Are Funyuns Vegan Friendly? (No, Here’s Why)


Are Funyuns Vegan

Funyuns are onion-flavored rings that feature a crisp texture and a zesty onion flavor. Funyuns come in two flavors – original and flamin’ hot – both of which are a deliciously different snack that is fun to eat. There are approximately 20 million people in the United States and approximately 79 million people in the world who follow a vegan diet. Can all of those people enjoy Funyuns, too?

Funyuns are not vegan. In order for a product to be considered vegan, there cannot be any trace of animal products of any kind (i.e. meat and dairy). Both original and flamin’ hot Funyuns contain milk ingredients that are not vegan-friendly. The best vegan and healthier alternative to Funyuns is IWON Organics Organic Protein Puffs Caramelized Onion.

In this article we will discuss the two Funyuns varieties, the ingredients within them that make them non-vegan, as well as vegan-friendly alternatives. Let’s dig in!

Funyuns Nutritional Information by Product

Funyuns Original Flavored Rings

In each serving, which is about 13 pieces, Funyuns Original Flavored Rings contains:

  • Calories: 140
  • Total fat: 6g
  • Cholesterol: 0mg
  • Sodium: 280mg
  • Total carbs: 19g
  • Total sugars: <1g
  • Protein: 2g

The ingredients found in Funyuns Original Flavored Rings are:

  • Enriched corn meal
  • Vegetable oil (corn oil, canola and/or sunflower oil)
  • Salt
  • Corn starch
  • Sugar
  • Corn flour
  • Buttermilk
  • Maltodextrin (made from corn)
  • Onion powder
  • Monosodium glutamate
  • Hydrolyzed corn protein
  • Dextrose
  • Garlic powder
  • Natural flavors
  • Gum Arabic

Non-Vegan Ingredients:

The ingredients found in Funyuns Original Flavored Rings that are not vegan-friendly are:

  • Buttermilk powder

Funyuns Flamin’ Hot Flavored Onion Flavored Rings

In each serving, which is about 13 pieces, Funyuns Flamin’ Hot Flavored Onion Flavored Rings contains:

  • Calories: 140
  • Total fat: 6g
  • Cholesterol: 0mg
  • Sodium: 290mg
  • Total carbs: 19g
  • Total sugars: <1g
  • Protein: 2g

The Ingredients found in Funyuns Flamin’ Hot Flavored Onion Flavored Rings are:

  • Enriched corn meal
  • Vegetable oil (corn oil, canola and/or sunflower oil)
  • Salt
  • Corn starch
  • Sugar
  • Corn flour
  • Buttermilk
  • Monosodium glutamate
  • Yeast extract
  • Cheddar cheese
  • Milk
  • Cheese cultures
  • Enzymes
  • Artificial color (Red 40 Lake, Yellow 6 Lake)
  • Citric acid
  • Whey
  • Onion Powder
  • Maltodextrin
  • Lactose
  • Garlic powder
  • Natural and artificial flavor
  • Skim milk
  • Sodium diacetate
  • Gum Arabic
  • Onion extracts

Non-Vegan Ingredients:

The ingredients found in Funyuns Flamin’ Hot Flavored Onion Flavored Rings that are not vegan-friendly are:

  • Buttermilk
  • Cheddar cheese
  • Whey
  • Skim milk
  • Lactose
  • Cheese cultures
  • Enzymes

Healthier Vegan-Friendly Alternatives to Funyuns

IWON Organics Organic Protein Puffs Caramelized Onion

These caramelized onion protein puffs pack a zesty flavor and high-quality vegan ingredients.

Ingredients:

  • IWON Organic Protein Blend (green peas, brown rice flour, pea protein)
  • Sunflower oil and/or Safflower oil
  • Caramelized onion seasoning (tapioca, maltodextrin, cane sugar, sea salt, onion powder, yeast extract, lactic acid, cayenne chili pepper, citric acid, no more than 2% sunflower oil added as a processing aid)

Nutritional Information:

  • Calories: 180
  • Total fat: 7g
  • Cholesterol: 0mg
  • Sodium: 250mg
  • Total carbs: 21g
  • Total sugars: 2g
  • Protein: 10g

Snacklins Nacho Plant Crisps

Satisfy your craving for cheddar cheese with these vegan-friendly, cheddar cheese-flavored plant crisps.

Ingredients:

  • Yuca
  • Mushroom
  • Sunflower oil
  • Nacho (nutritional yeast, garlic powder, tomato powder, organic flavor, lactic acid)
  • Spice
  • Onion
  • Sea salt

Nutritional Information (for a 0.9oz bag):

  • Calories: 90
  • Total fat: 4g
  • Cholesterol: 0mg
  • Sodium: 110mg
  • Total carbs: 15g
  • Total sugar: 0g
  • Protein: 1g

Other Vegan-Friendly Alternatives

So you know that if you follow a vegan diet you cannot enjoy either flavor of Funyuns. However, that does not mean that you cannot enjoy a vegan version of a similar snack. Here are a few vegan-friendly Funyuns alternatives for you to try:

Wise Onion Rings

Wise Onion Rings, .5-Oz Bags (Pack of 72) If you are looking for the perfect vegan alternative to satisfy your need for crunchy, onion-flavored rings, look no further. Wise Onion Rings are just the snack you are looking for.

Here is some important nutritional information to note for Wise Onion Rings:

  • Calories: 140
  • Total fat: 6g
  • Cholesterol: 0mg
  • Sodium: 360mg
  • Total carbs: 20g
  • Total sugars: 0g
  • Protein: 0g

These are the ingredients found in Wise Onion Rings:

  • Modified Corn Starch
  • Tapioca Starch
  • Vegetable Oil (Contains One Or More Of The Following: Corn, Cottonseed, Soybean, Sunflower, Or Canola Oil)
  • Onion Powder
  • Potato Flour
  • Salt
  • Sugar
  • Torula Yeast
  • Hydrolyzed Torula Yeast Proteins
  • Hydrolyzed Brewers Yeast Proteins
  • Monosodium Glutamate (Flavor Enhancer)
  • Garlic Powder
  • Paprika
  • Spice Extractive Flavorings
  • Yellow 5
  • Yellow 6
  • Red 3
  • Blue 1.

Munchos Flamin’ Hot Potato Crisps

It can be difficult to satisfy your craving for flamin’ hot snacks on a vegan diet because most flamin’ hot products contain milk or cheese-based ingredients. Luckily, Munchos has you covered with their flamin’ hot potato crisps.

Here is some important nutritional information to note for Munchos Flamin’ Hot Potato Crisps:

  • Calories: 160
  • Total fat: 10g
  • Cholesterol: 0mg
  • Sodium: 210mg
  • Total carbs: 16g
  • Sugar: 0g
  • Protein: 1g

These are the ingredients found in Munchos Flamin’ Hot Potato Crisps:

  • Modified Corn Starch
  • Tapioca Starch
  • Vegetable Oil (Contains one or more of the Following: Corn, Cottonseed, Soybean, or Sunflower Oil)
  • Onion Powder
  • Potato Flour
  • Salt
  • Sugar
  • Torula Yeast
  • Hydrolyzed Torula Yeast Proteins
  • Hydrolyzed Brewers Yeast Proteins
  • Monosodium Glutamate (Flavor Enhancer)
  • Garlic Powder
  • Paprika
  • Spice Extractive Flavorings
  • Yellow No. 5
  • Yellow No. 6
  • Red No. 3
  • Blue Number 1.

All of these ingredients come from plant-based origins. Therefore, they are vegan-friendly.

Chomperz

SeaSnax Chomperz Crunchy Seaweed Chips Barbecue, 1 Ounce (Pack of 8) Chomperz are light and crispy seasoned seaweed curls wrapped in rice flour.

While these might not look exactly like real Funyuns, they sure do taste similar. They also come in original, barbeque, and jalapeno flavors. But onion is the way to go if you are looking to get your Funyuns fix.

Here is some important nutritional information to note for Chomperz:

  • Calories: 40
  • Total fat: 2g
  • Cholesterol: 0mg
  • Sodium: 85mg
  • Total carbs: 6g
  • Total sugars: <1g
  • Protein: 4g

These are the ingredients found in Chomperz:

  • Seaweed
  • Glutinous rice flour
  • Rice bran oil
  • Tapioca starch
  • Sea salt
  • Onion

Lay’s Classic Potato Chips

Lay's Classic Potato Chips, 1 oz (Pack of 40) Sometimes you just want a good, old-fashioned potato chip. Luckily, the classic Lay’s potato chips are vegan-friendly.

Here is some important nutritional information to note for Lay’s Classic Potato Chips:

  • Calories: 160
  • Total fat: 10g
  • Cholesterol: 0mg
  • Sodium: 170mg
  • Total carbs: 15g
  • Total sugar: <1g
  • Protein: 2g

These are the ingredients found in Lay’s Classic Potato Chips:

  • Potatoes
  • Vegetable oil (Sunflower, corn and/or canola oil)
  • Salt

Fritos Original Corn Chips

Fritos Original Corn Chips, 1 Ounce (Pack of 40) If you are looking for that satisfying crunch that you get from Funyuns, look no further. Fritos Original Corn Chips are all you need.

Here is some important nutritional information to note for Fritos Original Corn Chips:

  • Calories: 160
  • Total fat: 10g
  • Cholesterol: 0mg
  • Sodium: 170mg
  • Total carbs: 16g
  • Total sugars: 0g
  • Protein: 2g

These are the ingredients found in Fritos Original Corn Chips:

  • Corn
  • Corn oil
  • Salt

Sabritones Chile & Lime Puffed Wheat Snacks

Sabritones Chile and Lime Flavored Puffed Wheat Snacks, 4 oz Bag As far as I am concerned, there are few better flavor combos than chili and lime.

Sabritones Puffed Wheat snack combines that flavor with an airy chip that features a hard on flavor and a satisfying mouthfeel, while also offering a more forgiving nutritional profile than some other chips.

Here is some important nutritional information to note for Sabritones Chile & Lime Puffed Wheat snacks:

  • Calories: 140
  • Total fat: 8g
  • Cholesterol: 0mg
  • Sodium: 640mg
  • Total carbs: 16g
  • Total sugars: 0g
  • Protein: 1g

These are the ingredients found in Sabritones Chile & Lime Puffed Wheat snacks:

  • Enriched flour
  • Bleached wheat flour
  • Niacin
  • Reduced iron
  • Thiamin mononitrate
  • Riboflavin
  • Folic acid
  • Cottonseed oil (and/or canola oil)
  • Corn starch
  • Salt
  • Spices
  • Citric acid
  • Maltodextrin (made from Tapioca)
  • Baking soda
  • Sunflower oil
  • Corn syrup solids
  • Lime juice
  • Artificial color (Yellow 6, Yellow 6 Lake, Blue 2 Lake, Blue 1 Lake, Red 40 Lake)
  • Natural flavor

Forager Project Cheezy Greens

Forager Project Organic Leafy Green Chips, 4 Pack Variety - Corn & Gluten Free - Made with Kale & Spinach (Super Greens, Cheezy Greens, Chipotle BBQ) That’s right, we finally got a cheese-flavored chip that anyone who follows a vegan diet can enjoy.

While the ingredients list may be intimidating, rest assured it is completely vegan. These chips feature a flavor profile like no other, and if only for the novelty alone, I would give these a try.

Here is some important nutritional information to note for Forager Project Cheezy Greens:

  • Calories: 130
  • Total fat: 8g
  • Cholesterol: 0mg
  • Sodium: 140mg
  • Total carbs: 14g
  • Total sugars: 0g
  • Protein: 2g

These are the ingredients found in Forager Project Cheezy Greens:

  • Brown rice
  • Oil blend (Sunflower oil, Safflower oil, and/or Red Palm Olein)
  • Sprouted brown rice
  • Non-dairy cheddar seasoning (Rice flour, tapioca solids, sea salt, nutritional yeast, natural flavor, yeast extract, garlic powder, onion powder, lactic acid, ground mustard, spices)
  • Leafy greens blend (kale, spinach powder, water)
  • White rice
  • Black sesame seeds
  • White sesame seeds
  • Red quinoa seeds
  • Millet flour
  • Quinoa flour
  • Amaranth flour

Final Thoughts

Neither Funyuns Original nor Flamin’ Hot Funyuns are vegan-friendly, as they both contain milk ingredients.

There are, however, vegan-friendly alternatives on the market to satisfy your Funyuns craving.

Related Questions

Are Funyuns Dairy-Free?

No, Funyuns are not dairy-free. Both varieties contain milk ingredients.

Are Funyuns Keto-Friendly?

No, Funyuns are not keto-friendly. They are a high-carb processed food that can have a severe impact on ketosis. It is recommended that Funyuns are avoided entirely by anyone following the keto diet.

Are Funyuns Gluten-Free?

Funyuns do not contain any gluten ingredients. However, they are manufactured on some of the same lines that process gluten products. As a result of this, it is recommended you avoid Funyuns if you have celiac disease or are highly sensitive to gluten.

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Cara Giannetto

I am Cara, a journalist who strives to live a healthy lifestyle. My goal is to help others live a healthy lifestyle, as well, by providing you with the information you need to achieve your goals.

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