What Are the Different Types of Vegan Candy?

Veganism is a form of vegetarianism that excludes not only meat, but all animal-derived ingredients such as eggs and dairy products. Instead, vegans get their nutrients from foods that contain ingredients only consisting of grains, beans, nuts, fruits, and vegetables. Although many restaurants and grocery stores provide a number of edible resources for vegans, a good amount of candy is still made with some form of animal product. There are, however, some types of candy that will satisfy a vegan's sweet tooth as well as align with vegan standards. The different types of vegan candy include chewy or hard candy; candy that has various flavors, such as minty, fruity or cinnamon; and even types of chocolate candy that are made without dairy products.

Vegan candy avoids containing any ingredients derived from animals such as dairy, eggs, honey or gelatin, which is made from animal bones and tendons. This might seem to eliminate a lot of popular candy choices, but there are actually a number of recognizable types of candy that are completely free of animal products. A vegan should check the label of any type of candy to determine whether it contains animal products. Some candy might even be advertised as being suitable for vegans.

For vegans who prefer chewy candy products, there are a variety of fruity, gummy forms of candy. They can be bought either individually wrapped or loose within a larger package. These chewy candy options are easily obtainable in any grocery store, drug store or even in some movie theaters.

Practicing vegans who prefer hard candy over chewy candy can pick from flavors that include cinnamon, peppermint, various fruit flavors and even root beer or cream soda flavors. This type of vegan candy is ideal for displaying in a candy dish or jar in one's home or office. Vegan-friendly hard candy also makes an excellent choice for vegan households that want to provide candy for trick-or-treaters on Halloween, because the candy usually comes in large quantities, comes in a variety of different flavors and is individually wrapped.

Some individuals might assume that chocolate is out of the question when it comes to finding vegan candy, but there actually are specific types of chocolate candy that are completely free of dairy products. Dairy-free chocolate is often made according to traditional Jewish dietary law and is certified kosher, which means that no dairy products were used in its creation. These dairy-free chocolate products can be eaten by themselves or can be melted and drizzled over other vegan-friendly foods as a chocolaty addition to the food's original flavor.