Is Pirate's Booty (Aged White Cheddar Puffs) Vegan?
Not Vegan
Not certifiedPirate's Booty Aged White Cheddar puffs contain real dairy throughout: cheddar cheese, whey, and buttermilk all appear on the label. These are not trace amounts or ambiguous additives, they are core flavoring ingredients. There is no vegan version of the cheese puff line.
The catch: The cheddar seasoning is made with actual cultured milk cheese, plus separate additions of whey and buttermilk, three distinct dairy sources in one snack.
Category
Snacks
Verdict
Not Vegan
Brand
Pirate's Booty (The Hershey Company)
The full ingredients list for the standard Aged White Cheddar variety reads: cornmeal, rice flour, canola oil, cheddar cheese (cultured milk, salt, enzymes), whey (milk), and less than 2% of buttermilk, salt, natural flavor, lactic acid, citric acid, black pepper. Dairy shows up three separate ways.
The brand does make a Veggie Puffs variety (spinach, kale, carrot and other vegetable powders, no dairy ingredients listed) that is generally considered vegan by ingredient, though it is made in a shared facility that handles dairy. If the cheese puffs are what you are looking for, there is no workaround here.
The Cheddar Blast variety carries the same dairy profile. Pirate's Booty is owned by The Hershey Company as of 2018, and formulations have not changed in a way that removes dairy from the cheese line.
What makes it non-vegan
- ✕Cheddar cheese (cultured milk, salt, enzymes)
- ✕Whey (milk)
- ✕Buttermilk
Vegan alternatives
- ✓ Hippeas Organic Chickpea Puffs (White Cheddar flavor is not vegan, but Vegan White Cheddar and Sriracha Sunshine are)
- ✓ Pirate's Booty Veggie Puffs (same brand, no dairy ingredients, made in shared facility)
- ✓ LesserEvil Paleo Puffs (coconut oil and nutritional yeast, fully dairy-free)
- ✓ Beanfields Bean Puffs Nacho (dairy-free nacho flavor from plant sources)
- ✓ Lundberg Rice Cakes (plain or lightly salted, straightforward vegan puffed snack)
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Looking to make your own? Browse our vegan swaps.
Other snacks
Frequently asked
Is Pirate's Booty (Aged White Cheddar Puffs) Vegan?
Pirate's Booty Aged White Cheddar puffs contain real dairy throughout: cheddar cheese, whey, and buttermilk all appear on the label. These are not trace amounts or ambiguous additives, they are core flavoring ingredients. There is no vegan version of the cheese puff line.
What is the catch with Pirate's Booty (Aged White Cheddar Puffs)?
The cheddar seasoning is made with actual cultured milk cheese, plus separate additions of whey and buttermilk, three distinct dairy sources in one snack.
What can I use instead of Pirate's Booty (Aged White Cheddar Puffs)?
Vegan options include Hippeas Organic Chickpea Puffs (White Cheddar flavor is not vegan, but Vegan White Cheddar and Sriracha Sunshine are), Pirate's Booty Veggie Puffs (same brand, no dairy ingredients, made in shared facility), LesserEvil Paleo Puffs (coconut oil and nutritional yeast, fully dairy-free), Beanfields Bean Puffs Nacho (dairy-free nacho flavor from plant sources).
Is Pirate's Booty (Aged White Cheddar Puffs) certified vegan?
Pirate's Booty (Aged White Cheddar Puffs) 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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