Opinion I tried all the best vegan lollies so you don’t have to (you’re welcome)

Looking for the best vegan lollies in Australia? Free from gelatine, dairy, cochineal, and other sneaky animal additives, satisfy your sweet tooth with these delicious plant-based treats at Coles and Woolworths.

When VegKit asked if anyone wanted to write a round-up of the best vegan lollies in Australia, I knew it was my sworn duty to take one for the team.

I mean, I’d already shouldered the noble task of reviewing some seriously luscious dairy-free ice creams and vegan chocolates. So, if you think about it, it only made sense that I be the one to complete the holy trinity of plant-based treat reviews. (Tough gig to eat lollies for work, I know, but someone’s gotta do it 🫡🍬)

And behold: After a truly hectic haul, I’ve emerged sticky-fingered and victorious, bearing sweet, sweet answers! Turns out there are plenty of ridiculously mouth-watering vegan lollies out there – you just need to know where to look. 

Read on for my definitive list of the best vegan lollies you can find at the shops, plus a few handy tips for decoding labels like a pro. 

Ingredients to avoid when choosing vegan lollies

Wondering if that colourful packet of lollies you’ve picked up is vegan-friendly? As long as it doesn’t list any animal-derived ingredients on the label, you’re good! Here are the most common sneaky saboteurs to watch out for:

🦴 Gelatine: There’s no way to sugarcoat it – gelatine is pretty grisly. Made by boiling the bones, tendons, cartilage, and ligaments of cows and pigs in water, gelatine is often found in gummy lollies that have a jiggly or bouncy consistency. 

🌿 Vegan brands tend to use ‘jellifying’ plant-based ingredients like carrageenan, pectin, or agar agar instead of gelatine.

 

🥚Egg: Eggs are sometimes used to add glaze or shine to lollies, which makes them non-vegan. On the ingredients label, it might also be called ‘albumin’ (another name for egg white). 

🐞 Carmine and cochineal: Okay, not to shame any confectioners out there, but if you asked us the last thing we’d ever think of throwing into a sweet treat, it would probably be bugs 🤷 And yet, carmine and cochineal (red pigments derived from the shells of cochineal insects, also listed as E120) are strangely common in lollies. 

🌿 Vegan lollies tend to steer clear of bugs (wild idea, apparently!) and instead use plant-based food colourings like beetroot powder, spirulina, or turmeric as pigments.  

🐝 Honey and beeswax: Lollies made with honey or beeswax aren’t considered vegan, as these ingredients come from our all-too-vulnerable little friends, the bees. 

🌿 Vegan-friendly options use plant-based waxes like carnauba or candelilla instead of beeswax, and sugar, maple syrup, or glucose in place of honey.

🐮 Dairy (including butter, cream, and milk): Ah, the thorn in every plant-based foodie’s side – milk solids! This little menace can sometimes show up where you least expect it, including some lollies, so keep an eye out for any dairy on the label. 

🌿 Instead of dairy, vegan lollies typically use soy, oat, or coconut milk to add creaminess.  

Where to find vegan lollies in Australia

You don’t have to look far – there’s a huge assortment of ‘accidentally’ vegan lollies hiding in plain sight at your local supermarket. You’ll find most of them dotted throughout the confectionery aisle, some in the health foods aisle, and more still in the international aisle. 

For specialty vegan lollies, check out health food stores or these vegan-friendly online retailers. They’re true treasure troves for vegan snacks and sweet treats. 

My personal favourite vegan lollies (saving the best for last!)

I’ll be real with you: The research portion of this article was actually pretty sweet 😉 

After selflessly chewing my way through every vegan lolly I could find at Coles, Woolworths, ALDI, and The Reject Shop – in the name of science – I can confidently say these are the best vegan lollies available at mainstream retailers in Australia. 

Note: At the time of writing, all the products listed below are confirmed 100% vegan, but it’s always worth double-checking the ingredients, as formulations can change.

Without further ado, let’s unwrap the finalists. I’ll reveal the winner at the end of the list!

ALDI Dominion Naturals

Original Liquorice Twists, Strawberry Liquorice Twists, Sour Bearz

The Dominion Naturals brand at ALDI is a little-known gem when it comes to vegan lollies. If liquorice isn’t your thing, try their sour lollies instead!

Allens Lollies

Berry Bunch, Jelly Beans, Jubees, Kool Mints, Spearmint Leaves

From refreshing minty lollies to colourful fruity gems, Allens Lollies has all the classics covered.

 

Chupa Chups

Cola, Candy-Cane, and Fruit Lollipops (apart from ‘cream’ flavours), Melody Pops, Sour Bites, Sour Powder Crazy Dips, Skull Bag

A surprising number of Chupa Chups lollies are vegan-friendly, and they’re easy to find pretty much anywhere. Take your pick of this vibrant line-up!

Coles Brand

Freeze Dried Sour Rainbow Crunch, Spearmint Leaves

Vegan lollies are so mainstream that even Coles has their own home-brand options! The sour rainbow crunch lollies in particular are unlike anything else on the market 😋

Dandies

Vanilla-Flavoured Vegan Marshmallows, Vanilla-Flavoured Mini Vegan Marshmallows

Dandies does fluffy vegan marshmallows so well that you’d never know the difference. The only missing ingredient is a cosy campfire to toast them into delicious, charred oblivion.

Darrell Lea 

Liquorice Twists, Raspberry Liquorice Twists, Mango Nibs, Strawberry Nibs

Even Australia’s liquorice royalty, Darrell Lea, now has their own plant-based options!

FUNDAY

Sour Vegan Gummy Bears, Fruity Vegan Gummy Koalas, Vegan Lollipops

FUNDAY’s groovy new lolly range includes some delectable (and downright adorable) vegan options, including gummy lollies and lollipops. 

Goodness Me

Really Fruity Sticks, Really Fruity Nuggets

Hear me out on these healthy-sounding Goodness Me snacks: They taste exactly like Uncle Tobys fruit roll-ups (some of which are also vegan-friendly!) and are just as irresistible.

Haribo 

Balla Stixx, Sour S’ghetti

I was thrilled to discover these gelatine-free lollies by Haribo! Fingers crossed they come out with vegan gummy bears someday soon 🤞

Hubba Bubba 

Groovy Grape Bubble Tape, Strawberry Bubble Tape

Pick up one of these plant-based chewing gums and you’ll be blowing bubbles like a ’90s kid in no time. 

Jolly Rancher

Original Gummies, Sour Gummies

Always check the international aisle for hidden gems – that’s where you’ll find these iconic (and blessedly vegan) Jolly Rancher lollies!

Life Savers

Lemon Sherbert Bombs, Blackcurrant Pastilles, Strawberry Twisters, Pink Lemonade Twisters

There’s something sort of old school about these vegan lollies by Life Savers. With a variety of flavours to choose from, you’re sure to find something that hits the spot.  

Maynards Bassetts

Fizzy Fish Jellies

These Fizzy Fish Jellies taste just like Swedish Fish (which are also vegan and sometimes available in the international section).

Mentos 

Chewy Dragees: Berry Mix, Fruit, Mint, Rainbow, Rainbow Sour, Spearmint, Summer Ice Cream, Watermelon

Who knew so many Mentos were accidentally vegan? Stock up on these flavours for an irresistibly sweet and chewy plant-based fix. 

Natural Confectionery Co. 

Berry Salad Flavoured Jellies, Vegan Fruity Flavoured Jellies

Some of the best vegan lollies on the market. They’re just as soft and juicy as the rest of the Natural Confectionery Co’s range – but gelatine-free!

Naturally Good 

Original Mylk Partyz, Peanut Mylk Partyz, Mylk Zillions

These crispy, melt-in-your-mouth chocolatey gems by Naturally Good are the vegan answer to M&M’s and freckles.

Rowntrees 

Fruit Gums, Fruit Pastilles, Jelly Tots

If you’re looking for a chewy, fruit-flavoured sweet, you can’t go past these gems by Rowntrees – find them in the international aisle at the supermarket.

Skittles*

Giants Fruit Flavour, Giants Sour Flavour

These two Giant Skittles flavours are 100% vegan-approved! 

*Just be aware that the regular-sized varieties of Skittles produced in Australia are now made with an insect-derived ingredient called shellac, making them unsuitable for vegans.

Starburst*

Chews Fruit Flavour, Chews Sours

Starburst lollies manufactured in Australia and the UK (but not the U.S.) are vegan! 

*Always check the packet, especially if you pick these bad boys up in the international section. As long as it has the official “vegan” label emblazoned somewhere on the back, you’re good to go. 

Swizzels

Double Dip Orange & Cherry, Drumstick, Giant Fizzers, Love Hearts, Parma Violets, Scrumptious Sweets, Curious Chews, Snap Crackle Bars

Swizzels lollies are some of the cutest animal-free options around – my personal favourites are their retro-style Love Hearts. 

Warheads

Extreme Sour Hard Candy

Love them or hate them, now you know: This classic sour candy is entirely plant-based!

Woolworths Brand

Sour Straps Fizzy Rainbow

Not one to be left out of that sweet plant-based action, Woolworths also has several vegan lollies in its Plantitude and homebrand range. 

X-Treme

Sour Straps Strawberry

It is physically impossible to eat just one of these sour straps. Believe me, I’ve tried.

A drumroll, please, for the champion of all vegan lollies… 🥁

Sour Patch Kids

Original, Berry, Cola, Fire, Freeze, GamerZ, Max Super Sour, Scuba, Watermelon

And we have our winner! The slogan for Sour Patch Kids is apparently “Sour. Sweet. Gone.” and honestly they absolutely nailed it with this prophecy. Crack open a bag anywhere and you’ll instantly have a flurry of hands diving in – they’re one of those treats you can take to a gathering without anyone even noticing (let alone caring!) that they’re sneakily vegan. 

Every flavour is mouth-watering, but the berry ones in particular have me in an absolute chokehold – like, I might actually need help at this point. I can’t remember when exactly Sour Patch Kids took up permanent residence in my back molars, but they’re just so sweet I don’t have the heart to kick them out 🥲

 

Be warned: plant-based treats can be just as moreish and addictive as any of your childhood favourites

With so many amazing options to try – from fruit-flavoured jellies and fluffy vegan marshmallows to creamy caramels, sour drops, jewel-like hard candies, and of course, chocolate – there’s really only one thing left to do: Hit the shops and conduct a rigorous, deeply scientific taste test of your own.

Pick any of the VegKit-approved vegan lollies on this list, and I guarantee you’ll be in for a treat!

Who knows, maybe you too will find a new lifelong favourite that forever stakes its claim on your sweet tooth. (Just don’t blame me if you end up with a full-blown Sour Patch Kids dependency of your own because I simply cannot help you there) 🫠

Craving something a bit more decadent? Look out for these dreamy vegan chocolates stocked at your local shops – you’d never know they were dairy-free. 

🍭 Special shout-out to friends of VegKit, Greg and Khiesha, for their help with this article – you two are absolute oracles when it comes to the vegan lolly scene! 🙌