The Vegan's Ultimate Guide to Condiments: Which Ones Are Plant-Based?

Contrary to popular belief, veganism isn't all salads and boiled veggies — many vegans actually do eat fries and ketchup, and most of them are always eager to eat food with ~flavor.~

However, some condiments contain hidden animal products, so let's examine which condiments are vegan.

We're basing this list on the definition of "vegan" from The Vegan Society, which defines it as: “A plant-based diet avoiding all animal foods such as meat (including fish, shellfish and insects), dairy, eggs, and honey — as well as avoiding animal-derived materials, products tested on animals, and places that use animals for entertainment.”

You may be surprised to hear that A.1. Original sauce is vegan, while other condiments, such as cocktail sauce, might not be. Here is the list of condiments that are usually vegan, according to PETA. You can rest assured these likely won't have animal products in them. However, it’s never a bad idea to check the label first, just in case.

Here are the vegan condiments you can almost always count on:

• A.1 Original Sauce
• Ketchup
• Mustard
• Salsa
• Relish
• Hummus
• Agave syrup
• Chamoy
• Chili Oil
• Tahini
• Harissa
• Maple Syrup
• Soy sauce
• Tamari
• Sweet chili sauce
• Hoisin sauce
• Hot sauce
• Duck sauce
• Dijon mustard
• Wasabi
• Sriracha
• Vinegar
• Olive oil
• Jelly
• Jam
• Marmalade
• Peanut sauce
• Hoisin sauce

You may have noticed a few popular favorites such as mayonnaise and peanut butter were missing from the previous list. Even though peanut butter is often considered to be a vegan staple (peanut butter toast 4ever!), it can sometimes contain honey depending on the brand. And although many brands have taken to create their own version of condiments, regular mayonnaise, such as Hellman’s, is made from eggs.

Here are the condiments to check just in case:

• Aioli
• Chutney
• Cocktail sauce
• Curry sauce
• Fish sauce
• Honey (vegan honey exists!)
• Peanut butter
• Horseradish sauce
• Kimchi
• Mayonnaise
• Nutella
• Oyster sauce
• Pesto
• Ponzu
• Ranch dressing
• Sour cream
• Tartar sauce
• Tzatziki
• Cream cheese
• Butter
• Margarine
• Worcester sauce
• Cocktail sauce

If you are trying out eating more plant-based foods, or if you are a long-time vegan that has been missing out on your favorite condiment for years, the good news is that vegan alternatives are becoming more and more popular! A few of these include Hellman’s vegan mayo, Trader Joe’s vegan pesto, and Miyokos cashew milk cream cheese. With the vegan movement becoming increasingly popular, it comes as no surprise there are plant-based replacements for almost anything. Just do your research!