Are Oreos Vegan? (Updated 2023)

Are Oreos vegan? With chocolate cookies out the outside and a creamy center filling, Oreos are known as milk’s favorite cookie. Whether you’re dunking these sandwich cookies in some (non-dairy) milk or just snacking on them out of the package, Oreos are beloved.

They are so popular that they are the best selling cookie in both the Unites States and globally. But are they vegan? Good news!! Yes, most (but not all) varieties of Oreos can be considered a vegan food. Let’s take a look at the ingredient list from classic Oreos. Ingredients and nutritional information can be found on the Oreos website.

Oreos Ingredients

Below is the ingredients list from Original Oreos. Any non-vegan ingredients are in bold.

Original Oreos Ingredients: Unbleached Enriched Flour (Wheat Flour, Niacin, Reduced Iron, Thiamine Mononitrate {Vitamin B1), Riboflavin {Vitamin B2}, Folic Acid), Sugar, Palm and/or Canola Oil, Cocoa (Processed with Alkali), High Fructose Corn Syrup, Leavening (Baking Soda and/or Calcium Phosphate), Salt, Soy Lecithin, Chocolate, Artificial Flavor.

No milk products here! So original Oreos are vegan, but what about all of their other flavors?

Vegan Oreo Flavors:

The good news is that the vast majority of Oreo flavors do not contain animal ingredients. However, some flavors are limited edition so not all flavors are available at all times.

The Original
Double Stuf
Mega Stuf
Golden Oreos
Golden Double Stuf
Birthday Cake
Boo (Halloween orange)
Brookie-O
Caramel Coconut
Chocolate
Chocolate Hazelnut
Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie
Cinnamon Bun
Dark Chocolate
Gingerbread
Java Chip
Joy (Winter)
Lemon
Minis Original
Minis Golden
Mint
Peanut Butter
Pumpkin Spice
Thins Original
Thins Dark Chocolate
Thins Extra Stuf
Thins Golden
Thins Lemon
Thins Mint
Toffee Crunch
Ultimate Chocolate

Now before you run out to a store to buy one of every flavor, lets remember that these popular cookies are still a processed food and full of sugar. However, as an occasional treat, those on a vegan diet can safely enjoy Oreos. One thing to note is that Oreos do not contain hydrogenated vegetable oil. They did for years but thankfully it was phased out in 2006. That's definitely good news!

Which Oreos Are Not Vegan?

Unfortunately, the fudge covered or fudge dipped Oreos contain nonfat milk and are not a vegan-friendly treat. But Snickerdoodle flavor is also not vegan-friendly which is disappointing.

Snickerdoodle - Contains confectioner's glaze which is not vegan
Fudge Covered Chocolate Sandwich Cookies
Fudge Covered Mint Creme Sandwich Cookies
Dark Chocolate Fudge Covered Sandwich Cookies, Dark Chocolate Flavored Creme
Fudge Covered & White Fudge Covered Oreo Sandwich Cookies, Holiday Edition
Thins Bites Fudge Dipped Chocolate Sandwich Cookies
Thins Bites White Fudge Dipped Chocolate Sandwich Cookies

Cross Contamination

Very strict vegans may be wondering about cross contamination. There isn't anything listed on the cookie packages, but on the UK Oreo website it says that milk is a cross contact. This means that it's possible there may be trace amounts of dairy in them. Personally, I only worry about the risk of cross-contamination when it comes to food allergies. To me, they contain vegan-friendly ingredients and I'm not concerned with trace amounts of milk that may or may not be there.

Homemade Oreo Recipes

But can you have your Oreos in a healthier way? Yes, you can! There are many recipes for homemade vegan Oreos. If you're interested, check out Healthy Vegan Oreos by Chocolate Covered Katie and try making a batch. The recipe calls for simple ingredients like flour, cocoa powder, vanilla extract and has far less sugar than traditional Oreos. These chocolate cookies with a creamy middle can even be sweetened with maple syrup.

Recipes Using Oreos

Sure Oreos are delicious on their own. But they are also amazing when used in a recipe. Check out the following incredible vegan recipes that use Oreos.

Vegan Oreo Cheesecake by Nora Cooks. This recipe calls for Oreo cookies, vegan butter, vegan cream cheese, coconut cream, vanilla extract, fresh lemon juice, sugar, and coconut oil.
Oreo Peanut Butter Pie by Crazy Vegan Kitchen. To make this recipe, you'll need Oreo cookies, vegan butter, crunchy peanut butter, sugar, coconut cream, vanilla extract, regular peanut butter, dark chocolate, and peanut oil.
Vegan Oreo Milkshake by Loving it Vegan. All you'll need to make this milkshake is vegan vanilla ice cream, non-dairy milk, and Oreos.
Vegan Oreo Truffles by Loving it Vegan. You'll only need a few ingredients to make these amazing truffles including Oreos, vegan cream cheese, and vegan chocolate or chocolate chips.

Quick Oreo Treats

If you want to use Oreos to elevate a snack but don't want to prepare a whole dessert, here are several ideas.

Crumble them up and sprinkle on top of vegan ice cream.
Use them to make a cookie crust. Make crumbs in a food processor and combine with vegan butter. You'll need 4 tablespoons of vegan butter for 2 cups of Oreo crumbs. Mix the cookie crumbs and melted vegan butter together and then press in a pie tin.
Crumble them up and mix them in the next time you're making brownies.
Make a yogurt parfait. Layer vegan vanilla ice cream with Oreo pieces and non-dairy whipped cream.
Make a banana into a dessert! Use a food processor to make cookie crumbs. You can also put them in a ziploc bag and then use something heavy to break them into tiny pieces. Cut a banana into slices and then press each piece into the cookie crumbs, both sides.
Break up the Oreos into small pieces and put in pancake batter. You'll have super yummy Oreo pancakes!
Top a vegan waffle with non-dairy whipped cream and Oreo pieces.

FAQ

Are Snickerdoodle Oreos vegan?

Sadly, no. These limited edition Oreos contain confectioner's glaze.

What is confectioner's glaze?

According to What To Know About Confectioner's Glaze by tasteforlife.com, "Confectioner's glaze, also known as pharmaceutical glaze, is used by numerous candy companies to add a shiny, smooth finish on their products. It's made using shellac, but shellac is made of bug secretions" from the lac bug. It's a lot more appetizing for a company to list confectioner's glaze instead of lac bug secretions.

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.

Are Oreos dairy free?

Yes, with the exception of the fudge covered varieties, Oreos are dairy free.

Are Oreos gluten free?

Regular Oreos are not gluten free. But there are gluten free varieties of original Oreos as well as Double Stuf available.

Are Golden Oreos vegan?

Yes, Golden Oreos are vegan!

Summary

Oreos may be vegan junk food, but I'm happy that we have the option to eat them. Sometimes it's nice to be able to go to the store and be able to pick up a popular treat that a lot of people can enjoy. With so many flavors and more coming out all the time, there are a ton Oreo products to choose from. If only eaten occasionally, Oreos can fit in with a vegan lifestyle. What is your favorite Oreo cookie flavor?

Are you wondering whether other sweet treats are vegan? Check out: