Remember when vegan jelly sweets were a niche product with limited options? They tasted…OK. Their texture was… palatable. The flavours were…limited.
Today, vegan sweets taste like the real thing: chocolate bars made with oat or almond milk, and sweets that seamlessly replicate brands like Haribo.
Whether you’re planning an event, want to stock your confectionery store, or love stocking up on treats for your family, we’ll cover what you should check before buying vegan jelly sweets in bulk.
Look for Gelatine-Free Sweets
All jelly sweets need a gelling agent to hold them together, and in most cases, that’s gelatine - an animal-derived product. Made from animal collagen, gelatine makes jelly sweets solid and is used by brands like Haribo.
However, it’s the first thing you should look for when browsing vegan sweets. There are plant-based options available that perform the same function as gelatine, including:
- Agar-Agar: This plant substance comes from red seaweed. It’s odourless and tasteless, making it a popular option. However, agar-agar requires a balancing act, as using too much can make the jelly sweets too brittle. 
- Pectin: Pectin is a natural substance found in the cell walls of vegetables and fruit products. Vegan confectionery producers mix it with acid and sugar to create a gel.
- Starch: Starch is another popular ingredient, although there are some drawbacks. The sweets are softer, but they can develop a grainy feel over time.
- Carrageenan: Like agar-agar, carrageenan comes from red seaweed and is known for its gel-like texture. It enhances the texture of plant-based foods and also improves the shelf life.
Cross Contamination
Many confectionery brands produce a range of sweets, so there’s always a risk of cross-contamination, unless the brand is exclusively vegan. When selling vegan sweets, it’s essential to include a disclaimer message about the facility.
For example, many confectionery manufacturers include “may contain traces of nuts” for people with allergies.
Look for products certified by a body like the Vegan Society, as this usually means the supply chain and manufacturing processes have been audited.
Check Storage Requirements
The gelling agent used in vegan jelly sweets can impact their shelf life. For example, pectin and agar-agar can be more sensitive to temperature changes and humidity than gelatin, which means incorrect storage could cause the sweets to stick together or dry out.
Before you place an order, remember to check the shelf life, storage recommendations, and the manufacture date.
Many vegan sweets will recommend storing the confectionery away from sunlight and in a cool location.
Read Reviews
Reviews tell you a lot about the quality of vegan sweets, including their texture, flavour, and quality. They’re particularly important when you’re buying wholesale vegan sweets, because storage conditions can impact the quality.
Remember to look for third-party reviews instead of testimonials, as they’re usually more reliable.
The Best Vegan Jelly Sweets
The great thing about today’s gelatine-free sweets is versatility. You’ll find a huge selection available at Appleton’s, including traditional jelly and fizzy sweets. So, let’s take a look at some of the most popular wholesale options.
Candycrave
Candycrave is an excellent option if you’re looking for quality and affordability. With traditional jelly sweet prices starting at £7.49 for a 2kg bag, you can stock up without worrying about costs.
Popular options include Baby Dolphins, Cola Bottles, Fizzy Tongue Painters, and Baby Meerkats, which are basically the same as vegan jelly babies with their texture and flavour options.
Lovalls
Lovalls is another company that offers a range of vegan sweets based on popular traditional jelly sweets. You can find recreations including Gummy Bears, Cola Bottles, Cherry Cola Bottles, Sour Worms, and Sweet Strawberries.
Fans of Haribo will appreciate the authenticity of Lovalls, so they’re worth buying - even though they’re more expensive.
Kingsway
Kingsway offers a Mega Value range of wholesale vegan sweets, at just £8.49 for a 2.5 kg bag. Fans of fizzy sweets will love the Kingsway range, which focuses on big flavours and tangy twists.
Popular options include Fizzy Bubblegum Bottles, Fizzy Strawberries, Fizzy Twin Cherries, Sour Bears, and Sour Dummies. You can also keep it safe with the Assorted Mix, ideal for pick-and-mix counters.
Bubs
While technically not jelly vegan sweets, UK consumers adore Bubs, so they’re worth a mention. After all, a combination of foam and jelly sweets never disappoints. Bubs is a Swedish brand, known for its plant-based foam creations.
The Banana and Wild Berry & Pomegranate Foams always fly off the shelves, while the traditional Jelly Skulls feature strong flavours.
Final Thoughts
When it comes to gelatine-free sweets, there are plenty of options available, making it easy for confectionery stores and event planners to cater for everyone.
Whether your customers are fans of sour flavours, fizzy sweets, or enjoy traditional jelly confectionery, we have a huge selection of sweets at low prices.
When you shop with us, you can enjoy complete flexibility. We’ve made our entire vegan collection accessible by removing minimum order amounts, which means you can buy a small selection of vegan jelly sweets to try.
We also offer free delivery on orders over £500 and check each vegan confectionery brand for quality before it’s available on our website.
If you have questions or aren’t sure which vegan sweets to choose, please get in touch with our customer service experts.