Updated January 2023! For a fleeting few months, the biggest bagel chain in the U.S. offered dairy-free cream cheese. First, Einstein Bros quietly and briefly added Kite Hill cream cheese to their menu in select areas. Then, they officially launched Daiya cream cheeze style spread as a limited time schmear option. Einstein Bros hasn’t closed the door on dairy alternatives, but the vegan cream cheese wasn’t popular enough at the time to make it permanent. So for now, the spreads listed below in our dairy-free menu guide (with vegan options and allergen menu notes) will have to do!
Einstein Bros Dairy-Free Menu Guide with Vegan & Allergen Options
This Einstein Bros 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: All of the items listed below are made without egg, nuts, and peanut, unless otherwise noted. Most of their bagels are made without soy protein, but all of their bagels contain soybean oil. Einstein Bros does not offer gluten-free bagels or breads at this time. For vegan options, see the Vegan Menu Guide at the bottom of this post. Most of the dairy-free bagels listed below are vegan, but a few contain honey.
Classic Bagels
- Plain
- Ancient Grain
- Cinnamon Raisin
- Cranberry
- Everything
- Garlic
- Honey Whole Wheat
- Onion
- Poppy Seed
- Pumpernickel
- Sesame Seed
Signature Bagels
- Blueberry
- Chocolate Chip
- French Toast
- Pretzel
Heads Up! In addition to any cheesy varieties, the Cinnamon Sugar also contains milk.
Thintastic Bagels
- Plain
- Ancient Grain
- Everything
- Honey Whole Wheat
Gourmet Bagels
- Apple Cinnamon
- Power Protein (contains nuts)
Heads Up! The other varieties are loaded with cheese.
Bagel Spreads
- Honey
- Natural Peanut Butter (select locations)
- Natural Strawberry Jelly
Heads Up! The Butter Blend is made with dairy.
Bagel Sandwiches
- Avocado Toast
- Chicken Salad (select locations; contains egg)
- Avocado Veg Out (no cheese)
- Ham (no cheese) (contains egg)
- Nova Lox Bagel (no cheese; request mayo or avocado sub)
- Turkey (no cheese, dairy-free bagel)
- Turkey, Bacon & Avocado (no tomato spread)
Soups
- Chicken Noodle (contains egg)
- Vegetarian Chile
Sides
- Sea Salt Potato Chips
Heads Up! The Twice Baked Hash Browns at Einstein Bros do contain milk.
Sweets
Discontinued: Einstein Bros used to offer Cinnamon Twists and Cinnamon Twist Poppers that were dairy-free and vegan, but those appear to be discontinued. Their smoothies and shakes also contain milk.
Proteins
- Bacon
- Brisket
- Chorizo Sausage Patty
- Fried Egg Patty (contains egg)
- Ham
- Lox (smoked salmon)
- Pepperoni
- Turkey
- Turkey Sausage Patty
Vegan Options: Einstein Bros has test marketed a Beyond Sausage, but at the time of our review, it was no longer available.
Heads Up! Their Fresh Cracked Eggs and Egg Whites are cooked with butter. You might be able to request no butter, though they do use butter on the grill. You can request the fried egg patty, substitute a dairy-free bagel, and order no cheese to make some of their Breakfast Bagels dairy-free.
Veggies
- Avocado
- Capers
- Cucumber
- Leaf Lettuce
- Pickle Spear
- Red Onion
- Spinach
- Tomato
Other Specialty Breads
- Ciabatta (select locations)
- Potato Roll (also available parbaked)
- Tortilla
Other Condiments
- Chipotle Salsa
- Double Egg Mayo (contains egg)
- Smashed Avocado
- Spicy Brown Mustard
Heads Up! The Roasted Tomato Spread is made with dairy. The Exceptional Chocolaty Chocolate Buttercreme Icing and Flat Icing used on their party bagel donuts might be dairy-free (the donuts are not). Their Smoky Chipotle and Jalapeno Garlic Mayos / Aiolis prepared for some sandwiches might also be dairy-free. They each appear to be made without any milk ingredients, but we couldn’t verify the “natural flavor” sources. Check in store to verify allergens on the packaging and availability to order, if interested.
Coffee Drinks
Milk Beverage: They offer almond milk on their fixed menu for coffee drinks, but not all locations carry it. Select locations might have other options.
Einstein Bros Vegan Menu Guide
- Avocado Toast
- Avocado Veg Out Bagel Sandwich (no cheese)
- Vegetarian Chile
- Sea Salt Potato Chips
- Coffee Drinks with Almond Milk
Vegan Bagels & Breads
- Plain Bagel
- Cinnamon Raisin Bagel
- Cranberry Bagel
- Everything Bagel
- Garlic Bagel
- Onion Bagel
- Poppy Seed Bagel
- Pumpernickel Bagel
- Sesame Seed Bagel
- Blueberry Bagel
- Chocolate Chip Bagel
- French Toast Bagel
- Pretzel Bagel
- Apple Cinnamon Bagel
- Ciabatta
- Potato Roll
- Tortilla
Vegan Bagel Spreads & Toppings
- Natural Peanut Butter
- Natural Strawberry Jelly
- Chipotle Salsa
- Smashed Avocado
- Spicy Brown Mustard
- Avocado
- Capers
- Cucumber
- Leaf Lettuce
- Pickle Spear
- Red Onion
- Spinach
- Tomato
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 Einstein Bros Bagels
Einstein Bros Bagels has more than 700 locations in 40 states across the U.S. See their website below for addresses, hours, and online ordering.
Website: www.einsteinbros.com
Dairy-free Cream Cheese
They should’ve tried Tofutti. That’s the only vegan cream cheese I’ll eat… Otherwise, I’m down with a high quality EV olive oil.
For More Dairy-Free Guidance, Get Go Dairy Free!
8 Comments
FYI – the Einstein Bagels colocated with Caribou do NOT have Daiya shmear. ☹️
What a bummer! Thanks for sharing this Heather.
We asked at the restaurant and a lot of the items on this list were wrong, always ask the employees just to be safe
Hi Eren, can you be specific on what items from their allergen menu are incorrect. We can contact Einstein Bagels on this issue.
Also, they should have a binder in store with the ingredients. In several cases, I’ve had employees misquote what has dairy and what doesn’t unless they consult the binder.
Thank you, I love the bagels!!!
It is there BUT you have to scroll clear down to the bottom. its an entensive list of what allergens are or are not in their items. VERY cool. Iove that companies like Einsteins and Chick-fil-A are able to pull whole ingredients lists sometimes right at the registers. it makes shopping for meals for those with allergies much easier than those who reply to the question with an unprofessional “mmmm I dunno know, i guess dont order it” answer that some places still give. Thank you again!!
Hmm…I don’t see any ingredients listed there. Just nutrition.