Are Apple Jacks Vegan? Vitamin D3 and the Grey Areas

Apple Jacks are one of those cereals that looks vegan at first glance. There's no milk, no honey and no marshmallows. The only animal-derived ingredient is the vitamin D3 near the end of the list.

Apple Jacks ingredients

Ingredient	Status	Why
Corn flour blend	Vegan	Whole grain yellow corn flour and yellow corn flour.
Sugar	Grey area	Possible bone char filtering.
Wheat flour, whole grain oat flour, modified food starch	Vegan	Give the O's their shape.
Vegetable oil (hydrogenated coconut, soybean and/or cottonseed)	Vegan
Yellow 6, Yellow 5, Red 40, Blue 1	Vegan	Synthetic dyes. Some vegans avoid them because of animal testing.
Vitamins and minerals	Vegan	Except vitamin D3.
Vitamin D3	Not vegan	Usually made from lanolin.

How strict do you want to be?

The vitamin D3 in Apple Jacks is a tiny amount of a by-product of wool. Some vegans accept it, especially where finding unfortified foods is hard. Others don't, because it still comes from an animal. Our verdict follows the ingredient, and we name it so you can make your own call.

Vegan alternatives

Unfortified fruity cereals from organic brands are your best bet. Cascadian Farm Fruitful O's is a common suggestion, but check its vitamins list before you buy. See the vegan cereal list for more.

How to check any cereal for vitamin D3

Fortified cereals list their added vitamins at the end of the ingredients. Look for:

Vitamin D3 or cholecalciferol: usually from lanolin (sheep's wool), so not vegan unless it says "from lichen" or "vegan D3".
Vitamin D2 or ergocalciferol: from fungi or yeast, so vegan.
"Vitamin D" with no number: common on UK and Irish boxes. The form isn't stated, and it's usually D3.

Also watch for honey, gelatin (in marshmallow pieces), milk or whey in coatings, and confectioner's glaze on shiny pieces. Our vegan cereal list does this for the big brands.

The bottom line

Apple Jacks are plant-based apart from the vitamin D3. If you avoid all animal-derived ingredients, choose an unfortified fruity cereal instead.

FAQ

Are Apple Jacks vegan?

No, by our standard. They contain no dairy, egg or honey, but they're fortified with vitamin D3, which is usually made from lanolin in sheep's wool.

Who makes Apple Jacks?

WK Kellogg Co, which Ferrero bought in September 2025.

Can you buy Apple Jacks in Ireland or the UK?

They're a US cereal and mostly found here as imports, which follow the US recipe.

Are Apple Jacks dairy-free?

Yes. They contain no milk, lactose or other dairy ingredients.

Are Apple Jacks gluten-free?

No. They contain wheat flour and oat flour.

Is there a vegan version of Apple Jacks?

Not from the brand. Look for unfortified fruity O's from organic brands, and check the vitamins list for D3.

Are Apple Jacks vegetarian?

Yes. Lanolin is taken from sheep's wool without killing the animal, so most vegetarians eat D3-fortified cereals.

Are Apple Jacks Vegan?