The Cutest, Tastiest Dairy-Free and Vegan Halloween Treats

Alisa Fleming ~ When I think of Halloween, words like fun, costumes, and of course, candy come to mind, even decades after my trick or treating years have come to a close. But when it comes to special diets (dairy-free, vegan, gluten-free, nut-free, etc, etc, etc), which seem to be scarily common these days, Halloween treats can represent fear and envy more than sugary smiles.

Fortunately, something special began to happen several years ago. Companies popped up, one by one, offering sweets touted as “for everyone.” In 2006 I published an article called No Tricks, Real Treats for a Non-Dairy Halloween, followed in 2008 by Halloween Just Keeps Getting Yummier for Dairy-Free Kids. You can see that things were starting to get more interesting, but it is nothing compared to the offerings for this year. In addition to our 2006 and 2008 Halloween ideas (all or most of which are still available), I’m keeping an updated post here to give you our current top ten eleven list of dairy-free and vegan Halloween treats (in no particular order):

Please Note: For ALL of the following Halloween treats, always inquire with the manufacturer on ingredients and processes for allergen cross-contamination issues, particularly where severe food allergies are a concern. This is just our list of suggestions for items that were dairy ingredient free at the time of revew.

1. Chocolate Emporium –  I am in the process of plowing my way through a Halloween box of Chocolate Emporium chocolates, and all I can say is “Wow!” Beyond the obvious chocolate love, these intricately molded chocolate lollipops and chocolate bites (each individually wrapped) are too cute to pass up. Thus far my favorites are the Spider Pop with Orange-flavored Web (selections for Halloween treats do change from year to year) and the Chocolate Covered Sandwich Cookie (with pumpkin décor), but my husband loved the Frankenstein’s Monster Pop because it looked so angry. Men.
Caters to: Vegan, Dairy-Free, Egg-Free, Gluten-Free, Nut-Free

 

2. Premium Chocolatiers - “Milk” Chocolate, need I say more? Yes, there are a few dairy-free companies venturing into this territory now, but this is the first I have seen with wonderfully molded and bite-sized “milk” chocolates. My husband finds the milk chocolate just a bit too sweet (he likes their dark / semi-sweet chocolate items better), but I have always had a weakness for white chocolate, which this “milk” chocolate heavily reminds me of. Excellent for sugar cravings. Plus, Premium Chocolatiers is constantly coming out with cute new designs, and they are never short on ideas for fun, chocolate Halloween treats.
Caters to: Vegan, Dairy-Free, Egg-Free, Gluten-Free, Nut-Free

 

3. YummyEarth Organic Lolliipops – Okay, so I mentioned them last year. But this yummilicious manufacturer deserves another mention for a few reasons. One is their extremely allergen-friendly facility. Another is their individually-wrapped, bite-sized goodness. And finally, the ability to purchase jumbo bags of these all natural lollipops for an awesome price. Beyond Halloween treats, if you need treats for tots, look no further than YummyEarth. Amazon frequently has specials on these lollipops, and they seem to ship quickly!
Caters to: Vegan, Gluten-Free, and pretty much all of the most common food allergens

 

4. Clif ZBar Spooky Smores Bars - I keep spotting these bars at every single grocery store (for $.69 to $.79 a piece) and think they are a great idea for a slightly more nutritious Halloween treat.
Caters to: Dairy-Free, Egg-Free, Wheat-Free (shared facility for all allergens)

 

5. Divvies Chocolate Ghosts and Halloween Jelly Beans – We love them for their cupcakes (which you can in fact order in festive Halloween colors), but who can overlook their Halloween-colored Jelly Beans, and the latest Divvies creation, cute Chocolate Ghosts! As always, Divvies runs a milk, egg, and nut-free facility, putting many moms’ minds at ease.
Caters to: Vegan, Dairy-Free, Egg-Free, Gluten-Free (with candies), and Nut-Free

 

6. Surf Sweets Snack Packs -  – Though I was excited to find this all natural creator of gummy goodness, I wasn’t sure how they would fit into the Halloween treats scene. That is until I spotted their Sour Berry Bears, sugary Gummy Bears, and Jelly Beans (all of which are also vegan / gelatin-free) in snack pack sizing. Surf Sweets is also offering new Spooky Spider gummies for the season.
Caters to: Vegan, Gluten-Free, and pretty much all of the most common food allergens

 

7. Glee Gum Mini Packs -  I confess, I was never a bubble gum fan, but some of my friends couldn’t get enough of it. Perhaps there was something to my hesitation, since several brands of gum do contain just a wee bit of a milk-based ingredient. But not Glee Gum. This allergy-friendly brand comes in small packs too, perfect for plunking into pumpkin baskets as low sugar Halloween treats. It is also reported as “sustainable” and comes in several different flavors.
Caters to: Vegan, Gluten-Free, and pretty much all of the most common food allergens with the exception of corn

 

8. VeganSweets Gourmet Caramels – You think I’m joking don’t you? Nope, the dairy-free and vegan caramels are back, individually wrapped, and ready to impress little goblins (in addition to ramping up that dairy-free holiday baking, but that is a post for another day). In addition to the caramels, the Pangea Halloween treats include individually wrapped Halloween Cookies.
Caters to: Vegan, Dairy-Free, Egg-Free

 

9. Endangered Species Dark Chocolate Halloween Treats - I am a big fan of Endangered Species, and love that they have these simple, yet Halloween appropriate, bite-sized dark chocolates for giving to children (they are a relatively mild dark / semi-sweet chocolate) or filling bowls at Halloween parties for kids and adults. Keep in mind, all of Endangered Species chocolate is run on shared lines (you can contact them about cleaning policies), so cross-contamination with the milk line is always a possibility.
Caters to: Vegan, Dairy-Free, Egg-Free

 

10. Sjaak’s Halloween Chocolate Bites - Another chocolate love of mine. Sjaak’s offers their individually-wrapped PB-filled chocolate bites and orange chocolate bites in cute Halloween bags. But, if those two flavors don’t spark you, they have several other vegan “bite” flavors, all individually wrapped, to choose from, just in less Halloween-inspired colors. Keep in mind, all of Sjaak’s chocolate is run on shared lines (you can contact them about cleaning policies), so cross-contamination with the milk line could be a possibility.
Caters to: Vegan, Dairy-Free, Egg-Free, Gluten-Free

 

11. Sweet & Sara Marshmallow Halloween Treats - Bats, cats, ghosts, spiders, and even cute marshmallow pops covered in dairy-free chocolate. Sweet & Sara has become the vegan headquarters for marshmallow treats that are far better tasting than any old peep. Caters to: Vegan, Dairy-Free, Egg-Free, Gluten-Free (though they do make one product containing gluten)

 

Honorable Mention:

Go Max Go Candy Bars - I am petitioning them for mini versions of their awesome vegan candy bars for Halloween treats. Our fingers are crossed for next year. In the meantime, honor those costume winners with a bag of these incredible candy bars.

Enjoy Life Boom Choco Boom Bars – Again, it would be great if they would make mini-bars, but their dark (more like kid-friendly semi-sweet) and “milk” bars are wonderful.

Crispy Cat Bars – Granola bar meets candy bar in this full-sized item. Good if you only have a few trick or treaters to please since they are full-sized and usually $2 or more a piece.

Chocolate Decadence – They have some fun dairy-free chocolate offerings in witch, pumpkin, and ghost shapes. I am not sure if they are individually wrapped, but the cellophane-wrapped chocolate bags look like a great gift. This used to be an allergen-safe company, but note that they now produce their chocolate on shared lines and do run the risk of cross-contamination with milk and other allergens.

For Will Foods Halloween Cookies - This is a smaller, allergy-free bakery with some cute special offerings. I wasn’t thrilled that they use hydrogenated oils, but the items are surely quite tasty.

Pure Fun – Another great all-natural, organic lollipop manufacturer. How can you go wrong?

And, once again, see my suggestions from 2006 and 2008 for more sweet Halloween treat ideas. Sweet ideas are never out of date!

Did I miss any? Feel free to email us with your suggestions.

Tagged food allergy-friendly, gluten free, Halloween, vegan