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Are Nilla Wafers Vegan? Find Out Here!

  • Mike 
are nilla wafers vegan

Are Nilla Wafers Vegan?

Nabisco Nilla Wafers Copycat Recipe by Todd Wilbur

Perhaps you have questioned whether Nilla wafers are vegan.

Nilla wafers aren’t vegan. Numerous non-vegan components can be found in them. Vanilla has a reputation for being a bland, uninteresting flavor. But chances are you already know how much you adore vanilla. One of the world’s most popular ice cream flavors is vanilla.

Nilla wafers are thin, spherical, vanilla-flavored wafer cookies. Despite its popularity, chocolate chip cookies don’t even come close to Nilla wafer cookies in sales. This suggests that you most likely have a sweet tooth for Nilla vanilla wafers from Nabisco.

What makes Nilla wafers non-vegan?

How to Make Vanilla Wafers (Homemade Nilla Wafers)

In the nineteenth century, vanilla wafer cookies were a popular snack in most American homes invented by Gustav A. Mayer. Later, Nabisco bought the rights to the crisp cookie and began selling them under the name “Vanilla Wafers”.

In 1967, its name was changed from Nabisco Vanilla Wafers to Nilla wafers. The question of why they’re called wafers is a logical one. Wafers are thin crispy cakes.

The following ingredients are found in Nabisco Nilla Wafers:

  • Vanilla flavoring
  • Unbleached enhanced regular flour (made from wheat flour and fortified with folic acid, riboflavin, niacin, and reduced iron)
  • synthetic flavor
  • Leavening (baking soda, calcium phosphate)
  • rapeseed oil
  • Emulsifiers (soy lecithin, vegetable monoglycerides)
  • fructose-rich corn syrup
  • Eggs
  • Salt
  • Natural taste
  • Palm oil
  • Whey (from milk) (from milk)
  • Sugar

1. Milk

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Most snacks frequently contain milk as an ingredient. It is nearly impossible to avoid milk being used in snacks Milk contains the nutrients needed for optimum health and is used as an ingredient in various foods. Additionally, it can be found in yogurt, pies, cakes, puddings, caramel, and other delicacies.

Nilla wafers are not vegan because there is dairy present in them. Spread, a milk byproduct is a component of several wafers. The spread contains a lot of fat and has a tasty umami flavor. Margarine-containing food also has a dairy foundation. Almond milk proteins are furthermore present in several snacks.

Nilla wafer cookies contain 20 percent protein by weight. Whey protein is not vegan and cannot be found in vegetables.

Milk is essential for keeping the ingredients balanced, improving texture, and boosting nutritional value.

Egg white, potato starch, brown sugar, coconut milk powder, baking soda, salt, and vanilla are the main ingredients for making cakes and cookies.

2. Whey protein

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Whey and casein, two proteins, are found in milk. Whey proteins can be extracted from cow’s milk through “whey separation.” Lactose-free milk has no lactose and all the essential amino acids, so it’s perfect for vegans.

Protein powders are frequently the most widely used source of whey protein. These supplements may promote cholesterol reduction, weight loss, or building muscles.

Researchers are continually updating the advantages of whey. Therefore, this is not a complete list.

Benefits

  • Whey protein is an effective weight-reducing supplement because body fat decreases and lean muscle mass increases when consumed.
  • Whey proteins lowered cholesterol and LDL levels for people who were overweight or obese.
  • Whey proteins improve immune function, which may help prevent asthma attacks.

Dangers

  • Allergens: Individuals allergic to lactase, lactose, or whey may experience negative effects if they ingest milk. If the consumption is moderate, the adverse effects are less severe.
  • A high intake of proteins due to the large amounts of proteins present may promote oxidative stress and liver toxicity and lead to kidney diseases.
  • Stomach pain
  • Cramps
  • Acne
  • Fatigue
  • Nausea
  • Headache
  • Diminished appetite

3. Vegan milk substitutes

Some options are available if you’re unsure which plant-derived milk alternatives to use when baking cookies.

Soy, almond flour, rice, coconut, and oat milk are the most widely used types.

4. Egg (Generic vanilla wafers)

Egg whites are often included in the majority of crispy vanilla wafers. They are the second most prevalent element in snacks and sweets, measured in weight. Eggs have a wide variety of uses in the kitchen, including seasoning, raising wheat, oat and white rice flour, emulsifying, settling, thickening, and connecting the many components of a recipe.

They’re used for everything from appetizers to main dishes to desserts. Eggs are not used in some treats, such as Oreos. They do, however, appear when you attempt to filter vegan meals.

Benefits

  • Having only 17 calories, an egg white is low in calories. Egg whites contain 126 calories per cup. This is a wise choice if you’re looking to reduce your caloric consumption.
  • High in protein: Fat-free egg whites are a great source of protein. The proteins in egg whites are very helpful for nourishing the skin and building muscles. Three to four egg whites can benefit you if you wish to increase the protein in your diet.

Dangers

  • Eggs are low in vitamin content despite being rich in protein. Eggs are low in vitamins B, B-12 and A, all essential for the body to perform its functions properly.
  • Eggs are low in nutrients, including vitamin D, B12, zinc, magnesium, potassium, and copper. These deficiencies may cause fatigue, muscle weakness, poor memory, depression, and anemia.

Vegan egg substitutes

In a dessert, there are straightforward alternatives for eggs. Apple sauce, ripe bananas, tofu, and tapioca starch are the most widely used alternatives.

5. Natural flavors

The issue is that natural tastes may be extracted from various sources, including plants and animals. While there is a remote possibility of contamination or incorporating derivatives produced from animals, most goods will solely include those derived from plant-based ingredients.

Ginger ale is an illustration of this. Ginger Ale may contain honey, which isn’t vegan. Companies that offer these items are required to disclose their components.

Therefore, customers have the right to contact manufacturers and ask them questions, or they can Google their questions.

You can’t substitute natural flavors for artificial ones, but you can always make your batches of vegan food and double-­​verify labels before buying an all-­natural product.

6. Refined sugar

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Sugar isn’t always considered a “vegetarian” because refined sugar is often made from animal products.

In some US brands, the sugar is decolored using bone char. Because bone char is used secretly and businesses won’t acknowledge utilizing it, it is a problem. Bone char is produced from cattle bone by heating them at high temperatures for long periods. It is then used as a decolorizing and deashing agent.

Companies utilize bone char to eliminate salt and other inorganic and superfluous substances. Refined sugar gets into your cupboard in this manner.

Substitutes for refined sugar

If you want to keep your diet vegetarian and reduce added sugars, use natural sweeteners instead of refined ones. Excessive sugar consumption might have negative health effects. Eating too much sugar, including any sweetener, can lead to type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and other serious conditions.

7. Artificial flavors

In laboratories, scientists make artificial tastes deemed safe for vegans since they are not derived from animals. Some vegans are under the impression that artificial colors are not vegan since their production requires the exploitation of animals.

Using animals for scientific research is unethical, and using anything from animals is also considered unethical.

The frequency of testing is the main consideration while consuming items with artificial substances.

Artificial flavors alternatives

You can add natural ingredients to your recipes instead of artificial flavorings. However, it may not be easy to replicate the taste of the original recipe card.

You can use any sweetener instead of refined sugars. You can mix different spices, flavors, and so forth to create as much spice as you want for other spices like herbs and fruits.

You might not initially enjoy natural flavors, but they will become one of your favorites once you get accustomed to them.

Find out if Gushers are vegan or not!

Vegan swaps for Nilla wafers

There are several vegan options, even though Nilla Wafers aren’t one of them!

  • Back to nature, vegan vanilla extract wafers
  • 7-eleven mint fudge cookies.
  • Lemonades (girl scout cookie)
  • Lemon cream wafers in a manner
  • Hazelnut waffles are a style
  • Bites of nutter butter (vegan butter)
  • Peanut butter oreo patties (girl scout cookie)
  • Thanks-A-Lot (girl scout cookie)
  • Mint Thins (girl scout cookie)

Conclusion

You may consider buying Nabisco Nilla Wafer cookies for dessert instead of banana pudding. They’re a delicious cookie to pair up with milk too. Because they’re so simple, you may think they’re healthy too!

The elements, however, suggest the contrary. In addition to not being vegan, the components can have negative side effects if not used sparingly. We hope these recipes help you create delicious snacks for yourself and others who want to eat healthily.

It would help if you also read our article about the best vegan energy drinks in 2022.

 

Mike Halladay

Mike Halladay

Hey! Mike Here! I love all things vegan. I am a Dad of 2 youngs boys and a food lover and amateur Chef. I transitioned to being a Vegan 9 years and it was one of the best decisions I have made in my life. My health and lifestyle improved beyond belief! This is why I started VeganTab.com to spread the word!

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