relieved and surprised to find out there is a microwave popcorn for you that is just as good as the butter version. That is because it is actually sold as a butter flavor, despite containing no butter.
Act II Butter Lovers Popcorn, a popular choice for a movie night in, is completely vegan. Typically the butter on top is what makes popcorn, otherwise a simple popped grain on its own, not vegan. But here the "butter" on this popcorn is really just a combination of oil, salt, and natural flavors with some added color. For those who are still concerned about where the natural flavors contain dairy, the company also offers allergen warnings on all their products, and Butter Lovers does not have such a warning.
This is contrasted with Act II Butter, which is not vegan and does contain dairy in the flavor. So if you are looking for a vegan popcorn snack, make sure you stick with just the Butter Lovers popcorn.
5. Annie's Cinnamon Rolls
Sometimes snacking, you can get a sweet tooth, and what better way to satisfy it than with a can of cinnamon rolls? So whether you are cracking open the can for a sweet fix or grabbing a leftover for a quick snack, there is at least one cinnamon roll you can be assured is vegan: Annie's Organic Cinnamon Rolls. This may seem particularly shocking as many of the tried and true methods for making cinnamon buns at home include eggs, butter, and even heavy cream. None of which are vegan.
Annie's, however, do not use any of these ingredients in their cinnamon rolls. Instead, they rely on water, sugar, flour, and baking powder, along with some oils, syrups, and starches, to hold everything together and give the dough the rise they are looking for. Not even icing on top has any non-vegan elements in it. We guess this shouldn't be too surprising coming from the company that makes a Vegan Mac. But as the cinnamon rolls are not labeled vegan like many of the company's other products, it was still a delightful surprise.
6. Pillsbury Crescents
Croissants make for some of the best snacks, either eaten on their own or paired with a cup of coffee as a light pick-me-up. While Pillsbury Crescents are not precisely the same, they do have something going for them, and that is that they are completely vegan. These small rolled doughs are made from enriched flour, water, shortening, sugar, baking powder, as well as a few other minor ingredients, all of which are non-animal derived. That means if you have got a hankering and a can of these bad boys, you can do whatever you want with them and have the best vegan snacks.
Sure, they can be eaten on their own, but there are so many snack foods you can make with crescent rolls. For example, roll up some vegan hot dogs for some vegan pigs in a blanket, or use them to make a snack pizza. With a vegan base this good, there are so many delicious options for snacking.
7. Swedish Fish
Many will brush off this fish-shaped treat as being non-vegan. After all, they are gummy, so many assume they contain gelatin. They are even shaped like fish, which are definitely not vegan. Despite all this, the next time you are browsing the snack aisle at your grocery store, consider picking up a bag of these delicious treats because they are absolutely vegan.
Swedish Fish are made from various sugars, corn starch, citric acid, flavors, red dye 40, and carnauba wax. None of which goes against a vegan diet. So why are they called and shaped like fish, then, if there is nothing fishy about them? That is simple, because the company could. Back in the 1950s, Swedish licorice maker Malaco wanted to create a new candy. After finally settling on the new creation, they chose a shape that was representative of Sweden: fish. So no need to worry. No fish (or any other animals) were harmed in the making of this snack.
8. Spicy Sweet Chili Doritos
There are few things that make a better snack than a big bag of Doritos. However, once you go vegan, you might think that these chips, in all their delicious flavors, are out of reach for you. But do not fret because there is one Dorito flavor that remains vegan, and that is the Spicy Sweet Chili Doritos.
Looking at the incredibly long ingredient list can be a chore, but it was one we were willing to take on. We found that of all of the ingredients, not one was animal-based. The corn chips themselves were pretty basic, and as flavors went, Doritos relied more on spices, yeast, and other flavors to kick up the Spicy Sweet Chili Doritos. It does not hurt that they taste pretty good, too. So if you want some Doritos, do not deny yourself. Grab a bag of Spicy Sweet Chili Doritos and go to town.
9. Uncrustables
Uncrustables have been a lunchtime staple, but as one reviewer on the Uncrustables website notes, they also make a great snack. What makes them even better is that several of the varieties are completely vegan. When you are feeling peckish and want a classic peanut butter and jelly snack without the dirty dishes, you can grab an Uncrustable.
Of the current Uncrustables line up there are four flavors that are vegan and just two that are not. The peanut butter and grape spread, peanut butter and strawberry spread, reduced sugar peanut butter and grape spread on wheat, and reduced sugar with peanut butter and strawberry spread on wheat are all vegan. However, you may notice that despite all the ingredients listed being vegan, the allergen notice does say, "may contain hazelnut and milk ingredients." This is not because of the ingredients in the sandwich but due to the possibility of cross-contamination with the chocolate flavored hazelnut spread sandwich, which contains milk and is not vegan. This may be a concern to some vegans, so we wanted to clarify the matter.
10. Kettle Brand Chips
Chips are one of the easiest things to snack on. All you need is a bag and your hands, no need for bowls or utensils. They will only get in the way. While some brands, like Doritos, make a single vegan chip for snacking, other brands, like Kettle, seem to go out of their way to make a whole host of products that are completely vegan, and we are very here for it.
Kettle brand vegan products include: Unsalted, Sea Ssalt and Vinegar, Sea Salt, Pepperoncini, Less Fat Sea Salt, Korean BBQ, Backyard Barbeque, Bourbon BBQ, Jalapeño, and even Maple Bacon. However, it turns out bacon is not actually a necessary ingredient for bacon flavored things. The only flavors that are not vegan from the classics line are Honey Dijon, Farmstand Ranch, New York Cheddar, Parmesan Garlic, and Sour Cream and Onion.
We love that Kettle brand chips give us crispy delicious vegan snacks in a variety of flavors. We can go to the store over and over again and keep trying new things. They show that just because it is plant-based does not mean snacks have to be flavor restrictive.
11. Jell-O Pudding and Flan
This one is surprising, for more than a few reasons. For one, they are coming from Jell-O, a brand literally based around gelatin. However, we are not focusing on their gelatin-based products. Instead, we are looking at Jell-O pudding and flan. But wait! Don't pudding and flan usually contain ingredients such as eggs and milk? Yes, they do. But here is where the magic happens.
For Jell-O flan, it says right on the front of the package, "contains no eggs" This is a good first step. A quick peek at the back of the package indicates there is also no dairy or gelatin of any kind, instead using carrageenan and locust bean gum as thickeners, both of which are derived from plants. While the instructions tell you to add milk, that does not mean you have to use cow milk. If you use a plant-based milk, you can have yourself a vegan flan.
The same instructions can be found on the Jell-O instant vanilla pudding. The ingredients also contain sugar, starches, and some colors and flavors. No animal products are found in this product, and if you use dairy-free milk to finish it off, you will have a delicious vegan snack in no time.
12. Nature Valley Bars
Nature Valley granola bars are great for on-the-go snacks to keep your energy up whether you are on the trail or just getting yourself through a busy day. While not all of the company's products are vegan, as some contain honey or dairy, they do offer a wide selection of bars that are suitable for a vegan diet.
From the fruit and nut bars, both the cranberry and pomegranate and the trail mix are vegan. Sadly, the chocolate ones are not as safe. While the dark chocolate cherry and dark chocolate and nut bars does not actively contain milk, the allergen label warns it may contain dairy, likely through some sort of cross-contamination. The crunchy bars that are vegan are pecan, peanut butter dark chocolate, peanut butter, oats 'n dark chocolate, maple brown sugar, cinnamon, apple crisp, and roasted almond. The only one that is not is the oats n' honey, due to the presence of honey. No matter fruity or crunchy, there will be a vegan flavor for you. As a bonus, Nature Valley tends to use easy-to-understand ingredients and does not use artificial colors, flavors, or high fructose corn syrup.
13. Sour Patch Kids
Despite its gummy consistency, Sour Patch Kids do not contain any gelatin. Instead, they are pretty much just different kinds of sugar held together with some cornstarch and food coloring, and coated in sour sugar. You will not find us complaining about this, though. Their very sugary makeup means that these gummy treats are completely vegan. Even the food dyes used in them are considered vegan.
It is always refreshing to find gummy candies that are vegan, but it should be noted this refers specifically to the United States Sour Patch Kids. In the United Kingdom, while the colors come from more natural sources, the ingredient list does contain gelatin, making the United Kingdom version of the candy not vegan. We are not sure why the parent company Mondelez decided to make one vegan but not the other, but before digging in, make sure you have a bag of the United States Sour Patch Kids.
14. SkinnyPop Popcorn
If you want a popcorn snack that is even easier than a bag of microwave popcorn, SkinnyPop has you covered as many of the company's flavors are vegan. The original SkinnyPop is just popcorn, sunflower oil, and salt; the sea salt and pepper is that, plus some pepper. Twist of lime, Sweet and Salty Kettle, and Sweet Vanilla Kettle are all vegan as well. The most surprising though might be the White Cheddar popcorn. Even with cheddar in the name, this popcorn still manages to be vegan. That is because instead of using real cheddar cheese to flavor the popcorn, SkinnyPop uses a natural non-dairy cheddar flavor. This allows for a delicious cheddar flavor while still keeping it completely vegan.
It does contain lactic acid, which can sometimes be derived from dairy products; however, the product does specifically state it is dairy free, so eat with confidence! Of course, there are other SkinnyPop flavors that are also vegan. The simple ingredient list and clear labeling make it easy to tell with SkinnyPop.
There are only two SkinnyPop flavors that are not vegan Aged White Cheddar and Real Nutter. Both helpfully proclaim they contain milk making the distinction clear.
15. Thin Mints
No one wants to be left out during Girl Scout cookie season. At this point, Girl Scout cookie season is basically its own national event here in the United States. And if you are a fan of eating delicious cookies that are plant-based, we have some good news for you. The top-selling Girl Scout cookie also just happens to be vegan. That is right, Thin Mints are vegan. Cookie lovers of the world rejoice.
Now for those of us that are Girl Scout cookie connoisseurs, we know that there are actually two different bakeries that handle the production of cookies. These bakers supply different regions and often use slightly different products for the same cookies, one of those being the timeless Thin Mints. But the Girl Scouts are prepared. Their website offers the ingredients for both bakeries, from which we can see ABC Bakers is made with vegan ingredients, and Little Brownie Bakers explicitly state the cookies are vegan, though made in a facility with non-vegan cookies. We love the clarity from the Girl Scouts and are happy to see no matter where you are, Thin Mints are all vegan.