Are Junior Mints Vegan?

Although Junior Mints are a popular movie theater treat and a great way to enjoy the chocolatey and pepperminty freshness, vegans have to be very careful when consuming them as they are not vegan. Unfortunately, this is not due to their chocolate content but rather because of the sugar and confectioner’s glaze used in the candy.

The sugar used in Junior Mints is most likely processed using bone charring, a process that involves burning the bones of animals such as cows. This makes the sugar non-vegan for many individuals avoid animal products.

The other non-vegan ingredient present in Junior Mints is confectioner’s glaze, which is derived from lac bugs and gives Junior Mints their glossy shine after being processed.

So if you’re looking for vegan alternatives to indulge in, look no further than HU Crunch Mint Dark Chocolate, Free2b Dark Chocolate Cups, or Theo Mint Chocolate Cookie Bites – all tasty replacements for any vegan cinema snack break!

Questionable Ingredients In Junior Mints

When it comes to the question of whether or not Junior Mints are vegan, there are two ingredients that make them non-vegan: confectioner’s glaze and carnauba wax.

Although the semi-sweet chocolate in Junior Mints is perfectly vegan-friendly since it’s made with just sugar, cocoa butter powder, chocolate processed with alkali, soy lecithin, and vanilla for added flavor, these controversial ingredients, unfortunately, make them non-vegan.

So if you’re looking for a refreshing vegan treat, you’ll want to try some other options!

Confectioner’s Glaze

Confectioner’s glaze is a common ingredient in candies like Junior Mints and other treats. Though the ingredient may give candy products a visually appealing glossy sheen, it is almost always made from shellac, a lac beetle byproduct. For vegans who are uncomfortable consuming ingredients derived from animals, this is an issue.

Shellac can be produced in two ways: by collecting resin from beetles as they scuttle on tree branches or by crushing their shells to kill them. Most manufacturers use the non-lethal method but there still remains the risk that some confectioner’s glaze contains animal byproducts sourced immorally.

This means though Junior Mints may not contain any animal byproducts directly listed on their label, they still might not be vegan friendly. Therefore, vegans should exercise caution when purchasing products that contain confectioner’s glaze to ensure they know where and how it was sourced.

Sugar

Apart from chocolate, another ingredient found in most candies, including Junior Mints, is sugar. This sugar is typically processed by burning cattle bones, otherwise known as bone char.

Refined sugar for candy is manufactured using bone char, or charred cattle bones. This charring process allows sugar to be filtered into a fine, powdery texture which is great for cooking and candy making but not so great for vegans who want to avoid cruel animal practices.

Since Tootsie, the producer of Junior Mints, has not publicly addressed whether they use the bone charring process to filter their sugar, it’s safe to assume that they do. This means that there are no vegan-friendly varieties of Junior Mints since even if all the other ingredients are vegan-friendly, the contained sugar itself is not suitable.

If you’re looking for vegan-friendly candy, it’s important to look out for brands that don’t use any form of animal products or byproducts in their ingredients list. You should also keep an eye out for products that specifically state they are vegan-friendly on the packaging so you know you’re making the right purchasing decision!

Nutrition Facts

When it comes to determining if Junior Mints are vegan-friendly, it’s important to look at the nutritional facts provided on the packaging. Several popular varieties of Junior Mints contain several ingredients that are not typically vegan-friendly.

For example, some varieties contain casein which is a type of milk protein, while others contain gelatin which is derived from animal bones and hides. Other non-vegan ingredients include soy lecithin, beeswax, and melanoidin.

In addition, there are also several artificial flavors used in certain Junior Mints varieties that may or may not be vegan-friendly depending on the source of the individual’s components used. As such, it’s nearly impossible to determine whether or not Junior Mints are vegan-friendly without first looking at their nutritional facts and verifying each individual component used in the ingredient formulation.

Junior Mints

Classic Junior Mints contain both of the ingredients that make them unsuitable for vegans, and this is why these candies present a problem to vegan dieters.

Its ingredients are:

• Sugar
• Semi-sweet chocolate
• Corn syrup
• Confectioner’s glaze
• Modified food starch
• Peppermint oil
• Invertase

Nutrition Facts:

• 130 cal per serving
• 5 g fat or 3% DV
• 26 g carbohydrate or 9% DV
• 25 g sugar or 50% DV
• 1 mg iron or 6% DV

Junior Mints Hearts

Junior Mints Hearts are just as problematic as their original counterparts. Additionally, they use a potentially contentious additive referred to as Food Dye and Coloring Red 40. As is known by many vegans, synthetic dyes tend to be controversial due to the fact that these substances often have been tested on animals.

Accordingly, while these candies may conform to vegan diets in a dietary sense, they are not suitable for those wishing to stick with entirely ethical and eco-friendly vegan lifestyles.

Its ingredients are:

• Sugar
• Semisweet chocolate
• Corn syrup
• Confectioner’s glaze
• Modified food starch
• Peppermint oil
• Invertase
• Artificial color

Nutrition Facts:

• 140 cal per serving
• 3 g fat or 4% DV
• 29 mg carbohydrate or 11% DV
• 27 g sugar or 54% DV
• 1 mg iron or 6% DV

Junior Mints Eggs

After that, we have Junior Mints Eggs, which tend to be popular around Easter time. Unfortunately, these have non-vegan ingredients included, as well as additional artificial colors such as Blue 1 Lake, Yellow 5 Lake, and others. This makes these eggs even less appropriate for vegans than other Junior Mints products.

Its ingredient list is:

• Sugar
• Semisweet chocolate
• Corn Syrup
• Confectioner’s glaze
• Titanium dioxide
• Modified food starch
• Peppermint oil
• Artificial colors
• Invertase

Nutrition Facts:

• 130 cal per serving
• 3 g fat or 4% DV
• 26 g carbohydrate or 9% DV
• 24 g sugar or 40% DV
• 1 mg iron or 6% DV

Junior Mints Peppermint Crunch

Junior Mints Peppermint Crunch candies are unique variations of usual mint candies with a crunchy exterior made using lots of glaze sugar. It’s unclear where the milk is especially since milk isn’t on the list of ingredients, but regardless, it isn’t suitable for vegans.

Its ingredients are:

• Sugar
• Semisweet chocolate
• Corn syrup
• Flaked corn
• Yellow cornflower
• Palm oil
• Cornstarch
• Confectioner’s glaze
• Modified food starch
• Peppermint oil
• Invert sugar syrup
• Invertase
• Artificial color
• Corn syrup solids

Nutrition Facts:

• 120 cal per serving
• 2 g fat or 3% DV
• 26 g carbohydrate or 9% DV
• 24 g sugar or 48% DV

Vegan Alternatives To Junior Mints

Fortunately, vegans don’t have to miss out on freshening their breath or a tasty snack while traveling, since there are various vegan-friendly options instead of Junior Mints.

HU Crunch Mint Dark Chocolate

Treat yourself to some yummy Junior Mints without compromising on veganism with these crunchy milk chocolates from HU. Not only do they contain no animal products, but are also gluten-free and certified paleo and vegan by vegan.org.

Theo Mint Chocolate Cookie Bites

Lastly, Theo’s Mint Chocolate Cookie Bites are a great option for vegans who care about their diet as well as the environment. These sustainable chocolate cookie bites will tantalize your taste buds while still being guilt-free because of their natural ingredients.

Free2B Dark Chocolate Cups

Free2B’s Dark Chocolate coating Cups are an excellent substitute for those looking for the familiar shape and texture of a peanut butter cup but with a mint chocolate flavor. Using sunflower butter, these special cups provide a pleasant indulgence from start to finish.

Are Junior Mints Free Of Dairy?

If you’re a vegan, then you’ll be happy to hear that yes, Junior Mints are dairy-free! Tootsie’s website is a bit cagey about this, but it appears that the standard version of the minty classic contains no milk-based ingredients. This is because these mints use semisweet rather than milk chocolate.

Do Junior Mints Have Eggs In Them?

Junior Mints have been a popular chocolate treat for generations, but many people wonder if they contain eggs. The answer is that Junior Mints do not directly contain eggs, however, due to cross-contamination during the manufacturing process there is a chance that milk or eggs may be present. So it’s best to consult the Food Allergens section on their website before consuming any of these delicious treat.