Trying to work out if Nutter Butters are vegan can be a tough task.
Like many other food brands, Nutter Butters have many variants and not all of them are vegan friendly. Non-vegan ingredients are often included and are masked with vague terms such as “artificial and natural flavors.”
So, to save you the trouble, and make sure you only eat foods that align with your ethics and dietary needs, I’ve done the research on Nutter Butters’ ingredients and production methods.
Here’s what I’ve found.
Are Nutter Butters Vegan?
No. Nutter Butters are not vegan because most variants have refined white sugar. The cookie’s label did not specify if the sugar is filtered with bone char or not.
Bone char is a decolorizing and deashing agent that is used to filter and process sugar and give it its white color. It is made from the bones of cows, pigs, and other animals.
Big food brands like Mondelez International, the company behind Nutter Butters, source their sugar from many different suppliers and it’s very likely that some of their sugar is filtered with bone char.
This ingredient alone means that Nutter Butters are not vegan.
Natural flavors can also be a problem for vegans because they can come from animal or insect sources.
Some variations of Nutter Butters also contain milk.
Are Nutter Butters Cruelty Free?
Sort of. We could consider Nutter Butters a cruelty-free product because neither the ingredients nor the products are tested on animals. Well, most of them.
However, Nutter Butter cookies also include other controversial ingredients that vegans need to be aware of. Ingredients such as palm oil, natural flavors, and food colors are often a point of debate in the vegan community.
Palm oil is a type of vegetable oil that is extracted from the fruit of palm trees. The harvesting of palm oil is a controversial issue because it often leads to deforestation, habitat loss, and species extinction.
Some Nutter Butter variations also have artificial colors that are usually tested on animals. The Nutter Butter Cereal has food dye, which is usually tested on animals. Most other flavors are free from this ingredient.
What Are Nutter Butters Made Of?
Here is the traditional Nutter Butters ingredients list:
- Unbleached enriched flour (wheat flour, niacin, reduced iron, thiamine mononitrate vitamin b1, riboflavin vitamin b2, folic acid)
- Sugar
- Peanut butter (peanuts, corn syrup solids, hydrogenated rapeseed and/or cottonseed and/or soybean oils, salt, peanut oil)
- Canola oil
- Whole grain wheat flour
- Palm oil
- High fructose corn syrup
- Salt
- Leavening (baking soda and/or calcium phosphate)
- Cornstarch
- Soy lecithin
- Artificial flavor
Let’s break down each ingredient of the traditional Nutter Butter cookie:
Unbleached enriched flour
Unbleached enriched flour is a type of wheat flour that has been enriched with vitamins and minerals.
Sugar
Sugar is a sweetener made from sugar cane or sugar beets. Sugar is vegan if it’s not processed through bone char, and in Nutter Butter, it is unclear if it is a vegan-friendly sugar. Sugar that is vegan friendly will often have “raw,” “unrefined,” or “organic” on the label.
Peanut butter
The peanut butter in Nutter Butter is a mixture of peanuts, corn syrup solids, hydrogenated rapeseed, and/or cottonseed and/or soybean oils, salt, and peanut oil. These plant-based ingredients are not processed with animal products or by-products.
Canola oil
Canola oil is a type of vegetable oil made from the crushing of canola seeds. Canola oil does not contain any animal-derived ingredients.
Whole grain wheat flour
Whole grain wheat flour is a type of flour that contains all parts of the wheat kernel. It is used to add texture to food. Whole grain wheat flour does not contain any animal-derived ingredients.
Palm oil
Palm oil is a type of vegetable oil that is extracted from the fruit of palm trees. Palm oil is a controversial product because the harvesting of palm oil often leads to deforestation, habitat loss, and species extinction. It is, however, still considered a vegan product because it is from plant sources.
High fructose corn syrup
High fructose corn syrup is a type of corn syrup that has been processed to contain a higher percentage of fructose. High fructose corn syrup does not contain any ingredients from animals.
Salt
Salt is a mineral composed of sodium and chloride. It is used to add flavor or as a preservative. Salt does not contain any animal-derived ingredients.
Leavening
Leavening is a type of agent that is used to cause a dough or batter to rise. The leavening in Nutter Butter is baking soda and calcium phosphate. These vegan-friendly ingredients help the cookie to rise when baking.
Cornstarch
Cornstarch is a type of starch made from corn. It is used to thicken or stabilize food. Cornstarch does not contain any animal-derived ingredients.
Soy lecithin
Soy lecithin is a type of emulsifier made from soybeans. It is used to keep ingredients from separating. Soy lecithin can be vegan or not vegan depending on how it is processed. In Nutter Butter, the soy lecithin is derived from a non-GMO source.
Artificial flavor
Artificial flavor is a type of flavor that is made synthetically. It is used to add flavor to food. Artificial flavors can be vegan or not depending on their source.
Large food brands don’t typically reveal their sources for artificial flavors. However, flavorings for sweets and candies are likely from plant sources like fruits and herbs.
Why Aren’t Nutter Butters Vegan?
Nutter Butters aren’t vegan for the simple fact that they contain refined sugar. Mondelez, the company that owns Nutter Butter, has not stated whether or not their sugar is processed with bone char. Bone char is a type of carbon that is made from the bones of animals. It is used to process sugar to make it white.
Mondelez sources its sugar from multiple suppliers, so it is difficult to say for sure if Nutter Butter’s sugar is vegan.
Are Nutter Butter Bites Vegan?
No. Nutter Butter Bites aren’t vegan. They contain sugar that is not certified as vegan. This product is not safe for vegan consumption.
Are Chocolate Fudge Covered Nutter Butters Vegan?
No. Nutter Butter Chocolate Fudge Covered cookies contain milk. This product is not safe for vegan consumption.
Is Nutter Butter Peanut Pattie Wafer Vegan?
No. Nutter Butter Peanut Pattie Wafers aren’t vegan. They contain the exact same ingredients as traditional Nutter Butter cookies with uncertified sugar. This product is not safe for vegan consumption.
Are Nutter Butter Double Nutty Xtra Nutty Sandwich Cookies Vegan?
No. Nutter Butter Double Nutty Xtra Nutty Sandwich Cookies aren’t vegan because they contain refined sugar. This product is not safe for vegan consumption.
Are Nutter Butter Cakesters Cookies Vegan?
No. Nutter Butter Cakesters contain milk and eggs. This product is not safe for vegan consumption.
Vegan-Friendly Alternatives to Nutter Butters
- Lenny & Larry’s Keto Peanut Butter Cookies
- Uncle Eddies Vegan Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Rule Breaker Snacks
- Cybele’s Free to Eat Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
- Enjoy Life’s Crunchy Cookies Chocolate Chip
Final Words
To sum up, Nutter Butters are not vegan-friendly peanut butter cookies because of the sugar used. Sugar that may have been filtered with bone char is simply not something that most people who identify as vegan are willing to consume.
While some may not mind consuming sugar that has possibly been filtered with bone char, I cannot in good faith recommend Nutter Butters as a vegan product. Thankfully, there are many delicious vegan alternatives to choose from!
But as always, it’s important to check the label to make sure the product aligns with your values.