We all know sweet treats are a staple of the holiday season… But that doesn’t mean they have to come with artificial dyes or mystery ingredients.
If you’re on the hunt for healthier, non-toxic options, I’ve rounded up some of the best organic Christmas candy from brands that use real, simple ingredients.
They make perfect stocking stuffers, party favors, or small gifts to send to friends and family you can’t be with in person this year. (Bonus points if you include them with an eco-friendly holiday card!)
From classic organic candy canes to Fair Trade chocolate bars and advent calendars, you’ll find plenty of delicious ways to keep the season sweet—but without alllll the junk. Let me know in the comments which natural candy brand is your favorite!
🎄 P.S. Find the rest of our holiday/Christmas guides right here!
What's included in this guide:
- Thrive Market (Best for organic candy canes)
- YumEarth
- No Whey Chocolate
- Theo Chocolate
- Lake Champlain Chocolates
- Hammond’s
- Cocomels
- Raaka Chocolate
- Spring & Mulberry
- Even More Organic & Non-Toxic Candy Brands
- Not-Great Ingredients Found In Conventional Candy
- 🍋 Join Thousands of Subscribers Reducing Toxic Chemicals
This guide contains product recommendations and we may receive compensation if you purchase through certain links. As always, we only make recommendations that are genuine!
Thrive Market (Best for organic candy canes)
If you’re a fan of Thrive Market, then I’ve got good news for you: it’s one of the few brands that carries organic candy canes!
These candy canes check a lot of boxes: they’re USDA certified organic, colored with organic fruit and vegetable juice concentrate (instead of artificial colors), gluten-free, plant-based/vegan, and made with ethically sourced cane sugar.
You probably already know about Thrive Market, but in case you don’t: it’s basically an online grocery store that carries healthier and more organic/sustainable goods for your pantry and home. You DO have to be a member in order to make a purchase, but they always have good promotions going on for first-time subscribers. (You can get 30% off + a free gift of your choice when you sign up with our link.)
Plus, you can choose between an annual or a monthly membership—whichever works best for your budget.
Here’s our full Thrive Market review.
YumEarth
This is always one of my top recommendations for clean candy brands.
From lollipops and hard candy to gummy bears, gummy worms, jelly beans, and licorice, YumEarth is the best place to get allergy-friendly and organic Christmas candy of all kinds.
Their holiday collection includes some of their all-time best sellers—including some of the best organic candy canes (regular and blue raspberry!), mini candy canes, holiday gummies, Giggles (which is like their version of Skittles), and even a fun allergy-friendly Gingerbread House Kit.
YumEarth’s candy is free from major allergens, including gluten, dairy, nuts, soy, egg, and fish. So it’s a great choice for those with food sensitivities or allergies.
My Thoughts: I can attest to the fact that these organic candy canes and candy cane lollipops taste the same as the conventional ones that are made with red dye. Same taste, same texture, you literally wouldn’t know the difference.
The texture of the gummy fruits are slightly different than other fruit snacks (from what I remember, lol), but barely. They’re still very sweet and can totally replace conventional fruit snacks.
Use this link to get $10 off your first order of $20 or more.
No Whey Chocolate
No Whey has a ton of options for allergy-friendly Christmas candy, including chocolate Advent calendars, truffles, and more.
This is another excellent choice if you’re on the lookout for allergy-friendly options. You won’t find any milk, peanuts, tree nuts, gluten, egg, sesame, or artificial colors or flavors here. Unfortunately, they are not organic. However, all of their candy is completely vegan and Kosher.
Make sure you check out their Vegan Advent Calendar! Kids (or adults) can open a new door each day and reveal the delicious, holiday-themed milkless chocolate inside.
The brand also offers holiday-themed pretzels, milkless smooches, holiday truffles, chocolate lollipops, and milkless choco bars.
Theo Chocolate
Theo Chocolate is committed to producing high-quality, Fair Trade, and organic chocolate right from the cocoa beans.
Founder Whinney was a trailblazer, establishing the first company to manufacture and supply organic cocoa and chocolate products in bulk to the U.S. food industry. The company goes the extra mile by using third parties to ensure that everyone they work with is honest in their claims. They also work on negotiating stable prices with their farm partners and prioritize full transparency in their business relationships.
For the holiday season, Theo Chocolate offers a range of special organic Christmas candy, including:
- Nutcracker Brittle Dark Chocolate
- Peppermint Crunch Dark Chocolate
- Gingerbread Toffee Dark Chocolate Bar
P.S. Note that heavy metals have been found in certain varieties of Theo’s. This is not uncommon for chocolate, especially dark chocolate. Because of this you may choose to completely avoid dark chocolate, or you may choose to simply eat it in moderation.
Lake Champlain Chocolates
Lake Champlain has a lot of organic Christmas and Hanukkah chocolates, from truffle boxes to chocolate coins, hot chocolate mixes to chocolate pops, and more.
A lot of it is USDA certified organic and/or Fair Trade. They make it really easy to sort according to your priorities using the sidebar. You can check the boxes for organic, vegan, fair trade, Kosher, dark chocolate, milk chocolate, and more.
Lake Champlain is a family-owned company that’s based in Vermont. Not only are they a certified B Corp, but they also have various different conservation and community-based initiatives as well!
If you use our link, you can get 10% off of your order (but you do have to give them your email address first).
Hammond’s
Hammond’s offers a LOT of candy, and only some of it is organic. But they do have organic candy canes and root beer candy canes, organic mint pillows and ribbons, natural peppermint cocoa stirrers, organic mint lollipops, and more!
Depending on the specific product, they come with various third-party certifications, including USDA organic. They are not entirely allergy-friendly though, because most of the candies are manufactured in a facility that also processes egg, milk, mustard, peanuts, sesame, soy, sulfites, tree nuts, and wheat.
Cocomels
Cocomels’ Christmas candy is certified USDA organic, vegan, Kosher, and free from common allergens like soy, gluten, and corn syrup.
It’s important to note that they are produced in facilities that also produce allergen-containing items. However, Cocomels says they have an allergen cleanse protocol and testing, which is implemented between the production cycles of their products.
On their virtual shelves, you can find delicious caramels, oat milk chocolate-covered toffee barks and squares, toffee, crispy, sea salt, vanilla bits, and <1g sugar (which are a good option for kids with diabetes and/or adults on keto).
Most Cocomels are sweetened with organic cane sugar and organic brown rice syrup. But if you are on the hunt for a treat that’s cane sugar-free, give the Coconut Sugar Caramels a try. They are sweetened with coconut sugar and tapioca syrup instead of cane sugar and brown rice syrup.
Each year, they release limited-edition holiday options.
Raaka Chocolate
Raaka is one of my top brands for low-heavy-metal chocolate. (They do their own testing with a third-party lab and actually publish the results.)
Their holiday collection consists of hot chocolate cubes, gingerbread cookies, white chocolate bars, candy cane crunch minis, hot cocoa powder, and more.
Raaka is great for gifting because their chocolate is on the more *luxurious* side and their packaging is beautiful.
It’s made in Brooklyn, New York out of sustainably sourced, unroasted cocoa beans.
Spring & Mulberry
This is another great brand that’s pretty good when it comes to heavy metal contamination. You can read more about their testing and results on their FAQ page.
Additionally, they source their cacao via direct-trade relationships with farmers and prioritize single-origin and regenerative practices. Their bars are sweetened with dates instead of refined sugar, and they use mostly organic ingredients.
They don’t necessarily have Christmas candy, but they do have really beautiful gift sets that are perfect for holiday gifting!
Even More Organic & Non-Toxic Candy Brands
The following brands don’t specifically make non-toxic Christmas candy (yet?!), but they’re still good options if you’re looking for allergy-friendly candy made with more natural ingredients any time of the year.
Unreal
Unreal’s candy it’s not allergy-friendly due to nut products, but it offers some healthier alternatives that are lower in sugar, gluten-free, non-GMO, and Fair Trade certified.
You can find a slew of options that are similar to conventional favorites, such as peanut butter cups (like Reese’s), chocolate gems (like M&M’s), coconut bars (similar to Almond Joys), and caramel peanut nougat bars (akin to Snickers).
The brand is committed to using non-GMO ingredients and is gluten-free, catering to a range of dietary preferences. Many of their ingredients are organic and sourced through Fair Trade.
Plus, if you’re following a vegan lifestyle, Unreal has you covered with various vegan candies, too. (Just be aware that their milk chocolate gems and dark chocolate caramel peanut nougat bars contain milk and are not vegan.)
Torie & Howard
Although technically not “Christmas” themed, Torie & Howard’s Chewie Fruities and hard candies are still good choices for the holidays, especially if you need something that’s individually-wrapped to go inside a candy bowl or something.
The brand believes in the power of organic and natural ingredients. Their candy is crafted with USDA Organic and Kosher-certified ingredients. However, while they are free from things like GMOs, artificial flavors and colors, gluten, soy, and dairy products, be aware that they ARE processed in a facility that also processes nuts, dairy, and soy.
Not-Great Ingredients Found In Conventional Candy
Here are some ingredients that you may want to watch out for as you do your holiday candy shopping:
High-Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS): HFCS is a highly processed sweetener that is commonly used in candies and many other processed foods. Excessive consumption has been associated with various health concerns, including heart disease, diabetes, and fatty liver disease. The good news is that many brands have been transitioning away from HFCS in recent years.
Artificial Colors and Flavors: Artificial colors and flavors are often used to make candy more visually appealing and to mimic natural flavors. Some people may have sensitivities or allergies to these additives. Most importantly, concern is being raised as to a possible link between food additives and neurological development, including attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children.
Artificial Sweeteners: Some candies are sweetened with artificial sweeteners like aspartame or sucralose. While they provide sweetness with fewer calories, their long-term health effects are a have become quite controversial. “Artificial sweeteners widely used in diet drinks and low-calorie foods, as possibly carcinogenic to humans,” the W.H.O. has said. The verdict is still out on which artificial sweeteners are harmful—and how bad they may be—but those who prefer to adhere to the ‘precautionary principle’ may want to limit their intake.
Certain Preservatives: Chemical preservatives are used in many candies to extend their shelf life. These may include ingredients like butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) and butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT).
Excessive Sugar: Most of us know this one. While sugar itself is not inherently “bad,” many candies contain extremely high amounts of added sugar, which can contribute to health issues like diabetes and dental problems when consumed in excess.
GMO Ingredients: Some candies may contain ingredients derived from genetically modified organisms (GMOs). While the safety of GMOs is a topic of debate, some consumers prefer to avoid them. The main concern is not with the GMOs themselves, but rather the high amounts of pesticides that are sprayed onto them.
Allergens: Ingredients like peanuts, tree nuts, dairy, and gluten are common allergens and can pose serious health risks to individuals with allergies when not properly labeled.
Heavy Metals: Because heavy metals such as lead are present in soil, crops can easily become contaminated with it. Each year, Consumer Reports tests chocolates of various brands and types, and they almost always find heavy metals in them. You can decide what to do with this info… Since it’s practically impossible to completely avoid heavy metals in foods, you may want to simply consume dark chocolate in moderation. (You can read more about this here.)
There you have it: 11 healthier Christmas candy brands to make your holiday season sweet—but with less weird stuff.
If you found this helpful and would like to get more non-toxic tips, news, product picks, and more once a week, sign up for Filtered Friday!
The Filtery has been an independently owned & run small business from the very beginning—and we’d like to keep it that way! If you want to back accessible, human-created, and well-researched content on reducing toxins in your home, consider supporting us!
