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Trader Joe’s Cookies are the perfect treat to satisfy any sweet tooth. Not only do their cookies taste delicious, but they also come in a variety of flavors such as Halloween Joe-Joe’s Cookies and Candy Cane Joe-Joe’s. But, one important question remains, are Joe Joe’s vegan?
Several flavors of Joe Joe’s might be vegan, but they contain natural flavors, which could contain ingredients sourced from animals.
Below is a table showing Joe Joe’s cookie flavors and its vegan status.
| Flavor | Vegan Status |
| Gluten Free Joe-Joe’s Chocolate Vanilla Creme Cookies | Maybe, contains Natural Vanilla Flavor. |
| Halloween Joe-Joe’s Cookies | Maybe, contains Natural Flavors. |
| Pumpkin Spiced Joe-Joe’s Sandwich Cookies | No, contains Milk. |
| Candy Cane Joe-Joe’s | Maybe, contains Natural Flavors. |
| Chocolate & Peanut Butter Joe-Joe’s | No, contains Milk. |
| Astounding Multi-Flavor Joe-Joe’s | No, contains Milk & Eggs. |
| Strawberry Lemonade Joe-Joe’s | Maybe, contains Natural Flavors. |
| Candy Cane Joe-Joe’s Dark Chocolate Bar | No, contains Milk. |
| Joe-Joe’s Slims | Maybe, contains Natural Flavors. |
Joe Joe’s Ingredients
Below is a list of ingredients from all the flavors that I could find.
- Alcohol
- Ammonium Bicarbonate
- Annatto Extract (Color)
- Baking Soda
- Beet Juice Extract [Color]
- Canola Oil
- Caramel [For Color]
- Cardamom
- Cinnamon
- Citric Acid
- Cloves
- Cocoa (Processed With Alkali)
- Cocoa Extract
- Cocoa Powder
- Coffee Powder
- Corn Flour
- Corn Starch
- Dextrose
- Egg
- Folic Acid
- Freeze Dried Lemon Pieces
- Ginger
- Ground Vanilla Beans
- Invert Sugar
- Invert Sugar Syrup
- Iron
- Lactic Acid
- Lemon Peel
- Maltodextrin
- Mango Puree
- Milk
- Natural Flavors
- Natural Vanilla Flavor
- Niacin
- Nonfat Milk
- Nutmeg
- Oat Flour
- Organic Rice Syrup
- Palm Kernel Oil
- Palm Oil
- Paprika Oleoresin (For Color)
- Peppermint Candy
- Peppermint Oil
- Powdered Sugar
- Pumpkin Pie Spice
- Pumpkin Powder
- Pumpkin Puree
- Reduced Iron
- Riboflavin
- Rice Flour
- Sea Salt
- Semisweet Chocolate
- Soy Lecithin
- Soybean Oil
- Sugar
- Tapioca Starch
- Thiamine Mononitrate
- Unbleached Enriched Flour
- Unsweetened Chocolate
- Vanilla Bean Seeds
- Vegetable Juice
- Wheat Starch
- Whey Powder
- Xanthan Gum
- Yogurt Flavored Coating
- Yogurt Powder
[Source]
As always I’ve highlighted the ingredients that we need to take a closer look at.
Non-Vegan Ingredients
Milk & Egg
Both ingredients are sourced from animals and are not vegan-friendly.
Questionable Ingredients
Sugar
Sugar is a tricky ingredient because vegans are aware of the risk of bone char being used in the production process. This risk is especially present in the candy and snacks industry where refined cane sugar is a popular ingredient.
In the refining process the sugar is also bleached and a common method is to use bone char from dead cows. This does not align with veganism and many vegans tends to stay away from sugar.
Palm Oil
Vegetable oil is a very popular ingredient in many products, not just as food, but as a hair product and even makeup. Palm oil is an ingredient that has made the news for several years now and has become one of the most popular vegetable oils in the world.
The problem with palm oil is the severe deforestation that is taking place in order to make room the the plantations. This is forcing the wildlife away from their natural habitat.
However there is a way to produce palm oil with minimal impact on the environment and it’s with the help of an non-profit organization called RSPO. They help companies produce sustainable palm oil.
Natural Flavors
It’s important to mention that natural flavors is a questionable ingredient for vegans and the reason for this is the fact that it’s often a mix of several ingredients which are never disclosed on the ingredient label.
So natural flavors could contain ingredients sourced from animals and you wouldn’t be able to tell, because the ingredient would not show on the ingredients label.
Corn & Soy
Corn and soy are two of the most common GMO crops in USA and the problem with these crops is the fact that they require a high amount of herbicide in order to grow. The herbicide can pollute the surrounding ecosystem and damage it severely.
Lactic Acid
This ingredient can be sourced from both animals and plants.
Vegan Alternative To Joe Joe’s
Both Tate’s & Maryland Cookies have vegan flavors and I recommend that you check them out below:
- Are Tate’s Cookies Vegan 2022? All Flavors Reviewed
- Are Maryland Cookies Vegan 2022? All Flavors Reviewed
Conclusion
It’s not easy to determine if any flavors of Joe Joe’s are vegan-friendly because of the questionable ingredients that they contain. I’ve found other brands that has vegan flavors and they are delicious, you should take a look.
Thanks for reading, take care!
