Are M&M’s Vegan? No, they are not! M&M’s come in a variety of flavors but unfortunately, all of them contain milk-based components. And it’s not the only thing that vegans won’t like. What else is there? Are there any other non-vegan ingredients? Let’s have a look!
M&Ms ingredients*
- milk chocolate (sugar, chocolate, skim milk, cocoa butter, lactose, milk fat, soy lecithin, salt, artificial and natural flavors),
- sugar,
- cornstarch,
- less than 1% – corn syrup,
- dextrin,
- coloring (includes blue 2 lake, blue 1 lake, yellow 5, yellow 6, yellow 6 lake, red 40, red 40 lake, blue 1, yellow 5 lake, blue 2),
- carnauba wax,
- gum acacia.
*Nutrition info is taken from the M&Ms website
Milk
As I mentioned M&M’s contain milk which means that they are not suitable for vegans. But it’s not the only thing.
Food Coloring and Flavors
The rainbow-like color of M&M’s is produced through the use of food coloring, natural and artificial flavors. These artificial colors are not derived from any animal source, this means they are vegan and cruelty-free. However, some vegans are opposed to goods that include artificial colors (and flavors) because they were developed as a result of animal testing.
Other additives
On top of that on the official Twitter M&M’s account they admitted that they “use additives that come from animal products when we’re making M&M’s and traces of these can be found in the sweets. They aren’t listed in the ingredients because they’re only present in such small amounts”.
I know! that’s terrible news for any chocoholic. However, there are several vegan chocolate sweets that can be used in place of M&M’s. Let us learn more about them now.
Best M&M’s Vegan Alternatives
If you are looking for a great vegan alternative to M&Ms I have a few picks that will perfectly fit vegan lifestyle:
#1: Unreal Chocolate
Unreal chocolate creates chocolate snacks that we can actually eat and feel good about. They reimagined our favorite foods using only real, basic ingredients and considerably less sugar.
Here’s what they offer:
- Unreal – Dark Chocolate Crispy Quinoa Gems. They are a great alternative for traditional crispy M&Ms)
- Unreal – Dark Chocolate Peanut Gems. A great alternative to peanut M&Ms
- Unreal – Milk Chocolate Gems. A perfect alternative for traditional M&M’s
#2: Little secrets
Little secrets are every chocolate lover’s rejoice! They bring back the chocolate classics and make them even better with irresistible, high-quality ingredients.
Here’s what they offer:
- Little Secrets Dark Chocolate Pieces – Peanut Butter Flavor Chocolate Piecess. A fair trade chocolate (55% dark chocolate) alternative for peanut butter M&M’s. Yum!
- Little Secrets Toasted Coconut Dark Chocolate Pieces. An amazing alternative for coconut M&Ms
#3: No Whey! Chocolate
Everything No Whey Foods (NWH) does to assure that the sweets it sells are of good quality. Natural, vegan, and allergen-free in most cases. They do almost anything you could imagine. And yes, they do make vegan M&M’s too!
Here’s what they offer:
- Milk like chocolate candies (great substitute for regular M&M’s)
- Peppermint no no’s – which have an amazing milkless chocolate center, a wonderful natural colored candy covering, and a pleasant Peppermint flavor which as you can imagine are a great substitute for mint M&M’s
#4: Cocomels
Cocomels (the name comes from coconut milk caramels). Sweets are created with premium ingredients that are vegan & gluten-free.
Here’s what they offer:
- Cocomels Sea Salt Chocolate (coconut milk caramel rolled in 60% dark chocolate). Amazin alternative for dark chocolate M&M’s
- Cocomels Crispy Bites (allulose based dark chocolate covered in crisped quinoa)
#5: Doisy & Dam
Doisy and Dam’s chocolate is made from ethically sourced cocoa, contains only natural ingredients, and always palm oil and dairy-free. They are very committed to making everything natural and vegan-friendly
Some Questions You May Still Have
What M and MS are vegan?
None of the currently available M&Ms are vegan. Whether it’s classic, dark chocolate, mint or peanut version they all contain milk ingredients.
Can you get dairy-free M&Ms?
No, you can’t get dairy-free M&Ms but you can get dairy-free M&Ms alternatives. The most known and delicious ones are No Whey!, Unreal chocolate and Little secrets. They all have M&Ms-like products that are fully vegetarian (and in most cases allergen-free too)
Do dark chocolate M&Ms have dairy?
Yes, dark chocolate M&Ms have dairy in them. Despite the fact that dark chocolate does not have milk, the dark chocolate M&Ms ingredients list includes milk.
Are Brownie M&Ms vegan?
No, Brownie M&Ms are not vegan as they contain milk and artificial food colorings.
Are mini M and Ms vegan?
No, mini M&Ms are not vegan as they contain milk and artificial food colorings.
Final thoughts
So, are M&Ms vegan? The answer is unfortunately no, they are not vegan friendly. They all contain milk ingredients so are not dairy-free and won’t be a good addition to a vegan diet.
However, there are some amazing dairy-free substitutes that taste just like the originals and are a perfect fit for the vegan world! Unreal chocolate, Little secrets, and No Whey!: they all make great chocolate candy that will fulfill your cravings. So go ahead and enjoy some delicious chocolate without the guilt!
