Vegan Gelatin (Agar Agar, Vegan Jello, and More)

If you love making jiggly desserts, chewy candies, or fruity gummies, you’ve probably seen lots of recipes that call for gelatin. The good news is, you can make all those treats with vegan gelatin instead! It’s made from plant-based ingredients like agar-agar, pectin, and carrageenan, which help create that same bouncy texture without using anything from animals. Whether you’re baking at home or just looking for a sweet snack, vegan gelatin is a simple swap that keeps things fun and cruelty-free.

Keep reading and you’ll find a list of tasty candies and brands that skip the gelatin but keep all the flavor and chewiness. From classic fruit gummies to soft, melt-in-your-mouth marshmallows, there are plenty of options to explore. We’ll share different plant-based thickeners used in place of gelatin and how they work in recipes.

Get ready to discover your new favorite vegan candies and see just how easy it is to enjoy them guilt-free!

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Vegan Alternatives To Gelatin

The trouble with replacing gelatin is that there’s no perfect 1:1 substitute. The closest thing we have is agar, also known as agar agar powder, which comes from seaweed.

Agar Agar

Agar works effectively at making gels from liquid at the same ratio, but the texture has a short, rather than chewy or bouncy, bite. In Japanese, it might be referred to as kanten, which is also the word for a lightly sweetened dessert made with it.

Agar can be used in conjunction with carrageenan, pectin, carob bean gum, or locust bean gum to come closer to the same textural experience. These ingredients aren’t as readily available for home cooks, of course, which presents a challenge when trying to veganize traditional recipes.

Vegan Jello Mixes

Conventional Jell-o is not vegan, but plant-based gelatin mixes are available for purchase if you want a classic Jell-o dessert or a more adult Jell-o shot.

Simply Delish is the most common brand found in the US, both in stores and online, producing sugar-free fruit-flavored blends that are quick cooking like traditional boxed options. These box mixes are not only gelatin-free, but also sugar-free, carb-free, gluten-free, keto, and vegan.

Other Gelatin Alternatives

Here are several other ingredients that are commonly used to replicate the qualities of gelatin, but without using animals.

Carrageenan
Pectin
Cornstarch
Xanthan Gum
Guar Gum
Arrowroot

Vegan Gummy Candy Without Gelatin

Looking for gummy candy that’s chewy and fun but totally free of gelatin? Here’s a list of vegan gummy brands that use plant-based ingredients for that same sweet, bouncy texture you love.

Mainstream Gummy Brands

Specialty Vegan-Friendly Gummy Brands

Vegan Gummy Vitamins

Vegan Gummy Vitamin Brands

Vegan Recipes To Replace Gelatin

Thanks to the wonderful world of vegan food bloggers and plant-based companies springing to life, finding vegan versions of your favorite gelatin-based products is getting easier every day.

You can find hundreds of vegan gummy bear and gummy candy recipes online. Plus, brands like Annie’s, The Gummy Project, and Better Bears make store-bought options.

Here are some vegan gelatin-free recipes to try…

Vegan Jello

Homemade Vegan Jello is easy, healthy, kid-friendly, and optionally sugar-free! You can use any fruit juice you like to change up the flavors and colors. Use more agar to make sliceable “jigglers” or less for softer pudding-like cups.

Vegan Marshmallows

Don’t show up to your next camping trip empty handed. The BEST Vegan Marshmallows are within your reach! Gelatin-free marshmallows can be found in many mainstream markets these days. The brand Dandies is the most widely accessible, and you can even get them on Amazon. But these have the edge on store-bought options because there’s no animal products nor high-fructose corn syrup in these fluffy white vanilla squares either.

Plant-Based Panna Cotta

Panna cotta is an Italian dessert made from custard molded and plated with some sort of sauce. It’s typically made from a base of cream, eggs, and gelatin, but Vegan Panna Cotta keeps it cruelty-free!

Vegan Gummies

Halloween candy can be tricky to sort through. Treat your kids with homemade Pumpkin Spice Gummies instead to ensure they get only the good stuff.

Animal-Friendly Jello Shots

Be the life of the party when you bring Vegan Jello Shots for everyone (21 years and older!) to enjoy. But beware, I’ve tried making vegan jello shots many times, and it’s a delicate art. They don’t always turn out, and even when they do, they don’t taste like classic jello shots.

Xiao Long Bao

Gelatin is the secret to making traditional xiao long bao, otherwise known as soup dumplings. The only way you can find a vegan version is to make them yourself. These Vegan Soup Dumplings look like a truly satisfying project that every foodie should try at least once.

Vegan Gelatin Questions & Answers

Is Kosher gelatin vegan?

A lot of people think “kosher” automatically means “vegan,” but that’s not always true. Kosher gelatin still comes from animal bones or fish, so it’s not vegan. It just follows religious food rules, not vegan ones.

Is organic gelatin vegan?

Just because gelatin is “USDA Organic” doesn’t make it kind or cruelty-free. It only means the animals got organic feed and better living conditions. In the end, organic gelatin is still made the same cruel way as regular gelatin.

Do Skittles contain carmine?

Up until 2015, Skittles candy did contain carmine (the red color that is derived from the cochineal insect), but any original candies made since are free of this ingredient. Here are the typical ingredients found in Skittles Original candies (as listed on their packaging in the U.S.): sugar, corn syrup, hydrogenated palm kernel oil, citric acid, tapioca, dextrin, modified corn starch, natural and artificial flavors Colors (Red 40, Yellow 5, Yellow 6, Blue 1, Blue 2), sodium citrate, and carnauba wax. These ingredients can vary slightly by flavor variety (like Wild Berry or Sour Skittles), but all versions are made without gelatin.