Yes. American Licorice Company, which makes Red Vines, states on its own FAQ that "Red Vines are a vegan-friendly candy," and the Original Red Twists label lists only corn syrup, wheat flour, high fructose corn syrup, citric acid, artificial flavor and Red 40. Nothing in that list comes from an animal, and the Original Red recipe contains no cane sugar, so the bone-char question does not apply to it.
That is a brand statement, not a third-party vegan certification. The flavors that use cane sugar are where the remaining gray area sits, covered below.
What Red Vines are
Red Vines are hollow, twisted wheat-based chews made by American Licorice Company in the US. Despite the name, only the black variety is true licorice: the company's FAQ says only black licorice contains licorice extract and anise, while the red twists use artificial flavor. The line includes Original Red, Black Licorice, Sugar Free Black and Strawberry, Grape, seasonal flavors, and a "Made Simple" range sweetened with cane sugar and colored with vegetable sources.
Original Red Twists: full ingredient breakdown
As printed on the Original Red Twists packaging (reproduced by Vitacost and Kroger's King Soopers listings):
Corn syrup, wheat flour, high fructose corn syrup, citric acid, artificial flavor, Red 40. Allergen statement: contains wheat.
- Corn syrup and high fructose corn syrup: plant-derived sweeteners. Unlike cane sugar, they are not filtered through bone char, which removes the most common hidden-animal question in candy.
- Wheat flour: gives the chew its body. Vegan, but it means Red Vines are not gluten-free, as the company confirms.
- Citric acid: made by fermentation; vegan.
- Artificial flavor: synthetic rather than extracted from a natural source. The manufacturer's vegan-friendly statement covers it.
- Red 40: a synthetic dye, not insect-derived carmine. Some strict vegans avoid it because synthetic dyes have historically been tested on animals. That is an ethical choice about testing, not an animal ingredient.
Missing from the list: gelatin, beeswax, shellac or confectioner's glaze, milk, egg and honey. Compare that with gummy candies such as the ones in our Swedish Fish guide, where the coating is often what causes the problem.
If you want to check any other candy label the same way, paste it into the SP Vegan ingredient checker.
Are Red Vines vegan? Flavor-by-flavor
| Product | Key ingredients | Animal ingredients listed | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| Original Red Twists | Corn syrup, wheat flour, HFCS, citric acid, artificial flavor, Red 40 | None | Vegan (brand-confirmed) |
| Black Licorice Twists | Wheat flour, corn syrup, HFCS, cane sugar, cocoa powder, vinegar, salt, anise flavor, licorice extract | None | Vegan by ingredients; cane sugar source not disclosed |
| Sugar Free Black Licorice | Maltitol syrup, wheat flour, vinegar, cocoa powder, licorice extract, anise flavor, potassium sorbate | None | Vegan by ingredients |
| Made Simple Mixed Berry | Cane sugar, wheat flour, citric acid, natural berry flavor, radish extract for color | None | Vegan by ingredients; cane sugar and natural flavor sources not disclosed |
| Chocolate Covered Mini Twists | Not published on the manufacturer's product page | Unverified | Check the tin; chocolate coatings commonly contain milk |
The company's general vegan-friendly statement is written about "Red Vines" as a brand, but it also tells shoppers to "always refer to the product packaging" because ingredients vary. Treat the chocolate-covered version as unconfirmed until you have read its label.
The cane sugar question
Black Licorice and Made Simple use cane sugar. Some US cane sugar is whitened with bone char, and American Licorice does not say which refiners it buys from. Most vegans accept cane sugar in processed foods because the bone char never ends up in the product, but if you avoid it, stick with Original Red, which uses corn syrups only. The same issue comes up in our animal crackers guide.
Red Vines vs Twizzlers: nutrition and ingredients
| Per serving | Red Vines Original Red | Red Vines Black Licorice | Red Vines Made Simple Berry | Twizzlers Strawberry Twists |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Serving | 3 twists (30 g) | 3 twists (30 g) | 3 twists (30 g) | 3 pieces |
| Calories | 100 | 100 | 100 | 110 |
| Total fat | 0 g | not listed | not listed | 0.5 g |
| Sodium | 15 mg | 60 mg | 10 mg | 70 mg |
| Carbohydrates | 25 g | 24 g | 21 g | 26 g |
| Added sugars | 12 g | 12 g | 18 g | 13 g |
| Protein | 1 g | 1 g | 1 g | less than 1 g |
| Ingredient count | 6 | 9 | 5 | 11, plus flour enrichment |
Twizzlers Strawberry (Hershey) lists corn syrup, enriched wheat flour, sugar, cornstarch, palm oil, salt, artificial flavor, citric acid, mineral oil, Red 40 and soy lecithin. None of that is animal-derived either, but it adds cane sugar and palm oil, two ingredients some vegans prefer to avoid. Our Twizzlers breakdown covers each flavor. Red Vines Original Red has the shorter list and no cane sugar.
Nutritionally they are close: both are roughly 100 calories of mostly sugar per serving. Made Simple has the most added sugar of the four, despite its cleaner-sounding label.
What buyers say
On Walmart.com, the Original Red 5 oz tray holds a 4.6 out of 5 average from 564 ratings. The visible reviews focus on consistency and nostalgia, with longtime buyers saying the candy hasn't changed since childhood. Tasting Table's comparison describes Red Vines as a milder, berry-like flavor than Twizzlers' stronger strawberry, with a hollow, chewy tube that some find waxy. Flavor preference splits people more than anything else in the Red Vines vs Twizzlers debate.
Who should buy them and who should skip
- Good fit: vegans who want a gelatin-free chewy candy, anyone avoiding bone-char sugar (Original Red only), and people with milk, egg, soy or nut allergies, since Kroger's listing marks those allergens as absent (no shared-equipment statement is published).
- Skip: anyone gluten-free or with celiac disease, since every Red Vines twist contains wheat. People who avoid synthetic dyes should choose Made Simple, which uses radish extract instead of Red 40.
- Check first: chocolate-covered Red Vines and any seasonal or limited flavor.
If you are building a vegan candy bag, original Skittles are another gelatin-free option.
Verdict
Red Vines Original Red Twists are vegan: the manufacturer says so, and the six-ingredient label backs it up with no animal products and no cane sugar. The claim is the brand's own rather than a third-party certification. Black Licorice and Made Simple are vegan by ingredients but use undisclosed cane sugar, and the chocolate-covered twists need a label check. Prices vary by store and pack size; at the time of checking, a single 5 oz tray was $1.84 at Walmart and $2.99 on the manufacturer's online shop.
Sources
- American Licorice Company: Red Vines FAQ (vegan, dairy-free, gluten, kosher statements)
- American Licorice Company: Original Red Licorice Twists, 5 oz tray (allergens, certifications, price)
- Vitacost: Red Vines Twists Original Red, 14 oz (ingredients and nutrition label)
- King Soopers (Kroger): Red Vines Original Red Jumbo Twists (ingredients, allergens)
- Harris Teeter: Red Vines Black Licorice Twists (ingredients and nutrition)
- Ralphs: Red Vines Sugar Free Black Licorice (ingredients)
- Vitacost: Red Vines Made Simple Mixed Berry (ingredients and nutrition)
- H-E-B: Twizzlers Twists Strawberry, 16 oz (ingredients and nutrition)
- Walmart: Red Vines Original Red 5 oz tray (price, ratings)
- Tasting Table: Red Vines vs Twizzlers
Ingredients checked November 2026. Formulas change; always read the label.
