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My Favorite (and not so favorite) Vegan Sprinkles

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vegan sprinkles

I had such a difficult time finding vegan sprinkles brands back when I went vegan (almost 25 years ago!). I did a ton of research and found a few brands who made some of their sprinkles vegan, but it wasn’t consistent. Nowadays, there are SO MANY more options for buying vegan sprinkles, but for those new to vegan baking, I thought I would make it easier for you by listing some of my favorite brands of vegan sprinkles.

Table of Contents

I’ve done so much research, and I know this is a lot of information, so I’ve organized this page into the following categories. Click the links below to skip to the section you’re looking for.

If you like to bake or make cute vegan food like I do, finding vegan sprinkles is mandatory! Since all the sprinkles I list are vegan, you already know they are dairy-free and egg-free, but I will also note if I know a variety of sprinkles meets other allergen requirements, such as gluten-free, kosher, etc.

First off, you might be wondering…

Are sprinkles vegan? How could sprinkles not be vegan?

I wonder the same thing about paint, cars, computers, etc. You’d be amazed at the animal products that psychos will sneak into things. For example, sprinkles can contain:

  1. beetles (confectioner’s glaze, confectioner’s polish, or shellac)
  2. more bugs (carmine or cochineal)
  3. beeswax
  4. beaver anal gland secretions (artificial vanilla flavoring, aka castoreum)

Where can I buy vegan sprinkles near me?

Lucky for us, there are lots of places to buy vegan sprinkles, including:

  1. Michael’s craft store
  2. JoAnn Crafts
  3. Amazon
  4. Etsy
  5. Target
  6. Whole Foods / your local grocery store
  7. Sprinkle maker’s websites

What brands of sprinkles are vegan?

Here’s a list of some of the vegan sprinkles that I have used or seen vegan friends using. I’ll include some affiliate links below so that if you decide to purchase any of these sprinkles, I’ll receive a very small commission from the companies you purchase from. This costs you nothing and it helps me keep this information new, fresh, and relevant for you. I would never recommend anything that I wouldn’t purchase myself.

DISCLAIMER: Some vegans don’t eat sugar unless they know where it came from since sugar can be processed through bone char. I will make a note under each brand if I’m uncertain about their sugar source. If I don’t mention it, you can assume they use sugar that is processed in a vegan-friendly manner. Also, unless I specifically say that the company is an all-vegan sprinkle company, I can’t promise that all the brands in this list follow cruelty-free practices (especially the bigger brands like Wilton).

Also, I also have a similar list for vegan food coloring that you might be interested in.

Baking Time Club (100% Vegan)

baking time club vegan sprinkles

Baking Time Club is a UK vegan sprinkles company. They’re basically a vegan sprinkle lover’s dream, and here’s why! Not only are ALL of their sprinkles vegan, but the owner of the company is also vegan! I don’t know about you, but I just love supporting vegan-owned companies! For special ocassions when ordinary sprinkles just aren’t good enough, Baking Time Club sells some really cute sprinkle mixes.

Here are some of my favorite sprinkle mixes.

If you like to bake and decorate baked goods for holidays, check out the following holiday-themed sprinkles from Baking Time Club.

And the most fun part of all? They offer sprinkle subscriptions! This means you can get new surprise sprinkles each month!!!

I used Baking Time Club Dappled Sky sprinkles when I made my galaxy cupcakes and my galaxy cake.

Baking Time Club gave me this coupon code to use on my next order, so if you order directly from them (instead of through etsy), maybe you can use it too. BTC12

Supernatural (100% Vegan)

heart cookie that my stepmom made

Supernatural only sells vegan sprinkles, so you can feel good about supporting them as a brand. The heart cookie pictured above was a valentine from my stepmom. She used a Supernatural vegan sprinkles mix that is no longer available to make them.

Where I live in California, I can find Supernatural vegan funfetti sprinkles at Sprouts and at my natural foods local co-op. But if you don’t live near a store that sells them, below are some links to buy them on Amazon.

Sweetapolita

sweetapolita vegan rainbow sprinkles

Sweetapolita are a Canadian company with some reallllly cute sprinkles. They also have a fun instagram account, so you should follow them for inspiration. Not all of their sprinkles are vegan, but here’s a list of their vegan friendly sprinkles. They also have some gluten-free vegan sprinkles. If you purchase Sweetapolita sprinkles through etsy using my affiliate links below, it will help support my ability to keep updating this list for you without costing you anything.

Sweetapolita makes excellent vegan cake sprinkles if you don’t have any other cake decorating skills. I used Sweetapolita rainbow jimmies sprinkles when I made this birthday cake.

Let Them Eat Cakes

Let Them Eat Cakes is a UK sprinkles company. All (except 2 that are being phased out) of their sprinkles are vegan and cruelty free (not tested on animals, nor use ingredients that were tested on animals). Here are some links to buy Let Them Eat Cakes sprinkles on etsy.

gold vegan star sprinkles

silver vegan stars

rainbow pearls

Sweets & Treats

Sweets & Treats vegan circus cookie sprinkles

Sweets & Treats are similar to Sweetapolita, in that they’re cute, but they’re not all vegan. Here’s their list of vegan sprinkle options.

My favorite were the circus cookie sprinkles featured in my photo, but they’ve since discontinued those sadly. I’ll list some of my new favorites below.

Sweet Eva’s

Sweet Eva’s sprinkles make some sprinkles that are vegan, soy-free, gluten-free, and nut-free. It’s nice that they label it very clearly on each package.

Most of their sprinkles come in 1 and a half pound containers, so they’re cost efficient for the frequent baker who does high-volume baking and needs to purchase sprinkles in bulk.

Here are some amazon links to the ones I like most. The first one in this list is the most economical: only $10 for a pound and a half!

Wilton

vegan wilton sprinkles

Wilton is a really popular sprinkle maker, but they won’t claim that they offer vegan sprinkles. Sadly, the majority of theirs are not even remotely vegan. Below are some pros and cons about Wilton vegan sprinkles.

Pros

Unlike many other sprinkles in this list, Wilton sprinkles are very easy to find because they’re sold in a lot of stores, like Joann Fabrics, Michaels Crafts, and Target, among others. So, if you need something quick and can’t wait for shipping time, Wilton sprinkles are a good option.

Cons

  • Unlike the other sprinkle companies (and most companies in general), Wilton is making fewer vegan varieties over time, rather than more.
  • They sometimes just change the formulas for some of their sprinkles so a variety that was vegan, all of a sudden is no longer vegan!
  • Even the Wilton sprinkles that don’t contain confectioner’s glaze, beeswax, or carmine, are not safe for strict vegans because they do not use vegan sugar for their sprinkles.
  • Because Wilton is such a large company that they cannot verify the source of the sugar used in each product, they can’t label their sprinkles as vegan. So you have to read the ingredient list on the back of every bottle. I realize that vegans are probably used to doing this, but it’s not like we have all the time in the world. There are cakes to decorate!

In an effort to save you time reading sprinkles bottles, here is a list of all the wilton sprinkles that I know are vegan (except for the sugar) as of the time I’m updating this post. (Note: I emailed Wilton in October 2023 for an updated list of ingredients and am still waiting to hear back).

  1. Cake Sparkles (these come in all colors and kind of look like cellophane flakes)
  2. Some colors of Color Dust and Pearl Dust (AVOID THE PINKS, because those contain carmine)
  3. Edible Glitter and Edible Accents (they include silver, gold, and colored stars and hearts!)
  4. Rainbow Nonpareils (make sure you read the label because wilton makes 2 kinds of nonpareils and only one are vegan non pareil sprinkles - click the link to know which ones to look for) I used these vegan nonpareils when I made these cookies.
  5. Jumbo Rainbow Nonpareils (these are good because they taste fruity)
  6. Candy Decorations: Mini Jawbreakers (I used these on my mini wreath cakes)
  7. Jumbo Hearts

CK Products

vegan CK Products Edible Confetti sprinkles

When I first wrote this list, there were only two CK Products (Celebakes) Sprinkles that were vegan. Now, as of October 2023, they have more vegan sprinkles. It’s nice that the company website lists the ingredients for all their sprinkles, but there are still some questionable ingredients in even the varieties that aren’t obviously not vegan.

I cotacted the company in October 2023, and they verified that the sugar they use is not processed through bone char and the artificial flavoring is vanillin, which is vegan. Below are links to a few that are vegan.

Zunhai Foods

As of October 2023, it looks like Zunhai Foods has stopped making sprinkles. This is super unfortunate because all of their sprinkle mixes were gluten free, nut free, and vegan. I really liked their goth sprinkles mix and their vegan candy eyes that are great for vegan chocolate truffles if you don’t want to make the candy eyes from scratch.

Accidentally Vegan Brands sold on Amazon that I do NOT Recommend

Lieber’s were the first bright vegan rainbow jimmies I found back in 2014 when the only other vegan sprinkles I could find were muted and all-natural or ones only sold in other countries. Lieber’s used to be very affordable on Amazon, but now that the price is $10 and they’ve never verified the sugar source as being vegan, I don’t recommend them.

As of October 2023 when I’m updating this post, A Great Surprise nonpareils are NOT VEGAN anymore! They’re still claiming that their rainbow sprinkles vegan, but I haven’t emailed them to confirm. I love that they’re non-GMO, but I won’t be buying them just in case.

Brands such as Marshalls Creek may look vegan upon first glance, but beware that in addition to the unknown source of their sugar, they may also contain secretions from the anal glands of beavers, which is often in inexpensive products containing artificial vanilla flavor. I know…it’s hella gross. I haven’t emailed Marshalls Creek to inquire as to the source of their sugar or artificial flavoring. If you happen to contact them and ask, please let me know so I can update this guide for other vegans.

Elfias

Tha majority of the sprinkles Elfias makes are not vegan, but they will make you a custom vegan sprinkle mix if you request it.

Fancy Sprinkles

Fancy Sprinkles discontinued their vegan sprinkles line in early 2023. Booooo. They said it was temporary while they sourced new ingredients, but that was over 6 months ago, so I’m skeptical.

I used the Fancy Sprinkles pink vegan heart sprinkles when I made this cake in 2018.

For now, the only vegan decorating items they sell are the edible glitters.

Vegan Sprinkles that are Naturally Colored

All of the vegan sprinkle brands listed below are naturally colored, so they’re perfect for anyone who has allergies to food dyes. Naturally colored sprinkles are healthier than traditional ones, but the colors can be more muted.

Color Kitchen (100% Vegan)

vegan cinnamon roll donuts topped with icing and Color Kitchen rainbow sprinkles

I love Color Kitchen because their products are all-natural and vegan and they don’t test on animals. These are healthier than most of the other sprinkles in this list. When Amazon bought Whole Foods, they stopped selling Color Kitchen products at Whole Foods sadly. But, you can still buy their vegan sprinkles from Amazon using the affliate link in my store. I used the Color Kitchen rainbow jimmies to decorate my cinnamon roll donuts. They also sell them in a smaller bag if you don’t need TWO POUNDS haha. Here’s a link to the smaller bag of naturally-colored rainbow sprinkles.

Let’s Do Organic Sprinkelz

vegan organic Let's Do Organic Sprinkelz

These are made by the same company that makes the organic ice cream cones, and I believe it’s also the same company that makes all those rice crackers (Edward & Sons). Edward & Sons is a vegetarina company that has been around since the 70s I think.

These sprinkles are organic, which makes them the healthiest ones, but because they’re healthy, the colors are more muted. I stopped using these as soon as I discovered Lieber’s. If you’re super strict about eating 100% organic, these organic vegan sprinkles are for you.

You can find them at Whole Foods, Sprouts, and Amazon. They also make vegan chocolate sprinkles.

BioVegan

vegan organic BioVegan sprinkles

BioVegan has a good selection of all organic and vegan sprinkles that are brighter than the Let’s Do Organic ones. The downside is that these are only available in Europe.

Natural Sprinkles Co.

Natural Sprinkles Co. is not an all-vegan company, but they do offer some gluten-free, vegan, halal, and kosher sprinkles. I have tried out their vegan pearls and their vegan decorating sugar. I typically prefer sprinkles over decorating sugar because decorating sugar is fairly easy to make yourself. However, the nice thing about theirs is that you know it has been naturally colored.

Color Garden

If you’ve read my list of vegan food coloring, you may recognize color garden from their line of vegan, all-natural liquid food coloring. They now make colored sugar crystals for decorating. I have an email out to them (october 2023) to confirm that they use vegan sugar. I’ll update this post as soon as I hear back.

Sundae Fundae

Sundae Fundae used to sell 2 different sprinkle mixes (listed below)that were vegan, gluten free, non-GMO, kosher, soy free, nut free, and palm oil free. They were also naturally colored. However, I can’t seem to find them for sale anywhere anymore so I worry that they discontinued their sprinkles line.

Frequently Asked Questions About Vegan Sprinkles

What are vegan sprinkles made of?

Vegan sprinkles are usually made with sugar, some sort of flour or starch, and often a glaze that makes them shiny on the outside. If the glaze is carnauba wax, and not confectioner’s glaze, the chances of the sprinkles being vegan are much higher.

Are all sprinkles vegan, or do I need to look for specific brands?

The majority of sprinkles are NOT vegan sadly. See my list of vegan sprinkles above to know which brands to look for.

Can I find vegan sprinkles at my local grocery store?

You may be able to find vegan sprinkles at your local grocery store, depending on where you shop. Sprouts and Whole Foods carry vegan sprinkles.

Are there any non-vegan ingredients to watch out for in sprinkles?

The main non-vegan ingredients you’ll find in sprinkles that you should avoid include confectioner’s glaze, confectioner’s polish, shellac, carmine, cochineal, beeswax, artificial vanilla flavoring, and of course milk and milk derivatives.

Do vegan sprinkles taste different from traditional sprinkles?

Most vegan sprinkles taste the same as non-vegan sprinkles. However, if you’re purchasing naturally colored sprinkles, you may notice a slight difference.

Can I use vegan sprinkles in the same way as regular sprinkles for baking and decorating?

Vegan sprinkles and conventional sprinkles bake and decorate the exact same way. You can see that I used vegan sprinkles in these funfetti cookies, these funfetti cookie pudding cups, and this funfetti cake.

Are vegan sprinkles free from artificial colors and flavors?

Some brands of vegan sprinkles are free from artificial colors and flavors. Check out Let’s Do Organic, Color Kitchen, Biovegan, and the Natural Sprinkles Co.

Do vegan sprinkles have the same texture and crunch as non-vegan sprinkles?

As far as I can tell, vegan sprinkles have the same texture and crunch as non-vegan sprinkles. This of course depends on the variety of sprinkles you’re using. If you like a crunchy sprinkle, I recommend Supernatural Rainbow Crunchies.

How do I make my own vegan sprinkles at home?

The easiest way to make vegan sprinkles at home is to color pasta or grains and then dry them out. Cut or break angel hair pasta into small pieces to make jimmies, and use cous cous, amaranth, quinoa, or millet for non pareils.

Are there any alternatives to traditional sprinkles for vegans?

All of the sprinkles in this list of vegan sprinkles above are great vegan alternatives to traditional sprinkles.

Do vegan sprinkles come in a variety of colors and shapes?

Vegan sprinkles come in a variety of colors and shapes like stars, hearts, and even bats.

Some of my most popular desserts that use vegan sprinkles are cookie lollipops, sprinkle striped cake, and mothers circus cookies.

Can I use vegan sprinkles on non-dessert items, like salads or savory dishes?

If you want to use vegan sprinkles on non-dessert items, like salads or savory dishes, use them sparingly. Most sprinkles are made with sugar, so you don’t want to use too many on a savory dish.

Comments or Questions?

If you have questions about vegan sprinkles or you find a brand of vegan sprinkles that I should add to this list, snap a pic, post to instagram, and tag me @vegandollhouse. You can also message me through instagram or email me. I love to hear from you. I’m lonely here on the other side of the computer, haha.

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