Are Uncrustables Vegan? (Updated 2023)

Are Uncrustables vegan? If you're struggling for time to pack lunch in the morning, Smucker’s Uncrustables sandwiches can help. You can put one of the frozen sandwiches in your lunch bag or leave it out at room temperature and it will be thawed and ready to eat by lunch.

Plus there aren't any crusts on them if that is something that's important to you or your kids. But are they vegan? Let's take a look at the ingredients lists and the different flavors.

All product information, ingredients and allergen information can be found on the Smucker's Uncrustabes website.

Thaw and Eat Flavors of Uncrustables

The classic kind of Uncrustables is the thaw and eat style. These crustless sandwiches started as an alternative to classic peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. But over the years they have added more flavors and varieties including the Reduced Sugar. The Reduced Sugar Varieties contain 25% less sugar than the regular flavors.

They now also have sandwiches that contain meat and cheese that you thaw and eat. The good news is that there are several flavors that are vegan. All non-vegan ingredients are in bold.

Peanut Butter and Grape Jelly Sandwich Ingredients: Bread: Enriched Unbleached Flour (Wheat Flour, Malted Barley Flour, Niacin, Ferrous Sulfate, Thiamin Mononitrate, Riboflavin, Folic Acid), Water, Unbleached Whole Wheat Flour, Sugar, Yeast, Soybean Oil, Contains 2% or Less of: Salt, Dough Conditioners (Distilled Mono and Diglycerides, DATEM, Enzymes [with Wheat Starch, Ascorbic Acid, Calcium Peroxide]). Peanut Butter: Peanuts, Sugar, Contains 2% or Less of: Molasses, Fully Hydrogenated Vegetable Oils (Rapeseed and Soybean), Mono and Diglycerides, Salt. Grape Jelly: Sugar, Grape Juice, Contains 2% or Less of: Pectin, Citric Acid, Potassium Sorbate (Preservative). May Contain Milk

Peanut Butter and Strawberry Jam Sandwich Ingredients: Bread: Enriched Unbleached Flour (Wheat Flour, Malted Barley Flour, Niacin, Ferrous Sulfate, Thiamin Mononitrate, Riboflavin, Folic Acid), Water, Unbleached Whole Wheat Flour, Sugar, Yeast, Soybean Oil, Contains 2% or Less of: Salt, Dough Conditioners (Distilled Mono and Diglycerides, DATEM, Enzymes [with Wheat Starch, Ascorbic Acid, Calcium Peroxide]). Peanut Butter: Peanuts, Sugar, Contains 2% or Less of: Molasses, Fully Hydrogenated Vegetable Oils (Rapeseed and Soybean), Mono and Diglycerides, Salt. Strawberry Jam: Sugar, Strawberries, Contains 2% or Less of: Pectin, Citric Acid, Potassium Sorbate (Preservative). May Contain Milk

Chocolate Flavored Hazelnut Spread Sandwich Ingredients: Bread: Enriched Unbleached Flour (Wheat Flour, Malted Barley Flour, Niacin, Ferrous Sulfate, Thiamin Mononitrate, Riboflavin, Folic Acid), Water, Unbleached Whole Wheat Flour, Sugar, Yeast, Soybean Oil, Contains 2% or Less of: Salt, Dough Conditioners (Distilled Mono and Diglycerides, DATEM, Enzymes [with Wheat Starch, Ascorbic Acid, Calcium Peroxide]). Chocolate Flavored Hazelnut Spread: Sugar, Vegetable Oils (Palm and Canola), Hazelnuts, Cocoa Processed with Alkali and Cocoa, Skim Milk, Whey, Sunflower Lecithin, Vanillin (Artificial Flavor).

Unfortunately, this flavor contains dairy products and is not vegan.

Peanut Butter and Honey Spread Sandwich Ingredients: Bread: Unbleached Whole Wheat Flour, Enriched Unbleached Flour (Wheat Flour, Malted Barley Flour, Niacin, Ferrous Sulfate, Thiamin Mononitrate, Riboflavin, Folic Acid), Water, Sugar, Yeast, Contains 2% or Less of: Wheat Gluten, Soybean Oil, Salt, Dough Conditioners (Distilled Mono and Diglycerides, Sodium Stearoyl Lactylate, DATEM, Enzymes [with Wheat Starch, Ascorbic Acid, Calcium Peroxide]). Peanut Butter: Peanuts, Sugar, Contains 2% or Less of: Molasses, Fully Hydrogenated Vegetable Oils (Rapeseed and Soybean), Mono and Diglycerides, Salt. Honey Spread: Sugar, Water, Honey, Pectin, Citric Acid, Potassium Sorbate (Preservative), Caramel Color, Calcium Chloride, Natural Flavor.

Unfortunately, this flavor contains honey and is not considered vegan.

Peanut Butter and Grape Jelly Sandwich on Wheat (Reduced Sugar) Ingredients: Bread: Unbleached Whole Wheat Flour, Enriched Unbleached Flour (Wheat Flour, Malted Barley Flour, Niacin, Ferrous Sulfate, Thiamin Mononitrate, Riboflavin, Folic Acid), Water, Sugar, Yeast, Contains 2% or Less of: Wheat Gluten, Soybean Oil, Salt, Dough Conditioners (Distilled Mono and Diglycerides, Sodium Stearoyl Lactylate, DATEM, Enzymes [with Wheat Starch, Ascorbic Acid, Calcium Peroxide]). Peanut Butter: Peanuts, Contains 2% or Less of: Fully Hydrogenated Vegetable Oils (Rapeseed and Soybean), Sugar, Mono and Diglycerides, Salt, Molasses. Grape Spread: Grapes, Sugar, Water, Contains 2% or Less of: Fruit Pectin, Citric Acid, Locust Bean Gum, Potassium Sorbate (Preservative), Calcium Chloride.

Uncrustables on a plate and cut in half.

Peanut Butter and Strawberry Spread Sandwich on Wheat (Reduced Sugar) Ingredients: Bread: Unbleached Whole Wheat Flour, Enriched Unbleached Flour (Wheat Flour, Malted Barley Flour, Niacin, Ferrous Sulfate, Thiamin Mononitrate, Riboflavin, Folic Acid), Water, Sugar, Yeast, Contains 2% or Less of: Wheat Gluten, Soybean Oil, Salt, Dough Conditioners (Distilled Mono and Diglycerides, Sodium Stearoyl Lactylate, DATEM, Enzymes [with Wheat Starch, Ascorbic Acid, Calcium Peroxide]). Peanut Butter: Peanuts, Contains 2% or Less of: Fully Hydrogenated Vegetable Oils (Rapeseed and Soybean), Sugar, Mono and Diglycerides, Salt, Molasses. Strawberry Spread: Sugar, Strawberries, Water, Contains 2% or Less of: Fruit Pectin, Citric Acid, Locust Bean Gum, Potassium Sorbate (Preservative), Calcium Chloride.

Uncrustables Bites

Uncrustables Bites are the new variety of Uncrustables. Like the other varieties, these are thaw and eat sandwiches. Unfortunately, both flavors contain meat and cheese and are not vegan.

Uncured Ham and Cheddar Bites
Turkey and Colby Jack Bites

Vegan Flavors of Uncrustables

The peanut butter and jelly varieties of Uncrustables are vegan and are listed below.

Peanut Butter and Grape Jelly Sandwich
Peanut Butter and Strawberry Jam Sandwich
Reduced Sugar Peanut Butter and Grape Spread Sandwich on Wheat
Reduced Sugar Peanut Butter and Strawberry Spread Sandwich on Wheat

Homemade Uncrustables

If you want to have more control over the ingredients used in your peanut butter and jelly sandwiches but you love the ease of Uncrustables, you can make your own! Check out How to Make Homemade Uncrustables Sandwiches from Unsophisticook for step by step directions. They are super easy to make!

FAQ

Do Uncrustables contain high fructose corn syrup?

No, they do not contain high fructose corn syrup. They do contain other kinds of sugar.

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 Uncrustables healthy?

No, Uncrustables aren't healthy. The peanut butter they use has both sugar and hydrogenated oils in it. Sugar is the first or second ingredient in the jelly.

Summary

If you don't have time in the morning to make yourself a PB&J, keep a box of Uncrustables in your freezer. You can easily find them in the frozen section of most grocery stores. The PB&J varieties are the vegan-friendly flavors. The Peanut Butter & Honey and the Chocolate Flavored Hazelnut Spread flavors contain animal ingredients and are unfortunately not vegan. You can also make your own (healthier) Uncrustables!

Wondering if other shortcut foods are vegan? Check out: