What’s in an Oreo

Oreos are the most popular cookie brand. Delicious cream inside two chocolate wafers. 71% cookie, 29 % cream. They may seem simple, but they are very complicated, processed foods. This is what is really in an Oreo:

Creme

The creme is undoubtedly the most popular part of an Oreo, which is why they released “double stuf” and the “mega stuf” Oreos. But you’ll be surprised to learn that the “creme” has no cream at all. That is why the Oreo company called it “creme”, not cream.

Oil. The Oreo creme contains three types of oil—palm oil, soybean oil, and canola oil. Along with soy lecithin and sugar, these oils give the creme its smooth, soft, texture.

Soy Lecithin. The soy lecithin acts as an emulsifier, in other words it allows the oil to mix together with the other ingredients.

Sugar and High Fructose Corn Syrup. These ingredients give oreos their sweetness. You’ve probably heard of sugar, but might be unfamiliar with “High Fructose Corn Syrup”. High Fructose Corn Syrup, also known as HFCS, is another sweetener. HFCS is derived from corn, and is added to Oreos both because it is cheaper, and also because it’s smoother than regular sugar. Other than that, the two sweeteners are very similar.

Artificial and Natural Flavors. This is what gives the creme its flavor. The main flavor in the creme is vanillin, which is supposed to taste like vanilla. Vanillin can come from beavers, oil, and many other natural and artificial sources.

Cookies

An Oreo would not be an Oreo if it didn’t have chocolate wafers surrounding the creme. Here is what the wafers are made of:

Flour. The main ingredient in the wafers is enriched flour. Flour sounds simple, but is far from it. The Oreo flour contains wheat flour, niacin, reduced iron (which looks like tiny rocks and has nutritional value), Thiamine Mononitrate (Vitamin B1), Riboflavin (Vitamin B2), and Folic Acid. If you don’t recognize one of those ingredients, it’s probably something that the manufacturers put in to add nutritional value. These vitamins are extracted from plants, animals, or other natural sources. The newly extracted vitamins then have to be separated from the natural tissue, and purified.

Leavening Agents. Leavening agents, which help the Oreo batter rise, are also an important part of Oreo wafers. The leavening agents of Oreos are baking soda, which you have probably heard of, and calcium Phosphate, which is technically a salt. These ingredients help the wafer get its soft, crumbly texture.

Chocolate. There are two different types of chocolate in the wafer—regular cocoa powder and cocoa that was processed by alkali. Cocoa powder that was processed with alkali is darker and less bitter than regular cocoa powder.

Salt, Sugar, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Artificial Flavor. These ingredients help to give the wafer its flavor. The sugar and corn syrup gives it its sweetness, while the salt helps to make the flavor stronger. The artificial flavor gives the wafer its more distinct flavor, beyond sweetness and chocolate.

Here is a list of all the natural ingredients in an Oreo. In this context, the natural ingredients are the original plants, animals, or minerals that the ingredients were made from.

● Wheat

● Oil palm tree

● Soy plant

● Canola plant

● Sugar cane

● Corn

● Salt

● Soda Ash

● Cocoa beans

● Alkali metal

● Calcium phosphate

● Vanilla beans

● Crude oil

● Iron

● Various plants, animals, and chemicals.

Homemade Oreo Recipe

Now that you know what’s in an Oreo, are you ready to make your own? For a homemade Oreo recipe, go to tinyurl.com/blakeoreo.