Fruit Gushers are one of those snacks most of us grew up with, and if you've recently gone vegan, you're probably wondering whether they're still on the table. Good news: Fruit Gushers are vegan. They don't contain gelatin, dairy, or any other animal-derived ingredients.

That said, there are a few ingredients worth knowing about before you stock up. Some vegans take a stricter approach to food coloring and sugar processing, and Gushers do contain both artificial colors and sugar that may or may not be filtered through bone char. We'll break all of that down below so you can make an informed choice.

Whether you're grabbing a box for yourself or packing snacks for your kids, here's everything you need to know about Fruit Gushers and veganism.

So, Are Fruit Gushers Vegan?

The company who makes Fruit Gushers, General Mills, recently decided to let the public know what ingredients went into this popular fruit snack. What was the verdict? It turns out that Fruit Gushers don’t contain any animal by-products. Therefore, Fruit Gushers are vegan.

Feelin' snacky? You can pick up some original vegan Gushers here.

Let’s Talk About The Ingredients

Do Gushers Have Gelatin?

No. Fruit Gushers do not contain gelatin. This is the first thing most vegans check, and for good reason. Gelatin is made from boiled animal skin, bones, and connective tissue (usually from pigs or cows), and it shows up in a lot of fruit snacks and gummy candies to give them that chewy texture.

Gushers get their texture from a combination of carrageenan, agar-agar, and xanthan gum instead. All three are plant-based thickeners. Carrageenan comes from red seaweed, agar-agar comes from algae, and xanthan gum is produced by bacterial fermentation. None of them involve animals in any way.

If gelatin is your main concern, Gushers are completely in the clear. Compare that to something like regular gummy bears, which almost always contain gelatin and are not vegan at all.

Unfortunately, finding vegan-friendly fruit snacks still isn't necessarily as simple as a quick jaunt down the aisle at your local grocery store.

When you're in the market for a vegan-friendly fruit snack, there are still certain ingredients that you have to avoid.

Unfortunately, some people don’t realize that gelatin is actually an animal-based product. More specifically, it comes from the skin and bones of animals, most notably pigs and cows. Even worse for vegans, gelatin is included in many food products including some yogurts, fruit chews, cakes, and other baked goods.

Another ingredient vegans should avoid is carnauba wax. While carnauba wax is derived from leaves of palm trees, it is used to provide shine and sheen to cars, floors and shoes. So naturally, it can be very concerning for many health-conscious vegans to learn that an ingredient used in their fruit chews is also present in their card decks and floors.

A Note About Food Coloring

Gushers also have food coloring so it’s best to read the ingredients to see what kind it contains since it’s an ingredient that can be concerning for vegans. Food coloring yellow 5, blue 1, and red 40 are items that are found in many foods.

What’s the problem exactly? Well, the food coloring blue 1 and red 40 is derived from coal, tar, and petroleum. This was such a concern that the two food colors were ultimately banned in countries such as Belgium, France and Denmark. Yet it doesn't look like these colors will stop being used in the United States.

The food color yellow 5 is an ingredient that is known to cause allergic reactions and hyperactivity in children. Meanwhile Glycerine is an odorless, colorless, sweet, syrupy liquid that is used as a preservative in many food and fruit snacks. Of course, it can be vegetable based and eaten by vegan but vegans should look out for the glycerine that is animal-based because that type will have been made from slaughterhouse fat.

Fruit Gusher Ingredients

According to General Mills, Fruit Gushers don’t contain any animal products, which makes Fruit Gushers vegan-friendly. While it is nice to have the makers of the food product confirm that its vegan, it is always best to read the ingredients for yourself.

So on that note, here’s the Fruit Gushers ingredients list:

• Sugar
• Dried Corn Syrup
• Corn Syrup
• Fructose
• Grape Juice
• Cottonseed Oil
• Maltodextrin
• Carrageenan
• Citric Acid
• Glycerin
• Monoglycerides
• Sodium Citrate
• Malic Acid
• Ascorbic Acid
• Natural Flavor
• Potassium Citrate
• Agar-Agar
• Red 40
• Xanthan Gum

Want To Make Your Own Fruit Gushers?

If you want to eliminate some of the unnecessary ingredients in the commercial version of Fruit Gushers, you can always make your own.

Here’s a video that shows how to make gushers at home with store bought fruit leather and a filling of your choice. The video adds gelatin to the filling, but for the vegan version, you should go ahead and drop that ingredient.

Here is what you will need to make gushers at home:

• Store bought vegan fruit leather
• Fruit Juice of your choice
• A vegan thickening agent such as chia seed gel or vegan yogurt
• Light corn syrup
• A silicon tray

Directions

The first thing you will need to do is make the filling of your gushers. You can use fruit juice of your choice and a thickening agent like chia seed gel to give it the consistency of the store-bought brand of fruit gushers.

Bring your fruit juice to a boil, remove from heat and add the chia seed gel and light corn syrup.

Once made, put that in the fridge for two hours.

Then cut the vegan fruit leather into small circles or squares and put them in the silicone tray.

Put fruit juice mixture into the small pieces of fruit leather.

Put another small piece of fruit leather on top and pinch to seal the edges.

Then put in the freezer for five minutes so they can become firm. Enjoy.

This recipe eliminates all of the other ingredients that you really don’t need and it’ll be fun to try.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are all Gushers flavors vegan?

Yes. All standard Fruit Gushers flavors (Strawberry Splash, Tropical, Triple Berry, and variety packs) use the same base ingredients and none contain gelatin or other animal products. Limited edition or seasonal flavors could theoretically change, so always check the label on unfamiliar packaging.

Are Gushers gluten-free?

Fruit Gushers do not contain wheat, barley, or rye ingredients, but General Mills does not certify them as gluten-free. If you have celiac disease or a serious gluten sensitivity, contact General Mills directly for the most current cross-contamination information.

Are Fruit Roll-Ups and Fruit by the Foot also vegan?

Yes. Both Fruit Roll-Ups and Fruit by the Foot are made by General Mills and share a similar ingredient profile to Gushers. Neither contains gelatin or dairy. They do contain the same artificial colors and sugar, so the same caveats apply if you take a strict approach to those ingredients.

Conclusion

So now you know that Fruit Gushers are in-fact dairy free and vegan!

If you and your family are vegan, you’re free to indulge in your favorite fruit snack every now and again. Plus, if you don’t want to buy it at the store, you can always make them yourself. If you enjoyed this article, comment below. Will you be trying gushers again or is the revelation too late now that you’ve found another fruit snack? Let us know!

For another dessert that you can make at home, take a look at our piece on whether Turkish Delight is vegan-friendly.