The Ultimate Vegan Halloween Candy Guide!

Trying to figure out which candy is vegan can be time-consuming and frustrating! There are lots of confusing ingredients, some candies are labeled vegan, and some are accidentally vegan with no label at all. What should you buy?! I've got you covered! I made this vegan Halloween candy guide to make it easy for you to grab and go! 

*As of 10/22/20, all of the candy on this list is vegan. However, you should always read the label first before you buy or eat any candy because companies can change their ingredients at any time without notice. 

My mom and I have a tradition every year where we make little treat baskets for each other and exchange them on Halloween. It's so much fun! When I transitioned to a vegan lifestyle four years ago, it was hard for my family to understand that I no longer wanted the things that I'd previously enjoyed.

It was especially hard for my mom because she always prepared the food for family holidays and events. Halloween was the first holiday that came up after my lifestyle change, and I remember my mom calling me from the candy aisle of Whole Foods asking me what treats could she get for my basket this year?

Normally, mom would pick everything out for me so it would be a surprise but she wasn't sure about what I could eat anymore. She had spent so much time reading candy labels and trying to figure out which items were vegan and safe for me to eat. It was so frustrating to her because the candy ingredients can be so confusing and misleading!

It sure would be nice if every product was clearly labeled vegan or not-vegan, but, unfortunately, that's just not how it is. Hopefully, it will be different one day, but, for now, I hope this guide is helpful to you! Before we get to the list, let's go over which ingredients are safe for vegans to consume, which are not, and some answers to questions you may have.

Vegan-Friendly Safe Candy Ingredients 

Let's start with cocoa butter. It sounds like it could be vegan but maybe not because of the butter. If it has butter then it must have dairy, right? Before I was vegan, I thought it was a milk-based butter but it's not. Cocoa butter is actually the fat portion of the cocoa bean, so it's vegan. Who knew?!

The following list has vegan-friendly ingredients that you might see on a candy ingredient label. These ingredients are safe for vegans:

• Dark Chocolate
• Cocoa Butter
• Carnauba Wax
• Organic sugar
• Rice milk
• Brown Rice Syrup
• Palm Fruit Oil (Somewhat controversial - some vegans consume it if it's sustainably sourced and some vegans don't no matter what. It's a personal choice.)
• Soy Lecithin (Want to know more about these ingredients? Read this article)

Candy Ingredients That Are Not Suitable For Vegans

If you see any of the following ingredients on a candy label, the candy is not vegan and it's not safe for vegans to consume.  

• Gelatin
• Carmine
• Shellac
• Bone Char
• Milk Chocolate
• Beeswax
• Honey
• Casein
• Whey
• Albumen
• Confectioner's Glaze
• Food Grade Wax

You can find definitions of each of these terms here.

To be 100% safe, you really have to read the candy label and know what every ingredient is. I hope this list of the best vegan Halloween candy saves you some time at the store! 

Can Vegans Eat Chocolate? 

I've heard a lot of people ask, "Is there any vegan chocolate candy?" Yes, there is vegan chocolate candy! Vegans can eat dark chocolate candy and "milk" chocolate that is made with dairy-free milk. I really like these vegan rice milk chocolates and these dark chocolate candy bars. They're absolutely delicious!

What Halloween Candies are Vegan? 

Finding mainstream accidentally vegan candy at big box stores like Walmart or Target really isn't that difficult. There are many well-known brands of candy that are accidentally vegan! You were probably eating them before you were vegan.

Here is the most comprehensive list of every vegan candy (including a list of flavors) that I've found so far.

What Candy Is Not Vegan?  

If you don't have time to go through the whole list, here's a quick reference to go back to. The following mainstream candy is not vegan:

• Reese's
• Milky Way
• Twix
• Baby Ruth
• Butterfingers
• Nestle Crunch
• Almond Joy
• Snickers
• 3 Musketeers
• Lindt
• Dove
• M&M's
• Nerds
• Kit Kat

Are There Vegan Candy Bars?

Yes, there are vegan chocolate candy bars! The Ocho dark chocolate coconut candy bar is a top contender for me, especially if you're a fan of Mounds candy.

There are many other vegan candy bar options for you to choose from. Check out this list of vegan candy bars if this is your candy of choice or if you're one of those awesome houses that give out full-size candy bars on Halloween!

Ultimate List of Vegan Halloween Candy 2020

I've tried a lot of vegan Halloween candy over the last few years so I thought it would be helpful to share what I've found to be the best and tastiest! When I look for vegan Halloween candy (or any candy), it obviously has to be vegan and I would prefer it to be organic if possible. If it's fair-trade certified or contains locally sourced ingredients, that's a big bonus.

These are the vegan candy brands that I love and buy over and over again! I've tried a lot of different types of candies and in my opinion, these are the best options available. They all taste just as good if not better than their non-vegan counterparts (think Reese's vs Unreal or Delishfish vs. Sweedish fish) and I hope that you enjoy them as much as I do!

Click on any of the orange links below to check out the product ingredient list or to purchase the candy. 

#17 - Yum Earth Organic Pops

#16 - Alter Eco Quinoa Crunch Bar

#15 - Theo Dark Chocolate Mint Bar

#14 - Ocho Coconut Candy Bar

#13 - Alter Eco Dark Chocolate Coconut Clusters

#12 - Panda Raspberry Licorice

#11 - Cocomel Bites

#10 - Enjoy Life Rice Milk Chocolate or Dark Chocolate Candy Bars

#9 - Wholesome Organic Delish Fish

#8 - Organic Surf Sweets Halloween Spooky Gummies

#7 - Unreal Dark Chocolate Crispy Quinoa Gems

#6 - Unreal Dark Chocolate Almond Butter Cups

#5 - Unreal Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups

#4 - Free2be Sun Cups

#3 - Justin's Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Mini Cups

#2 - HU Almond Butter Puffed Quinoa Dark Chocolate Bar

#1 - Unreal Crispy Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups

I hope this list of the best vegan Halloween candy helps you to quickly and easily pick out treats for Halloween. This list would also be helpful for when you make Easter baskets or stuff Christmas stockings! If you didn't see any store-bought candies that strike your fancy, give these dark chocolate mango candies a try. I made them every year for Halloween and everyone loves them!

What's your favorite vegan candy? Did I miss anything delicious? Let me know in the comments!