Doritos tortilla chips are a delicious snack to munch on, whether you’re watching Netflix, having a party, or just bored. However, if you’re vegan, you may want to think twice before you grab a bag.
So, are Doritos vegan? Read on to find out.
Are Doritos Vegan or Not?
Honestly, it can be quite difficult to find snacks for someone choosing to lead a vegan lifestyle. You might start missing the taste and flavor of your old snacks, though, and believe us, you don’t have to forgo the tortilla chips Doritos snacks just because you’ve switched to veganism.
All Doritos are made from ground corn and mixed with salt and sunflower oil or vegetable oils, so the base tortilla chips Doritos are, fortunately, 100 percent vegan.
Once the base tortilla chips are done, they are added with seasonings to achieve classic flavors like Doritos Jacked Ranch Dipped Hot Wings, Salsa Verde Doritos, Spicy Nacho, Nacho Cheese, and Cool Ranch, among others. Vegans should avoid some variants as they contain cheese, whey, buttermilk, chicken powder, natural chicken flavor, and other non-vegan ingredients.
Which Doritos are Vegan?
Two out of the twenty-one variants are vegan Doritos flavors that use no animal products. And trust us, they’re just as delicious as the classic Ranch and Cheese flavors, so you won’t feel like you’re missing out on anything.
The Chilli Heatwave Doritos, which are sold in the UK, are perfect for vegans. Unfortunately, this variant is not sold anywhere else.
We’ll list down all the other available vegan-friendly Doritos flavors below.
Spicy Sweet Chili Doritos
No animals have been harmed in making the Spicy Sweet Chili Doritos. The Spicy Sweet Chili Doritos are vegan and have the perfect blend of spicy and sweet that won’t need any complimentary dip or salsa.
The Doritos Spicy Sweet Chili is made with the natural flavors of soy sauce, onion powder, hydrolyzed soy protein, hydrolyzed corn protein, and paprika extracts that, when mixed, create a delightfully unique flavor profile that is incomparable to anything else the brand has put out before.
Lightly Salted Corn Doritos
The Lightly Salted Corn Doritos variant is the perfect base for your vegan dips, sauces, and hot salsa. With only three ingredients in the product label — corn, vegetable oil, and salt — there is no doubt that these lightly salted tortilla chips are vegan.
Aside from this variant, the Toasted Corn Tortilla Chips Doritos are also a great alternative if you want another type of lightly salted Doritos.
Blaze Doritos
Unfortunately, Blaze Doritos have been discontinued [1], but they would’ve been the perfect choice for vegans who want a vegan-friendly version of the Flamin’ Hot Nacho.
This snack can leave one wanting a cold glass of water due to its hot and spicy flavor. Each tortilla chips Doritos triangle is generously sprinkled with jalapeno and garlic powder for a strong flavor kick.
Which are Non-Vegan Doritos Flavors?
Unfortunately, most Doritos are not vegan. While vegetarians can eat all the Doritos flavors, including Flaming Chicken Wings and Flame Grilled Steak as they don’t contain actual animal ingredients, vegans are not as lucky.
Tangy cheese powder, buttermilk, whey protein concentrate, and sour cream are among the list of ingredients present in a bag of Doritos that vegans should stay away from.
Cool Ranch Doritos
Are Cool Ranch Doritos vegan? A quick look at the product label would tell you that aside from cool sour cream, this snack contains plenty of milk-based ingredients, such as lactose, whey powder, skim milk, cheddar cheese, and buttermilk.
Nacho Cheese Doritos
These are arguably the most popular Doritos flavor, but are Nacho Cheese Doritos vegan?
Unfortunately, the Nacho Cheese Doritos are not vegan. This product contains several dairy ingredients, including cheddar cheese, whey, buttermilk powder, Romano cheese, lactose, milk protein concentrate, milk powder, and skim milk.
Flamin’ Hot Nacho Doritos
The Flamin’ Hot Nacho Doritos are not vegan as they contain milk products like whey, buttermilk, lactose, milk proteins, skim milk, romano cheese, and cheddar cheese, which is unfortunate as it is a delicious treat.
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Non-Vegan Options That Sound Vegan
A few Dorito flavors look and sound like they should be vegan based on their packaging but are not upon close inspection. You may want to stay away from these.
Poppin’ Jalapeno Doritos
Jalapeno sounds like a safe bet for vegans, right? Wrong. While each Poppin’ Jalapeno morsel does have that spicy jalapeno kick, these Doritos are not vegan due to having multiple milk-based dairy ingredients, including whey, cheddar cheese, skim milk, whey protein concentrate, and lactose.
Aside from those listed above, they also list down “natural and artificial flavors.” Natural flavor is an umbrella term that can include plant and animal ingredients, so it’s best to stay away from it.
Flamas Doritos
Flamas Doritos are a great spicy snack for vegetarians to enjoy. For vegans, though, it’s a different story as the Flamas Doritos are not vegan. They contain salt enzymes, cheddar cheese, bee extracts, whey, buttermilk, and whey protein, aside from the spicy chili and lime flavors.
Dinamita Chile Limon Doritos
If you’re expecting only chili and lemons in the Dinamita Chile Limon Doritos, you’re sadly mistaken. This variant contains multiple milk-based ingredients, including cheddar cheese, skim milk, cream powder, and romano cheese.
FAQs
The top-selling Doritos flavor is undoubtedly the Nacho Cheese flavor. The brand first started selling only Toasted Corn in 1966, which was the original tortilla chip without any added flavor. Many deemed it too bland for their taste, especially since Doritos was marketed as a Mexican snack known for its spicy flavor.
The brand, however, established major success when they released the Nacho Cheese in 1972, and many more flavors followed shortly after.
Yes, the Ketchup Doritos are indeed vegan. Each tortilla chip is coated with tangy Canadian ketchup flavoring and is currently exclusively sold in Canada. It’s a great alternative if you want to try something else other than the other vegan Doritos options.
In Summary
Although milk might be a common ingredient in a pack of Doritos, it’s nice to know that vegans still have options when it comes to this famous Mexican snack.
We told you — just because you’re vegan doesn’t mean you have to forgo eating all kinds of snacks. You have to spend a little more time reading and researching, and you’ll surely find snacks that suit your vegan diet.
Reference:
- https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/83860/13-discontinued-doritos-flavors
About Author
Kathy Carmichael
Hi! My name is Kathy, I am a retired high school English teacher & vegan enthusiast and blogger. My entire blog is fully plant-based vegan. I truly believe what we eat & how we live determines our health & the preservation of our planet! 🙂
www.kathysvegankitchen.com/about-me/
