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.
All fudge-covered Oreos aren't vegan-friendly, as the coating contains dairy. Oreo Cakesters also contain dairy and egg. You should always check the packaging of Oreos before buying, as the brand often releases new flavors that may not be suitable for those on a plant-based diet.
In short, the vast majority of Oreos are vegan and do not contain any animal ingredients (not even milk!). These include: Classic Oreos, Golden Oreos, Double Stuff, and Chocolate Cream Oreos. The only Oreos which are not suitable for vegans are the Peanut Butter flavoured biscuits which contain milk.
Yes, original Oreos are vegan and most other flavours are vegan too! They're what is known as 'accidentally vegan biscuits', meaning they weren't specifically targeted towards vegans but are made to a vegan recipe.
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).
So in January 2006, under pressure from the public, Oreo replaced the trans fat in the biscuits with non-hydrogenated oils. Still, the recipe included whey protein, which is derived from dairy, until 2013 in the UK and 2014 in the US. When that ingredient was removed, the cookies finally became animal-free.
The longer answer. As the Oreo FAQ page states, while Oreos are indeed veggie-friendly, they are not strictly vegan as 'Oreo have milk as cross-contact and therefore they are not suitable for vegans'.
Any fudge-covered Oreo is not vegan, as the chocolate coating contains dairy. Oreo Cakesters are also not vegan. But then there are the 85-plus Oreo flavors to consider.
Nabisco Chips Ahoy! is probably the most famous brand of chocolate chip cookies in America, or perhaps even the entire world, but are they vegan friendly? Considering traditional chocolate chip cookies are made with butter and eggs, it should come as no surprise that Chips Ahoy!cookies are not vegan.
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.
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.
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.
Starbursts were launched in the USA in 1967, and have since become hugely popular in the country. Unfortunately for American plant-based eaters, however, they feature gelatin in their ingredients. This means that they aren't suitable for vegans or vegetarians.
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.
The classic Oreo flavor (including the Double Stuf edition) is technically manufactured without animal-sourced ingredients, but because of other Oreo flavors and snack brands produced in the same facilities which do require milk, there's a risk of cross contact, according to a rep from Mondelēz International, Inc., ...
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