20 foods that you didn’t know are vegan

That’s right, the holy trinity of ‘90s fruit snacks—Fruit Roll-Ups, Fruit by the Foot, and Gushers—are all approved for vegans. They don’t contain gelatin (just a whole lot of high-fructose corn syrup) and are a few of the numerous Betty Crocker-made foods that are surprisingly vegan.

According to the CLIF bar website, aside from their whey protein products, only one variety of CLIF bars contain animal-based ingredients: Peanut Butter & Honey w/ Sea Salt. Not because of the peanut butter (in fact, the other peanut butter flavors are fine for vegans) but because of the honey.

The homemade Cracker Jacks you might make are likely not vegan, as real caramel contains both butter and cream. But when you’re at the ballpark, don’t hesitate when the Cracker Jack vendor walks by, as the original packaged version of this snack doesn’t contain real caramel, and thus doesn’t fall into the no-no category for vegans.

Happy birthday, vegan friends! You can celebrate your special occasions with nearly all Duncan Hines boxed cake mixes—from Classic Yellow to Devil’s Food to Red Velvet—and many frostings, too, including whipped chocolate and vanilla, and most of the “creamy home-style” flavors. Double-check the label to be certain, and be sure to buy a substitute if the box calls for eggs!

Doritos and Cheetos? Nope, sorry, they contain cheese and are not vegan (except for the Spicy Sweet Chili Doritos variety). But the original variety of Fritos? Those—and their “scoop” counterparts—are absolutely vegan-friendly. Just avoid alternate Fritos flavors like chili cheese and flamin’ hot.

Hershey’s chocolate? Not vegan. Hershey’s chocolate syrup? Vegan! The bad news is: this is because Hershey’s syrup is essentially just high-fructose corn syrup with chocolate flavoring. (Notice the label says “genuine chocolate flavor,” not “genuine chocolate.”) But the good news is that vegans can still enjoy plant-based chocolate milk...in moderation.

Gelatin is an animal by-product and thus Jello is a no-no for vegans. Usually, due to its dairy content, pudding is off-limits as well. However, surprisingly, some flavors of Jello instant pudding are safe for vegans! Vanilla, banana cream, pistachio, and lemon are all on the acceptable list—and if you pair them with a vegan pie crust, you’ll have a simple vegan dessert.

Lay’s has a lot of creative potato chip flavors, but almost all of them contain some type of dairy ingredients. Bar-B-Que and Dill Pickle are two vegan-safe varieties, but when in doubt or short on options, just opt for the original Lay’s Classic.

The Swiss chocolatier Lindt makes plenty of milk chocolate varieties, but vegans are in the clear if they opt for 70% dark chocolate or higher. (The same goes for many other brands!) Plus, dark chocolate is healthier and contains more antioxidants.

Nabisco won’t officially list its Oreo cookies as vegan due to the extremely low risk of contact with dairy during manufacturing, but Oreos do not intentionally contain any animal products. (However, this has only been true in the U.S. since 2014, when the whey protein ingredient was removed.) In fact, they’re safe enough for PETA to declare in a 2018 tweet: “It’s true, Oreos are vegan!”

It’s hard to find vegan-friendly Pringles in the U.S., with the very notable exception of the Original Pringles. Most of the other varieties contain dairy, which makes sense because there are a lot of cheese-based Pringles flavors.

We’re not even going to list brands here, because almost all dried pasta is vegan. Fresh pasta is made with eggs, but that’s not the case with the dried version. Double-check the list of ingredients for eggs to be sure—especially for chilled and frozen varieties.

Pillsbury Crescent Rolls are flaky, buttery, and delicious—but that’s not butter you’re tasting...it’s palm oil, which has a longer shelf life and makes these take-and-bake rolls dairy-free. They’re also egg-free and nut-free, making these irresistible rolls appealing to more folks than you might think.

Nabisco has vegan’s backs with Oreos, but they also offer another popular vegan snack option. Despite being categorized as “butter crackers,” Ritz Crackers are butter-free and egg-free, making them the perfect partner for your vegan cheese or peanut butter snacks.

Once upon a time, Skittles did contain gelatin, but it was removed about a decade ago in favor of plant-based ingredients. Now vegans can taste the rainbow along with everyone else.

Sofritas—chopped or shredded spiced tofu—is the go-to option for Chipotle customers looking for a vegetarian option that’s more than just vegetables. But this braised burrito, taco, and bowl ingredient aren’t only vegetarian, it’s vegan, and it’s also a fantastic source of protein. Even meat-eaters should take sofritas for a spin on their next trip to Chipotle (or make it at home!).

We enjoy these two gummy candies with equal adoration, so why not group them together in one big party? After all, they are both gelatin-free and vegan-friendly, and that’s reason to celebrate.

Looking for a vegan snack for your kids (or your inner child)? You’ll want to avoid the soft-baked Teddy Grahams due to the dairy content, and the honey flavor if you’re buds with bees, but three flavors of Teddy Grahams are still A-OK. Cinnamon and—gasp!—both the chocolate and chocolate chip flavors are free of dairy, eggs, honey, and all other animal byproducts. Just don’t think about the fact that you’re eating little bears by the handful.

Recently, the manufacturers of Girl Scout Cookies decided to delight vegans by ditching the dairy and eggs in several varieties. This includes the fan-favorite Thin Mints, as well as our favorites, Peanut Butter Patties (a.k.a. Tagalongs). A few of the newer kinds—S’mores, Lemonades, and Toast-Yay!—are also vegan.

Here’s another cracker choice for vegans: Wheat Thins. Nabisco eschewed eggs as a binding ingredient in these crackers, instead opting for cornstarch. There’s also no dairy in nearly all varieties of Wheat Thins, with the exception—surprisingly—of the Veggie Toasted Chips.