When you think about Cracker Barrel's menu options, your mind visualizes old Southern country food: Meat, Steakburgers, and a breakfast menu that stars eggs and bacon as their main ingredients.
You would not think there are readily available vegan items and other vegan options on the Cracker Barrel Menu.
Believe it or not, there are plenty of vegan options at Cracker barrel if you take the time to look over every menu item, especially since they added Impossible foods to their menu lineup. As a vegan, you must be aware of Impossible foods, the California plant-based meat substitute company.
In this article, Awesome Vegan Options at Cracker Barrel for 2023 we share with you every Cracker Barrel Vegan option.
Fear not, we have already done all the hard legwork for you. Stick around as we share with you over 15 vegan options at Cracker Barrel.
Outrageous Vegan Options at Cracker Barrel: Crazy, Yummy and New
What is Cracker Barrel?
Cracker Barrel Old Country Store is a US restaurant franchise that offers comfort meals in a rural setting. It is a nationwide chain with over 600 locations in the USA. Although there aren't many vegan alternatives at Cracker Barrel, that situation is changing.
The rocking chairs on the porch, the country store with the adorable children's clothing, and the candy are all present in every Cracker Barrel location, giving Cracker Barrel a unique Southern ambiance.
Vegan Menu Options
Now let's go over the different Vegan-friendly menu options. These options do not cater to Vegans and don't appear as Vegan on the menu, but tick all the boxes for a Vegan customer: They are free from animal products.
Breakfast Menu
Vegan Breakfast Menu Choices
Vegan Sweet Toppings
There are several vegan sweet toppings. The problem is you won't find any Vegan pancakes or french toast. However, if you like sweet grits, you can order and top them with one of the vegan sweet toppings below. You could also use a sweet topping as spread on an order of multi-grain toast.
Fresh Fruit
Vegan Kids Breakfast
Only one vegan menu entree: Tater Rounds
Lunch/Dinner Menu
Vegan Salad Options
All salads contain meat or dairy but get by getting creative, you can turn them vegan.
Dairy-free sauces and dressing
A couple of vegan-friendly items that you can enjoy with other menu entrees on Cracker's menu: Balsamic Herb Vinaigrette and BBQ Sauce.
Fried Apples
Vegan Sides
Some sides may be cooked with animal lard so you will have to ask your local restaurant server how your menu choice is prepared.
Stay away from green and pinto beans since they both are loaded with animal products. It is a real shame since both are rich sources of much-needed protein.
Barrel Bites
According to Cracker Barrel information sources, the Fried Pickles do not contain dairy or eggs. Great news for Vegan Pickle lovers.
Soups
Every soup on the menu contains dairy so we vegans are of luck as far as soups go. Sorry.
Strawberry Lemonade
Non-dairy Beverages
Desserts
A definitive strike-out for us vegans. All desserts are loaded with dairy so let's move on.
Meal Ideas
Breakfast
We make a few suggestions on how you can put together a DIY vegan meal with Cracker Barrel menu items. By mixing and matching you can put together a vegan meal you will love.
1- Impossible sausage, ground grits with fruit, and a glass of orange juice. If you like your grits sweet you can drizzle some maple syrup on your grit bowl.
2- Multigrain toast, meat substitute sausages, and side fruit. Round up with Apple Juice or Coffee to get your day going.
Lunch or Dinner Ideas
Plenty of ways to combine the vegan options we listed above.
- Salad (with modifications) with steak fries or baked potato.
- Vegetable plate with broccoli, baked potato, and fried apples.
- Use your imagination and mix and match vegan vegetable sides with the Impossible sausages.
- Round up with a drink from the beverages list for a complete meal.
Craker Barrel Visit Tips
Speak to your local restaurant Manager
Cracker Barrel's allergen guide advises customers to speak with the manager at their particular location before placing an order to inform the kitchen of specific allergies they might have.
Cross
Contamination issues
Watch out for fried and grilled sides to avoid cross-contamination with non-vegan ingredients. Despite not having any non-vegan ingredients, Cracker Barrel's Impossible patties, steak fries, potato rounds, and fried okra are cooked on a grill that frequently prepares non-vegan scraps or in soybean oil, also used for non-vegan cuisine.
If you have issues with cross-contamination, then fast-food restaurants are not your best option. Stick to home cooking and eat only at all-vegan restaurants when you are out.
Cracker Barrel Advisory for Allergic Customers
If you or a family member suffer from food allergies, Cracker Barrel offers a complete allergy guide called “Menu Guidance for Guests with Food ALLERGIES”. You can download it here.
This 11-page PDF allows anyone with allergies to check if any menu entree has an allergen they don't tolerate.
After going closely over the Guide we found out that their menu is completely peanut-free. Peanuts are a common, and dangerous, source of allergy for many people.
In the guide, you can also check if any item you want to order contains eggs, dairy, tree nuts, fish, sesame, shellfish, Soy, Wheat, or gluten. Those are the most common allergens for people susceptible to food allergies.
In Closing
Cracker Barrel is far from the best restaurant for those that follow a Vegan diet. But if you are on the road with few options, you can put together a vegan-friendly meal, no problem. And the availability of the Impossible Sausage entree on their menu makes Cracker Barrel an eating-out option for the Vegan customer.
Question and Answers
Q. Does Cracker Barrel serve Vegan?
A. Cracker Barrel has several different menu options that are vegan-friendly.
These options do not cater to Vegans and don't appear as Vegan on the menu, but are free from animal products. Check all the Cracker Barrel Vegan options in this very article above.
Q. Does
Cracker Barrel have plant-based foods?
A. Although Cracker Barrel caters to the meat-eating public, the restaurant also offers several Vegan options, including meat substitute sausages, if you know where to look. You create your custom-made plant-based plate.
Q. Are Cracker Barrel Fried Apples Vegan?
A. Yes! The Fried Apples are Vegan. If you are an Apple lover, you will find fresh Apple Slices on Cracker Barrel's menu as well.
Q. Does Cracker Barrel have the impossible burger?
A. Cracker Barrel has upset some meat-eating customers by offering Impossible Sausage as a protein option. For some reason, some in the meat-eating crowd got upset because Cracker Barrel has added ONE vegan/veggie-only entree to their menu when meat eaters have maybe fifty different things, they can order at Cracker Barrel. People are tough to understand… and selfish.
Q. Are Cracker Barrel dumplings Vegan?
A. The dumplings at Cracker Barrel are not vegan. The dumplings include Flour, salt, baking powder, shortening, dairy, and chicken broth. While some vegetarians might be able to eat these dumplings, vegans and anyone who doesn't eat poultry or dairy products should avoid them.
Q. Does Cracker Barrel have plant-based meat?
A. Yes, since 2022 Cracker Barrel added Impossible Sausage plant-based meat substitute to their menu.
Q. How can you tell if a cracker is Vegan?
A. Although crackers are a popular salty, crunchy snack among many people, they may not always be vegan-friendly.
Four of the top five spices on the market are dairy-based and typically contain a high concentration of whey solids, including cheese, onion, nacho, ranch, sour cream, and barbeque. Nonetheless, many cracker manufacturers offer vegan flavors.
Look closely for animal ingredients on the cracker label.
