What candy is vegan?
A question that many of you are asking these days. In part because Americans (the only country of people I can try to speak for) are a bit more concerned with eating healthy and loving animals. Plus, Vegans may not eat meat or animal products but that doesn’t mean they don’t like to eat sweets. And unfortunately, a lot of sweets are made with gelatin, which is concocted from connective tissues, like bones – and these days, a lot of pig skin. Kinda yuck.
So let’s quickly understand what it is TO be Vegan, what makes food Vegan, and then we’ll get to what you really want to know: is there good Vegan candy and if so, where the heck can you get it.
Wait: What exactly IS Vegan?
The Vegan Society says, “Veganism is a way of living which seeks to exclude, as far as is possible and practicable, all forms of exploitation of, and cruelty to, animals for food, clothing or any other purpose.” And when it comes to food, Vegans enjoy “a plant-based diet avoiding all animal foods such as meat (including fish, shellfish and insects), dairy, eggs and honey.”
Whoa. That’s some seriousness. No honey? Bummer.
Still there are candies Vegans may ingest. In fact, we’ve culled our favorites here so you don’t need to search further:
EVOLVED: Coconut Butter Cups
For some reason the first time I tried EVOLVED’s cups (Caramel and Sea Salt) I wasn’t smitten. But that was because I was young and dum. I grew up. These Reeses’s alternatives have real coconut flavor – no tanning lotion overtone – and go to the top of my list. Rich, smooth, not heavy, and kinda luscious. Buy EVOLVED Coconut Butter Cups here.
Trolli: Apfelgarten
You want gummies without the pig? The Trolli Appelgarten variety is for you. And don’t let the Trolli name confuse you – they tend to be mundane in the U.S., yes, but they are great in Germany, and these are from Germany. With 3 different apple candy flavors (who doesn’t love apple candy), you get a “non ‘shproingy’ gummy… you can bite right through.” Buy Trolli Appelgarten from German Deli.com.
Libity Bits: Johnny Cake
Like toffee without the chocolate on the outside, these Libity Bits of hard candy would be awesome on ice cream and were simply great out of the bag. Solid, salty and sweet. I’d buy Libity Bits if I were you, from here.
Bears & Friends: Ginger Thaler
These chews from German-famous Bears & Friends gummy makers, are “flavored cherry, orange and lemon, but all are mostly flavored with ginger.” They are intense, with all natural ingredients, and a slightly different take on the Ginger chew. Buy Ginger Taler here. Note, get our your Euros: you’ll be buying from Europe.
Sweetsmith Candy Co: Brittle
Not only does Sweetsmith have tasty and unique brittle flavors, but as Jonny wrote, “if this doesn’t look gloriously homemade to you, I don’t know what does.” Besides the ‘from-your-mom’s-kitchen’ goodness, they have awesome flavors like jalapeno, and they are also super careful about allergens. Check them out: a list of all Sweetsmith’s vegan options.
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We have more to look at too: Check out our Vegetarian candy reviews. Many of these may in fact BE vegan. Also, leave a comment and let other readers know of tasty Vegan candies we didn’t put on this list because we were dumb or too lazy.
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