Animal crackers have been a popular childhood snack ever since the early 1900s. Animal crackers are pale-colored, slightly sweet, and have a satisfying cookie crunch. The most widely recognized animal cracker brand is the red box of Nabisco’s Barnum’s Zoo Animal Crackers. There are over 40 million packages sold each year! But for those following a vegan lifestyle, are animal crackers vegan?
Most brands of animal crackers are Vegan, as the majority do not contain any eggs, meat or dairy products. These include Barnum’s, Trader Joe’s Organic Animal Crackers, Costco’s Kirkland Brand Animal Crackers, and Annie’s Homegrown Organic Animal Cookies. Healthier vegan alternatives to traditional animal crackers include Annie’s Organic Whole-Wheat Bunnies and Earth’s Best Organic Crunchin’ Crackers.
In this article we will take a closer look at the ingredients and nutrient content for all vegan and non-vegan brands of animal crackers, alternative options, and the ingredients to watch out for. Let’s dig in!
Contents
Are Animal Crackers Healthy?
Although many brands of animal crackers are considered Vegan, this does not necessarily mean that they are “healthy.” Let’s take a closer look at some of the ingredients to watch out for.
Artificial Colors
These substances are often derived from animal-based sources, if not produced synthetically. The biggest controversy with these artificial colors among vegans is that they are tested on animals to ensure they are safe for humans. Many animals are needlessly killed to prove the safety of these products in humans.
Although these coloring agents are generally recognized as safe, there have been scientific studies that found that these agents may be associated with behavioral changes, such as increased hyperactivity and irritability in otherwise healthy children.
High Fructose Corn Syrup
High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS) in our food supply has stirred a lot of commotion in recent years. Over the past few decades, HFCS has sneakily made its way into more and more food products. This is because compared to regular table sugar, it is cheaper, sweeter, and much more rapidly absorbed in the bloodstream.
Consuming too much of this corn syrup can lead to problems such as insulin resistance, obesity, and high blood pressure. It is better to consume products that don’t have this listed in their ingredients label.
Next time you find yourself standing in the cookie aisle of the supermarket, debating which brand of animal crackers to buy – the best options are Annie’s, Kirkland, and Trader Joes. These are the only brands available that don’t contain high fructose corn syrup, artificial dyes, and processed sugars.
Vegan Animal Cracker Brands
Barnum’s
This brand is most widely purchased by consumers and was one of the first on the market. These animal crackers are vegan, although there was a controversy around this product just a few years ago. The old packaging of this product showed caged zoo animals, which created a buzz among vegans. Many believed these caged animals on the package promoted animal cruelty. After strong criticism and debate, Nabisco finally changed the packaging to include the zoo animals being cage-free.
Ingredients:
- Unbleached Enriched Flour (wheat flour, niacin, reduced iron, thiamine mononitrate {vitamin b1}, riboflavin {vitamin b2}, folic acid)
- Sugar
- Canola Oil
- Yellow Corn Flour
- Dextrose
- Fructose
- Calcium Carbonate (source of calcium)
- Baking Soda
- Soy Lecithin
- Salt
- Natural and Artificial Flavor
Nutritional Information (per 14 crackers):
- Calories: 140
- Total Fat: 4g
- Total Sodium: 150mg
- Total Carbohydrates: 24g
- Dietary Fiber: 1g
- Total Sugars: 8g
- Total Protein: 2g
Trader Joe’s Organic Animal Crackers
Trader Joe’s brand of animal crackers is one of the most promising options. These crackers are 100% organic and vegan. The ingredient list contains only the most natural choices of flour and sugar and stays away from refined flours and high fructose corn syrup.
Ingredients:
- Organic Wheat Flour
- Organic Cane Sugar
- Organic Sunflower Oil
- Organic Brown Rice Syrup
- Sea Salt, Leavening (sodium bicarbonate, ammonium bicarbonate),
- Organic Lemon Flavor
- Citric Acid
- Organic Soy Lecithin
- Organic Mace
Nutritional Information (per 17 crackers):
- Calories: 120
- Total Fat: 2g
- Total Sodium: 100mg
- Total Carbohydrates: 25g
- Dietary Fiber: 0g
- Total Sugars: 6g
- Total Protein: 2g
Costco’s Kirkland Brand Animal Crackers
Just like the ingredients in Trader Joe’s crackers, these Kirkland brand crackers are 100% organic and vegan. They also refrain from any artificial flavors and colors.
Ingredients:
- Organic Wheat Flour
- Organic Cane Sugar
- Organic Palm Oil
- Organic Cane Invert Syrup
- Organic Corn Flour
- Organic Sunflower Oil
- Baking Soda
- Organic Vanilla Extract
- Salt
- Soy Lecithin
- Cream of Tartar
- Natural Flavor
- Organic Spice
Nutritional Information (per 11 crackers):
- Calories: 120
- Total Fat: 3g
- Total Sodium: 80mg
- Total Carbohydrates: 22g
- Dietary Fiber: 0g
- Total Sugars: 6g
- Total Protein: 2g
Annie’s Homegrown Organic Animal Cookies
Annie’s is another one of those rare brands that makes a promise to refrain from any artificial flavors, synthetic colors, and preservatives. All of its ingredients are organic and vegan. When choosing Annie’s products, you can feel at ease knowing that they are one of the leaders in supporting organic practices.
On the ingredients label, they do state that items MAY contain milk ingredients. This warning only implies that the processing equipment used in manufacturing this product may have traces of the previously processed non-vegan food items.
Ingredients:
- Organic Whole Wheat Flour
- Organic Wheat Flour
- Organic Cane Sugar
- Organic Expeller-Pressed Sunflower Oil
- Organic Invert Cane Syrup
- Calcium Carbonate
- Sea Salt
- Leavening (Baking Soda, Ammonium Bicarbonate)
- Natural Flavors
- Mixed Tocopherols (Vitamin E) to Protect Flavor.
Nutritional Information (per 14 cookies):
- Calories: 130
- Total Fat: 4g
- Total Sodium: 95mg
- Total Carbohydrates: 22g
- Dietary Fiber: 1g
- Total Sugars: 8g
- Total Protein: 2g
Stauffer’s Animal Cookies (Original)
Stauffer’s Animal Cookies are another brand just as famous as Barnum’s. However, along with the classic flavor, they also come in chocolate and iced. Stauffer’s brand tends to be the sweetest and favorite of all the animal cookies, but that is largely due to its unfavorable ingredients.
All three varieties of these cookies contain high fructose corn syrup as one of its main ingredients. And the chocolate and iced cookies contain artificial colors and dyes as well.
Ingredients:
- Enriched Flour (Wheat Flour Niacin, Reduced Iron, Thiamine Monohydrate [Vitamin B1], Riboflavin [Vitamin B2], Folic Acid)
- Sugar
- Soybean Oil
- High Fructose Corn Syrup
- Salt, Baking Soda (Leavening)
- Soy Lecithin (an Emulsifier)
- Natural Flavor
- Spices (Nutmeg and Mace)
Nutritional Information (per 16 crackers):
- Calories: 120
- Total Fat: 2g
- Total Sodium: 105mg
- Total Carbohydrates: 24g
- Dietary Fiber: 1g
- Total Sugars: 7g
- Total Protein: 2g
Stauffer’s Animal Cookies (Chocolate)
These cookies are processed with alkali cocoa instead of milk chocolate, keeping them Vegan!
Ingredients:
- Enriched Flour (wheat flour, malted barley flour, niacin, reduced iron, thiamine mononitrate [vitamin b1], riboflavin [vitamin b2], folic acid)
- Sugar
- Soybean Oil
- High Fructose Corn syrup
- Cocoa (processed with alkali)
- Graham Flour, Chocolate Liquor
- Salt
- Baking Soda (leavening)
- Soy Lecithin (an emulsifier)
- Natural and Artificial Flavor
- Caramel Color
- FD&C Blue #1
- FD&C Yellow #6
Nutritional Information (per 16 crackers):
- Calories: 130
- Total Fat: 3g
- Total Sodium: 150mg
- Total Carbohydrates: 23g
- Dietary Fiber: 1g
- Total Sugars: 7g
- Total Protein: 2g
Stauffer’s Iced Animal Cookies
No dairy, eggs, or other animal derivatives to worry about in this icing!
Ingredients:
- Enriched Flour (Wheat Flour, Niacin, Reduced Iron, Thiamine Mononitrate [Vitamin B1], Riboflavin [Vitamin B2], Folic Acid)
- Sugar
- Soybean Oil
- High Fructose Corn Syrup
- Corn Syrup
- Salt
- Baking Powder (Leavening)
- Cinnamon
- Natural and Artificial Flavor
- Titanium Dioxide (for color)
- Soy Lecithin (an emulsifier)
- Carrageenan
- Red #40
Nutritional Information (per 9 cookies):
- Calories: 130
- Total Fat: 3.5g
- Total Sodium: 95mg
- Total Carbohydrates: 23g
- Dietary Fiber: 1g
- Total Sugars: 8g
- Total Protein: 2g
Non-Vegan Animal Crackers
As for a few popular brands that are non-vegan, Keebler’s Frosted Animal Crackers aren’t vegan, and neither are Glutino Animal Crackers.
Keebler’s Frosted Animal Crackers
These deliciously sweet crackers are unfortunately not Vegan. They contain two non-vegan ingredients, whey and confectioner’s glaze. Currently, the only frosted animal crackers available that are 100% Vegan are the Stauffer’s Iced Animal Crackers.
Ingredients:
- Sugar
- Enriched Flour (Wheat Flour, Niacin, Reduced Iron, Vitamin B1 [Thiamin Mononitrate], Vitamin B2 [Riboflavin], Folic Acid)
- Vegetable Oil (Palm Kernel, Soybean And Palm Oil With Tbhq For Freshness)
- High Fructose Corn Syrup
- Whey
- Salt
- Sorbitol
- Cornstarch
- Soy Lecithin
- Baking Soda
- Red 40 Lake
- Confectioner’s Glaze
- Artificial Flavor
- Carnauba Wax
- Yellow 5
- Blue 1
- Blue 2 Lake
- Yellow 6 Lake
- Yellow 6
Nutrition Facts (per 8 cookies):
- Calories: 160
- Total Fat: 8g
- Total Sodium: 80mg
- Total Carbohydrates: 22g
- Dietary Fiber: 0g
- Total Sugars: 13g
- Total Protein: 1g
Glutino Animal Crackers
Although these crackers are gluten-free, they are not vegan.
Ingredients:
- Tapioca Flour
- Rice Flour
- Cane sugar
- Palm Oil
- Tapioca Syrup
- Water
- Cassava Flour
- Egg Whites
- Potato Flour
- Xanthan Gum
- Salt
- Molasses
- Caramelized Sugar
- Soy Lecithin
- Sodium Bicarbonate
- Natural Flavor
- Cinnamon
Nutritional Facts (per 9 crackers):
- Calories: 130
- Total Fat: 3g
- Total Sodium: 125mg
- Total Carbohydrates: 24g
- Dietary Fiber: 0g
- Total Sugars: 10g
- Total Protein: 1g
Healthier Alternatives to Traditional Animal Crackers
The classic animal crackers mentioned in this article are not bad snack choices for you or your kids. However, choosing cookies or crackers that are made with whole-grain or whole-wheat ingredients offers much more vitamins and minerals. Whole-wheat cookies or crackers will typically contain more fiber and less sugar per serving.
Some snacks you can look out for that are whole-wheat and vegan are Annie’s Organic Whole-Wheat Bunnies and Earth’s Best Organic Crunchin Crackers.
Annie’s Organic Whole-Wheat Bunnies
You can’t go wrong when snacking on these scrumptious baked bites. These bunnies are made with organic whole wheat flour and absolutely no sugar!
Ingredients:
- Organic Whole Wheat Flour
- Organic Wheat Flour
- Organic Expeller-Pressed Sunflower Oil
- Sea Salt
- Organic Yeast
- Leavening(baking soda, monocalcium phosphate)
- Organic Celery Seed Powder
- Organic Onion Powder
- Mixed Tocopherols(vitamin E) to Protect Flavor
Nutritional Information (per 51 crackers):
- Calories: 140
- Total Fat: 5g
- Total Sodium: 250mg
- Total Carbohydrates: 20g
- Dietary Fiber: 2g
- Total Sugars: 0g
- Total Protein: 3g
Earth’s Best Organic Crunchin’ Crackers
These wholesome crackers provide an excellent source of Iron, Zinc, and B Vitamins. Your kids will also love the original Sesame Street shapes!
Ingredients:
- Organic Wheat Flour
- Water
- Organic Sunflower Oil and/or Organic Safflower Oil
- Organic Cane Sugar
- Leavening (monocalcium phosphate, sodium bicarbonate, ammonium bicarbonate)
- Organic Invert Cane Sugar
- Organic Vital Wheat Gluten
- Natural Flavor
- Sea Salt
- Organic Malt Extract
- Vitamin Mineral Blend (ferric orthophosphate, niacinamide, zinc oxide, cyanocobalamin, maltodextrin, thiamine mononitrate, pyridoxine hydrochloride, riboflavin)
Nutritional Information (per 30 crackers):
- Calories: 90
- Total Fat: 4.5g
- Total Sodium: 120mg
- Total Carbohydrates: 13g
- Dietary Fiber: 0g
- Total Sugars: 2g
- Total Protein: 2g
Main Takeaways
Even though you’ll be biting into the shape of your favorite zoo animals, you can feel guilt-free knowing they contain no animal derivatives. Many of the most popular Animal Crackers don’t have any animal-based ingredients.
If you are unsure about whether a less common brand may be Vegan or not, always make sure to check the ingredients label. Check for words such as milk, whey, honey, and eggs.
Related Questions
Are Animal Crackers Gluten-Free?
Of all the brands mentioned in this article, the only brand that is gluten-free is the Glutino Animal Crackers. Glutino specializes in making some of the finest gluten-free products. As a general rule of thumb, an item will not be gluten-free if it contains any form of wheat flour or wheat starch.
Are Animal Crackers Nut-Free?
Not all brands of animal crackers are nut-free. Two brands that are safe for those nut allergies include Barnum’s Animal Crackers and Austin’s Zoo Animal Crackers. However, it is important to always read the ingredients label to see if there is anything listed that states the following: “May Contain Peanut or Tree Nuts”, “Processed on shared equipment with Peanuts or Tree Nuts”, or “Contains Peanut or Tree Nut Ingredients”.