This article looks into one of the most frequently asked questions regarding snacks that are vegan friendly: Are Graham Crackers Vegan and Dairy Free?
According to Wikipedia, the graham cracker was first made and marketed for Grahamites. Grahamites were a group of people that followed the preaching of Sylvester Graham and made up one of the first vegetarian movements in the US.
Today’s graham crackers are a sweet, cinnamon flavored cracker typically eaten as a snack food. Typical ingredients for graham crackers are enriched flour, graham flour, oil, molasses, and salt. Some brands choose to include honey as a sweeter, but no dairy products are typically used. Therefore graham crackers are almost always dairy-free, but their vegan-friendliness varies by brand.
Continue reading for a full list of brands that make vegan and dairy-free graham crackers.
Arguably the most popular vegan-friendly graham cracker on the market is Nabisco’s Original Grahams. They contain no animal products and are widely available.
Ingredients
Unbleached Enriched Flour (Wheat Flour, Niacin, Reduced Iron, Thiamine Mononitrate {Vitamin B1}, Riboflavin {Vitamin B2}, Folic Acid), Graham Flour (Whole Grain Wheat Flour), Sugar, Canola Oil, Molasses, Palm Oil, Leavening (Baking Soda And/Or Calcium Phosphate), Salt.
Keebler is the next most common snack maker that makes a vegan-friendly graham cracker. Their original graham crackers contain no animal products and are dairy free. As an added bonus, Keebler’s Graham Cracker Ready Pie Crust is also vegan and dairy free!
Ingredients
Enriched Flour (Wheat Flour, Niacin, Reduced Iron, Vitamin B1 [Thiamin Mononitrate], Vitamin B2 [Riboflavin], Folic Acid), Sugar, Graham Flour, Canola Oil, Molasses, Corn Syrup. Contains 2% Or Less Of Leavening (Baking Soda, Sodium Acid Pyrophosphate, Monocalcium Phosphate), Salt, Soy Lecithin.
Nairn’s is a Edinburgh, Scotland based company which started in the 1896 and is the leading oat based product producer in the UK. They have four versions of “Oat Grahams”, which are their gluten-free version of a graham cracker. Three of the flavors (Original, Raisin, and Stem Ginger) are all listed as suitable for vegans on their website. The fourth flavor (Chocolate Chip) is listed as “suitable for vegetarians” as it “may contain traces of milk.” None of Nairn’s Oat Grahams feature dairy products in the ingredients.
Ingredients (Original)
Gluten free whole grain oats (72%), Sustainable Palm Fruit Oil, sugar, golden syrup, tapioca starch, raising agent (sodium bicarbonate), sea salt.
Kinnikinnick is a gluten-free based brand that also has a variety of vegan products. As such, their Smoreables Graham Style Cookies are both gluten-free and vegan-friendly. These crackers are dairy free, but may contain eggs through cross contamination.
Ingredients
Pea Starch, Non-Hydrogenated Palm Oil Shortening (palm oil, modified palm oil), Brown Rice Flour, Potato Starch*, Brown Sugar*, Sweet Rice Flour, Tapioca Starch, Water, Cane Sugar, Rice Bran, Molasses*, Tapioca Syrup, Salt, Sodium Bicarbonate, Pea Protein, Natural Flavour, Pea Fibre, Sunflower Lecithin, Inulin, Mono Calcium Phosphate, Cellulose, Guar Gum
*Not a product of genetic engineering
If you’re looking for a graham cracker snack in a different form, check out Nabisco’s Teddy Grahams. The most popular flavor (Honey) is not vegan, but the other three flavors (Cinnamon, Chocolate, and Chocolate Chip) are vegan friendly! All of the flavors are dairy free.
Ingredients (Chocolate Flavor)
Graham Flour (Whole Grain Wheat Flour), Enriched Unbleached Flour (Wheat Flour, Niacin, Reduced Iron, Thiamine Mononitrate {vitamin B1}, Riboflavin {vitamin B2}, Folic Acid), Sugar, Soybean and/or Canola Oil, Cocoa, Cocoa (Processed With Alkali), Dextrose, Calcium Carbonate (Source Of Calcium), Maltodextrin, Baking Soda, Salt, Natural Flavor (Contains Barley), Soy Lecithin, Chocolate, Artificial Flavor.
Non-Vegan Graham Crackers
The following brands have graham crackers that are not vegan-friendly even though they are dairy free.
Honey Maid
The most popular brand of graham crackers, Honey Maid, has zero vegan-friendly graham cracker options. All of Honey Maid’s graham cracker flavors (Original, Low Fat, Cinnamon, and Chocolate) contain real honey.
Annie’s Homegrown
Annie’s Organic Honey Grahams are also not vegan because they contain organic honey in their ingredients. They are made on shared equipment that also processes milk and soy ingredients so people with those allergies should take note.
365 Everyday Value
Both of 365’s graham cracker flavors (Honey and Cinnamon) are not vegan because they contain organic honey in their ingredients.
Market Pantry (Target)
Market Pantry’s Honey Graham Crackers are not vegan as they contain real honey. They are also processed in a facility that handles egg and milk, so people with those allergens should avoid Market Panty’s Honey Graham Crackers.
Solimo (Amazon Brand)
Solimo’s Honey Graham Crackers are also not vegan because they contain honey in their ingredients.
Trader Joe’s
According to Fooducate, both Trader Joe’s Honey Graham Crackers and Old-Fashioned Graham Crackers contain honey in the ingredients.
Summary
Even though all graham crackers evaluated are dairy-free, about half of them use honey as a sweetener. Since honey is an animal-based produce, graham crackers that contain honey are not vegan. However, there are a few great graham cracker options for those following a vegan or dairy-free diet. The best options are Nabisco Grahams or Keebler’s Graham Crackers. Pair these vegan graham cracker options with gelatin-free marshmallows and vegan chocolate for a vegan S’more!
You can read about other vegan snack options here.
