Lay's Fan-Favorite Fried Pickle Chips Might Not Be Vegan-Friendly

Although there are very few snacks which can surpass that of a fresh pickle, Lay's Fried Pickle With Ranch Chips are completely revolutionizing my daily existence. The crunchy, vinegary, and salty flavors are practically unbeatable, perfect for accompanying any sandwich, midday snack, or late night nibble. But, if you haven't already tried the game-changing chip, you may be wondering: are Lay's Fried Pickle With Ranch Chips vegan? So, here's everything you need to know about that lengthy (and potentially confusing) list of ingredients.

While Lay's Fried Pickle With Ranch Chips appear to be somewhat comparable to a trip to the state fair, it seems as though they may not be suitable for everyone out there... and that includes vegans. According to PETA, a vegan does not eat, wear, buy, or use anything that is made from an animal. This explicitly means that vegans abstain from: eating meat, eggs, honey, and dairy "products," which — unfortunately — includes milk, cheese, and yogurt.

That being said, let's take a gander at the Lay's Fried Pickle With Ranch Chips ingredients label, shall we? According to the back of the bag on Target's website, Lay's Fried Pickle With Ranch Chips include the following ingredients: Potatoes, Vegetable Oil, Fried Pickles with Ranch Seasoning (which contains: Buttermilk, Salt, Maltodextrin, Garlic Powder, Spices, and Yogurt Powder), Natural Flavors, Canola Oil, Sugar, Medium Chain Triglycerides, Onion Powder, Yeast, Extract, Tomato Powder, Dextrose, Paprika, Acacia Gum, Sour Cream, Caramel Color, and Paprika Extracts.

Between the buttermilk and yogurt powder in the Fried Pickles With Ranch seasoning, along with the Sour Cream towards the bottom of the list, it appears the popular snack food does — in fact — contain dairy, and therefore, it isn't vegan. Another sure-fire giveaway is at the bottom of the bag, where it says: "CONTAINS MILK INGREDIENTS." So, there you have it. Lay's Fried Pickle With Ranch Chips definitely aren't vegan, so if you're keen on following an animal-free diet, you may have to stick to run-of-the-mill pickles.

Luckily, though, there are several vegan Lay's flavors out there. According to The Vegan's Pantry, the brand's Bar-B-Que, Dill Pickle, Limon, and Salt & Vinegar chips are all suitable for vegans. So, you won't have to totally refrain from snacking on the highly regarded chips.

The popular snack brand officially announced that they would incorporate this glorious new flavor into its "Tastes Of America" chip collection about a year ago in July, 2018. The other varieties included: Cajun Spice from the Central Gulf, Chile Con Queso from Texoma, Chesapeake Bay Crab Spice from the Mid-Atlantic, Deep Dish Pizza from the Midwest, New England Lobster Roll from the Northeast, Pimento Cheese from the Southeast, and Thai Sweet Chili from the Pacific Northwest. And while each flavor sounded undeniably delicious, it pretty much goes without saying that Fried Pickles with Ranch is the standout flavor, in my book.

Unfortunately for all of my dairy-free, lactose intolerant, and vegan pals out there, Lay's Fried Pickles With Ranch Chips contain dairy. I'm so sorry for this undeniably rough news — my heart goes out to each and every one of you crunch-lovin' snackers. Guess you'll have to get your pickle fix elsewhere.