Figuring out whether Butterfinger is vegan can be a complicated task.
Candies usually have many ingredients, and some of them might not be vegan. Non-vegan ingredients are also often masked in vague terms such as “natural flavors.”
To make sure you only eat foods that align with your vegan diet and ethics, I’ve looked into the ingredients and production methods of Butterfinger.
Here’s what I’ve found.
Are Butterfingers Vegan?
No. Butterfingers are not vegan because one of their main ingredients is milk chocolate. Chocolate is made from cocoa beans, which are plant based. However, to make chocolate, manufacturers add milk and butterfat.
Sugar is also usually added to chocolate, and it may be processed with bone char. Bone char is a type of charcoal that’s made from the ground-up bones of animals.
Not all refined sugar is filtered with animal bone char, but large companies typically source their sugar from multiple sources, so it’s hard to tell whether the sugar in your chocolate was processed with bone char, and it’s always best to stay on the safe side and assume that it was.
“Natural flavors” can also be a tricky ingredient because it’s not always clear what they are. These companies don’t have to legally disclose what they put under the “natural flavors” umbrella, which can include plant- or animal-derived ingredients.
However, many vegan-friendly Butterfinger recipes do exist. So, while the store-bought and classic Butterfinger is not vegan, you can easily make your own vegan and gluten-free Butterfingers at home with a few simple ingredients like dark chocolate or chocolate chips, peanut butter mixture, corn flakes, and maple syrup.
If you want to avoid all the fuss and just buy a pre-made vegan candy bar, there are also plenty of other options on the market.
Is Butterfinger Cruelty-Free?
These candy bars are considered cruelty-free. Ferrero, the company that owns Butterfinger, does not test its products on animals at any stage of production, nor do they use artificial colors that are tested on animals.
Animal testing is a gruesome and cruel process in which animals are subjected to experiments that often cause them pain, suffering, and death.
How Are Butterfingers Made?
There are many vegan Butterfinger recipe variations, but the classic way to make them involves coating a peanut butter mixture in melted chocolate and then rolling it in crushed corn flakes.
The peanut butter filling is usually made with sugar, corn syrup, salt, almond butter, and vanilla extract. Once the mixture is coated in milk chocolate, it’s rolled in crushed corn flakes and left to cool and harden.
With a few tools, such as a food processor and parchment paper-lined tray, you can easily make your own vegan butterfingers at home.
The combination of chocolate coating and crunchy corn flakes makes for a delicious and addictive candy bar.
What Is Butterfinger Made Of?
Here are the ingredients of Butterfinger:
- Corn syrup
- Sugar
- Peanuts
- Vegetable oil (palm kernel and palm oil)
- Peanut flour
- Nonfat milk
- Cocoa
- Milk
- Salt
- Soy lecithin
- Natural flavor
- Annatto color
Let’s break down each ingredient of Butterfinger:
Corn syrup
Corn syrup is a type of sugar made from corn. It’s sometimes used as a cheaper alternative to cane sugar. Corn syrup is considered a vegan-friendly ingredient.
Sugar
Sugar is a type of carbohydrate that is found in many plants. Sugar cane is a vegan-friendly ingredient, but most refined sugars use bone char to process their sugar, making it non-vegan.
Peanuts
Peanuts are a type of legume that grows underground. They are a vegan-friendly ingredient.
Vegetable oil (palm kernel and palm oil)
Vegetable oil is a type of fat made from plants. Palm kernel and palm oils are vegan-friendly ingredients.
Peanut flour
Peanut flour is a type of flour made from peanuts. It is used as an alternative to wheat flour. It is a vegan-friendly ingredient.
Nonfat milk
Nonfat milk is a type of milk that has had the fat content removed. It is not a vegan-friendly ingredient.
Cocoa
Cocoa is a type of powder made from the beans of the cacao tree. It is a vegan-friendly ingredient.
Milk
Milk is an animal product. It is not a vegan-friendly ingredient.
Salt
Salt is a type of mineral composed of sodium and chloride. It is a vegan-friendly ingredient.
Soy lecithin
Soy lecithin is a type of emulsifier made from soybeans. It is a vegan-friendly ingredient.
Natural flavor
Natural flavors are made from natural ingredients and can be either vegan or non-vegan depending on their source. In Butterfingers, it is unclear if the natural flavors used are vegan or not.
Annatto color
Annatto color is a type of food coloring made from the seeds of the achiote tree. It is a vegan-friendly ingredient.
Why Isn’t Butterfinger Vegan?
As you can see from its ingredients, Butterfinger is not a vegan candy bar because it contains milk, refined sugar, and questionable natural flavors. While some of the ingredients are vegan, such as peanuts and cocoa, just having milk, an animal-product, disqualifies it from being vegan.
If you want to stick to candy bars that are both vegan and cruelty-free, there are plenty on the market to choose from. Vegans are being catered to more and more as the demand for vegan products increases. With such a wide variety of vegan candy bars on the market, it’s easy to find one that satisfies your sweet tooth without compromising your morals.
Is Butterfinger Fun Size Vegan?
No, Butterfinger Fun Size is not vegan. It contains the same ingredients as the regular size Butterfinger, which as we now know, is not a vegan candy bar.
This chocolate bar is not safe for vegan consumption.
Are Butterfinger Minis Vegan?
No, Butterfinger Minis are not vegan. They also contain the same ingredients as the regular size Butterfinger, which is not a vegan candy bar.
This product is not safe for vegan consumption.
Is Ferrero Crunch Bar Vegan?
No, the Ferrero Crunch Bar is not vegan. It contains milk as its main non-vegan ingredient.
This product is not safe for vegan consumption.
Are Ferrero Kinder Joy Vegan?
No, Ferrero Kinder Joy is not a vegan candy. It contains milk and whey proteins as its main non-vegan ingredients.
This product is not safe for vegan consumption.
Is Ferrero Kinder Bueno Vegan?
No, Ferrero Kinder Bueno is not a vegan candy. It contains milk and butter oil as its main non-vegan ingredients.
This product is not safe for vegan consumption.
Vegan Alternatives to Butterfinger
If you’re craving some buttery goodness but want to stick to a vegan diet, there are plenty of delicious vegan alternatives to Butterfinger. Here are some of my favorites:
- Go Max Go Twilight Candy Bar
- No Whey! Foods Chocolate Bars
- Nelly’s Organic Caramel Nougat
- UNREAL Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups with Crispy Quinoa
- Vego Whole Hazelnut Chocolate Bar
- Beyond Good Chocolate Bars
These chocolate bar brands are not only vegan but they are also made with ethical and sustainable practices. You can feel good about eating them knowing that no animals were harmed in the making of them.
Final Words
So there you have it, Butterfinger is not a vegan candy bar. With milk and milk derivatives as its main ingredients, it is not safe for vegan consumption. However, there are plenty of delicious vegan alternatives on the market that will satisfy your sweet tooth without compromising your morals. So go out and enjoy some vegan candy! Your taste buds (and the animals) will thank you for it.
But as always, be sure to double-check the labels before you buy anything to make sure it is vegan. Companies can change their ingredients and manufacturing processes at any time without warning. So it’s always best to err on the side of caution and check those labels!