More and more people turning to a plant-based diet and shunning products containing animal derivatives.
As candy connoisseurs, it's a question the team at the Sweet Hamper Company get asked time after time. And often, people don’t realise that not all sweets are vegan-friendly.
It would be easy to think that all sweets are suitable for vegans… after all, with their fruity flavours, bright colours and sugary taste, candies it can be hard to believe that some of our favourite sweets in the UK contain animal products or by-products.
As a result, if you’ve recently started a plant-based diet or have friends or family members who are vegan, you must do your research to ensure that any confectionery you serve up is truly vegan-friendly.
Remember, vegan sweet gifts should not contain animal derivatives, by-products or be tested on animals.
In this blog post, we’ll help you discover what to look out for when it comes to vegan sweets and confectionery.
What ingredients do I need to avoid?
You may be surprised to learn that there are a variety of different animal derivatives which can go into the sweet and chocolate ingredient list and manufacturing process.
Gelatine is a gelling agent and is used to create the jelly texture in many gummy sweets, such as jelly babies or fruit chews. Made using animal skin and bone, this ingredient is not vegan-friendly and should be completely avoided if you’re looking for vegan sweets. However, having said this, there are many gelatine alternatives that are now on the market, and many sweet manufacturers are now using these instead - for example, M&S’s Percy Pigs recently went completely vegan by cutting out gelatine altogether!
Did you know, the colouring used in the manufacturing of sweets could contain animal products too? Red carmine, made from cochineal, which is ground-up beetles, can be found in all manner of confectionery, including candies, ice cream and yoghurt.
What do you think is used to make some sweets shiny? The answer is beeswax… again another ingredient which isn’t suitable for vegans.
Not to mention milk and dairy products which frequently appear in chocolates and other sweet treats.
If you’re on the lookout for vegan sweets, keep your eyes peeled for the below ingredients:
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Gelatine (E441)
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Milk and milk derivatives, like: butter, whey and sodium caseinate (E469)
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Beeswax (E901)
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Shellac (E904)
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Carmine (E120)
Vegan labelling
After you’ve checked the ingredients list, we recommend looking for a vegan mark on the label, which usually appears on the packaging of vegan-friendly products, including vegan sweets. This is because to be truly vegan, the product has to be cruelty free, or not tested on animals.
If you can find sweets which have a ‘Vegan Certified’ or the ‘Vegan Society’ logo on them, you’re guaranteed to have found a treat which is vegan-friendly from both an ingredients point of view and an ethical point of view.
What other ingredients are vegan-friendly?
Any product which is created using purely plants, including fruit, nuts and seeds, is vegan-friendly.
Best Vegan Sweets
Candy Kittens
Candy Kittens are gourmet gummy sweets bursting with bold, fruity flavours like Wild Strawberry and Sour Watermelon. They're proudly vegan, made without gelatine or animal-derived ingredients, and are palm oil–free too, proof that sweet treats can be stylish, flavourful, and ethical. They are perfect for anyone on a vegan diet who has a sweet tooth.
Jelly Tots
A nostalgic favourite, Jelly Tots are soft, chewy fruit-flavoured sweets covered in a light sugar dusting. Surprisingly, to many, they're entirely vegan, made from fruit juice concentrates, without gelatine or dairy, making them a perfect fruity treat for all ages and vegan lifestyles. They are also gluten-free!
Drumstick Lollies
The original Drumstick Lolly contained milk, but now there's a vegan version that offers the same classic chewy texture and raspberry-milk flavour combo, without any animal ingredients. Keep an eye out for the specifically labelled vegan packs!
Parma Violets
Known for their floral, perfumed flavour, Parma Violets are a British retro classic. They’re completely vegan, made from a simple recipe of sugar and natural flavourings, a quirky and cruelty-free sweet for those who love something unique.
Love Hearts
With their sweet messages and fizzy bite, Love Hearts are a timeless, delicious treat. Made without animal products, these sweets are 100% vegan-friendly and a great way to spread love without compromising on values.
Flying Saucers
A fizzy sherbet surprise wrapped in melt-in-your-mouth rice paper, Flying Saucers are a vegan delight. Free from gelatine, dairy, and other animal-derived ingredients, they’re as fun and ethical as they are nostalgic.
Fruit Pastilles
Made with real fruit juice, Fruit Pastilles are chewy, sugar-coated sweets available in a variety of fruity flavours like blackcurrant, lemon, lime, strawberry, and orange. As of 2020, Rowntree’s Fruit Pastilles are officially vegan, having removed gelatine from the recipe while keeping the same great taste.
Check out the Sweet Hamper Company’s range of vegan-friendly vegan sweet hampers, sweet gifts and more here.