80 Surprisingly Not-Vegan Foods

Some of these you would never guess. The everyday foods below all contain a hidden animal ingredient, from the honey in your cereal to the carmine in your candy. Every entry is checked against the current label.

Product	Verdict	Certified	Watch for	The catch
Is Almond Joy vegan?	Not Vegan	Not certified	Milk in coating AND filling	The milk chocolate coating and the coconut filling both contain dairy. This is not a cross-contamination situation; milk, nonfat milk, milk fat, lactose, and whey are all listed as intentional ingredients.
Is Butterfinger vegan?	Not Vegan	Not certified	Contains milk and nonfat mi	The 2019 Ferrero reformulation increased milk content as a selling point, making the bar less vegan-friendly than its already non-vegan predecessor.
Is Candy Corn vegan?	Not Vegan	Not certified	Pork gelatin + shellac + ho	Brach's uses all three of the classic candy corn non-vegan ingredients at once: pork gelatin, shellac (confectioner's glaze from lac bugs), and honey. Removing one would not make it vegan.
Is Charleston Chew vegan?	Not Vegan	Not certified	Dairy + egg in every flavor	Both dairy and eggs are structural ingredients in the nougat itself, not incidental additives. Nonfat dry milk, lactose, milk protein concentrate, and egg albumen all appear in every flavor sold by Tootsie Roll Industries as of 2025.
Is Cheerios (Original) vegan?	Not Vegan	Not certified	Vit D3 (lanolin)	General Mills confirmed on their own FAQ that their Vitamin D3 comes from lanolin (sheep's wool), and it appears in every Cheerios variety sold in the US.
Is Cheetos vegan?	Not Vegan	Not certified	Milk, Whey, Rennet	The cheese seasoning that defines every mainstream Cheetos product is built on real dairy, including cheddar cheese made with animal-derived rennet, whey protein, and often buttermilk. There is no dairy-free version sold in the US.
Is Cheez Doodles vegan?	Not Vegan	Not certified	Contains whey, buttermilk,	Every Wise Cheez Doodles variety relies on real dairy for its cheese flavor. Whey, buttermilk, cheddar, and butter oil all appear in the ingredient list. There is no "accidentally vegan" flavor in the lineup.
Is Cheez-It vegan?	Not Vegan	Not certified	Milk	The entire product line is made with real dairy cheese. The brand itself advertises "100% real cheese" as its defining feature, so this is not a trace-amount concern or a cross-contamination question. Dairy is the product.
Is Chips Ahoy! Original Chocolate Chip Cookies vegan?	Not Vegan	Not certified	Milk	Milk is listed directly inside the chocolate chip ingredient sub-list on the Original variety, making it an explicit dairy product rather than a trace-contamination concern.
Is Cinnamon Toast Crunch vegan?	Not Vegan	Not certified	Vitamin D3 (lanolin)	Vitamin D3 fortification sourced from lanolin (sheep's wool), confirmed as an animal-derived ingredient present in every box.
Is Cocoa Puffs vegan?	Not Vegan	Not certified	Vitamin D3 from lanolin	Vitamin D3 in the vitamin blend is derived from lanolin (sheep wool), confirmed across multiple General Mills cereal analyses and consistent with the company's standard fortification practice.
Is Combos (Filled Pretzels, Cheese) vegan?	Not Vegan	Not certified	Dairy in every current flav	The filling is built on dairy from multiple angles at once: actual cheese blend plus skim milk, whey, lactose, and sodium caseinate as separate additions. Avoiding one does not help because all five are present.
Is Cool Whip vegan?	Not Vegan	Not certified	Contains skim milk, cream,	Despite the old "non-dairy" labeling that confused shoppers for decades, Cool Whip has contained real dairy since at least 2010, when Kraft reformulated the Original to add cream. Sodium caseinate, a milk protein, was already in earlier formulas too.
Is DiGiorno Pizza vegan?	Not Vegan	Not certified	Dairy in every SKU incl. "M	The "Meatless" or plant-based topping varieties fool people into thinking they might be vegan, they are not. The cheese is always real dairy mozzarella, and DiGiorno has no dairy-free or fully vegan pizza in its current lineup.
Is Dove Chocolate (Milk Chocolate) vegan?	Not Vegan	Not certified	Contains milk, milkfat, lac	The entire Dove chocolate lineup, including the dark chocolate Promises, contains milkfat derived from dairy. There is no vegan-friendly Dove chocolate product currently available in the US market.
Is Eggo Waffles vegan?	Not Vegan	Not certified	Contains eggs + dairy	Eggs appear in every single Eggo variety, and dairy (whey or buttermilk) shows up in most of them. Even the "plain" Homestyle version contains both.
Is Entenmann's Baked Goods vegan?	Not Vegan	Not certified	Eggs + dairy in every SKU	Eggs and dairy show up in every product category, including products that might seem like simple baked goods. Even the chocolate chip cookies, which carry no cream or butter in the name, contain eggs and whey.
Is Famous Amos Cookies vegan?	Not Vegan	Not certified	Contains whey + eggs	Whey (a milk byproduct) and dried whole eggs appear in the standard formulation, making these cookies off-limits for vegans regardless of flavor.
Is Ferrero Rocher vegan?	Not Vegan	Not certified	Milk in chocolate AND wafer	The milk is not a trace amount or a "may contain" warning. Skim milk powder, butteroil, and whey are all listed as deliberate ingredients in the chocolate and the wafer respectively.
Is Froot Loops vegan?	Not Vegan	Not certified	Vitamin D3	Vitamin D3 in the fortification blend is almost universally sourced from lanolin, an animal byproduct from sheep. This applies to the standard US box and most international variants. Australia's version adds carmine on top of that.
Is Frosted Flakes vegan?	Not Vegan	Not certified	Vitamin D3 (lanolin)	Vitamin D3 in the fortification blend is almost certainly lanolin-derived (sheep's wool), and Kellogg's has not published confirmation of a plant-based D3 source for this product.
Is Frosted Mini-Wheats vegan?	Not Vegan	Not certified	Beef gelatin in frosting	Beef gelatin is listed as an ingredient in the frosting on all standard Frosted Mini-Wheats varieties sold in the US. There is no vegan-approved version of this product from Kellogg's.
Is Funyuns Onion Flavored Rings vegan?	Not Vegan	Not certified	Buttermilk in "Original" fl	The Original flavor looks plain and salty but still contains buttermilk in the "less than 2%" seasoning list, easy to miss if you are scanning for obvious cheese or cream.
Is G Fuel Energy Formula Powder vegan?	Not Vegan	Not certified	Company-confirmed not vegan	Gamma Labs officially confirmed on X that G Fuel is not vegan compliant, pointing to L-tyrosine as the primary reason, an amino acid they source from animal-derived material rather than a synthetic or plant-based route.
Is Goldfish Crackers vegan?	Not Vegan	Not certified	Milk	Dairy is in every single flavor, including the ones that look like they should be plain. The Pretzel and Original varieties both contain nonfat milk, so there is no safe "default" pick for vegans.
Is Good and Plenty vegan?	Not Vegan	Not certified	Carmine + shellac in candy	Those iconic pink and white shells get their gloss from shellac (confectioner's glaze) and their pink color from carmine, both come from insects.
Are Haribo Goldbears vegan?	Not Vegan	Not certified	Gelatin	Gelatin (pork-derived in the US, UK, and Germany) is the primary non-vegan ingredient, used to give the bears their chewy texture; beeswax is an additional non-vegan glazing agent.
Is Hershey's Kisses (Milk Chocolate) vegan?	Not Vegan	Not certified	Contains milk, milk fat, la	The classic Kiss is built on milk solids. Even the "dark chocolate" Special Dark Kiss variety lists milk fat in its ingredients, so switching to a darker Hershey's Kiss does not get you off the hook.
Is Hershey's Milk Chocolate vegan?	Not Vegan	Not certified	Milk	The product is literally called "milk chocolate" because dairy is central to its recipe. Milk, skim milk, and milk fat are all listed ingredients, making this one of the clearest non-vegan calls in the chocolate aisle.
Is Hi-Chew vegan?	Not Vegan	Not certified	Gelatin (pork)	Every Hi-Chew product contains gelatin (pork-derived), listed on the official ingredients page, making the entire line unsuitable for vegans and vegetarians alike.
Is Hidden Valley Original Ranch Dressing vegan?	Not Vegan	Not certified	Buttermilk + egg yolk in ba	The creamy base is built on real buttermilk and egg yolk. There is no vegan version of the original dressing, the Plant Powered line is a separate SKU sold in a smaller bottle and not always stocked alongside the classic.
Is Honey Bunches of Oats (Honey Roasted) vegan?	Not Vegan	Not certified	Contains honey	Honey is listed as a direct ingredient, not a flavoring or trace contaminant. It is in there by design and in meaningful quantity. This is not a gray-area product.
Is Honey Nut Cheerios vegan?	Not Vegan	Not certified	Honey	Real honey is listed in the ingredients. The name is not a flavor trick: General Mills uses actual bee honey in the recipe, not a honey-flavored substitute.
Is Hot Tamales vegan?	Not Vegan	Not certified	Confectioners glaze	Confectioners glaze (shellac) is used as the shiny coating on every Hot Tamales variety. It comes from lac bug secretions and appears in less than 0.5% of the formula, but it is always listed on the label.
Is International Delight Coffee Creamer vegan?	Not Vegan	Not certified	Contains sodium caseinate	The "non-dairy" label is a legal technicality, not a vegan claim. Sodium caseinate is a milk protein present in every International Delight creamer flavor.
Is Jell-O Gelatin Dessert vegan?	Not Vegan	Not certified	Contains animal-derived gel	Gelatin is the entire point of the product. It is derived from slaughterhouse byproducts (primarily pigskin and beef hides) and cannot be substituted out of the existing formula. There is no animal-free version of Jell-O Gelatin Dessert.
Is Jet-Puffed Marshmallows vegan?	Not Vegan	Not certified	Contains pork gelatin	Every standard Jet-Puffed variety lists gelatin, and Kraft Heinz customer service has confirmed it is pork-derived, making the product unsuitable for vegans and most vegetarians.
Is Junior Caramels vegan?	Not Vegan	Not certified	Milk + shellac in coating	The caramel center and the milk chocolate coating both contain dairy, and the outer shell uses confectioner's glaze, which is shellac from lac insects. Dairy shows up in at least three separate ingredient forms.
Is Junior Mints vegan?	Not Vegan	Not certified	Confectioners glaze	Confectioners glaze (shellac) is listed on the label and is derived from lac bug secretions, an insect byproduct that most vegans do not consider acceptable.
Is Keebler Fudge Stripes vegan?	Not Vegan	Not certified	Contains whey (dairy)	Whey (a milk protein byproduct) is listed directly in the ingredients, and milk is declared as a top allergen on every standard variety.
Is Kellogg's Corn Flakes vegan?	Not Vegan	Not certified	Vitamin D3 from lanolin	Vitamin D3 in the fortification blend comes from lanolin, which is extracted from sheep's wool. It is listed plainly on the US label and confirmed by Kellogg's for the UK formulation as well.
Is Kit Kat vegan?	Not Vegan	Not certified	Milk	The chocolate coating and cream filling both contain dairy. Even Kit Kat Dark (US) adds milk fat and lactose, so there is no standard US variety that avoids animal ingredients.
Is Klondike Bar vegan?	Not Vegan	Not certified	Contains milk, cream, and w	The very first ingredient in the ice cream filling is nonfat milk, and cream plus whey appear throughout every flavor. There is no workaround, all current Klondike varieties are built on a dairy base.
Is Little Debbie Snack Cakes vegan?	Not Vegan	Not certified	Whey + dried eggs in every	Even the simplest-seeming products like Oatmeal Creme Pies and Cosmic Brownies carry whey and dried eggs in the ingredient list, so there is no safe "always vegan" subcategory to fall back on within the brand.
Is Lucky Charms vegan?	Not Vegan	Not certified	Gelatin (pork)	The marshmallows contain pork gelatin. There is no version of Lucky Charms without marshmallows that still carries the Lucky Charms name, so the whole product line is out for vegans and vegetarians.
Is M&Ms (Milk Chocolate) vegan?	Not Vegan	Not certified	Milk	The chocolate core is milk chocolate, which lists skim milk, lactose, and milkfat directly in the ingredients. This is not a trace-contamination concern or a gray area; dairy is a primary ingredient in every standard variety.
Is Mike and Ike vegan?	Not Vegan	Not certified	Shellac glaze, all flavors	Confectioners glaze (shellac) coats every piece. It is secreted by lac bugs and its production kills insects at scale, present in all flavors, no workaround.
Is Milk Duds vegan?	Not Vegan	Not certified	Dairy + insect shellac coat	The product is dairy through and through, not just in the name. Skim milk and whey go into the caramel, lactose appears in the chocolatey coating, and the outer shine comes from shellac (confectioner's glaze), an insect-derived resin. You would need to avoid all four of these to be vegan, and none of them are optional in the current formulation.
Is Milky Way vegan?	Not Vegan	Not certified	Milk + Egg	The bar contains skim milk, milkfat, lactose, and egg whites in its standard formulation, making it off-limits for vegans regardless of region or size variant.
Is Mounds vegan?	Not Vegan	Not certified	Dairy in "dark" chocolate c	The "dark chocolate" coating contains milk fat, and hydrolyzed milk protein appears separately in the formulation, two distinct dairy hits, not just trace contamination.
Is Nature Valley Bars vegan?	Not Vegan	Not certified	Honey	Honey is a direct, labeled ingredient in the flagship Crunchy Oats 'n Honey bars, and dairy shows up across the protein and soft-baked lines, so no major product line is free of animal ingredients.
Is Nesquik Chocolate Milk Mix vegan?	Not Vegan	Not certified	Vit D3	The flagship chocolate powder contains Vitamin D3 sourced from sheep lanolin, and other flavors layer on additional animal ingredients including carmine (strawberry) and whey (No Sugar Added).
Is Nestle Crunch vegan?	Not Vegan	Not certified	Contains milk	The chocolate coating is milk chocolate by definition. Nonfat milk, milkfat, and lactose are all listed separately in the ingredients, so dairy is not a trace concern here, it is the core of the product.
Is Nestle Toll House Chocolate Chips (Milk Chocolate Morsels) vegan?	Not Vegan	Not certified	Contains nonfat milk + milk	Both nonfat milk and milkfat are listed on the ingredient panel, not as cross-contact warnings but as actual components of the chocolate.
Is Nilla Wafers vegan?	Not Vegan	Not certified	Milk (Whey) + Egg	The recipe contains two distinct animal ingredients, whey and eggs, which appear in all current retail versions of the product.
Is Nutella vegan?	Not Vegan	Not certified	Contains skimmed milk powder	Skimmed milk powder is baked into the original recipe worldwide, not a regional variant or trace cross-contact note. It is a core ingredient.
Is Pepperidge Farm Milano Cookies vegan?	Not Vegan	Not certified	Contains eggs + milk in all	Both the cookie wafer and the chocolate filling contain animal products. Eggs are in the dough across all flavors, and milk derivatives appear in the chocolate filling in every variety checked.
Is Pirate's Booty (Aged White Cheddar Puffs) vegan?	Not Vegan	Not certified	Contains milk, whey, and bu	The cheddar seasoning is made with actual cultured milk cheese, plus separate additions of whey and buttermilk, three distinct dairy sources in one snack.
Are Pop-Tarts vegan?	Not Vegan	Not certified	Gelatin	Gelatin in the frosting, sourced from beef cattle skin and bones, is present in every frosted Pop-Tarts variety, which covers nearly the entire product line.
Is Raisin Bran vegan?	Not Vegan	Not certified	Vitamin D3 (lanolin)	Vitamin D3 in both Kellogg's and Post versions is cholecalciferol sourced from lanolin (sheep's wool grease), a confirmed animal byproduct.
Is Raisinets vegan?	Not Vegan	Not certified	Milk + shellac in both vari	The dark chocolate version sounds like it could be dairy-free, but it still lists milkfat, nonfat milk, and lactose in the chocolate coating, plus confectioner's glaze (shellac) on the outer shell.
Is Reese's Peanut Butter Cups vegan?	Not Vegan	Not certified	Milk	The milk chocolate coating contains three distinct dairy ingredients: skim milk, milk fat, and lactose. The peanut butter filling itself is dairy-free, but the chocolate shell makes the standard product a clear no for vegans.
Is Rice Krispies vegan?	Not Vegan	Not certified	Vit D3 (lanolin)	Vitamin D3 in the US formulation comes from lanolin (sheep wool grease), an animal byproduct that disqualifies it for strict vegans.
Are Ritz Crackers vegan?	Not Vegan	Not certified	Dairy	The original Ritz Crackers are certified OU-D (dairy) by the Orthodox Union, which has direct access to Mondelez's full formulation and confirmed actual dairy presence, almost certainly hidden within the "natural flavor" ingredient. This is not speculative like bone-char sugar: it is positive certification of dairy content. The VRG investigated in 2023 and confirmed the OU-D designation while Mondelez refused to name the specific dairy ingredient. Additionally, all flavored varieties (Cheddar, Honey Wheat, Sour Cream and Onion, Ritz Bits, Toasted Chips) contain explicit dairy or honey, making the entire Ritz line non-vegan.
Is RXBAR Protein Bar vegan?	Not Vegan	Not certified	Egg	Egg whites are a core, branded ingredient in every standard RXBAR flavor, not a trace or hidden additive. The bar's whole identity is built on them.
Is Sixlets vegan?	Not Vegan	Not certified	Dairy (whey) + beeswax	The core chocolatey center is made with reduced protein whey, a processed dairy ingredient, not actual chocolate. There is no dairy-free or vegan version of standard Sixlets on the market.
Is Smartfood White Cheddar Popcorn vegan?	Not Vegan	Not certified	Milk, Buttermilk, Whey	The signature white cheddar coating is built on real dairy: cheddar cheese (made with milk, cultures, salt, and enzymes), buttermilk, and whey are all listed on the label. There is no plant-based version of this product.
Is Snickers vegan?	Not Vegan	Not certified	Milk + Egg	The nougat contains egg whites, and the chocolate coating is milk chocolate loaded with skim milk, lactose, and milkfat. Two animal ingredient categories, not one.
Is Swiss Miss Hot Cocoa Mix (Milk Chocolate) vegan?	Not Vegan	Not certified	Contains dairy	Modified whey and nonfat milk are listed as primary ingredients in every standard Swiss Miss Milk Chocolate variety, not trace cross-contact, they are intentional dairy components.
Is Toblerone vegan?	Not Vegan	Not certified	Honey, milk + egg white	Even the dark chocolate version contains milk fat, honey, and egg white. Many people assume dark chocolate is vegan by default, but Toblerone Dark specifically lists all three animal-derived ingredients on its label.
Is Tootsie Roll vegan?	Not Vegan	Not certified	Contains dairy (milk + whey)	Condensed skim milk and whey appear in every standard Tootsie Roll variety, including the fruit chews and Tootsie Pops, there is no variant that skips dairy.
Is Totino's Party Pizza vegan?	Not Vegan	Not certified	Imitation cheese still has	The "imitation" cheese label sounds plant-based but it is not. The imitation mozzarella Totino's uses is built around rennet casein, a milk protein, and modified whey, another dairy byproduct. A second layer of real mozzarella made from part-skim milk is also baked on top.
Is Trix vegan?	Not Vegan	Not certified	Vitamin D3 from lanolin	Vitamin D3 in the fortification blend comes from lanolin (sheep wool grease), a direct animal byproduct.
Is Twinkies vegan?	Not Vegan	Not certified	Beef fat (tallow) + eggs + whey	Both the cake and the filling contain animal products. Eggs give the sponge its structure and whey is part of the cream filling, so there is no layer of the product that is free from animal ingredients.
Is Twix vegan?	Not Vegan	Not certified	Milk	The milk chocolate coating alone carries skim milk, milk fat, and lactose. Dairy shows up in the caramel and biscuit layers too, so there is no workaround on any standard Twix product.
Is Welch's Fruit Snacks vegan?	Not Vegan	Not certified	Contains pork/beef gelatin	Gelatin is listed as a direct ingredient in every standard Welch's Fruit Snacks variety. The brand confirms it alternates between pork and beef gelatin based on supply, and the package never discloses which one.
Is Werther's Original Caramel Candies vegan?	Not Vegan	Not certified	Contains cream, butter, and	Real dairy is core to the recipe, not a trace. Cream, butter, and whey appear prominently in every Werther's product, including the sugar-free varieties, which still contain butter and cream.
Is Whoppers Malted Milk Balls vegan?	Not Vegan	Not certified	Dairy at core + shell + ins	The candy has dairy built into its structure at two levels: whey in the chocolate shell and milk embedded in the malted milk center. You cannot remove the dairy without rethinking the entire product.
Is Wonder Bread Classic White vegan?	Not Vegan	Not certified	Lanolin D3 + emulsifiers	Many current packages declare "Contains: Milk," and all versions contain Cholecalciferol (Vitamin D3) typically sourced from lanolin, plus emulsifiers with undisclosed animal-or-plant origin.
Is Yasso Frozen Greek Yogurt Bars vegan?	Not Vegan	Not certified	Contains milk, all flavors	The product is literally Greek yogurt on a stick. Nonfat milk and yogurt cultures are the foundation of every single Yasso bar, with no exceptions across the flavor range.

Checked against current labels. See how we verify, or see more vegan lists.