Updated in September 2023! Sweet, chewy caramels are a holiday classic for baking and enjoying. But most varieties are made with butter, cream, and/or condensed milk. Fortunately, there are now several brands of vegan caramels that can be melted for dipping caramel apples, baked into desserts, or simply savored. This round up includes those straight-up dairy-free Caramels plus Caramel Baking Chips and bonus chewy Caramel Candy Bars.
Important Allergen Note: Any allergen information included in this post is from the manufacturer but does not indicate risk or safety of this product for someone’s food allergy. “May contain” type statements are completely voluntary. All products should be considered at risk for potential allergen cross-contamination as there is no such thing as a risk-free environment. Always contact the company to ensure their allergen processes are safe enough for your needs. Also, consult the actual packaging before consumption as the ingredients or labeling may have changed. This dairy-free caramels post is for informational purposes only and should not replace your own due diligence.
The Best Vegan & Dairy-Free Caramels You Can Buy
All of these dairy-free caramels are packaged for using in recipes or enjoying as candy. They are also vegan, gluten-free, mostly soy-free, and nut-free, but do contain coconut. See the Caramel Baking Chips and Caramel Candy Bars further down the page for some coconut-free options.
AvenueSweets Dairy Free Caramels
These made with coconut milk caramel candies come in three flavors: golden vanilla, sea salt, and sea salt chocolate. They are also sold in bulk.
Ingredients: vegan organic cane sugar, organic tapioca syrup, organic coconut milk, organic coconut oil, organic agave nectar, sea salt (sea salt and sea salt chocolate varieties), organic cocoa (sea salt chocolate variety), organic vanilla. Contains: tree nuts (coconut). Produced and packaged in a facility that produces and packages products containing peanuts and tree nuts.
Cocomels
Cocomels come in a range of flavors and even in chocolate-covered varieties! Most of the flavors have ingredients similar to the Original version below, which is rich with full fat coconut milk. The Coconut Sugar is a special unrefined variety. The Original is a great option for holiday baking, but they also offer fun flavors, like seasonal Pumpkin Spice. See our Review for Cocomels.
Ingredients (Original): organic coconut milk (organic coconut, water), organic brown rice syrup, organic dried cane syrup, sea salt, xanthan gum.
Ingredients (Coconut Sugar): organic coconut milk (organic coconut, water), organic tapioca syrup, organic coconut sugar, sea salt, xanthan gum.
Allergen disclaimer: this product is manufactured on equipment used to process dairy, peanut, tree nuts and soy protein. equipment is purged prior to jj’s sweets, inc. production.
SmartSweets Caramels
These low sugar treats contain just 1 gram of sugar for an entire bag, and a whopping 15 grams of fiber!
Ingredients: coconut cream (coconut extract, water), soluble corn fiber, allulose, isomalto-oligosaccharides (vegetable source), water, palm oil, natural flavors, salt, sunflower lecithin, locust bean gum, stevia leaf extract, xanthan gum.
Sweet Apricity Caramels
These made with coconut milk caramel candies come in three flavors: golden vanilla, sea salt, and sea salt chocolate. They are also sold in bulk.
Ingredients: vegan organic cane sugar, organic tapioca syrup, organic coconut milk, organic coconut oil, organic agave nectar, sea salt (sea salt and sea salt chocolate varieties), organic cocoa (sea salt chocolate variety), organic vanilla. Contains: tree nuts (coconut). Produced and packaged in a facility that produces and packages products containing peanuts and tree nuts.
Super Fudgio Toffee Caramels
These are reportedly a little different, but still sweet and chewy. It’s a UK brand, but you can sometimes find them online in the US too.
Ingredients: organic coconut sugar, organic coconut milk powder, organic rice syrup, organic sunflower protein, organic gum arabic, natural vegan flavor.
Kuybonbon Vegan Caramels
This is a German company that distributes in Germany, but also sells internationally online.
Ingredients: glucose syrup, unrefined cane sugar, cocoa butter, pea protein, dextrose, organic coconut milk powder (organic coconut milk, organic maltodextrin, acacia fiber), sunflower lecithin, maize starch, salt, natural vegan flavor.
Vegan & Dairy-Free Caramel Chips for Baking
Yes, dairy-free, coconut-free caramel “chocolate chips” exist, and they each happen to be kosher pareve.
King David Caramel Chips
This brand also makes dairy-free butterscotch chips.
Ingredients: sugar, palm fat, soy flour, emulsifiers (mono- & diglycerides, polyglicerol, polyricinoleate), soy lecithin, cocoa butter, salt, flavors, vanillin, food colorings (tartrazine – fd&c yellow 5, allura red – fd&c red 40). Contains: soy.
Baker’s Choice Caramel Flavored Chips
It’s sold online, but you can also look for this brand of dairy-free caramel baking chips in the kosher section of major grocer stores.
Ingredients: sugar, partially hydrogenated palm kernel oil, cocoa, natural and artificial flavors,, artificial colors (fd&c yellow #6 aluminum lake, fd&c yellow #5 aluminum lake, fd&c blue #2 aluminum lake), soy lecithin, salt.
Lieber’s Caramel Flavored Chips
This brand is a little harder to find, but they often pop up in the kosher section at grocery stores.
Ingredients: sugar, hydrogenated palm oil, soy flour, cocoa powder, soy lecithin, vegan flavors, salt. Contains: soy.
More Dairy-Free Caramel Candy Bars & Treats
I couldn’t resist adding this “bonus” section of caramel candy bars and bites. These aren’t caramel-flavored items. They’re sweets filled with ooey, gooey, dairy-free caramel. These product lines are a bit more varied, so I’ve simply included details and links to more information.
- Sjaak’s Caramel Bars – This was one of the first dairy-free caramel candy bars that I tried, and the soft vegan caramel centers did not disappoint. Plus the bars come in both dark and “milk” chocolate varieties.
- Eli’s Earth Candy Bars – These are also made by Sjaak’s, but they’re more “complete” vegan candy bars that come in a few varieties.
- Sjaak’s Caramel Bites – They make these dairy-free chocolate covered caramels in a few flavors.
- No Whey Caramel Candy Bars – They make caramel and nougat candy bars that are not only dairy-free, but egg-free and allergy-friendly too. They’re even coconut-free.
- No Whey Caramels – Think boxes of chocolate-covered caramels with these treats. And these are also allergy-friendly and coconut-free.
- Go Max Go Candy Bars – They make vegan takes on classic candy bars, including Snickers (called Jokerz) and Milky Way (called Twighlight) bars.
- Booja Booja Organic Almond Salted Caramel Truffles – Now this is a decadent brand! You can order these from the U.S., but they’re much cheaper in the U.K.
- Chocolate Inspirations Vegan Caramel Bars – Their Sweet Buddies Caramel Bars come in a few varieties, some chocolate covered, some simply salted and dotted with peanuts.
- Choices Chocolate Caramels – Choices is a store brand in the U.K., and this is their dairy-free version of Rolos.
- Chocolate-Covered Cocomels – Their caramel candies are enrobed in dairy-free dark chocolate. These come in classic square caramels and round bites.
Also See Our Dairy-Free Caramel Sauce Guide!
