Are Brown Sugar Cinnamon Pop-Tarts Vegan? (2024)

Figuring out whether Brown Sugar Cinnamon Pop-Tarts are vegan can be a bit challenging.

Pastries often contain many ingredients and some of them may be of animal origins.

To make sure you are only eating pastries that align with your vegan diet and ethics, I’ve investigated the ingredients and production processes of Brown Sugar Cinnamon Pop-Tarts.

Here’s what I found.

Are Brown Sugar Cinnamon Pop-Tarts Vegan?

No. This delicious flavor of Pop-Tart is not vegan. The primary non-vegan ingredient in this product is gelatin.

Gelatin is definitely a no-no for vegans. It is produced by boiling the skin, tendons, and ligaments of animals.

Additionally, this Pop-Tarts flavor is sweetened with refined sugar that may or may not have been processed with animal bone char.

Bone char is a common sugar refining agent that is made from the bones of cows. It makes the sugar whiter and gives it a finer texture.

Not all refined sugar is filtered through bone char, but with the lack of transparency from Kellogg’s, we can’t say for sure if the sugar in these Pop-Tarts has been processed with bone char or not.

If you can’t live without Pop-Tarts, or if Brown Sugar Cinnamon is your favorite flavor, don’t worry, there are still many options for you.

Are Brown Sugar Cinnamon Pop-Tarts Cruelty-Free?

Yes! The Brown Sugar Cinnamon Pop-Tarts are definitely cruelty-free. Kellogg’s does not test their products on animals nor do they commission others to test on their behalf.

Brown Sugar Cinnamon Pop-Tarts also don’t have artificial food colors, which are often tested on animals. This Pop-Tart uses caramel color, which is derived from plants.

So there you have it. Brown Sugar Cinnamon Pop-Tarts are not vegan, but they are cruelty-free.

What Are Brown Sugar Cinnamon Pop-Tarts Made Of?

Here are the ingredients of Brown Sugar Cinnamon Pop-Tarts:

Enriched flour (wheat flour, niacin, reduced iron, vitamin B1 [thiamin mononitrate], vitamin B2 [riboflavin], folic acid)
Sugar
Soybean and palm oil (with TBHQ for freshness)
Corn syrup
Dextrose
High fructose corn syrup
Bleached wheat flour
Molasses
Salt
Leavening (baking soda, sodium acid pyrophosphate, monocalcium phosphate)
Cinnamon
Wheat starch
Gelatin
Caramel color
Soy lecithin

Let’s break down each ingredient of Brown Sugar Cinnamon Pop-Tarts:

Enriched flour

Enriched flour is a type of flour that has been fortified with nutrients. The nutrients that are added to enriched flour include niacin, reduced iron, thiamin mononitrate, riboflavin, and folic acid. The nutrients added to the flour are all vegan friendly.

Sugar

Sugar is a type of carbohydrate that is made from sugar cane or sugar beets. Sugar is often filtered through bone char, which is made from the bones of cattle. The process of filtering sugar through bone char is not vegan friendly.

“Organic,” “raw,” or “unrefined” sugar is not filtered through bone char and can safely be considered vegan.

Soybean and palm oil (with TBHQ for freshness)

Soybean oil and palm oil are plant-based oils. Soybean oil is used in a variety of food products as a healthy alternative to other oils.

Palm oil, on the other hand, is a controversial ingredient. Some vegans choose to avoid palm oil because the production of palm oil is often detrimental to the environment, though it is technically vegan.

TBHQ is a preservative that is used to extend the shelf life of food. TBHQ is a synthetic ingredient that is not derived from animals.

Corn syrup

Corn syrup is a type of sugar that is made from cornstarch. Corn syrup is often used as a sweetener in food. It is also used as a thickening agent. This ingredient is vegan.

Dextrose

Dextrose is a type of sugar that is made from cornstarch. Dextrose is often used as a sweetener in food. It can also be used as a preservative. This ingredient is vegan.

High fructose corn syrup

High fructose corn syrup is a type of sugar that is made from cornstarch. High fructose corn syrup is often used as a sweetener in food. It can also be used as a preservative. This ingredient is vegan. Unfortunately, while vegan, this ingredient is linked to type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and obesity.

Bleached wheat flour

Bleached wheat flour is a type of flour that has been treated with chemicals to make it whiter in color. Bleached wheat flour is used as a leavening agent. This ingredient is vegan.

Molasses

Molasses is a type of sugar that is made from sugar cane or sugar beets. Molasses is created after the sugar has been boiled and the crystals have been removed. Molasses can be vegan or non-vegan depending on whether the sugar has been filtered through bone char. This ingredient may or may not be vegan.

Salt

Salt is a type of mineral that is composed of sodium and chloride. Salt is used to add flavor to food or as a preservative. This ingredient is vegan.

Leavening

Leavening is a type of agent that is used to make the dough rise. The leavening is a combination of baking soda, sodium acid pyrophosphate, and monocalcium phosphate, and they are all vegan-friendly leavening agents.

Cinnamon

Cinnamon is a type of spice that is made from the bark of evergreen trees. Cinnamon is used to add flavor to food. This ingredient is vegan.

Wheat starch

Wheat starch is a type of flour that is made from wheat grain. Wheat starch can be used as a thickening agent or as a binding agent. This ingredient is vegan.

Gelatin

Gelatin is a type of protein that is made from the collagen of animal tissues. Gelatin is used as a thickening agent or stabilizer. This ingredient is not vegan.

Caramel color

Caramel color is a type of food coloring that is made by heating carbohydrates. Caramel color is used to add color to food. This ingredient is vegan.

Soy lecithin

Soy lecithin is a type of emulsifier that is made from soybean oil. Soy lecithin is used to keep the ingredients from separating. This ingredient is vegan.

Why Aren’t Brown Sugar Cinnamon Pop-Tarts Vegan?

Brown Sugar Cinnamon Pop-Tarts are sadly not vegan. The main reason is the gelatin, which is made from the collagen of animal tissues. It is decidedly not vegan friendly.

This product also contains sugar and molasses, which may or may not be filtered through bone char. Bone char is a type of charcoal that is made from the ground-up bones of animals.

Sugar used in products by large companies is often sourced from many different sugar mills, so it is difficult to tell if the sugar has been filtered through bone char or not.

So, although Brown Sugar Cinnamon Pop-Tarts do not contain any dairy or eggs, they are not vegan.

Are Frosted Grape Pop-Tarts Vegan?

No. Frosted Grape Pop-Tarts are not vegan. This flavor contains gelatin, which is an animal-derived ingredient.