Is Candy Vegan?
Candy is the trickiest aisle for vegans. Gelatin hides in gummies and marshmallows, carmine colors the red ones, shellac glazes the shiny shells, and milk sneaks into almost every chocolate bar. Some hard candies are accidentally vegan. Here is which is which.
66 candies checked
6
Vegan
28
Depend
32
Not vegan
| Product | Verdict | Certified | Watch for | The catch | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Is Airheads vegan? | Vegan | Not certified | Bites/Gummies not vegan | The taffy bars themselves are clean, but other Airheads product lines are not vegan. Airheads Bites contain beeswax and shellac (lac-bug resin). Airheads Gummies contain pork, beef, and fish-derived gelatin. If someone just says "Airheads," you need to confirm they mean the flat taffy bars, not Bites or Gummies. |
 | Is Almond Joy vegan? | Not Vegan | Not certified | Milk in coating AND filling | The milk chocolate coating and the coconut filling both contain dairy. This is not a cross-contamination situation; milk, nonfat milk, milk fat, lactose, and whey are all listed as intentional ingredients. |
 | Is Altoids Mints vegan? | It Depends | Not certified | Gelatin in all classic tins | The classic "curiously strong" tins list gelatin as a direct ingredient, not a trace risk, but a deliberate binder, making every standard-size flavor off-limits for vegans. |
 | Is Butterfinger vegan? | Not Vegan | Not certified | Contains milk and nonfat mi | The 2019 Ferrero reformulation increased milk content as a selling point, making the bar less vegan-friendly than its already non-vegan predecessor. |
 | Is Candy Corn vegan? | Not Vegan | Not certified | Pork gelatin + shellac + ho | Brach's uses all three of the classic candy corn non-vegan ingredients at once: pork gelatin, shellac (confectioner's glaze from lac bugs), and honey. Removing one would not make it vegan. |
 | Is Charleston Chew vegan? | Not Vegan | Not certified | Dairy + egg in every flavor | Both dairy and eggs are structural ingredients in the nougat itself, not incidental additives. Nonfat dry milk, lactose, milk protein concentrate, and egg albumen all appear in every flavor sold by Tootsie Roll Industries as of 2025. |
 | Is Dandies Marshmallows vegan? | Vegan | Not certified | Soy allergen present in all | Carrageenan is a seaweed-derived gelling agent that some people prefer to avoid for digestive reasons, but it is not an animal product and does not affect vegan status. |
 | Is Dots (Original Gumdrops) vegan? | It Depends | Not certified | Shared-facility egg+milk wa | No animal ingredients are listed, but the "egg and milk may be present" cross-contact warning on current Tootsie packaging is a real concern for anyone avoiding even trace animal contact. |
 | Is Dove Chocolate (Milk Chocolate) vegan? | Not Vegan | Not certified | Contains milk, milkfat, lac | The entire Dove chocolate lineup, including the dark chocolate Promises, contains milkfat derived from dairy. There is no vegan-friendly Dove chocolate product currently available in the US market. |
 | Is Dum-Dums Lollipops vegan? | Vegan | Not certified | Bone-char sugar (possible) | Spangler uses both beet and cane sugar without specifying which batches use which source. Cane sugar can (but does not always) pass through bone char filtration at the refinery. Spangler has not publicly confirmed their cane sugar suppliers are bone char free, so a small sourcing uncertainty exists for strict vegans. |
 | Is Eclipse Gum vegan? | Vegan | Not certified | Glycerol source unverifiabl | Glycerol is listed in every flavor and can be animal- or plant-derived. Mars Wrigley has not publicly confirmed the source, so strict vegans who want that confirmation in writing may still flag it. |
 | Is Extra Gum vegan? | It Depends | Not certified | Glycerol + gum base source | Glycerol and gum base are both potentially animal-derived and Mars Wrigley has not disclosed their sources. |
 | Is Ferrero Rocher vegan? | Not Vegan | Not certified | Milk in chocolate AND wafer | The milk is not a trace amount or a "may contain" warning. Skim milk powder, butteroil, and whey are all listed as deliberate ingredients in the chocolate and the wafer respectively. |
 | Is Fun Dip vegan? | It Depends | Not certified | Sour variant has gelatin | The Sour and Lik-A-Stix variant contains gelatin. The classic powder packets do not, but they carry a shared-equipment cross-contamination advisory covering milk and egg. |
 | Is Ghirardelli Chocolate vegan? | It Depends | Not certified | Milk fat in 86% + 92% dark | Even Ghirardelli's highest-cacao dark bars (86%, 92%) contain milk fat as a direct ingredient, the assumption that darker automatically means dairy-free does not hold here. |
 | Is Gobstoppers vegan? | It Depends | Not certified | Chewy variety: egg albumen | The Chewy Gobstoppers contain egg albumen, making that variety off-limits for vegans even though the original hard variety appears free of animal ingredients. |
 | Is Good and Plenty vegan? | Not Vegan | Not certified | Carmine + shellac in candy | Those iconic pink and white shells get their gloss from shellac (confectioner's glaze) and their pink color from carmine, both come from insects. |
 | Are Haribo Goldbears vegan? | Not Vegan | Not certified | Gelatin | Gelatin (pork-derived in the US, UK, and Germany) is the primary non-vegan ingredient, used to give the bears their chewy texture; beeswax is an additional non-vegan glazing agent. |
 | Is Hershey's Kisses (Milk Chocolate) vegan? | Not Vegan | Not certified | Contains milk, milk fat, la | The classic Kiss is built on milk solids. Even the "dark chocolate" Special Dark Kiss variety lists milk fat in its ingredients, so switching to a darker Hershey's Kiss does not get you off the hook. |
 | Is Hershey's Milk Chocolate vegan? | Not Vegan | Not certified | Milk | The product is literally called "milk chocolate" because dairy is central to its recipe. Milk, skim milk, and milk fat are all listed ingredients, making this one of the clearest non-vegan calls in the chocolate aisle. |
 | Is Hi-Chew vegan? | Not Vegan | Not certified | Gelatin (pork) | Every Hi-Chew product contains gelatin (pork-derived), listed on the official ingredients page, making the entire line unsuitable for vegans and vegetarians alike. |
 | Is Hot Tamales vegan? | Not Vegan | Not certified | Confectioners glaze | Confectioners glaze (shellac) is used as the shiny coating on every Hot Tamales variety. It comes from lac bug secretions and appears in less than 0.5% of the formula, but it is always listed on the label. |
 | Is Hubba Bubba Bubble Gum vegan? | It Depends | Not certified | Undisclosed gum base / glyc | The gum base is a black box. Manufacturers are not required to list what is inside it, and gum base can legally include lanolin (from wool) or other animal-derived softeners. Mars Wrigley does not confirm that its Hubba Bubba gum base is animal-free. |
 | Is Ice Breakers vegan? | It Depends | Not certified | Gum = pork gelatin | The Ice Cubes gum contains pork-derived gelatin, confirmed by Hershey. The mints dodge gelatin but carry magnesium stearate that Hershey itself has described as usually coming from animal fat. |
 | Is Jet-Puffed Marshmallows vegan? | Not Vegan | Not certified | Contains pork gelatin | Every standard Jet-Puffed variety lists gelatin, and Kraft Heinz customer service has confirmed it is pork-derived, making the product unsuitable for vegans and most vegetarians. |
 | Are Jolly Ranchers vegan? | It Depends | Not certified | Gelatin (gummies) | Gelatin in gummies and chews is the clear disqualifier; hard candies sit in a gray zone due to potentially bone-char-filtered sugar and animal-tested artificial dyes, and Hershey does not certify any Jolly Rancher product as vegan. |
 | Is Junior Caramels vegan? | Not Vegan | Not certified | Milk + shellac in coating | The caramel center and the milk chocolate coating both contain dairy, and the outer shell uses confectioner's glaze, which is shellac from lac insects. Dairy shows up in at least three separate ingredient forms. |
 | Is Junior Mints vegan? | Not Vegan | Not certified | Confectioners glaze | Confectioners glaze (shellac) is listed on the label and is derived from lac bug secretions, an insect byproduct that most vegans do not consider acceptable. |
 | Is Kit Kat vegan? | Not Vegan | Not certified | Milk | The chocolate coating and cream filling both contain dairy. Even Kit Kat Dark (US) adds milk fat and lactose, so there is no standard US variety that avoids animal ingredients. |
 | Is Laffy Taffy vegan? | It Depends | Not certified | Stretchy & Tangy = egg albu | The Stretchy and Tangy line uses egg albumen as a texture agent, the same product name, very different formula. |
 | Is Life Savers vegan? | It Depends | Not certified | Gummies: gelatin | Every Life Savers gummy variety contains gelatin, and the mint hard candies contain stearic acid of undisclosed origin, only the fruity hard candy rolls and bags are reasonably clear of flagged animal ingredients. |
 | Is Lindt vegan? | It Depends | Not certified | Dairy (most products) | The vast majority of Lindt products contain dairy. Even the Excellence dark bars that are dairy-free in their ingredient list are made on shared equipment with milk chocolate, so every Lindt package carries a "may contain milk" cross-contamination warning. Strict vegans who avoid cross-contamination warnings will want to look elsewhere. |
 | Is M&Ms (Milk Chocolate) vegan? | Not Vegan | Not certified | Milk | The chocolate core is milk chocolate, which lists skim milk, lactose, and milkfat directly in the ingredients. This is not a trace-contamination concern or a gray area; dairy is a primary ingredient in every standard variety. |
 | Is Mentos vegan? | It Depends | Not certified | Beeswax in all chewy rolls | Beeswax is listed as an ingredient on virtually every Mentos chewy roll sold in the US and UK, making the flagship product non-vegan regardless of flavor. |
 | Is Mike and Ike vegan? | Not Vegan | Not certified | Shellac glaze, all flavors | Confectioners glaze (shellac) coats every piece. It is secreted by lac bugs and its production kills insects at scale, present in all flavors, no workaround. |
 | Is Milk Duds vegan? | Not Vegan | Not certified | Dairy + insect shellac coat | The product is dairy through and through, not just in the name. Skim milk and whey go into the caramel, lactose appears in the chocolatey coating, and the outer shine comes from shellac (confectioner's glaze), an insect-derived resin. You would need to avoid all four of these to be vegan, and none of them are optional in the current formulation. |
 | Is Milky Way vegan? | Not Vegan | Not certified | Milk + Egg | The bar contains skim milk, milkfat, lactose, and egg whites in its standard formulation, making it off-limits for vegans regardless of region or size variant. |
 | Is Mounds vegan? | Not Vegan | Not certified | Dairy in "dark" chocolate c | The "dark chocolate" coating contains milk fat, and hydrolyzed milk protein appears separately in the formulation, two distinct dairy hits, not just trace contamination. |
 | Is Nerds vegan? | It Depends | Not certified | Carmine | Carmine (insect-derived red dye) appears in multiple classic Nerds flavors, and gelatin (animal collagen) is in Nerds Rope, Nerds Gummy Clusters, and has historically appeared in some chewy varieties. No single blanket rule covers the whole product line. |
 | Is Nestle Crunch vegan? | Not Vegan | Not certified | Contains milk | The chocolate coating is milk chocolate by definition. Nonfat milk, milkfat, and lactose are all listed separately in the ingredients, so dairy is not a trace concern here, it is the core of the product. |
 | Is Now and Later vegan? | It Depends | Not certified | Chewy = egg white + gelatin | The Chewy varieties, the ones most commonly sold today, contain egg white, and the candy-coated Chewy Bites add gelatin as well. Many people assume all Now and Laters are the same product. |
 | Is Orbit Gum vegan? | It Depends | Not certified | Gum base + glycerol origin | The gum base and glycerol are the real issue. Both can come from animal fats, and Mars Wrigley has not stated otherwise publicly. |
 | Is Raisinets vegan? | Not Vegan | Not certified | Milk + shellac in both vari | The dark chocolate version sounds like it could be dairy-free, but it still lists milkfat, nonfat milk, and lactose in the chocolate coating, plus confectioner's glaze (shellac) on the outer shell. |
 | Is Red Vines vegan? | Vegan | Not certified | Cane sugar | The "Made Simple" line uses cane sugar whose bone-char refining status is unconfirmed by the company, a concern only for strict vegans who avoid conventionally refined sugar. |
 | Is Reese's Peanut Butter Cups vegan? | Not Vegan | Not certified | Milk | The milk chocolate coating contains three distinct dairy ingredients: skim milk, milk fat, and lactose. The peanut butter filling itself is dairy-free, but the chocolate shell makes the standard product a clear no for vegans. |
 | Is Ring Pop vegan? | It Depends | Not certified | Gummy variants have gelatin | The "Ring Pop" name now covers multiple product types. The gummy line contains gelatin (animal collagen), and the Milk Chocolate Ring Pop launched in early 2025 contains whole milk powder. Buying one without reading the label carefully can result in accidentally purchasing a non-vegan product. |
 | Is Sixlets vegan? | Not Vegan | Not certified | Dairy (whey) + beeswax | The core chocolatey center is made with reduced protein whey, a processed dairy ingredient, not actual chocolate. There is no dairy-free or vegan version of standard Sixlets on the market. |
 | Are Skittles vegan? | It Depends | Not certified | Bone-char sugar | Variety matters: classic hard-shell Skittles are vegan, but Skittles Squishy Cloudz contain gelatin (animal collagen); additionally, the cane sugar used may be refined through bone char, which strict vegans consider non-vegan. |
 | Is Smarties (US) vegan? | Vegan | Not certified | Clean | Calcium stearate appears on the label and can come from either animal fat or plant sources. Smarties Candy Company has confirmed in writing on their FAQ page that theirs is plant derived, which clears the only real sticking point. |
 | Is Snickers vegan? | Not Vegan | Not certified | Milk + Egg | The nougat contains egg whites, and the chocolate coating is milk chocolate loaded with skim milk, lactose, and milkfat. Two animal ingredient categories, not one. |
 | Are Sour Patch Kids vegan? | It Depends | Not certified | Gelatin (UK) | The verdict depends entirely on region: UK Sour Patch Kids contain gelatin (an animal-derived ingredient), while US versions do not, but US versions use conventionally refined sugar that may be processed through animal bone char, and their artificial dyes (Red 40, Yellow 5, Yellow 6, Blue 1) have been tested on animals. |
 | Is Spree vegan? | It Depends | Not certified | Chewy has egg; Original does not | It depends which Spree. Original (hard) Spree lists no animal ingredient (the egg on the label is a 'may contain' trace), so it is effectively vegan. Chewy Spree contains dried egg whites and is not vegan. Check the package. |
 | Is Starburst vegan? | It Depends | Not certified | Gelatin (US) | US Original Fruit Chews are set with gelatin (from animal bones/skin); US Minis drop the gelatin but use confectioner's glaze (shellac) instead, so both are non-vegan. The UK reformulated its fruit chews to pectin, so UK Starburst is vegan. Check the region. |
 | Are Swedish Fish vegan? | It Depends | Not certified | Beeswax | Beeswax: peg-bag varieties (typically sold at gas stations and vending machines) list beeswax as an ingredient, and some Turkish-manufactured batches also use beeswax, while Canadian-manufactured versions (common in U.S. retail) use only plant-based carnauba wax. |
 | Is SweeTarts vegan? | It Depends | Not certified | Original rolls only, all | The "SweeTarts" name covers at least six distinct product formats, and five of them contain egg, gelatin, or shellac. Only the original pressed-dextrose rolls are clean. |
 | Is Tic Tac Mints vegan? | It Depends | Not certified | Seasonal SKUs: carmine, she | Seasonal and limited-edition flavors routinely sneak in carmine, shellac, or dairy, the standard packaging looks identical to the vegan core line. |
 | Is Toblerone vegan? | Not Vegan | Not certified | Honey, milk + egg white | Even the dark chocolate version contains milk fat, honey, and egg white. Many people assume dark chocolate is vegan by default, but Toblerone Dark specifically lists all three animal-derived ingredients on its label. |
 | Is Tony's Chocolonely vegan? | It Depends | Not certified | Dairy (milk chocolate lines) | The range spans both vegan dark bars and dairy-loaded milk bars sold side by side under the same brand. The brand does label vegan bars with a green leaf icon in the flavor ribbon and maintains a dedicated vegan collection on their website, but the majority of their bestselling flavors (milk chocolate, caramel sea salt, dark milk pretzel toffee) contain dairy. |
 | Is Tootsie Roll vegan? | Not Vegan | Not certified | Contains dairy (milk + whey) | Condensed skim milk and whey appear in every standard Tootsie Roll variety, including the fruit chews and Tootsie Pops, there is no variant that skips dairy. |
 | Is Trident Gum vegan? | It Depends | Not certified | Gelatin in Splash/Layers va | Trident Splash and Trident Layers varieties contain pork-derived gelatin, making those specific products clearly not vegan even though the base stick line appears clean. |
 | Is Twix vegan? | Not Vegan | Not certified | Milk | The milk chocolate coating alone carries skim milk, milk fat, and lactose. Dairy shows up in the caramel and biscuit layers too, so there is no workaround on any standard Twix product. |
 | Are Twizzlers vegan? | It Depends | Not certified | Bone-char sugar | Twizzlers Gummies contain gelatin (animal-derived); all other varieties carry a bone-char sugar concern because Hershey sources sugar from ~20 suppliers and does not confirm whether any use bone-char filtration, a common practice with US cane sugar. |
 | Is Warheads vegan? | It Depends | Not certified | Gelatin | Multiple Warheads sub-lines contain beef gelatin (Lil Worms, Ooze Chewz, Sour Taffy) or lactose (Sour Twirls), so gummies and taffy are off-limits for vegans even though the hard candy is clean. |
 | Is Welch's Fruit Snacks vegan? | Not Vegan | Not certified | Contains pork/beef gelatin | Gelatin is listed as a direct ingredient in every standard Welch's Fruit Snacks variety. The brand confirms it alternates between pork and beef gelatin based on supply, and the package never discloses which one. |
 | Is Werther's Original Caramel Candies vegan? | Not Vegan | Not certified | Contains cream, butter, and | Real dairy is core to the recipe, not a trace. Cream, butter, and whey appear prominently in every Werther's product, including the sugar-free varieties, which still contain butter and cream. |
 | Is Whoppers Malted Milk Balls vegan? | Not Vegan | Not certified | Dairy at core + shell + ins | The candy has dairy built into its structure at two levels: whey in the chocolate shell and milk embedded in the malted milk center. You cannot remove the dairy without rethinking the entire product. |
Every verdict is checked against the current product label. See how we verify, or browse the full Is It Vegan? database.