Is Junior Mints Vegan?
Not Vegan
Not certifiedJunior Mints are not vegan. The standard formula lists confectioners glaze as a direct ingredient, and Tootsie Roll has confirmed this is shellac, a resin secreted by female lac bugs. That makes every size and variety of the original product off-limits for vegans.
The catch: 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.
Category
Candy
Verdict
Not Vegan
Brand
Tootsie Roll Industries
The full ingredient list for the standard Junior Mints box reads: Sugar, Semi-Sweet Chocolate (Sugar, Chocolate Processed with Alkali, Cocoa Butter, Soy Lecithin, Vanillin), Corn Syrup, Confectioner's Glaze, Food Starch-Modified, Peppermint Oil, Invertase. The chocolate coating itself uses no dairy and is processed with alkali (Dutch process), so it would otherwise be acceptable to vegans.
The deal-breaker is confectioners glaze, which is shellac. Shellac is a hardening and glazing agent produced from the resinous secretion of the lac bug (Kerria lacca); it takes roughly 100,000 bugs to produce 500 grams of dried shellac.
Tootsie Roll Industries confirmed this ingredient in their product. The label also carries a "May Contain Egg and Milk" cross-contact warning, which is a shared-equipment disclosure rather than a direct ingredient, but it is worth noting for strict vegans.
Junior Mints Minis carry the same formula and the same non-vegan status. There are no regional or seasonal flavor variants that remove the confectioners glaze from the formulation.
org petition asking Tootsie Roll to remove shellac from Junior Mints has gathered signatures but received no public response from the company.
What makes it non-vegan
- ✕Confectioner's Glaze (shellac, derived from lac bug secretions)
Vegan alternatives
- ✓ YumEarth Choco Yums Dark Chocolate Mint Candies (vegan, no shellac)
- ✓ No Whey! Chocolate Peppermint NoNos (vegan, top-9 allergen free)
- ✓ Newman's Own Organic Dark Chocolate Peppermint Patties (check current label, generally vegan)
- ✓ After Eight Dark Chocolate Mints (UK formula, no shellac, widely accepted as vegan)
- ✓ Chocolove Peppermint in Dark Chocolate bar (vegan-friendly dark chocolate)
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Other candy
Frequently asked
Is Junior Mints Vegan?
Junior Mints are not vegan. The standard formula lists confectioners glaze as a direct ingredient, and Tootsie Roll has confirmed this is shellac, a resin secreted by female lac bugs. That makes every size and variety of the original product off-limits for vegans.
What is the catch with Junior Mints?
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.
What can I use instead of Junior Mints?
Vegan options include YumEarth Choco Yums Dark Chocolate Mint Candies (vegan, no shellac), No Whey! Chocolate Peppermint NoNos (vegan, top-9 allergen free), Newman's Own Organic Dark Chocolate Peppermint Patties (check current label, generally vegan), After Eight Dark Chocolate Mints (UK formula, no shellac, widely accepted as vegan).
Is Junior Mints certified vegan?
Junior Mints does not carry a third-party vegan certification, so the verdict here is based on its current ingredient list and manufacturer information.
Sources
Last verified June 20, 2026. See how we verify. Always confirm on the current product label, since recipes change. Product photo via Open Food Facts.
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