The following article was written by PETA intern Heather Mangal.
Lollipops and taffy and bonbons! Oh, my! You can be vegan and still feel like a kid in a candy store, with the large variety of accidentally vegan candy options out there. Your sweet tooth will thank you because this guide will have you skipping down the vegan candy lane.
Hard Candies
Are you a hard-candy type of person who likes to reach for the candy bowl at work on a regular basis? For the candy dish at the office, my suggestions are Atomic Fireballs, Brach’s Cinnamon Hard Candy, and Smarties. Having those hard candies melt in your mouth is bound to relieve that everyday stress at work.
Chocolate Candies
I love eating chocolate when taking bubble baths or when I get those ever-so-often cravings. If you are jonesing for a chocolate fix, go with my top picks: Chocolove Dark Chocolate Bars, and my ultimate favorite, the Endangered Species dark chocolate collection. It’s my favorite because I am saving animals in more than one way: While indulging in decadent, rich vegan chocolate, a portion of my purchase goes to a fund to help save endangered species.
Lollipops
I have always associated lollipops with special moments from my childhood, but as an adult, I still love them! And the best ones just happen to be vegan. Charm’s Blow Pops and Dum Dums are the vegan winners that will throw you back in time to your elementary school days.
Gummy Candies
If you are like me, candy is the way to go at the movie theater. I always grab some Swedish Fish (some Swedish Fish contain beeswax, so be sure to check the label.) The sweet, chewy goodness of these babies beats popcorn any day, and they are sold at almost every theater. Chewy candies sometimes have gelatin in them, but these are free of animal parts.
Chewy Candies
Taking a road trip? Candy can come to the rescue here too! It can be challenging to stay awake or maintain the momentum to keep driving, and coffee can become too monotonous. My vegan candy picks for long drives are Airheads taffy, Fruit by the Foot, and Big League Chew gum.
Everyone is entitled to indulge their sweet tooth every now and then. So don’t be afraid to reach for the vegan candy options listed here when strolling down the candy aisle. You deserve it! Don’t forget to check out PETA’s list of other accidentally vegan foods.