Candy You Never Knew Was Vegan
Being vegan looks so hard. I commend anyone who is able to follow that lifestyle. Though I myself am not vegan, I've been watching my sister become vegan for the past couple of months and have noticed she eats the same things every week. I questioned if there were more candies made available for her to have than she thought. So, after conducting the ultimate hunt, I have made a list of 25 candies that she, and myself, didn't even know were vegan (along with some brands that specialize in making treats for all the vegans out there)!
BUT WAIT! How do you even determine if a candy is vegan or not anyways?
These Are The Non-Vegan Ingredients To Watch Out For:
When looking at candy and which is safe to buy, make sure you check the ingredients first to ensure none of the following are inside!:
- Gelatin (gelatine) - Gelatin is a type of protein that is made by boiling the skin, the tendons, the ligaments, and the bones of pigs and cows. Many regular gummies or other chewy candies will have either gelatin, pork gelatine or beef gelatine in their ingredients.
- Shellac - Shellac is a resin produced by the female lac bug. These can be found on the trees in forests in India and Thailand. Shellac gives some hard and chewy candies their shiny outer coating.
- Carmine - Carmine is a type of red colouring that is made from specific insects like the cochineal scale insect, as well as some Porphyrophora species. The bright-red pigment is achieved by using the aluminium salt of carminic acid. This is what gives some candies their deep red colour.
- Bone Char - Bone Char is a black, granular product created by charring animal bones. Its ending form varies due to the many ways it is made. It's primary use is for filtration and decolorization.
- Dairy: Dairy, as everyone knows, is found mostly in chocolate, which can also be more specifically found as milk fat, whey, or casein.
HARD CANDIES:
Hard candies are so addictive, but are most often the candies you'll find to be sharing the space with carmine and shellac. These hard candies are vegan-friendly and are commonly available in most convenient stores, as well as on various international stores online!
Bottle Caps
Gobstoppers
Jolly Ranchers
Nerds
Blow pop
Sweetarts
FireBall
Crybabys (Cry Baby Tears Extra Sour)
Lemon heads
GUMMIES/CHEWY CANDY:
Some may argue that chewy candy or gummies that are vegan are probably the hardest type of candy to find. Though there are many companies and brands that specialize in making vegan-friendly gummies, finding brands that are commonly found can be tricky. Gelatin is in pretty much every gummy, as it gives the candy its chewy, bouncy texture. These vegan candies can give you the same chewy candy and are quite common to find!
Airheads
Starbursts
Mamba
Laffy Taffy
Millions
Skittles
Swedish Fish
Sour Patch Kids
Dots
Swedish Berries
Fuzzy Peaches
OTHER CANDIES:
Here are the odd ones out. The candies that don't really fit into any box. With the majority of these candies, sugar is pretty much the first, and only, ingredient...so if you're a sugar-loving vegan, these ones are for you!
Twizzlers
Pixy Stix
Cotton candy
Fun Dip
Cracker Jack Caramel Popcorn (some variations)
Oreos
BRANDS TO LOOK OUT FOR:
These brands are a mix up of specialty vegan candy producers to brands selling the occasional vegan candy! Some of these products may only be available online in the country you are in!
BRACH'S - with some candies like gummy Orange Slices, Root Beer Barrels, and others, Brach's has some great options for both chewy, and hard candies!
Dandies - a vegan marshmallow brand that offer different marshmallow sizes and flavours! These products contain no gelatin, no gluten and are plant based!
Maynards - being the huge favourite in Canada they already are, their Fuzzy Peaches, Swedish Fish, Sour Patch Kids, and Swedish Berries are all gelatin free!
Wholesome Candies (Surf Sweets) - with many options like Fruit Chews, gummy bears, and lollipops, this brand has an entire section on their website for vegan candies. These candies are not only vegan, but are also mostly all organic!
Annie's - mostly known for their cute bunny-shaped vegan gummies, Annie's has many different products that are fully vegan, as well as organic, non-GMO, and gluten free!
Yum Earth - with a super helpful "Customize Your Candy Quest" option at the bottom of their website, this brand produces everything under the sun from organic vitamin C lollipops, to vegan licorice, to sour vegan jelly beans! Spicy, sour, sweet, or bitter, they've got it covered!
Squish Candies - this brand offers pretty special types of vegan gummies. They produce some rather unique flavour options like champagne, gin and juice, sangria, and wine! They also offer vitamin gummies for all the vegans who prefer to chew their extra nutrients!
After conducting my 'research project', I was pleasantly surprised to find how many options my sister really has! Now I know the next time someone tells me the 'vegan option is always worse'...I have some pretty good back ups hiding up my sleeve! 💛🌱