This article looks into one of the most frequently asked questions regarding foods that are vegan friendly: Are Pringles vegan?
The short answer: Yes and No. A few varieties of Pringles are vegan (mainly Original and Salted flavors), but some are not. A full analysis of each Pringle flavor is below.
Note: Ingredients in each variety are from Pringles website.
Favorites
At the time of this writing, Pringles featured fourteen flavors under the “favorites” category. The base ingredients for each Pringle chip are the same: Dried Potatoes, Vegetable Oil, Degerminated Yellow Corn Flour, Cornstarch, Rice Flour, Maltodextrin, Mono and Diglycerides, Salt, and Wheat Starch. These base ingredients are all plant-based and vegan. The following is a breakdown of each “favorite” flavor’s additional ingredients added for taste.
BBQ (Not Vegan): Sugar, Tomato Powder, Onion Powder, Spice, Garlic Powder, Malted Barley Flour, Paprika Extract Color, Whey
Cheddar Cheese (Not Vegan): Whey, Coconut Oil, Sugar, Natural Flavors, Onion Powder, Cheddar Cheese, Blue Cheese, Buttermilk, Butter, Nonfat Milk, Paprika Extract Color, Turmeric Extract Color
Cheddar & Sour Cream (Not Vegan): Whey, Cheddar Cheese, Sodium Caseinate, Natural Flavors, Sour Cream, Onion Powder, Nonfat Milk, Sugar, Reduced Lactose Whey, Blue Cheese, Cultured Nonfat Milk
Honey Mustard (Not Vegan): Mustard, Citric Acid, Garlic Powder, Onion Powder, Honey, Natural Flavors, Turmeric Color, Lactose
Jalapeno (Not Vegan): Whey, Onion Powder, Citric Acid, Spices, Natural and Artificial Flavors, Autolyzed Yeast Extract, Tomato Powder, Garlic Powder, Torula Yeast, Sugar
Memphis BBQ (Not Vegan): Sugar, Tomato Powder, Garlic Powder, Brown Sugar, Onion Powder, Spice, Natural and Artificial Flavors (Contains Milk), Natural Smoke Flavor, Paprika Extract Color, Dried Vinegar, Tumeric Color, Distilled Vinegar, Mustard Seed
Pizza (Not Vegan): Whey, Tomato Powder, Cheddar Cheese, Natural Flavors, Sugar, Onion Powder, Spices, Coconut Oil, Garlic Powder, Buttermilk, Citric Acid, Cream
Ranch (Not Vegan): Whey, Coconut Oil, Natural and Artificial Flavors, Garlic Powder, Onion Powder, Buttermilk, Cultured Nonfat Milk, Sour Cream, Spices
Salt & Vinegar (Not Vegan): Lactose, Vinegar, Malic Acid, Tumeric Color
Sour Cream & Onion (Not Vegan): Whey, Sour Cream, Onion Powder, Coconut Oil, Sugar, Natural Flavors, Nonfat Milk, Sodium Caseinate, Yeast Extract, Buttermilk, Invert Sugar, Cultured Nonfat Milk, Cream
Original (Vegan): None
Screamin’ Dill Pickle (Not Vegan): Whey, Lactose, Citric Acid, Dill Seed Powder, Natural Flavor, Garlic Powder, Onion Powder, Dill Extract, Garlic Extract, Mustard Extract
Buffalo Ranch (Not Vegan): Whey Solids, Garlic Powder, Tomato Powder, Onion Powder, Buttermilk, Cayenne Pepper Sauce, Coconut Oil, Whey Protein Concentrate, Dried Yeast, Dextrose, Sugar, Vinegar, Spice, Paprika Extract Color
Extra Hot (Not Vegan): Salt, Chili Pepper Powder, Sugar, Onion Powder, Garlic Powder, Natural and Artificial Flavors, Whey
Of all the Pringles “favorite” flavors, only the Original flavor is vegan.
Pringles can be purchased on Amazon here.
Wavy
At the time of this writing, Pringles featured four flavors under the “wavy” category. The base ingredients for each Pringle chip are the same as the “favorite” flavors: Dried Potatoes, Vegetable Oil, Degerminated Yellow Corn Flour, Cornstarch, Rice Flour, Maltodextrin, Mono and Diglycerides, Salt, and Wheat Starch. These base ingredients are all plant-based and vegan. The following is a breakdown of each wavy flavor’s additional ingredients added for taste.
Wavy Applewood Smoked Cheddar (Not Vegan): Whey, Lactose, Citric Acid, Dill Seed Powder, Natural Flavor, Garlic Powder, Onion Powder, Dill Extract, Garlic Extract, Mustard Extract
Classic Salted (Vegan): None
Fire Roasted Jalapeno (Not Vegan): Whey, Buttermilk, Whey Protein Concentrate, Onion Powder, Garlic Powder, Coconut Oil, Natural Flavors, Spices, Cream Cheese, Fire Roasted Jalapeno, Jalapeno Pepper Puree, Dried Parsley, Whole Milk, Nonfat Milk, Cultured Buttermilk
Sweet & Tangy BBQ (Not Vegan): Brown Sugar, Tomato Powder, Onion Powder, Molasses, Spices, Natural Flavors, Dried Yeast, Caramel Color, Paprika Color, Paprika Extract Color, Garlic Powder, Whey
Of all the Pringles wavy flavors, only the Classic Salted flavor is vegan.
Pringles can be purchased on Amazon here.
Lighter Side
At the time of this writing, Pringles featured four flavors under the “lighter side” category. The base ingredients for each Pringle chip are the same as the “favorite” flavors: Dried Potatoes, Vegetable Oil, Degerminated Yellow Corn Flour, Cornstarch, Rice Flour, Maltodextrin, Mono and Diglycerides, Salt, and Wheat Starch. These base ingredients are all plant-based and vegan. The following is a breakdown of each “lighter side” flavor’s additional ingredients added for taste.
Lightly Salted Original (Vegan): None
Reduced Fat Original (Vegan): None
Reduced Fat Sour Cream & Onion (Not Vegan): Whey, Sour Cream, Onion Powder, Coconut Oil, Sugar, Natural Flavors, Nonfat Milk, Citric Acid, Lactic Acid, Yeast Extract, Buttermilk, Invert Sugar, Cultured Nonfat Milk, Cream
Of all the Pringles “lighter side” flavors, both the Lightly Salted Original and Reduced Fat Original flavors are vegan.
Pringles can be purchased on Amazon here.
Summary
This analysis of all the Pringles flavors shows that the majority are not vegan. Only the Original, Wavy Classic Salted, Lightly Salted Original, and Reduced Fat Original Pringles flavors are vegan. Therefore, the rule of thumb should be if the Pringles has “original” or “salted” in the title, it is likely vegan friendly.
Read about other vegan snack options here.
