Opinion Trick or Treat: the best vegan lollies, candies, and snacks for Halloween

These plant-based treats can be found in your local supermarket and milk bars and tick all the boxes for those hungry door-knocking tricksters.

On a holiday known for its scary monsters, ghastly ghouls and terrifying zombies, there’s more than enough fright to go around without adding it to our sweets.  

A little-known fact in the world of confectionary is that many sweets contain ingredients derived from animals. Commonly named ingredients such as ‘gelatine’ and ‘carmine’ sound innocent enough, but a two-second Google search (“where does gelatine or carmine come from?”) will send you straight to the house of horrors.

Luckily, there is an abundance of sweet (and savoury) treats around that are free of animal products (and their by-products), that make choosing kindly a breeze!  

Read on for the list of goodies you’ll want on hand when the doorbell starts ringing… 

Wizz Fizz 

This nostalgic classic from Fyna Foods is bound to be a hit with … well, everyone! You can pick these up at almost any supermarket, milk bar or sweet shop. 

Sherbet Bombs 

Lagoon brand Sherbet Bombs are available at Kmart and independent sweet stores in 175g bags, or you can grab them loose at any good milk bar. I recommend setting the banana flavour aside for your own treat stash if you’ve got a sweet tooth too – they’re by far the best flavour! 

Hubba Bubba

These almost-impossible-not-to-swallow morsels of flavour are available in variety packs of original, grape and strawberry. They come individually wrapped, making them a great option for the candy dish. 

Warheads Extreme Sour Hard Candy

No Halloween candy selection is complete without the shock of the outrageously way-too-sour Warheads suckers. In my childhood, surviving the shock of consuming the super-sour top layer (a period of 30 seconds which felt like a relative eternity) was considered an absolute triumph among peers. I’m not sure if they’re still a mark of strength in the school yard, but despite them being gross and intense, they’re somehow still a favourite with the young ‘uns! 

Melody Pops

A delightful treat that doubles as a musical instrument? Yes, please! Just like any great horror film, they offer an eerie soundtrack to what might seem like a harmless moment. It’s a win-win for everyone!

Love Hearts & Fizzers

UK brand Swizzels have been making their signature sweets since 1928, and some of their finest just so happen to be a) delicious, and b) free of animal products. Kmart and Woolworths stock grab bags of Love Hearts and Fizzers that are just the perfect size for treat bags.  

Scrumptious Sweets & Curious Chews

Swizzels has more where that came from! Their range of chews are also fit for little monsters! Their Mr Chews, Refreshers, Banana Skids, Stingers, Drumsticks and Snap Crackle bars are all 100% vegan. 

Lotus Biscoff Biscuits

There’s nothing like a bit of variety in the treat bowl, and these biscuits deliver everything you need from the ‘baked goods’ category. Available from Coles & Woolworths, you can grab two-biscuit portions individually wrapped that make for easy handouts.  

Arnott’s Barbecue Shapes

Consider these your savoury reprieve from all the sweets! Barbecue flavoured Shapes are fully plant-based and – consider yourself warned – are addictive as all get out! Multipacks are available from supermarkets … as are the similarly delicious Arnott’s Bluey Pizza Crackers.  

Special mentions 

While the above are my favourite treats to throw in the mix, there are plenty more on the market to pick up. Keep an eye out for the following at major retailers and your local shops: 

• Chupa Chups: Sour Bites, Skull Pops and Sour Powder Crazy Dips
• Zappo: Ghost Drops and Strawberry Millions
• Swizzels: Double Dip
• Smith’s: Burger Rings
• Snack Brands: French Fries 

This list is by no means exhaustive, but it’s a great place to start. For even more variety, check out your local milk bars and specialised sweet stores, which often carry some real gems. You don’t have to shop just for your neighbours’ treat buckets either … you’re deserving of something nice, too! Just don’t hold me responsible for your dental bills  – they’re a Halloween nightmare all on their own!

Don’t forget to check out these wickedly easy Halloween recipes and our all-round guide to the spooky season to help you celebrate right this October! 🦇