Dairy-Free Candy: Complete Guide for Halloween, Parties & Special Treats

Updated 2020! Several years ago, a milk allergy mom wrote in and asked, “What dairy-free Halloween candy can my child enjoy?” Halloween is one time of year that many parents let their children splurge on sugar highs. But most of the popular, individually-wrapped treats contain dairy. So I’ve taken the time to compile this big dairy-free candy resource for you!

This post includes over 50 dairy-free Halloween candy options (small, individual packages) that you can find in stores. But it also includes sneaky dairy-containing candy to avoid, trick-or-treating tips, and homemade candy bar recipes. And we’ve got quite a few allergy-friendly and vegan treats too!

Surprisingly, candy corn and their pumpkin cousins are typically dairy-free. But vegans and those with egg allergies should use caution as egg whites are sometimes a main ingredient for that signature texture. Some brands might also contain gelatin and honey. 

Dairy-Free Candy for Halloween Trick-or-Treating

The dairy-free candy below is available in trick-or-treat sized, individually-wrapped, multi-serve packages that you can buy in most stores. They are great for Halloween, parties, or a lunchbox surprise! And at the time of our review, they were all dairy-free by ingredients.*

This list does contain some links to Amazon, which are intended to be helpful and go directly to the “fun sizes.” We do receive very modest commissions from your Amazon purchases via these links which help to support the maintenance of this website. Thank you for your support!

The Big List!

• Airheads (contains soy oil)
• Atkinson’s Peanut Butter Bars** (contains peanut)
• Atomic Fireballs **
• Black Forest Gummy Bears (not vegan – contains gelatin)
• Bottle Caps
• Brach’s Candy Corn** (not vegan – contains gelatin and honey)
• Brach’s Cinnamon Hard Candies
• Brach’s Jelly Nougats** (not vegan – contains egg; contains soy) – I loved these as a kid!
• Brach’s Orange Slices**
• Brach’s Root Beer Barrels
• Brach’s Star Brites**
• Chick-O-Sticks** (contains peanut and soy)
• Cocomel’s Coconut Milk Caramels**
• Dad’s Root Beer Barrels
• Dots
• Dum Dums (allergy-friendly label)
• Enjoy Life Mini Chocolate Bars (allergy-friendly label)
• Goldenberg’s Original Dark Peanut Chews** (contains peanuts and soy)
• Haribo GoldBears (not vegan – contains gelatin and beeswax; contains wheat/gluten)
• Hot Tamales
• Jelly Belly Jelly Beans (not vegan – contains beeswax)
• Jolly Rancher Hard Candies
• Jolly Rancher Lollipops (contains soy)
• Jujyfruits
• Junior Mints** (contain soy)
• Justin’s Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups** (contains peanuts and soy)
• Laffy Taffy (contains soy; large size also contains egg, but small size does not)
• Lake Champlain Organic Dark Chocolate Minis**
• Lance Peanut Bar (contains peanuts; full size only)
• Lemonheads**
• LifeSavers 5 Flavors Hard Candies
• LifeSavers Butter Rum Hard Candies
• LifeSavers 5 Flavors Gummies (not vegan – contains gelatin)
• Lovely Organic Lollipops
• Mamba (contains wheat)
• Mary Janes (contains peanut and soy)
• Nerds
• No Whey Candy Bar Minis
• Now & Later Soft Taffy (not vegan – contains egg; contains soy)
• Ocho Organic Coconut Chocolate Bar Minis**
• Pez Candy
• Pixy Stix
• Red Bird Soft Puffs Candy (allergy-friendly label)
• Ring Pops**
• Saf-T Pops (allergy-friendly label)
• Skittles
• Smarties Candy Rolls*
• Sour Patch Kids (Zombies, too)
• Sour Punch Twists (contains wheat/gluten)
• Starburst (not vegan – contains gelatin)
• Surf Sweets Organic Gummies (allergy-friendly label)
• Swedish Fish
• Sweetarts Original
• Sweetarts Chewy (not vegan – contains egg; Chews contain soy)
• Twizzlers (contains wheat and soy)
• Unreal Dark Chocolate Coconut Bars
• YumEarth Gummy Bears (not vegan – contains gelatin; allergy-friendly label)
• YumEarth Gummy Fruits (allergy-friendly label)
• YumEarth Organic Candy Corn (not vegan – contains egg and honey)
• YumEarth Organic Lollipops (allergy-friendly label)
• YumEarth Organic Sour Beans (allergy-friendly label)

Dairy-Free Halloween Chocolate & Specialty Treats*

For dairy-free Halloween chocolate, organic candies, and other specialty sweets, see my list of the Cutest, Tastiest, Dairy-Free and Vegan Halloween Treats. A few of these items are listed above because you can find them in Halloween sizing in many stores. But some of them are harder to find in stores or are a more “indulgent” treats that you might want to save for candy swapping with your little dairy-free ghost or goblin.

Sneaky Sweets that Contain Dairy***

Beyond chocolates, some surprising candies do contain milk ingredients. Put up the red flag when you spot any of the candies below.

These Candy Products Contain Dairy

• Caramel Apple Pops
• Charleston Chew
• Creme Savers
• Junior Mints Deluxe (but not original Junior Mints)
• Pop Rocks
• Sugar Babies
• Sugar Daddies
• Tootsie Fruit Chews
• Tootsie Fruit Chew Pops
• Tootsie Pops
• Tootsie Rolls
• Werther’s Candies

These Types of Halloween Candy Can Also Contain Dairy

• Butterscotch Buttons – Most are dairy-free, but the rogue brand contains a touch of butter.
• Caramels – Unless they are specifically labeled as dairy-free or vegan.
• Chocolate – Unless it is specifically labeled as dairy-free or vegan.
• “Cream” and “Caramel” Flavored Candies – Real dairy is often used.

Dairy-Free Halloween Tips

Here are additional tips, warnings, and ideas to help your child safely enjoy some dairy-free candy this Halloween.

1. Many food allergy parents stock “safe” candies and chocolates at home (see my Cutest, Tastiest, Dairy-Free and Vegan Halloween Treats for some potential chocolates and special treats). They then swap out the “bad” candies for an assortment of safe ones when their child returns home.
2. Another food allergy parent trick is to deliver “safe” dairy-free candy to a few friendly neighbors, so that they can give those treats to their child.
3. Half of the Halloween fun is playing dress up! Once they’ve donned their best costumes your child can help greet trick-or-treaters while enjoying their own allergy-friendly treats at home.
4. Those miniature versions of full-sized candy packages and candy bars may actually possess different ingredients or be made in a different facility than their larger cousins. So don’t assume they are safe even if you are used to sharing the regular-sized candies with your little one. Check the ingredients!*
5. Instead of trick-or-treating, you might start a new Halloween tradition of making dairy-free candy together at home. For ideas, you can jump to our round-up of tasty candy recipes below.
6. If you want to avoid food treats altogether, and skip those sugar highs, go teal for Halloween. Sarah and her kids put together this list of 15 Food-Free Halloween Treats That Kids Actually Want.

Dairy-Free Candy & Chocolate Bar Recipes

Save some money and have fun making your own dairy-free Halloween candy!

• Peppermint Patties (vegan, gluten-free, top allergen-free)
• Candy Corn (vegan, gluten-free, nut-free)
• Peanut Butter Twix Bars (vegan, gluten-free, soy-free)
• White Chocolate Crispy Bars (vegan, gluten-free, soy-free)
• Gummy Bears (gluten-free, nut-free)
• Mounds Bars (vegan, gluten-free, top allergen-free)
• Peanut Butter “Truffles” (vegan, gluten-free, soy-free)
• Cashew Joy Candy Bars (vegan, gluten-free, soy-free)
• Eclair Bon Bons (vegan, gluten-free, top allergen-free)
• Snickers Bars (vegan, gluten-free, soy-free)
• Kit Kats (vegan, gluten-free, soy-free)
• Chocolate Pumpkin Butter Cups (vegan, gluten-free, top allergen-free)

Don’t Forget to Read This …

*Always check the ingredients before consumption. If potential cross contamination is a concern for  your needs, always contact the manufacturer to discuss their processes. Never rely on lists or product packaging exclusively when dealing with a severe food allergy. “May contain” warnings are unreliable and unregulated, so they should not be used to assess whether a product is safe. These lists are for informational purposes only and should not replace your own due diligence. Ingredients and processes are subject to change at any time, and without our knowledge. If you notice that a product is no longer dairy-free by ingredients or if there is an error, please kindly comment to let us know.

**We saw a “made in a facility …,” “made on shared equipment …,” or “may contain …” statement for milk on this product. This does not mean the product is “unsafe” or that the other dairy-free candy on this list is “safe.” As mentioned above, “may contain” warnings are voluntary, and are sometimes added for liability prevention. And packaging and processes can vary by region, even with the same candy. You might see a “may contain” warning, and we might not. If dealing with a severe food allergy of any kind, you must contact the manufacturer!!

***To help you read those candy labels, see our Dairy Ingredient List.

For More Dairy-Free Tips & Recipes, Get Go Dairy Free!

If you like my posts, then check out the massively expanded 2nd Edition of Go Dairy Free. It’s packed with recipes, quick guides, and answers for dairy-free living!

What’s Your Favorite Dairy-Free Halloween Candy?