Are Sour Patch Kids Vegan – Vegan Sour Patch Kids?

At first glance, it is easy to think Sour Patch Kids are vegan, however, this might not necessarily be the case. Even though the candies do not have any ingredients listed which are directly animal-derived, there is a good chance animal products were used while making some of the ingredients.

Ingredients Found In Sour Patch Kids

There are several types of Sour Patch Kids recipes, however, many of them have the following ingredients on the package: Sugar, invert sugar, corn syrup, modified corn starch, contains less than 2% of tartaric acid, citric acid, natural and artificial flavor, Yellow 6, Red 40, Yellow 5, Blue 1. At first glance, there doesn’t appear to be any issues for vegans, however, it all comes down to how the sugar is processed.

There are two ways to make sugar, using sugar-beets, or sugarcane, with sugar cane being made from bone char. Bone char is the charred and crushed bones of cattle which is used in the making of cane sugar. Bone char is not in the cane sugar itself, however, the sugar does come into contact with the bone char in the process.

Depending on how devout of a vegan you are, would determine your comfortableness of eating Sour Patch Kids. If you go by the the definition of veganism, however, which is, “The practice of eating only food not derived from animals and typically of avoiding the use of other animal products,” I think it is clear that be the definition, Sour Patch Kids are not vegan due to animal products being used in the production.

Additionally, the company which makes Sour Patch Kids, Mondelez, have also stated they have several sugar suppliers who use bone char in their sugar refining process, and some do not. As such, they could not guarantee which sugar was being used at that current moment in time.

Are Sour Patch Kids Vegan? – The Conclusion

It is our opinion that Sour Patch Kids are not vegan, simply because bone char could have been used in the sugar refining process. The use of food colorings or dies could also make Sour Patch Kids not vegan as they are commonly tested on animals such as dogs, mice, and rats prior to human consumption.

As always, this is only our opinion, but one we think is a logical conclusion. If you have a different idea, or have ideas for alternatives, let us know as we would love to hear from you!

Vegan Snicker Bar Recipe

Prep: 30 mins – Total: 3 hrs 30 mins

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup cashew butter or almond butter (I use raw cashew butter)
• 1/4 cup + 1 tablespoon melted coconut oil
• 1/4 cup honey or maple syrup (I like to use honey)
• 4-6 tablespoons coconut flour or almond flour
• 3 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon flaky sea salt, plus more for topping
• 1 1/2 cups real maple syrup
• 3/4 cup canned full fat coconut milk, use only the coconut cream, no water
• 1 tablespoon creamy peanut butter
• 1 cup roasted peanuts
• 12 ounces dark chocolate, chopped

Instructions

• Line an 8×8 inch square pan with parchment paper.
• To make the “nougat” layer. In a bowl, melt together the cashew butter, 1/4 cup coconut oil, and 1/4 cup honey/maple in the microwave until combined, about 30 second to 1 minute. Stir in 1 teaspoon vanilla, 4 tablespoons coconut flour, and salt until combined. The mix should be creamy and drizzly, but if it feels too runny, add 1 tablespoon flour. Spread the mix into the prepared pan. Sprinkle 2/3 cup peanuts overtop. Freeze until firm, about 20 minutes.
• In a medium pot, combine the 1 cup maple syrup and 1/2 cup coconut cream and bring to a boil over high heat. Boil 8-12 minutes or until thickened to a caramel like sauce. Remove from the heat and stir in the peanut butter and the 1 teaspoon vanilla. Let the mix cool slightly, then pour over the “nougat” layer. The caramel should begin to stiffen. Freeze while you make the gooey caramel layer.
• Working with the same pot, combine 1/2 cup maple and 1/4 cup coconut cream. Bring to a boil over high heat. Boil 7-11 minutes or until thickened to a caramel like sauce. Remove from the heat and stir in 1 teaspoon vanilla. Pour the sauce over the first caramel layer, then sprinkle 1/3 cup peanuts over the caramel. Freeze 1-2 hours, until the caramel is firm.
• Cut into 16 bars. Freeze 15 minutes. 6. Melt the chocolate and coconut oil in the microwave until melted and smooth. Let cool 5 minutes. Cover/dip each bar in chocolate, return to the freezer to let the chocolate set up, about 10 minutes. Keep stored in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.

This delicious recipe and photos were created by HalfBakedHarvest.com, we simply shared it! Please check them out as they have a ton of great ideas!