Snickers are one of the most popular candy bars in America and have been around since 1930, making them almost a century old! The original recipe has changed very little since the “old days,” and is one of the reasons why chocolate-caramel candy has such a rich flavor.
However, given that caramel usually isn’t vegan, most vegans are wondering, “Are Snickers vegan?”
Like many candy bars, Snickers are made with milk chocolate. Therefore they are NOT vegan, as they contain dairy. In addition to milk, Snickers also contains egg whites, palm oil, and refined white sugar – none of which are vegan-friendly.
This means that Snickers could very well be the least vegan candy bar on the market!
Snickers may be iconic, but they aren’t vegan.
I never like to leave my readers empty-handed, though. So I decided to make a full post explaining exactly why Snickers aren’t vegan. Take a look!
Are Any Snickers Vegan?
Snickers offer a couple of different varieties of their classic candy. For instance, one of my childhood favorites was the Snickers Peanut Brownie. Unfortunately, there are no vegan-friendly flavors of Snickers.
All varieties of Snickers are made with milk chocolate and contain palm oil, sugar, and eggs. While the flavors may be a little bit different, all Snickers use the same base recipe, which is non-vegan.
Are Snickers Made With Egg?
Oddly enough, Snickers is one of the few candy bars that are made with real eggs.
When I first found out that Snickers was made with egg whites, I was taken aback. I’d never read the ingredients label before and decided to read through it one day while I was bored on the train.
Snickers have been around for a long time and the original recipe hasn’t changed much. This is why they’re still made with real eggs instead of artificial substitutes and emulsifiers like gelatin.
Why Are Snickers Not Vegan? Ingredients Listed
Snickers aren’t vegan for a LOT of reasons. In fact, there are more non-vegan ingredients than vegan ingredients used in Snickers! Don’t believe me? Check out the original ingredients list from the Snickers website:
I always encourage my readers to get familiar with common food additives so they can learn how to start reading through ingredients lists by themselves. The more you learn about what’s really in your food, the more you’ll want to exercise caution when it comes to what you eat.
So, here’s a brief explanation of each ingredient used in Snickers, so you can see for yourself!
1) Milk Chocolate
Milk Chocolate is the primary base of Snickers and most other candy bars. It’s known for its smooth texture, sweet yet mild flavor, and for being easier to digest than dark chocolate.
Unfortunately, as the name implies, milk chocolate is made with dairy.
Dairy is non-vegan as it’s obtained through the exploitation of animals. Female cows are artificially inseminated so that their bodies are in a constant state of pregnancy and producing milk.
They’re never allowed to bond with their young, which are taken from them at birth and slaughtered for veal (young cow meat). The whole process is cruel and unusual, which is why vegans boycott milk, dairy, and milk chocolate.
Keep in mind that there’s nothing wrong with chocolate, by itself, though. Cocoa powder and dark chocolate are always vegan-friendly!
2) Peanuts
Peanuts are the second main ingredient used in Snickers. These nuts are actually one of the few vegan ingredients you’ll find in the candy! By themselves, peanuts are healthy and delicious.
They’re a great source of healthy plant-based fats, protein, and complex carbohydrates. They also contain high amounts of dietary fiber.
Unfortunately, though, Snickers still isn’t vegan. So, you’re better off eating peanuts alone!
3) Corn Syrup
Corn syrup is another common ingredient that’s found in most candy bars. This syrupy plant-based sweetener has a thick, viscous consistency and a concentrated flavor, which makes it optimal for creating thick, chewy candy.
Corn syrup is 100% vegan and comes from corn, so you don’t have to worry about this additive.
4) Sugar
Snickers are made with refined white sugar, which is the most commonly found form of sugar in the world. Unfortunately, white sugar is not vegan.
While regular cane sugar is vegan (since it’s not processed), white sugar is refined through a not-so-vegan filtration method.
To remove the natural brown color and sweet, malty flavor from the sugar crystals, they must first be filtered through bone char. This is a special type of carbon-heavy charcoal that’s made from the burnt remains of animals.
This is why most vegans abstain from white sugar. Instead, look for food products that contain organic cane sugar or unrefined sugar. Coconut sugar is another great-tasting source of plant-based sugar!
5) Palm Oil
Many vegans also abstain from palm oil. Although it’s a natural plant-based oil, the palm oil industry is incredibly destructive to the environment.
Every year, tens of thousands of acres of irreplaceable rainforest land are burned down to make room for more palm oil farms and refineries.
This, in turn, is pushing rainforest wildlife to the brink of extinction and is quickly destroying our planet’s natural air filtration system (the rainforest).
6) Skim Milk
In addition to the milk within the milk chocolate, Snickers uses even more milk to make the caramel filling that coats the peanuts.
7) Lactose
Lactose is pure milk sugar. This sugar is extracted from milk and is often used in chocolate bars and other sweet candy. It blends well with the milk and provides a sweet, smooth, milky flavor. However, it’s definitely not vegan.
8) Salt
A bit of salt is added to the mixture to stabilize the candy bar and even out the sweet flavors of the chocolate and sugar.
Salt is generally vegan, though, so you shouldn’t worry too much about this ingredient unless you’re on a low-sodium diet.
9) Egg Whites
Egg whites are presumably added to help make the caramel syrup within the Snickers. As I wrote in a detailed post last week, egg whites are never vegan, as they’re obtained through the exploitation of captive chickens.
10) Artificial Flavor
Last but not least, Snickers (like most candy) is artificially flavored. These artificial flavors are lab-derived, so they’re vegan. However, they aren’t very healthy or natural, so you should avoid artificial flavors when possible.
Conclusion – Vegans Should Avoid Snickers
Long story short – Snickers is NOT vegan. They’re made almost entirely of non-vegan ingredients, are packed with sugar, and aren’t even slightly healthy.
If you’re looking for a solution to your chocolate cravings, then I suggest eating dark chocolate candy. These are usually vegan, as they don’t contain dairy or eggs!
