Are graham crackers vegan? They have been around since the mid 19th century in the United States. They are a delicious snack on their own or in a recipe. They are just sweet enough to satisfy a sweet tooth without going overboard.
Graham crackers seem like they'd be free of all animal products but this is not always the case. Are graham crackers vegan? Let's take a look at the ingredients list of several different graham crackers brands.
Different Brands of Graham Crackers
There are many different brands of Graham crackers but they mostly have the same ingredients. They are basically flour and graham flour, a sweetener, some oil, and leavening.
Although graham crackers don't contain eggs or dairy products, many of them contain honey instead of (or in addition to) molasses. As honey is considered a non-vegan ingredient, most store bought brands aren't vegan. Let's look at some of the most popular brands.
- Nabisco Honey Maid Graham Crackers Honey Ingredients: Unbleached Enriched Flour (Wheat Flour, Niacin, Reduced Iron, Thiamine Mononitrate {Vitamin B1}, Riboflavin {Vitamin B2}, Folic Acid), Graham Flour (Whole Grain Wheat Flour), Sugar, Canola Oil, Honey, Leavening (Baking Soda And/or Calcium Phosphate), Salt, Soy Lecithin, Artificial Flavor. NOT VEGAN
- Nabisco Honey Maid Graham Crackers Chocolate Ingredients: Unbleached Enriched Flour (Wheat Flour, Niacin, Reduced Iron, Thiamine Mononitrate {Vitamin B1}, Riboflavin {Vitamin B2}, Folic Acid), Graham Flour (Whole Grain Wheat Flour), Sugar, Canola Oil, Cocoa (Processed With Alkali), Cocoa, Honey, Leavening (Baking Soda And/or Calcium Phosphate), Chocolate, Salt, Soy Lecithin, Dextrose, Artificial Flavors. NOT VEGAN
- Nabisco Honey Maid Graham Crackers Cinnamon Ingredients: Unbleached Enriched Flour (Wheat Flour, Niacin, Reduced Iron, Thiamine Mononitrate (Vitamin B1}, Riboflavin (Vitamin B2}, Folic Acid), Graham Flour (Whole Grain Wheat Flour), Sugar, Canola Oil Molasses, Honey, Leavening (Baking Soda And/or Calcium Phosphate), Salt, Cinnamon, Soy Lecithin, Dextrose, Natural Flavor. NOT VEGAN
- Annie's Organic Honey Graham Crackers Ingredients: Organic Whole Grain Wheat Flour (organic graham flour), Organic Wheat Flour, Organic Cane Sugar, Organic Expeller-pressed Sunflower Oil, Organic Honey, Organic Molasses, Leavening (baking soda, ammonium bicarbonate and cream of tartar), Organic Vanilla Flavor, Organic Brown Sugar Flavor, Sea Salt, Organic Rosemary Extract (to protect flavor). NOT VEGAN
- Amazon Happy Belly Honey Graham Crackers: Enriched Flour (Wheat Flour, Niacin, Reduced Iron, Thiamin Mononitrate, Riboflavin, Folic Acid), Graham Flour (Whole Wheat Flour), Sugar, High Oleic Canola and/or Soybean Oil with TBHQ and Citric Acid For Freshness, Honey, Contains 2% Or Less Of: Leavening (Baking Soda, Calcium Phosphate), Salt, Natural Flavor, Soy Lecithin, Sodium Sulfite. NOT VEGAN
- Stop & Shop Honey Graham Crackers Ingredients: Enriched Flour (Wheat Flour, Niacin, Reduced Iron, Thiamin Mononitrate, Riboflavin, Folic Acid), Graham Flour (Whole Wheat Flour), Sugar, High Oleic Canola And/or Soybean Oil With TBHQ And Citric Acid For Freshness, Honey, Contains 2% Or Less Of: Leavening (Baking Soda, Calcium Phosphate), Salt, Natural Flavors, Soy Lecithin, Sodium Sulfite. NOT VEGAN
- Stop & Shop Cinnamon Graham Crackers Ingredients: Enriched Wheat Flour (Wheat Flour, Niacin, Reduced Iron, Thiamin Mononitrate, Riboflavin, Folic Acid), Graham Flour (Whole Grain Wheat Flour), Sugar, High Oleic Canola And/or Soybean Oil With TBHQ And Citric Acid To Preserve Freshness, Contains 2% Or Less Of: Molasses, Honey, Leavening (Baking Soda, Calcium Phosphate), Salt, Dextrose, Cinnamon, Soy Lecithin, Natural Cinnamon Flavor, Sodium Sulfite. NOT VEGAN
Vegan Brands of Graham Crackers
Both the Nabisco Original Grahams and the Keebler Original Graham Crackers do not contain honey or any other animal products. These are vegan-friendly graham crackers.
- Nabisco Graham Crackers Original Ingredients: Unbleached Enriched Flour (Wheat Flour, Niacin, Reduced Iron, Thiamine Mononitrate (Vitamin B1), Riboflavin (Vitamin B2), Folic Acid), Graham Flour (Whole Grain Wheat Flour), Sugar, Canola Oil, Molasses, Palm Oil, Leavening (Baking Soda And/or Calcium Phosphate), Salt. VEGAN
- Keebler Graham Crackers Original Ingredients: Whole wheat flour, enriched flour (wheat flour, niacin, reduced iron, vitamin B1 [thiamin mononitrate], vitamin B2 [riboflavin], folic acid), sugar, canola oil, molasses, corn syrup. Contains 2% or less of leavening (baking soda, sodium acid pyrophosphate, monocalcium phosphate), salt, soy lecithin. VEGAN
Make Your Own Vegan Graham Crackers
Sometimes it's better to just make your own Graham crackers so you can control the ingredients. This is especially true if you are having a hard time finding a vegan brand in the grocery store. Check out this recipe for Vegan Graham Crackers by Pies & Tacos which gives step by step directions. This recipe calls for the following ingredients:
- flour
- baking powder
- baking soda
- salt and cinnamon
- brown sugar
- vegan butter
- maple syrup
Graham Cracker Uses and Recipes
On their own, Graham crackers make a great snack. But they are even better when used in a recipe. Check out the following ideas.
- S'mores - Yummy, classic S'mores. These are best when you can actually roast the vegan marshmallows over a fire but they're also great in the microwave. I like to use the Dandies brand of marshmallows. If I can't find a block of vegan chocolate, I use dairy-free chocolate chips.
- Pie Crusts - Graham Crackers make a delicious pic crust. It's super easy to make and only needs melted vegan butter and sugar to go with the graham crackers. If you have a food processor you can make the cracker crumbs in seconds. If not, you can also use a rolling pin to make the crumbs. Check out Easy Vegan Graham Cracker Crust Recipe by the Spruce Eats for detailed steps.
- Blondies - Check out 5-Ingredient Vegan Graham Cracker Blondies by Eating Bird Food for the recipe.
- My favorite quick treat - Trader Joe's Coconut Whipped Cream on top of a graham cracker with a few vegan chocolate chips on top!
FAQ
Is sugar vegan?
Some vegans worry about white sugar because of the use of bone char. According to Peta.org, "Bone char—often referred to as natural carbon—is widely used by the sugar industry as a decolorizing filter, which allows the sugar cane to achieve its desirable white color."
So cane sugar doesn't technically contain any animal products. But, the desire for sugar to have a pure white color makes some companies use animals bones in the production of it. It's up to you whether or not you consume regular sugar. Organic sugar does not use bone char so that is another option.
Is honey vegan?
This is somewhat controversial as it's not black and white like meat and dairy. However according to Healthline, "Vegans try to avoid or minimize all forms of animal exploitation, including that of bees. As a result, most vegans exclude honey from their diets." You can read more about it in Is Honey Vegan?
Summary
Graham crackers are a classic, lightly sweetened snack cracker that have been around for over 100 years. Unfortunately, many brands now include honey as an ingredient. Two easy to find brands that are vegan are the Nabisco Original Graham Crackers and Keebler Original Graham Crackers. Make sure you stay away from any flavor that has honey in the title and always check ingredients. So grab a box for a quick snack or to make some S'mores with.
Wondering if other snacks are vegan? Check out:
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