Meet The 7 Hottest Vegan Products Your Omni-Friends Won’t Believe Are Vegan!

Available at a grocery store near you.

1. The Beyond Meat Sausages

popsugar / Via popsugar.com

King on the list is the Beyond Sausage—named one of Time Magazine's Best Inventions of 2018. Introduced to consumers through an early release at select Veggie Grill locations in early 2018 and to the wider public through the American-based grocer, Whole Foods, the Beyond Sausage takes unquestioned best of place among the recent new plant-based products introduced in the market.

Available in three flavors—Sweet Italian, Original Brat, and Hot Italian—Beyond Meat Brats kick ass as a meaty alternative that most omnis would never imagine could be vegan. In addition to being made entirely from plants—no cute little piggies were harmed in the making of these sausages—, Beyond Meat Brats are better for the environment—a point anyone can be proud of—and they’re better for nutritional health, clocking in at 43% less total fat, 38% less saturated fat and none of the cholesterol that comes packed in pork. Ultimately, and this is important, even though the Beyond Sausages are leaner than their pork-derived alternatives, they don’t skimp on the flavor or the classic experience of cooking sausage. From the gratifying sizzle in the pan or the crackle on the grill to the crisp burst of flavor from the first bite, Beyond Sausages will have your omni-friends asking if you aren’t playing some kind of trick on them. Just make sure to remind them that what they’re eating is 100% plant-based and catch the quizzical look on their faces as they try to comprehend the magic of the Beyond Brat!

Pro-Tip: Serve the Beyond Brat on a pretzel bun for an extra kick of delicious.

2. The Impossible Burger

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“It bleeds like the ‘real’ thing!” says everyone everywhere all the time.

Vying for the throne of convincing meat alternatives, Impossible Foods—coined “the most innovative company” in 2016 by FastCompany, has introduced the most convincing meat alternative to date in their vegan version of hamburger meat. If there was any question about the Impossible Burger’s ability to fool omnis into thinking that they were eating cooked cows, you only need to search #ImpossibleBurger on Twitter. A majority of the folks trying the Impossible Burger for the first time can’t praise it enough, asking if there’s been some mistake with their order since it looks and tastes so convincing.

And while it’s important to highlight the sustainability of the Impossible Burger—using 75% less water, 95% less land, and generating 87% less greenhouse gas emissions than its cow-based alternative—, this list is ultimately about the flavor omnis crave. Sure, Boca burger could tout some pretty stellar sustainability numbers, no disrespect to the long history of Boca, but their patties don’t hold a candle to the Impossible Burger’s flavor, texture, and meatiness. While some foodies have downplayed the realistic flavor profile of the newest Impossible meat burger, the product’s growing popularity in restaurants nation-wide has proven its undeniable place on the table of vegan foods to feed your omni-friends.

3. Sweet Earth Aloha BBQ Quesadilla

Sweet Earth / Via consumeraffairs.com

While there are several vegan Sweet Earth products worth mentioning based on their own merit of flavor—namely the creamy Cauliflower Mac, the scrumptious Harmless Ham breakfast sandwich, the Veggie Lover’s Pizza, or the Moroccan Empanada—the true winner for this list goes to the Aloha BBQ Quesadilla. Showcasing several new frozen food products at the 2018 Expo West, Sweet Earth is stepping heavy in the plant-based market with incredible results. The BBQ quesadilla combines a mixture of sweet pineapple and spicy jalapeños to provide a quick, easy, flavorful dish that is sure to satisfy any rumbly tummy in a flash, regardless of dietary preference. The crispy flour tortilla combined with the tangy BBQ and melty vegan cheese makes the Sweet Earth Quesadilla the perfect type of premade snack that even omnis will love. Pro-tip: buy two; one pack isn’t enough!

4. Daiya's New Cutting Board Shreds

Via ollergy.com

“I can’t believe it’s not cow secretions!” 



Third on the list of “I must make my omni-friend try this vegan product” is the new Cutting Board Shreds by Daiya. While Daiya is one of the biggest and longest surviving players in the plant-based cheese space, they haven’t always been the most beloved brand among vegans and vegetarians. It’s no secret among plant-based eaters that the original Daiya that dominated supermarkets in the early 2000s—and still manages to crowd grocery store shelves—is rubbery and barely even comes close to mimicking dairy-based products, most notably in its failure to melt like cheese.

That said, gone are the days when Daiya is the only major player in the plant-based cheese marketplace—thanks to companies like So Delicious, Violife, Miyoko’s, Field Roast’s Chao, and Follow Your Heart—vegans couldn’t be happier with what competition has done to kick Daiya’s R&D team into high gear. While many long-time vegans (including myself) were loath to give Daiya another chance, their new Cutting Board Shreds—available in cheddar, mozzarella and pepperjack—are the real-deal and deserve a spot among the newer terrific cruelty-free foods omnis won’t be able to tell aren’t made from bovine lactations!

5. Almond and Coconut Reddi Wip

Via savoryspin.com

“We need fewer whipped cream options,” said no-one, ever!

Isn’t it about time the world had more vegan whipped cream options? Released in late 2017, non-dairy Reddi Wip—made with almonds or coconut—is one of the newest and certainly one of the best whipped creams in its class. Reddi Wip has been in the whip-game for 70 years and has a long reputation for making dairy-based whipped creams but these newest plant-based alternatives are a welcome and delicious addition to their pantheon.

And while many vegans might be wondering why the shout-out doesn’t go to a company more consistent in their plant-based product-line like Soyatoo who makes Rice Whip or So Delicious—who, in my opinion, makes the best whip ever—I felt those brands had distinct enough flavor profiles that are distinguishable to the average consumer that Reddi Wip does not. Heap up either one of these Reddi Wips on your omni-friend’s apple pie, soy-peppermint mocha, or banana split and they won’t be able to tell that they’re not inhaling the sugary product of a stressed-out cow’s teat. #MindBlown!

6. Field Roast Mini Corn Dogs

Via store.veganessentials.com

Winning “Best of Show” at the 2017 Expo West, Field Roast took their world-famous frankfurters and wrapped them in corn-batter to create some of the best store-bought vegan corndogs of all time. While Field Roast has been around for twenty years making their fabulous grain-based meats (that are delicious but don’t taste anything like meat), they only recently started ramping up the variety of their products to include vegan cheeses, mayo, butter, dressings, and even a couple mac-dishes. This diversification is exciting for the vegan and vegetarian community when it includes frozen corndogs that omnis of any age won’t believe aren’t little piggies in a crispy cornmeal blanket. Try handing these golden-nuggets-of-goodness out at any 8-year old’s birthday party with ketchup and see if the kiddies won’t gobble them down like any other frozen snack thrown at them. Toss these mini-corndogs in a bowl and place them in front of a bunch of meat-ravenous football fans watching a Patriots game and see if they make one peep that their half-time snack isn’t animal derived.

7. Baileys Almande Liqueur

Via baileys.com

Baileys finally got the message loud and clear: vegans want their Irish coffee, their White Russians, and mudslides too! Released in spring of 2017, Baileys Almande has quickly become a fan-favorite of vegan parties everywhere. Made from sweet almond oil, almond essence, a hint of vanilla, and coffee; Baileys took their world-famous Irish Cream and made a delicious dairy-free alternative that none of your omni-friends will distinguish from the original. Vegans can now welcome the classic Irish Cream liqueur with all its mixed-drink versatility and get as buzzed as they like without the guilt of supporting the dairy industry in the process. That sounds like a win-win worth celebrating.