These Kid-Approved Fruit Snacks Are Totally Vegan

Whether you’re a kid or an adult, we can practically all agree that fruit snacks are delicious. They’re sweet, chewy, colorful, available in fun shapes, and usually travel-friendly, too. Honestly, what’s not to love? Here’s how to find the best vegan fruit snacks.

Are fruit snacks vegan?

Fruit snacks aren’t always vegan. Gelatin, a flavorless, colorless food additive often used in gummies, is made from animal collagen. It’s obtained by boiling ligaments and bones, typically from pigs or cows. But some food manufacturers use pectin as an alternative to gelatin. This is a type of starch obtained from fruits or vegetables. It gives jams and jellies their wobbly texture and is also often used as a thickening agent in gummy-like candies and snacks. 

Getty

RELATED: Send Your Kids Back to School With These Vegan Lunch Staples, From Chickpea Tuna to Dairy-Free Cheese Sticks

Other than gelatin, fruit snacks aren’t likely to contain animal-derived ingredients—not even red dyes, like carmine, which is extracted from certain types of female scale insects. Most options rely on fruit juice to add color. Some may contain carnauba wax, a common ingredient used in candy manufacturing that provides shape and structure. Don’t worry, it doesn’t come from bees. This vegetable wax is harvested from the leaves of a variety of palm that’s native only to Brazil. It’s also called the “Queen of Waxes” due to its multiple uses. 

Are fruit snacks healthy?

In short, no. Fruit snacks are not considered a health food. According to Barbara Olendzki, professor at UMass Chan Medical School, fruit snacks “should be thought of as candy.”

Unlike actual fruit, fruit snacks “don’t generally have the water, natural fiber, or vitamin and mineral content of real fruit,” Olendzki told USA Today.

However, not all fruit snacks are created equal. Fruit snacks sweetened entirely with real fruit juice—and free from added sugars—are generally considered healthier than options loaded with added sweeteners. Still, these treats should be enjoyed in moderation. 

Vegan fruit snacks to stash in your pantry

No matter what your age, these vegan fruit snacks will be a welcome sight in your grocery haul. Some are more akin to gummy candies, while others are more minimally processed, relying on just fruit and vegetables. Here are some of our favorites.

Annie’s

1 Annie’s Organic Bunny Fruit Snacks

These chewy, bunny rabbit-shaped fruit snacks are made from organic fruit juice and sweetened with rice syrup and cane sugar. Each pack comes with an assortment of colorful gummies—made without artificial dyes—in the flavors strawberry, raspberry, and cherry. Or, try the tropical blend, which includes the flavors orange, mango-peach, and tropical punch for a burst of sunshine in your mouth.
Shop
amazonSHOP
TARGET

YumEarth

2 YumEarth Organic Vegan Fruit Snacks

Need an allergen-friendly fruit snack? YumEarth makes these organic treats without peanuts, tree nuts, gluten, and soy, relying on rice syrup, organic cane sugar, and fruit juice concentrate instead. The fruit-shaped flavors in this pack include banana, strawberry, cherry, and peach. It also comes in a tropical variety pack that contains a combination of mango, pineapple, and Razzmatazz Berry.
Shop
YumEarthShop
Amazon

Solely

3 Solely Organic Fruit Gummies

Made with just whole organic fruit, vitamin C, and no added sugar, Solely Organic’s fruit gummies are a healthier alternative to sweet snacks. The brand uses minimal ingredients, allowing the natural flavors of the fruit to shine through in tropical options like mango and orange, mango and guava, and just mango. These bite-sized treats have a soft, chewy texture without any gelatin. Plus, one pouch contains the equivalent of a single serving of fruit.
shop
amazonShop
Target

Stretch Island

4Black Forest Stretch Island Fruit Leather

The advantage of getting this fruit leather variety pack is that you get to try all of the flavors: cherry, apple, strawberry, apricot, grape, and raspberry. Each one features a base made from apple purée in addition to real fruit juices. At 50 calories or less per serving, these make for a great pick-me-up whenever you’re feeling peckish, but not hungry enough for something that’s a little more filling.
shop
amazonShop
Black Forest

Bear

5 Bear Fruit Rolls

Bear’s fruit rolls are like a healthier take on tape candy. Instead of being made from corn syrup, they’re made with real fruit that has been slowly dried, then hand-rolled into the final product. Free from gluten and nuts, the flavors include strawberry lemon, apple, mango, and raspberry. 
shop
amazonShop
Target

Pure Organic

6 Pure Organic Layered Fruit Bars

Every single one of the flavors in Pure Organic’s Layered Fruit Bars lineup is a combination of two complementary tastes. You have the tart raspberry lemonade, the fruity-floral strawberry banana, and the tangy pineapple passionfruit. And, these chewy vegan snacks are made from an apple purée base that’s rounded out with fruit concentrates. We love picking up the variety pack so we’re not stuck with just one flavor.
shop
amazonShop
Target

Chum

7 Chum Fruit Bites

These plant-based fruit snacks are made from fruit purée that’s been baked to remove the water content, then turned into bite-sized, chewy little triangles—no added sugar necessary. The flavors include mango, peach, apple, blackberry, and strawberry, all of which can be sampled in a convenient variety pack. According to the brand, 15 percent of profits are donated to WildAid, an environmental non-profit organization that focuses on efforts to protect and conserve wildlife. 
shop
amazonShop
Target

You Love Fruit

8 You Love Fruit

Described as “peel and eat fruit leather,” this fruit snack comes in the form of little dots that you can snack on at your leisure to get your sugar fix. Instead of apples, these plant-based dots are made from a mango base alongside other fruits and vegetables, and no added sugars or waxes. The flavor options include kiwi with greens, cherry mango, apple cinnamon, and mango coconut.
shop
amazonShop
You Love Fruit

Mott’s

9 Mott’s Fruit Snacks

This super-mainstream brand is free from gelatin—hooray! It’s made from pectin, corn syrup, and a blend of real fruit juice concentrate. And, it comes in a variety of flavor mixes such as Assorted Fruit, Berry, and Tropical Fruit. We love that it’s a vegan option that you can find in practically any mainstream grocery store.
shop
amazonShop
Mott’s

Bob Snail

10 Bob Snail Fruit Roll-Ups

These sweet, chewy vegan fruit roll-ups are made from minimal ingredients and no added sugar. The strawberry-mango flavor is made from just strawberries and mangoes, apple-blueberry is made from just apples and blueberries … you get it. Great for kids and adults alike, these fruit snacks are perfect for trips, work snacks, and school lunches.
shop
amazonShop
Target

11 Better Sour Gummy Stars

If you love that tongue-tingling sour punch, try Better Sour Gummy Stars. Made with natural ingredients and low in sugar, these tangy treats come in a variety of flavors, from apricot and pomegranate to guava.
Shop
AmazonShop
Target

Blobs

12 Blobs Gummy Candy

Soft, chewy, and bursting with fruit flavor, Blobs Gummy Candy checks all the candy boxes. The best part? They contain 92 percent less sugar than similar candies and are packed with soluble prebiotic fiber. Enjoy fruity flavors like Pineapple-Passionfruit, Pomegranate-Apple, and Orange-Peach.
Shop
AmazonShop
Blobs

13 Fruit Riot! Sour Frozen Fruit

One reviewer on the Fruit Riot! website described this fruit candy as “a slap in the face from Mother Nature,” but in the best way possible. If you love sour candy, this is the one for you. Made with real, freshly frozen fruit pieces coated in lemon juice and sour candy coating, each bite delivers a powerful zing. Flavors include Sour Grapes, Watermelon Blast, Sour Mango, and Sour Pineapple.
Shop
AmazonShop
Target

Pulpito

14 Pulpito Fruit Bites

Pulpito’s snacks are crafted with real fruit, sourced directly from the finest farmers in Pakistan. Each fruit bite is both nutritious and delightfully chewy and sweet, all without any additives or fillers. The brand offers a variety of delicious flavors, including Groovy Guava, Pretty Peach, and Berry Blast. 
Shop
PulpitoShop
The Goods Mart

Rind

15 Rind Chewy Dried Fruit

Rind’s chewy dried fruit snacks aren’t just good for you, with their fiber and antioxidant content, they’re also great for the planet. Each snack saves a piece of fruit rind from going to landfill. Since the brand’s launch, its tasty snacks—available in flavors like Straw-Peary, Coco-Melon, and Tropical—have helped divert over one million pounds of food waste.
Shop
AmazonShop
Target

Simply

16Simply Really Real Gummies

The clue’s in the name: Simply gummies are made with real fruit. With no corn syrup or artificial flavors, just pure fruity goodness, these chewy, soft treats come in flavors like Cherry & Apple and Peach & Raspberry. They’re the perfect candy alternative when you’re craving something sweet.
Shop
AmazonShop
Rainbow Grocery

17 The Froot Thief

Love strawberry laces? Then you’ll adore The Froot Thief’s Whips, which are spaghetti-like candy treats made with real fruit extract, apple juice, and plant fiber. In fact, each serving contains about one cup of fruit juice. Tasty flavors include strawberry, apple, and mango.
Shop
AmazonShop
The Froot Thief