International House of Pancakes, or IHOP, may not be the ideal restaurant to find a vegan meal, but their new plant-based menu offers a few options for vegan diners to fill up on. It takes some planning and research, but vegans can have a decent meal at IHOP.

Eating Vegan at IHOP

Quite a few of IHOP’s menu items qualify as vegetarian, but most are far from vegan. However, they have recently embraced plant-based sausage and hamburgers. The vegan options are limited but are slowly growing.

“IHOP is a classic, American institution, and having both our Impossible Sausage and Impossible Burger served at their locations nationwide is a significant seal of approval,” Sherene Jagla, Chief Demand Officer at Impossible Foods, told VegNews. “We believe this partnership will satisfy cravings for delicious Impossible dishes on their iconic all-day menu.”

Vegan-Friendly Food Options at IHOP

The plant-based options are an easy vegan choice. Other items need specific modifications to meet the definition of vegan. Here are a few ways to create a vegan meal at IHOP.

Loaded Hash Browns & Crispy Breakfast Potatoes

Omelets are off the menu for vegans, but you can use the Build Your Own veggies to create loaded Hash Browns or Crispy Breakfast Potatoes. Choose from the following options to create your personalized vegan dish.

• Roasted Cherry Tomatoes
• Sauteed Green Peppers and Onions
• Sauteed Mushrooms
• Sauteed Spinach
• Tomato
• Salsa
• Avocado

A vegan butter alternative is used for sauteing, though it does contain soy. When looking for other toppings, avoid the Nut-free Pesto.

Vegan Salad Options

Vegan salad options are minimal at IHOP. Your best bet is to try the Fresh Berry Salad with no chicken and no dressing. Every dressing served at IHOP is non-vegan, so it should all be avoided. Try adding in some smashed avocado as a dressing substitution.

Impossible Sausage at IHOP

A good breakfast selection at IHOP is the Impossible Plant-based Sausage Power Combo. This meal includes two Impossible Sausage patties, seasonal fresh fruit, and multigrain toast. It is only vegetarian as it comes but can quickly become vegan with a few simple modifications. Remove the egg whites. Instead, opt for avocado or hash browns. Select multigrain toast with no butter.

You can also opt for Avocado Toast. Even if it does not appear on the menu, they have the ingredients to make it. Be sure to order it with no butter. The traditional menu item comes with multigrain bread, sliced avocado, roasted cherry tomatoes, and your choice of sides.

Plant-Based IHOP Impossible Burger Options

If you are craving a burger, IHOP has recently added an Impossible Burger which can be substituted on any of their burger menu items. Be sure to remove any cheese, meat, mayo, or mayo-based sauces when ordering. Try the IHOP Impossible burgers with one of the many vegan side options.

Vegan-Friendly Side Dishes at IHOP

Side dishes may be a vegan’s best friend at IHOP. Quite a few options are available with minor modifications.

• Crispy Breakfast Potatoes with no seasoning salt
• Fresh fruit
• Hash Browns
• Multigrain toast with no butter or jam
• French Fries with no seasoning salt
• Impossible Sausage Patties
• Steamed Fresh Broccoli with no garlic butter
• Yellow and Green Beans with no garlic butter
• Rice Medley
• Side Salad with no dressing
• Grits with no butter

Embracing Limited Plant-Based Options

“Although our vegetarian/vegan options are limited, that is something we are closely looking into.” – IHOP

IHOP is yet to be a genuinely vegan-friendly establishment. However, their recent move to embrace plant-based sausage and burgers is a big step toward remedying that problem. Hopefully, we will see many more vegan options, including some of their famous pancakes, become available in the future. IHOP offers a vegetarian and vegan menu guide for diners in case they begin to offer new, plant-based options.

Looking for some more vegan options at popular restaurant chains? Check out our vegan guide to the Cheesecake Factory and more.