It’s Halloween… and vegetarian parents trying to teach a vegetarian lifestyle to their kids sometimes worry… worry their kids might feel they might be missing out or that they’ll be tempted or lured by candy they should not be eating. Or maybe you’re an adult that misses the flavor of certain candy you now know it’s not agreeable with your veggie lifestyle. What to do?
There’s plenty of candy suitable for vegetarians – candy without chocolate, without gelatin, without refined sugars or artificial flavorings and colorants. Let me give you a few ideas of my favorite ones:
Carob Bars
I get these bars every time we travel to NYC. You can get them in many health food stores. They’re made from carob, a caffeine free substitute for chocolate. Their taste resembles bittersweet dark chocolate because of their slightly bitter aftertaste. Unfortunately, these bars are not available in Puerto Rico or in many Whole Foods or Trader Joe’s.
Gummy Bears 
I’ve talked to you before about these Gummy Bears… if you like fruity candy, these Surf Sweets are a good substitute for the Skittles and Starburst. The bag is small, so it fits in any decent purse when going to the movies. I particularly like the Fruity Bears because they have a sugary coating on top of the gumminess…
Vegan Marshmallows
Now that the holidays are approaching you might more interesting in knowing there are vegan marshmallows available – without egg whites or gelatin. Combine them with the carob bars and a whole wheat graham cracker and you have a great vegetarian smore’s. You can also use them to top a sweet potato dish on Thanksgiving. Also, you can use them to make the infamous rice krispies treats we all love so much…
Sesame Seed Candy
I loved these little candies since I was a little girl. My grandpa taught me to eat them all the time. They’re small, sweet and great for a little sweet thing after a meal. I used to have a bag of these at my office desk. Sesame seed candy (dulce de ajonjolí) is very traditional in Puerto Rico, but this version is nicer. I do not know if it’s they have more honey or if the seeds are not as roasted as the local versions, but I like them best. Your back molars might get a little sticky, but hey, it’s worth it.
Make your own – Rice Krispies Treats
If you’re into rice krispies treats, here I show you a way to make them without the traditional marshmallows. I guess that if you got the vegan marshmallows above, you could adapt your favorite traditional recipe too.
Make your own – Candied Nuts
I love nuts… and I love to buy those warm candied nuts from the carts. I almost always buy a bag or two whenever I go to a Broadway show. If you’re at home, you can make a much healthier version using non-refined sweetener like maple sugar and maple syrup. Here’s my recipe for making praline nuts – I have made them with almonds, hazelnuts and walnuts…
Halloween is a holiday to be enjoyed by all – vegetarians and non-vegetarians alike. If you’re trying to keep true to your vegetarian lifestyle seek out these alternatives and you can be all into the holiday too.
KarmaFree Cooking 
I’m a little confused about what’s wrong with candy/chocolate for vegetarians. Perhaps you can clarify. I know gelatine is not okay, but how are chocolate, refined sugar, artificial flavours, etc. meat products? Is it just a health thing, or perhaps a vegan thing? Vegetarian and vegan are not the same thing – I completely understand providing suggestions for vegan parents, but as a vegetarian I get a little heart thump if someone suggests that chocolate is made from animals, haha.
KFC – Sure… I’ll explain. I mention this in the About Me section where I explain that for me being vegetarian extends to more than just not eating meat/animal products. Being vegetarian has to do with living a more natural lifestyle – strive to eat 100% whole grain products, products made without hydrogenated oils, without any chemical/artificial preservatives, without any artificial colorants… That’s why I try as much possible to avoid refined products (refined sugars, refined grains, etc.) artificial ingredients, flavors and colorants, not consuming products that contain caffeine or alcohol, which are stimulants just like any other drug. Chocolate contains caffeine and that’s why vegetarians who avoid caffeine do not consume it.
Hi,
As I’ve discovered, especially after doing some research for Halloween, that artificial colors and sugars can be considered non-vegetarian. Red coloring commonly called carmine or Natural Red 4, is actually made from crushed insects. See here for more: http://veggiewala.com/hidden-hazard-1/
Also, cane sugar is refined using bone char derived from cows. While the sugar doesn’t contain any bone, it is still not exactly vegetarian. Can sugar makes up most of the sugar used in the United States so processed foods containing sugar will most likely be using can sugar refined with cow bones. Read more here: http://www.vrg.org/journal/vj97mar/973sugar.htm
Thank you for the explanation! I understand now, and sorry I missed the About Me page 😉 That does make sense, especially if you’re a vegetarian for health/wellness reasons. I do it because of world hunger concerns, though I do try whenever possible within my budget to eat healthier in general. I’ve quit soda and I drink alcohol sparingly, but man, it’d be hard to give up on chocolate, haha. More power to you, though! That’s impressive.