Real talk: There should be way more plant-based candy on the market. Big brands are starting to get on board—for instance Hershey’s recently released oat milk-based Hershey’s bars and Reese’s cups—but the Easter candy market is still lagging. We had to rely heavily on Amazon for this taste test because we just couldn’t find vegan Easter candy at the grocery store. All our little plant-based bun buns out there deserve better!
That said, we hunted (you know, like an egg hunt) and found some of the best vegan Easter candy options, and one vegetarian option, too. That’s important: The jelly beans on this list are vegetarian rather than vegan because they contain beeswax. It’s slim pickings out there, but these are the best vegan and vegetarian Easter candies we tasted.
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Best NOT Vegan
The Jelly Bean Planet Gourmet Jelly BeansAmazonThese beans probably would have ranked higher on this list if they were vegan rather than vegetarian. As I mentioned, these are free of gelatin, but beeswax is one of the ingredients, so they aren’t totally vegan. It’s a major bummer, because these are so good. The jar we bought included 36 flavors and most of them are delicious (sorry, I’ll never be a fan of mint-flavored beans). If you love Jelly Belly jelly beans because of the variety they offer, you’ll love these. There’s even a flavor key on the package so you know what you’re eating and what you might want to avoid. Hey, Jelly Bean Planet—please figure out how to make these vegan!
Credit: Merc / Amazon
7.5/10
Sporks
Best Fruity
Annie’s Berry Patch Bunny Fruit Flavored SnacksTargetLook, I had to stretch the definition of “candy” for the purpose of creating this list. But, c’mon, let’s be honest with ourselves. Fruit snacks are glorified gummy bears—or rabbits in this case. These may not be seasonal, but the bunny shape makes them perfect for an Easter basket. They have a really unique, almost jelly-meets-wax consistency and really nice fruit flavors. Very tart and good. I do wish more packets came in a box (I could eat five of these little baggies in a sitting), or that they sold them in a big, resealable bag like Welch’s so you could easily fill eggs with these! Still, as a fruit snack fan, I know I’d be stoked to find these in my basket.
Credit: Merc / Target
8.5/10
Sporks
Best Eggs
No Whey Foods Mini PeaNot VeggsAmazonIf your kiddo is vegan and allergic to nuts, No Whey makes the best Easter candy options. Even if they aren’t allergic to nuts, they’ll probably enjoy this take on a Reese’s Egg. These are filled with sunflower butter rather than peanut or tree nut butter, and it genuinely works. The filling is oily and a little salty, which makes for a tasty, indulgent treat in concert with the pleasant dairy-free chocolate. We also tried No Whey’s take on Cadbury Creme Eggs, but thought they were just too sweet and one-note.
Credit: Merc / Amazon
9/10
Sporks
Best of the Best
Jake the Milkless Easter BunnyAmazonIs it weird to eat a bunny you can address by name? Maybe, but Jake is begging for it. The chocolate is snappy but substantial—thick without being too thick. It has a really nice, pronounced cocoa flavor that kind of reminded me of chocolate cereal. Jake wound up being one of the best chocolate bunnies we tried in a separate taste test, and he’s also the best vegan Easter candy we tried in this taste test. A total classic, minus the dairy, nuts, tree nuts, soy, and gluten.
Credit: Merc / Amazon
10/10
Sporks
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