Are Sprinkles Vegan? (Not Usually, But THESE Brands Are!)

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Are sprinkles vegan? Most brands are NOT, but there are some vegan brands out there. In this article, you’ll find a list of the brands to look for and how to read the ingredient list to determine if the sprinkles you want to buy are vegan or not.

You’ll also find vegan recipes that call for sprinkles, plus other helpful info you need to feel confident buying any type of sprinkles.

Rainbow sprinkles, confetti sprinkles, nonpareils, jimmies, dragées, sugar pearls, quins, sanding sugar...no matter what you call them, if you're a new vegan, a vegan baker, or someone who isn't vegan but you're baking for a vegan family member or friend, before decorating, you may be wondering:

The short answer is that most brands are not vegan, however, there are some vegan brands out there, and even some non-vegan brands that make a few vegan-friendly options.

I'll go through all of that info, including what ingredients to be on the lookout for so you can read those ingredient lists and make a confident decision about what you're buying.

Before we go over everything, I have some articles about other ingredients you may be wondering about, plus recipes to make vegan versions of common kitchen ingredients:

Typical store-bought sprinkles are made with a similar group of base ingredients that may or may not be vegan.

Those ingredients can include some of the following:

No, they are not. Even though sprinkles are simple, and they don't require plenty of ingredients to make them, it's more complicated than that.

Unfortunately, some of the ingredients that go into making most sprinkles come from animals, making them not vegan.

The ingredients you need to look out for when buying sprinkles are as follows:

This is a common ingredient in many sprinkles. It's what makes them shiny and it also extends their shelf-life.

What you may not know is that confectioner's glaze (also referred to as confectioner's glaze, confectioner’s resin, pharmaceutical glaze, shellac, natural glaze, candy glaze, resinous glaze, or sometimes even beetle juice!) is a type of shellac, and shellac comes from an insect, the female lac insect.

Shellac has many uses such as shining wood and furniture, but it can also be used as a coating for sprinkles and other food products. Since this ingredient comes from a bug, it is not vegan, so look for it when reading labels, not only for sprinkles but any type of candy.

Another ingredient to look out for is gelatin. If you're not familiar with this gelatinous animal protein ingredient, it's made by boiling down various parts (connective tissues, skin, etc.) taken from animals.

Some sprinkles may contain palm oil, and while palm oil does come from a plant and contains no animal products, many do not consider it to be truly vegan.

The use of these trees causes destruction and harm to animals and their habitats so to many, palm oil is not vegan. I won't get into the fine details here but you can read about this issue in this article: "Is Palm Oil Vegan."

Sustainable palm oil IS considered vegan since it does not cause the same harm as non-sustainable palm oil.

Look for the following ingredients in the ingredient list:

All of the ingredients listed above get their red colour from crushed bugs, so look out for them.

Every red dye that contains bugs may not be listed above, there may be more. If you aren't sure of an ingredient in the list you are reading, do a quick search of the dye name to learn what it's made from.

Bees' wax is exactly what it sounds like, it's wax made by bees and then taken from their hives. Some manufacturers use it in their sprinkles, so look for it when reading the ingredient list.

Note that some sprinkles contain an ingredient called carnauba wax, which is not the same as bees wax. Carnauba wax comes from palm leaves, so it is plant-based but because it comes from a palm tree, this may be an issue if you are a vegan who does not use palm-derived products.

The ingredients listed above are the most common non-vegan ingredients you will find in sprinkles but there are some other ingredients to look for.

Some sprinkles may contain these ingredients, so always read the ingredient list very carefully.

Something else to keep in mind is the type of sugar used in the sprinkles. Some white sugar is not vegan because when it's processed, it is filtered through animal bone char.

(This process is never used to manufacture organic sugar, so if organic cane sugar is listed, you'll know it's vegan sugar)

Knowing what type of sugar a brand uses in its sprinkles is not going to be easy to figure out unless the company states that its product is vegan. If they do not but the ingredients seem to be vegan but you aren't sure about the sugar and this is an issue for you, the only way to find out is to get in touch with them and ask.

Companies do not list what goes into their flavourings, so there is no way for us to know if they are fully vegan or not. The only way to determine this is to get in touch with the company and ask.

In the list below, you'll find some vegan sprinkle brands, presented in no particular order. This is not a complete list of every vegan brand out there, but it's comprehensive enough to help you find something you like and is easy to find in your area or online.

I’ve noted a few points about each brand, including a link to each brand’s website and a link to purchase the product online.

A few things to keep in mind as you read through the list: