Hard candies, gummies, marshmallows, chocolate bars, and possibly every sweet little treat you can think of… They’re all here! You’re reading that right. Every single sweet now has a better, vegan-friendly alternative. They’re actually quite easy to spot if you know where to look (like right here at Vegan Essentials).
There used to be a time when supermarkets and kiosks were filled with name brands that weren’t powered by plants. Rest assured that when you look now, you’ll find a lot of familiar yummies that we’ll show you! It really is worth your while to know what candies are vegan.
You see, vegan candies exist not only because we want a guilt-free sweet. They also exist because allergy-friendly alternatives are needed! Vegan candies can also be gluten-free, dairy-free, soy-free, nut-free, and even lactose-free. If your diet has certain restrictions, vegan candies can come to the rescue.
Do All Vegan Candies Have Sugar?
Sugar (doo doo doo doo doo doo) - not all candies have to have refined sugars. What’s so bad about your usual refined sugars, you might ask? Well, not a lot of people know that it may have bone char added to them! You see, bone char is usually what helps process refined sugars and they often come from cattle. The horrors! That’s why it’s better to be safe and look for other alternatives.
So how do we get the sweetness we all love? Vegan candies use the power of food science and natural sources! No, we don’t mean honey. Candies that are vegan use raw cane sugars, agave syrups, fruit sugars, and other sweeteners like stevia. They may already sound familiar to you.
As we go through our vegan candy list, we urge you to check each one out and take a little peek at the ingredients. You’ll see the unique and wonderful ways each vegan candy brand adds sweetness to their sweets!
Vegan Candy Brands
Hard Candies and Pops
Torie & Howard’s Organic Hard Candy
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Let’s start with something that brings nostalgic vibes and fruity flavors. Torie & Howard’s Organic Hard Candies are packed in a round tin for easy storage. It may actually remind you of the candies your parents or grandparents used to have! There are two flavors currently on our website, the Meyer Lemon & Raspberry and Pomegranate & Nectarine. We love them both!
Tazzy’s Sour Candies
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Although Tazzy’s Sour Candies make our lips pucker, they certainly are sweet! With each pack, you get 10 individually wrapped, strawberry-flavored candies. 4 pieces of candy are just 30 calories! The color and flavor are all natural. Plus, these are sugar-free, kosher, and gluten-free.
Yum Earth’s Organic Vitamin C Drops
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Think of Yum Earth’s Organic Vitamin C Drops as candies with that extra edge. Sure, they’re sweet - but they also give you your daily dose of Vitamin C! With Vitamin C, of course, you can expect to get zesty flavors like lemon, lime, pink grapefruit, and blood orange. And did we mention that these candies are free from wheat, gluten, soy, and nuts? Let’s not forget that!
SmartSweets’ Watermelon & Blue Raspberry Lollipops
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SmartSweets really knows how to make a sucker taste really good. These Watermelon & Blue Raspberry Lollipops are healthier than your usual picks. Plus, for only a couple of pops, you only get ONE measly gram of sugar (and that’s from stevia leaf extract, mind you).
Gummy Candies
SmartSweets’ Sweet Fish Gummy Candies
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Here’s another smart sweet from SmartSweets. Swedish Fish? Move over. These Sweet Fish Gummy Candies are taking the stage. They may look the same, but these are more extraordinary. For one whole bag, you’ll only get 3 grams of sugar. It’s a switch you’ll definitely want to make.
Panda’s Natural Licorice Chews
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We know licorice can be an acquired taste - and acquire that taste you shall! Panda’s Natural Licorice Chews come in their original, soft variant. If that’s not up to your speed, their raspberry or strawberry flavors could tickle your tastebuds.
Project 7’s Low Sugar Gummy Bears
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When it comes to gummies, no other shape is more iconic than the bear. That’s why we’re glad to see Project 7 give us their low-sugar version of it. Project 7’s Gummy Bears are only 60 calories per pack. For that same serving, you’re also only getting just 3 grams of sugar.
Chewing Gums & Candy Bars
7th Heaven’s Caramelized Coconut Bar
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Vegan Candy bar or Vegan chocolate bar? If you’ve got 7th Heaven’s Caramelized Coconut Bar, who really cares? All we know is that you’ve got one of the tastiest treats around. Where else can you find a candy that is vegan AND as guilt-free as this?
Glee Gum’s All-Natural Chewing Gum
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We can’t just end our vegan candy list without a little mention of chewing gum. Glee Gum’s All-Natural Chewing Gum comes in a handful of flavors. For seasoned chewers, they’ll probably love the bubblegum flavor. If you need something to check your breath, the cinnamon and peppermint would work nicely.
Also Read - The Ultimate Guide To Best Vegan Chocolate Bars
What Candies Are Vegan? Now You Know!
We know we’ve got a pretty long vegan candy brands list. But no one’s complaining! After all, everyone could use a little sweetness to brighten their days.