Are Twizzlers vegan? Twizzlers are the classic twisty licorice candy that have been popular for decades. The chewy candy comes in a variety of flavors and styles. The Twists were the original candy but Twizzlers now come in bites, filled bites, filled twists, pull 'n' peel and nibs...and now gummies. But are they vegan?
You might be surprised to learn that all of the varieties (with the exception of Twizzlers Gummies) do not contain animal ingredients nor gelatin. Twizzlers Twists, Bites, Pull 'n' Peel and Nibs can be considered vegan candies.
Let's check out the ingredients lists which can all be found on the Twizzlers website.
Twizzlers Ingredients
Since the strawberry flavor is the most popular kind Twizzlers, let's check out the ingredients for that flavor.
Strawberry Twizzlers Ingredients: CORN SYRUP, ENRICHED WHEAT FLOUR (FLOUR, NIACIN, FERROUS SULFATE, THIAMIN MONONITRATE, RIBOFLAVIN, FOLIC ACID), SUGAR, CORNSTARCH, CONTAINS L2% OR LESS OF: PALM OIL, SALT, ARTIFICIAL FLAVOR, CITRIC ACID, ARTIFICIAL COLORS (RED 40), MINERAL OIL, LECITHIN
The good news is that there aren't any ingredients made from animal products. Surprisingly, there also isn't any gelatin. It's really common for chewy candies to contain gelatin so it's great that Twizzlers Twists don't.
Twizzlers Gummies
New to the Twizzlers lineup are Twizzlers Gummies. These fruity gummies come in Peach & Cherry, Lemonade & Cherry, and Grape & Cherry. But are these gummies vegan? Let's check out the ingredients.
Twizzlers Gummies Ingredients: CORN SYRUP, SUGAR, GELATIN, CONTAINS 2% OR LESS OF: CITRIC ACID, ARTIFICIAL FLAVOR, NATURAL FLAVOR, SODIUM CITRATE, MINERAL OIL, CARNAUBA WAX, LIMONENE, ARTIFICIAL COLOR (RED 40, YELLOW 5, YELLOW 6, BLUE 1).
Unfortunately, Twizzlers Gummies contain gelatin and are not vegan.
What is gelatin?
Are you wondering what gelatin is and why vegans don't consume it? According to Peta.org, "Gelatin is a protein obtained by boiling skin, tendons, ligaments, and/or bones with water. It is usually obtained from cows or pigs. Gelatin is used in shampoos, face masks, and other cosmetics; as a thickener for fruit gelatins and puddings (such as Jell-O); in candies, marshmallows, cakes, ice cream, and yogurts; on photographic film; and in vitamins as a coating and as capsules, and it is sometimes used to assist in “clearing” wines. Gelatin is not vegan."
Vegan Twizzlers Flavors
There are many different varieties and flavors of Twizzlers candy that are all vegan.
- Black Licorice Twists
- Cherry Twists
- Chocolate Twists
- Strawberry Twists
- Rainbow Twists
- Bites Cherry Flavored
- Filled Bites Strawberry Flavored
- Filled Bites Sweet & Sour - Cherry Kick & Citrus Punch
- Filled Twists Mini - Strawberry Watermelon & Strawberry Lemonade
- Filled Twists Key Lime Pie Flavored
- Filled Twists Orange Cream Pop Flavored
- Filled Twists Strawberry Smoothie Flavored
- Filled Twists Sweet & Sour - Cherry Kick & Citrus Punch
- Filled Twists Tropical Blast - Pink Guava & Paradise Punch
- Nibs Black Licorice
- Nibs Cherry Flavored
- Pull 'N' Peel Cherry Flavored
- Pull 'N' Peel Red, Green and White
- Pull 'N' Peel Watermelon Flavored
- Twists Zero Sugar Strawberry
None of the ingredients in all of these flavors come from animal sources!
Non-Vegan Twizzlers
There is only one kind of Twizzlers that is not vegan:
- Twizzlers Gummies
Twizzlers History
According to Hersheyland.com, Twizzlers debuted in 1845 at the Young & Smylie Confectionery Company. Later in 1977, Twizzlers became part of the Hershey Company. Famously, there's a story about Astronaut Neil Armstrong where he said "I could go for some Twizzlers right now" while he was on the moon.
Twizzlers Trail Mix
Sure Twizzlers are fun to eat on their own. But they also make a great addition to a classic trail mix recipe. Check out Easy Twizzlers Twists Trail Mix Recipe by Busy Creating Memories for the directions. There's one ingredient that isn't vegan but it's easy to swap it out. This trail mix contains:
- popcorn
- pretzels
- almonds
- strawberry Twizzlers
- Reese's Pieces - These are not vegan. I would swap them for dairy-free chocolate chips.
Homemade Twizzlers
Believe it or not, you can also make your own red licorice. You need a couple specialty kitchen tools including a food processor and a dehydrator. But these candies only require three ingredients.
- date paste
- beet juice
- strawberry extract or freeze-dried strawberries
There definitely aren't any controversial ingredients here! These are much healthier than traditional Twizzlers which has two kinds of sugar plus flour as the main ingredients. And don't forget about the red coloring!
Craft Time with Twizzlers
If you find yourself with leftover Twizzlers, you can even use them to make a cute and colorful bracelet. All you need are Twizzlers and some ribbon. The Rainbow Twists would work really well for this craft. After cutting the Twizzlers into pieces, have the kids thread them with ribbon. They can also work on making patterns. Check out all the directions for Twizzler Candy Bracelet on Kidsactivities.com.
Healthier Twizzlers
Even though most Twizzlers are vegan, you might want to look for a more natural option. These Real Twists by Darrell Lea are plant based and don't contain any high fructose corn syrup. They also don't contain any artificial colorings. However, they still contain a good amount of sugar so they certainly aren't a health food.
Other Fruity Chewy Vegan Candy
Twizzlers aren't the only fruity and chewy candies that are vegan. The following candies are also vegan!
- Airheads
- Sour Patch Kids
- Laffy Taffy (fun-sized only)
- Dots
- Jujubes
- Sour Big Chewy Nerds
- Swedish Fish (some contain beeswax so check the list of ingredients)
- Jujyfruits
FAQ
Are Twizzlers healthy?
No. The very first ingredient is corn syrup and overall they contain a lot of sugar so they are definitely not healthy. There are 16 grams of sugar per serving which is about 3 pieces. This is for the Strawberry flavor so the amount might vary. It also contains red dye which many people try to avoid. Depending on the variety, they also contain other questionable ingredients.
Is sugar vegan?
While sugar comes from sugar cane, which is a natural plant, the production process of some brands of white sugar uses bone char. According to Peta.org, "Bone char—often referred to as natural carbon—is widely used by the sugar industry as a decolorizing filter, which allows the sugar cane to achieve its desirable white color."
So cane sugar doesn't technically contain any animal products. Some vegans choose to stay away from it because of how it's processed. But this is completely up to you. In the case of Twizzlers, there's no way to know how the sugar they use is processed but there's a high chance it's filtered through animal bone char.
What is the most popular Twizzlers flavor?
Strawberry is the most consumed flavor of Twizzlers.
Are Twizzlers gluten free?
No, Twizzlers are not gluten free as they contain wheat.
Do Twizzlers have gelatin in them?
Only Twizzlers Gummies have gelatin. All other flavors and varieties of Twizzlers do not contain gelatin.
Summary
Twizzlers are the classic chewy twist candy that have been enjoyed for decades. Although there are several different varieties and flavors, all kinds of Twizzlers are free of ingredients from animal products with the exception of the new Twizzlers Gummies. So if you are at the movies and looking for a candy that can fit in with a vegan diet, Twizzlers might be the candy for you.
Wondering if other fruity chewy candies are vegan? Check out:
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