A Guide to Vegan Halloween Candy
Have a fun-filled, animal-friendly Halloween with our guide to vegan candy, featuring 7 of Species Unite’s favorite treats.
Halloween is an exciting time where we get to dress up, don our vampire capes, and snack on candy all day. But have you ever considered that Halloween might be truly terrifying for some? Various chocolates and candy may be wrapped in colorful paper and oozing with fun, but for the animals behind the ingredients they’re anything but:
Dairy: Cows are mammals, and just like us, they produce milk to nourish their young. A female cow in the dairy industry is repeatedly inseminated to ensure that she is continuously producing milk. Within hours of giving birth, her calf will typically be removed so that her milk can be taken and sold to humans instead.
Gelatin: Gelatin is the sort of thing that sounds as though it has come straight out of a horror movie. It is obtained by boiling skin, tendons, ligaments, and/or bones with water (usually from cows or pigs). It is commonly used as a thickener for fruit gelatins and puddings.
Carmine: This is a red pigment made from the crushed female cochineal insect.
Shellac: This is made from the resin secreted by certain insects.
Thankfully, nowadays there are more tasty, vegan Halloween-themed candy options than ever before. So, fill up your candy bowl with some of our favorites, and check out our ultimate vegan Halloween candy guide below.
7 Species Unite Candy Picks:
SMARTIES
Smarties classic candy rolls are entirely vegan and come in six different flavors to add a fizzy pop to your Halloween trick or treat bucket: orange/cream, pineapple, strawberry, cherry, grape, and orange. The sweets are also gluten and nut-free, making them a firm favorite for trick or treaters across the Unites States.
SJAAK’S Halloween Chocolate Assortments
Free from animal products, synthetic pesticides, or artificial fertilizer, this 100% vegan-friendly, family-run chocolate company was founded on the premise that chocolate should be kinder to both the planet and our own bodies. Our favorites from SJAAK’S special Halloween range, include their peanut butter-filled chocolate frogs, their raspberry, caramel chocolate skull pops, and their chipotle and cinnamon dark chocolate bars. But, checkout quickly as their Halloween goodies are selling fast!
Enjoy Life’s Halloween Chocolate Minis
Enjoy Life was born with the mission to create great-tasting snacks free from gluten and major allergens. Their Halloween Dark Chocolate Minis are made with all-natural ingredients while being rich in flavor - what’s not to love?
*Vegan tip: Be sure to double-check the ingredients on Enjoy Life’s chocolates as some do include honey.
Chick-O-Sticks
Chick-O-Sticks, made by the Atkinson Candy Company, are made of peanut butter and toasted coconut flakes. According to the brand, they’re a little salty, a little sweet, and a lot crunchy - the perfect snack for Halloween festivities!
“DEAD INSIDE” Chocolate Skull
The “DEAD INSIDE” chocolate skull by vegan chocolatiers, Lagusta’s Luscious, is dipped in two coats of vegan white chocolate and filled with five different flavored bonbons, including Spicy Apple Caramel, Miso Sesame Caramel, Maple Pecan Caramel, a Solid Chocolate Mini-skull, and a hand-painted heart shell filled with bright red tart cherry filling. Spooky and exciting at the same time!
Dum-Dums
This classic lollipop is a must-have for any candy bowl. Dum-Dums have been a favorite with Americans for decades, and thankfully they don’t contain any animal-derived ingredient, making them a great candy-go-to this Halloween.
Swedish Fish
While many of us recoil at the thought of eating real fish, these squishy, fish-shaped candy’s are completely harmless to marine life. Their gummy-like texture is surprisingly gelatin-free, so you can chomp down on them knowing you’re not hurting any animals.
Vegan Halloween Candy List:
Brands that sell popular, “accidentally vegan candy”:
Airheads
Annie’s Organic Fruit Snacks
Atkinson’s
Atomic Fireballs
Bottle Caps
Brach’s
Candy Kittens
Charm’s Blow Pops
Dots
Dum-Dums
Enjoy Life
Fruit Roll-Ups
Fun Dip
Gobstoppers
The Ginger People
Jellybelly
Jujyfruits
Laffy Taffy
Pez
Razzles
Red Vines
Skittles
Smarties
Sour Patch Kids
Swedish Fish
Twizzlers
Dairy-free chocolate:
These brands offer vegan chocolate options, be sure to check the ingredients of each product as sometimes it’s only the dark chocolate varieties that are dairy-free.
Alter Eco
Amy’s Kitchen
Chocolove
Cocomels
Free2B Foods
HunnyBon chocolates
Justin's Nut Butter Cups
Little Secrets chocolates
Nelly's Organics
NoWhey! Foods
Sjaakc’s
UnReal Nut Butter Cups, Gems, and Bars
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