Hot Pockets are a freezer staple for many providing a warm quick snack or meal in moments but, are Hot Pockets Vegan?
Classic Hot Pockets contain many non-vegan ingredients like meat, animal-based broth, and other animal-sourced products making them not a vegan-friendly food. Luckily, there are some delicious vegan alternatives available to enjoy.
Table of Contents
Can Vegans Eat Hot Pockets
Unfortunately, the classic Hot Pockets that we all know are not vegan-friendly since they contain both dairy and meat-based ingredients.
Luckily, if you enjoy Hot Pockets there are other brands that offer vegan-friendly options that are very similar to Hot Pockets.
I’ve listed these brands and some popular flavors down below.
Why Wouldn’t Hot Pockets Be Vegan
Hot Pockets are not vegan because they contain animal-based ingredients like cheese, milk, whey, eggs, and meat that are off-limits to vegans.
Do Hot Pockets Contain Meat
Many of the Hot Pockets flavors contain some type of meat like steak, ham, pepperoni, bacon, chicken, turkey, and meatballs.
Do Hot Pockets Contain Pork
Some of the Hot Pockets flavors do contain either bacon or ham.
Are Hot Pockets Made With Real Meat
There has been some controversy over the quality of the meat found in Hot Pockets.
In 2014, there was a report stating that the meat in Hot Pockets was “unfit for human consumption” at the time.
Regardless of those old reports and practices, Hot Pockets claims today that all of the meat used in Hot Pockets is real and of premium quality.
Do Hot Pockets Contain Dairy
All of the Hot Pockets flavors contain dairy of some sort, the most common dairy products found in Hot Pockets are.
- Cheese
- Whey
- Buttermilk
- Buttermilk Powder
- Milk
- Skim Milk
- Cream
- Sodium Caseinate
Do Hot Pockets Contain Eggs
Many Hot Pocket flavors contain eggs or dehydrated eggs in their ingredients.
What Do Hot Pockets Contain
Hot Pockets contain a long list of ingredients.
In your classic Four Cheese Pizza Hot Pocket, you will find the following ingredients.
ENRICHED FLOUR (WHEAT FLOUR, MALTED BARLEY FLOUR, NIACIN, IRON, THIAMINE MONONITRATE, RIBOFLAVIN, FOLIC ACID), WATER, REDUCED FAT MOZZARELLA CHEESE (PASTEURIZED PART SKIM MILK, NONFAT MILK, MODIFIED FOOD STARCH*, CULTURES, SALT, VITAMIN A PALMITATE, ENZYMES, *INGREDIENTS NOT IN REGULAR MOZZARELLA CHEESE), TOMATO PASTE, CHEDDAR CHEESE (CULTURED PASTEURIZED MILK, SALT, ENZYMES, ANNATTO [COLOR]), SOYBEAN OIL, 2% OR LESS OF REDUCED FAT PROVOLONE CHEESE (PASTEURIZED PART SKIM MILK, NONFAT MILK, CULTURES, SALT, MODIFIED FOOD STARCH*, VITAMIN A PALMITATE, ENZYMES, *INGREDIENTS NOT IN REGULAR PROVOLONE CHEESE), SUGAR, MODIFIED FOOD STARCH, SALT, SEASONING (BREAD CRUMB [BLEACHED WHEAT FLOUR, DEXTROSE, YEAST, SALT], DRIED GARLIC, TOMATO POWDER, SPICE, SALT, DEXTROSE, DRIED ONION, MALTODEXTRIN, CITRIC ACID, NATURAL FLAVOR), FRACTIONATED PALM OIL, YEAST, PARMESAN CHEESE (PASTEURIZED MILK, CHEESE CULTURES, SALT, ENZYMES), DOUGH CONDITIONER BLEND (CALCIUM SULFATE, SALT, L-CYSTEINE HYDROCHLORIDE, GARLIC POWDER, TRICALCIUM PHOSPHATE, ENZYMES), SOY LECITHIN, SODIUM STEAROYL LACTYLATE, DRIED ONIONS, METHYLCELLULOSE, FLAVOR (MALTODEXTRIN, MODIFIED CORN STARCH, NATURAL FLAVORS, DATEM, MEDIUM CHAIN TRIGLYCERIDES), SEASONING (MALTODEXTRIN, MODIFIED CORN STARCH, BUTTER FLAVOR), DRIED GARLIC, SPICES, WHEY, MALTODEXTRIN, POTASSIUM CHLORIDE, CITRIC ACID, SOY FLOUR, EGG WHITES
Are There Any Brands Of Hot Pockets That Are Vegan
Even though the well-known “Hot Pockets” brand does not offer any vegan hot pockets there are other brands that offer their own version of vegan-friendly hot pockets.
Vegan Hot Pocket Brands
Vegan Hot Pocket Flavors
- Mikey’s Breakfast Scramble
- Mikey’s Tex-Mex Breakfast Pockets
- Mikey’s Meaty Marinara Pockets
- Mikey’s Spicy Southwest Pockets
- Mikey’s Cheese Pizza Pockets
- Mikey’s Cauliflower, Cheddar Pockets
- MorningStar Farms Pepperoni Pizza Bites
- MorningStar Farms Sausage Pizza Bites
- MorningStar Farms Chorizo Nacho Bites
Does Tofurky Make Plant-Based Pockets
Tofurky released a product line of plant-based hot pockets in 2017 but, shortly after their release, they were discontinued due to packaging and manufacturing issues.
Are Veggiful Hot Pockets Vegan
Although Del Monte has created a line of hot pockets called Veggiful that is based on “plant-based” ingredients, none of them are currently vegan.
All of Veggiful’s hot pockets are vegetarian and contain cheese making them not vegan-friendly.
Does Gardein Still Offer Vegan Pockets
Unfortunately, it appears as if Gardein has discontinued their BBQ porkless and Pizza Pockets that were very similar to your classic hot pocket.
Final Thoughts
Hot Pockets can be a classic quick meal with a comfort food feeling but, they are not vegan and contain a wide variety of questionable ingredients.
Luckily there are some alternatives to Hot Pockets that are vegan including pockets made by Mikey’s and smaller versions made by MorningStar Farms.
Next time you get a Hot Pocket craving seek out one of these great vegan options.