Let’s start from the beginning of the Peeps ingredient list. A four-count package of marshmallow bunnies contains 30 grams of added sugar, but sugar is just a simple carbohydrate and contains no animal products (via The Sugar Association), so it’s vegan-friendly. What about corn syrup? To put it simply, corn syrup is made from the natural sugars in corn (per Reader’s Digest), as the name implies. Like granulated sugar, it contains no animal products.
Next on the ingredient list is gelatin. You’ll find gelatin in cakes, ice cream, yogurt, gummy bears, and of course, in marshmallows. It’s also found in certain shampoos and cosmetics, according to PETA. The protein is made by boiling different animal body parts such as bones, tendons, and cartilage.
And with that ingredient revelation comes your answer. Because Peeps contain animal by-products, they are not vegan-friendly. Luckily, Women’s Health reports that there are plenty of other gelatin-free sweet snacks you can enjoy as a vegan. These include Twizzlers, Sour Patch Kids, Jolly Ranchers, Skittles, and Nerds.
