Updated January 2023! Applebee’s has made some improvements for dairy-free diners over the years. They have several dairy-free salad dressings, and they even boast a few regular mains with no substitutions needed. But we dug deeper to uncover those special order options too. Our dairy-free menu guide includes appetizers, salads, main dishes, and sides available at Applebee’s.
Applebee’s Dairy-Free Menu Guide with Vegan, Allergen & Custom Order Options
Please note that the menu below is based on Applebee’s full menu. What’s available has been fluctuating, so you might not find all of these options at your location. Be aware of special order requirements in parentheses () next to the menu items, and see the Heads Up notes to help fill in the blanks. Please note that this guide is for the U.S. locations. Options may vary in other countries.
Butter Note: Applebee’s allergen menu has flip-flopped a bit due to the “butter” they use. The margarine they sourced did contain dairy, but then they changed it for a dairy-free brand. But they do still use a garlic “butter” that contains milk. Before placing your order, confirm if any “butter” is used and if it’s safe for your needs.
Other Allergen & Dietary Notes: All of the dairy-free items listed below are made without egg, nuts, and peanut, unless otherwise noted. For vegan options, see the Vegan Menu Guide at the bottom of this post.
Appetizers
- Boneless Wings, Plain or with Honey BBQ, Honey Pepper, or Sweet Asian Chile Sauce (no dressing)
- Double Crunch Bone-In Wings, Plain or with Honey BBQ, Honey Pepper, or Sweet Asian Chile Sauce (no dressing)
- Brew Pub Pretzels with Honey Mustard Dip (no beer cheese dip) (contains egg)
- Chips & Salsa (not on the appetizer menu, but available)
- Chips & Guacamole (not on the appetizer menu, but available)
Heads Up! Applebee’s Hot Buffalo Sauces now state that they contain milk. The slaw on the Grilled Chicken Wonton Tacos at Applebee’s contains milk. The Breadsticks themselves are dairy-free, but they do use a garlic butter sauce on them that contains a small amount of milk. Sorry, the Onion Rings contain whey! All of the dressings they typically serve with the wings contain milk, but you can request a dressing from the options below, or simply an extra side of the dairy-free wing sauce.
Salads
- Grilled Chicken Salad (no cheese, no breadstick)
- Grilled Oriental Chicken Salad (no breadstick, sub dairy-free dressing) (contains nuts)
- Strawberry Balsamic Chicken Salad (no breadstick) (contains nuts)
Dairy-Free Salad Dressings: Dijon Honey Mustard (contains egg), Fat Free Italian, Honey French, Lemon Olive Oil Vinaigrette, Thousand Island (contains egg)
Heads Up! The croutons at Applebee’s appear to be dairy-free, but verify before ordering. The Oriental Dressing surprisingly contains dairy.
Steaks & Ribs
- Applebee’s Riblets Plate with Honey BBQ or Sweet Asian Chile (order dairy-free sides)
- Double-Glazed Baby Back Ribs with Honey BBQ or Sweet Asian Chile (order dairy-free sides)
- 6 oz. Top Sirloin (no butter, order dairy-free sides)
- 8 oz. Top Sirloin (no butter, order dairy-free sides)
- 12 oz. Ribeye (no butter, order dairy-free sides)
Heads Up! Be sure that no dairy butter is used for grilling the meat. This isn’t standard practice with Applebee’s, but individual locations can take liberties. They have used a dairy-free butter alternative in the past, which they might still use for grilling.
Chicken
- Grilled Chicken Breast (order dairy-free sides)
Heads Up! The Chicken Tenders and Bourbon Street Chicken at Applebee’s do contain milk. The Fiesta Lime Chicken meal might be dairy-free without cheese and ranch sauce, check with your server.
Seafood
- Double Crunch Shrimp (order dairy-free sides)
- Grilled Salmon (custom order)
- Blackened Cajun Salmon (no butter, order dairy-free sides)
- Blackened Shrimp (no butter; this is available as an add-on, not an entrée)
Heads Up! The batter for the Fish & Chips at Applebee’s varies by location. Check at your restaurant to find out if it is made with dairy.
Bowls
- Southwest Chicken Bowl
- Tex-Mex Shrimp Bowl
Burgers, Sandwiches & Wraps
- Classic Burger (see Bread & Bun Note below)
- Impossible Burger (no cheese; see Bread & Bun Note below)
- Clubhouse Grille Sandwich Wrap (no cheese; see Bread & Bun Note below) (contains egg)
- Oriental Grilled Chicken Salad Wrap (sub dairy-free dressing) (contains nuts)
Bread & Bun Note: According to the specific ingredients and staff, the burgers and sandwiches as listed above are made without dairy. But their allergen chart states that they contain dairy. A representative confirmed that the butter alternative for toasting is still made without dairy. But check at your location to confirm how to order the burgers and sandwich listed above without dairy. You can always order them in a Lettuce Cup instead of bread if concerned.
Substitutions and Add-Ons: You can substitute a lettuce wrap for the bun, their Chicken Breast Patty for the Burger, or add Bacon or another Burger Patty to your burger.
Heads Up! The Whiskey Sauce on the Whiskey Bacon Burger does contain real butter.
Sides & Extras
- Classic Fries
- Baked Potato (plain, no toppings)
- Side Salad (no cheese, no croutons, dairy-free dressing)
- Steamed Broccoli (no butter)
- Spanish Rice (not on the menu separately, but available)
- Waffle Fries
Heads Up! The Garlicky Green Beans, Cole Slaw, and Onion Rings do contain milk. All of the Applebee’s Soups also contain dairy. The Breadsticks themselves are dairy-free, but they do use a garlic butter sauce that contains a small amount of milk. You might be able to order them without the butter sauce.
Additional Sauces
- Guacamole
- Honey BBQ Sauce
- Honey Dijon Mustard
- Honey Pepper SAuce
- House-Made Pico De Gallo
- Marinara Sauce
- Sweet Asian Chile Sauce
Kids Menu
- Kids Corn Dog (contains egg)
- Kids Chicken Taco (no cheese)
- Kids Burger (no cheese; see Bread & Bun Note in Burger section above)
- Kids Grilled Chicken Pasta (sub marinara sauce, no cheese)
- Applesauce
- Broccoli
- Fries
Heads Up! The Chicken Tenders do contain milk in the batter.
Fruit Smoothies (also in Kids Sizes)
- Mango Smoothie
- Pina Colada
- Strawberry Banana Smoothie
- Strawberry Colada
- Wildberry Smoothie
Applebee’s Vegan Menu Guide
Vegan Appetizers
- Brew Pub Pretzels (no beer cheese or honey mustard)
- Chips & Salsa (not on the appetizer menu, but available)
- Chips & Guacamole (not on the appetizer menu, but available)
Vegan Salads
- House Salad (no cheese)
- Oriental Salad (no breadstick, no chicken, sub vegan dressing)
- Strawberry Balsamic Salad (no breadstick, no chicken)
- Fat Free Italian Dressing
- Lemon Olive Oil Vinaigrette
Other Vegan Entrees
- Impossible Burger (no cheese)
- Oriental Salad Wrap (no chicken, sub vegan dressing)
- Kids’ Pasta Marinara (custom order)
Vegan Sides
- Applesauce
- Baked Potato (plain, no toppings)
- Classic Fries
- Spanish Rice (not on the menu separately, but available)
- Steamed Broccoli (no butter)
- Waffle Fries
Vegan Smoothies
- Mango Smoothie
- Pina Colada
- Strawberry Banana Smoothie
- Strawberry Colada
- Wildberry Smoothie
This Post is for Informational Purposes Only
Menus, ingredients, kitchen procedures, management, food sourcing, and restaurant protocols are subject to change at any time. Always read the menu and discuss your dietary needs with the staff before ordering. Make sure they can accommodate your situation. This post is for informational purposes only, and should not be construed as advice.
There is always a risk for potential cross-contamination of allergens in any commercial kitchen. If cross-contamination is an issue for you, always speak with the manager to ensure that your meal can be safely prepared. Listings here do not guarantee that a restaurant is safe enough for your individual needs. Only you can make that decision.
Each location of a chain restaurant has different management and staff, and some might have different owners. This means differences in processes, ingredients used, menu options, and food sourcing can occur. Always verify the safety of your order for your needs at your current location.
Where to Find Applebee’s Restaurants
Applebee’s has over 2000 locations, mostly in the United States, but a smattering of restaurants in 15 other countries. See the website below for addresses, hours, and online ordering.
Website: www.applebees.com
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I have a severe dairy allergy. I’m very grateful for this website.
Thanks for the helpful update!
I appreciate all helpful updates. it’s really helpful when we want to eat out with her son.These keep them coming
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13 Comments
Mind telling me what you ordered? I’m also ovo-vegetarian and I need to go to applebees for a family dinner. I have no idea what to order.
The impossible burgers have coconut oil in them as one of the top ingredients. Being dairy free and allergic to coconut can be tough since it’s not typically listed as it’s not a top 8 allergen and coconut is a common dairy substitute. Just adding info for others like me!
That is tough, and thanks for sharing this Elizabeth!
Hi,
I ate at Applebee’s yesterday for lunch, and I chose a gluten free entrée, the Cedar Grilled Salmon.
Applebees needs to get up with the times when Chic fil A even has a Kale superfood salad their VEGAN options are non existent. Is just one vegan meal option too much to ask for?
We ate at an Applebee’s yesterday and I chose dairy free options. My son (breaatfed infant) had a reaction last night throughout today, so there must have been cross contamination 🙁
Oh no! Did you mention cross-contamination concerns to the staff before ordering? If so, you should definitely let that location and corporate know. I’m not sure if they have allergen protocols in place.
I don’t trust applebees at all. They list a dish, like ribs, on the menu twice. One says it containes dairy. The other does not. I haven’t looked for awhile but it seems like there were a few other things on the menu that were listed twice and different each time.
I ate at Applebee’s yesterday for lunch, and I chose a gluten free entrée, the Cedar Grilled Salmon. I ordered the artichoke spread on the side because I assumed that was the dairy portion of the entrée, and I cannot have dairy. I had a reaction yesterday so I believe there was cross contamination. So be careful if the allergen menu entrée item is marked gluten-free because it doesn’t mean that it is gluten-free.
I Attended Applebee now and fortuitously I looked on the website before leaving our local restaurant did not have a copy of the list of free dairy products. They were really helpful, but I was disappointed. In addition, the number of tickets free milk is limited. I had the jalapeno lime shrimp was very good.
I recently went to an Applebee’s north of Orlando. I had a simple gf pasta and had a reaction. I am not sure if I just ate too fast or if there was some cross contamination. I just went to the Applebee’s in Pelzer, SC. The hostess brought a wonderful binder with just about EVERY type of allergy and the allowed menu items for each allergy on the menu. As I am GF/CF, I just cross referenced and had a lovely meal that only left me with happy memories.
I went to Applebee’s today and fortunately looked at the website before I went as our local restaurant did not have a copy of the dairy free items list. They were helpful, but I was disappointed. Also, the number of dairy free entrees is quite limited. I had the jalapeño lime shrimp which was very good. The other options were steak and the riblet basket (which our local Applebee’s did not even have on the menu).
I am an ovo vegetarian and recently visited an applebees. They were very accommodating and totally went out of their way for me. I highly recommend!