Following a vegan diet means striving to be totally animal-free in your food choices—including the candy you might choose to eat as a treat. Going vegan doesn't mean you have to go without candy though. Some candies don't use animal-derived products, meaning they're vegan-friendly.
The candies shared below work well for any of the usual events and seasons that feature candy—Valentine's Day Halloween, Easter, and Christmas—and birthday party gift bags. Some individually wrapped candy is suited for offering at the checkout registers of stores or tossing from a float during Mardi Gras. Here's what you need to know about vegan candies.
Vegan candy meets the food restrictions of a vegan diet. Veganism is an eating pattern that excludes animal products such as dairy, eggs, and meat. It also excludes animal-derived products like honey and gelatin. Candies that don't contain these ingredients would qualify as vegan sweets.
Is Vegan Candy Healthy?
Although vegan candy would meet the vegan diet restrictions, it isn't automatically healthy. The level of healthiness would be based on the ingredients and nutrients.
Vegan candies might be labeled as plant-based snacks. However, vegan sweets can be considered ultra-processed foods. Ultra-processed foods are ones with little-to-no whole-food ingredients.
They may also be low in protein and fiber but high in salt, saturated fat, and sugar. For example, some vegan candies, like Twizzlers, contain 35 grams (g) of carbohydrates, including 17g of sugar, in just a few pieces.
Many varieties of candy are vegan-friendly. You'll be able to enjoy the following types, from gum to lollipops to powdered candies.
Bubble Gum
- Big League Chew
- Hubba Bubba
- Airheads
- Cocomels
- DOTS
- Jujubes
- Jujyfruits
- Laffy Taffy
- Mamba
- Now and Later
- Skittles
Crunchy Candy
- Atomic Fireballs
- Bottle Caps
- Brach's Lemon Drops
- Gobstoppers
- Jolly Ranchers
- Pez
- Zotz
Licorice
- Charms Blow Pops
- Dum Dums
- Ring Pops
Powdered Candy
You can still enjoy vegan candy if you're following a vegan diet or not. One thing to keep in mind is to make sure the candy falls in line with allowed foods in a vegan diet. Other than honey and gelatin, ingredients to avoid include:
- Casein
- Carmine or cochineal
- Shellac
- Whey
Also, remember that vegan candies can be ultra-processed, so enjoy these treats in moderation. You don't have to avoid processed foods, but most are best eaten in limited amounts.
A Quick Review
Store-bought vegan candy—from fizzy drops to caramel and peanut butter bars—contains none of the usual ingredients you avoid in a vegan diet. However, just because vegan candy is vegan, that doesn't mean they're healthy. If you decide to eat them, try to eat them in moderation and check the label to ensure you're not eating any animal-based ingredients.
FAQs
If you're limiting your sugar intake, look for the brands SmartSweets (vegan-friendly) or Zolli Candy (100 percent vegan).
What candy is 100% vegan? ›
If you're limiting your sugar intake, look for the brands SmartSweets (vegan-friendly) or Zolli Candy (100 percent vegan).
Does Hershey make vegan candy? ›
1 Hershey's Plant Based Extra Creamy With Almonds and Sea Salt. Pleasantly creamy and mildly sweet, Hershey's oat chocolate bars will give you that same signature, nostalgic taste of the original but without any dairy. For sharing, the brand also offers the vegan-friendly treat in a big bag of miniatures.
Can vegans eat twizzlers? ›
Twizzlers: All Twizzler candy flavors are vegan and don't have gelatin or dairy. However, the company doesn't advertise them as vegan candies. HersheyLand: HersheyLand is a parent brand for many candy brands that produces its own candies as well.
What American sweets are vegan? ›
Here is our list of 10 brands, you might not have known, that they offer vegan candy.
- Twizzlers. ...
- Jolly rancher. ...
- Drumsticks. ...
- Swedish fish. ...
- Nerds. ...
- Dots. ...
- Sour patch kids. ...
- Hubba bubba.
Most types of peanut butter are free of animal products and can be enjoyed as part of a vegan diet. However, some varieties are made in facilities that also process animal products or contain refined sugar that was produced using bone char or non-vegan ingredients like honey or fish oil.
What everyday sweets are vegan? ›
Fruity Sweets: Many fruity sweets, such as Skittles, Starburst, and Sour Patch Kids, are vegan-friendly. Hard Candies: Hard candies, such as lollipops and candy canes, are often vegan-friendly.
What chocolate is vegan? ›
While dark chocolate is usually vegan-friendly, milk and white chocolate typically are not. Milk Chocolate, as the name implies, contains dairy, making it not vegan, unless it is made with a nondairy milk like oat milk or almond milk. White Chocolate also frequently contains dairy products.
Are Oreos vegan? ›
Many vegans refer to Oreos as “accidentally vegan,” meaning they don't contain animal products — but they weren't created to be a specifically vegan treat. Oreos do not contain milk, eggs, or any other animal-derived products, so they are technically vegan in that sense.
Are Reese's vegan? ›
Because they're covered in milk chocolate, the original Reese's Peanut Butter Cups are not vegan. However, a new dairy-free, oat-based version of the recipe, called Reese's Plant Based, was released in 2023 (more on that below!).
Because of the tax difference between animal-derived products and plant-based products, companies making and selling vegan products have to sell the products at higher prices to stay viable in the market.
What major candy is vegan? ›
Fortunately, loads of candies are vegan, so we can indulge our cravings (mostly) guilt-free. Most dark chocolate is vegan, as are popular sweet treats such as Smarties (known as Rockets in Canada), Oreos, Airheads, Jujubes, and Swedish Fish (some Swedish Fish contain beeswax, so be sure to check the label).
Are Skittles vegan? ›
Most types of Skittles are considered vegan, but not all. While Skittles Classic Fruits, Skittles Sour, Skittles Tropical and Wild Berry Skittles are all currently suitable for vegans, some special editions such as the Once in a Blue Moon Skittles are not, as the blue skittles contain animal product derivatives.
Are Skittles 100% vegan? ›
Most types of Skittles are considered vegan, but not all. While Skittles Classic Fruits, Skittles Sour, Skittles Tropical and Wild Berry Skittles are all currently suitable for vegans, some special editions such as the Once in a Blue Moon Skittles are not, as the blue skittles contain animal product derivatives.
Are Oreos 100 vegan? ›
Many vegans refer to Oreos as “accidentally vegan,” meaning they don't contain animal products — but they weren't created to be a specifically vegan treat. Oreos do not contain milk, eggs, or any other animal-derived products, so they are technically vegan in that sense. Plant-based cookies and cream lovers rejoice!
What is 100 vegan products? ›
Let's explore some categories of 100% vegan foods:
- Fruits and Vegetables. ...
- Grains and Cereals. ...
- Legumes. ...
- Nuts and Seeds. ...
- Plant-Based Milk. ...
- Tofu and Tempeh. ...
- Plant-Based Meat Alternatives. ...
- Vegan Cheese.
Pure cocoa powder, cocoa nibs, and 100% chocolate bars are safe options for vegans since none of the above are made with milk or sugar.
