Graham crackers are a diverse and tasty snack. Not only can you eat them as-is, but they can also be added to a plethora of recipe ideas.
However, one thing a lot of people want to know is, are graham crackers vegan? And if not, are there any dairy-free brands?
Graham crackers first came about as part of the vegetarian movement in America that happened during the mid-19th century. Sylvester Graham led it, preaching the health benefits of not eating meat.
These days, graham crackers are mass-produced and are often flavored like honey or cinnamon. While graham crackers are generally vegan-friendly, sometimes they do have non-vegan ingredients.
This is because it all comes to the brand and the flavors used. In this article, we shall take a look at the various graham crackers on the market.
What Graham Crackers Are Vegan-Friendly?
There are several graham crackers that are suitable for vegans. Let’s take a look at them:
Keebler Graham Crackers Original
Firstly, let’s talk about Keebler Graham Crackers Original. Not only are they dairy-free, but they contain absolutely no animal ingredients at all.
This makes them suitable for vegans. If you are looking for a graham cracker pie crust that is ready to go, they have a vegan-friendly version too!
Ingredients In Keebler Graham Crackers Original
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.
Nabisco Grahams Original
Nabisco Grahams Original is one of the best when it comes to being suitable for vegans. Not only does the original version have absolutely no animal ingredients in them whatsoever, but it can be found in many grocery stores across the country.
Ingredients In Nabisco Grahams Original
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.
Nabisco Teddy Grahams
Perfect for children and adults alike, the Nabisco Teddy Grahams are great for those who want something to eat that tastes great and looks cute.
There are four flavors to choose from. These are honey, chocolate, chocolate chip, and cinnamon.
All of the flavors are classed as being dairy-free and suitable for vegans. However, the honey flavor includes – you guessed it – honey. This means that this particular flavor is not classed as vegan-friendly.
However, it depends on your own stance when it comes to consuming honey.
Ingredients In Nabisco Teddy Grahams
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.
Nairn’s Gluten-Free Oat-Based Grahams
While not as common to find as some of the others on this list, Nairn’s oat graham crackers are a hit with everyone who tastes them. However, are they vegan?
Nairn has four different types of oat-based graham crackers. These are stem ginger, raisin, original, and chocolate chip. The first three are vegan-friendly, but the latter is not. It is suitable for vegetarians only due to potentially including traces of milk.
Ingredients In Nairn’s Gluten-Free Oat-Based Grahams
Gluten-free whole grain oats (72%), Sustainable Palm Fruit Oil, sugar, golden syrup, tapioca starch, raising agent (sodium bicarbonate), sea salt.
Kinnikinnick’s S’Moreables Graham Style Crackers
Surprisingly, these Kinnickinnick S’moreables Graham Style Crackers are not only gluten-free but suitable for vegans too.
The brand has a large range of vegan-friendly products. However, it is noted that there may be traces of eggs due to cross-contamination. If this is a worry for you, then this will not be for you!
Otherwise, enjoy!
Ingredients In Kinnikinnick’s S’Moreables Graham Style Crackers
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.
Are There Non-Vegan Graham Crackers?
Yes, there are several brands that make graham crackers that are not suitable for vegans. Some of these include:
Market Pantry
Available at Target, Market Pantry uses honey to make their graham crackers. Not only that, the facility that processes the graham crackers also handles milk and eggs.
This means that there may be cross-contamination involved.
Honey Maid
This brand is the one that most people know when it comes to graham crackers. However, there are absolutely no vegan-friendly options in their graham cracker range.
This is because every flavor uses honey.
Trader Joe’s
Trader Joe’s is another brand that has graham crackers which are said to be unsuitable for vegans. The brand includes honey in every one of its flavors.
Annie’s Homegrown
Lastly, there is Annie’s Homegrown. The honey flavor uses real organic honey to create a sweet taste. Also, all of the graham crackers in general are made using equipment that is shared with soy and milk ingredients.
This means that there may be cross-contamination. If you have an allergy, you may want to keep this in mind.
Final Thoughts
Graham crackers are delicious, so it is no wonder that you are trying to find vegan versions to eat as-is or to add to a simple dairy-free bake.
There are plenty of vegan-friendly graham crackers out there. Many graham crackers do include honey. While honey is not vegan per se, some people do choose to eat local and organic honey.
However, generally, honey is not considered to be vegan because it still comes from a living thing.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is every single graham cracker vegan-friendly?
The majority of graham crackers are dairy-free unless stated otherwise. For example, they may have added ingredients like chocolate.
However, what makes most graham crackers not suitable for vegans is the use of honey. Honey is an ingredient from a living thing (the worker bee), so is not classed as vegan.
Can vegans eat honey?
Vegans do not eat honey, however, it is often a controversial subject. While on the face of it, honey is made from the worker bee, there are some vegans who choose to consume it.
This is because some vegans do not class insects (bees) as being in the same group as animals. Therefore, honey is not made by an animal.
