It’s been said before, and we’ll say it again—there’s a vegan version of virtually every animal product, from the Impossible Whopper to non-dairy Ben & Jerry’s pints. That said, not everything needs a substitute. Plenty of everyday grocery staples are already animal-free—they just don’t advertise it on the packaging. These are often called “accidentally vegan” products, meaning they weren’t necessarily created with vegans in mind but happen to contain no animal ingredients.
In many cases, you’ll need to scan the ingredient list to be sure, since they’re not always clearly labeled vegan. Some are obvious (like egg-free pasta, rice, or fresh bread), while others might surprise you. To save you some label-reading time, we’ve rounded up some of the most common accidentally vegan grocery store finds. You might be surprised by what makes the list—yes, even some Pop-Tarts.
Easy baking essentials
Duncan Hines
1 Baking mixes
A well-stocked pantry should always include a box or two of dry baking mixes. Particularly convenient for families (or single adults with an immediate craving for cake), a boxed cake, cookie, or brownie mix can easily be doctored up for a quick, affordable vegan treat.
For brownies, opt for Pillsbury Chocolate Fudge varieties. To whip up a quick cake, both Duncan Hines and Pillsbury offer several plant-based mixes, from devil’s food to Dolly Parton’s line of Southern-inspired cakes. Just steer clear of any boxes labeled “Super Moist,” as these often include milk-based pudding packets.
Top tip: To replace the eggs in these mixes, make a flax egg by combining 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed with 3 tablespoons warm water, then let it sit for about 5 minutes until it thickens.
Duncan Hines
2 Frosting
Don’t forget to grab a tub of frosting as you head down the baking aisle. Most shelf-stable brands are free of animal products. Besides the cream cheese varieties, Pillsbury, Duncan Hines, and Betty Crocker all make vegan-friendly frostings from chocolate to funfetti.
Krusteaz
3 Pancake mix
If you stay away from the buttermilk varieties, most dry pancake mixes are vegan-friendly. Safe brands include Original Bisquick, Blueberry Krusteaz, and Arrowhead Mills Organic Gluten-Free Mix. Simply swap the required egg for an egg replacer such as Bob’s Red Mill.
Simply Delish
4Pudding mix
On its own, Jell-O pudding mix is vegan-friendly. However, you can’t perform a one-to-one swap of non-dairy milk for cow’s milk because it will not thicken. The box recommends 2 cups of milk, but when using plant milk (soy works best), only add ½ to ¾ cups, and be sure it is chilled. Alternatively, Simply Delish offers plant-based pudding in a variety of flavors.
Sweet snacks and treats
No Revisions/Unsplash
5 Packaged cookies
It’s common knowledge that Oreos are vegan, but many other brands of chocolate sandwich cookies are animal-free as well. Newman’s, Back to Nature, and most generic store brands all make plant-based Oreo-style cookies. Nutter Butters and Nabisco Original Grahams are also vegan. For even more options, check out our editors’ favorite 18 Accidentally Vegan Cookies.
Pop-Tarts
6 Unfrosted Pop-Tarts
While the frosted varieties of these toaster treats contain gelatin (weird, we know), the Unfrosted Strawberry and Unfrosted Blueberry flavors are gelatin-, egg-, and dairy-free. You won’t miss the glaze—they’re sweet enough on their own.
Lotus Biscoff
7
Cookie butter
Yes, it’s literally speculoos cookies blended into a smooth, creamy butter—and it’s vegan. Trader Joe’s and Lotus Biscoff are the two common brands that make this incredible spread.
Hershey’s
8 Hershey’s Syrup
There’s no dairy in this childhood favorite, so pour liberally onto non-dairy ice cream or into a tall glass of plant milk for homemade vegan chocolate milk.
Talenti
9 Talenti Sorbetto
Most sorbets are accidentally vegan, but Talenti is the crowd favorite. Pick up a pint of the Alphonso Mango or Roman Raspberry for a luxuriously creamy (and never icy) treat.
Marie Calendar’s
10Frozen fruit pie
When you crave pie more often than you have time to make it, a frozen fruit pie is the way to go. Many of the Marie Calendar’s and Sara Lee’s fruit pies are vegan, including Dutch Apple and Cherry.
Breakfast staples
PepsiCo
11 Cereal
As long as you pair it with plant-based milk, you probably don’t have to give up your favorite cereal. While honey and yogurt-flavored varieties are out—so long, HoneyNut Cheerios—most dry cereals that do not contain vitamin D3 are vegan (vitamin D3 can be derived from sheep lanolin).
Enjoy your Cap’n Crunch, Kashi, and Barbara’s Puffins Cereal with your favorite non-dairy milk for breakfast, lunch, or dinner (no one is judging here). For even more cereal options, check out our guide to vegan-friendly cereal.
Vans
12
Frozen waffles
While vegans do need to “l’eggo their Eggo” (Eggos, of course, contain eggs), several frozen waffle brands do not contain animal products. Look for brands like Nature’s Path and Vans for your quick toaster waffle fix.
13 Frozen hash browns
If you prefer a cooked, savory breakfast, we’ve got good news: most frozen hash browns are vegan. Great Value Seasoned Potato Hash Brown Patties, for example, are completely animal-free. Some varieties may contain eggs or dairy, so it’s always worth giving the ingredient list a quick scan—but for the most part, you’re in the clear.
Jif
14 Nut butters
Nut butters may be ultra-creamy, but that richness usually comes from the nuts themselves—not milk. In most cases, it’s just pure, nutty goodness. That said, keep an eye out for sneaky additions like milk powder or honey. Generally, though, this is a reliable vegan staple, whether you prefer peanut or almond. Two popular options include Jif Simply Creamy and Whole Foods Market Almond Butter.
Breads and doughs
15Crescent rolls
Ah, the satisfying “pop!” of the crescent roll can. Serve straight out of the oven with some jam and UmYum vegan butter, make quick pain au chocolates by folding in a tablespoon or two of vegan chocolate chips, or entertain a crowd with vegan pigs-in-a-blanket by rolling up Lightlife Smart Dogs within each doughy triangle. A variety of brands make vegan-friendly crescent rolls, including Walmart’s Great Value.
Thomas’
16Bread and bagels
Vegans do not lack for want of carbs. Pick up a baguette at your local store’s bakery, then head down the bread aisle for Thomas’ bagels (in all flavors except Honey Wheat), Mission Foods’ flour and corn tortillas, and your store’s brand of pita bread.
Walmart
17 English muffins
Who doesn’t love starting the day with a hearty English muffin slathered in dairy-free butter? Not us. While some English muffins (like some from Thomas’) contain milk, there are plenty of accidentally vegan options out there. Great Value Original Fork Split English Muffins, for example, are totally animal-free.
Quick and convenient snacks
Smucker’s
18Smucker’s Uncrustables
These portable snack-sized PB&Js are the ultimate modern convenience food. When there’s no time to spare, it takes mere seconds to throw one in your kid’s lunchbox or your gym bag and allow it to thaw throughout the day.
All flavors except the Chocolate Hazelnut and Peanut Butter and Honey are vegan—Smucker’s even makes whole wheat and pure peanut options for jelly haters. Pro tip: throw one in a toaster. The bread gets nice and toasty, and the peanut butter melts to the perfect gooey consistency.
SoftPretzels
19 SuperPretzel Soft Pretzels
Pretzels deserve their own category separate from bread. Pick up a box of frozen SuperPretzels to enjoy this ballpark snack at home. We highly suggest serving with mustard and a vegan beer on the side.
Ritz
20Ritz Crackers
Pair these classic crackers with your favorite vegan cheese spread for a stand-alone afternoon snack or part of a vegan charcuterie board.
Barnum’s Animals
21 Animal crackers
For kids and nostalgic adults alike, animal crackers are a fun, satisfying snack—and for the most part, they’re totally animal-free. Just be sure to scan the ingredient list for additions like milk powder or honey before you buy. Two reliably accidentally vegan options include Amazon Grocery Animal Cookies and Barnum’s Animals.
Pantry staples
Newman’s Own
22Cooking sauces
Going vegan doesn’t mean you have to make everything from scratch—you can still find staple sauces on the supermarket shelves to stick to those 30-minute meals. Reach for Old El Paso Enchilada Sauce, Thai Kitchen Gluten-Free Peanut Satay Sauce, and Newman’s Own Marinara. Grocery store shelves are overflowing with vegan-friendly sauces, so feel free to explore—just read the ingredients list first.
A-Sha
23Instant noodles
Did you know that many “meaty” instant noodles are flavored with seasonings rather than actual meat? It’s true. Just look at A-Sha’s Hello Kitty Chicken Noodle Soup, which is actually 100 percent vegan. If you’d rather skip meat-style flavors altogether, options like Nissin Soy Sauce Top Ramen are often plant-based too.
Frank’s RedHot
24 Hot sauces
Spice lovers, good news: most hot sauces are vegan—even classics like Frank’s RedHot and Tabasco. For more ways to turn up the heat, check out our hot sauce guide here.
Campbell’s
25Canned soups
Love an easy, no-fuss lunch? Many canned soups—especially vegetable and tomato varieties—are vegan by default, like Progresso Tomato Basil and Campbell’s Chunky Vegetable. Just be sure to scan the ingredient list before adding to your cart, as some vegetable options sneak in powdered milk.
For more on vegan grocery shopping, read:
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Tanya Flink is a VegNews writer and runner living in Orange County, CA.
Here at VegNews, we live and breathe the plant-based lifestyle, and only recommend products we feel make our lives amazing. Occasionally, articles may include links where we might earn a small commission, but in no way does this effect the editorial integrity of VegNews.
