Are Graham Crackers Vegan?
This article explains that graham crackers are not necessarily vegan. However, there are brands that are 100% vegan, and others that are partially vegan. Sylvester Graham was the person who created the recipe in 1829. You’ll find out which ones are vegan and which ones are not.
Most graham crackers are made without any animal products. However, some graham cracker brands contain honey. So, if you want to avoid honey, you may want to look for a graham cracker that doesn’t contain honey.
Some graham crackers are actually vegan. Some old-fashioned graham cracker brands like honey maid include typical ingredients like coconut oil, agave nectar, maple syrup, molasses, golden syrup, and soy lecithin. These ingredients are completely vegan.
You should also avoid graham crackers that have artificial flavors, colors, preservatives, or additives. Many graham cracker brands add these types of ingredients to make their product taste better.
What It Usually Consists Of
Graham crackers usually consist of several key ingredients. Here are the ones you’ll typically find in most brands:
- Enriched flour
- Graham flour
- Sugar
- Vegetable oil
- Corn syrup
- Leavening
- Cinnamon
- Salt
- Dextrose
- Soy lecithin
You may notice that there are a lot of ingredients listed here. That’s because every graham cracker brand uses a unique combination of these ingredients to give their product its distinctive taste. However, if you look closely at the ingredient list, you’ll notice that there are only five main ingredients. These are the same ingredients that are used in almost any food item.
There are two reasons why graham crackers are made with these five basic ingredients. First, they keep costs down. Second, they provide a consistent texture and taste across all types of products. So, no matter what kind of graham cracker you buy, you should expect similar results.
Graham Crackers For Vegans
There are several types of graham crackers out there, including those made with wheat flour, cornmeal, rice flour, almond meal, coconut flour, tapioca starch, potato starch, etc. Some of these are vegan, others not.
As far as vegan graham crackers go, you’ll find that most of them are made with refined sugar, canola oil, butter, milk powder, egg whites, and/or cream cheese. While these may be suitable for vegans, they won’t necessarily be the healthiest choice.
Graham crackers can provide some nutritional value because they’re made from wheat flour which contains several important nutrients including vitamin B3, vitamin B1, and vitamin B2.
You can also buy graham crackers at the store that are already vegan. Many stores carry vegan graham crackers, including Whole Foods Market, Trader Joe’s, Sprouts Farmers Market, and Costco.
Some graham crackers are made with honey instead of sugar. However, if you prefer to avoid honey, you can easily swap it out for another sweetener like agave nectar, maple syrup, brown sugar, or even dates.
Kroger Original Graham Crackers
Kroger Original box of Grahams is made with whole grain wheat flour, enriched flour, sugar, high oleic canola oil and soybean oil, molasses, salt, soy lecithin, sodium sulfite, baking soda, calcium phosphate, and natural flavorings. These ingredients are listed on the label, so there’s no reason not to buy them if you’re concerned about animal products.
These crackers are strong enough to stand up to any recipe calling for regular graham-style crackers. You can enjoy them plain, or try out some of Kroger’s tasty and tempting flavors.
Observe These Ingredients
All graham crackers aren’t necessarily vegan. Some non-vegetarian graham crackers contain the above-mentioned ingredients.
Honey
Graham crackers are made primarily from wheat flour, sugar, salt, baking soda, eggs, butter, milk powder, vanilla extract, and honey. Honey is used as a sweetener in most baked goods, including cookies, cakes, pies, bread, muffins, and pastries.
Most vegans avoid using honey because it comes from bees. Organic honey farming harms the overall health of bees, causing them to become stressed and die prematurely. As a result, there is less honey available for humans to consume.
However, if you’re willing to give honey a try, look for organic varieties. You’ll find them at natural food stores and online retailers.
Unnatural Flavor
Veganism is a lifestyle choice where individuals avoid eating anything produced through animal agriculture, including meat, dairy products, eggs, honey, leather, wool, silk, fur, gelatin, etc.
Many vegans believe that it is unethical to eat food that was created by killing another living being. Therefore, they avoid consuming anything that comes from an animal.
Some companies add artificial flavors to their products to give them a more appealing taste. But most companies opt for natural flavors instead because they believe that adding artificial flavors makes their products less healthy. Some companies even argue that artificial flavors cause cancer.
Natural Flavors
Graham crackers may seem like an innocent ingredient, but there’s actually nothing natural about them. Natural flavors are usually acquired from the natural flavors of fruits and vegetables. So if your graham cracker doesn’t come from a fruit or vegetable, then it isn’t natural.
There are two main types of natural flavorings used in food manufacturing: synthetic and natural. Synthetic flavors are made using chemical compounds that mimic the taste of natural ingredients. These chemicals are added to foods during processing. Natural flavors are derived from naturally occurring substances, such as fruits and vegetables.
Palm Oil
Graham Crackers are made with palm oil. You might think that means they are not vegan. Technically, palm oil is a plant-based product derived from the palm fruit borne in palm trees. However, most palm oil plantations destroy rainforests and convert huge swaths of land into palm oil plantations.
As a result, there is a lot of controversy surrounding palm oil production. Some say that palm oil is a safe alternative to animal products, while others claim that it is destroying our planet.
You can find a detailed breakdown of the pros and cons of palm oil here. There are two main types of palm oil: sustainable palm oil and unsustainable palm oil. Sustainable palm oil comes from small family farms, where farmers practice environmentally friendly farming techniques. Unsustainable palm oil comes from large plantations owned by corporations. Read more about palm oil here.
Refined Sugar
Graham crackers are made from white flour, sugar, salt, and leavening agents. Refined sugar is extracted from sugar cane or sugar beet, and it’s usually colored with caramel coloring.
Although there are no animal products used in making refined sugar, it still isn’t considered vegan. Instead, refined sugar is derived from sugar cane or sugar beets, which means that the plant matter was harvested without harming animals. However, if you want to avoid refined sugar altogether, you should look at natural sweeteners instead.
Natural sweeteners include honey, agave nectar, maple syrup, molasses, and coconut sugar. These sweeteners come from plants and are therefore considered vegan. Even though they may not taste quite the same as refined sugar, they are healthier options for vegans.
Conclusion
Graham crackers are delicious treats made out of wheat flour, sugar, salt, leavening agent, and water. Some graham crackers also contain milk powder or butter. Even though most graham crackers are dairy-free, there are still some that contain honey. These types of graham crackers are not vegan.
However, if you’re trying to cut down on your consumption of animal products, you may want to consider switching to vegan graham crackers instead. There are plenty of options available today, including Nabisco Grahams, Graham cracker PB & J, and Keebler Graham Crackers original. Both of these options are dairy-free and vegan, making them ideal choices for vegans and vegetarians.
Pair these vegan oil-free vegan graham crackers with vegan marshmallows and a vegan dark vegan chocolate chip for a vegan s’more!
Hey'all I'm Amy, a born foodie and diagnosed with celiac disease 7 years ago. I refused to cave into tasteless, boring gulten free food and create my own!
On my blog you'll find info & cool facts along with recipes, all on gluten free foods!