If you’re a vegan, chances are you haven’t been able to enjoy the Starbucks Impossible Breakfast Sandwich. It is not as simple as just removing the egg and cheese. Here’s why the sandwich cannot be made vegan.
The Starbucks Impossible Breakfast Sandwich cannot be made vegan because:
- All of the ingredients except for the Impossible Patty contain animal products. This includes the bun, which has milk and eggs, as well as cheese and egg.
- The sandwich comes frozen and pre-packaged to Starbucks locations, so it is not possible to make a vegan version without discarding some of the ingredients. If you request an option with just the vegan patty, that means that the egg, cheese, and bun will be removed and discarded – but this has not decreased the demand for them, just made them go to waste.
Therefore, if you are looking for a vegan breakfast sandwich option from Starbucks, you will need to look elsewhere.
Let’s dive deeper into these points below.
Ingredient Breakdown: The Starbucks Impossible Breakfast Sandwich
The breakfast sandwich from Starbucks is made with a bun, an egg patty, an Impossible Patty, and Cheddar Cheese. Let’s take a closer look at each one of them.
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Sesame Ciabatta Bun
Ingredients:
- ENRICHED WHEAT FLOUR(FLOUR, NIACIN, REDUCED IRON, THIAMINE MONONITRATE, RIBOFLAVIN, FOLIC ACID),
- WATER,
- SESAME SEEDS,
- EGGS,
- DURUM WHEAT SEMOLINA,
- SUGAR, SUNFLOWER OIL,
- BUTTER (MILK),
- SALT,
- PAPRIKA,
- MALTED BARLEY FLOUR,
- YEAST,
- CULTURED WHEAT STARCH,
- MICROBIAL ENZYMES (AMYLASE)
As we can see, the sesame ciabatta bun is not vegan because it is made using eggs and butter.
Fried Egg Patty
Ingredients:
- EGG WHITES,
- EGG YOLKS,
- MILK,
- FOOD STARCH- MODIFIED,
- SALT,
- CITRIC ACID
The Fried Egg Patty is obviously made with egg ingredients, and it also contains milk. If the sandwich was put together in the store, it would be an option to remove the egg patty. But because the sandwich comes pre-packaged, even if you ask for the egg to be removed in your order, you will still have paid for the patty and it will be picked out of your sandwich.
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Plant-Based Breakfast Patty
Ingredients:
- WATER,
- SOY PROTEIN CONCENTRATE,
- SUNFLOWER OIL,
- COCONUT OIL,
- CONTAINS 2% OR LESS OF: CITRIC ACID, CULTURED DEXTROSE, FOOD STARCH-MODIFIED, GARLIC POWDER, METHYLCELLULOSE, MIXED TOCOPHEROLS(VITAMIN E), NATURAL FLAVORS, NIACIN (VITAMIN B3), ONION POWDER, PYRIDOXINE HYDROCHLORIDE(VITAMIN B6), RIBOFLAVIN (VITAMIN B2), SALT, SODIUM ASCORBATE (VITAMIN C), SOY LEGHEMOGLOBIN, SOY PROTEIN ISOLATE, SPICES, VITAMIN B12, YEAST EXTRACT, ZINC GLUCONATE].
The plant-based patty is the only truly vegan component of this sandwich.
However, please be aware that if you have allergies to any of the non-vegan components, ordering just the patty could still trigger an allergen reaction. This is because the patty has been in contact with the other components while pre-packaged.
Starbucks warns customers on their website that they cannot guarantee that their products are allergen-free. If you have any concerns about whether or not a particular product may contain your allergen, we recommend that you contact Starbucks directly for more information.
Sharp Cheddar Cheese
Ingredients:
- PASTEURIZED MILK,
- CHEESE CULTURE,
- SALT,
- MICROBIAL ENZYMES,
- ANNATTO (FOR COLOR)]
We wish veganizing a sandwich would be as easy as just removing the cheese, which is obviously made with milk ingredients. Unfortunately, we have seen it is not as easy when it comes to the Starbucks Impossible Breakfast Sandwich.
Fortunately, there are some other great options when it comes to vegan breakfast sandwiches. Let’s take a look at some of them now!
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The Best Vegan Breakfast Sandwich Options at Chain Restaurants
When looking for a vegan breakfast sandwich, your best bet is to look for a local shop on websites such as HappyCow. The big chains might have a few options for vegan breakfasts, but they’re often not as fresh or delicious as what you’ll find at a local spot. Plus, supporting local businesses is always a good idea!
However, we understand the convenience of grabbing something in the closest branch to you, so let’s take a look at what some of the bigger chains have options for vegan breakfasts.
Dunkin’ Donuts
Dunkin’ Donuts used to offer a vegan breakfast sandwich made with an eggless patty and served on an English muffin or bagel. However, it seems they have discontinued the product from most stores.
Jamba Juice
Jamba Juice, a popular smoothie and juice chain, has recently added a new breakfast sandwich to its menu: the Impossible Sausage Breakfast Sandwich.
The sandwich, which features a plant-based sausage patty from Impossible Foods, can be made vegan by requesting to remove the cheese.
Peet’s Coffee
Peet’s Coffee “Everything Plant-based Sandwich” is a delicious and nutritious alternative to the traditional breakfast sandwich. It is made with all plant-based ingredients, including Beyond Breakfast Sausage®, JUST Egg Folded, and vegan cheddar. The everything bagel thin provides the perfect crunch, while the sausage and egg give the sandwich a hearty taste and texture.
Starbucks
And finally, even though the Impossible Breakfast Sandwich is not vegan-friendly at all, Starbucks still provides a couple of breakfast options that are vegan-friendly. They offer a variety of plant-based milk options that can be used in their coffees instead of cow’s milk, for an additional charge. To eat, you can order a bagel with avocado spread. Some stores also offer oatmeal options.
So next time you’re in a hurry and need breakfast on the go, remember that there are plenty of vegan-friendly options out there – you just might need to look a little harder for them.
The Bottom Line
The Starbucks Impossible Breakfast Sandwich cannot be made vegan because all of the ingredients except for the Impossible Patty contain animal products. This includes the bun, which has milk and eggs, as well as cheese and egg. The sandwich comes frozen and pre-packaged to Starbucks locations, so it is not possible to make a vegan version without discarding some of the ingredients. If you request an option with just the vegan patty, that means that the egg, cheese, and bun will be removed and discarded – but this has not decreased the demand for them, just made them go to waste.
So if you’re looking for a delicious and convenient vegan breakfast sandwich, your best bet is to look elsewhere – there are plenty of great options out there. Local shops might be the way to go, but big chains also offer some options.