Is Assorted Chocolate Candies & Dark Chocolate Candy Vegan?

The Ingredient Breakdown

When analyzing the ingredient list for this popular snack mix, the vegan verdict comes down to the specific sources of fat and protein used in the chocolate coatings and fillings. While the product uses plant-based sweeteners like maltitol and rebiana (stevia extract), the structural and flavoring ingredients tell a different story.

The primary conflict for a vegan diet is the widespread use of dairy. We see sodium caseinate listed multiple times. While this is a milk derivative often used in 'non-dairy' creamers to stabilize texture, it is absolutely not vegan. Furthermore, the inclusion of milk fat and actual butter confirms the presence of animal-derived ingredients. These are used to create that creamy mouthfeel in the chocolate and pastel coatings.

Additionally, the pastel coating contains glycerol-lacto esters of fatty acids, which can sometimes be derived from animal fats, though in this context with milk fat listed, the dairy connection is already established. The dark chocolate component itself is processed with alkali (Dutch-processed) but is adulterated with milk fat, preventing it from being a pure vegan dark chocolate.

Nutritional Value

From a nutritional standpoint, this product is designed as a high-calorie treat rather than a health food. The primary macronutrient is fat, derived from a mix of tree nuts (peanuts, pecans, almonds) and processed vegetable oils like hydrogenated cottonseed/rapeseed oil and palm kernel oil. These fats provide the dense calorie count typical of candy mixes.

Because it uses sugar alcohols like maltitol and sorbitol, the product is lower in net carbohydrates than traditional candy, but these ingredients are known to cause digestive distress in sensitive individuals. The calorie density remains high due to the nuts and oils, so it should be consumed in moderation, especially by those monitoring their weight or blood sugar levels.