While There Is No IHOP Vegan Menu, There Are a Few IHOP Vegan Options
IHOP, otherwise known as the International House Of Pancakes, is not the most vegan-friendly place, but this is not the worst place for a vegan to find themselves either. You will not be able to indulge in french toast, pancakes (yep, no vegan pancakes), crepes, waffles, or anything like that. They do not even have a veggie burger, but you can build a decent vegan meal at IHOP out of plant-based side dishes.
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When it comes to ordering a vegan breakfast at one of these popular restaurants, nothing compares to Denny’s Vegan Options. However, IHOP still has a few solid vegan options. Going to IHOP for food every week would get boring real quick, but once in a while is perfectly fine.
Until the day the rumors of vegan-friendly pancakes become a reality, you will have to make do if you end up stuck eating breakfast at this restaurant.
Luckily, they have a specific guide for vegans and vegetarians where they listed everything which does not contain milk, egg, fish, and shellfish allergens. Check out their vegetarian/vegan menu guide, here.
Vegan Sides at IHOP
- Hash Browns (order without butter or PAM spray)
- English Muffin (say no to the butter, but you can get jam instead)
- Mixed Fruit Cup
- Grits or Oatmeal
- French Fries
- Plain Baked Potato
- Steamed Vegetables or Broccoli (no butter)
- Sautéed Veggies
- Red Potato Pepper & Onion Hash
- Sourdough Toast (make it avocado toast with a side of avocado slices)
While the popular American pancake house does not have any significant vegan main dishes, you can use the above options to make a pretty delicious vegan meal. Whether you decide to order the Red Potato Pepper & Onion Hash with some hash-browns, or an English muffin with grape jello, there will at least be something for you to eat. Moreover, you can always add salsa to your dishes if you need some extra flavor.
In fact, one of the best vegan options is oatmeal. You can consider sweetening it with one of their syrups (all of them vegan except one. Further information below) or brown sugar. On the other hand, You can make it healthier if you add banana, raspberry, or any other available fruit to it, even, Glazed Strawberries.
If you are a plant-based eater who prefers to eat more clean options, feel free to add some health to your meal with a salad. Let’s explore the limited salad options at IHOP fast-food restaurant chain.
Vegan Soups, fresh Salads, and Salad Dressings Options at IHOP
- House Salad
- Minestrone Soup (my favorite for dinner, but no crackers, typically they are not vegan)
You can also get a few salad add-ins like pickles, onion, bell peppers, mushrooms, or tomatoes, but this will likely cost extra. Most of the salads offered at International House of Pancakes are not very big. If your plan is for this salad to be a significant portion of your meal, you might let your server know and see if they can get you a big House Salad.
Dressings
- Creamy Italian Salad Dressing
- Fat-free Catalina dressing
- Fat-free French dressing
To clarify, their Reduced-Fat Italian Dressing is not vegan like some others have reported. Their Allergen statement says it contains dairy.
Vinaigrettes
- Fat-Free Raspberry vinaigrette
- Orange vinaigrette
- Raspberry vinaigrette
- Balsamic vinaigrette
Other Useful Things like Vegan Syrups
IHOP Vegan syrups
- Sugar-Free (Maple-flavored) Syrup
- Blueberry Syrup
- Boysenberry Syrup
- Old Fashioned Maple Syrup
- Strawberry Syrup
The only non-vegan molasses they offer is the Butter Pecan syrup, so avoid using that one.
Further plant-based things
- Brown Sugar
- Various Jelly/Jam Flavors (all should be vegan)
- Blueberry compote
- Glazed strawberries
- Banana slices
In summary, the best Vegan Meal Choices at IHOP
- Oatmeal with your favorite Syrup and an English muffin with Jelly or Jam
- Minestrone Soup and an English muffin to replace the Dipping Crackers
- Big House Salad with select dressing and a Baked Potato or Fries if you desire a meal that is a little more filling
- Hash Browns with Sauteed Vegetables
- Red Potato Pepper & Onion Hash with House Salad
These are just a few ideas for potential meals you can build from the few vegan items available at IHOP. Feel free to create any meal you want. For example, you can order spinach and mushroom omelets without cheese and egg. Maybe the staff will look at you a little bit weird, but in return, you will get delicious roasted vegetables for even lunch. You can even order some avocado next to it.
Briefly the plant-based future at IHOP
Good news from IHOP! The popular pancake house just launched its first 100% vegan sandwich which is called “The Plant-Based Cali” in 2022 February. The new breakfast sandwich comes with Sweet Earth Vegan sausage and Just Egg. The plant-based patty is topped with arugula, avocado, and roasted tomatoes.
Unfortunately, The Plant-Based Cali is only available in one certain Flip’d restaurant in the Flatiron neighborhood. Flip’d is a new fast-casual restaurant chain from IHOP that was introduced in 2019. Hopefully, after the testing phase, it will be available nationwide at iHOP with even more delicious plant-based menu items like the long-awaited vegan pancake.
But for now, at least there’s more than just hashbrowns with a side of hashbrowns like the Waffle House offers us, Vegans. Many other breakfast places have experimented with vegan meat and dairy substitutions for a limited time at select locations. Some restaurants are trying to add more substance to their menus for plant-based eaters, but so far, IHOP does not seem to want to follow in their footsteps.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does IHOP have vegan options?
Even though IHOP is not the most vegan-friendly place on the planet, you can find some vegan options on their menu. You can enjoy Sides (Hash Browns, French Fries, English Muffin, Oatmeal) Soups, Salads and dressings (French Dressing, Catalina Dressing) and even some Syrups (Straberry Syrup, Boysenberry Syrup or Blueberry Syrup). For the full list, check out our article!
Are IHOP pancakes vegan?
Unfortunately, no vegan pencakes are available at IHOP. All their pancakes contain milk and eggs.
Are IHOP crepes vegan?
Currently, there are no vegan Crepes available at IHOP. They contain milk and eggs.
Are IHOP fries vegan?
IHOP’s Fries are vegan, because they do not use any animal by-products to make them.
Are IHOP onion rings vegan
IHOP”s Onion Rings are not vegan, because they contain milk.
Are IHOP eggs vegan?
No, unfortunately the eggs used for IHOP’s pancakes are just eggs, so they are not vegan.
Are IHOP english muffins vegan?
IHOP’s English Muffins are vegan, just avoid butter and go with jam or grape jelly instead.
Are IHOP grits vegan?
Fortunately, IHOP’s Grifts do not contain milk or butter or animal by-products, so we consider them vegan.
