A Brief Overview of Our Guide:
What’s the Difference
Ingredients to Avoid
Vegan Candy
Vegetarian Candy
My Candy Recommendations
Struggling to find vegetarian or vegan candy? I’ve been there. It can get so frustrating to find out that your favorite candy is no longer a safe choice. I have done my fair share of research so I figured why not compile that research into one place. Check out my guide to making sure you avoid those pesky ingredients and still finding a vegan or vegetarian candy you’ll love.
What’s the Difference?
Some people wonder what the difference between vegan and vegetarian is. Vegan candy and foods are not made using any animal products. Whether that means the animal is killed or not, vegan friendly options will not contain any animal by-product. Vegetarian products on the other hand will still contain animal by-products such as milk or egg. Vegetarian candy and foods will not contain any ingredients that are derived directly from the animal such as meats and other body parts.
Ingredients to Avoid
The first step to finding the perfect vegan or vegetarian candy is knowing what ingredients to avoid.
Ingredients to avoid if you are Vegetarian
- Gelatin- probably the most well-known ingredient to avoid, gelatin is made of boiled animal tendons and ligaments
- Carmine– this ingredient is used to give products a red color. It is produced by drying and crushing the shells of a bug called Cochineal and then mixing it with an acidic solution
Additional Ingredients to watch out for if you are Vegan
- Milk, Butter, and Other Dairy Products (includes Lactose)- this is probably self-explanatory, but dairy is an animal by-product and should therefore be avoided by vegans
- Eggs- another animal by-product that should be avoided by vegans
- Confectioner’s Glaze (also called Shellac)- made from the secretion of bugs, typically beetles
- Whey- a result of milk, whey is the leftover curds and should be avoided
- Lecithin– sometimes made of soy, it can also be made from egg whites, so just be weary and try to check for the source
*Disclaimer: although some people choose to avoid it, honey is a vegan ingredient and therefore does not need to be avoided
*After learning about the ingredients to avoid, you can also make personal choices about which ingredients you would like to avoid.
Vegan Candy
Once you feel comfortable with the list of ingredients you need to avoid, it is time to start finding your favorite candy. Some options will openly say they are vegan, while other times you have to look at the ingredients. If you are curious as to the ingredients in each of the options I give, I have provided a quick link to the product website so you can take a look for yourself.
Chocolate Based Vegan Candy
Milk chocolate typically isn’t vegan because as the name suggests, it contains milk. Dark chocolate is the way to go, and these brands have taken vegan chocolate candy into their own hands.
image from Canva
- Go Max Go Foods– a brand that makes many candies that are free from “dairy, eggs, hydrogenated oils, trans fats, artificial ingredients, or cholesterol.”
- UNREAL– another brand that makes vegan versions of popular candy bars.
Fruit Based and Other Vegan Candy
- Skittles– with several varieties, the original formulation of skittles are vegan. The newer gummies that Skittles has come out with contain gelatin, so be sure to avoid those.
- Sour Patch Kids– “sour then sweet” these guys and all their varieties are free from animal products and can be safely enjoyed.
- Mott’s Fruit Flavored Snacks– these gummies are naturally flavored and don’t contain gelatin.
- Airheads– the classic strips and Airheads Xtremes are vegan, but the Airheads Bites, Soft Filled Bites, Gummies, and Xtremes Bites all contain ingredients that are not safe for vegans or vegetarians.
- Fruit Gushers– these juice flavored gummies say right on their box that they are gelatin free, and I double checked and there aren’t any other ingredients to worry about.
- DOTS Gumdrops– perfectly chewy and fruity, DOTS are a great vegan choice.
- NERDS– as you will see below, the classic NERDS are not vegan, however it does look like the Big Chewy NERDS are.
- Project7– a brand that makes gummies and gum using plant-based ingredients.
- Smart Sweets– another brand that makes gummies using plant-based ingredients. Their gummy bears and gummy worms are not plant-based, but their seven other products are.
You can also look out for products that have a certification from Vegan.org. This certification symbol “is a registered trademark for products that do not contain animal products or by-products and that have not been tested on animals.”
Vegetarian Candy
Now that we have covered some vegan candy, which by default is vegetarian, let’s take a look at some candy that is not necessarily vegan but is vegetarian. I have again provided quick links to product pages so you can check out the ingredient lists for yourself.
Chocolate Based Vegetarian Candy
- Milky Way– containing chocolate, nougat, and caramel, Milky Ways are creamy and delicious.
- Snickers– containing chocolate, nougat, caramel, and peanuts, Snickers are just like Milky Ways with an added crunch.
- Twix– containing chocolate, a cookie, and caramel, Twix have the perfect crunch to them.
- KitKat– containing chocolate and a wafer, KitKats are a classic.
- Reese’s– containing chocolate and peanut butter, Reese’s are an easy favorite for many.
- HEATH– containing chocolate and English toffee, HEATH is another classic.
Fruit Based and Other Vegetarian Candy
- Twizzlers– the classic chewy ropes are mostly sugar and safe to eat. They do contain lecithin though, which as we saw in the ingredients list is a tricky one and why I didn’t put them in the vegan list.
- JOLLY rancher– this fruity hard candy is another one that contains lecithin and is one I would be careful of if you are vegan.
- Blow Pop– while not explicitly containing any ingredients that are not vegan safe, their ingredient list has a warning that milk may be present.
- NERDS– the strawberry NERDS are not safe as they contain carmine; the other flavors however, are vegetarian but the ingredient list warns of the potential to contain egg. The new twist and mix also falls under this category.
My Candy Recommendations
I of course have some favorites, so I figured I’d share them with you and a bit about why I like them.
- Mott’s Fruit Flavored Snacks– these are my favorite gummies. I think the texture is great, and I enjoy the fruit flavors as well. I definitely don’t feel as guilty after eating these as I did other gummies.
- Fruit Gushers– I got so excited when I found out these were safe for me to eat as a vegetarian. One of my all time favorites.
- Snickers– I like the sweetness, but also there’s a balance from the peanuts and it has the creaminess that I want while still having a solid crunch.
- Project7 Gummy Bears and Gummy Worms– I finally found a gummy bear that’s vegetarian! It took years of searching, but I found one that I really like. The texture is comparable to what I remember traditional gummy bears tasting like. They don’t have a plain gummy worm, but they do have a sour gummy worm that I really like.
- Smart Sweets Peach Rings– I was never really into peach rings, so I can’t compare the flavor or texture, but I really enjoy these ones. They are a little sticky/chewy, so just be aware.
Frequently Asked Questions About Vegan and Vegetarian Candy
Are Starbursts Vegan?
No. Starbursts are not vegan or vegetarian. They contain gelatin which is not safe for vegans or vegetarians.
Are Gummy Bears Vegan?
Not always. Most gummy bears are not vegan or vegetarian as they contain gelatin. There are some brands that make plant-based versions though. Project7 and Motts Fruit Flavored Snacks are both safe for both vegans and vegetarians
Are Warheads Vegan?
Warhead products are not certified as vegan or vegetarian. Some of their products definitely do contain gelatin. It looks like their regular candies are safe, but it’s hard to find the information from their website.
