Are All Bagels Vegan?
Bagels are not always vegan. Many store-bought bagel brands are plant-based, but there will always be some brands that contain hidden animal products.
It’s not always easy to figure out if a product is vegan by reading the label. There are many animal products that are included in non-vegan bagels, and I listed some of the most common ingredients below so you know what to watch out for:
Common Non-Vegan Ingredients Added to Bagels:
- honey
- eggs
- milk
- mono- and diglycerides (sometimes vegan)
- non-organic sugar (sometimes vegan)
- natural flavor (sometimes vegan)
- enzymes (sometimes vegan)
The list below contains popular vegan bagel brands that you can usually find at your local grocery store. And if they have any, I listed the non-vegan varieties from these brands so you know which ones to stay away from when shopping.
Note: In some of the bagels listed below, non-organic sugar is an ingredient, which may or may not be vegan. But because it is still plant-based, I included these in the list and marked them with an asterisk (*).
If you’re looking for gluten-free vegan bagels, all brands with “GF” next to them are both plant-based ad gluten-free!
Further Reading: If you’re looking for vegan bagels at Panera, check out my Panera Vegan Options Guide which lists all the vegan bagel options from this restaurant. Also be sure to check out my Vegan Bread Brands post if you’re looking for some plant-based sandwich bread!
This list is for informational purposes only. All ingredients are subject to change, so be sure to always read ingredient labels before purchasing.
Vegan Bagel Brands List
Dave’s Killer Bread
Even though Dave’s Killer Bread is a little pricier than other brands, it’s the first brand you should look to when searching for vegan bagels!
All Dave’s Killer Bread bagels are vegan. They confirm this on their FAQ page:
Only our Honey Oats & Flax bread is not considered vegan, as it contains organic honey. All other DKB products do not contain animal products and are considered vegan.
This means that only one of their bread products is not vegan, so you don’t have to worry about the bagels. All DKB bagels are also non-GMO and certified organic, so it’s a healthy vegan bagel option.
Where to Buy: You can buy Dave’s Killer Bread products at many major retailers, including Walmart. Use their store locator to find DKB products near you!
Dave’s Killer Bread Vegan Bagels:
- Plain Awesome Bagels
- Epic Everything Bagels
- Cinnamon Raisin Remix Bagels
- Boomin’ Berry Bagels
Alvarado Street Bakery
Alvarado Street Bakery is a brand that only uses organic, non-GMO ingredients, and all of their vegan products are clearly labeled on their website! Alvarado Street Bakery bagels are perfect if you’re looking for a store-bought bagel brand that is minimally processed and plant-based.
This brand is also unique in that they use sprouted wheat in their bread products instead of traditional flour. This makes the starchy grains easier to digest, allowing your body to more easily absorb the vitamins and nutrients.
Where to Buy: You can buy Alvarado Street Bakery products in many stores including Whole Foods, Sprouts, Safeway, Costco, and more! Check out this complete list of stores. You can also purchase directly through their site.
Alvarado Street Bakery Vegan Bagels:
- Sprouted Wheat Bagels
- Sprouted Wheat Onion Poppyseed Bagels
- Sprouted Wheat Sesame Seed Bagels
Not Vegan:
- Sprouted Wheat Cinnamon Raisin Bagels
Little Northern Bakehouse
If you’re looking for gluten-free vegan bagels, Little Northern Bakehouse is the brand for you! All of their bagels are vegan and gluten-free — labeled right on the package!
Gluten-free goodness and great taste is in everything we do. So we only use non-GMO and plant-based ingredients without any eggs or dairy.
Where to Buy: You can buy Little Northern Bakehouse bagels at health food stores, including Sprouts, The Fresh Market, and more. Use their store locator to find products near you!
Little Northern Bakehouse Vegan Bagels:
- Plain Gluten-Free Bagels
- Gluten-Free Everything Bagels
- Gluten-Free Cinnamon Raisin Bagels
- Gluten-Free Blueberry Bagels
Ener-G
Another gluten-free brand suitable for vegans is Ener-G! All Ener-G products are certified gluten-free, but not all of them are vegan. But thankfully, all vegan products are labeled on the package.
Where to Buy: You can buy Ener-G products directly from their website. Or, find them in-store at many health food stores! Use their store locator to find products near you.
Ener-G Vegan Bagels:
- Plain Bagels (GF)
- Everything Bagels (GF)
Franz Bakery
Even though you can read through ingredient lists to figure out if something is vegan, it’s always nice when a brand labels its products for you. Luckily, Franz Bakery is one of those brands!
Although not many of their bagels are vegan, they have two certified vegan varieties in case you have no other options.
If you click on any product on their website, it will be clearly labeled vegan if it’s vegan so that you don’t have to worry about hidden animal products. This makes it extremely convenient for vegan shoppers.
Where to Buy: You can buy Franz Bakery bagels at select retailers, such as Walmart and Target.
Franz Bakery Vegan Bagels:
- Original bagels
- Sourdough bagels
Not Vegan:
- Blueberry bagels
- Sweet Onion bagels
- Everything bagels
- Cinnamon Raisin bagels
- Hawaiian bagels
- Mini Original bagels
- Mini Blueberry Bagels
- French Toast bagels
- Cheese Everything bagels
Thomas’
Thomas’ is one of the most popular store-bought bagel brands, and many of their bagels are plant-based! You can find these bagels in almost any grocery store, including Walmart.
Mono- and diglycerides is one of the ingredients that is not always vegan, but Thomas’ makes it clear on their FAQ page that it is not animal-based:
The mono- and diglycerides we use are vegetable derived.
In some of Thomas’ bagels, the only ingredient that may or may not be vegan is sugar. Since the sugar is not organic, it’s plant-based but may or may not be strictly vegan. These varieties are marked with an asterisk (*).
Where to Buy: You can buy Thomas’ products at almost any major grocery store. If you’re looking for a specific product, be sure to check out their product locator.
Thomas’ Vegan Bagels:
- Plain bagels *
- Everything bagels *
- Cinnamon Raisin Swirl Bagels *
- 100% Whole Wheat bagels *
- Onion Bagels*
- Nooks & Crannies Bagels *
- Plain Bagel Thins *
- Everything Bagel Thins *
- Cinnamon Raisin Bagel Thins *
- Plain Mini Bagels *
- Cinnamon Swirl Mini Bagels *
- Brown Sugar Cinnamon Mini Bagels *
Not Vegan:
- Blueberry bagels
- Cinnamon Swirl Bagels
- Cranberry Bagels
- Blueberry Mini Bagels
Bagel Brands that are Not Vegan-Friendly
Some bagel brands are clearly not vegan because they contain obvious animal products like eggs or honey. But it’s difficult to tell whether or not some brands are plant-based, especially when they contain ingredients that may or may not be vegan-friendly, like enzymes, natural flavors, or mono- and diglycerides.
These questionable brands are listed below. Whether they are clearly not vegan, or could be non-vegan, it’s best to stay away from them altogether. If the brand wants to sell to vegan consumers, they’ll start labeling their products better!
Bagel Brands that are NOT Vegan-Friendly:
- Sara Lee bagels are not vegan as they all contain mono-and diglycerides among other possible animal-derived ingredients.
- Lender’s bagels are not vegan because they contain a number of possible animal products, including monoglycerides, enzymes, natural flavor, and many food dyes.
- Udi’s gluten-free bagels are not vegan because they contain egg whites.
If you liked this Vegan Bagels guide, check out my other Vegan Food Brands Guides!
If there is a brand of bagels you want me to review and add to this list, let me know in the comments below!
Leave a Reply