There comes a moment in every crisp lover’s life where joy meets label reading — and it’s not always a happy meeting.
You pick up a promising bag, perhaps Salt & Vinegar, perhaps Prawn Cocktail. The packaging is perfect. The crinkle is right. But then… you see it: sunflower oil, rapeseed oil, corn oil — the Holy Trinity of modern seed oils. And suddenly, what should be a light snack starts to feel like a nutritional negotiation.
So: are there crisps made without seed oils? Yes. And if, like me, you’ve ever muttered “beef dripping” under your breath in Waitrose, then this guide is for you.
Why avoid seed oils in crisps?
Let’s not get too tinfoil-hat about it, but there’s growing scrutiny around seed oils — often highly refined, heavily processed, and sometimes high in omega-6 fatty acids, which in excess might be inflammatory. Whether you’re full carnivore, paleo-curious, or just tired of ultra-processed snacks, the idea of crisps cooked in animal fat, olive oil, or butter is deeply appealing.
Besides, there’s a nostalgia to crisps cooked in lard. It reminds us of chip shop days, when everything tasted a little richer (and you could still buy a pickled egg for 30p).
Crisp brands that skip the seed oils
Here’s a quick roll call of crisps that have either ditched seed oils entirely, or offer seed-oil-free variants:
🐄 Proper By Nature – Beef Dripping Crisps
- Oil used: Beef dripping
- Varieties: Sea Salt, Salt & Vinegar
- “We wanted to bring back that old-school chip shop flavour — no seed oils, just proper fat.”
– Founder, Proper by Nature
🐑 Roam Snacks – Lamb Dripping Crisps
- Oil used: Lamb dripping
- Sustainably sourced, and honestly, ridiculously flavourful. Like a Sunday roast you can carry in your pocket.
🧂 Two Farmers
- Oil used: Cold-pressed rapeseed oil (technically still a seed oil, but cold-pressed avoids chemical processing)
- For purists: still a no-go. But for pragmatists: better than the rest.
🌿 Olive Oil Crisps (Spain & Italy Imports)
- Brands like Torres and San Nicasio use extra virgin olive oil.
- Not UK-made, but widely available in independent delis and online.
- Taste? Subtle, rich, and slightly posh — like the crisps themselves.
What to watch out for
Some brands claim they’re better, but dig into the ingredients and you’ll find sunflower oil lurking behind a “made with love” marketing spiel.
Look for:
- Cold-pressed or expeller-pressed oils (better, but still seed)
- Animal fats (ideal if you’re not veggie)
- Butter (rare, but dreamy)
If it just says “vegetable oil (sunflower, rapeseed, palm, in varying proportions)” — walk away. That’s marketing code for: we’ll use whatever’s cheapest this week.
Final thoughts…
Avoiding seed oils doesn’t mean giving up crisps — it just means shopping smarter, supporting better producers, and sometimes paying a little extra for the joy of honest fat.
As always, read the labels. Ask awkward questions in farm shops. And if you find a new seed-oil-free crisp, tell me. I’ll probably buy a case.
