2023 Vegan Mexican Candy Guide
Vegan Mexican Candy, Snacks and Sweets
Making the choice to be vegan doesn’t mean you have to give up flavor and delicious snacks! You can find these mouth-watering Mexican candies and treats in Mexican markets across the United States as well. For a full list of Mexican stores by state to find one near you, check out this guide from Saveur.
This list of vegan Mexican candy and snacks feature unique and tasty foods that you’re sure to love—just make sure to get enough to share, because everyone will want to try them!
These candies and snacks are all vegan, so they don’t have any main ingredients that are animal products. Their sugar sources and artificial flavors and/or dyes however are not confirmed vegan, which some will choose to avoid. For more information on all kinds of vegan candies, be sure to read this list of The Best Vegan Candy.
All of the below foods are listed in alphabetical order and include links to purchase these vegan treats online so you can try them all! Most are also available with a quick search on Amazon. Enjoy discovering new sweet and salty snacks from Mexico!
Happily, most Mexican candy is accidentally vegan. Although these sweet treats aren’t intentionally vegan, they often don’t contain animal products. Fruit and chile candy flavors which are vegan are the most popular, with less focus on dairy-containing chocolates. Many candies are made with tamarind, a tropical fruit that grows in Mexico and other places around the globe.
If you’re not sure if a Mexican candy is vegan, look closely at the ingredients. All chocolates and dulce de leche will probably have dairy, and all gummies will probably have gelatin, which are not vegan.
Candy
Acirrico
Acirrico is a sour and hot chili powder candy with salt and lemon. You can sprinkle it over fruit, like watermelon and mangoes to make them taste even more delicious in a whole new way.
Buy: $10, Amazon (pack of 10)
De La Rosa Mazapan
Yes, De La Rosa Mazapan is vegan! This highly popular candy can be found almost everywhere across Mexico and beyond. Mazapan is a yummy confection made of sugar and ground peanuts.
Buy: $7.50, Candy Warehouse (pack of 30)
Limón Paleta
If you like sour candies, you’ll love Limón Paleta! These treats are lollipops covered with lemon and salt powder. They’re delicious and have a great combination of salty, savory, and sweet flavors.
Buy: $7, Amazon (pack of 30)
Lucas Gusano
Lucas Gusano liquid candy can be used as a sweet salsa or additional flavor to any food, as well as enjoyed as a candy in its own right. It comes in chamoy and tamarind flavors, both of which are made with fruits, chiles, and other spices.
Buy: $1, H-E-B (pack of 3)
Lucas Salsagheti
This enticing Mexican Candy combines a delicious mixture of chewy watermelon candy and liquid tamarind sauce that you can pour over the spaghetti-like candy. These watermelon hot candy strips are super popular in Mexico for a reason!
Buy: $6.50, My Mexican Candy (12-piece pack)
Palanqueta
This delicious sweet snack is the same thing as peanut brittle (or palanqueta in Spanish)! It’s made with cacahuates (peanuts) and sugar.
Buy: $5, Walmart
Pelon Pelo Rico
These little plastic tubes of tamarind candy gel are extremely popular in Mexico. You push from the bottom and lick the top to enjoy the sweet tang of Pelon Pelo Rico.
Buy: $10, Bulk Candy Store (pack of 36)
Pulparindo
Pulparindo is a natural tamarind chew that is salty, spicy and completely vegan. This natural tasty hard candy by De La Rosa is made from the pulp of tamarind fruit and is spiced with sugar, salt, and chili peppers then coated in powdered sugar.
Buy: $1.30, H-E-B (pack of 12)
Rebanada Lollipops
These tasty watermelon-flavored hard lollipops coated in chile are long lasting and full of flavor. And the best part is, they’re also vegan!
Buy: $8, La Dulceria
Rellerindos
Rellerindos are a delicious hard caramel candy with a soft and spicy center. They’re made with sugar, corn syrup, chili, salt, cornstarch, artificial flavors and colors.
Buy: $9, MexGrocer (pack of 65)
Skwinkles
Skwinkles candies (sometimes called Salsagheti) come in the form of a string, like licorice,and come in different flavors like watermelon and pineapple. They are made from wheat flour, sugar, chili powder, and salt among other ingredients.
Buy: $15, Amazon (pack of 12)
Tamborines Enchilados
These tamarind and chile flavored hard candies come in the shape of a drum! Tamborines Enchilados are super cute and individually wrapped for sharing.
Buy: $12, Amazon (pack of 100)
Vegan Mexican Salty Snacks
Sometimes you need to satisfy your taste for salty snacks as much as your sweet tooth—and there are plentiful options for delicious vegan Mexican foods to choose from! You’ll love their unique flavors and addictive crunch. Mexican snacks are known for their unique spicy combinations of sweet, salt, and chile, and are frequently also fully plant-based.
Cacahuate Japones, aka Cracker Nuts
These popular snacks are often called Japanese Peanuts, but they actually originated in Mexico and remain popular there! They’re crispy-coated peanuts that are crunchy, salty and slightly spicy—everything that makes a snack amazing.
Buy: $5, My Mexican Candy (pack of 14)
Duros, aka Duritos
Duros are a popular Mexican snack food made of puffed wheat, often flavored with chili and lemon. They take a little work in that they have to be fried, but when cooked they have a light, airy consistency similar to chicharrones. And yes, this delicious and popular snack is also vegan!
Buy: $6, MexGrocer
Mexican Fritos
This well-known chip is highly beloved in the United States as well as Mexico. However, Mexican Fritos are much bigger and shell-shaped, plus they are loaded with chile and lime seasoning! These Fritos are also vegan—they’re fried in vegetable fat, and their flavorings, such as lemon, iodized salt, and axiote, are plant-based.
Buy: $6, Sol Dias
Miguelito Powder
Miguelito Chilito Powder has been a favorite traditional Mexican candy among kids and adults for generations. It’s made primarily from sugar, salt, and ground piquín chile and adds a delicious sweet bite when added to any fruit or snack.
Buy: $7, MexGrocer
Sabritones
Sabritones are traditional puffed wheat snacks from Mexico. With authentic flavors like spicy chilies and tangy lime, they’re a crispy and salty treat that’s sure to make your mouth water!
Buy: $2, Walmart
Tajín Powder
Tajín powder is derived from chili and is maybe the best seasoning you will ever try, it’s a mix of Mexican chili peppers, sea salt, and lime—and it’s PERFECT over everything. It even adds a salty and addictive flavor to fruits and vegetables, helping you get your daily servings of plants in!
Buy: $3, Target
Takis Fuego and Takis Nitro Chips
Yes! The incredibly popular Takis chips are vegan—but only in the United States. Takis in other countries may have non-vegan ingredients, so make sure to check the nutrition information before eating if you’re outside of the U.S. The super-spicy Fuego flavor is Hot Chili Pepper and Lime, and the Nitro is Lime with Habanero and Cucumber (and is less spicy).
Buy: $2.50, Target, Fuego and Nitro
Junk Food
If you’re looking for an indulgent snack, there are plenty of delicious Mexican junk foods that are also vegan. These convenient and flavorful foods are so good, they’ll have you reaching for more!
Barritas
This delicious desert from Mexican food company Marinela is a strawberry or pineapple-filled cookie bar. Barritas are a sweet pastry made from flour and vegetable fats. They do not have butter, milk or eggs, making them a fantastic vegan-friendly treat.
Buy: $2.30, Walmart
Canelitas
Another favorite in the junk food category are these mouth-watering cookies from Marinela: Canelitas! These cinnamon cookies are crisp, full of delicious flavor, and happen to be vegan.
Buy: $3, Target
Chamoy Mega
Good news—Chamoy Mega is vegan! This sweet sauce contains no animal products, although it does have artificial coloring and dyes which are not confirmed vegan, which some will choose to avoid. However, many consider Chamoy Mega to be a delicious “accidentally vegan” treat to add to a wide variety of snacks. This popular tart liquid is made from sugar and peppers, which gives foods and drinks a unique sweet and tangy twist. Chamoy Mega is perfect to mix with your favorite snacks, chips, snow cones, drinks, and more!
Buy: $3.50, Loteria Candy Co
Juaninas Orejitas
For an authentic treat from Mexico, try Juaninas Orejitas, which are like puff-pastries. These flaky biscuits are made from wheat and vegetables and are also vegan.
Buy: $3, Walmart
Triki Trakes
Chocolate lovers, rejoice! Triki Trakes are scrumptious vegan chocolate chips cookies. These Marinela products are made from flour and vegetable fats, and the chocolate chips do not contain any dairy.
Buy: $2, Food 4 Less
