These age old snacks have stood the test of time as kids’ all-time favorite, the world over. Perhaps an interesting history is that they were first prepared in England as far back as the 1800s, later adapted in the US with tweaks in the recipe, and are still being enjoyed to date, not only by kids but also as a good pass-time snack for when it’s not yet time to have a proper meal.

Because animal crackers are not a brand but a product produced by different brands, some are vegan while others are not. For instance, the delicious Stauffer’s Animal Crackers (buy them on Amazon) are vegan as they do not contain the slightest of non-vegan ingredients and this is quite appreciable.

Take a look at their ingredient label:

• Enriched flour: Wheat flour, Niacin, Reduced Iron, Thiamine, Mononitrate (Vitamin B1), Riboflavin (Vitamin B2), Folic Acid
• Sugar
• Soybean Oil
• High Fructose Corn Syrup
• Salt
• Baking Soda (Leavening)
• Soy Lecithin (Emulsifier)
• Natural Flavor
• Spice

 

For the non-vegan brands like Keebler Animal Crackers, watch out for ingredients like calcium carbonate derived from egg shells, whey, eggs, and dairy milk.

Also, it is important to note that there is vegan and non-vegan sugar. Some refined sugar brands are processed using bone char and this is considered non-vegan. However, it may not be easy to know what type of sugar has gone into preparing these lovely cookies.

And check out this video on how to eat vegan animal crackers. Yes, you heard it right 🙂

 

Quick Tips

• Keep off frosted animal crackers as more often than not frosting includes gelatin.
• Keep checking ingredient labels, there is no shortcut to this.

 

So how about getting creative using certified vegan sugar and other ingredients that you are certain are vegan? Here is one vegan and gluten free animal cracker recipe by Davida that will keep you salivating!

 

Have you baked animal crackers at home lately? Which ingredients did you use?