Looking for Einstein Bros. Bagels vegetarian options? Here’s the short answer: nearly every classic bagel is vegetarian, most are vegan, and the build-your-own setup makes it easy to skip the bacon or lox. Einstein Bros. Bagels is one of the largest bagel chains in the United States, known for kettle-boiled, fresh-baked bagels, signature shmears, and made-to-order egg sandwiches. But what about the vegetarians? Bagels are a meat-free format by nature, and Einstein’s leans into that with a long list of vegan-friendly bagels, vegetarian shmears, and a few inherently meatless sandwiches. This guide covers what’s vegetarian at Einstein Bros. Bagels in 2026, what’s vegan, and the dietary catches worth knowing before you order.
A Quick Look at Einstein Bros. Bagels
Einstein Bros. Bagels launched in December 1995 as a breakfast concept inside Boston Chicken (now Boston Market), so there’s no single founder to name. The chain grew fast through acquisition before its parent filed for bankruptcy in 2000. New World Coffee bought the brand out of bankruptcy, and Einstein Noah Restaurant Group rebuilt it into one of the country’s largest bagel operators.
In 2014, JAB Holding Company and BDT Capital Partners took the company private. In August 2021, Einstein Bros. was folded into Panera Brands alongside Panera Bread and Caribou Coffee, where it still sits in 2026. Panera Brands named Paul Carbone CEO in March 2025 to lead a multi-year turnaround, and Einstein Bros. began rolling out a refreshed store design nationwide in 2026.
- Founded: December 1995, originally a Boston Chicken spin-off in Golden, Colorado
- Headquarters: Lakewood, Colorado
- Parent company: Panera Brands (JAB Holding Company), sibling brand to Panera Bread and Caribou Coffee
- Locations: more than 700 U.S. bakeries in 2026, with 100-plus new stores planned, including cafes, drive-thrus, airports, college campuses, and military bases
Einstein Bros Bagels vegetarian options: What to Order
Here’s the menu at a glance. The table below sorts the most common Einstein Bros. Bagels vegetarian options by whether they’re vegetarian, vegan, or need a swap to get there.
| Menu Item | Vegetarian | Vegan |
|---|---|---|
| Plain Bagel | Yes | Yes |
| Everything Bagel | Yes | Yes |
| Sesame Seed Bagel | Yes | Yes |
| Poppy Seed Bagel | Yes | Yes |
| Cinnamon Raisin Bagel | Yes | Yes |
| Pumpernickel Bagel | Yes | Yes |
| Onion / Garlic Bagel | Yes | Yes |
| Blueberry Bagel | Yes | Yes |
| Chocolate Chip Bagel | Yes | No (contains milk) |
| Cranberry Bagel | Yes | Yes |
| Honey Whole Wheat Bagel | Yes | No (contains honey) |
| Asiago / Six-Cheese Bagels | Yes | No |
| Plain or Reduced-Fat Shmear | Yes | No |
| Garden Veggie Shmear | Yes | No |
| Onion & Chive Shmear | Yes | No |
| Honey Almond Shmear | Yes | No |
| Peanut Butter / Strawberry Jam | Yes | Yes |
| Chipotle Salsa | Yes | Yes |
| Avocado Veg Out Sandwich | Yes | Yes (no shmear) |
| Garden Avocado Egg White Sandwich | Yes | No |
| Build-Your-Own Egg Sandwich (no meat) | Yes | No |
| Fresh Fruit Cup | Yes | Yes |
| Sea Salt Kettle Chips | Yes | Yes |
Vegetarian Bagels at Einstein Bros. Bagels
The bagel lineup is where Einstein Bros. shines for vegetarians. Almost every traditional and signature bagel is vegetarian, and most are vegan because the dough is made without eggs or dairy. The exceptions are easy to spot: cheese gets baked into some bagels, and honey shows up in a couple of others.
- Classic vegan bagels: Plain, Sesame, Poppy Seed, Everything, Onion, Garlic, Pumpernickel, Cinnamon Raisin.
- Sweet vegan bagels: Blueberry, Cranberry, French Toast, Ancient Grain.
- Vegetarian but not vegan: Chocolate Chip and Cinnamon Sugar contain milk. Asiago, Six-Cheese, Green Chile, and other cheese-topped bagels are dairy-based.
- Watch the honey: the Honey Whole Wheat bagel contains honey, so it’s vegetarian but not strictly vegan.
Bagels share toasters and slicers with cheese bagels and lox, so ask for a clean knife if you’re avoiding dairy or fish.
Vegetarian Shmears, Spreads, and Toppings
Einstein’s cream cheese shmears are all vegetarian, but every one of them is dairy-based, so none are vegan. A handful of non-dairy spreads and toppings let vegan customers build a satisfying bagel anyway.
- Vegetarian shmears: Plain, Reduced-Fat Plain, Garden Veggie, Onion & Chive, Honey Almond, Strawberry, Jalapeño Salsa, and seasonal flavors such as Hot Honey Cream Cheese.
- Vegan spreads: Natural Peanut Butter, Strawberry Jam, and Chipotle Salsa are the confirmed dairy-free picks.
- Vegan vegetable toppings: Avocado, Tomato, Cucumber, Lettuce, Spinach, Arugula, Red Onion, Pickles, and Capers.
Einstein Bros. has tested vegan cream cheese in the past, but no plant-based shmear is on the menu in 2026. Stick with peanut butter, jam, salsa, or avocado if you want a dairy-free spread, or bring your own.
Vegetarian Breakfast Sandwiches at Einstein Bros. Bagels
Einstein’s signature breakfast sandwiches are built around bacon, sausage, ham, turkey sausage, and smoked salmon, so most named sandwiches aren’t vegetarian as listed. The good news: almost every one can be ordered without meat, and a couple are vegetarian out of the gate.
- Garden Avocado Egg White Sandwich (vegetarian as served): cage-free egg white, white cheddar, avocado, tomato, and arugula. One of the few items you don’t have to modify.
- Build-Your-Own Egg Sandwich (vegetarian or vegan): pick your bagel, add cage-free egg for vegetarian or skip it for vegan, then layer on cheese, avocado, and vegetables. Leave off the bacon, sausage, ham, or lox.
- Egg and cheese on any bagel: a simple classic egg sandwich without meat. Vegetarian, not vegan.
Skip the Hot Honey sandwiches if you’re vegan; they use a honey-based shmear. Anything labeled Nova Lox contains cold-smoked salmon and isn’t vegetarian.
Vegetarian Lunch Options at Einstein Bros. Bagels
Lunch leans more meat-forward than breakfast, but you can still build a vegetarian meal without much effort.
- Avocado Veg Out Sandwich: smashed avocado, tomato, cucumber, red onion, spinach, and lettuce with Garden Veggie Cream Cheese Shmear on a Sesame bagel. Vegetarian as served; vegan if you drop the shmear.
- Build-your-own deli bagel: skip the turkey, ham, or roast beef and load up on cheese, avocado, and vegetables. Ask for a clean knife and prep area to avoid cross-contact with meat.
- Avocado as the base: the smashed-avocado build on a toasted Ancient Grain bagel is vegan as long as you skip any cheese add-ons.
Vegetarian Sides, Snacks, and Sweets
- Fresh Fruit Cup (vegan): a rotating mix of seasonal fresh fruit.
- Sea Salt Kettle Chips (vegan): the cleanest grab-and-go side.
- Hash brown items (vegetarian): crispy potato sides; confirm the fryer is dedicated, since fryer separation isn’t guaranteed.
- Muffins and sweet rolls (vegetarian): blueberry muffin and cinnamon rolls contain eggs and dairy, so they’re not vegan.
What’s Vegan at Einstein Bros. Bagels?
Vegan options live in three places: the bagels, a few non-dairy spreads, and the sides. Order a classic vegan bagel with peanut butter, jam, salsa, or avocado, add fruit and chips on the side, and pair it with black coffee or a non-dairy latte. The Avocado Veg Out without the shmear rounds out the most reliable vegan picks.
Almond milk is available chain-wide for coffee drinks, and many stores carry oat milk too, though that varies by location. There’s no vegan cream cheese and no plant-based protein on the permanent 2026 menu.
Special Dietary Requirements and Allergies
Einstein Bros. publishes an allergen guide and nutrition information on its website and app. A few things vegetarians and vegans should keep in mind before ordering:
- Cross-contact is real. Bagels are sliced and shmears spread with shared utensils. Ask for fresh gloves, a clean knife, and a separate cutting surface if you’re avoiding meat, fish, or dairy.
- Eggs are cooked with butter on a shared grill. Cage-free eggs are vegetarian, not vegan, and some locations will cook them without butter on request.
- Cheese rennet isn’t disclosed. Einstein Bros. doesn’t specify whether its cheeses use animal or microbial rennet, so strict vegetarians may want to ask or skip the cheese bagels.
- Honey shows up in a few items. Vegans should skip Honey Whole Wheat, Honey Almond Shmear, and any Hot Honey item.
- Smoked salmon is everywhere. Several featured items are built around Nova Lox. Cold-smoked salmon is fish, so it isn’t vegetarian.
- No gluten-free option. Einstein Bros. is a wheat-forward bakery with no gluten-free bagels, and cross-contact with flour is unavoidable. Sesame, soy, and tree nuts also appear across the menu.
Tips for Vegetarians at Einstein Bros. Bagels
- Start with the bagel: almost every traditional flavor is vegetarian, and most are vegan.
- Use the build-your-own option to skip the meat on any breakfast or deli sandwich.
- Want a loaded bagel without dairy? Ask for avocado, tomato, spinach, red onion, and chipotle salsa.
- Check the in-store allergen guide or the Einstein Bros. app, since ingredients shift by season and region.
- Order in the app and add a note like “no meat, no shared knife with lox” for reliable results.
- Add a side of fruit or kettle chips and a black coffee to round out a low-cost vegetarian meal.
Einstein Bros Bagels vegetarian options: frequently asked questions
Conclusion: What’s Vegetarian at Einstein Bros. Bagels?
Einstein Bros. Bagels is one of the friendlier chain bakeries for plant-based eaters. Most of its bagels are vegetarian and the majority are vegan, the shmears are all meat-free, and the build-your-own format makes it easy to skip the bacon or lox. For a quick benchmark: a Plain or Everything bagel with Garden Veggie Shmear is the default vegetarian order, and an Everything bagel with avocado, tomato, and spinach is the default vegan order. For more vegetarian-friendly chains, browse the full Restaurants archive or the master guide to eating vegetarian and vegan at restaurants. For coffee-shop pairings, see what’s vegetarian at Starbucks or what’s vegetarian at Dunkin’, or check sibling brand Panera Bread. Always confirm preparation with your local Einstein Bros. Bagels, since menus and kitchen practices vary.
