Top Vegan Options at Denny’s (Plus Helpful Tips!)

Denny’s is well-known for its breakfast items including pancakes, eggs, sausage, and other traditional breakfast foods. Denny’s also offers entrees for lunch and dinner as well as desserts. Many of the menu items at Denny’s are obviously not vegan-friendly, so as a vegan diner you might be wondering if there’s anything there you can eat.

There are several vegan-friendly items at Denny’s, but most menu items require substitutions to make them vegan. Denny’s offers a plant-based Beyond Burger to sub for beef in place of burgers, which provides more variety. You can substitute avocado in place of cheese in many dishes, and there are plenty of vegan-friendly sauces and sides from which to choose.

If you’re headed to Denny’s you probably want to familiarize yourself with the vegan menu items. Making a plan ahead of time can save you a lot of stress and questions for your waiter. Read on to get the full scoop on vegan-friendly options at Denny’s, as well as some sneaky non-vegan foods to avoid.

Tips & Tricks for Ordering Vegan at Denny’s

• Substitute a Beyond Burger in place of a beef patty. You can easily ask for a Beyond Burger* for burgers, but you can also ask for one in place of other animal-based ingredients. Consider topping a salad with a chopped Beyond Burger or adding it to one of the vegetable-based breakfast skillets. *Beyond Burgers may not be available at all Denny’s locations.
  
  Each Beyond Burger provides 20 grams of protein, 20% of your daily iron needs, and 100% of your vitamin B12 needs – all very important nutrients on a vegan diet!You can also ask for extra sautéed mushrooms or other veggies to add texture and heartiness to breakfast skillets.

• Sub avocado in place of cheese. Avocado provides heart-healthy fats and adds a creaminess that cheese otherwise provides. Avocados can also add much-needed moisture and texture to dishes that would otherwise be dry after removing non-vegan ingredients.
• Ask for a side of peanut butter to add to hot cereal like oatmeal and grits. Peanut butter is a great source of protein and adds flavor instead of butter, cream, and other common non-vegan toppings. You could also bring a small bag of nuts or seeds to add if you’re not a fan of peanut butter.

• Make sure to stick to vegan-friendly sauces and dressings (we’ll cover those below). Denny’s doesn’t disclose if any of their sauces contain honey, so you might want to double-check that their BBQ sauce, ketchup, and certain dressings are honey-free. When in doubt, ask!

It’s hard to bring many of your favorite vegan-friendly substitutions into restaurants, but non-dairy milk and creamers are easy to bring in a little container in your purse.  Bring your own milk or creamer to add to hot cereal, tea, or coffee if you don’t like it black.

Non-Vegan Foods to Avoid at Denny’s

• White and wheat bread/toast, garlic toast, and sourdough bread (contains dairy)
• Biscuits
• All desserts (contain dairy and/or egg) and milkshakes
• Any dish with meat, eggs, or cheese
• Pancakes
• Crepes
• Sauces: Diner Q sauce, hollandaise, Nashville Hot Sauce, Pepper Jack Queso, mayo, tartar sauce, Worcestershire sauce, tomato sauce (contains meat), bourbon sauce, gravy, aus jus, buffalo sauce, honey mustard
• Pot Roast Vegetables (contains dairy)

Vegan Options at Denny’s

Breakfast

1. Santa Fe Sizzlin’ Skillet (omit the sausage, cheddar, and egg; consider adding extra mushrooms)

Ingredients:

• Fire-roasted bell peppers
• Onions
• Mushrooms
• Seasoned red-skinned potatoes

2. Supreme Sizzlin’ Skillet (omit eggs, sausage, and cheese; consider adding extra sauteed mushrooms/bell peppers and avocado)

Ingredients:

• Fire-roasted bell peppers
• Onions
• Mushrooms
• Seasoned red-skinned potatoes

3. Grits (specify no butter)

• Consider adding peanut butter for protein or bring your own bag of chopped nuts/seeds
• Ask for fresh fruit as an optional topping

4. Oatmeal

• Consider adding peanut butter for protein or bring your own bag of chopped nuts/seeds.
• Ask for fresh fruit as an optional topping

1. Toasted English Muffin with peanut butter

Salads

1. House Salad  (sub avocado for cheese)

Ingredients:

• Iceberg Mix
• Grape Tomatoes
• Croutons
• Dressing: Low-Fat Balsamic Vinaigrette, French, Fat-Free Italian, or salad oil)

2. Cobb Salad (omit the bacon, eggs, and cheddar; sub avocado for cheese; consider adding cut-up Beyond Burger for protein)

Ingredients:

• Iceberg Mix
• Potato Stix
• Grape Tomatoes

Burgers

Thankfully Denny’s offers Beyond Burgers which are vegan plant-based patties. The ability to swap meat for the Beyond Burger opens up many more options for vegan entrees at Denny’s.

Denny’s only declares if menu items contain meat/fish, dairy, and eggs. Double-check with your server to inquire about honey in condiments and sauces.

1. America’s Diner Double Burger (sub Beyond Burger for beef, sub avocado for cheese, sub ketchup and/or mustard for Diner Q sauce)

Ingredients:

• Brioche Bun
• Avocado Slices
• Caramelized Onions
• Beyond Burger
  • Water
  • Pea Protein
  • Expeller-Pressed Canola Oil
  • Refined Coconut Oil
  • Rice Protein
  • Natural Flavors
  • Dried Yeast
  • Cocoa Butter
  • Methylcellulose
  •  Less Than 1% Of Potato Starch, Salt, Potassium Chloride, Beet Juice Color, Apple Extract, Pomegranate Concentrate, Sunflower Lecithin, Vinegar, Lemon Juice Concentrate, Vitamins And Minerals (Zinc Sulfate, Niacinamide [Vitamin B3], Pyridoxine Hydrochloride [Vitamin B6], Cyanocobalamin [Vitamin B12], Calcium Pantothenate)

2. Double Cheeseburger (sub Beyond Burger for beef, sub avocados for cheese)

Ingredients:

• Brioche Bun
• Avocadoes
• Tomatoes
• Red Onions
• Pickles
• Beyond Burger
  • Water
  • Pea Protein
  • Expeller-Pressed Canola Oil
  • Refined Coconut Oil
  • Rice Protein
  • Natural Flavors
  • Dried Yeast
  • Cocoa Butter
  • Methylcellulose
  •  Less Than 1% Of Potato Starch, Salt, Potassium Chloride, Beet Juice Color, Apple Extract, Pomegranate Concentrate, Sunflower Lecithin, Vinegar, Lemon Juice Concentrate, Vitamins And Minerals (Zinc Sulfate, Niacinamide [Vitamin B3], Pyridoxine Hydrochloride [Vitamin B6], Cyanocobalamin [Vitamin B12], Calcium Pantothenate)

3. Bacon Avocado Burger (omit the bacon, mayo, and cheese; sub Beyond Burger for beef)

• Brioche Bun
• Fresh avocado
• Lettuce
• Red Onion
• Pickles
• Beyond Burger
  • Water
  • Pea Protein
  • Expeller-Pressed Canola Oil
  • Refined Coconut Oil
  • Rice Protein
  • Natural Flavors
  • Dried Yeast
  • Cocoa Butter
  • Methylcellulose
  •  Less Than 1% Of Potato Starch, Salt, Potassium Chloride, Beet Juice Color, Apple Extract, Pomegranate Concentrate, Sunflower Lecithin, Vinegar, Lemon Juice Concentrate, Vitamins And Minerals (Zinc Sulfate, Niacinamide [Vitamin B3], Pyridoxine Hydrochloride [Vitamin B6], Cyanocobalamin [Vitamin B12], Calcium Pantothenate)

4. Bourbon Bacon Burger (omit the bacon, sub avocados for cheese, sub Beyond Burger for beef)

Ingredients:

• Brioche Bun
• Avocadoes
• Fire-roasted bell peppers & onions
• Lettuce
• Tomato
• Red Onions
• Pickles
• Beyond Burger
  • Water
  • Pea Protein
  • Expeller-Pressed Canola Oil
  • Refined Coconut Oil
  • Rice Protein
  • Natural Flavors
  • Dried Yeast
  • Cocoa Butter
  • Methylcellulose
  •  Less Than 1% Of Potato Starch, Salt, Potassium Chloride, Beet Juice Color, Apple Extract, Pomegranate Concentrate, Sunflower Lecithin, Vinegar, Lemon Juice Concentrate, Vitamins And Minerals (Zinc Sulfate, Niacinamide [Vitamin B3], Pyridoxine Hydrochloride [Vitamin B6], Cyanocobalamin [Vitamin B12], Calcium Pantothenate)

5. Slamburger (omit egg and bacon, sub Beyond Burger for beef)

Ingredients:

• Brioche Bun
• Hashbrown
• Beyond Burger
  • Water
  • Pea Protein
  • Expeller-Pressed Canola Oil
  • Refined Coconut Oil
  • Rice Protein
  • Natural Flavors
  • Dried Yeast
  • Cocoa Butter
  • Methylcellulose
  •  Less Than 1% Of Potato Starch, Salt, Potassium Chloride, Beet Juice Color, Apple Extract, Pomegranate Concentrate, Sunflower Lecithin, Vinegar, Lemon Juice Concentrate, Vitamins And Minerals (Zinc Sulfate, Niacinamide [Vitamin B3], Pyridoxine Hydrochloride [Vitamin B6], Cyanocobalamin [Vitamin B12], Calcium Pantothenate)

Sides – Potatoes

1. Wavy-Cut Fries (prepared on equipment also used to prepare eggs & dairy – possible cross-contamination)
2. Seasoned Fries (prepared on equipment also used to prepare eggs & dairy – possible cross-contamination)
3. Hash Browns
4. Baked Potato (no butter)
5. Red Skinned Potatoes
6. Potato Stix

Bread/grains

1. Dinner Roll
2. English Muffin (Gluten-free English Muffin contains dairy)
3. Texas Toast
4. Flour Tortilla
5. Bagel
6. Tortilla chips
7. Split top bread
8. Hoagie roll
9. Potato bread
10. 7-grain bread

Fruit & Vegetable Sides

1. Seasonal Fruit
2. Broccoli
3. Sweet Corn
4. Fire-Roasted Bell Peppers &  Onions
5. Mushrooms
6. Zucchini & Squash

Sauces/condiments

1. Low-Fat Balsamic Vinaigrette
2. French, Fat-Free Italian
3. Salad Oil
4. Ketchup (verify that it’s honey-free)
5. BBQ sauce (verify that it’s honey-free)
6. Strawberry Sauce (verify that it’s honey-free)
7. Fruit jams/jellies
8. Maple Syrup
9. Hot pepper sauces
10. Salsa

Drinks

1. Apple Juice (including kids)
2. Coffee, Regular/Decaffeinated
3. FUZE® Raspberry Tea
4. Lemonade
5. Minute Maid® Orange Juice
6. Ruby Red Grapefruit
7. Soft Drinks
8. Tea
9. Tomato Juice

Find a Denny’s Near You

Click here to find a Denny’s restaurant in your area.

Similar Restaurants to Denny’s

1. IHOP
2. Waffle House
3. Cracker Barrel

Related Questions

Are Denny’s pancakes vegan?

Unfortunately, Denny’s pancakes are not vegan. They offer both buttermilk and Hearty 9-Grain pancakes, but both of them contain dairy. Instead of pancakes, consider ordering a toasted English muffin (or any of the vegan-friendly types of bread) and topping it with peanut butter, maple syrup, and sliced bananas (if available) to make a vegan-friendly version of pancakes.

Are Denny’s seasoned fries vegan?

Denny’s seasoned fries are vegan. Denny’s offers a disclaimer that the fries are prepared on equipment that also handles eggs and dairy, though. If you want a truly vegan option without the risk of cross-contamination, consider ordering hash browns, a baked potato (no butter), or Potato Stix.

Is Denny’s French Toast vegan?

The bread used to make French toast is vegan, but the batter contains dairy and eggs. Since it wouldn’t be French toast without the batter, you’re better off ordering toast with peanut butter and dipping it in maple syrup if you want a sweet vegan alternative to French toast.

Is Denny’s Beyond Burger vegan?

The Beyond Burger is vegan as well as gluten-free. It does contain coconut and pea protein, so those with allergies or sensitivities to coconut or legumes should avoid the Beyond Burger.

Related Guides

• Everything Vegan at IHOP
• Every Vegan Option at Cracker Barrel
• Best Vegan Options at Sheetz