What Candy Is Vegan?

There’s nothing more joyful in life than candy, but if you have recently turned vegan, you might be concerned that you won’t be able to enjoy a sweet treat ever again.

This is because so many sweets contain ingredients such as gelatin, dairy, and eggs.

However, you’ll be happy to hear that there are plenty of alternatives that you can choose from.

Sweet companies either have manufactured their sweets so that they can manufacture them for as many people as possible or they have an ethical mission to make sweets for vegans.

So where can you find these vegan candies? Do they taste the same as regular candies? How many flavors can you get?

Well, we’re going to have a look at some of the best vegan candies, as well as how they taste and what health benefits you might get from them.

What Does Candy Contain That Makes Them Unsuitable For Vegans?

There are a few ingredients that are traditionally associated with candy that have made them unsuitable for both vegetarians and vegans. The main one is gelatin, which is made from the bones of animals and has been used in sweets for decades.

But candies don’t just stop at gelatin sweets, you can also get candies that contain dairy. Whether it is milk or eggs, this is often used as a binding agent in things like popcorn, chocolate, and vanilla-flavored candies.

There are also other ingredients that contain animal products. Shellac is a glaze that is used in confectionery that is made from parts of insects. Carmine is also a form of coloring that is made from crushing insects.

You can see why it is so hard to get sweets that do not contain any animal products. However, there are now many sweets that are completely vegan.

This is because companies have caught on to the increasing demand that vegans have for delicious sweets.

Best Vegan Sweets

1. Twizzlers

This sweet is manufactured in the USA and is made from the licorice plant and contains absolutely no animal products. Some of the key ingredients include glycerin, corn syrup, palm oil and citric acid. This means no dairy and no gelatin.

This sweet is very tasty and chewy, having that very distinctive licorice flavor.

However, if you are conscious about the environment, then you should know that palm oil can be very damaging to the environment, which might not appeal to strict ethical vegans.

2. Hubba Bubba

This chewing gum is another classic candy that is thankfully completely vegan, coming in many delicious flavors including berry, strawberry, lime, cola and orange.

This is made with sugar, corn syrup and gum base, amongst other ingredients, all of which are naturally sourced and contain no animal products.

This chewing is very popular with children and if you are a vegan parent who wants to satisfy their child’s need without including any animal products, then you should opt for some Hubba Bubba – they can also blow bubbles with them too.

3. Cracker Jacks

This is another delicious corn-based snack that is largely made from plant-based sugar products. This features ingredients such as molasses, caramel, popcorn kernels and peanuts.

This means, you guessed it, that they are made without any animal products.

This product is also great for gluten-intolerant people, as it is free from any gluten products, not made from rye or wheat. Cracker Jacks have a great texture and flavor.

They also contain a lot of carbs, which will give you a great burst of energy throughout the day.

4. Jolly Ranchers

Jolly Rancher makes a whole range of candies, whether it is hard candies, gummies or sour sweets. This contains only sugar, meaning no dairy or animal products. It is very easy to suck your way through a whole packet of these candies.

The sheer range of flavors with Jolly Rancher candies is quite frankly amazing.

Here’s a brief list of some of the things that they have on offer: Lime, mango, fruit punch, orange, green apple, blue raspberry, pineapple, cherry, peach, watermelon, grape and golden pineapple.

5. Mamba Long-Lasting Vegan-Friendly Taffies

Next up, we have some delicious candies that you can be sure to deliver a party in your tongue. These are great for adults and children alike, as they are soft chewing candy.

This is made with sugars and starches and contains absolutely no dairy or animal products.

These taffies come in a range of flavors, from lime to strawberry to mango to raspberry. They come with a high amount of sugar, so we wouldn’t recommend consuming it on a regular basis.

Mamba also contains wheat, so you might be wary of consuming these if you are gluten-intolerant.

6. Swedish Fish

Thankfully, if you’re a vegan this will be the one kind of fish that you can consume. This delicious, sugar-coated candy is made with corn starch, sugar, citric acid, and corn syrup. You’ll be happy to hear that it contains no dairy whatsoever.

Often, you’ll find that hard candies do not contain any gelatin. Gelatin is naturally very soft, coming from the bones of animals. This is why you’ll need to check the packaging of soft candies, as more often than not they will contain animal products.

7. Skittles

Now we have a classic sweet that might be the first at the top of the list for vegans when they are trying to figure out what skittles are suitable for them. This will all depend on what brands you are going for.

The Skittles Classic Fruits, Skittles Sour, Skittles Tropical, and Wild Berry Skittles are all vegan.

However, there are limited-edition skittles that do not contain any animal products. The Once In A Blue Skittles range is not vegan, as it contains traces of dairy and egg.

Conclusion

It might come as a relief that some candies are vegan and there are more than what we’ve put on this list. You’ll need to make sure that you check the liner notes of your candies to make sure that there are no trace amounts of milk or egg.

• Author
• Recent Posts

Jenna Priestly

Hi, my name is Jenna Priestly and I have been a dietician for 13 years.

One of the most common things I talk to my clients about is calories, but so few of them actually know anything about them.

Calories is not a dirty word. If you remove emotion from it, it is simply a unit of energy.

We need calories to live and thrive, and knowing how many to consume is important to ensure that you’re living a healthy lifestyle.

Latest posts by Jenna Priestly (see all)

• How Many Calories In A Bratwurst? - May 9, 2023
• How Many Calories In A McDonald’s Ice Cream Cone? - May 9, 2023
• How Many Calories In Chick-Fil-A Fries? - May 9, 2023