Pop-Tarts are a popular breakfast pastry that come in a variety of flavors. But are Pop-Tarts vegan? While the majority of flavors contain animal products, the good news is that there are a few vegan flavors. But what's actually in Pop-Tarts? Let's check out the ingredients for Unfrosted Strawberry Pop-Tarts. Kellogg's Pop-Tarts website has all of the nutritional information listed.
Ingredients for Unfrosted Strawberry: Enriched flour (wheat flour, niacin, reduced iron, vitamin B1 [thiamin mononitrate], vitamin B2 [riboflavin], folic acid), corn syrup, high fructose corn syrup, dextrose, soybean and palm oil (with TBHQ for freshness), bleached wheat flour. Contains 2% or less of wheat starch, salt, leavening (baking soda, sodium acid pyrophosphate, monocalcium phosphate), citric acid, dried pears, dried apples, dried strawberries, caramel color, xanthan gum, modified wheat starch, soy lecithin, red 40, yellow 6.
While they do contain some questionable ingredients including artificial colors, Unfrosted Strawberry Pop-Tarts do not contain any animal ingredients. But what about all of the other flavors? The following list of all current flavors shows the non-vegan ingredients, if any.
Pop-Tarts Flavors
Go into your local grocery store and you'll see many different flavors of Pop-Tarts. But which ones can fit in with a vegan diet?
- Unfrosted Strawberry - VEGAN
- Unfrosted Blueberry - VEGAN
- Unfrosted Brown Sugar Cinnamon - VEGAN
- Snickerdoodle - VEGAN
- Frosted Cherry - contains gelatin and confectioner's glaze
- Frosted Confetti Cupcake - contains gelatin and confectioner's glaze
- Eggo Frosted Maple Flavor - contains gelatin and milk
- Sugar Cookie - contains gelatin
- Frosted Raspberry - contains gelatin
- Simply Frosted Harvest Strawberry - contains gelatin
- Froot Loops - contains gelatin
- Frosted Chocolate Fudge - contains whey, gelatin and egg whites
- Frosted Boston Creme - contains whey and gelatin
- Frosted Strawberry - contains gelatin
- Strawberry Banana Bites - contains gelatin
- Frosted Apple Fritter - contains gelatin
- Frosted Cinnamon Roll - contains gelatin
- Frosted Brown Sugar Cinnamon (and Bites) - contains gelatin
- Lemon Creme Pie - contains gelatin
- Frosted Cookies & Creme - whey, gelatin, and egg whites
- Frosted Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough - contains milk, gelatin, egg whites, and whey
- Frosted Grape - contains gelatin
- Frosted Chocolate Chip - contains whey, milk, gelatin, and egg whites
- Frosted S'Mores - contain milk, gelatin, egg whites, and whey
- Frosted Wildlicious Wild Berry - contains gelatin
- Frosted Hot Fudge Sundae - contains gelatin
- Cinnamon Sugar Pretzel - contains gelatin and milk
- Salted Caramel Pretzel - contains milk and gelatin
- Frosted Chocolatey Churro - contains gelatin
- Banana Creme Pie - contains gelatin
- Frosted Blueberry - contains gelatin
The good news is that all three of the unfrosted flavors are vegan as is the new (frosted) Snickerdoodle flavor.
Non-Vegan Ingredients.
The main non-vegan ingredients in Pop-Tarts are gelatin, egg whites, dairy products and confectioner's glaze. What is gelatin? According to Peta.org, "Gelatin is a protein obtained by boiling skin, tendons, ligaments, and/or bones with water. It is usually obtained from cows or pigs. Gelatin is used in shampoos, face masks, and other cosmetics; as a thickener for fruit gelatins and puddings (such as Jell-O); in candies, marshmallows, cakes, ice cream, and yogurts; on photographic film; and in vitamins as a coating and as capsules, and it is sometimes used to assist in “clearing” wines. Gelatin is not vegan."
What is confectioner's glaze? According to 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. Want to learn more about confectioner's glaze? Click HERE to read more about it.
Vegan Brands of Pop-Tarts
If you're in the mood for Pop-Tarts but looking for more natural flavors and ingredients, there are several brands that have some vegan flavors. Like regular Pop-Tarts, stay away from the frosted kinds to avoid non-vegan ingredients.
- Nature’s Path Unfrosted Berry Strawberry Toaster Pastries - These organic pastries have no artificial flavors or colors but are still delicious!
- Bobo's Toasters come in several different flavors including strawberry, apple pie, raspberry, and cinnamon brown sugar. These organic toasters are free from controversial ingredients and can be ordered on the Eat Bobo's website.
Homemade Vegan Pop Tarts
Is there a vegan alternative to a frosted pop tart? Yes...if you make your own. Since they are basically a pie crust filled with fruity jam or other flavors, pop-tarts aren't challenging to make. There are many recipes online that use simple ingredients. Yum Vegan Food's recipe uses vegan butter, flour, plant milk, jam, and a few other ingredients to make some delicious breakfast pastries! You can also substitute coconut oil for vegan butter if you prefer it. Use a food processor to make this recipe easier! A rolling pin is a must if you try to make your own.
If cinnamon sugar is the flavor for you, try out this Vegan Brown Sugar Vegan Pop-Tarts recipe by Sinful Kitchen. Maple syrup makes the filling delectable! Feel free to play around with the recipes to make your own vegan pop tarts. Find a recipe for the crust, and then try out your favorite flavors. I'm looking forward to trying to make chocolate peanut butter pop-tarts since it's my favorite flavor combination!
Other Recipes Using Pop-Tarts
So you've bought some vegan pop-tarts but want to get a little more creative. You can also use them as an ingredient in another dish.
- Pop-Tart Ice Cream Sandwich - As the name implies, use pop-tarts as the "cookie" and fill with vegan ice cream. Try some vanilla or strawberry ice cream layered between two unfrosted strawberry pop-tarts.
- Pop-Tart Yogurt Parfait - Layer chopped up vegan pop-tarts with vegan vanilla yogurt and fresh fruit. Try unfrosted blueberry pop-tarts, vanilla yogurt and fresh blueberries. Coconut yogurt would also be delicious! You can also sprinkle some vegan chocolate chips on top!
Summary
There are currently 4 vegan flavors of Pop-Tarts, the 3 unfrosted varieties plus Snickerdoodles. Hopefully Kellogg's will make more unfrosted flavors in the future such as apple cinnamon. There are also some great recipes if you want to make your own vegan Pop-Tarts, some with options using gluten-free flour. Nature's Path and Bobo's also make healthier vegan toaster pastries if you're looking to stay away from artificial ingredients. With all of these options, vegans can still eat the classic breakfast treat!