Is Cape Cod Chips Vegan?
It Depends
Not certifiedCape Cod's plain and lightly seasoned kettle chip flavors are vegan, potatoes, oil, and salt only. A solid chunk of the lineup, however, contains milk, whey, buttermilk, sour cream solids, or honey. Whether you can eat Cape Cod chips as a vegan comes down entirely to which flavor you pick up.
The catch: Several popular flavors, including Sour Cream and Onion, Sea Salt and Cracked Pepper, both Waves White Cheddar and Sour Cream SKUs, Waves Jalapeno Ranch, Less Fat Aged White Cheddar and Sour Cream, and Waves Honey BBQ, contain dairy or honey, so the brand is not uniformly vegan.
Category
Snacks
Verdict
It Depends
Brand
Cape Cod Chip Company (owned by Campbell's)
Confirmed vegan flavors (as of 2025 formulations): Original, Dark Russet, Original Lightly Salted, Sea Salt and Vinegar, Less Fat Original, Less Fat Sea Salt and Vinegar, Waves Sea Salt, Waves Less Fat Sea Salt, and Sea Salt Waffle Cut. These contain only potatoes, vegetable oil (canola, sunflower, safflower, and/or soybean), and salt or vinegar.
Confirmed non-vegan flavors: Sour Cream and Onion (contains cultured cream, whey, buttermilk, nonfat milk), Sea Salt and Cracked Pepper (contains whey and buttermilk, labeled as containing milk), Waves White Cheddar and Sour Cream (cheddar cheese, whey, sour cream powder, cream, milk fat), Less Fat Aged White Cheddar and Sour Cream (dairy), Waves Jalapeno Ranch (dairy), and Waves Honey BBQ (honey listed explicitly in ingredients). Sweet Mesquite Barbeque is plant-based in its listed ingredients (potatoes, oil, sugar, tomato powder, paprika, molasses, vinegar, natural flavor including smoke) and is widely considered vegan, though some strict vegans flag the catch-all "natural flavor" descriptor.
Sweet and Spicy Jalapeno similarly contains no declared dairy or honey and is listed as vegan by multiple retailers, but "natural flavors" leave a small residual question that the company has not publicly clarified. The brand does not carry a certified-vegan seal across its line.
Cape Cod is a subsidiary of Campbell Soup Company following the 2017 acquisition of Snyder's-Lance.
What makes it non-vegan
- ✕milk
- ✕whey
- ✕buttermilk
- ✕sour cream
- ✕cheddar cheese
- ✕nonfat dry milk
- ✕honey
Vegan alternatives
- ✓ Kettle Brand Sea Salt Chips
- ✓ Deep River Snacks Original Sea Salt Kettle Chips
- ✓ Boulder Canyon Original Sea Salt Kettle Chips
- ✓ Lay's Classic (Original) Chips
- ✓ Trader Joe's Kettle Cooked Sea Salt Potato Chips
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Looking to make your own? Browse our vegan swaps.
Other snacks
Frequently asked
Is Cape Cod Chips Vegan?
Cape Cod's plain and lightly seasoned kettle chip flavors are vegan, potatoes, oil, and salt only. A solid chunk of the lineup, however, contains milk, whey, buttermilk, sour cream solids, or honey. Whether you can eat Cape Cod chips as a vegan comes down entirely to which flavor you pick up.
What is the catch with Cape Cod Chips?
Several popular flavors, including Sour Cream and Onion, Sea Salt and Cracked Pepper, both Waves White Cheddar and Sour Cream SKUs, Waves Jalapeno Ranch, Less Fat Aged White Cheddar and Sour Cream, and Waves Honey BBQ, contain dairy or honey, so the brand is not uniformly vegan.
What can I use instead of Cape Cod Chips?
Vegan options include Kettle Brand Sea Salt Chips, Deep River Snacks Original Sea Salt Kettle Chips, Boulder Canyon Original Sea Salt Kettle Chips, Lay's Classic (Original) Chips.
Is Cape Cod Chips certified vegan?
Cape Cod Chips does not carry a third-party vegan certification, so the verdict here is based on its current ingredient list and manufacturer information.
Sources
Last verified June 20, 2026. See how we verify. Always confirm on the current product label, since recipes change. Product photo via Open Food Facts.
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