Are Vegan Cookies Healthier Than Regular Cookies? (2023)

FAQs

Are Vegan Cookies Healthier Than Regular Cookies? ›

Depending on the recipe, and more specifically how much refined sugars they contain vegan cookies probably aren't the healthiest option when it comes to a sweet treat. Opting for a recipe that uses natural fruit-sugars to sweeten them could be the healthiest option.

As you can see, there are lots of unhealthy ingredients that vegan cookies just don't use. Butter, for instance, can be high in both cholesterol and hormones - and eggs can too. Simply put, vegan baking alternatives are just healthier.

The only difference between vegan cookies and 'regular' cookies is the ingredients used. In the vegan ones, there will be no dairy and no eggs whatsoever. However, when made correctly, they can taste just as good, if not better! Do vegan cookies have less calories?

Are vegan cakes healthier than non-vegan cakes, you may ask? For the most part, not really; while the removal of butter can mean less saturated fat, the vegan friendly replacement, often cocoa butter, can be similar in saturated fat levels.

Raw vegan desserts are typically made with more nutritious ingredients than those that tend to be found in regular desserts. They often don't contain any processed ingredients, such as refined sugars, which means you aren't taking in all of those unnecessary, empty calories.

Moreover, 'unhealthy' plant diets of processed foods increased heart risk,” Cardiologist Dr. Joel Kahn states. “In addition to heart risk, processed vegan junk food increases the rate of bloating, weight gain, low energy, hypertension, erectile dysfunction, and brain fog.”

Compared to the standard American diet of highly processed, low-fiber, high-calorie, sugary foods, vegan diets have some health advantages. However, researchers found that avoiding all animal foods may lead to nutritional deficiencies in vitamin B12, omega-3, calcium, zinc, iron, magnesium, and high-quality protein.

On one hand, vegan cookies do not contain any animal products, which means they are likely to be lower in saturated fat and cholesterol. On the other hand, vegan cookies may contain more sugar and unhealthy fats than regular cookies.

Common Questions: What is vegan cookie dough made of? 7 simple ingredients you likely already have in your kitchen: all-purpose flour, vegan butter, brown sugar, white sugar, plant-based milk (such as oat or soy), vanilla extract, and of course vegan chocolate chips.

The addition of nutritious ingredients like oats could also help turn your sweet treat into something closer to healthy. Ultimately, like a lot of things, vegan cookies are great in moderation and as part of a balanced diet: that's what makes it a special treat, after all!

Do vegan desserts have more sugar? ›

Vegan desserts are often seen as being healthier than their non-vegan counterparts because they typically contain less sugar, fat, and calories.

Several studies have reported that vegan diets tend to provide more fiber, antioxidants, and beneficial plant compounds. They also appear to be richer in potassium, magnesium, folate, and vitamins A, C, and E ( 1 , 2 , 3). Vegan diets even appear to be higher in iron.

In fact, many times vegan recipes are quite high in carbohydrates since they're made of plants and avoid high protein and fat foods like meat, dairy, or eggs. But, even if you follow a vegan or plant-based diet, you can enjoy delicious and healthy diabetes-friendly desserts.

What makes a cookie vegan? Vegans follow a plant-based diet that eschews eating any animal products. The same holds true for living a vegan lifestyle, only in addition to not eating any animal products, you also don't use any products made from animals, such as fabrics like leather, fur, and wool.

Ultimately, whole-food plant-based diets are considered to be beneficial to health, rather than those vegan diets which contain high levels of ultra-processed foods.

You can be vegan and still have a very poor diet. Ideally, your diet should consist of mostly whole plant-based foods which include vegetables, legumes & beans, nuts, seeds, fruits, superfoods, healthy fats, grains and fermented foods.

The health factor

A plant-based diet focuses on fruits, vegetables, grains, beans, peas, lentils and nuts. It's rich in fiber, vitamins and other nutrients. And people who don't eat meat, called vegetarians, generally eat fewer calories and less fat. They also tend to weigh less.

The few studies directly comparing vegetarian to vegan diets report that vegans may have a somewhat lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and various types of cancer than vegetarians ( 14 , 15 , 16 , 17 ).

Can diabetics eat vegan cookies? ›

However, in general, vegan cookies can be a good option for diabetics as they are typically lower in sugar and calories than traditional cookies. Additionally, vegan cookies often contain healthy ingredients such as whole grains, nuts, and seeds that can help to regulate blood sugar levels.

All varieties of Oreos contain sugar, a likely mix of beet and cane sugar. Vegan beet sugar becomes table sugar in a single process at a single refinery. 1 Non-organic cane sugar is transferred to a secondary facility and could be processed with animal bone char to whiten the crystals.

There is no mention of dairy or eggs, yet the Oreo company itself says they do not consider the cookie “suitable for vegans” on the FAQ page: “Oreos have milk as cross-contact and therefore are not suitable for vegans.”

Your vegan butter or margarine was too soft

Using butter or margarine that's too soft is probably the most common reason why vegan cookies go flat. This can happen if you've melted it, left it out of the fridge for too long before using, or it could simply be that your kitchen is too hot and humid.

Ah, so you think you've outsmarted the system by making eggless cookie dough. Well, not so fast. The CDC and FDA warn that even eggless or vegan cookie doughs can make you susceptible to food poisoning.

If you've had this happen to you, odds are you made one of two mistakes: either you didn't allow the ingredients to thoroughly mix during the creaming process or you didn't allow the dough to rest enough before baking.

It provides high nutrition and protein

Eating cookies can help boost your energy because it contains whole grain flour, which provides a nutritious source of protein, vitamins, fiber, and minerals that help produce a stable metabolism.

One reason why vegan baked goods might not taste as good as traditional baked goods is because of the lack of eggs and butter. Eggs and butter help to add richness, flavor, and moistness to baked goods. Without these ingredients, vegan baked goods can sometimes be dry and bland.

The US McDonald's fries are not vegan, but the process still involves the highest FDA safety regulations. Besides the potatoes and salt for flavoring, the cooking involves vegetable oils like corn, soybean, and canola. They also have chemical preservatives and natural beef additives from milk and wheat.

The four main types of vegans are ethical vegans, environmental vegans, health vegans, and religious vegans.

Do vegans have less heart disease? ›

The validity of this approach exceeds that of celebrity-endorsed diet fads, too: Research has shown that plant-based eating styles, such as vegetarian and vegan diets, may reduce the risk for, and potentially help treat, obesity, heart disease, and type 2 diabetes.

One final pitfall of the vegan diet that can affect people with diabetes, in particular, is that it's easy to overdo it on the carbs, which can affect your blood sugar levels. Plant foods tend to be higher in carbs than animal foods, so a vegan diet will naturally be higher in carbs than an omnivorous diet.

How's this for a shocking fact: not all sugars on the supermarket shelf are vegan. Even while sugar comes from the sugarcane plant and does not contain animal products, the process used to manufacture some refined sugars can involve bone char—cow bones.

Eliminating animal products removes cholesterol from the diet, which could reduce your risk of heart disease. What's more, a vegan diet tends to be lower in sodium than some other types of diets because most fruits and vegetables are low in sodium.

Essentially, a diet high in ultra-processed foods (ex. fast food, highly processed snack foods etc.) with limited whole foods could be a risk factor for high blood pressure. These highly processed foods are often high in both fat and sodium.

The only reliable vegan sources of B12 are foods fortified with B12 (including some plant milks, some soy products and some breakfast cereals) and B12 supplements, such as our very own VEG 1. Vitamin B12, whether in supplements, fortified foods, or animal products, comes from micro-organisms.

Oreo Mega Stuf

This cookie is made up of a dangerous trifecta: It's high in calories, fat, and sugar. Plus, it's packed with processed ingredients ranging from palm oil to artificial flavors. If this is your go-to cookie, we suggest breaking up with it ASAP.

Most vegans consider sugar a generally acceptable food, but strict vegans abstain from refined cane sugars that are likely to have been processed with animal products. They can, however, consume vegan-friendly raw cane sugar, certified-organic cane sugar, and sugar made exclusively from beets.

What vegan foods stabilize blood sugar? ›

Vegetables such as broccoli, spinach, kale and other leafy greens are high in dietary fibre and rich in magnesium, which both help to regulate blood sugar levels, slowing down energy release and glucose absorption.

Heart Health: Cutting out artery-clogging animal fats will help keep your heart pumping efficiently. Lower Cancer Risk: Plant-based foods provide more vitamins and phytochemicals that prevent most cancers. Weight Loss: Did you know that vegans eat fewer calories but feel more sated than those who eat animal products?

Unfortunately NOT Vegan at McDonald's (in the US):

Shakes (contain milk) Fruit Smoothies (contain yogurt) Chocolate Chip Cookies (contain egg and milk)

Lemonades (ABC Bakers)

Lemonades (not to be confused with Lemon-Ups, which sadly are not vegan) are perfect for those who like a little lemon in their cookies. These sweet and slightly sour cookies are made with wheat flour and both artificial and natural flavors to give them their lemony essence.

Vegan snacks naturally contain lots of vegetables, fruit, whole grains, nuts, and seeds. So, by eating vegan snacks, you'll likely consume higher amounts of vitamins and minerals, including potassium, folate, fiber, vitamin C, magnesium, and vitamin E.

The high fiber, antioxidants, and low saturated fats in plant-based foods lead to a healthier heart. High fiber vegan snacks can help in keeping you satiated, reducing the chance of overeating. A vegan diet is linked with lower risks of diseases such as heart disease and certain cancers.

A vegan diet can be healthy as it is typically higher in fiber and lower in cholesterol than an omnivorous diet. As a result, some studies find a vegan diet lowers the risk of heart disease and premature death, helps manage type 2 diabetes and reduces the risk of cancer.

Switching to a vegan diet can dramatically reduce your cholesterol levels, especially the bad cholesterol that can lead to heart disease. While meat and dairy products all contain dietary cholesterol and are high in saturated fat, fruits and vegetables contain zero cholesterol and are low in saturated fat.

Are Oreos really vegan? Oreo cookies do not contain any animal-derived ingredients and are safe to eat for vegans. If you have a dairy allergy, keep in mind that Oreos have milk as cross-contact.

Are goldfish vegan? ›

Unfortunately, there are no vegan Goldfish Crackers as they all contain milk ingredients. Keep reading if you want to know what specific non-vegan ingredients are found in Goldfish.

Milk chocolate is made with skim milk, lactose, and milkfat meaning that M&Ms contain dairy and are not vegan.

Yes – it turns out that Ritz Crackers are one of those surprising vegan foods! You'd be wise to be sceptical as there's literally an image of cheese on the box, but maybe the designers at Ritz intended it to be interpreted at a nice cashew-cheddar.

Going vegan can also improve your skin complexion. Cutting down on processed meat means less intake of saturated fats and sugar. A vegan diet is rich in anti-inflammatory food, which boosts skin radiance, improves hydration and plumpness.