A lot of chips turn out to be accidentally vegan.
After looking through the ingredients for all Lay’s flavors, some of them are in fact vegan.
I’ve summarized what I found to save you some time.
Ingredients in Lay’s for Vegans to Look Out For
Most non-vegan ingredients in Lay’s are milk ingredients and really obvious (e.g. milk, cheese, lactose, whey, etc.).
But there are 2 ingredients that may or may not be vegan that I need to point out to you before continuing:
- Natural Flavors – Natural flavors can contain both vegan and non-vegan ingredients, where it’s mostly dairy ingredients we’re worried about. Since Lay’s has labeled a few flavors with “Natural Flavor [including Milk]”, I think it’s pretty safe to assume that the other varieties with just “natural flavors” are vegan.
- Sugar – Not all sugar in the U.S. is vegan. Not all vegans care about this. I’ll point it out where it’s relevant, and you can decide for yourself.
Which Flavors of Lay’s Are Vegan?
I’m not going to list out the full ingredient list of each flavor.
Instead, here’s a summary table with the most important things you need to know.
| Flavor | Potential Non-Vegan Ingredients | Verdict |
|---|---|---|
| Classic | Vegan | |
| Barbecue | Natural Flavors | Possibly Vegan |
| Dill Pickle Flavored | Natural Flavors | Possibly Vegan |
| Salt & Vinegar | Natural Flavors | Possibly Vegan |
| Limón | Natural Flavors, Sugar | Possibly Vegan |
| Chesapeake Bay Crab Spice | Natural Flavors, Sugar | Possibly Vegan |
| Cheddar Jalapeño | Cheddar Cheese, Whey, Buttermilk | Not Vegan |
| Cheddar & Sour Cream | Cheese, Whey, Buttermilk, Sour Cream | Not Vegan |
| Chile Limón | Milk Protein Concentrate | Not Vegan |
| Fiery Habanero | Skim Milk, Sodium Caseinate, Buttermilk | Not Vegan |
| Flamin’ Hot | Milk Protein Concentrate | Not Vegan |
| Flamin’ Hot Dill Pickle | Whey, Sour Cream | Not Vegan |
| Honey BBQ | Natural Flavor [including Milk] | Not Vegan |
| Sabritas Adobadas | Sour Cream, Skim Milk | Not Vegan |
| Sour Cream & Onion | Milk, Whey, Lactose | Not Vegan |
| Sweet Southern Heat BBQ | Cheddar Cheese, Whey | Not Vegan |
Most are not vegan, but if you’re okay with a small risk on the natural flavors or sugar you still have some choices.
Are Kettle Cooked Lay’s Vegan?
The other main line of chips are Lay’s Kettle Cooked chips.
They mostly have the same ingredients as the original line, but there are a few differences. For example, the original salt and vinegar chips are vegan, but the kettle cooked salt and vinegar chips have lactose in them.
| Flavor | Potential Non-Vegan Ingredients | Verdict |
|---|---|---|
| Kettle Cooked Original | Vegan | |
| Kettle Cooked Reduced Fat Original | Vegan | |
| Kettle Cooked Sea Salt & Cracked Pepper | Natural Flavors | Possibly Vegan |
| Kettle Cooked Flamin’ Hot | Cheddar Cheese, Whey, Skim Milk | Not Vegan |
| Kettle Cooked Jalapeño | Whey | Not Vegan |
| Kettle Cooked Mesquite BBQ | Lactose, Skim Milk, Buttermilk | Not Vegan |
| Kettle Cooked Sea Salt & Vinegar | Lactose | Not Vegan |
| Kettle Cooked Maui Onion | Natural Flavor [Including Milk] | Not Vegan |
| Kettle Cooked Lightly Salted Jalapeño | Yogurt Powder, Whey, Buttermilk, Cheese | Not Vegan |
Not a lot of options, but some.
In general, plain (or just salted) chips of most brands tend to be vegan, but it’s hard to find flavored chips that are vegan of any kind.
