Are Cheerios Vegan? No in the US (Vitamin D3)

Cheerios look like an easy vegan breakfast: whole grain oats, a little sugar, no milk. In the US, though, they're fortified with vitamin D3, which is almost always made from sheep's wool. And the most popular flavor, Honey Nut, contains honey.

US Cheerios ingredients explained

Original US Cheerios are made from whole grain oats, corn starch, sugar, salt and tripotassium phosphate, plus added vitamins and minerals.

Ingredient	Status	Why
Whole grain oats	Vegan
Corn starch	Vegan
Sugar	Grey area	US cane sugar may be filtered with bone char.
Salt, tripotassium phosphate	Vegan	Minerals.
Vitamin E (mixed tocopherols)	Vegan	Usually from vegetable oil.
Iron, zinc, B vitamins, vitamin C, A	Vegan	Synthetic or fermented.
Vitamin D3	Not vegan	Usually made from lanolin (sheep's wool grease).

Which Cheerios are vegan?

Cheerios (US)	Status	What decides it
Original	Not vegan	Vitamin D3.
Honey Nut	Not vegan	Honey and vitamin D3.
Multi Grain	Not vegan	Vitamin D3.
Chocolate, Apple Cinnamon and other flavors	Not vegan	Vitamin D3; check for honey and milk.
Cheerios bars and limited editions	Check the label	Often add honey or milk.

Cheerios in Ireland and the UK

Cheerios sold here are a different product from US Cheerios. They're made by Cereal Partners Worldwide, a joint venture between Nestlé and General Mills, from oat, wheat and barley flour, and the range is different: Multigrain, Honey and Very Berry Cheerios.

Cheerios (UK and Ireland)	Status	Notes
Honey Cheerios	Not vegan	Honey.
Multigrain Cheerios	Check the label	Fortified with vitamin D; the form isn't always stated.
Very Berry Cheerios	Check the label	As above.
Honey Cheerios cereal bars	Not vegan	Honey.

UK and Irish Cheerios contain wheat and barley, so unlike US Cheerios they aren't gluten-free.

Why vitamin D3 matters

Breakfast cereals are fortified with vitamin D, which comes in two forms. Vitamin D2 is made from fungi or yeast and is vegan. Vitamin D3 is usually made from lanolin, the waxy grease in sheep's wool, though a vegan D3 from lichen exists. General Mills doesn't say which it uses, and lanolin is the industry norm. Read more about vitamin D3.

The amount is tiny, and some vegans eat D3-fortified cereals anyway. We mark it as not vegan because the ingredient comes from an animal, and we'd rather you know.

Vegan alternatives to Cheerios

Unfortified organic oat O's from store brands and organic brands; check there's no vitamin D3 or honey.
Plain shredded wheat, which has nothing added.
In Ireland and the UK, Weetabix, Shreddies and Shredded Wheat are commonly listed as vegan.

See the full vegan cereal list for more.

The bottom line

US Cheerios are plant-based apart from the vitamin D3, and Honey Nut adds honey. If you avoid all animal-derived ingredients, choose an unfortified oat cereal instead.

FAQ

Are Cheerios vegan?

Not in the US, by our standard. Original Cheerios contain no dairy, egg or honey, but they're fortified with vitamin D3, usually made from lanolin in sheep's wool.

Are Honey Nut Cheerios vegan?

No. They contain honey, as well as vitamin D3.

Do Cheerios contain milk?

Original Cheerios don't. Some flavors and Cheerios bars may, so check the label.

Are Cheerios vegan in the UK and Ireland?

UK and Irish Cheerios are made by Nestlé (through Cereal Partners Worldwide) to a different recipe. Honey Cheerios contain honey. Others are fortified with vitamin D, and the label doesn't always say which form, so check the pack.

Are Cheerios vegan in Canada?

Canadian Cheerios have been reported not to contain vitamin D3, which makes them closer to vegan, though sugar may be bone-char filtered.

Are Cheerios vegetarian?

Yes. Vitamin D3 from lanolin comes from wool, not slaughter, and honey is acceptable to most vegetarians.

Are Cheerios gluten-free?

US Cheerios are labelled gluten-free. UK Cheerios contain wheat and barley and aren't.

Who makes Cheerios?

General Mills in the US and Canada. In the UK, Ireland and most other markets, Cheerios are made by Cereal Partners Worldwide, a Nestlé and General Mills joint venture.

Are Cheerios Vegan?