Are Doritos Vegan? The Ultimate Guide (Updated 2023)

Are Doritos vegan? Doritos are the incredibly popular, often cheese flavored, triangular corn chip that have been around for over 50 years. The iconic Frito-Lay snacks are one of the most purchased snack foods in the United States.

You might think that being on a vegan diet would prevent you from eating the chips. But not all Doritos contain milk products. So are they vegan? Let's look at the ingredients.

All of the ingredients and nutritional information can be found on the Doritos website.

Doritos Products

There are currently 14 different flavors and varieties of Doritos. This number changes often as new flavors are introduced and other ones are retired. (Goodbye Blaze and Poppin’ Jalapenos!) Unfortunately, the majority of the flavors contain animal products but not all of them. Let's check out the ingredient list for each flavor. Non-vegan ingredients are in bold.

Tortilla Chips

Nacho Cheese - Corn, Vegetable Oil (Corn, Canola, And/or Sunflower Oil), Maltodextrin (Made From Corn), Salt, Cheddar Cheese (Milk, Cheese Cultures, Salt, Enzymes), Whey, Monosodium Glutamate, Buttermilk, Romano Cheese (Part-skim Cow's Milk, Cheese Cultures, Salt, Enzymes), Whey Protein Concentrate, Onion Powder, Corn Flour, Natural And Artificial Flavor, Dextrose, Tomato Powder, Lactose, Spices, Artificial Color (Yellow 6, Yellow 5, And Red 40), Lactic Acid, Citric Acid, Sugar, Garlic Powder, Skim Milk, Red And Green Bell Pepper Powder, Disodium Inosinate, And Disodium Guanylate.

Flamin' Hot Cool Ranch - Corn, Vegetable Oil (Corn, Canola, And/or Sunflower Oil), Salt, Maltodextrin (Made From Corn), Onion Powder, Onion Powder, Cheddar Cheese (Milk, Cheese Cultures, Salt, Enzymes), Tomato Powder, Garlic Powder, Sour Cream (Cultured Cream, Skim Milk), Sugar, Monosodium Glutamate, Corn Starch, Skim Milk, Whey, Dextrose, Artificial Color (Red 40 Lake, Yellow 6 Lake, Yellow 6, Yellow 5, Blue 1, Red 40) Malic Acid, Medium Chain Triglycerides, Buttermilk, Lactose, Romano Cheese (Cow´s Milk, Cheese Cultures, Salt, Enzymes), Whey Protein Concentrate, Spices, Natural and Artificial Flavors, Sodium Acetate, Disodium Inosinate, and Disodium Guanylate.

Flamin' Hot Nacho - Corn, Vegetable Oil (Sunflower, Corn, and/or Canola Oil), Maltodextrin (Made From Corn), Salt, Whey, Cheddar Cheese (Milk, Cheese Cultures, Salt, Enzymes), Buttermilk, Monosodium Glutamate, Artificial Color (Red 40 Lake, Yellow 6 Lake, Yellow 6, Yellow 5), Natural and Artificial Flavors, Romano Cheese (Cow’s Milk, Cheese Cultures, Salt, Enzymes), Onion Powder, Citric Acid, Spices, Dextrose, Tomato Powder, Potassium Chloride, Whey Protein Concentrate, Lactose, Lactic Acid, Sodium Caseinate, Sugar, Garlic Powder, Skim Milk, Red and Green Bell Pepper Powder, Milk Protein Concentrate, Disodium Inosinate, and Disodium Guanylate.

Cool Ranch - Corn, Vegetable Oil (Corn, Canola, And/or Sunflower Oil), Maltodextrin (Made From Corn), Salt, Tomato Powder, Lactose, Whey, Skim Milk, Onion Powder, Sugar, Garlic Powder, Monosodium Glutamate, Maltodextrin (Made From Corn), Cheddar Cheese (Milk, Cheese Cultures, Salt, Enzymes), Dextrose, Malic Acid, Corn Syrup Solids, Buttermilk, Natural and Artificial Flavors, Sodium Acetate, Artificial Color (Red 40, Blue 1, Yellow 5), Spice, Citric Acid, Disodium Inosinate, and Disodium Guanylate.

Flamin' Hot Limon - Corn, Vegetable Oil (Sunflower, Canola, and/or Corn Oil), Maltodextrin (Made From Corn), Salt, Citric Acid, Sugar, Monosodium Glutamate, Artificial Color (Red 40 Lake, Yellow 6 Lake), Hydrolyzed Corn Protein, Potassium Chloride, Yeast Extract, Sodium Diacetate, Cheddar Cheese (Milk, Cheese Cultures, Salt, Enzymes), Natural Flavor, Onion Powder, Whey, Garlic Powder, Romano Cheese (Cow's Milk, Cheese Cultures, Salt, Enzymes), Buttermilk, Whey Protein Concentrate, Disodium Inosinate, and Disodium Guanylate.

Spicy Nacho - Corn, Vegetable Oil (Sunflower, Corn, and/or Canola Oil), Maltodextrin (Made from Corn), Salt, Whey, Monosodium Glutamate, Buttermilk, Romano Cheese (Cow's Milk, Cheese Cultures, Salt, Enzymes), Corn Starch, Onion Powder, Garlic Powder, Dextrose, Natural and Artificial Flavor, Spices, Lactose, Sodium Caseinate, Artificial Color (Including Yellow 6 Lake, Red 40 Lake, Yellow 6, Red 40, Yellow 5, Blue 1), Citric Acid, Sugar, Lactic Acid, Skim Milk, Disodium Inosinate and Disodium Guanylate.

Salsa Verde - Corn, Vegetable Oil (Corn, Canola, and/or Sunflower Oil), Maltodextrin (Made From Corn), Salt, Monosodium Glutamate, Dextrose, Jalapeno Pepper Powder, Tomato Powder, Paprika, Onion, Citric Acid, Modified Corn Starch, Natural and Artificial Flavors (Including Natural Chicken Flavor), Spices, Garlic, Spice Extractives, Vinegar, Corn Syrup Solids, Artificial Color (Including Yellow 6 Lake, Red 40 Lake, Blue 1 Lake), Parsley, and Lemon Juice.

Flamas Flavored - Whole Corn, Vegetable Oil (Corn, Canola, Soybean and/or Sunflower Oil), Maltodextrin (Made From Corn), Salt, Citric Acid, Sugar, Monosodium Glutamate, Artificial Color (Red 40 Lake, Yellow 6 Lake), Hydrolyzed Corn Protein, Yeast Extract, Sodium Diacetate, Cheddar Cheese (Milk, Cheese Cultures, Salt, Enzymes), Modified Corn Starch, Natural Flavor, Onion Powder, Whey, Corn Syrup Solids, Garlic Powder, Romano Cheese (part-Skim Cow's Milk, Cheese Cultures, Salt, Enzymes), Buttermilk, Whey Protein Concentrate, Disodium Inosinate, and Disodium Guanylate.

Spicy Sweet Chili - Corn, Vegetable Oil (Corn, Canola, and/or Sunflower Oil), Salt, Sugar, Monosodium Glutamate, Fructose, Sodium Diacetate, Soy Sauce (Soybean, Wheat, Salt), Onion Powder, Maltodextrin (Made from Corn), Hydrolyzed Soy Protein, Hydrolyzed Corn Protein, Garlic Powder, Torula Yeast, Malic Acid, Extractives of Paprika, Spices, Caramel Color, Disodium Inosinate, Disodium Guanylate, Dextrose, and Natural Flavor.

Tapatio Flavored - Corn, Vegetable Oil (Corn, Canola, and/or Sunflower Oil), Tapatio® Seasoning (Spices, Maltodextrin [Made From Corn], Cheddar Cheese [Milk, Cheese Cultures, Salt, Enzymes], Salt, Whey, Monosodium Glutamate, Natural Flavor, Buttermilk, Romano Cheese [Part Skim Cow's Milk, Cheese Cultures, Salt, Enzymes], Whey Protein Concentrate, Onion Powder, Sodium Diacetate, Corn Oil, Citric Acid, Dextrose, Artificial Color [Including Red 40 Lake, Yellow 6, Yellow 6 Lake, Yellow 5, Blue 2 Lake], Garlic Powder, Sugar, Lactic Acid, Skim Milk, Disodium Inosinate, Disodium Guanylate, and Sunflower Oil).

Simply Organic White Cheddar - Organic Yellow Corn, Organic Expeller-Pressed Sunflower Oil, Organic Cheddar Cheese (Milk, Cheese Cultures, Salt, Enzymes), Organic Maltodextrin (Made from Corn), Sea Salt, Organic Sweet Cream Buttermilk, Organic Tomato Powder, Flavors, Organic Onion Powder, Organic Romano Cheese (Cow’s Milk, Cheese Cultures, Salt, Enzymes), Organic Butter (Cream, Salt), Organic Skim Milk, Organic Spices, Citric Acid, Organic Garlic Powder, Organic Cream, and Lactic Acid.

3D Doritos

3D Spicy Ranch - Corn Flour, Vegetable Oil (Corn, Canola, and/or Sunflower), Maltodextrin (Made From Corn), Buttermilk, Salt, Onion Powder, Garlic Powder, Sour Cream (Cream, Skim Milk, Cultures), Spices, Cream Cheese (Pasteurized Milk and Cream, Cheese Cultures, Salt, Xanthan Gum, Carob Bean Gum, Guar Gum), Monosodium Glutamate, Natural Flavors, Skim Milk, Whey, Parmesan Cheese (Milk, Cultures, Salt, Enzymes), Jalapeño Pepper, Baking Soda, Monoglycerides, Green Bell Pepper, Butter (Cream, Annatto), Acacia Gum, Citric Acid, Sugar, Disodium Guanylate, and Disodium Inosinate.

3D Chili Cheese - Corn Flour, Vegetable Oil (Corn, Canola, and/or Sunflower), Salt, Cheddar Cheese (Milk, Cheese Cultures, Salt, Enzymes), Whey, Spices, Maltodextrin (Made From Corn), Monosodium Glutamate, Buttermilk, Romano Cheese (Cow’s Milk, Cheese Cultures, Salt, Enzymes), Natural and Artificial Flavors, Onion Powder, Baking Soda, Whey Protein Concentrate, Tomato Powder, Citric Acid, Garlic Powder, Potassium Chloride, Hydrolyzed Corn Protein, Monoglycerides, Artificial Color (Yellow 6, Yellow 5, Yellow 6 Lake, Blue 2 Lake), Disodium Inosinate, and Disodium Guanylate.

Rolled Doritos

Dinamita Chili Limon Flavored Rolled - Corn, Vegetable Oil (Corn, Sunflower, and/or Canola Oil), and 2% or less of the following: Maltodextrin (Made From Corn), Salt, Citric Acid, Sugar, Monosodium Glutamate, Artificial Color (Red 40 Lake, Yellow 6 Lake), Hydrolyzed Corn Gluten, Yeast Extract, Sodium Diacetate, Cheddar Cheese (Milk, Cheese Cultures, Salt, Enzymes), Modified Corn Starch, Natural Flavor (Including Natural Extractives of Lime and Natural Extractives of Red Pepper), Onion Powder, Whey, Corn Syrup Solids, Garlic Powder, Romano Cheese (Part-Skim Cow's Milk, Cheese Cultures, Salt, Enzymes), Buttermilk, Whey Protein Concentrate, Disodium Inosinate, and Disodium Guanylate.

Unfortunately, the vast majority of Doritos flavors contain dairy products and other non-vegan ingredients. Luckily, there are two flavors that can fit in with a vegan lifestyle.

Vegan Flavors

There are two vegan flavors of Doritos:

Spicy Sweet Chili Doritos
Salsa Verde

FAQ

What are the most popular Doritos flavors?

The top 5 most popular Doritos flavors (according to this post) in order are Nacho Cheese, Cool Ranch, Spicy Sweet Chili, Salsa Verde, and Spicy Nacho. Both vegan flavors make the top 5!

Are Cool Ranch Doritos vegan?

No. I'm not sure how the rumor started that Cool Ranch Doritos are vegan. They aren't as you can see from the ingredients list above. They contain cheese, buttermilk, skim milk, and more dairy products.

Are Doritos healthy?

Unfortunately, no. They are filled with artificial colors, MSG, and other questionable ingredients. But they are a snack chip and those usually aren't healthy.

Was Nacho Cheese the original Doritos flavor?

Actually, no. They first came out with a plain tortilla chip. Then came a taco flavored variety followed by Nacho Cheese Doritos. Years later came Cool Ranch.

Are Doritos gluten free?

While many of the flavors appear not to contain gluten, only one flavor is officially labeled as gluten-free: Simply Organic White Cheddar Doritos.

Summary

While the majority of the 14 Doritos flavors contain dairy ingredients, there are two vegan Doritos flavors: Spicy Sweet Chili and Salsa Verde. Those two flavors can be safely eaten and enjoyed by vegans. So if you're looking for a salty, flavorful snack, Spicy Sweet Chili and Salsa Verde Doritos can satisfy your craving.

Wondering if other snacks are vegan? Check out: