Updated March 2022! 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.
Denny’s Dairy-Free Menu Guide with Vegan & Custom Order Options
This menu guide includes dairy-free menu options first, followed by custom order components. 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.
Other Allergen & Dietary Notes: For vegan options, see the Vegan Menu Guide at the bottom of this post.
Classic Breakfasts
- Classic Benny Breakfast (no hollandaise sauce)
- Country Fried Steak & Eggs (no gravy, see How to Order below; Steak is cooked in Shared Fryer)
- Santa Fe Bowl (no cheese)
- Southwestern Benny Breakfast (no hollandaise sauce)
- T-Bone Steak & Eggs (see How to Order below)
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.
Slams
- Build Your Own Grand Slam (see How to Order below)
- All-American Slam (no cheese, see How to Order below)
- Fit Slam (see How to Order below)
- 55+ Starter (see How to Order below)
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.
Omelettes
- Build Your Own Omelette (no cheese, see components below)
- Mile High Denver Omelette (no cheese)
- Philly Omelette (no cheese)
- Loaded Veggie Omelette (no cheese)
- Ultimate Omelette (no cheese)
Heads Up! Omelettes are made to order, and we’ve been told the eggs are made without milk. But verify that your location does not add any dairy, and that the omelettes are not cooked in dairy butter.
Cereal
- Grits (no butter blend, no milk; prepared with water)
- Oatmeal (no milk; prepared with water)
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)
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.
Burgers
- Build Your Own Burger (no cheese; use Component lists below)
- Bacon Avocado Burger (no cheese)
- Beyond Burger (no cheese)
- Bourbon Bacon Burger (no cheese)
- Classic Burger
- Double Burger (no cheese)
- Flamin’ 5-Pepper Burger (no cheese)
- Jala-Bac Burger (no cheese)
- Slamburger (no cheese)
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
- Cali Club Sandwich (no cheese)
- Club Sandwich
- Diner Classic Patty [no]Melt (no cheese)
- The Super Bird (no cheese, sub dairy-free bread)
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 Bowl
- Country-Fried Steak (no gravy; order dairy-free sides and bread; cooked in Shared Fryer)
- Crazy Spicy Bowl (no cheese)
- Premium Chicken Tenders (order dairy-free sides, sauce, and bread; cooked in Shared Fryer)
- Sirloin Steak (order dairy-free sides and bread)
- T-Bone Steak (order dairy-free sides and bread)
- 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.
Kids Menu
- Jr. Burger (no cheese)
- Jr. Grand Slam (see custom options below)
- Jr. Premium Chicken Tenders with BBQ Sauce or Honey Mustard (cooked in Shared Fryer)
Sides
- Bacon
- Baked Potato (no toppings)
- Broccoli
- Chips & Salsa (has cross-contamination warning for milk)
- Egg, Cooked to Order
- English Muffin
- Garden Side Salad (no cheese, no croutons)
- Grilled Ham Slice
- Hash Browns
- Red-Skinned Potatoes (cooked in Shared Fryer)
- Sausage
- Seasonal Fruit
- Seasoned Fries (cooked in Shared Fryer)
- Wavy-Cut Fries (cooked in Shared Fryer)
- Whole Grain Rice Blend
Heads Up! The Red-Skinned Mashed Potatoes and Onion Rings at Denny’s do contain milk.
Proteins
- Bacon Strips
- Beef Patty
- Beyond Burger Patty
- Beyond Plant-Based Sausage (limited availability)
- 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
- 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.
Vegetables Toppings & Additions
- Caramelized Onions
- Fire-Roasted Bell Peppers & Onions
- Mushrooms
- Potato Stix
- Sweet Petite Corn
- Sliced Jalapeños
- Zucchini & Squash
Heads Up! The Pot Roast Vegetables at Denny’s do contain milk.
Condiments
- Au Jus
- BBQ Sauce
- Bourbon Sauce
- Chocolate Syrup
- Diner Q Sauce
- 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
- 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, Tomato Sauce, and Whipped Butter Blend 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. But, the Vanilla Flavor Shot for coffee is made without milk.
Dessert
- Lemon Meringue Pie (where available)
Heads Up! Denny’s apple pie used to be dairy-free, but now it contains milk.
Vegan Menu Guide
- Santa Fe Bowl (no chorizo, no eggs, no cheese)
- Grits (no butter blend, no milk; prepared with water)
- Oatmeal (no milk; prepared with water)
- House Salad (no cheese, no croutons)
- Cobb Salad (no cheese, no egg, no bacon))
- Low Fat Balsamic Vinaigrette
- French Dressing
- Fat-Free Italian
- Beyond Burger (no cheese)
- Crazy Spicy Bowl (no cheese, no chorizo, no chicken)
- Bagel
- Baked Potato (no toppings)
- Broccoli
- Chips & Salsa
- English Muffin
- Garden Side Salad (no cheese, no croutons)
- Hash Browns
- Red-Skinned Potatoes (cooked in Shared Fryer)
- Seasonal Fruit
- Seasoned Fries (cooked in Shared Fryer)
- Wavy-Cut Fries (cooked in Shared Fryer)
- Whole Grain Rice Blend
Vegan Components
- Beyond Burger Patty
- Bagel
- Brioche Bun
- Corn Tortilla Chips
- English Muffins
- Flour Tortilla
- Hoagie Roll
- Potato Bread
- Rye Bread
- 7-Grain Bread
- Split Top Bun (also Kids size)
- Texas Toast
- Caramelized Onions
- Fire-Roasted Bell Peppers & Onions
- Mushrooms
- Potato Stix
- Sweet Petite Corn
- Sliced Jalapeños
- Zucchini & Squash
- BBQ Sauce
- Bourbon Sauce
- Chocolate Syrup
- Five Pepper Sauce
- Green Hot Pepper Sauce
- Heinz 57
- Honey
- Jams & Jellies
- Ketchup
- Liquid Margarine
- Mustard
- Pancake Syrups
- Red Hot Pepper Sauce
- Salsa
- Sweet Grilling Spread
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 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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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…