Are Oreos Vegan? It’s Complicated…

Oreo, sweet Oreo…wherefore art thou Oreo? Why, right on the shelves of your local grocery store, of course! America’s favorite sandwich cookie is a stone-cold classic. But, while it’s fun to just wolf them down like Cookie Monster, it’s always a smart idea to know what’s inside the stuff (or Stuf, in this case) you’re eating. Unless you’re actually Cookie Monster. He doesn’t need to worry himself with ingredients; most of what he eats crumbles out of the side of his mouth, anyhow. But, if you’re a human, keep reading. Let’s break down what makes this little cookie such a gigantic deal. 

What are Oreos made of?

A classic Oreo cookie consists of two chocolate wafer cookies sandwiching a creme filling. Here are all the ingredients: sugar, unbleached enriched flour (wheat flour, niacin, reduced iron, thiamine mononitrate [vitamin B1], riboflavin [vitamin B2], folic acid), palm and/or canola oil, cocoa (processed with alkali), high fructose corn syrup, leavening (baking soda and/or calcium phosphate), salt, soy lecithin, chocolate, artificial flavor. Really, it’s all totally normal ingredients that you would find in anyone’s pantry. Did I say “anyone?” I meant any mad food scientist. 

Are Oreos vegan?

Though Oreos themselves do not use any ingredients that would preclude them from being vegan, it’s unfortunately not that cut and dry. Oreo addresses the issue of veganism in the FAQ section of their UK site: “Oreo products have milk as a cross-contact and therefore they are not suitable for vegans.”

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This means that milk is used in the same facility in which Oreo cookies are produced, and there is the chance of a trace amount of milk being present. While some vegans aren’t bothered by the possibility of miniscule amounts of milk, it does mean that we can never be sure if the Oreo we’re eating is completely vegan or not. So, I suppose the short answer is, they’re vegan if you’re a vegan who happens to be a bit of a gambler. Roll those dice, daddio! 

Are Oreos dairy free?

Yes, save for the small amounts that could be cross-contaminated from other things made in the factory, Oreos are free of any dairy. But, let’s be honest, if Oreos are what you’re eating, you’ll probably want a tall frosty glass of milk nearby to dunk those bad boys. One of life’s simplest pleasures! 

Are Oreos gluten free?

Here’s a much less muddled answer. As anyone who has gazed upon the endless shelves of Oreos knows, there are many varieties of Oreos with new, innovative flavors coming out all the time (have they done almond yet? I think that’d be pretty good!) Anyway, most of all those endless flavors do contain gluten. However, due to public demand, Oreo introduced a gluten-free variety (in original and Double Stuf!) in 2021, and they are absolutely delicious! As of January 2023, even mint Oreos are available gluten free, too. Soon, we’ll make the whole cookie aisle gluten free! It’ll be a glu-topia.