Chips Ahoy! is a brand of baked cookie marketed by Nabisco. It is the third best selling cookie in the United States after the Oreo with an average of $619.4 million in sales per year according to Wikipedia. Nabisco says the name is “a reference to the nautical term, Ships Ahoy!”. Over the years there has been some confusion online to the vegan-friendliness of Chips Ahoy cookies. This article seeks to answer the question “Are Chips Ahoy Vegan?” with relation to all flavors and varieties of Chips Ahoy cookies.
A full vegan-friendly analysis of all Chips Ahoy varieties can be found in the following sections.
Controversial Vegan Ingredients
Before we start our vegan analysis, we would like to make note of the controversial ingredients that are assumed to be vegan in this analysis. Even though we consider them to be vegan, we will still highlight these ingredients if they appear in any posted ingredient lists. These controversial ingredients include:
Sugar
In almost all candy products, one of the first few ingredients is Sugar. Sugar is a controversial product in the vegan community because refined cane sugar is processed with bone char to achieve the pure white color. The sugar itself does not contain any bone char particles, but is not vegan due to the processing methods used. Since the type of sugar is typically not stated, it is assumed to be vegan in this analysis. If you choose to avoid non-vegan sugars than all of the products in this analysis should be avoided. A full rundown on if sugar is vegan can be found in our article titled “Is Your Sugar Vegan? Lets Find Out!“
Palm Oil and Palm Fat
Palm oil is a controversial vegan ingredient not because it is animal-derived, but because the cultivation of palm oil has devastating environmental impacts and harms many animals. You can learn more about palm oil in our article titled “Is Palm Oil Vegan?“
Natural and Artificial Flavorings
Natural flavors can come from both animal or plant sources, but the natural flavors in candies are typically from plant sources. Those natural flavors from animal-origin will be highlighted if known.
Colors
Some food colors are controversial in the vegan community. This is because food colors are often tested on animals. In this article we assume all food colors are vegan, unless the color itself is from an animal or insect origin (e.g. Carmine).
Original Chips Ahoy!
Original Chips Ahoy Ingredients
Unbleached Enriched Flour (Wheat Flour, Niacin, Reduced Iron, Thiamine Mononitrate (Vitamin B1), Riboflavin (Vitamin B2), Folic Acid), Semisweet Chocolate Chips (Sugar, Chocolate, Cocoa Butter, Dextrose, Soy Lecithin), Sugar, Soybean Oil, Partially Hydrogenated Cottonseed Oil, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Leavening (Baking Soda, Ammonium Phosphate), Salt, Whey (from Milk), Natural and Artificial Flavor, Caramel Color. [Source]
Are Original Chips Ahoy Vegan?
Unfortunately, the Original Chips Ahoy cookies contain milk-based Whey so they are not vegan-friendly. The Mini Original Chips Ahoy cookies are also NOT vegan.
Chips Ahoy! Thins
Chips Ahoy Thins Ingredients
Unbleached Enriched Flour (Wheat Flour, Niacin, Reduced Iron, Thiamine Mononitrate {Vitamin B1}, Riboflavin {Vitamin B2}, Folic Acid), Sugar, Semisweet Chocolate Chips (Sugar, Chocolate, Cocoa Butter, Dextrose, Milk, Soy Lecithin), Canola Oil, Palm Oil, Oat Fiber, Invert Sugar, Salt, Soy Lecithin, Baking Soda, Artificial Flavor, Caramel Color, Natural Flavor. [Source]
Are Chips Ahoy Thins Vegan?
Similar to the Original Chips Ahoy cookies, the Chips Ahoy Thins are not vegan due to a milk-based ingredient. However, this time milk appears on the Semisweet Chocolate Chips.
Chewy Chips Ahoy!
Chewy Chips Ahoy Ingredients
Unbleached Enriched Flour (Wheat Flour, Niacin, Reduced Iron, Thiamine Mononitrate {Vitamin B1}, Riboflavin {Vitamin B2}, Folic Acid), High Fructose Corn Syrup, Palm and Palm Kernel Oil, Sugar, Semisweet Chocolate Chips (Sugar, Chocolate, Cocoa Butter, Dextrose, Milk, Soy Lecithin), Cornstarch, Cocoa (Processed With Alkali), Dextrose, Baking Soda, Salt, Caramel Color, Skim Milk, Artificial Flavor, Soy Lecithin, Milk, Natural Flavor. [Source]
Are Chewy Chips Ahoy Vegan?
Similar the other Chips Ahoy cookies, the Chewy Chips Ahoy are not vegan due to milk-based ingredients. However, the milk in Chewy Chips Ahoy comes in the from of milk in the Semisweet Chocolate Chips and Regular and Skim Milk in the cookie itself. The Mini Chewy Chips Ahoy cookies are also NOT vegan.
Chunky Chips Ahoy!
Chunky Chips Ahoy Ingredients
Unbleached Enriched Flour (Wheat Flour, Niacin, Reduced Iron, Thiamine Mononitrate {Vitamin B1}, Riboflavin {Vitamin B2}, Folic Acid), Semisweet Chocolate Chips (Sugar, Chocolate, Cocoa Butter, Dextrose, Soy Lecithin), Sugar, Soybean Oil, Partially Hydrogenated Cottonseed Oil, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Leavening (Baking Soda, Ammonium Phosphate), Salt, Whey (From Milk), Natural and Artificial Flavor, Caramel Color. [Source]
Are Chunky Chips Ahoy Vegan?
Chunky Chips Ahoy are NOT vegan. As with the Original Chips Ahoy, the Chunky Chips Ahoy contain milk-based Whey in the ingredients.
Filled Chips Ahoy!
Filled Chips Ahoy Ingredients
Brownie Filled
Unbleached Enriched Flour, Sugar, Palm Oil, Invert Sugar, Cocoa, Corn Syrup, Palm Kern Oil, Whey, Water, Glycerol, Cornstarch, Leavening, Salt, Nonfat Milk Solids, Sodium Stearoyl Lactylate, Soy Lecithin, Natural Flavor, and Caramel Color. [Source]
Fudge Filled
Unbleached Enriched Flour, Sugar, Semisweet Chocolate Chips (Contains Sugar and Milk), Palm Oil, Invert Sugar, Dextrose, Soybean Oil, Coconut Oil, Cocoa, Cornstarch, Whey, Leavening, Salt, Molasses, Soy Lecithin, Nonfat Milk Solids, Artificial Flavor, Caramel Color, and Natural Flavor. [Source]
S’mores
Sugar, Unbleached Enriched Flour (Wheat Flour, Niacin, Reduced Iron, Thiamine Mononitrate {Vitamin B1}, Riboflavin {Vitamin B2}, Folic Acid), Palm and Palm Kernel Oil, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Whole Grain Wheat Flour, Soybean Oil, Coconut Oil, Cocoa (Processed with Alkali), Cocoa, Cornstarch, Whey, Nonfat Milk Solids, Baking Soda, Milk, Salt, Natural and Artificial Flavor, Soy Lecithin, Caramel Color, Cinnamon, Ammonium Phosphate. [Source]
Red Velvet
Sugar, Unbleached Enriched Flour (Wheat Flour, Niacin, Reduced Iron, Thiamine Mononitrate {Vitamin B1}, Riboflavin {Vitamin B2}, Folic Acid), Palm and Palm Kernel Oil, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Cocoa (Processed With Alkali), Coconut Oil, Soybean Oil, Dextrose, Nonfat Milk, Cornstarch, Natural and Artificial Flavor, Whey, Milk, Red 40 Lake, Baking Soda, Soy Lecithin, Salt, Lactic Acid. [Source]
Are Filled Chips Ahoy Vegan?
All four flavors of Filled Chips Ahoy (Brownie, Fudge, S’mores and Red Velvet) are NOT vegan since they contain milk-based Whey, Milk, and Nonfat Milk Solids.
Chips Ahoy! with Reese's Peanut Butter Cups
Chips Ahoy with Reese's Ingredients
Unbleached Enriched Flour (Wheat Flour, Niacin, Reduced Iron, Thiamin Mononitrate {Vitamin B1}, Riboflavin {Vitamin B2}, Folic Acid), Invert Sugar, Palm Oil, Peanut Butter Baking Cup (Milk Chocolate {Sugar, Milk, Cocoa Butter, Chocolate, Soy Lecithin, Vanillin(–)An Artificial Flavor}, Peanut Butter Flavored Chips {Partially Defatted Peanuts, Sugar, Partially Hydrogenated Palm Kernel And/Or Soybean Oils, Corn Syrup Solids, Dextrose, Reduced Minerals Whey}, Salt, Soy Lecithin, Vanillin(–)An Artificial Flavor, Palm Kernel Oil), Sugar, Semisweet Chocolate Chips (Sugar, Chocolate, Dextrose, Cocoa Butter, Soy Lecithin), Reese’s Peanut Butter Flavored Drops (Partially Defatted Peanuts, Sugar, Partially Hydrogenated Palm Kernel And/Or Soybean Oil, Corn Syrup Solids, Dextrose, Reduced Minerals Whey, Salt, Vanillin(–)An Artificial Flavor, Soy Lecithin), Peanut Butter (Peanuts, Corn Syrup Solids, Hydrogenated Rapeseed And/Or Cottonseed And/Or Soybean Oils, Peanut Oil, And Salt), Cocoa (Processed With Alkali), Cornstarch, Dextrose, Baking Soda, Salt, Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup Pieces (Milk Chocolate {Sugar, Cocoa Butter, Chocolate, Nonfat Milk, Milkfat, Lactose, Soy Lecithin, Salt, Polyglycerol Polyricinoleate(–)Emulsifier}, Peanuts, Sugar, Dextrose, Salt), Artificial Flavor. [Source]
Are Chips Ahoy with Reese's Vegan?
As the regular Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups are not vegan, the Chips Ahoy cookies made with Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups are also NOT vegan.
Chips Ahoy! Cereal
Chips Ahoy Cereal Ingredients
Corn Flour, Sugar, Whole Grain Oat Flour, Canola Oil, Corn Syrup, Cookie Bits (Sugar, Corn Flour, Cocoa (Processed with Alkali), Soybean Oil), Salt, Cocoa Processed with Alkali), Caramel Color, Natural And Artificial Flavor, BHT Added To Preserve Freshness. [Source]
Is Chips Ahoy Cereal Vegan?
It appears that Chips Ahoy Cereal is vegan! Unlike other Chips Ahoy products, their cereal is free from milk-based ingredients. The only ingredients that may cause some concerns with vegans are the controversial ingredients discussed earlier.
Chips Ahoy FAQs
All of Chips Ahoy’s cookies contain gluten-based flour. Therefore, Chips Ahoy cookies are NOT gluten-free.
Based on all of the ingredient lists sourced for this article, it appears that all of the Chips Ahoy cookies are free from nuts except the Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup Chips Ahoy. Therefore, almost all of the Chips Ahoy cookies are peanut and tree nut free!
All of the Chips Ahoy products contain dairy, except the Chips Ahoy Cereal. Therefore, the Chips Ahoy cookies are NOT dairy-free.
According to the information on Walmart.com, almost all of the Chips Ahoy cookies are certified Kosher. The varieties we verified to be Kosher include: Original, Chewy, Chunky, Reese’s, and Red Velvet.
According to the a “Halal Options” Facebook Group, some Chips Ahoy cookies are marked Halal right on the packaging. Therefore Chips Ahoy cookies are most likely Halal, but check the packaging to be sure.
None of the Chips Ahoy cookies reviewed for this article contain eggs.
Summary
Unfortunately, all of the Chips Ahoy products besides their cereal are NOT vegan-friendly. Contrary to information found on many blogs online, none of the Chips Ahoy cookies are vegan.
If you liked this article, you can read about other vegan snack options here.
