Are Rice Krispies Vegan Friendly Or Not?
No matter where you grew up in the world, the chances are you’ve encountered Rice Krispies or rice puffs at some point in your life. Loved by kids and adults everywhere, this simple yet tasty cereal has been around since forever.
The chances are that when you ate Rice Krispies as a kid, you didn’t really care what was inside them as long as they tasted good. However, as you get older, you often start to spend more time looking at ingredients and what cereals contain. You’ll be shocked at just how much sugar and added flavors many cereals have!
To help you work out if Rice Krispies are vegan, we’ve done all the hard work for you. From researching how they are made to what ingredients they contain, this guide will help you decide if rice Krispies are vegan friendly and if you should be eating them.
To get things started, let’s take a look at what price Krispies are and where the name came from.
What Are Rice Krispies?
Produced by the cereal manufacturing giant Kellogg’s, Rice Krispies are an iconic type of cereal that has been around 1928. Although Rice Krispies are the best-known brand out there, plenty of other manufacturers also produce their own ranges often called rice puffs or rice bubbles.
As of today, rice Krispies have been expanded into a large product range and contain various products coated in different flavors including chocolate, vanilla and strawberry. If you go to any store and walked down the cereal aisle, then you’re bound to see Rice Krispies as well as the many other generic versions of the cereal.
Over the years, there has also been plenty of limited edition and discontinued versions of the cereal including:
- Marshmallow Rice Krispies
- Berry Rice Krispies
- Razzle Dazzle Rice Krispies
- Cinnamon Rice Krispies
- Halloween Rice Krispies
As you can see, having been around for over 90 years, there is a lot of history behind the famous Rice Krispies. But how do Rice Krispies get there iconic snap, crackle and pop sounds? Well, it’s to do with the way that they are made.
How Are Rice Krispies Made
The cereal is made out of crisped brown rice and a sugar paste coated on top. As the rice is toasted, the rice begins to expand and creates very thin and hollowed walls, which create a crunchy and crisp texture.
When milk is added to the rice Krispies, the walls of the rice often tend to collapse creating the various snap, crackle and pop sounds that have been used in their marketing campaigns for decades.
The texture of rice Krispies are incredibly crunchy thanks to the way they are created, and has played a key role in their popularity. Now you understand how Rice Krispies are made, is that really all that they are made from? Do they contain any other added ingredients such as artificial flavors? Here’s what you need to know.
Rice Krispies Cereal Ingredients
As mentioned above, rice Krispies are primarily made out of brown rice that are toasted to create their fluffy and crispy texture. However, that’s not the only thing that is in rice Krispies. For a full breakdown, here’s a picture of the ingredients list found on the cereal box:
As you can see, rice crispy don’t contain much, just a mixture of brown rice, sugar, salt and a food preservative known as butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT).
In addition to the ingredients, rice Krispies also contain a wide range of vitamins including iron, folic acid, niacin and zinc. All of which play an important role in any diet.
Are Rice Krispies Vegan?
So, are Rice Krispies vegan? Or should they be avoided?
From the analysis of the ingredients above, it’s pretty clear to say that they are vegan. With no animal byproducts such as powdered milk, whey protein, honey or milk chocolate, Rice Krispies are as natural as you can get. Compared to other cereals, they also have a very low amount of sugar with only 3g per 32g serving.
However, just because the original Rice Krispies are vegan doesn’t mean all rice puffs are. Many other manufacturers produce a range of rice puffs that may include different ingredients that are not vegan friendly.
You should especially check the ingredients if you buy rice Krispies that are coated in something such as chocolate or vanilla. Many of these flavors can contain unexpected ingredients that might be shocking.
If you’re looking to try a new breakfast cereal for yourself or kids and want to make sure they are vegan then we’ve done the hard work for you. We’ve scoured the web to find the most delicious, natural and organic cereals that are produced by ethical manufacturers. All of our top picks can be found on our handy vegan cereals list with the cheapest place to buy them included.
Start your day right with a delicious and natural vegan cereal such as Rice Krispies!