Are candy canes vegan? Some brands are NOT, but luckily, there are a few vegan brands out there and even some that may be "accidentally" vegan. In this article, you’ll find a list of the brands to look for and how to read the ingredient list to determine if they’re vegan.
You’ll also find vegan recipes that call for candy canes and other helpful info you need to feel confident buying them.
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The Christmas season isn't quite the same without candy canes. But what if you need to specifically buy vegan candy canes? Where do you start? Do vegan candy canes even exist?
The good news is YES, there are vegan options!
Below, you will find everything you need to know before setting out to buy these tasty treats to satisfy your holiday sweet tooth. You can even buy them to decorate Christmas trees!
Before we go through all the details, here are some articles about other ingredients you may be wondering about:
Are All Candy Canes Vegan?
No, they are not. The basic ingredients in candy canes are similar, but each brand makes theirs a little different and may include ingredients that are not considered vegan.
This applies to all types of candy canes: peppermint, flavoured, and gourmet, however, this article will focus only on traditional red and white peppermint candy canes.
What Are Candy Canes Made Of?
The base ingredients in most red and white peppermint candy canes are:
- sugar
- corn syrup
- flavour (natural flavours, artificial flavours, peppermint flavour or peppermint extract)
- colour
There are a variety of flavours when it comes to candy canes, so ingredients will vary if you are looking at flavoured candy canes like butterscotch or cherry, for example.
Ingredients to Look For
The ingredients listed above to be cautious about are sugar, flavour, and colour.
Sugar
Sugar is the main ingredient in this candy, so it's hard to avoid.
Some brands filter their white sugar through animal bone char and many do not consider this filtration process to be vegan because it supports the meat industry. On the other hand, some vegans don't have a problem with this, it's a personal choice.
It's important to know that sugar processed with bone char does not contain any bones, it is filtered through bone char to bleach and remove any impurities from the sugar. [source]
This process is never used to manufacture organic sugar, so if organic cane sugar is listed, you'll know it's vegan sugar.
Knowing what type of sugar a brand uses in its candy canes is not going to be easy to figure out unless the company specifically states that its product is vegan (look for any of the vegan symbols on the package) or if organic sugar is listed in the ingredient list.
If you aren't sure about the sugar and this is an issue for you, the only way to find out is to get in touch with the company and ask.
Natural Flavours and Artificial Flavours
Companies do not list what goes into their flavourings, so there is no way for us to know if the delicious peppermint flavour found in a particular candy cane brand is fully vegan or not. The only way to determine this is to get in touch with the company and ask.
However, if the flavouring is listed as "peppermint oil" or natural peppermint flavour, then the flavour is not animal derived and even better, if it's labelled as vegan, you'll know the flavour is made from plant-based products.
Note that artificial mint flavour may not always be vegan, so check with the company to be sure.
Palm Oil
Some candy canes contain palm oil, and while palm oil does come from a plant and contains no animal ingredients, many do not consider it to be truly vegan.
The use of palm trees causes destruction and harm to animals and their habitats so to many, palm oil is not vegan. I won't get into the fine details here but you can read about this issue in this article: "Is Palm Oil Vegan."
Sustainable palm oil IS considered vegan since it does not cause the same harm as non-sustainable palm oil.
Red Food Colouring
Look for the following in the ingredients list, all of them get their red colour from crushed bugs:
- carmine
- carminic acid
- carmine lake
- crimson lake
- natural red dye
- cochineal
- cochineal extract
- E120
- natural red 4
Every red dye that contains bugs may not be listed above, there may be more. If you aren't sure of an ingredient in the list you are reading, do a quick search of the dye name to learn what it's made from.
Confectioners' Glaze
Candy makers sometimes use confectioner's glaze (a type of shellac also referred to as confectioner’s resin, pharmaceutical glaze, shellac, natural glaze, candy glaze, resinous glaze, or sometimes even beetle juice!) to give the candy its smooth and shiny texture and to also extend shelf life.
This ingredient is not vegan (it is derived from the lac insect), so look for it on ingredient lists.
What Brands of Candy Canes Are Vegan?
In the list below, you'll find some vegan candy cane brands, presented in no particular order. There may be others that are new or have low visibility, but these were easy to find and are readily available in Canada and the US.
So, while this may not be a complete list of every vegan brand out there, it contains enough to help you find something you like and is easy to find in your area or online.
This list only contains information about traditional plain peppermint candy canes with basic red stripes, not flavoured, specialty, dipped, or gourmet candy canes.
I’ve noted a few points about each brand, including a link to each brand’s website and a link to purchase the product online.
A few things to keep in mind as you read through the list:
- Even though these companies manufacture vegan candy canes or candy canes that may be accidentally vegan, that doesn't mean their other products are also vegan, it's up to you to understand the labels, and if you don't, get in touch with the company to ask your questions.
- Brands can change their vegan ingredients and recipes over time. I will update if I become aware of new information, but in the meantime, it is up to you to contact the company to get answers about the things you aren't sure about. All statements about each brand below are based on the ingredient information presented on their websites at the time this article was written.
- If cross-contamination is an issue for you, look for cross-contamination statements on the package or website. Depending on your level of comfort, it is up to you whether or not you want to purchase. If you are still not satisfied, or you can't find the info you are looking for, contact the company directly.
- The statement "no artificial colours" does not mean that the company uses only plant-based colours for their candy canes. Artificial colours refer to human-made chemical dye colours so natural colours can include crushed bugs OR plant-derived colours. Read and understand labels, and read the "Ingredients to Look For" section above.
- The use of bone char-filtered sugar is very important to many vegans, so I have noted the brands that use organic sugar and those that aren't clear about the type of sugar used.
- Look for these vegan candy canes at your local grocery store or online retailers (or the specific stores stated). If you cannot find them, look for the store locator on the brand's website for availability in your area.
Certified Organic Candy Cane Brands:
These brands are all 100% vegan:
YumEarth
- This popular brand is certified vegan (they are certified organic and gluten-free, too!) and uses plant-based colouring. They also make mini candy canes!
- Organic sugar is used in these candy canes.
- Buy online
SweetOrganics
- This organic candy cane brand is certified vegan and organic. They are also labelled as kosher and gluten-free. They use fruit and vegetable concentrates for colour.
- Organic sugar is used in these candy canes.
- Buy online
365 by Whole Foods
- This organic candy cane brand is certified vegan and organic. They are also labelled as kosher and use fruit and vegetable concentrates for colour.
- Organic sugar is used in these candy canes.
- Buy at your local Whole Foods store or search on Amazon close to the holidays.
For Brands That Seem to be Vegan But You Aren't Sure
There are several brands you may come across that seem to be vegan because they don't contain any animal products in the ingredient list but you still aren't sure.
An example is Brach's candy canes. They seem like they would be vegan because they're flavoured with peppermint oil and are coloured with red dye that is not animal-derived, however, the red dyes they use are tested on animals [source] so I did not include this brand in the list. The type of sugar they use is also not clear.
So the reminder here is that if you want to be 100% sure, contact the company and ask.
Now that you know the brands that make vegan candy canes, here are a few holiday treats you can crush and sprinkle your candy canes on:
Vegan Recipes to Use Candy Canes In
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