Choosing the right crisps as a vegan can be a bit of a minefield. When you look at the different flavours of Walkers crisps, it’s not easy to tell which ones are vegan.
In this guide, I’ll show you how to tell which Walkers crisps are vegan-friendly and what animal ingredients you need to look out for. I’ve also listed all of the flavours to make it easy for you to choose vegan Walkers crisps when you next go shopping.
Are any Walkers crisps vegan?
Around half of the Walkers crisps flavours are suitable for vegans, while the rest contain milk. Some meaty flavours such as smoky bacon and prawn cocktail are actually vegan-friendly, while innocent-sounding flavours like tomato ketchup are not suitable for vegans.
Are all Walkers crisps vegetarian?
All Walkers crisps are suitable for vegetarians. Even the meaty flavours like roast chicken and smoky bacon are vegetarian as they do not contain any meat.
Why are Walkers crisps not labelled as vegan?
Every packet of Walkers crisps is labelled with ‘suitable for vegetarians’. But, none of them is labelled as ‘suitable for vegans’, even if they do not contain any animal-derived ingredients.
The reason for the lack of a vegan label on Walkers crisps is that they are all made in a factory that handles milk. Although the equipment is cleaned between making different flavours of crisps, Because Walkers cannot guarantee that no trace amounts of milk are present in the crisps, they do not label the crisps as suitable for vegans.
Most vegans accept that cross-contamination happens with processed food and would still consider crisps to be vegan. Any ‘may contain milk‘ warnings are there for the benefit of people with severe milk allergies.
Which flavour Walkers crisps are vegan and vegetarian?
The table below shows which flavours of Walkers are suitable for vegans and vegetarians, according to the ingredients.
| Walkers Flavour | Vegan? | Vegetarian? |
|---|---|---|
| Cheese & Onion | NO | Yes |
| Flamin’ Hot | NO | Yes |
| Marmite | Yes | Yes |
| Pickled Onion | Yes | Yes |
| Prawn Cocktail | Yes | Yes |
| Ready Salted | Yes | Yes |
| Roast Chicken | Yes | Yes |
| Salt & Vinegar | Yes | Yes |
| Smoky Bacon | NO | Yes |
| Tomato Ketchup | NO | Yes |
| Worcester Sauce | Yes | Yes |
Are Walkers prawn cocktail crisps vegan?
Walkers prawn cocktail crisps do not contain real prawns or any other animal ingredients, so they are suitable for vegans. However, Walkers Oven Baked prawn cocktail crisps contain milk, so these are vegetarian, but not vegan.
All vegan Walkers crisps are made alongside crisps that contain milk, so there is a risk of cross-contamination with milk products.
Walkers Prawn Cocktail Crisps Ingredients:
Potatoes, Vegetable Oils (Sunflower, Rapeseed, in varying proportions), Prawn Cocktail Seasoning (Flavouring, Corn (Maize) Starch, Sugar, Salt, Dextrose, Potassium Chloride, Acid (Citric Acid), Dried Yeast, Dried Onion, Tomato Powder, Colour (Paprika Extract), Sweetener (Sucralose)).
Walkers Oven Baked Prawn Cocktail Crisps Ingredients:
Potato Flakes, Starch, Rapeseed Oil, Cheese & Onion Seasoning (Whey Permeate (from Milk), Salt, Sugar, Flavouring (contains Milk), Rice Flour, Onion Powder, Acidity Regulators (Citric Acid, Malic Acid), Whey Protein (from Milk), Garlic Powder, Dried Cheese (0.1%))(from Milk), Whey Powder (from Milk), Colour (Paprika Extract)), Sugar, Emulsifier (Sunflower Lecithin), Sunflower Oil, Colour (Annatto).
Are Walkers smoky bacon crisps vegan?
Walkers smoky bacon flavour crisps are not suitable for vegans as they contain milk. However, they do not contain any bacon and they are suitable for vegetarians.
Walkers Smoky Bacon Crisps Ingredients:
Potatoes, Sunflower Oil (24%), Rapeseed Oil, Smoky Bacon Seasoning (Dried Milk Lactose, Salt, Sugar, Flavouring, Hydrolysed Soya Protein, Acids (Citric Acid, Malic Acid), Smoke Flavouring, Colours (Paprika Extract, Sulphite Ammonia Caramel).
Are Walkers ready salted crisps vegan?
Walkers ready salted crisps are suitable for vegans. They are made with only potatoes, vegetable oil and salt. However, as Walkers ready salted are made in a factory that handles milk, people with severe dairy allergies may wish to avoid Walkers crisps.
Walkers Oven Baked ready salted crisps contain some extra ingredients like starch, colour and emulsifier, yet they are still vegan-friendly as none of the ingredients come from animals.
Walkers Ready Salted Crisps Ingredients:
Potatoes, Sunflower Oil (26%), Rapeseed Oil, Cheshire Salt.
Are Walkers roast chicken crisps vegan?
Walkers roast chicken crisps are suitable for vegans and vegetarians. They do not contain any animal-derived ingredients. However, they are made in a factory that handles milk products so they may not be suitable for people with milk allergies.
Walkers Roast Chicken Crisps Ingredients:
Potatoes, Sunflower Oil (24%), Rapeseed Oil, Roast Chicken Seasoning (Glucose, Salt, Dried Yeast, Dried Garlic, Dried Onion, Potassium Chloride, Parsley, Flavouring, Colour (Paprika Extract)).
Are Walkers salt and vinegar crisps vegan?
Regular Walkers salt and vinegar crisps are suitable for vegans as they do not contain any animal ingredients, but Walkers Oven Baked and Walkers MAX salt and vinegar crisps are both not suitable for vegans as they contain milk.
People with severe allergies should be aware that all flavours of Walkers crisps are made in the same factory, so there is a risk of cross-contamination between crisps that have milk in the ingredients and those that don’t.
Walkers Salt & Vinegar Crisps Ingredients:
Potatoes, Sunflower Oil (25%), Rapeseed Oil, Salt & Vinegar Seasoning. Salt & Vinegar Seasoning (Flavouring, Dried Vinegar, Salt, Acid (Citric Acid), Sugar, Potassium Chloride, Yeast Extract).
Walkers Oven Baked Salt & Vinegar Crisps Ingredients:
Potato Flakes, Starch, Rapeseed Oil, Salt & Malt Vinegar Seasoning (Flavourings (contains Barley Malt Vinegar Extract), Acid (Citric Acid), Sea Salt, Lactose (from Milk), Potassium Chloride, Salt, Colour (Paprika Extract)), Sugar, Emulsifier (Sunflower Lecithin), Sunflower Oil, Colour (Annatto).
Walkers MAX Salt & Vinegar Crisps Ingredients:
Potatoes, Vegetable Oils (Sunflower, Rapeseed, in varying proportions), Satisfying Salt and Malt Vinegar Seasoning ( Lactose (from Milk), Salt, Flavourings (contains Barley Malt Vinegar), Sugar, Acid (Citric Acid), Potassium Chloride).
Are Walkers cheese and onion crisps vegan?
Walkers cheese and onion crisps are not suitable for vegans as they contain milk. However, both the regular and the Oven Baked crisps are suitable for vegetarians as the cheese flavour does not contain animal rennet.
Walkers Cheese & Onion Crisps Ingredients:
Potatoes, Vegetable Oils (Sunflower, Rapeseed, in varying proportions), Cheese & Onion Seasoning (Dried Onion, Salt, Dried Milk Whey, Lactose (from Milk), Sugar, Flavouring (contains Milk), Cheese Powder (from Milk), Dried Yeast, Dried Garlic, Acids (Citric acid, Malic acid), Colours (Annatto, Paprika extract)).
Are Walkers Worcester sauce crisps vegan?
Although Worcestershire sauce itself is not vegetarian as it contains anchovies, Walkers Worcester sauce flavour crisps are suitable for vegans and vegetarians. There are no animal-derived ingredients in Walkers Worcester sauce crisps, although they are made in a factory that handles milk.
Although Walkers Worcester Sauce Squares do not contain real Worcestershire sauce, they do contain milk so they are not suitable for vegans. They are, however, suitable for vegetarians.
Walkers Worcester Sauce Crisps Ingredients:
Potatoes, Sunflower Oil (24%), Rapeseed Oil, Worcester Sauce Seasoning (Wheat Breadcrumbs, Flavouring, Salt, Sugar, Barley Malt Vinegar, Acid (Citric Acid), Dried Onion, Dried Garlic, Fructose, Cardamom, Ground Black Pepper, Ginger, Clove, Cocoa Powder, Colour (Paprika Extract)).
Walkers Worcester Sauce Squares Ingredients:
Potato Granules, Potato Starch, Sunflower Oil, Worcester Sauce Flavour (Flavourings (contains Wheat and Barley), Lactose (from Milk), Potassium Chloride, Acid (Citric Acid), Flavour Enhancer (Monosodium Glutamate), Salt, Sugar, Dried Tomato, Dried Garlic, Yeast Extract, Sweetener (Saccharin)), Salt, Colour (Annatto).
Are Walkers Marmite crisps vegan?
Walkers Marmite flavour crisps are suitable for vegans and vegetarians. They do not contain any animal-derived ingredients. However, they are made in a factory that handles milk products so people with allergies should be aware of the risk of cross-contamination.
Walkers Marmite Crisps Ingredients:
Potatoes, Sunflower Oil (25%), Rapeseed Oil, Marmite® Seasoning (Flavourings, Salt, Sugar, Rice Flour, Potato Starch, Acid (Citric Acid), Marmite® (Yeast Extract (contains Barley), Salt, Vegetable Juice Concentrate, Thiamin, Riboflavin, Niacin, Vitamin B12, Folic acid, Natural Flavouring (contains Celery)).
Are Walkers tomato ketchup crisps vegan?
Walkers tomato ketchup crisps are not suitable for vegans as they contain milk. They are, however, suitable for vegetarians.
Walkers Tomato Ketchup Crisps Ingredients:
Potatoes, Sunflower Oil (24%), Rapeseed Oil, Tomato Ketchup Seasoning (Sugar, Flavouring, Dried Milk Whey, Salt, Acid (Citric Acid), Colour (Paprika Extract), Tomato Extract).
Are Walkers pickled onion crisps vegan?
Walkers pickled onion flavour crisps are suitable for vegans and vegetarians as they do not have any animal products in the ingredients. They are produced in a factory that handles milk, so allergy sufferers should be aware of the risk of contamination.
Walkers Pickled Onion Crisps Ingredients:
Potatoes, Sunflower Oil (24%), Rapeseed Oil, Pickled Onion Seasoning (Flavouring, Dried Vinegar, Dried Onion, Salt, Acid (Citric Acid), Sugar, Potassium Chloride, Dried Mustard).
Are Walkers Flamin’ Hot crisps vegan?
Walkers Flamin’ Hot crisps are not suitable for vegans as they contain buttermilk powder which is made from cows’ milk. Walkers MAX Fiercely Flamin’ Hot crisps also contain milk so they’re not vegan-friendly either.
If you like spicy snacks, you’ll be pleased to know that Flamin’ Hot Wotsits are suitable for vegans. Flamin’ Hot Monster Munch, however, are not.
Walkers Flamin’ Hot Crisps Ingredients:
Potatoes, Vegetable Oils (Sunflower, Rapeseed, in varying proportions), Flamin’ Hot Seasoning (Salt, Colours (Beetroot Red, Paprika Extract), Sugar, Paprika, Acidity Regulator (Citric Acid), Dextrose, Tomato Powder, Buttermilk Powder (contains Milk), Onion Powder, Chilli Pepper Powder, Cayenne Pepper Powder, Flavourings, Invert Sugar, Garlic Powder, Potassium Chloride, Smoke Flavourings).
Walkers MAX Fiercely Flamin’ Hot Crisps Ingredients:
Potatoes, Vegetable Oils (Sunflower, Rapeseed, in varying proportions), Fiercely Flamin’ Hot Seasoning (Salt, Flavourings (contains Milk), Whey Powder (from Milk), Onion Powder, Paprika, Acid (Citric Acid), Garlic Powder, Tomato Powder, Herb (Laurel), Colour (Paprika Extract)).
Other Kinds of Walkers Crisps and Snacks
As well as the standard crisps, Walkers makes many different kinds of crisps and snacks, some of which are vegan-friendly and some of which aren’t. Here’s the info…
Are Walkers Salt & Shake crisps vegan?
Walkers Salt & Shake crisps are suitable for vegans and vegetarians. The only ingredients are potatoes, sunflower oil, rapeseed oil and a sachet of salt.
Are Walkers Crinkles vegan?
Simply Salted Walkers Crinkles are suitable for vegans, but Cheddar & Onion Walkers Crinkles are not vegan-friendly as they contain milk. Both flavours are suitable for vegetarians.
Are Walkers Baked crisps vegan?
When it comes to Walkers Oven Baked Crisps, only the Sea Salt, Sticky Barbecue and Prawn Cocktail flavours are all suitable for vegans. All of the other flavours of baked Walkers crisps, including salt and vinegar, contain milk. All of the flavours are, however, suitable for vegetarians.
| Walkers Oven Baked Flavour | Vegan? | Vegetarian? |
|---|---|---|
| Cheese & Onion | NO | Yes |
| Prawn Cocktail | Yes | Yes |
| Salt & Vinegar | NO | Yes |
| Sea Salt | Yes | Yes |
| Sour Cream & Chive | NO | Yes |
| Sticky Barbecue | Yes | Yes |
Are Walkers Sensations vegan?
Only two flavours of Walkers Sensations is suitable for vegans – the Balsamic Vinegar & Caramelised Onion flavour and the Japanese Sweet Wasabi & Ginger flavour. All of the other flavours contain milk. They are, however, all suitable for vegetarians.
| Sensations Crisps Flavour | Vegan? | Vegetarian? |
|---|---|---|
| Balsamic Vinegar & Caramelised Onion | Yes | Yes |
| Japanese Sweet Wasabi & Ginger | Yes | Yes |
| Hickory Smoked Cheddar & Crispy Bacon | NO | Yes |
| Thai Sweet Chilli | NO | Yes |
| Roasted Chicken & Thyme | NO | Yes |
Are Walkers Max crisps vegan?
All Walkers MAX crisps are suitable for vegetarians, but only four out of the 14 flavours are vegan-friendly. The vegan Walkers MAX flavours are Paprika, XXL Chicken & Chorizo, Sea Salt and Bold BBQ Ribs. All of the other flavours contain milk.
| Walkers MAX Flavour | Vegan? | Vegetarian? |
|---|---|---|
| Chunky Cheese & Onion | NO | Yes |
| Fiercely Flamin’ Hot | NO | Yes |
| Kentucky Fried Chicken | NO | Yes |
| Sizzling Flame Grilled Steak | NO | Yes |
| Punchy Paprika | Yes | Yes |
| Zingy Salt & Malt Vinegar | NO | Yes |
| Strong Fiery Peri-Peri | NO | Yes |
| Strong Hot Chicken Wings | NO | Yes |
| Strong Jalapeno & Cheese | NO | Yes |
| Double Crunch Loaded Cheddar & Onion | NO | Yes |
| Double Crunch XXL Chicken & Chorizo | Yes | Yes |
| Double Crunch Original Sea Salt | Yes | Yes |
| Double Crunch Bold BBQ Ribs | Yes | Yes |
| Double Crunch KFC Zinger | NO | Yes |
Walkers KFC flavour crisps are suitable for vegetarians but not vegans. Both the Walkers MAX Kentucky Fried Chicken flavour and the Walkers MAX Double Crunch KFC Zinger flavour contain milk.
Are Walkers Squares vegan?
Walkers Ready Salted Squares and Walkers Salt & Vinegar Squares are both suitable for vegans. However, Walkers Cheese & Onions Squares are not vegan-friendly as they contain milk. All Walkers Squares are suitable for vegetarians.
| Walkers Squares Flavour | Vegan? | Vegetarian? |
|---|---|---|
| Cheese & Onion | NO | Yes |
| Ready Salted | Yes | Yes |
| Salt & Vinegar | Yes | Yes |
Are Walkers French Fries vegan?
Walkers Ready Salted, Salt & Vinegar & Worcester Sauce French Fries are all vegan-friendly. However, Walkers Cheese & Onion French Fries are not suitable for vegans as they contain milk.
| Walkers French Fries Flavour | Vegan? | Vegetarian? |
|---|---|---|
| Cheese & Onion | NO | Yes |
| Ready Salted | Yes | Yes |
| Salt & Vinegar | Yes | Yes |
| Worcester Sauce | Yes | Yes |
Are Walkers Bugles vegan?
Walkers Southers Style BBQ Bugles are suitable for vegans as they do not contain any animal ingredients. They are, however, made in a factory that handles egg, milk and crustaceans. Walkers Cheese Bugles are not vegan-friendly as they contain milk.
Are Walkers Mix Ups vegan?
Walkers Mix Ups are not suitable for vegans as some of the crisps contain milk. There’s milk in the French Fries, Cheesy Wotsits, Monster Munch and Tangy Cheese Doritos. While the Chilli Heatwave Doritos and the Flamin’ Hot Wotsits don’t have milk, they will have milk powder on them from sharing a bag with the other crisps.
Are Monster Munch vegan?
Monster Munch crisps are not suitable for vegans. All three flavours – Flamin’ Hot, Pickled Onion and Roast Beef – contain milk. They are, however, suitable for vegetarians. The same goes for Monster Munch Giants.
If you’re vegan and miss eating Monster Munch, then many supermarkets’ own-brand ‘Monster Claws’ are suitable for vegans.
| Monster Munch Flavour | Vegan? | Vegetarian? |
|---|---|---|
| Flamin’ Hot | NO | Yes |
| Pickled Onion | NO | Yes |
| Roast Beef | NO | Yes |
Are Quavers vegan?
Although Cheese Quavers contain milk, vegans may be pleased to learn that the new Prawn Cocktail Quavers and Salt & Vinegar Quavers are both vegan-friendly as they do not have any animal ingredients.
| Quavers Flavour | Vegan? | Vegetarian? |
|---|---|---|
| Cheese | NO | Yes |
| Prawn Cocktail | Yes | Yes |
| Salt & Vinegar | Yes | Yes |
Are Wotsits vegan?
Cheesy Wotsits and Sizzling Steak Wotsits are not suitable for vegans as they contain milk. However, vegans can eat Flamin’ Hot Wotsits and Prawn Cocktail Wotwits as these do not contain any animal ingredients.
| Wotsits Flavour | Vegan? | Vegetarian? |
|---|---|---|
| Flamin’ Hot | Yes | Yes |
| Really Cheesy | NO | Yes |
| Sizzling Steak | NO | Yes |
| Crunchy Flamin’ Hot | Yes | Yes |
| Giants Flamin Hot | Yes | Yes |
| Giants Prawn Cocktail | Yes | Yes |
To Conclude
Vegans have a good choice of Walkers crisps to enjoy, but it’s always wise to check the packaging. You really can’t go off the flavours as some meat flavours are vegan while some flavours that you might think are plant-based actually contain milk.
The ingredients can also differ across the different types of crisps. For example, Flamin’ Hot Wotsits are vegan, but Flamin’ Hot Monster Munch and Walkers crisps are not.
Sources:
- https://www.walkers.co.uk/
- https://sensationssnacks.co.uk/
- https://www.chooseveganism.org/Walker-Vegan-Crisps-Product-Information.jpg