On Halloween, our minds are on one thing: candy. It’s the one day a year when you really get to indulge your sweet tooth, snacking on any and every treat within reach. But just because you’re letting loose doesn’t mean you need to forget your dietary restrictions, especially if you’re eating dairy-free or vegan.
If you don’t want to be that house that hands out fruit instead of candy, we’re right there with you. Plenty of candy is secretly vegan, meaning both you and your trick-or-treaters will be satisfied.
Which candy ingredients aren’t vegan?
Just because a candy leaves out milk or eggs doesn’t mean it’s vegan—some animal-derived ingredients hide behind names that newer plant-based eaters might miss. When you’re buying candy, go straight to the label. If you notice any of the ingredients, it’s not vegan:
- Gelatin, which is made from animal bones, skin, cartilage, and tendons
- Carmine, a red dye derived from beetles
- Confectioner’s glaze, a shiny finish derived from insect secretions
- Casein, a dairy byproduct
- Honey, which is produced by bees
It’s important to note that candy without these ingredients still might not be suitable if you’re looking for allergy-friendly treats as well. Make sure you check the label to see if the product was produced in a facility that also processes your allergens. Stricter vegans may also want to look out for refined cane sugar, which is often processed using—but does not contain—bone fragments. The candy on our list below doesn’t contain the ingredients listed above, but might contain cane sugar.
Is chocolate vegan?
It depends. The vast majority of milk chocolate, go figure, contains milk, so it’s off the table. (The same goes for white chocolate, which requires milk.) Most chocolate-based Halloween candy isn’t vegan, meaning you shouldn’t stock up on Snickers, Reese’s, or Twix. The good news is that plenty of dark chocolate is vegan because it’s not produced with milk. You’ll still need to check the label to verify that your chocolate of choice omits milk and milk byproducts, but it’s generally more vegan-friendly.
Does vegan automatically mean healthy?
Long story short: No. Most of these sweet treats are pretty much pure sugar. But you won’t be consuming animal products—and hey, you work hard at eating healthy the rest of the year—one indulgent day won’t hurt in the long run.
So, grab your costume! Here are the best vegan candy brands to enjoy this Halloween, from sweet to savory to sour. You’ve probably been enjoying plenty of these treats for years without realizing they’re vegan, anyway.