We’re celebrating the spookiest day of the year with scary movies, pumpkin carving, and our favorite candy from Target. While not all candy is vegan (look out for sneaky ingredients like carmine, gelatin, and confectioner’s glaze, which comes from insects), this doesn’t mean there aren’t plenty of plant-based sweet treats. Thankfully, this big box retailer has countless vegan options in the candy aisle.
VegNews editors did a thorough search of the Target candy aisles, inspecting each shelf for plant-based sweets, and here are our favorite finds. Grab a cart (you’ll need one) and fill it to the brim with these vegan-friendly treats.
Reese’s
1Embrace nostalgia with Reese’s Plant-Based Peanut Butter Cups
All the nostalgic taste of Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, but dairy-free. Stock up on these cult-favorite nut butter cups—they’re guaranteed to be a hit with trick-or-treaters.
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Skittles
2 Skittles? Yep, they are accidentally vegan
This might not be exactly what doctors mean by “eat the rainbow,” but we’re going to overlook that for Halloween. Skittles are accidentally vegan, meaning they just happen to be free from animal-derived ingredients. We’ll take it.
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Dandies
3Add Dandies Vegan Marshmallows to your Halloween candy bowl
Marshmallows are often made with gelatin, but that isn’t always the case. Dandies marshmallows, for example, are made with vegan-friendly carrageenan. You wouldn’t know the difference by taste: they’re pillowy, slightly chewy, perfectly sweet, and ideal for snacking on in front of a spooky movie.
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Sour Patch Kids
4Gelatin-free Sour Patch Kids Ghosts are sweet, sour, and glowing
You might assume Sour Patch Kids contain gelatin, but their soft, chewy texture doesn’t come from animal-derived ingredients. Most Sour Patch Kids varieties are vegan, including the Halloween-ready Glow Up Ghosts. And yes, these sweet treats actually do glow.
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SmartSweets
5 Bring less sugar to Halloween with SmartSweets Dream Puffs
SmartSweets entered the foam candy market with its Dream Puffs earlier this year, and they’re the perfect treat to enjoy all by yourself while watching Hocus Pocus. They taste delicious but contain 91-percent less sugar than traditional foam candies.
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Katjes
6These Katjes Cosmic candies are vegan and corn syrup-free
Katjes Cosmic Visions candies are perfect for kids and adults alike this Halloween. They’re free from high-fructose corn syrup, colored with plant-derived ingredients, and satisfyingly sweet. What’s not to love?
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Target
7 Go British this Halloween with M&S’ Petrifying Percy Pigs
Percy Pigs are a beloved vegan-friendly treat in the UK, and now Americans can get their hands on them, too. The gelatin-free Petrifying Percy Pigs are perfectly spooky, sweet, and indulgent for Halloween.
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Gushers
8 Transport yourself back to the 90s with Gushers
90s throwback! There’s no doubt these squishy, artificially flavored snacks will still thrill anyone under the age of 12 (and over the age of 12, if you want to embrace your inner child).
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Justin’s
9Love dark chocolate? Try Justin’s organic Peanut Butter Cups
Can’t find vegan Reese’s near you? Not a fan of vegan milk chocolate? No matter, Target also stocks Justin’s vegan-friendly dark chocolate nut butter cups, which are made with organic ingredients.
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Utz
10Take a break from the sugar with Utz Halloween Pretzels
Listen, we love Halloween candy, but sometimes it can feel like sugar overload. That’s why it’s an unspoken rule that every Halloween haul must include a pack of holiday-themed pretzels—and these bat- and pumpkin-shaped pretzels from Utz are the perfect option.
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Dum Dums
11 Dum Dums are always a Halloween crowd-pleaser
These mini suckers have stood the test of time—every generation loves them. With 17 flavors, there’s a lollipop for everyone.
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Ring Pop
12 Ring Pops are accidentally vegan, and they never get old
Believe it or not, Ring Pops are accidentally vegan. They are just ordinary suckers … yet they somehow taste 10 times better because they’re candy bling.
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Fruit by the Foot
13 Fruit by the Foot is another accidentally vegan Halloween classic
Rolled into a ball or eaten straight off the lining, there’s no wrong way to enjoy this sweet treat. Target offers a variety pack that’s perfectly suited for Halloween trick-or-treaters, with flavors like Berry, Strawberry, and Blue Raspberry.
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Smarties
14 Smarties are a trick-or-treater’s dream
Founded in 1949, this family-run company produces 2 billion rolls of Smarties every year. Clearly, these classic candies aren’t going anywhere. The brand also offers a convenient Trick or Sweet candy bag for neighborhood trick-or-treaters, or for you. No judgment.
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Twizzlers
15Strawberry Twizzlers make a sweet and chewy Halloween treat
Calling all licorice-lovers! Whether you love to eat them as they are, or bite off the ends and use them as a vegan milkshake straw, you can’t go wrong with Twizzlers’ chewy, strawberry-flavored licorice ropes.
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Annie’s
16 Annie’s Halloween Bunnies & Bats are spooky, fun, and made with fruit
If kids had the opportunity to create their own dietary guidelines, gummies and fruit snacks would definitely be a food group. But thanks to Annie’s vegan gummies made with organic ingredients, parents don’t have to sweat over these sweet treats too much.
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Yum Earth
17 YumEarth are the perfect organic Halloween indulgence
YumEarth is another brand that utilizes organic ingredients to make better-for-you candy. Parents can feel good about these gummy fruit snacks, and kids won’t notice a difference.
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Oreo
18 Mini or full-size, Oreos are a trick-or-treat favorite
No one can pass up milk’s favorite accidentally vegan cookie. Whether you opt for the mini variety or single-serve packs of full-size Oreos, trick-or-treaters are sure to be delighted.
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Angie’s Boom Chicka Pop
19Skipping the candy? Hand out Angie’s Boom Chicka Pop Kettle Corn instead
If you prefer to abstain from handing out candy, but don’t want to be the house that gives boxes of raisins, don’t fret—there are other delicious options, such as kettle corn. Angie’s makes single-serving bags so every trick-or-treater can get their own sweet-and-salty snack pack.
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Tanya Flink is a VegNews writer and runner living in Orange County, CA.
Here at VegNews, we live and breathe the plant-based lifestyle, and only recommend products we feel make our lives amazing. Occasionally, articles may include links where we might earn a small commission, but in no way does this effect the editorial integrity of VegNews.
