What sums up the festive period better than a candy cane? Not much in our opinion. But is this classic striped candy suitable for vegans?
What are candy canes?
Candy canes can vary in size, but their shape is always, you guessed it, cane-shaped. They’re traditionally peppermint flavoured and patterned with red and white stripes, but like with all great things, the possibilities are endless. Like many of our most loved Christmas traditions, candy canes can be traced back to Germany and 17th-century folklore.
Are candy canes vegan?
Generally yes, candy canes are vegan. Their base ingredients are sugar, corn syrup, natural flavourings and colourings. Traditionally, red food colouring was made from crushed beetles (definitely not vegan) but thankfully that practice is pretty much out-dated. To be safe, if the label says suitable for vegetarians or vegans they’ll be beetle-free.
Not quite satisfied your urge for plant-based sweets? Check out our ultimate guide here for the best vegan sweets.
Send more festive, plant-based questions our way in the comments section below!
