Are Funyuns Vegan? Find Out Here!

Frito-Lay’s Funyuns is a popular onion-flavored corn snack made from cornmeal.

Funyuns were first introduced in 1969.

They are mainly made of cornmeal.

Their ring shape is intended to resemble fried onion rings.

This snack is loved by many, but its ingredients need to be evaluated to determine if it is vegan.

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Are Funyuns Vegan?

Funyuns can’t be considered vegan based on their ingredients.

They contain a few ingredients directly derived from animals.

These ingredients include buttermilk and cheddar cheese, and whey and skim milk.

Some ingredients can be considered problematic for vegans for a variety of reasons.

Because it is hard to tell if animal products were used to produce ingredients like sugar and a natural flavor, this makes them problematic.

Artificial coloring agents can also be problematic, as vegans are divided about substances that have been subject to animal testing.

The Flamin Hot and original Funyuns flavors are non-vegan due to their problematic and animal-derived ingredients.

Funyuns Original Flavored Rings Nutritional Information

Funyuns Flavored Rings

Funyuns Original Flavored rings contain:

Calories: 140
Total fat: 6g
Cholesterol: 0mg
Sodium: 280mg
Total carbs: 19g
Total sugars: 1g
Protein: 2g

Funyuns Original Flavored Rings Contain The Following Ingredients:

Enriched cornmeal
Vegetable oil (corn oil and/or canola oil, as well as sunflower oil)
Salt
Corn starch
Sugar
Corn flour
Buttermilk
Maltodextrin, made from corn
Powder of onion
Monosodium glutamate
Hydrolyzed corn protein
Dextrose
Garlic powder
Natural flavors
Gum Arabic

Non-Vegan Ingredients:

Funyuns Original Flavored rings are made with ingredients that aren’t vegan-friendly.

Buttermilk powder

Funyuns Flamin’ Hot Flavored Onion Flavored RINGS

Funyuns Flamin’ Hot Flavored Onion Flavored Rings Contain:

Calories: 140
Total fat: 6g
Cholesterol: 0mg
Sodium: 290mg
Total carbs: 19g
Total sugars: 1g
Protein: 2g

Funyuns Flamin’ Hot Flavored Onion Flavored Rings Contain The Following Ingredients:

Enriched cornmeal
Vegetable oil (corn oil and/or canola oil, as well as sunflower oil)
Salt
Corn starch
Sugar
Corn flour
Buttermilk
Monosodium glutamate
Extract of yeast
Cheddar cheese
Milk
Cheese cultures
Enzymes
Artificial color (Red 40 Lake and Yellow 6 Lake).
Citric acid
Whey
Powder of Onion
Maltodextrin
Lactose
Garlic powder
Artificial and natural flavor
Skim milk
Sodium diacetate
Gum Arabic
Onion extracts

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Non-Vegan Ingredients:

Funyuns Flamin’ Hot Flavored Onion Flavored Rings contain ingredients that are not vegan-friendly.

Buttermilk
Cheddar cheese
Whey
Skim milk
Lactose
Cheese cultures
Enzymes

Why Is Funyuns Not Vegan Friendly?

Funyuns is not vegan-friendly because it contains buttermilk, sugar, and natural flavors.

Brown cane sugar, for example, uses bone char to lighten and turn white.

Bone char, which is made from burnt bones of animals, produces a natural carbon filter.

Buttermilk is also a dairy product made from fermented cow’s milk.

Natural flavors can also contain non-vegan ingredients such as eggs, milk products, and poultry.

Sugar

Sugar is a controversial ingredient.

Bone char bleaches sugar by filtering out the original brown color from cane sugar.

Bone char refers to the decolorization of sugar by burning animal bones at extremely high temperatures.

Buttermilk

Buttermilk is made from cow milk.

It is fermented, curdled, and made denser than regular milk.

Buttermilk is made from live active lactobacillus bacteria, making fresh milk curdle- and sour.

Funyuns buttermilk does not contain any dairy products.

Natural Flavors

Natural flavors can be either animal- or plant-based.

Essential oils, spices, and fruits are the sources of plant flavors.

You can get animal flavors from meat, seafood, or eggs.

Unless a company indicates, it is almost impossible to determine which natural flavors are vegan.

Funyuns don’t disclose the origin of natural flavors.

It cannot, therefore, be considered vegan-friendly.

Is Funyuns Dairy Free?

Funyuns can be dairy-free.

Both varieties contain milk ingredients.

Is Funyuns Keto-Friendly?

Funyuns, however, are not keto-friendly.

Funyuns are a high-carb, processed food that can cause severe ketosis.

Anyone following the keto diet should avoid Funyuns.

Is Funyuns Gluten-Free?

Funyuns contain no gluten ingredients.

They are made on the same lines as gluten products.

Funyuns should be avoided if you have celiac or high gluten sensitivity.

Other Vegan-Friendly Alternatives

You should know that Funyuns can’t be enjoyed if you are vegan.

You can still enjoy the same snack in a vegan version.

These are some vegan-friendly Funyuns options that you can try:

Wise Onion Rings

Look no further if you’re looking for a vegan option to satisfy your craving for onion-flavored, crunchy rings.

Wise Onion Rings is the perfect snack for you.

These are some essential nutritional details to consider when purchasing Wise Onion Rings.

Calories: 140
Total fat: 6g
Cholesterol: 0mg
Sodium: 360mg
Total carbs: 20g
Total sugars: 0g
Protein: 0g

These are the ingredients in Wise Onion Rings.

Modified Corn Starch
Tapioca Starch
Vegetable oil (Contains One Or More Of These: Corn, Cottonseeds, Soybean Sunflower, Or Canola Oil).
Powder of Onion
Potato Flour
Salt
Sugar
Torula Yeast
Hydrolyzed Torula Yeast Proteins
Hydrolyzed Brewers Yeast Proteins
Monosodium Glutamate (Flavor Enhancer)
Garlic Powder
Paprika
Spice Extractive Flavorings
Yellow 5
Yellow 6
Red 3
Blue 1.

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Munchos Flamin’ Hot Potato Crisps

Flamin’ hot snacks can be hard to find vegan-friendly options.

Most flamin’ hot products are made with milk or cheese-based ingredients.

Munchos has your back with their flamin’ hot potato crisps.

Here are some nutritional facts about Munchos Flamin’ Hot Potato Crisps.

Calories: 160
Total fat: 10g
Cholesterol: 0mg
Sodium: 210mg
Total carbs: 16g
Sugar: 0g
Protein: 1g

These Are The Ingredients In Munchos Flamin’ Hot Potato Crisps

Modified Corn Starch
Tapioca Starch
Vegetable Oil: Contains one or more of these oils: Soybean Oil, Corn Oil, Cottonseed Oil, Sunflower Oil, or Soybean Oil.
Powder of Onion
Potato Flour
Salt
Sugar
Torula Yeast
Hydrolyzed Torula Yeast Proteins
Hydrolyzed Brewers Yeast Proteins
Monosodium Glutamate (Flavor Enhancer)
Garlic Powder
Paprika
Spice Extractive Flavorings
Yellow No. 5
Yellow No. 6
Red No. 3
Blue Number 1.

These ingredients are all plant-based.

They are therefore vegan-friendly.

Chompers

Chompers are crispy, light-seasoned seaweed curls that have been wrapped in rice flour.

These may not look like Funyuns, but they taste very similar.

You can also get them in barbeque and jalapeno varieties.

If you want to fix your Funyuns, onion is the best choice.

Here are some important nutrition information for Chompers

Calories: 40
Total fat: 2g
Cholesterol: 0mg
Sodium: 85mg
Total carbs: 6g
Total sugars: 1g
Protein: 4g

These are the ingredients in Chompers

Seaweed
Glutinous rice flour
Rice bran oil
Tapioca starch
Sea salt
Onion

Lay’s Classic Potato Chips

Sometimes all you want is a sound old-fashioned potato chip.

The classic Lay’s potato chips can be made vegan.

This is important information about Lay’s classic potato chips:

Calories: 160
Total fat: 10g
Cholesterol: 0mg
Sodium: 170mg
Total carbs: 15g
Total sugar: 1g
Protein: 2g

These are the ingredients in Lay’s Classic Potato Chips.

Potatoes
Vegetable oil (Sunflower oil, corn oil, and/or canola oils)
Salt

Fritos Original Corn Chips

Funyuns has the satisfying crunch you’re looking for.

Fritos Original Corn Chips is all you need.

Here are some important nutritional details for Fritos Original Corn Chips

Calories: 160
Total fat: 10g
Cholesterol: 0mg
Sodium: 170mg
Total carbs: 16g
Total sugars: 0g
Protein: 2g

These are the ingredients in Fritos Original Corn Chips.

Corn
Corn oil
Salt

Sabritones Chile & Lime Puffed Wheat Snacks

Chili and lime are my favorite flavor combination.

Sabritones’ Puffed Wheat snack combines that flavor with an airy, crisp chip.

It has a strong flavor and a satisfying taste.

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Below are some nutritional details for Sabritones Chile and Lime Puffed Wheat snacks.

Calories: 140
Total fat: 8g
Cholesterol: 0mg
Sodium: 640mg
Total carbs: 16g
Total sugars: 0g
Protein: 1g

These are the ingredients in Sabritones Chile and Lime Puffed Wheat snacks

Flour with added nutrients
Bleached wheat flour
Niacin
Iron reduced
Thiamin mononitrate
Riboflavin
Folic acid
Cottonseed oil (and/or Canola oil).
Corn starch
Salt
Spices
Citric acid
Maltodextrin (made with Tapioca)
Baking soda
Sunflower oil
Solids from corn syrup
Lime juice
Artificial color (Yellow 6, Yellow 6 Lake, Blue 2 Lake, Blue 1 Lake, Red 40 Lake).
Natural flavor

Forager Project Cheezy Greens

We finally have a cheese-flavored chip anyone can enjoy if they follow a vegan diet.

Although the ingredients list might seem intimidating, it is 100% vegan.

These chips have a unique flavor profile, so I recommend them.

Forager Project Cheezy greens: Here are some essential nutritional information.

Calories: 130
Total fat: 8g
Cholesterol: 0mg
Sodium: 140mg
Total carbs: 14g
Total sugars: 0g
Protein: 2g

These are the ingredients in Forager Project Cheezy greens:

Brown rice
Oil mix (Sunflower oil and Safflower oil and/or Red Palm Olein).
Sprouted brown rice
Non-dairy cheddar seasoning (Rice flour and tapioca solids; sea salt; nutritional yeast; natural flavor; yeast extract; garlic powder, onion powder. lactic acid, ground mustard. spices).
Leafy greens blend (kale, spinach powder, water)
White rice
Black sesame seeds
White sesame seeds
Red quinoa seeds
Millet flour
Quinoa flour
Amaranth flour

Last Words

Because they contain milk ingredients, neither Flamin’ Hot Funyuns nor Funyuns Original is vegan-friendly.

However, there are vegan-friendly options available to satisfy your Funyuns dietary needs.

Author

Mary M. Cameron
Mary M. Cameron is a registered dietitian nutritionist with a Bachelor's degree in Nutrition Science from the University of California, Davis and a Master's degree in Public Health Nutrition from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). With over 8 years of experience in the nutrition field, Mary is an expert in weight management, plant-based nutrition, and overall health and wellness. As an author at FitGAG, she shares her knowledge and expertise on a variety of topics, including nutrition plans, healthy recipes, and overall health and wellness tips. Mary believes that nutrition is the foundation of overall health and wellness, and she strives to inspire her readers to prioritize a balanced and varied diet, while also incorporating physical activity and self-care into their daily routines. Through her articles, Mary aims to empower her readers to make informed decisions about their nutrition and lifestyle choices, and to help them achieve their health and wellness goals.
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