All the Vegan-Friendly Halloween-Themed Candy You Should Know About

Spoiler: no candy corn.

vegan halloween candy
Design by Grace Han for Thrillist
Design by Grace Han for Thrillist

There’s no question that Halloween is going to be  different this year, with some states recommending a ban on door to door trick-or-treating altogether, while others are leaving it up to personal choice. Regardless of what you choose to do, it never hurts to have your own personal stash of vegan treats at home. And while a lot of your favorite everyday candies are automatically vegan, this year is the perfect time to support small businesses and satisfy your sweet tooth. But what exactly makes a candy product vegan beyond the no-cow milk policy? 

The culprit for a lot of sugary treats is gelatin, which is made from the boiled ligaments, tendons, and bones of cows and pigs. And if you see sugar listed as one of the ingredients, it’s likely made with bone char, which yes, is charred animal bones. Other ingredients to look out for include carmine, a deep red pigment made from insects and confectioner’s glaze that’s made from bug secretions. 

If those ingredients aren’t really your thing, here are some vegan alternatives to make the switch to insect and animal-free treats much easier.

vegan halloween lollipops
Photo by: Alex Molina, Design by Grace Han for Thrillist

If the last time you had a swirl lollipop was when you were 7 at your county fair, then you’re overdue for this classic treat. Swap out those boring (but vegan-friendly!) Dum Dums for a couple handmade lollipops from Sweet Pete’s Candy. These orange, white and black mesmerizing beauties come in small and medium sizes, with the medium one being a whopping 4.5 inches wide.

If you like Haribo gummy bears, try the Vegan Wicked Witches from SQUISH Candies

Before you get ready to binge watch every Halloweentown film, make sure you have the right snacks to accompany you. Specifically snacks that are fit for a witch, like the vegan wicked witch gummies from SQUISH Candies. These gelatine-free gummies are raspberry flavored and come in bags ranging from small to jumbo (almost 5 pounds!).

vegan chocolate bar halloween
Photo by: Amanda's Own, Design by Grace Han for Thrillist

If you like Hershey’s milk chocolate bar, try the Happy Halloween Chocolate Bar from Amanda’s Own Confections

What makes Amanda’s Own Confections an ideal candy spot for vegans is that all of the chocolate on their site is free of major allergens like dairy, nuts, wheat, eggs and gluten. As someone with a gluten sensitivity, browsing their selections brought me extreme joy and a sigh of relief from my compromised digestive system. With that being said, Amanda’s Halloween chocolate bar has a smooth finish and holds some competition against Hershey’s. And it’s dairy-free.

vegan BOO Bag from Amanda’s Own Confections
Photo by: Amanda's Own, Design by Grace Han for Thrillist

If you like Hershey’s Kisses, try the BOO Bag from Amanda’s Own Confections

In case you were craving bat- and ghost-shaped chocolates wrapped in foil this Halloween, Amanda’s Own Confections is here to fill that void. Each BOO Bag comes with four of each shape and the best part is they’re dairy-free and made with organic cane sugar.  

If you like Trolli gummy candy, Dots or gumdrops, try the Halloween Pumpkin and Little Ghost Fruit Gelées Ballotin from Baratti & Milano

I know gumdrops are obviously reserved for Christmastime and Dots are already vegan, but it’s Halloween! Let your candy reflect the season with tiny packs of joy made from real fruit grown in Italy. Flavors include peach, lemon, orange, blackberry and strawberry. While they aren’t shaped like witches, cats, pumpkins, brooms or anything that says “boo!” they do come in ghost and pumpkin decorated boxes that you can use for later to put random objects in.

White Chocolate Skull Lollipop vegan
Photo by: Natural Candy Store, Design by Grace Han for Thrillist

If you like Hershey’s Cookies ‘n’ Creme, try the White Chocolate Skull Lollipop from Natural Candy Store or Sjaak’s

Even though there are some who don’t even consider white chocolate to be actual chocolate, the cream colored, eh, confection, consists of a combination of sugar, cocoa butter, milk products and vanilla meaning it’s a big no no for vegans. Luckily Sjaak’s white chocolate skull lollipops are made with organic rice milk and the sugar in it is made without bone char. Just don’t look too long at the skull’s eyes, err..eye sockets.

Halloween Glee Gum Pops from Glee Gum
Photo by: Phoebe Neel, Design by Grace Han for Thrillist

If you like Blow Pops, try the Halloween Glee Gum Pops from Glee Gum

I can’t remember the last time i had a Blow Pop and to be honest, the roof of my mouth doesn’t miss them. If there’s one texture that’s oddly satisfying though it’s the moment when you reach the part of the lollipop where you get a combination of the crunchiness of the candy and the softness of the gum. It’s euphoric. And sure they’re vegan, but they don’t exactly scream Halloween. That’s why you have to try Glee Gum’s Halloween Gump Pops; Gluten-free, made with no artificial colors or flavors, and vegan. And you can still experience the candy crunch and gum combo. 

If you like Lindt white chocolate bars, try the White Chocolate Ghost from Sjaak’s

No, Lindt isn’t a typical Halloween treat..unless you don’t really care about the price points of your candy and in that case, more power to you. But if you like white chocolate or white “chocolate” alternatives, Sjaak’s smiling white chocolate ghosts are similar to their white chocolate skulls and are made with organic rice milk, cocoa butter and cane sugar. 

If you like Tootsie Pops, try the Pumpkin Pop from No Whey Foods

Carved pumpkins are scary too, especially No Whey Foods’ chocolate pumpkin lollipop that features a pumpkin giving you a menacing grin like it knows it’s about to be eaten. It’s free of your typical allergens like gluten, shellfish, egg, peanuts, and of course dairy. 

vegan halloween lollipops
Photo by: Strawberry Hill Candy, Design by Grace Han for Thrillist

If you like those gourmet lollipops you typically only find at the checkout counter of your local Kmart, try the Halloween Lollipops from Strawberry Hill

I can’t be the only one that has faint memories of asking my mom if I could get one of the cream gourmet lollipops from the touring displays at the Kmart checkout counters. But as the ingredients will state, these suckers are made with milk. But you know what’s not made with milk? Strawberry Hill’s Halloween lollipops that come in pumpkin, bat, and ghost shapes.

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Kristen Adaway is a staff writer at Thrillist. Follow her on Twitter @kristenadaway.