The Best Vegan Candies for a Cruelty-Free Celebration
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You might have already seen my lists of favorite plant-based swaps, but if you’ve got a sweet tooth, this one’s for you! I’ve rounded up some of the best vegan candies you can find: from classic chewy favorites to vegan lollies that just happen to be cruelty-free. Whether you’re fully vegan, trying to cut down on animal products, or simply curious about better options, these treats prove you don’t have to give up sweets to live more sustainably. While I always recommend sticking to whole, natural foods most of the time, there’s nothing wrong with enjoying a little candy every now and then, especially when it’s kinder to animals and the planet.
Many candies aren’t vegan because they contain animal-derived ingredients that aren’t always obvious at first glance. Gelatin, for example, is a common one. It’s made from animal bones and connective tissue and is often found in gummy candies, marshmallows, and chewy textures. Other sneaky ingredients include beeswax (used to give candies a shiny coating), carmine (a red dye made from crushed insects), and milk powder or butterfat in chocolate-based sweets. Even some “fruit” candies can contain shellac, another insect-derived glaze. Knowing what to look for makes it much easier to spot vegan-friendly options and avoid hidden animal products, and luckily, more and more brands are finding creative ways to make cruelty-free candies that taste just as good (if not better) than the originals.
This list of vegan candies will be useful depending on your own consumption habits. For instance, some of these candies may still contain ingredients like palm oil, artificial dyes, or refined sugar–which some vegans prefer to avoid. I don’t think this list is perfect (nothing ever is!), but Sustainable Rookie is all about progress, not perfection. My goal with this post is to encourage people to make small swaps–like choosing a vegan candy instead of a non-vegan one. Personally, I rarely eat candy–maybe once a year–but when I do, I try to pick the cleanest options I can find, usually something from YumEarth or Smart Sweets (it’s still candy, after all!). More often, I’ll go for a good-quality chocolate bar instead.
Whether you are doing your research on vegan and plant-based candies for Halloween, a birthday party, a celebration, or just because you’re a sweet tooth person, I got your back! Here’s my Guide to Vegan Candies for a Cruelty-Free Indulgence!
VEGAN CANDIES YOU WILL WANT TO EAT ALL YEAR LONG
2) SmartSweets Sweet Fish, Low Sugar Gummy Candy (Gluten-Free)
4) YumEarth Organic Lollipops (Gluten-Free)
14) Sour Blast Buddies by SMART SWEETS (Gluten-Free)
BONUS TRACK: ACCIDENTALLY PLANT-BASED CANDIES
The previous list of the best vegan candies are stand out because they have better ingredients than the accidentally plant-based candies listed below. I’ve decided to separate them because, even though these are also plant-based and might be chosen by you, some have artificial dyes or palm oil that I’d rather not consume personally. However, just in case it’s useful, here is the list of traditional plant-based candies:
SWEDISH FISH (make sure you don’t grab one of the old batches, because it used to have beeswax)
Smarties (in the US)
Have you ever tried the vegan candies from this list? If not, which ones are you excited to try?
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Hi, I’m Melina,
I’m the creator of Sustainable Rookie, and my goal is to share what I learn throughout my sustainability journey, so that I can help other people live a more conscious life.
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