Are Potato Chips Vegan? Let’s find out! – 2023

Have you ever gone to the store and found yourself in the chip aisle unsure of which salty snacks you could eat? I know I have been there. I still remember how delighted I was when I found out that Spicy Sweet Chili Doritos are accidentally vegan. The same goes for KFC fries. But what is the deal with potato chips? 

Sometimes a bowl of salty potato chips hits the spot. Whether you enjoy them as a side with a sandwich or on their own as a tasty snack, they are a classic. Some people even add them to cooked dishes like casseroles. Many potato chip brands create unique vegan-friendly flavors too.

Potato chips are simple. No preparation is required to enjoy them. But are potato chips vegan? Can you still eat them as a plant-based eater? In many cases, potato chips are just fried potato slices that are seasoned, but some have added ingredients that are not vegan-friendly. 

Here’s the deal with potato chips and which ones are vegan.

Are Potato Chips Vegan?

Well, there’s a lot to talk about here, so let’s check out some brands…

Are Lays chips vegan?

Lays potato chips come in a variety of styles. There is regular, baked, wavy, and kettle. In addition to different kinds of chips, Lays also come in several flavors. There are plenty to choose from based on your taste preferences.

Vegan-friendly Lays chips include: 

• Classic Lays Potato Chips
• Bar-B-Que Lays
• Limon Lays
• Lightly Salted Classic Lays
• Kettle Cooked Lays Sea Salt and Cracked Black Pepper
• Lightly Salted BBQ Lays.
• Kettle Cooked Lays Original
• Dill Pickle Lays

Are Ruffles potato chips vegan?

Original Ruffles are vegan, but most of their chips with added flavors are not. These flavors tend to include milk products. 

The only Ruffles besides the original that you can enjoy as a vegan are All Dressed Ruffles. The flavor of All Dressed Ruffles is a mix of tomato ketchup, barbecue sauce, salt, and vinegar. 

Are Pringles chips vegan?

Pringles come in more flavors than just classic potato chips. Vegan-friendly pringles flavors include: 

• Original Pringles
• Wavy Classic Salted Pringles
• Lightly Salted Original Pringles
• Reduced-Fat Original Pringles

While there are many other kinds of Pringles, these four are the only vegan-friendly ones. If you are a plant-based eater, it is best to stick to these few flavors.

Are Kettle Brand potato chips vegan?

Not every flavor of Kettle Brand potato chips is vegan. However, many are. 

Vegan-friendly Kettle Brand potato chips:

• Backyard Barbecue
• Jalapeño
• Maple Bacon
• Pepperoncini
• Red Curry
• Roasted Garlic
• Sea Salt
• Sea Salt & Vinegar
• Sea Salt & Cracked Pepper
• Spicy Thai
• Sriracha
• Unsalted

Are Utz potato chips vegan?

Regular Utz potato chips do not contain any animal products or byproducts, but some flavors of Utz chips are fried in lard. It might be best to avoid this brand of chips as a vegan, even if some flavors are vegan-friendly. 

Potato chips do not need to be fried in lard, so it is a bit weird that they do this to add a unique flavor to some of their chips. I would personally feel better buying chips from a brand that is not into frying chips in lard.

Are Zapp’s potato chips vegan?

Zapp’s potato chips are produced by Utz Quality Food. I choose to avoid this brand because some Utz chips are fried in lard, but some flavors of Zapp’s are vegan if you want to try them. 

Vegan-friendly Zapp’s chips include:

• Kettle Potato Chips
• Regular
• Voodoo
• Spicy Cajun Crawtator

Other flavors of Zapp’s potato chips might be vegan, but it is hard to tell. They contain natural flavors. Natural flavors can come from animals and plants, so you never know unless a company makes its sources clear.

Are Cape Cod potato chips vegan?

The brand Cape Cod has a handful of potato chips that are suitable for vegans. Vegan-friendly Cape Cod potato chips include:

• Sea Salt and Vinegar
• Mesquite Barbeque
• Sweet and Spicy Jalapeno
• Original

These four flavors are fair game and delicious. 

Are Miss Vickie’s chips vegan?

The only Miss Vickie’s chips that you can enjoy as a vegan seem to be the original flavor.

Many Miss Vickie’s chips contain ingredients like whey, buttermilk, lactose, skim milk, butter, and cheese. It seems like each flavor of Miss Vickie’s chips has at least one of these ingredients listed on the packaging. This is unfortunate, but not the end of the world. As you can see, there are tons of vegan-friendly potato chip options out there from other brands. 

Miss Vickie’s does occasionally come out with new flavors. You can always feel free to check the label and see if any of those ingredients are included. They will likely be non-vegan, but they may try a vegan flavor someday. 

Frequently Asked Questions