Updated in 2021! Nearly every sizable town in the U.S. has at least one Denny’s, which is why we created this very detailed dairy-free menu guide. Believe it or not, this popular American diner chain has quite a few options for dairy-free diners. Sure, you will have to pass on the piles of pancakes and waffles, but their savory selection holds many surprises.
Dairy-Free Menu Guide for Denny’s with Custom Order Options
This guide is broken down by menu items first, including simple custom orders. The menu items are followed by bread, protein, and sauce options to help you get deeper into special ordering.
Breakfast
- All-American Slam (see How to Order below)
- Fit Slam (see How to Order below)
- Build Your Own Jr. Grand Slam (see How to Order below)
- 55+ Starter (see How to Order below)
- 55+ Omelette (no cheese; see How to Order below)
- Country Fried Steak & Eggs (no gravy; see How to Order below; Steak is cooked in Shared Fryer)
- T-Bone Steak & Eggs (see How to Order below)
- Santa Fe Sizzlin’ Skillet with Flour Tortillas (no cheese; see How to Order below)
- Supreme Sizzlin’ Skillet with Flour Tortillas (no cheese; see How to Order below)
- Fit Fare Veggie Sizzlin Skillet (see How to Order below)
- Build Your Own Omelette (see How to Order below)
- Grits (no butter blend)
- Oatmeal
How to Order: Choose the wheat-based English Muffin for your bread. Verify no butter is used on your order for cooking, topping, or spreading (their liquid margarine is dairy-free, but not the whipped butter blend). Choose dairy-free potatoes using the options below. Specify dairy-free eggs on ordering.
Starters
- Boneless Chicken Wings, Plain or BBQ (with dairy-free dip; cooked in Shared Fryer)
- Premium Chicken Tenders (with dairy-free dip; cooked in Shared Fryer)
Burgers
- Classic Burger
- Double Burger (no cheese)
- America’s Diner Double (no cheese)
- Bacon Avocado Burger (no cheese)
- Bourbon Bacon Burger (no cheese)
- Slamburger (no cheese)
- Spicy Sriracha Burger (no cheese)
- Beyond Burger (no cheese)
- Build Your Own Burger (no cheese; use Component lists below)
Heads Up! Make sure the buns are not buttered at your local Denny’s and no butter (only liquid margarine or oil), is used in cooking.
Sandwiches
- Club Sandwich
- Cali Deli Sandwich (no cheese)
- Chick ‘n Shroom [no]Melt (no cheese)
- All-American Patty [no]Melt (no cheese)
Heads Up! Make sure the bread is not buttered at your local Denny’s. And see the bread list below to find out which breads have a “may contain” warning for potential cross-contamination with milk. See our may contain post to better understand these types of labels.
Dinners
- Bourbon Chicken Sizzlin’ Skillet
- Crazy Spicy Sizzlin’ Skillet (no cheese)
- Sirloin Steak (order dairy-free sides and bread)
- T-Bone Steak (order dairy-free sides and bread)
- Country-Fried Steak (no gravy; order dairy-free sides and bread; cooked in Shared Fryer)
- Premium Chicken Tenders (order dairy-free sides, sauce, and bread; cooked in Shared Fryer)
- Wild Alaska Salmon (order dairy-free sides and bread)
Heads Up! As noted below, the Dinner Rolls served with Denny’s Dinner Classics contain dairy. Ask to swap a different dairy-free bread option. Also, verify no butter is added to your order during or after cooking.
Salads
- Cobb Salad (no cheese)
Dairy-Free Salad Dressings: Low Fat Balsamic Vinaigrette, French Dressing, Honey Mustard, Fat-Free Italian, Salad Oil, Thousand Island
Heads Up! The Croutons at Denny’s do contain dairy. So you can order the House Salad without cheese and without croutons, but it will be an expensive plate of iceberg lettuce, cucumbers, and tomatoes.
Soups
At last check, all Denny’s soups contained milk, including the Chicken Noodle, Chili, and Vegetable Beef.
Sides & Vegetables
- Baked Potato (no toppings)
- Broccoli
- Wavy-Cut Fries (cooked in Shared Fryer)
- Seasoned Fries (cooked in Shared Fryer)
- Hash Browns
- Red-Skinned Potatoes (cooked in Shared Fryer)
- Potato Stix
- Sweet Petite Corn
- Fire-Roasted Bell Peppers & Onions
- Sliced Jalapeños
- Mushrooms
- Caramelized Onions
- Zucchini & Squash
- Seasonal Fruit
- Whole Grain Rice Blend
Heads Up! The Red-Skinned Mashed Potatoes, Onion Rings, and Pot Roast Vegetables at Denny’s do contain milk.
Proteins
- Bacon Strips
- Beef Patty
- Beyond Burger Patty
- Chicken Tenders (cooked in Shared Fryer)
- Chicken Wings, Bone-in (no sauce; cooked in Shared Fryer)
- Chicken Wings, Boneless (no sauce; cooked in Shared Fryer)
- Chorizo
- Country Fried Steak (cooked in Shared Fryer)
- Deli Turkey (Shaved)
- Eggs (Boiled, Whites, Whole)
- Grilled Chicken Breast
- Ham (Shaved and Sliced)
- Nacho Meat
- Prime Rib
- Sausage Crumbles
- Sausage Links
- Sirloin
- T-Bone
- Turkey Bacon
Heads Up! Their Fried Chicken Breast, Meatballs, Pot Roast, Battered Fish Fillets, and Salmon do contain milk.
Breads
- Bagel
- Brioche Bun
- Corn Tortilla Chips (has cross-contamination warning for milk)
- English Muffins
- Flour Tortilla
- Hoagie Roll
- Potato Bread
- Rye Bread (has cross-contamination warning for milk)
- 7-Grain Bread (has cross-contamination warning for milk)
- Split Top Bun (also Kids size)
- Texas Toast
Heads Up! Their Gluten-Free English Muffins, Dinner Rolls, Biscuits, Sourdough Bread, Wheat Bread, White Bread, Garlic Toast, Crepes, and Pancakes (all varieties) contain dairy. The French Toast bread is dairy-free, but the batter it’s soaked in contains milk.
Condiments
- All-American Sauce
- Au Jus
- BBQ Sauce
- Bourbon Sauce
- Chocolate Syrup
- Five Pepper Sauce
- Green Hot Pepper Sauce
- Heinz 57
- Honey
- Jams & Jellies
- Ketchup
- Liquid Margarine
- Mayonnaise
- Mustard
- Pancake Syrups
- Red Hot Pepper Sauce
- Salsa
- Sweet Grilling Spread
- Sriracha Sauce
- Sun-Dried Tomato Mayonnaise
- Tartar Sauce
- Worcestershire Sauce
Heads Up! All of the Gravies at Denny’s do contain milk. Their Buffalo Sauce, Nashville Hot Sauce, Garlic & Herb Spread, and Tomato Sauce also contain milk.
Seasonings: They use two primary seasonings in cooking, Denny’s Signature and Sea Salt & Pepper. Both are listed as dairy-free.
Beverages
Aside from the obvious dairy and dairy-free options, all Denny’s Fruit Smoothies contain milk. And they do not offer dairy-free milk beverages or vegan creamers for their coffee and tea, yet.
Dessert
- Lemon Meringue Pie
Heads Up! Denny’s apple pie used to be dairy-free, but now it contains milk.
This Post is for Informational Purposes Only
Menus, ingredients, kitchen procedures, management, and restaurants are subject to change at any time. Always read the menu and discuss your dietary needs with the staff before ordering. Make sure that 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.
Where to Find Denny’s
Denny’s has about 1700 locations worldwide, but the vast majority of them are in the U.S. The information above is for the U.S., and might vary in other countries. For addresses and hours, see the website below.
Website: www.dennys.com
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It was easy to order a dairy free sandwich
7 Comments
I just checked Denny’s 2020 Allergen Menu and the Apple Pie is now listed under Contains Dairy
This allergy menu apears to have been taken down?
I still found it Cheryl! Last updated June 2015 when I looked. Click on any menu item in their food section. On the right side, there is an arrow to download the allergen menu.
I went to Denny’s this evening. I am impressed since other breakfast restaurants don’t have allergen menus. I did eat the apple pie. It didn’t wipe me out. (My reaction doesn’t take long.) I think that it is dairy free if you have it without the caramel sauce, which I was sure to do.
Ate at Denny’s tonight, and the server checked for me. The apple pie is definitely NOT dairy free. Sorry to report the sadness.
Thanks for updating Stacie! As of the most recent allergen menu they’ve posted online (dated March 2012) it still shows the apple pie as dairy-free. It does contain egg though – perhaps they were confusing egg for milk/dairy? Here is a link to the allergen chart – http://www.dennys.com/files/allergen_sulfites_2012.pdf
Yes ,there ice cream isn’t either so be careful! I’m still nervous with dennys because they use real butter on there grill…