Doritos aren’t labelled as suitable for vegans, yet many flavours of Doritos contain no animal-derived ingredients.
Knowing which Doritos vegans can eat is tricky as there are so many varieties and the ingredients are also different in each country.
In this guide to vegan Doritos flavours, I’ve listed which Doritos are accidentally vegan and which ones contain animal ingredients like milk.
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Are Doritos vegan?
Most Doritos flavours are not suitable for vegans as they contain milk. However, vegan Doritos do exist and there are several flavours of Doritos which do not contain any animal-derived ingredients.
Which Doritos are vegan?
Vegan Doritos flavours vary from country to country.
As there’s not a whole lot of overlap between the Doritos flavours on sale in each country, you can click on these links to jump you straight to the country you’re most interested in:
Vegan Doritos flavours in the UK
There are currently only two flavours of Doritos that are suitable for vegans in the UK. These are Chilli Heatwave and Lightly Salted.
Vegetarians can eat all flavours of Doritos in the UK as even the meaty flavours like Flame Grilled Steak and Flaming Chicken Wings do not contain any meat.
The following table lists all of the Doritos flavours in the UK and whether they are suitable for vegans or vegetarians.
Doritos Heatburst BBQ & Chilli Doritos were also vegan-friendly, but they have been discontinued.
| Vegan? | Vegetarian? | Ingredients | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chilli Heatwave | Yes | Yes | |
| Cool Original | No | Yes | Contains milk |
| Flame Grilled Steak | No | Yes | Contains milk |
| Flamin’ Hot Tangy Cheese | No | Yes | Contains milk |
| Flaming Chicken Wings Stax | No | Yes | Contains milk |
| Guacamole | No | Yes | Contains milk |
| Hint of Lime | No | Yes | Contains milk |
| Lightly Salted | Yes | Yes | |
| Mexican Chilli Salsa Stax | No | Yes | Contains milk |
| Sour Cream & Onion Stax | No | Yes | Contains milk |
| Tangy Cheese | No | Yes | Contains milk |
| Ultimate Cheese Stax | No | Yes | Contains milk |
Are Chilli Heatwave Doritos vegan?
Chilli Heatwave Doritos are suitable for vegans. They have not been certified as vegan because they are made in a factory that also handles milk, but there is no milk or other animal ingredients in Chilli Heatwave Doritos.
Doritos may not be suitable for people with severe milk allergies due to the risk of cross-contamination with milk products.
Suggested read: Is food that ‘may contain milk’ vegan?
Chilli Heatwave Doritos ingredients (UK):
Corn (Maize), Vegetable Oils (Sunflower, Rapeseed, in varying Proportions), Chilli Heatwave Flavour [Sugar, Flavourings (Contains Soya, Wheat), Hydrolysed Soya Protein, Acidity Regulators (Sodium Acetates), Flavour Enhancers (Monosodium Glutamate, Disodium 5’-ribonucleotides), Onion Powder, Salt, Garlic Powder, Acids (Citric Acid, Malic Acid), Potassium Chloride, Soybean, Wheat, Colour (Paprika Extract)]
Are Lightly Salted Doritos vegan?
Lightly Salted Doritos are vegan. The only ingredients in Lightly Salted Doritos are corn, vegetable oils and salt. Lightly Salted Doritos are made in a factory that also handles milk so there could be some risk of cross-contamination.
Lightly Salted Doritos ingredients (UK):
Corn (Maize), Vegetable Oils (Sunflower, Rapeseed, in varying proportions), Salt
Are Cool Original Doritos vegan?
Cool Original Doritos are not vegan as they contain milk. They are, however, suitable for vegetarians.
Cool Original Doritos ingredients (UK):
Corn (Maize), Vegetable Oils (Sunflower, Rapeseed, in varying proportions), Cool Original Flavour [Flavourings (contains Milk), Salt, Glucose Syrup, Sugar, Potassium Chloride, Cheese Powder (from Milk), Flavour Enhancers (Monosodium glutamate, Disodium 5′-ribonucleotides), Acidity Regulators (Malic acid, Sodium acetate, Citric acid), Colour (Annatto), Milk Proteins, Spice
Are Hint of Lime Doritos vegan?
Doritos with a hint of lime flavour are not vegan as they contain milk. They are, however, suitable for vegetarians.
Hint of Lime Doritos ingredients (UK):
Corn (Maize), Vegetable Oils (Sunflower, Rapeseed, in varying proportions), Hint of Lime Flavour [Flavourings, Cream Powder (from Milk), Milk Powder, Whey Powder (from Milk), Lime Juice, Parsley, Salt, Sugar, Dextrose, Acid(Citric Acid), Flavour Enhancer (Monosodium glutamate), Acidity Regulator (Sodium diacetate)].
Are Tangy Cheese Doritos vegan?
Tangy Cheese Doritos are not vegan as they contain milk. They are suitable for vegetarians.
Tangy Cheese Doritos ingredients (UK):
Corn (Maize), Vegetable Oils (Sunflower, Rapeseed, in varying proportions), Tangy Cheese Flavour [Flavourings (from Milk), Whey Powder (From Milk), Wheat Flour (contains Calcium, Iron, Niacin, Thiamin), Salt, Cheese Powder (From Milk), Buttermilk Powder, Potassium Chloride, Flavour Enhancer (Monosodium glutamate), Milk Protein, Dextrose, Acids (Lactic acid, Citric acid), Colours (Paprika extract, Annatto, Plain Caramel), Spice, Sugar, Skimmed Milk Powder
Vegan Doritos flavors in the US
Spicy Sweet Chili is the only flavor of Doritos that is suitable for vegans in the United States. The other 16 flavours contain milk or meat.
Blaze Doritos were vegan-friendly, but these have been discontinued. They have been replaced with Flamin Hot Doritos which contain milk.
| Vegan? | Ingredients | |
|---|---|---|
| 3D Crunch Chili Cheese Nacho | No | Contains milk |
| 3D Crunch Spicy Ranch | No | Contains milk |
| Blazin’ Buffalo & Ranch | No | Contains milk |
| Cool Ranch | No | Contains milk |
| Dinamita Chile Limon | No | Contains milk |
| Flamas | No | Contains milk |
| Flamin Hot Limon | No | Contains milk |
| Flamin Hot Nacho | No | Contains milk |
| Nacho Cheese | No | Contains milk |
| Poppin’ Jalapeno | No | Contains milk |
| Salsa Verde | No | Contains chicken |
| Simply Organic Spicy White Cheddar | No | Contains milk |
| Simply Organic White Cheddar | No | Contains milk |
| Spicy Nacho | No | Contains milk |
| Spicy Sweet Chili | Yes | |
| Taco | No | Contains milk |
| Tapatio | No | Contains milk |
In the United States, Doritos are not labelled as suitable for vegans or vegetarians.
Even the accidentally vegan Doritos contain some ingredients which very strict vegans may want to avoid. See the full ingredients list below to make up your own mind about whether you consider them to be vegan or not.
Are Spicy Sweet Chili Doritos vegan?
Spicy Sweet Chili Doritos can generally be considered to be vegan. However, they contain natural flavors and sugar which strict vegans may wish to avoid as there is a chance that these ingredients may involve animals.
Blaze Doritos contain the following ingredients which super strict vegans may wish to avoid:
- Natural flavor – This is a vague term that doesn’t tell us enough to know for sure what it is. Natural flavors are probably vegan, but we don’t know for sure
- Sugar – Most sugar is vegan, but there’s a small chance that it could be made with made with bone char
Spicy Sweet Chili Doritos ingredients (US)
Corn, Vegetable Oil (Corn, Canola, and/or Sunflower Oil), Salt, Sugar, Monosodium Glutamate, Fructose, Sodium Diacetate, Soy Sauce (Soybean, Wheat, Salt), Onion Powder, Maltodextrin (Made from Corn), Hydrolyzed Soy Protein, Hydrolyzed Corn Protein, Garlic Powder, Torula Yeast, Malic Acid, Extractives of Paprika, Spices, Caramel Color, Disodium Inosinate, Disodium Guanylate, Dextrose, and Natural Flavor.
Are Cool Ranch Doritos vegan?
Cool Ranch Doritos are not vegan. They are suitable for vegetarians. Just like ranch dressing, Cool Ranch Doritos contain milk.
Cool Ranch Doritos ingredients (US)
Corn, Vegetable Oil (Corn, Canola, And/or Sunflower Oil), Maltodextrin (Made From Corn), Salt, Tomato Powder, Lactose, Whey, Skim Milk, Onion Powder, Sugar, Garlic Powder, Monosodium Glutamate, Maltodextrin (Made From Corn), Cheddar Cheese (Milk, Cheese Cultures, Salt, Enzymes), Dextrose, Malic Acid, Corn Syrup Solids, Buttermilk, Natural and Artificial Flavors, Sodium Acetate, Artificial Color (Red 40, Blue 1, Yellow 5), Spice, Citric Acid, Disodium Inosinate, and Disodium Guanylate.
Are Salsa Verde Doritos vegan?
Salsa Verde Doritos are not vegan. They are also not suitable for vegetarians because they contain chicken flavor.
Cool Ranch Doritos ingredients (US)
Corn, Vegetable Oil (Corn, Canola, and/or Sunflower Oil), Maltodextrin (Made From Corn), Salt, Monosodium Glutamate, Dextrose, Jalapeno Pepper Powder, Tomato Powder, Paprika, Onion, Citric Acid, Modified Corn Starch, Natural and Artificial Flavors (Including Natural Chicken Flavor), Spices, Garlic, Spice Extractives, Vinegar, Corn Syrup Solids, Artificial Color (Including Yellow 6 Lake, Red 40 Lake, Blue 1 Lake), Parsley, and Lemon Juice.
Are Nacho Cheese Doritos vegan?
Nacho Cheese Doritos are not vegan. They are suitable for vegetarians. Just like actual nacho cheese, Nacho Cheese Doritos contain milk.
Nacho Cheese Doritos ingredients (US)
Corn, Vegetable Oil (Corn, Canola, And/or Sunflower Oil), Maltodextrin (Made From Corn), Salt, Cheddar Cheese (Milk, Cheese Cultures, Salt, Enzymes), Whey, Monosodium Glutamate, Buttermilk, Romano Cheese (Part-skim Cow’s Milk, Cheese Cultures, Salt, Enzymes), Whey Protein Concentrate, Onion Powder, Corn Flour, Natural And Artificial Flavor, Dextrose, Tomato Powder, Lactose, Spices, Artificial Color (Yellow 6, Yellow 5, And Red 40), Lactic Acid, Citric Acid, Sugar, Garlic Powder, Skim Milk, Red And Green Bell Pepper Powder, Disodium Inosinate, And Disodium Guanylate.
Are Doritos Flamas vegan?
Doritos Flamas are not vegan but they are suitable for vegetarians. This is because Flamas Doritos contain milk.
Doritos Flamas ingredients (US):
Whole Corn, Vegetable Oil (Corn, Canola, Soybean and/or Sunflower Oil), Maltodextrin (Made From Corn), Salt, Citric Acid, Sugar, Monosodium Glutamate, Artificial Color (Red 40 Lake, Yellow 6 Lake), Hydrolyzed Corn Protein, Yeast Extract, Sodium Diacetate, Cheddar Cheese (Milk, Cheese Cultures, Salt, Enzymes), Modified Corn Starch, Natural Flavor (Including Natural Extractives of Bee, Pepper and Natural Extractives of Lime), Onion Powder, Whey, Corn Syrup Solids, Garlic Powder, vraiCint’atese (part-Skim Cow’s Milk, Cheese Cultures, Salt Enzymes). Buttermilk, Whey Protein Concentrate, Disodium Inosinate, and Disodium Guanylate.
Vegan Doritos Flavours in Australia
There are currently only two flavours of Doritos that are suitable for vegans in Australia. These are Original Salted and Thai Sweet Chili.
The other six flavours of Doritos are not suitable for vegans as they contain milk. Doritos Crackers and Doritos Peanuts are also not suitable for vegans.
| Vegan? | Ingredients | |
|---|---|---|
| Cheese Supreme | No | Contains milk |
| Cool Ranch | No | Contains milk |
| Flame Grilled BBQ | No | Contains milk |
| Flamin’ Hot Cheese Supreme | No | Contains milk |
| Mexicana | No | Contains milk |
| Nacho Cheese | No | Contains milk |
| Original Salted | Yes | |
| Thai Sweet Chili | Yes |
Are Original Salted Doritos vegan in Australia?
Original Salted Doritos are suitable for vegans as they contain no animal-derived ingredients.
Original Salted Doritos ingredients (Australia):
Corn, Canola Oil, Salt, Sunflower Oil, Antioxidants (Tocopherols, Ascorbic Acid, Rosemary Extract, Citric Acid).
To conclude
Most Doritos are not vegan-friendly and milk is a common ingredient that you’ll find in most packets of Doritos.
The good news for vegans is that wherever you live in the world, you should be able to find at least one flavour of Doritos that’s vegan-friendly. Look out for the plain salted Doritos and the spicy chilli flavours as these are less likely to have milk in the ingredients.