Are Pringles Vegan? What flavors are vegan and which are not?? That is what we are going to explore today. If you’ve never had Pringles before, pringles are a potato chip that doesn’t pack quite the same crunch as other potato chips as it’s made of potato flakes compressed together with seasonings instead of slices of potato as many traditional “potato chips.” This light airy crunch can be quite delicious and make the perfect side to a tempeh sammie or a chickpea “chicken” salad sandwhich. So are Pringles vegan in the first place or do you need to reach for another brand?? Especially when it comes to one of the most popular flavors – sea salt and vinegar…
For starters, there are a lot more non-vegan Pringles flavors than vegan ….let’s cover those first:
Non-Vegan Pringles Flavors
- Pringles BBQ
- Pringles Cheddar Cheese
- Pringles Cheddar and Sour Cream
- Pringles Honey Mustard
- Pringles Ranch
- Pringles Sour Cream & Onion
- Pringles Salt & Vinegar
- Pringles Jalapeno
- Pringles Memphis BBQ
- Pringles Pizza
- Pringles Extra Hot
- Pringles Buffalo Ranch
- Pringles Screamin’ Dill Pickle
- Pringles Wavy Applewood Smoked Cheddar
- Pringles Wavy Fire Roasted Jalapeno
- Pringles Wavy Sweet & Tangy BBQ
- Pringles Lightly Salted Cheddar Cheese
- Pringles Reduced Fat Sour Cream & Onion
What makes these Pringles flavors non-vegan?? Whey, lactose, and other milk derivatives are the biggest culprits and I suppose are added for a “creamy” taste but I think it’s highly unnecessary given that even the beloved sea salt and vinegar Pringles are not vegan! Can you believe it?! Sea Salt and Vinegar Pringles contain lactose (as do many Pringles flavors). Lactose is the sugar found in milk. What’s interesting is that in the pharmaceutical industry, lactose is used to help form tablets and capsules because it helps the ingredients compress easily. My guess is that is why Pringles uses it – to compress the potato flakes and other ingredients together.
So if you can’t have your Sea Salt and Vinegar Pringles (of note, many other brands carry vegan Sea Salt and Vinegar if you enjoy that flavor), what flavors of Pringles can you eat if you’re following a vegan diet?? Let’s check them out…
Vegan Pringles Flavors
- Pringles Original
- Pringles Wavy Classic Salted
- Pringles Lightly Salted Original
- Pringles Reduced Fat Original
- Pringles Grab&Go Original
- Pringles Snack Stacks Original
Sooo as you can see, the super straightforward plain flavors of Pringles are vegan but basically every other flavor contains some kind of animal byproduct (again, mostly the lactose). If you’re newer to a vegan lifestyle, you may not even realize that lactose comes from milk (unless you think about those lactose intolerant who avoid milk products/foods with lactose). The easiest way to tell if a product is vegan (although depending on the food this isn’t always true) – Check the allergy statement for anything that may say contains milk or egg (or other animal products) if you aren’t totally sure on the ingredients. Granted, a beef broth won’t contain dairy or egg products but still isn’t vegan so while the allergy statement isn’t helpful for all food products, it can be super helpful with chips, bread, and snacks.
Do you like Pringles? If so, stick the vegan Original with your sammie or if you are really hankering for sea salt and vinegar, opt for another brand. Hope that was helpful in looking at Pringles and be sure to check out our other “Is It Vegan?” posts!