Let’s face it, we all love a bagel from time to time. You just can’t beat it. That crispy outside, with delicious fillings or simply your favorite spread.
It’s a great snack, as you can have it for your on-the-go breakfast, as your lunch, or even as an evening snack if you’re feeling peckish! But can you have bagels as a vegan?
While most bagels are in fact vegan, we can’t definitively say that all of them are vegan, as some could contain butter, milk, eggs, egg yolks, dairy products, or even things like milk chocolate chips. So,
in this guide, we will go over which bagel brands you can safely eat as a vegan, which ingredients to avoid, and which of your favorite bagel or coffee shops have vegan options. Read on to find out more!
Are Bagels Vegan?
In short, bagels can be vegan, and many bagels that you can buy from a grocery store will be vegan friendly and plant based, however, there are some brands that use animal derived ingredients, which would make the bagels not safe for a vegan to eat.
It can be hard to decipher which bagels are vegan even when they are called ‘plain bagels’ they could have hidden animal ingredients within them.
So, to help you out, we’ll go through all of the popular bagel brands to see which ones are vegan friendly, and which ones you need to avoid.
Vegan Friendly Bagels
If you’re looking for vegan bagels, then we have a few quick and handy options for you right here.
Dave’s Killer Bread Organic Everything Bagels
Dave’s Killer Bread Organic Plain Awesome Bagels
Toufayan Bakeries Everything Bagels
Soozy’s Bagels Original
365 By Whole Foods Market Everything Bagels
Thomas’ Bagels Plain
Einstein Bros Bagels Everything
Is Every Bagel Vegan Friendly?
No, all bagels are not vegan friendly, although the vast majority of them are.
Most of the time, you are safe to eat Plain Bagels from most bagel brands and stores, along with Everything Bagels, Blueberry Bagels, Pumpernickel Bagels, and Cinnamon Raisin Bagels.
However, you should always check the ingredients list if you are purchasing bagels, or as your server if there are any ingredients or bagels that you should avoid.
If you are ever unsure, then you can always check online from the brand’s nutritional and allergy information, or reach out to them for clarification. Most brands are happy to offer you any information that they have about their products.
What Common Ingredients Are Not Vegan Friendly?
While you may think that bread is a safe option for a vegan, it is not always guaranteed to be made of vegan friendly ingredients.
Some bagel brands may contain ingredients such as milk, eggs,cheese, or honey, Other ingredients that are sometimes vegan and sometimes not are mono and diglycerides, non organic sugar, enzymes, and natural flavors.
Common Vegan Bagel Brands
Little Northern Bakehouse
Little Northern Bakehouse is a great option, as they have vegan bagels plus they are gluten free! In fact, all of the bagels from Little Northern Bakehouse are 100% vegan and gluten free, so you can eat these with confidence that you’re not consuming animal products.
For example, the Plain Gluten Free Bagels are vegan, as well as the Gluten Free Blueberry, Gluten Free Cinnamon Raisin Bagels, and the Gluten Free Everything Bagels.
The only hitch is that you typically only find these bagels at health food stores such as The Fresh Market, but you can use their store locator to find them near you. Alternatively, find them on Amazon!
Ener-G Bagels
Ener-G also has vegan bagels, but not all of the products are 100% vegan. However, they are always labeled as vegan if they are suitable on the packaging of these bagels.
The vegan options from Ener-G Bagels are the Everything Bagels and the Plain Bagels. These ones are also gluten free!
You can purchase Ener-G bagels directly from their website!
Dave’s Killer Bread
Dave’s Killer bread may be a little more expensive than others, but it is worth it. This bread is absolutely delicious, and as a bonus, all of Dave’s Killer Bread bagels are vegan!
The company states that only the Honey Oats & Flax Bread is not vegan, and all other products do not have any animal products in them and are 100% vegan.
So, take your pick of Dave’s Killer Bread bagels and eat them with confidence! You can find Dave’s Killer Bread at most retailers like Walmart, and on Amazon. Our favorites are the Organic Cinnamon Raisin Bagels, the Organic Everything Bagels, and the Plain Awesome Bagels.
Alvarado Street Bakery
Alvarado Street Bakery Bagels is another great option for you.
This company uses organic ingredients, and non GMO additives and ingredients in their products, and the entirety of the vegan options are labeled, so there’s no confusion when it comes to these.
Alvarado Street Bakery also uses sprouted wheat for the breads, making them simpler to digest, and you can absorb more vitamins and minerals, making them healthier and simpler to eat.
The vegan friendly bagels are the Sprouted Wheat Sesame Seed Bagels, the Sprouted Wheat Onion Poppyseed Bagels and the Sprouted Wheat Bagels.
The great thing about Alvarado Street Bakery is that their bagels are easy to come by. You can find them at Costco, Sprouts, Safeway, Whole Foods and more. Or, you can buy them from Alvarado Street Bakery’s website.
Franz Bakery
Franz Bakery actually makes it really easy for you to find out which bagels are vegan. On Franz’ website, they clearly label the vegan bagels and breads that you can safely have.
Franz actually has two vegan friendly bagels. These are the Original Bagels and the Sourdough Bagels.
The bagels you need to avoid from Franz Bakery are the Sweet Onion Bagels, the Everything Bagels, Blueberry Bagels, Hawaiian Bagels, Mini Original Bagels, French Toast Bagels, Cheese Everything Bagels, and Cinnamon Raisin Bagels, as these are not vegan friendly.
Franz Bagels are available at most retailers, such as Walmart & Target.
Thomas’ Bagels
Thomas’ Bagels are a more popular bagel brand that you can find at stores across the states. The good news is that a lot of their bagels are plant based and vegan friendly.
In addition to this, you will find that some bagel brands use mono and diglycerides which can be animal based, but Thomas’ Bagels use plant based, vegetable derived versions, so you are safe to eat them.
The vegan options from Thomas’ bagels are the Plain bagels, Everything Bagels, Onion Bagels, Plain Bagel Thins, 100% Whole Wheat Bagels, Cinnamon Raisin Swirl Bagels, Nooks & Crannies Bagels, Everything Bagel Thins, and Brown Sugar Cinnamon Mini Bagels.
The non vegan bagels are the Blueberry, Cinnamon Swirl Bagels, Cranberry Bagels and Blueberry Mini Bagels.
You can find Thomas’ Bagels online at Amazon, and at most grocery stores, but you can use their product locator online to find some in your area.
Bagel Brands That Are Not Vegan
While the majority of the bagel brands out there will have some vegan options in some shape or form, there are a few brands that do not refer to any of their products as vegan.
For instance, they may contain ingredients that are not 100% vegan friendly such as animal products, dairy products, or milk and honey.
There can also be natural flavors or enzymes that are not vegan, so we’ve got a few brands that we would avoid because it is unclear if their products are vegan or not.
For instance, Udi’s gluten free bagels may look vegan and natural, but they do contain egg whites, making them unsuitable for vegans.
Lender’s bagels are also not vegan as they have natural flavors and food dyes that could contain animal products such as monoglycerides.
In addition, Sara Lee cannot say that the bagels are 100% vegan as they use mono and diglycerides along with other animal based ingredients or ingredients with unclear origin.
Frequently Asked Questions
If you have some more queries about which bagels are vegan, then check out this frequently asked question section.
What Kind Of Bagels Are Vegan?
Most bagels will be made from flour, water, salt, yeast, and sugar, so you will find that the majority of bagels are in fact vegan. The issue is when animal products are used to make bagels such as honey, milk, eggs, or egg yolks.
To find out which bagels are vegan friendly, you are simply going to have to check the ingredients list on the back of the packaging, or if you are in a bagel shop, then simply clarify with your server.
Are Starbucks Bagels Vegan?
There are many different bagels to choose from at Starbucks, but not all of them are vegan friendly.
The Sprouted Grain Bagel is 100% vegan friendly, along with the Plain bagels, Everything Bagels, Cinnamon Raisin bagels, and the Blueberry bagels.
Are Einstein Bros Bagels Vegan?
Einstein Bros bagels are some of the most popular around, as this store supplies freshly baked bagels, sandwiches and more, but are the Einstein Bros bagels vegan? No, not all Einstein bros bagels are vegan.
The vegan friendly options are similar to Starbucks’ options. You can have the Plain, Everything bagel, Sesame, Cinnamon Raisin, Pumpernickel, Cranberry, and Garlic bagels.
Are Absolute Bagels Vegan?
Absolute Bagels are often referred to as the best bagels in the world, but they’re definitely the best in New York. If you’re in the area, and keen to try them for yourself, you’re probably wondering which ones are suitable for a vegan.
Not all Absolute Bagels are vegan, your vegan friendly options are the Plain bagels, Everything bagel, Cinnamon Raisin and more.
Absolute Bagels also have a vegan friendly cream cheese and spreads available.
Are Tim Hortons Bagels Vegan?
A range of Tim Hortons bagels are in fact vegan. You can choose from the Plain, 12 Grain, Everything Bagel, Cinnamon Raisin, Pretzel, and Blueberry Bagel at Tim Hortons.
Summary
To summarize, while the majority of bagels are vegan and made from plant based ingredients, not all bagels are in fact vegan.
Some brands produce bagels with honey or egg whites, and they may contain animal derived food dyes or additives.
That being said, if you stick to our guide, you can choose vegan friendly bagel options when you next head to the grocery store.
Our favorites are Dave’s Killer Bread, Thomas’ bagels, Little Northern Bakehouse and Franz Bakery.
With this guide, we’ve taken all of the guesswork out of the equation.
You can eat your favorite bagels with ease, and we’ve covered which bagels you can order at places like Starbucks and Tim Hortons, so you don’t have to worry about avoiding bagels ever again!
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