Yes, the Smarties candy rolls sold in the US are vegan. The ingredient list has no animal-derived items, and the maker, Smarties Candy Company, states that all of its candy is vegan. The catch is the name: chocolate-coated Smarties sold in Canada and Europe are a different, non-vegan product.
Which Smarties are we talking about?
"Smarties" is two unrelated candies. The US version is the small, chalky, pastel tablet in a paper-wrapped roll, made by Smarties Candy Company in Union, New Jersey and Newmarket, Ontario. The company says it sells its Smarties only in the United States and that its candy is called Rockets in Canada. In Canada and Europe, "Smarties" means candy-coated chocolate pieces, which Plant Power Couple's candy guide describes as not vegan.
This guide covers the US candy roll. A roll holds six colors mixed at random: white is orange cream, yellow is pineapple, pink is cherry, green is strawberry, purple is grape and orange is orange.
Ingredient breakdown
The company lists the original roll as: dextrose, citric acid, calcium stearate, natural and artificial flavor, and colors (Red 40 Lake, Yellow 5 Lake, Yellow 6 Lake, Blue 2 Lake). Here is what each one means for a vegan.
| Ingredient | What it is | Vegan concern |
|---|---|---|
| Dextrose | A simple sugar, normally made from corn starch. The company's allergen table lists corn derivatives as present. | None expected. It is not cane sugar, so the bone-char refining question does not arise in the usual way. |
| Citric acid | A fermentation-made acid that gives the tang. | None. |
| Calcium stearate | A salt of stearic acid, an anti-caking and release agent. | Stearic acid can come from plant oils or animal fat. The company says its calcium stearate is plant derived. This is the one to ask about, and the answer rests on the company's word. |
| Natural and artificial flavor | Unspecified flavor blend. | Origin is not disclosed. The company says no animal products are used in processing its candy's ingredients. |
| Red 40, Yellow 5, Yellow 6, Blue 2 lakes | Synthetic food dyes. | No carmine or other insect-derived color is listed. |
Are Smarties vegan? The verdict
Yes, with one qualification: the claim is the company's own. Smarties Candy Company says its Smarties contain no animal products and are free of milk, egg, fish, shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, soy and sesame. I found no third-party vegan certification mark in the sources I checked, so this is a brand statement, not an independent certification. If you accept manufacturer statements, the rolls pass. If you want a certified product, these do not meet that bar.
Three things to watch:
- Squashies are not vegan. The company's own page says Squashies are not made by Smarties Candy Company and contain gelatin.
- Check the UPC. The company says a UPC starting with 0 11206 means the product was packaged in its own facilities. It also sells to re-baggers who repack candy, and it says only they can vouch for their own plants.
- Labels vary. One grocer listing I saw words the ingredients slightly differently (artificial flavors only, with Red 40 added to the colors). Always read the pack in your hand, or paste it into our ingredient checker.
For other animal ingredients that hide in sweets, see our guide to hidden non-vegan ingredients.
Nutrition against two other small candies
Serving sizes differ, so read these as per-label figures, not a like-for-like comparison. All three are essentially sugar.
| Candy | Serving on label | Calories | Sugars | Sodium | Vegan note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Smarties Original | 1 roll (7 g) | 25 | 6 g | 0 mg | Maker says vegan |
| Pez | 1 roll (9 g) | 35 | 9 g | 0 mg | US listings show mono- and diglycerides (plant or animal source not stated); I found no US vegan statement |
| Dum Dums Original | 2 pops | 50 | 9 g | 10 mg | Lists plain "sugar", source not stated; I found no vegan statement |
Smarties come out lowest per serving mainly because a roll is small. They are not a health food. Their one real edge over the other two is a shorter, simpler ingredient list with an explicit vegan statement from the maker.
What buyers say
I read ratings, not review text, so I will not describe taste. Walmart's 1 lb Original listing showed 4.7 out of 5 stars across more than 1,100 reviews when I looked. Prices vary by store and pack size: I saw about $3.78 for a pound at Walmart, $3.99 for an 18 oz bag at Target and $4.49 for 16 oz at Kroger.
Who they suit and who should skip them
Suits: vegans who accept a maker's written statement, and families who need to avoid the top nine allergens, since the company also says its candy is gluten-free and made in peanut-free facilities.
Skip if: you only buy independently certified vegan products, you avoid corn derivatives or synthetic dyes, or you were thinking of Squashies or the chocolate Smarties sold abroad.
Verdict
US Smarties candy rolls are a reasonable vegan sweet, provided you trust the company's statements on calcium stearate and flavors. Other candy we have checked includes Tic Tacs, Jolly Ranchers and Skittles. If you want a bulk bag, the Amazon listing for the 3 lb Original bag names Smarties Candy Company as manufacturer and shows the company's own UPC prefix. Check price on Amazon (affiliate link).
Sources
- Smarties: Our Candy (allergen, gluten-free and vegan statements)
- Smarties: FAQs (ingredients, plants, Rockets)
- Target: Smarties Assorted Flavors Candy Rolls, 18 oz
- Stop & Shop: Smarties Original Candy Rolls nutrition
- Bruce's Foodland listing (alternate ingredient wording)
- Walmart: Smarties brand page (rating and price)
- Kroger: Smarties Original Candy Rolls (price)
- Amazon: Smarties Candy Bulk Rolls Original Flavor, 3 lb
- Ralphs: Pez nutrition facts
- Safeway: Pez ingredients
- H-E-B: Dum Dums Original nutrition
- Lowes Foods: Dum Dums ingredients
- Plant Power Couple: Vegan candy guide (chocolate Smarties abroad)
Ingredients checked November 2026. Formulas change; always read the label.
