Updated: January 17th, 2020

Before you buy Halloween treats, use this list to find candy without palm oil. By taking a few seconds to look at ingredient labels, you can choose orangutan-friendly Halloween candy.

Even on the same shelf, for the same type of product, the ingredients may vary. For example, BRACH’S has several different kinds of candy corn with palm oil and several without it.

This is the same with Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups. They have different recipes — some contain palm oil and some do not — so it’s important to read labels and buy accordingly.

For a list, click to download and print Orangutan-Friendly Candy Without Palm Oil for 2020 then continue reading below for tips. (This list is a guide only; it is not guaranteed.)

Candy without palm oil

Less ingredients = Less chance of palm oil

At Halloween, candy companies sell big bags with a mix of different candies. When you buy a bag with just one type of candy, it’s easier to avoid palm oil.

Buy just one type of candy per bag, and make your own mix!

Read labels

Manufacturers change their labeling regularly. This list of candy without palm oil is intended to be a starting point. We researched online, in stores, and emailed companies and used this list of hundreds of names for palm oil. (Most don’t include “palm” in the ingredients.)

We regularly update this candy list. You make a big difference when you support orangutan-friendly palm oil free candy and treats at Halloween and all year.

Chocolate without palm oil

These convenient options make it easy for the Everyday Consumer to make an impact.

Hershey’s Bars: 

• Milk Chocolate 
• Milk Chocolate with Almonds 
• Skor
• Special Dark 
• Special Dark with Almonds 
• Halloween labeling: Glow in the Dark Snack Size Wrappers Milk Chocolate (shown)

Note: Bags of Hershey’s Miniatures may contain palm oil derivatives. See below. Mr. Goodbar Chocolate Candy with Peanuts includes palm oil.

Hershey’s Kisses:

• Milk Chocolate – silver foil
• Milk Chocolate with Almonds – gold foil or holiday colors
• Special Dark Mildly Sweet Chocolate – purple foil
• Halloween labeling:
  • Fall Harvest Milk Chocolate – autumn-colored foil
  • Monster Kisses Milk Chocolate – green, blue, purple (shown)
  • Spooky Kisses Milk Chocolate – purple, green, orange foil with Halloween patterns

Give a handful to trick or treaters!

Hershey’s Nuggets:

• Milk Chocolate
• Milk Chocolate with Almonds
• Special Dark
• Special Dark with Almonds

Note: Hershey’s Nuggets Assortment bags may contain a flavor with palm oil.

M&M’s:

• Milk Chocolate – plain, regular brown bag; all sizes plus holiday labeling
• Almond – beige/tan bag
• Dark Chocolate – purple bag and winter holiday bag
• Mint with Dark Chocolate – green bag and winter Holiday Mint; (not Crunchy Mint; not Crispy Mint). These seem to be discontinued which is a major disappointment.
• White Chocolate Peppermint holiday bag
• Pretzel – blue bag
• Mini’s Milk Chocolate Minitube – 1.08 oz
• MEGA 3x the Chocolate
• Halloween labeling:
  • M&M’s Fun Size Milk Chocolate Glow in the Dark Trick-or-Treat Packs (shown)
  • Cookies & Screem 
  • White Candy Corn 
  • White Pumpkin Pie 
  • Milk Chocolate Ghoul’s Mix (not Peanut Ghoul’s Mix, Caramel Ghoul’s Mix, nor Peanut Butter Ghoul’s Mix; only Milk Chocolate Ghoul’s Mix)

Note: M&M’s Dark Chocolate Peanut – purple and yellow bag – contains palm oil.

In 2018, Peanut M&M’s (yellow bag) changed their recipe and now includes palm oil. Labels now list palm oil as an ingredient.

Be sure to read all labels. Some newer flavors may contain palm oil derivatives, including Mixed Tocopherols.

Please note, Mars Wrigley Confectionery does not make claims these M&M’s are palm oil free. In addition to researching labels, I am using personal experience to say these M&M’s flavors are palm oil free. My son gets very sick from palm oil and derivatives and has enjoyed these M&M’s safely.

(See this post for what my son eats regularly.)

Nestle:

• Goobers Milk Chocolate Covered Peanuts
• Raisinets Milk Chocolate Covered Raisins
• Sno Caps Semi-Sweet Chocolate Nonpareils

Reese’s:  READ LABELS

• Peanut Butter Cups: some individually wrapped snack size and standard size

Note: They’ve confirmed they have different recipes for their Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups.

You must read labels. Look for the BAGGED, INDIVIDUALLY WRAPPED snack size or standard-sized cups in the candy section without a holiday theme. Many are palm oil free.

See below for an explanation about Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups.

Tony’s Chocolonely

• Milk Chocolate
• Milk Caramel Sea Salt
• Dark Almond Sea Salt
• Dark Chocolate
• White Raspberry Popping Candy
• Milk Honey Almond Nougat
• Milk Hazelnut
• Dark Pecan Coconut
• Dark Milk Pretzel Toffee
• Halloween labeling: Milk Caramel Sea Salt Halloween Tiny Tony’s

They wrote to say they don’t use palm oil in any of their chocolate.

York Dark Chocolate Covered Peppermint Patties:

• All varieties and sizes, including Halloween labeling:
  • Halloween Snack Size – purple spiderwebs on bag (shown)
  • Halloween Pumpkins – autumn-colored bag

DOVE Chocolate Simply Smooth:

• Milk Chocolate Promises
• Dark Chocolate Promises 

Candy without palm oil

• Atomic Fireballs
• Boston Baked Beans
• Candy Corn – read labels to find it without palm oil; see below
• Dots – including bag with 17 mini boxes for Halloween 
• Dum Dums Original Pops – all flavors
• Good ‘N Plenty 
• Jolly Rancher:
  • Hard Candy – All flavors of their Hard Candy is free from palm oil derivatives. This includes their bags of Original, Fruit ‘N’ Sour, Fruit Bash, plus individual flavors. Give a handful!
  • Lollipops Spooky Sweets (shown)
• Nerds:
  • Rainbow
  • Grape and Strawberry “For the Love of Nerds”
• Red Hots Original Cinnamon Candy
• Ring Pop:
  • 22 Halloween Ring Pop bag
  • 36 Halloween Ring Pop box (shown)
• Saf-T-Pops Lollipops
• Wholesome Organic Lollipops – 30 count
• Yum Earth:
  • Organic Pops:
    • Assorted Flavor Lollipops: 80 count; at Target
    • Hot Chili Lollipops
  • Organic Candy Corn: 24 count; at Target
  • Organic Hard Candies:
    • Wild Peppermint
    • Favorite Fruits
    • Cheeky Lemon
    • Pomegranate Pucker
    • Roadside Rootbeer
  • Gummy Bears:
    • Assorted Flavor
    • Organic Pomegranate Pucker
  • Assorted Flavor Gummy Worms
  • Organic Sour Beans
  • Gummy Fruits
    • Organic Fruit Snacks: 12 pack at Target
    • Organic Tropical Fruit Snacks

YumEarth very transparently lists all of their ingredients on their website.

Candy corn without palm oil

BRACH’S:

• Candy Corn Treat Packs – 55 and 70 treat packs bags (shown)
• Classic Candy Corn
• Mellowcreme Pumpkins
• Mini Candy Corn & Chocolate Peanuts
• Mini Candy Corn
• Naturally Flavored Candy Corn

YumEarth Organic Candy Corn

• 24 pack Halloween packaging; at Target (shown)

You must read ingredient labels before buying candy corn.

You can find some flavors, shapes and varieties of brand name and store brand candy corn without palm oil and palm kernel oil but it often contains it.

Gummy snacks without palm oil

• Black Forest Organic Fruit Flavored Snacks – 24 pack
• Kirkland Signature Organic Fruity Snacks – 72 pack; at Costco
• Surf Sweets by Wholesome Organic Halloween Spooky Shapes – 20 pack; at Target
• Yum Earth Organic Gummy Fruits – 24 pack; at Target

Palm oil free Halloween trick or treating

Many candy companies report they are working toward sustainable palm oil. We support the candies and treats that don’t use any at all.

Click to download and print the 2019 list of Orangutan-Friendly Candy Without Palm Oil. Use it all year to choose candy without palm oil.

The non-profit organization, Orangutan Outreach, explains how the palm oil industry affects the orangutan population.

Chocolate without palm oil

• Nuubia Chocolate:  Makes all of their chocolate without palm oil.
• Nelly’s Organics: They make all of their chocolate bars without palm oil.
  • Caramel Nougat
  • Coconut
  • Double Chocolate
  • German Chocolate
  • Nutty Nougat
  • Peanut Butter Coconut
• Tony’s Chocolonely: They make all of their chocolate without any palm oil. See above.

Also, it’s great The Hershey Company and Mars, Inc. still make some palm oil free chocolate. This makes it easy and accessible for the Everyday Consumer to choose palm oil free chocolate.

When possible, choose fair trade chocolate to make an even greater difference.

Fair Trade Chocolate without palm oil

There are other chocolate manufacturers — usually Fair Trade Certified Chocolate — who make their candy without palm oil as well; however, they may not be as practical to hand out for trick or treating.

We will be adding more to this post to include Fair Trade Certified Chocolate.

Some brands to consider — that as of now we believe to be palm oil free — but haven’t thoroughly researched yet — are:

• barkTHINS — Read labels; most of their flavors are palm oil free.
• DAGOBA Organic
• Divine Chocolate
• Equal Exchange Chocolates
• Theo
• Tony’s Chocolonely — All of their chocolate bars are palm oil free.

See our post of holiday candy without palm oil.

How to find candy without palm oil

Read labels.

This is the very best thing you can do.

Do not buy products with the obvious “palm oil” words: Palm oil, palm kernel oil, hydrogenated palm kernel oil, etc.

You make the biggest difference — at the store — when you choose the candy that is palm oil free.

Avoid big variety packs.

Around Halloween, you will see the “candy mix” bags. These are the big bags with a variety of candy types and flavors.

Do not buy them.

As an example, you might see a bag with Hershey’s Milk Chocolate combined with Twizzlers and Whoppers. Only one of these candies is palm oil free.

Instead, if you like a mix to offer to trick or treaters, you can buy the individual bags.

Make your own mix!

For example, you can buy a bag of Milk Chocolate M&M’s, a bag of Hershey Milk Chocolate Bars with Glow in the Dark Wrappers, a bag of Jolly Rancher Hard Candies, and a bag of Dum Dum Lollipops.

Look for less ingredients.

When you have a Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup that’s then stuffed with Reese’s Pieces, you have even more ingredients to be concerned with.

With simple candies, you have a better chance of them being palm oil free.

Don’t buy chocolate-flavored.

The FDA has different requirements for “milk chocolate” versus “chocolate flavored,” “chocolate candy,” and “chocolately.”

Read the package description.

Less expensive holiday candy, especially at dollar stores, are often chocolate-flavored.

Chocolate-flavored candy has imitation cocoa butter (mostly from palm oil) which we explain next.

Don’t buy candy with cocoa butter equivalents or substitutes.

Avoid candy with Cocoa Butter Equivalent (CBE) or Cocoa Butter Substitute (CBS) listed in the ingredients.

The FDA allows for these enzymatically-produced fats made from palm oil to be used in:

• Coatings on soft candies
• Confections and frostings
• Sweet sauces and toppings

Real cocoa butter is expensive. It’s one of the most widely used raw materials in the chocolate and confectionery industries.

Palm oil mimics what cocoa butter can do. Cocoa butter is responsible for the flavor release, mouthfeel, snap, gloss and the shelf life (of the final product).

Learn more here. (Go to pages 17-19.)

Learn why candy companies use palm oil.

Most chewy, creamy, caramel, toffee, peanut butter, coated, and nougat type candies contain palm oil.

Palm oil derivatives — such as Magnesium Stearate — keep candy pieces from sticking to the machines.

If a company uses coconut oil or other higher quality oils in some of their products, there is a greater likelihood they aren’t using palm oil.

Palm oil is a cheap oil, and it’s very versatile; that’s why companies use it.

The FDA’s ban on trans fats went into effect in July 2018; candy companies have been using palm oil as a replacement.

Learn common names for palm oil derivatives in candy.

In addition to avoiding candy with the word “palm” in it, take it a step further.

• Don’t buy candy with Mono- and Diglycerides.
• Next, don’t buy candy with Magnesium Stearate and Calcium Stearate.
• Then, avoid candy with Tocopherols and Mixed Tocopherols.
• If you can take one more step, work to avoid Glycerin on candy labels.

Print out this 2020 list of palm oil free candy. 

Click to download and print this list of Orangutan-Friendly Candy Without Palm Oil. Use it when you shop.

Palm oil ingredients in candy

Remember, just because it doesn’t say palm oil, palm kernel oil, or hydrogenated palm oil, it may still contain it.

There are many ways candy manufacturers use palm oil in candy. These ingredients are usually derived from palm oil.

In chocolate-type candy, these may appear as:

• Cocoa Butter Substitute (CBS)
• Cocoa Butter Equivalent (CBE)
• Glycerin
• Glycerine
• Hydrogenated Palm Kernel Oil
• Monoglycerides
• Mono- and diglycerides
• Mixed Tocopherols
• Tocopherols

In non-chocolate candy, these ingredients may be derived from palm oil:

• Calcium Stearate
• Citric Acid – often but not always
• Glycerin
• Glycerine
• Glycerol
• Glycerol Monostearate
• Magnesium Stearate
• Medium Chain Triglycerides
• Mixed Tocopherols
• Mono- and Diglycerides
• Monostearate Glycerol
• Propylene Glycol
• Stearic Acid
• Tocopherols
• Vitamin A Palmitate

Finding candy ingredients online

The Hershey Company is a company who very clearly and transparently lists all of their ingredients online. It’s very easy to find the ingredients for all of their candy products.

Some of the other candy manufacturers list their ingredients but you really have to search for the information. Most of it is just colorful, animated advertising.

Some candy companies’ websites don’t have ANY information about their ingredients.

The Hershey’s site is by far the most transparent system of any of the mainstream candy companies, including Mars, Inc., Nestle, Wrigley, Wonka, Ferrara Pan, Goetze, Spangler, Mondelez International, Tootsie Roll Industries, and the others.

Additionally, we researched in stores.

We also emailed the companies to confirm their candy is palm oil free. We are waiting for confirmation on some, especially as to where the “source” of their ingredients come from.

Many candy companies will not answer the question of the SOURCE of some of their ingredients.

Meaning, it may say “Citric Acid” on the package but was that citric acid sourced from palm oil? (We have confirmed it is the red whips, licorice type candies.)

Many companies didn’t write back to disclose the source of their Mixed Tocopherols, Mono- & Diglycerides, etc. which are common in candy.

International Palm Oil Free Certification Accreditation Programme

The International Palm Oil Free Certification Accreditation Programme certifies products that are 100% palm oil free. To date, they are recognized in 20 countries, including the United States.

We used their list — which includes hundreds of palm oil derivatives — to research ingredients in candy.

Using Palm Oil Free labeling is the only way to know for sure if something is palm oil free. Please use this list as a reference only.

Palm oil free Halloween candy

Please note, we continue to update this list to include what we believe to be palm oil free candy, chocolate and treats.

Our intention was to compile an updated list of Halloween candy without palm oil. We wanted it to be easy for consumers to find in stores so we focused on popular candies.

While there are many specialty candy companies who do make palm oil free candy — and we want to support them — it’s not always practical to buy them, especially when you want to buy in bulk for lots of trick or treaters.

Also, while it’s tempting to buy a big bag with a variety of candies, it’s better to buy individual bags of each candy.

It’s rare you will find a mix of candy without palm oil all in one bag.

Note, many manufacturers change ingredients for their Halloween and holiday candy. They may offer different sizes, packaging and flavors.

Disclaimer: We obtained this ingredient and product information from researching online, contacting companies, and in stores. Please note, manufacturers change their labeling regularly. We have compiled this information for reference purposes only. Use this list as a starting point as you read labels and do your own due diligence. This list is not guaranteed.

This is not meant to be medical advice. As the consumer, please read ingredient labels for each product you plan to purchase. Contact companies if you have questions about their ingredients.

Sometimes even on the same shelf, for the same exact-looking product, the ingredients vary. (This is especially the case for Brach’s Candy Corn and Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups. Some state “Palm Oil” ingredients and some do not.)

Candies with palm oil ingredients

While this site strives to focus on and highlight products and candy without palm oil, we want you to know the candies we researched to show you how prevalent palm oil is popular candy brands.

We researched each of these candies and treats. If they are appear below it is because their labels list “Palm Oil,” “Palm Kernel Oil,” “Hydrogenated Palm Kernel Oil,” or due to their ingredients, they contain what appear to be palm oil derivatives.

We emailed companies to confirm and will continue to update as they get back with us. If they didn’t get back with us, we included them on this list because they didn’t confirm with us.

Many companies wrote to say they use sustainable palm oil and that they are members of the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO). However, we choose candy without any palm oil.

Remember, with so many orangutan-friendly candies to choose from (above) you can easily choose those that don’t contain palm oil.

List of Halloween treats and candies which have flavors that contain or may contain palm oil ingredients

• Airheads – You have to read the label on each package and variety; most contain Palm Oil, Glycerol, etc.
• Almond Joy
• Baby Ruth
• Bit-O-Honey
• BRACH’S:
  • Mellowcreme Autumn Mix
  • Harvest Corn
  • Football Candy Corn
• Bull’s Eyes – Goetze’s Original Caramel Creams & other flavors
• Butterfinger
• Candy bracelets
• Caramel Apple Pops (Tootsie)
• Charleston Chew
• Dove:
  • Pumpkins- Mixed Harvest
  • Pumpkins- Caramel & Milk Chocolate
  • Milk Chocolate & Cookie Crisp
• 5th Avenue
• Fruit Roll-Ups
• Haribo Gold-Bears

List of more candies which may contain and do contain palm oil

• Heath
• Hershey:
  • Cookie Layer Crunch Bar
  • Cookies ‘n’ Cream Bar
  • Hershey Gold
  • Kisses: Read labels; many list palm oil
  • Mr. Goodbar: Hershey’s Mr. Goodbar now includes palm oil (summer 2019). You may find both of these on the shelf:
    • Milk Chocolate with peanuts – doesn’t list palm oil in ingredients
    • Chocolate Candy with peanuts – includes palm oil in ingredients
  • Hershey’s Miniatures Assortment

A note about Hershey Miniatures: This is a mixed bag of their mini candy bars. It will include some combination of Special Dark, Milk Chocolate, Mr. Goodbar, Krackel. Most all varieties with Mr. Goodbar now contain palm oil.

• Jolly Rancher:
  • Awesome Twosome Bites
  • Crunch ‘N’ Chew
  • Filled Pops
• Kit Kat
• Krackel
• Laffy Taffy
• Milk Duds
• Milky Way
• M&M’s:
  • Caramel
  • Peanut
  • Peanut Butter
  • Thai Coconut Peanut
  • White Chocolate Peanut
• Mr. Goodbar: See above under “Hershey”; their “Chocolate Candy with Peanuts” now contains palm oil
• Oreo Chocolate Candy Bar
• Payday
• Quaker Chewy Halloween Mini Chocolate Chip Granola Bars – 28 count for Halloween
• Red Vines – There is a minute amount in their Citric Acid which is derived from palm oil.
• Reese’s:
  • Fast Break
  • Peanut Butter Cups: Miniatures, Halloween versions (Pumpkin, Bats, Ghosts, etc.), Stuffed with Reese’s Pieces
  • Nutrageous
  • Reese’s Pieces

A note about Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups

Reese’s makes so many different versions and flavors, with different ingredients and suppliers.

They usually list palm oil, palm kernel oil, etc. so read the label in advance. If it says Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil and doesn’t cite the source, there may be palm oil in it, according to what it says on their website.

We wrote to them about their Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups: Snack Size; 10.5 oz;  UPC: 3400040211

When we sent them the UPC code, their nutrition expert confirmed they do not contain any palm oil or palm oil derived ingredients.

Also, they went on to explain:

Not all of our REESE’S products, however, are made with the same recipe.

For example, we do include palm oil as an ingredient in our unwrapped REESE’S Peanut Butter Cups, Minis, and some of the other variations of REESE’S products such as our White REESE’S Peanut Butter Cups and our Halloween White REESE’S Peanut Butter Ghosts.

In addition, the REESE’S Peanut Butter Cups that we manufacture specifically for International markets may also contain palm oil.

The great news: You may be able to find Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups without palm oil! (THANK YOU, REESE’S!)

However, you must be diligent about reading the labels. If it says palm oil, palm kernel oil, hydrogenated palm kernel oil, etc., put it back, and look for another one.

Look for the BAGGED, INDIVIDUALLY WRAPPED snack size or standard size cups in the candy section without a holiday theme.

More candies that may contain or do contain palm oil

• Rice Krispies Treats Original – 12 count
• Rice Krispies Treats Original Mini Squares
• Rolo
• Sixlets
• Skittles
• Snickers
• Starburst
• Take 5
• 3Musketeers
• Tootsie Roll Midgees
• Tootsie Roll Pops
• Twix (all, including Twix Ghost)
• Twizzler
  • Pull-N-Peel
  • Twists
  • Nibs
• Welch’s Fruit Snacks Mixed Fruit (with Vitamin A Palmitate)
• Whatchamacallit
• Whoppers
• Zagnut

Zoos support orangutan-friendly candy

Many zoos have a Halloween event — Zoo Boo, Boo at the Zoo, Boo Zoo, etc. — in which guests are encouraged to wear costumes and trick or treat throughout Halloween-themed areas. These are fun, family-friendly events.

Oftentimes, zoos publish lists of orangutan-friendly candy in order to create awareness. However, sometimes these lists are outdated.

Additionally, many of them focus on candies that use sustainable palm oil. These lists are important because they increase awareness around candy and palm oil.

We want to highlight and showcase the candy companies and brands who have found ways to make candy WITHOUT ANY palm oil. These are the companies we want to promote and tell consumers about.

Why choose candy without palm oil

In many areas in our world, and especially in Sumatra and Borneo, palm oil plantations are devastating tropical rain forests. Native people as well as populations of wildlife, including orangutans, Sumatran tigers, and more are affected.

Learn more about the endangered species threatened by unsustainable palm oil production.

Companies sometimes use sustainable palm oil. Yet, when companies use any type of palm oil, it creates more demand.

Therefore, we support candy and treats without any palm oil.

Many people and innovative companies seek palm oil free alternatives for environmental reasons.

Learn more about the effects of palm oil related to Halloween candy.

Support palm oil free candy

1. Reach out to companies to encourage them to make more palm oil free candy.
2. Contact candy manufacturers via email and on social media to tell them you want them to stop using palm oil in candy.
3. Thank companies for making their candy without palm oil.
4. Remember, you vote with your dollars when you buy candy without palm oil.
5. Learn how to find products without palm oil. It’s essential to read labels before you buy anything.

Remember, when you don’t buy products that list Palm Oil, Palm Kernel Oil, Hydrogenated Palm Kernel Oil, and Red Palm Oil, you will make a big difference!

We have compiled this information for reference purposes only; it is not guaranteed. This list is meant to be a starting point in order to help you find palm oil free Halloween candy and candy throughout the year.

We also want to inform you about how prevalent palm oil is in the candy industry.

Click to download and print Orangutan-Friendly Candy Without Palm Oil for 2019.

Palm oil free treats besides candy

Chips:

• Lay’s Regular Potato Chips
• Pepperidge Farms Goldfish – 24 count
• Sensible Portions Garden Veggie Chips Ghosts + Bats – 12 count (shown)

Fruit-type snacks:

• GoGo Squeez Fruit On the Go – Organic and non-organic
• Stretch Island Organic Fruit Strips – 36 pack at Costco
• Raisins, cranberries, dried fruit – must read labels

Note: Fruit Roll-Ups contain palm oil.

Granola bars: 

Granola bars usually contain palm oil and aren’t a good choice to pass out for Halloween. Glycerin is a common palm oil derivative in them as well.

Popcorn:

• Boom Chicka Pop Sweet & Salty Kettle Corn – 12 count; Halloween packaging
• Kathy Kane Popcorn Balls – 12 count for Halloween; at Target
• Skinny Pop Halloween Original Popcorn – 12 count (shown)

Pretzels:

• Synder’s of Hanover Halloween Pretzels – 30 count (shown)

Read ingredient labels; we saw one major brand contains Palm Oil.

Gum:

• Glee Gum:
  • Sugar-Free: Peppermint; Bubblegum; Wintergreen
  • Peppermint, Cinnamon, Bubblegum, Spearmint, Mixed (Triple) Berry

Note: Gum without palm oil is difficult to find as it usually contains Glycerin or Glycerine, typically palm oil derivatives.

Other things:

Think of other things to pass out besides palm free snacks and candy to trick or treaters. This can be nice for kids with food allergies.

• Coins – Give a quarter, dimes or nickels. You can give a half dollar if you don’t have many trick or treaters.
• Glow sticks, Halloween toys – Wal-Mart, Target, Oriental Trading all sell glow sticks, Halloween balls, necklaces and trinkets. Watch for the environmental impact of these items.

Here’s an alphabetical list of palm oil free candy.

List of Orangutan-Friendly Halloween Candy Without Palm Oil

• Atomic Fireballs
• Boston Baked Beans
• BRACH’S:
  • Candy Corn Treat Packs
  • Classic Candy Corn
  • Mellowcreme Pumpkins
  • Mini Candy Corn
  • Naturally Flavored Candy Corn
• Divine Chocolate
• Dots 
• DOVE Chocolate:
  • Milk Chocolate Bars
  • Milk Chocolate Promises
  • Dark Chocolate Bars
  • Dark Chocolate Promises
• Dum Dums Original Pops
• Endangered Species
• Goobers
• Good ‘N Plenty 
• Hershey’s Bars:
  • Glow in the Dark Snack Size Wrappers Milk Chocolate
  • Milk Chocolate
  • Milk Chocolate with Almonds
  • Skor Toffee
  • Special Dark
  • Special Dark with Almonds
• Hershey Kisses:
  • Fall Harvest Milk Chocolate
  • Milk Chocolate
  • Milk Chocolate with Almonds
  • Monster Kisses Milk Chocolate
  • Special Dark Mildly Sweet Chocolate
  • Spooky Kisses Milk Chocolate
• Hershey’s Nuggets:
  • Milk Chocolate
  • Milk Chocolate with Almonds
  • Special Dark
  • Special Dark with Almonds
• Jolly Rancher Hard Candy
• Jolly Rancher Lollipops Spooky Sweets 
• M&M’s:
  • Almond
  • Cookies & Screem
  • Dark Chocolate
  • Fun Size Milk Chocolate Glow in the Dark Trick-or-Treat Packs
  • Milk Chocolate
  • Mini’s Milk Chocolate Minitube
  • Mint with Dark Chocolate
  • Pretzel
  • White Candy Corn
  • White Pumpkin Pie
• Nerds Grape and Strawberry “For the Love of Nerds”
• Nerds Rainbow
• Red Hots Original Cinnamon Candy
• Reese’s – must read labels; snack size, individually wrapped cups may be palm oil free
• Ring Pop
• Saf-T-Pops Lollipops
  
• Skor
• Sno Caps
• Wholesome Organic Lollipops 
• York Peppermint Patties
• Yum Earth Organic Candy Corn
• Yum Earth Organic Pops 

List of candy without palm oil

Is your favorite candy palm oil free? Do you know of others? What do you think about companies using palm oil in candy? Leave a message in the Comments.

We continue to update this post. It’s important to buy palm oil free candy all year. When you shop for holiday candy — think Valentine’s Day candy and Easter candy — read ingredient labels. They often change for holidays.

You can have a Happy Halloween and still be orangutan-friendly.

Read all labels. Manufacturers change ingredients. This list is meant for reference only and to be a starting point. 

 

 

 

 

Updated: January 6th, 2020

You can easily make your own sweets and desserts without palm oil. When baking from scratch, be sure to AVOID USING SHORTENING which most always contains palm.

Store-bought desserts and baked sweets — everything from cookies and cupcakes to donuts and pies — use Palm Oil, Palm Kernel Oil and palm oil derivatives, including Mono- and Diglycerides, Glycerin, Polysorbate 80 and more.

Boxed cake and dessert mixes often contain palm oil as well.

As with everything, the less ingredients something has, the less chance there will be palm oil in it.

When baking desserts from scratch to avoid palm oil, know these items likely contain it:

Shortening

Shortening contains palm oil and palm oil derivatives. Use real butter instead of shortening in your favorite recipes and especially in pie crusts.

Whipped Cream and Whipped Toppings

These types of toppings in spray canisters most always contain palm oil derivatives in the form of Mono- & Diglycerides. Frozen whipped toppings contain palm kernel oil, Polysorbate 60, and Sorbitan Monostearate.

Margarine

You will find palm oil ingredients in margarine and other “like butter” substitutes. Use real butter in desserts to avoid palm oil.

Sprinkles and Jimmies

Watch for palm oil and palm kernel oil. Colored sugar, such as Wilton Sugar — it’s available in Red, Pink, Dark Green, White Sparkling Sugar, and Blue — is palm oil free. (It’s available at Target.)

Baking and Cooking Spray

Be sure to read labels; you can find baking spray without palm oil. It’s also easy to use a canola, soybean or other oil and grease the pan with a paper towel.

Canned Frosting

You will see canned frosting most always contains palm oil or palm kernel oil among many other palm oil derivatives, including Monoglycerides, Mono & Diglycerides, Polysorbate 60, and Sodium Stearoyl Lactylate.

It’s easy to make your own; see below.

Almond Bark, Candy Melts

These contain palm oil and palm kernel oil. You can use candy to decorate, etc. See our holiday candy post.

Yeast

To the best of our knowledge, Red Star Active Dry All Natural Yeast in the 3-pack doesn’t contain palm oil. Other yeast contain Sorbitan Monostearate. More information below.

Imitation Vanilla Extract

Use pure vanilla extract; imitations contain Propylene Glycol, a palm oil derivative.

Food Coloring and Dyes

These contain Propylene Glycol, Glycerine, and Polysorbate 80.

Refrigerated cookie dough

While the mainstream brands contain palm oil ingredients, you may find a specialty brand that doesn’t include palm oil. Read labels.

Milk in desserts

Vitamin A Palmitate — a palm oil derivative — is added to most milks, including nut and plant milks. Make your own!

Or you can usually find whole milk without added Vitamin A Palmitate.

Desserts without palm oil

While convenience is great, with a little planning, you can easily make your own confections.

It’s often less expensive, healthier and fairly simple to make desserts without palm oil at home, even if baking isn’t your passion.

These recipes take 5 – 15 minutes, and that includes the cleanup.

We’ve included products we believe to be palm oil free. Please note, they are not guaranteed palm oil free unless they have earned the Palm Oil Free Certification Trademark by the International Palm Oil Free Certification Trademark Programme. Use this as a starting point.

Buttercream frosting without palm oil

Canned frosting contains palm oil. This frosting takes less than five minutes to make.

• 1 cup real butter (salted or unsalted)
• 1 lb box/4 cups of confectioners sugar or powdered sugar
• 3/4 cup cocoa or cacao powder
• 1 tablespoon whole milk
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Mix butter, sugar and cocoa powder. Add in vanilla and milk. Blend. Add additional milk as needed.

Omit the cocoa powder for vanilla frosting.

Avocado cacao pudding

This recipe has the bonus of containing avocado, which is a healthy fat. After you add all the ingredients, your kids won’t even know.

It’s super creamy and best when it’s been chilled in the refrigerator.

OrdinaryVegan.net has posted a tasty recipe.

For an even greater nutritional impact, use a higher quality cocao, such as Navitas Organics. Their Organic Cacao Powder is fair trade certified and contains 25% daily value of Magnesium per 2.5 tablespoons.

You can easily use Hershey’s Cocoa, 100% Cacao which is easy to find and also palm oil free.

It’s also vegan and uses only four ingredients. You can also make easy substitutions for the sweetener as necessary.

Chia Pudding

Wow! Another easy, healthy dessert without palm oil. Thank you to EatingBirdFood.com for posting this awesome chia seed pudding recipe.

The recipes calls for unsweetened coconut, almond or cashew milk. Make your own so it is palm oil free.

I’ve usually make this recipe with homemade almond milk but the last time I combined walnuts and almonds. If you own a food processor or Vitamix, it’s fast.

Soak the nuts for an hour or two and rinse them off. (Before using them, check the label to be sure they are free from palm oil derivatives.)

Blend 20-25 almonds per cup of water in your Vitamix. The recipe calls for two cups of milk but you can make however many you want to.

It’s fast and easy. Pour the two cups of almond or other nut milk into a mason jar. Add six tablespoons of chia seeds and any other flavors you want. The recipe suggests honey or maple syrup and vanilla extract. Shake.

Set in the refrigerator for a few hours or overnight. When you are ready to eat it, you can top it with fruit or anything you want.

The best part about this — aside from being healthy, easy, and delicious — is you can add anything you want to it. You can even add cacao powder or palm free chocolate chips.

Sometimes when I’m making the almond milk, I add banana, raspberries, blueberries and/or strawberries for a sweeter taste. You can make it your own.

According to MedicalNewsToday.com, chia seeds are good for you. They provide protein, fiber, and Omega-3 fatty acids and are rich in antioxidants.

Prior to making this recipe, I’d never bought chia seeds in my life. I’m so grateful to Brittany at EatingBirdFood.com for posting this recipe.

This makes for a tasty palm free dessert or snack as well as a great breakfast.

Chocolate mug cake

As with all of these recipes, this is a tasty dessert without palm oil. You use 100% pure cacao which is naturally free from palm oil.

You can find this easy recipe online from SweetLittleBluebird.com. This is one of the few mug cakes we found that didn’t include eggs. It tastes great!

Also, by using almond flour, you can make it gluten-free as well.

The thing to note about making this mug cake is that microwave times vary. Pay attention the first time you make it so you know the optimal time to get the consistency you like.

You will be amazed at how delicious, fast and easy this is to make!

Chocolate cake without palm oil

This Crazy Cake recipe is from SweetLittleBluebird.com. Just like the Chocolate Mug Cake above, I made this cake several times. Here it is for my son’s birthday.

It’s fluffy and moist, easy to make, and delicious. The beauty of this cake is it doesn’t use eggs, butter or dairy. You won’t miss them.

In addition to making Crazy Cake cupcakes, which worked perfectly, I used the batter in my two donut makers.

It’s exceptionally difficult to find donuts without palm oil so I wanted to see if this recipe would work. It worked great in both of them.

I used a plug-in mini donut maker. My other donut maker makes regular-sized donuts. It’s the type where you pour the batter in the donut-shapes and put the pan in the oven.

This cake recipe turned out really great in both makers, and now we can enjoy cakes, cupcakes and donuts without palm oil.

(Please note, M&M’s doesn’t make claims these are palm oil free; however, Milk Chocolate and Mint with Dark Chocolate — not their Crunchy Mint and not their Crispy Mint — are fine for my son who reacts to anything with palm oil and palm oil derivatives. We love to use them for decorating homemade cupcakes and cakes. They now seem to be discontinued. Watch for Mixed Tocopherols in M&M’s which may contain palm oil.)

Biscotti

You may have read my son gets sick from palm oil. Once, a friend came over for a play date. His mom looked very hard to find a “safe palm oil free dessert” my son could eat. (See this list of the foods he eats.)

Amazingly, she found one! She brought Biscotti Bros. Vanilla Biscotti.

My son loved them. I looked for them at the grocery stores in the area and couldn’t find them. It turns out, the store she bought it from stopped selling them. Since then, I had been looking for another biscotti brand at other stores. They either had way too many ingredients to worry about, or they were very expensive.

Still, months later, my son still talked about those biscotti. So I woke up one summer day and pulled up this recipe and made them with great success.

It took me a little longer than the 15 minutes prep time indicated, but it was still only 20 minutes or so. I substituted anise with the Simply Organic Pure Vanilla Extract we use safely.

If you use this recipe, be sure to take them out of the oven after 20 minutes, and then slice them with a pizza cutter.

Then put them in for another 7 – 10 minutes. This tip was from the first comment on the recipe, and it made it much simpler than the way the recipe instructs.

(The recipe states to bake it then let it cool, and then cut it, and then put back in the oven for 5 – 6 minutes. I imagine it would be very crumbly and also will take so much more time.)

The biscotti will harden after it comes out of the oven and cools.

These turned out and taste SO GREAT!!! They were exactly as my son remembered them. He was stunned (I’m not the world’s best baker) and so was I.

I made them another two times.

Sugar cookie recipe

Read this to find pre-made cookies without palm oil in stores. Even the ready-made tubes of cookie dough usually contain palm oil.

Instead, bake your own!

What’s nice is the recipe from ChemistryCachet.com calls for just seven ingredients, one of which is coconut oil.

Use her tip which is to separate the dough so it’s easier to roll out.

This recipe took just 15 minutes for me to get the dough in the oven and everything cleaned up. That’s a lot less time than running to the store. It’s lots healthier too.

These are easy to make as well are moist and delicious. I stored them in a sealed bag in my refrigerator, and they were good a week later.

You could freeze them even longer which is prefect to make in advance for when you need them.

Chocolate covered bananas

This palm free dessert has the added bonus of starring a healthy fruit.

Downshiftology.com has some great tips to make frozen bananas.

You can make this a two-ingredient recipe, using just the banana and the chocolate.

Just be sure to find melting chocolate, chocolate bars, or chocolate chips without palm oil.

In addition, you can add whatever toppings you want, just be sure they are palm oil free.

Some examples include nuts, shredded coconut, nut butter, chocolate chips, dried fruit, and regular M&Ms.

(Note to watch the M&Ms. The original/plain are palm oil free right now but be sure to read the label. They’ve recently changed ingredients and Peanut M&M’s now contain palm oil Some of their other flavors do as well.)

This is especially fun to eat in the summer.

Butterless cookie cake with ice cream

When we first found out my son reacted to palm oil, I panicked over what to do for his birthday cake. I always bought cupcakes or a cake from the grocery store. Being that was no longer an option, I thought maybe I could make a cookie cake. In this way, I wouldn’t have to deal with frosting. I’ve only ever bought frosting in the can.

I’ve made this recipe five times. Instead of making it into cookies, we’ve only ever put the dough in a glass circular pan and made it into a cake.

Follow the directions, and grease the bottom of a pan. Cook it for 18 – 20 minutes. Let it cool.

Add the ice cream on top just before you are ready to serve it.

I used Milk Chocolate and Dark Mint M&Ms which don’t contain palm oil (not the Crunchy Mint) to decorate. You can use chocolate shavings as well.

The first few times I made it, I froze the cookie. It becomes too hard to eat unless it’s much thinner. So if you use a larger pan so it’s thinner, that will work.

We use Breyer’s Natural Vanilla Ice Cream — only get the Natural Vanilla, not any of their other three vanilla flavors which may seem the same but they contain Mono- and Diglycerides.

See our list of ice cream without palm oil. 

My family loves this so much my kids decided we can only make it for one of our birthdays so it remains special!

Banana ice cream

Bananas are really great for their texture, especially when blended from frozen. Plus, it’s another dessert without palm oil that’s on the healthier side. It’s so easy to make from scratch.

If you’ve looked in the store for palm oil free ice cream, you know how hard it is to find.

In additional to the easy-to-see-on-labels ingredients, palm oil and palm kernel oil, ice cream manufacturers use a common palm oil derivative known as mono- and diglycerides.

But if you have a food processor or blender, you will be amazed at how easy it is to enjoy this palm oil free ice cream, even if you aren’t particularly fond of bananas.

I use a Vitamix but any food processor will do.

This tastes so unbelievably much like ice cream, you will be amazed. It’s so simple!

How to make banana ice cream

Slice bananas and freeze up to three or four bananas in a sandwich-sized Ziploc bag. Try to freeze them so they are in a single layer, rather than balled up.

Note: Several times, I sliced over a dozen bananas and put them in a gallon-sized Ziploc. I don’t recommend it. You don’t want the bananas to clump because it makes it really difficult for your food processor to whip them up.

Another tip is to cut the bananas every which way so they don’t nest together.

Not to complicate this simple recipe, but the idea is you really want it as easy as possible for your food processor to whip up the bananas. (Your food processor will thank you.)

Once the bananas are frozen — they don’t even need to be frozen solid — put them in the food processor or Vitamix.

Add vanilla extract to taste — approximately a quarter teaspoon per three bananas.

Add cacao powder to taste. You can add a few tablespoons, depending on how many bananas you have.

You can also make a larger batch of this banana ice cream and freeze for later.

Blend until it’s the consistency of ice cream. It’s a really tasty dairy-free and palm oil free ice cream treat that amazingly has the consistency of ice cream.

While it’s awesome with vanilla extract and the cacao, you can add anything to it. Instead of vanilla, use peppermint extract. You can blend in strawberries and/or slice them to mix in for strawberry ice cream. We use organic vanilla extract which has a much better chance of being palm oil free.

You can add nuts, other fruit, etc. for more variety.

Like in the other recipes, you can use the easy-to-find Hershey’s 100% Cocoa powder. For an even richer flavor, use fair trade certified Navitas Organics Cacao or other 100% cacao powder.

Chocolate Tapioca Pudding

I just made this palm oil free pudding from Allrecipes. It was my first time using tapioca flour which has the added bonus of being gluten-free. I only had Hershey Milk Chocolate bars on hand and will get better quality next time.

I kept it boiling for two minutes like the recipe instructed but I burned the bottom of it. I’m not sure if I wasn’t supposed to keep the lid on it (which I did) or if I needed to boil it for less time.

Aside from that, the majority of it tasted wonderfully.

Brownies without palm oil

If you are looking to make desserts without palm oil, brownies are an easy choice.

We love these brownies made with olive oil from SimplyWhisked.com. So many recipes are created using canola oil, yet olive oil is much healthier.

Prep time for these is about 15 minutes. Once you’ve boiled the water, it’s fast to make.

It requires 10 common ingredients. However, while this recipe has more ingredients than the others listed, they are common ingredients you may already have or can easily get.

Some of them include cocoa powder, vanilla extract, sugar, eggs and baking soda.

The brownies are moist, chocolately and delicious.

We love homemade from scratch brownies best but we have found very good brownie mixes without palm oil.

Brownie mix without palm oil

• Pillsbury makes many palm oil free brownie mixes
  • Chocolate Fudge
  • Milk Chocolate
  • Dark Chocolate
  • Classic Fudge
  • Purely Simple Chocolate Chunk

They are simple to make. Just add oil (canola, soybean, olive oil, etc.; just not palm oil), water and two eggs. Again, to the best of our knowledge, these are palm oil free, but they are not guaranteed.

Baking chips

Avoid vanilla chips and white morsels as they typically contain palm oil and palm kernel oil. Unless it states “white chocolate,” the baking chips will mostly contain palm oil in some form.

The same is true for flavors of baking morsels and chips such as raspberry, peanut butter, and butterscotch, etc., which contain palm oil.

You will have a much better chance if you buy milk chocolate, semi-sweet, and dark chocolate baking chips.

Read labels to be sure you are buying real chocolate. Chips marked “chocolate flavored,” “made with chocolate,” and “chocolately” usually contain palm oil.

• Enjoy Life Mini Chips: Semi-Sweet; Dark; Semi-Sweet Mega Chunks

We believe these chips are palm oil free because my son can enjoy them safely.

Whipped topping and frosting

Doing online searches, you can find ways to make whipped topping without palm oil by using heavy cream without Vitamin A Palmitate.

Again, avoid canned frosting which contains palm oil. You can easily make your own with confectioners sugar and real butter. It’s easy and palm oil free.

See more ideas for holiday desserts here.

Yeast without palm oil

The only yeast we found that lists only “yeast” in the ingredients is Red Star Active Dry Yeast in the packet form.

• Red Star Active Dry Yeast packets

We looked at Instant Yeast, Bread Machine Yeast, and Quick Rise Yeast in jars and packets.

Yeast usually contain Sorbitan Monostearate. This is a palm oil derivative. You won’t know if it’s derived from palm oil unless you check with the companies.

Read labels before buying yeast. We only ever buy this Red Star yeast in the 3-packet form.

Palm oil free dessert ingredients

These are some of the palm free ingredients we use when baking:

• O Organics Organic Powdered Sugar
• Enjoy Life Foods Mini Chips Semi-Sweet
• Red Ape Premium Ground Cinnamon – This product is certified palm oil free.
• C&H Confectioners Sugar
• Simply Organic Madagascar Pure Vanilla Extract
• Red Star Active Dry Yeast packets

From emailing companies and doing our own due diligence, we believe these are palm oil free. However, they are not guaranteed because they haven’t been certified Palm Oil Free.

Tips for baking palm oil free confections

It’s important to note, I’m not a baker! I am learning as I go. You can do it too.

One of the best things I did was to buy a container to put baking ingredients in. I bought a dishpan from Target. It’s easy to pull it out and have the flour, sugar, vanilla extract, chocolate chips, etc. all in one place.

Palm oil free bakery

Remember, store-bought desserts and baked confections — cakes, cookies, pastries, etc. — use palm oil ingredients.

Sometimes you will see palm kernel oil and palm kernel oil on the ingredient labels. In addition, there are often palm oil derivatives, including Mono- and Diglycerides, Glycerin, Polysorbate 80 and more.

Yes, it’s hard to walk past the bakery departments in grocery stores being tempted by all the scones, cookies, cupcakes, brownies, donuts, pastries, muffins, cakes, tarts, pies and torts.

But when you take a minute to look at the list of ingredients, you will be sure to find palm oil, palm kernel oil and other palm oil derivatives, especially if there are many ingredients in it.

Here are some of them from the cake ingredients in the image:

• Sorbitan Monostearate
• Polysorbate 60
• Mono- & Diglycerides
• Sodium Stearoyl Lactylate

So make your own! By knowing exactly what’s going into your desserts, you can be sure they are palm oil free.

Once you know the ingredients to watch out for, it’s much easier to choose palm oil free products.

And if you feel like a snack, be it sugary or sweet, see our list of palm oil free snacks as well.

Easy-to-make desserts

Please know, I don’t like to cook or bake but I am trying hard to make healthier choices for my family.

But even though I am a very novice baker, I’ve made all of these recipes successfully, some multiple times. They are so easy to do.

And they all taste amazing. You will absolutely not miss the commercial bakery with artificial and chemical ingredients at your grocery store.

Palm oil wrecks havoc on our planet and also makes my son incredibly ill. By eating healthier and more “from scratch,” it’s a lot easier to avoid palm oil.

Learn about the ways companies use palm oil so you can avoid it.

Breakfast without palm oil

We will continue to update this post with more recipes for desserts without palm oil. Please share your favorites in the Comments.

Again, thank you for supporting palm oil free desserts, baked goods, frozen novelties and treats. Please always read labels and be a proactive consumer.

By making desserts at home, you can be sure you are enjoying desserts free from palm oil and derivatives.

To the best of our knowledge, these products and recipes are free from palm oil and palm oil derivatives. Please use it as a reference point as you do your own due diligence. This is list not guaranteed.

You will only know for certain something is palm oil free if it has earned the Palm Oil Free Certification Trademark by the International Palm Oil Free Certification Trademark Programme.  

 

 

 

Updated: January 6th, 2020

Finding popcorn without palm oil is possible. You must be sure to read the labels. As with everything, the less ingredients, the better.

You can always make your own from an air popper or on the stove top. However, it’s great to have the option to buy pre-popped popcorn for convenience, as an easy snack, and when you’re on-the-go.

How to find popcorn without palm oil

Yes, it’s convenient and delicious, but do not buy microwave popcorn as it most always contains palm oil.

Update: See below for one brand of microwave popcorn without palm oil.

Regarding bags of already-popped popcorn, unless you know for certain they’re palm oil free, it’s best to avoid more exotic flavors such as chocolate, cheese, and coated varieties.

Often holiday varieties of popcorn contain palm oil.

Remember, many popcorn brands and flavors contain palm oil derivatives that won’t have the word “palm” in the ingredients.

Common palm oil ingredients in popcorn include:

• Palm oil
• Palm kernel oil
• Medium chain triglycerides
• Tocopherols

Learn about how companies use palm oil so you can find it on labels.

Ask before buying popcorn at movie theaters, sports events, stadiums, and events. They usually contain palm oil.

Please support these choices of palm oil free popcorn. (To the best of our knowledge, these do not contain palm oil ingredients. However, this list is not guaranteed.)

Popcorn without palm oil

Skinny Pop

• Original
• Sea Salt & Pepper
• Naturally Sweet
• Sea Salt Mini Cakes
• Salted Caramel Mini Cakes
• Cinnamon & Sugar Mini Cakes

Popcorn review: We buy Skinny Pop Original a lot. It’s a great snack for home and on the road.

It only contains Popcorn, Sunflower Oil, and Salt.

The Skinny Pop Mini Cakes are amazing. They are a fun way to eat popcorn in a small version of a rice cake. They are excellent for lunchboxes and snacks.

We regularly buy the Sea Salt, Salted Caramel, and Cinnamon & Sugar Mini Cakes. Sometimes we mix the Sea Salt with one of the other flavors for a sweet and salty mix.

We look forward to buying their other palm oil free flavors when we see them in our local stores.

Angie’s Boom Chicka Pop

• Sea Salt Popcorn
• Sweet & Salty Kettle Corn
• Light Kettle Corn
• Salted Caramel Popcorn
• Buttery Caramel Popcorn

Popcorn review: Ever since Costco started selling Angie’s Sweet & Salty Kettle Corn, our family buys several bags monthly. My family and I love this popcorn.

It’s unbelievably great — the perfect blend of sugar and salt. It’s a convenient and healthy sweet treat for our family.

This popcorn, made without palm oil, only contains Popcorn, Sunflower Oil, Cane Sugar, and Sea Salt.

We’ve also had Angie’s Sea Salt Popcorn, which is also delicious.

Some of their specialty seasonal flavors, like Candy Corn flavored Kettle Corn and Pumpkin Spice Kettle Corn, contain palm oil and palm kernel oil.

Lesser Evil Buddha Bowl

• Classic Cheddah
• Himalayan Pink
• Oh My Ghee!
• Himalayan Sweetness
• Jalapeno ‘n Honey
• Avocado-Licious
• Himalayan Gold

Popcorn review: Look at these flavors! Lesser Evil doesn’t use any palm oil in their popcorn and other snacks.

Their organic popcorn uses quality ingredients. Depending on the flavor, some ingredients include Himalayan salt, organic extra-virgin coconut oil, and/or extra-virgin avocado oil.

Popcornopolis

• Nearly Naked Popcorn
• Caramel Corn
• Kettle Corn

Popcorn review: We enjoy the large bag of Popcornopolis’s Nearly Naked Popcorn when we see it at Costco. Unfortunately, it’s not always available. We buy it when it is.

This popcorn is delicious and very flavorful. There are few kernels at the bottom of the bag. My kids, husband and I all love it.

Hopefully, Popcornopolis will include their ingredients on their website soon. Because they aren’t listed, and we aren’t able to find all of their flavors in stores, we can’t cross-reference their ingredients to check for palm oil.

We were only able to verify the ones above.

Via email, Popcornopolis confirmed these popcorn flavors below are free from palm oil. Again, do your own due diligence and read labels.

• Nearly Naked Popcorn
• Almond Caramel
• Caramel Corn
• Cheddar Cheese
• Cinnamon Toast
• Fifty Fifty Popcorn
• Jalapeno Cheddar
• Cupcake
• Kettle Corn
• Lemon Heaven
• Pecan Caramel
• Red Velvet
• White Cheddar

Simple Truth

• Organic Sea Salt & Black Pepper Popcorn
• Kettle Popcorn
• Organic Low Sodium Popcorn

Popcorn review: We’ve tried Simple Truth Organic Low Sodium Popcorn and love it. This is also something we purchase when we are on road trips and going to friends’ homes.

Simple Truth is a Kroger brand, with organic and non-organic lines. While it’s not available everywhere, we were able to purchase this popcorn at Kroger-owned stores.

Please support these flavors of popcorn without palm oil. Let companies know you want products without it.

See our post which lists Palm Oil Free Products in different categories.

Microwave popcorn contains palm oil

Remember, you must avoid microwave popcorn unless you buy this one brand from Quinn as explained below. Otherwise, every single brand we researched contains palm oil or palm kernel oil.

If you look at the ingredients in stores, you will see this for yourself.

Microwave popcorn without palm oil

Quinn Snacks Microwave Popcorn

• Real Butter & Sea Salt
• Vermont Maple Kettle Corn
• White Cheddar
• Just Sea Salt
• Aged Parmesan & Rosemary
• Real Butter Tastes Better Truffle Butter
• Real Butter Tastes Better Butter & Sea Salt

We are grateful to Quinn Snacks for being so innovative with their microwave popcorn. We appreciate them using such quality ingredients.

(Be sure sure read labels and buy the ones above. Their Real Butter Tastes Better Extra Butter contains organic red palm oil. Note it is organic, fair trade and sustainable.)

Pre-made popcorn at events

If you are at the movie theater or sports venue, etc., you will have to ask about the ingredients. We usually avoid it unless we speak to the manager. It might contain palm oil. Additionally, it is likely to contain many artificial ingredients.

Make homemade popcorn palm free

While at home, you can make homemade popcorn. It doesn’t take long, especially if you have an air popper. Then, you can add your own salt, butter, cheese or caramel creations, knowing exactly what it is.

We use a Hamilton Beach Hot Air Popcorn Popper. It’s simple enough for my kids to use, fast, and pops practically all the kernels.

Popcorn oil

Look for sunflower oil, safflower oil, and coconut oil popcorn.

Butter popcorn

When you are looking for palm oil free popcorn, you need to carefully read the labels for butter popcorn.

Many times, you will see ingredients such as tocopherols, and/or medium chain triglycerides. These typically contain palm oil.

Palm oil free popcorn

Popcorn is a healthy snack. Plain, it’s low in calories and fun to eat. Snacks without palm oil.

When you are at the store, just remember to read all labels. Look for simple ingredients such as popcorn, coconut oil, and salt so you know what you are getting.

Many times, the label won’t spell out “palm oil” but it still may contain palm oil derivatives.

We have reached out to these companies to confirm their popcorn is made without palm oil. We continue to update with post as companies return our emails.

Please support these brands and flavors of palm oil free popcorn.

See our other lists, including candy without palm oil and pretzels without palm oil.

See the palm oil free foods list my son eats.

Know that while we work very hard to live without palm oil, we aren’t food scientists or medical professionals. We gathered this information by researching popcorn in stores and online; reaching out to manufacturers; and learning all we can about the names for palm oil. Please always read ingredient labels when you are looking for popcorn without palm oil.

This list is meant for reference only and isn’t guaranteed.

By encouraging companies to become Palm Oil Free certified, consumers will know which products are truly palm oil free. Read more about the International Palm Oil Free Certification Trademark Programme which is approved in 20+ countries, including the United States.

If you know of other brands, please let us know in the Comments. Why do you avoid palm oil? It it getting harder to find palm oil free options?

Updated: January 17th, 2020

The snack market continues to expand. Consumers routinely buy processed and packaged snacks. If you are looking for snacks without palm oil, we update this list regularly.

Here’s a list of easy, palm oil free snacks, especially in categories in which companies use palm oil often. Many are grab and go. Thank you for being an educated consumer!

This list is not guaranteed and is meant to be a starting point. To know for certain a product is Palm Oil Free, look for labeling from the International Palm Oil Free Trademark Certification Programme.

Palm oil free snacks

Toward the bottom is a list of snacks that usually don’t contain palm oil and are typically safe snacks for people who are avoiding palm products. 

Chocolate and candy

Definitely read ingredients before you purchase. In addition to Palm Oil and Palm Kernel Oil, manufacturers use Mixed Tocopherols, Tocopherols, Mono- and Diglycerides, Magnesium Stearate, Calcium Stearate, Glycerin, and other palm oil derivatives.

We researched a list of Halloween candy without palm oil. You can choose palm free brands all year. Please check it out.

Cereal for a snack

Ready-to-eat cereal makes a great snack but it’s a challenge to find it without palm oil.

What to look for: It’s difficult to find them without palm oil because they are typically fortified with Vitamin A Palmitate.

Even granola often contains Glycerin, Glycerine, and/or Tocopherols, and Mixed Tocopherols, all which are typically made from palm oil in these types of products.

We found one brand, Purely Elizabeth, which makes granola without it. They use pure ingredients in all of their products. You can find their products at Target, Kroger-owned stores, and more.

For a list of specific brands and flavors, see our list of cereal without palm oil. There are some Post and Kashi cereals without it.

Note, “Natural Flavors” often contain palm oil as well.

Chips without palm oil

This is one category in which you should be able to find palm oil free snacks. Take a few moments to read labels, and choose the palm free option.

What to look out for: Avoid canned chips and snacks. They often contain Palm Oil, Palm Kernel Oil, and Mono- and Diglycerides, which are typically made from palm oil. 

Also note, organic potato chips often contain organic palm oil or organic red palm oil.

Some chips without palm oil include:

• Cheetos Crunchy
• Cheetos Puffs
• Mission Tortilla Rounds
• Sensible Portions:
  • Garden Veggie Straws – Sea Salt
  • Garden Veggie Chips – Sea Salt

See below for potato chips.

We are in the process of researching and adding to this list. Please check back often as we will have more options to look choose from.

Cookies

What to look for: Look for crunchy and not chewy cookies. Both non-organic and organic store-bought cookies usually contain palm oil. Manufacturers introduce new flavors often. They typically contain palm oil.

See our list of cookies without palm oil and the ingredients to watch out for.

Crackers without palm oil

What to look for: Read labels. You will see “palm oil” in many crackers now. In addition, watch for Mono- and Diglycerides and DATEM.

Palm oil ingredients are common in crackers now because in the United States, the FDA banned companies from using artificial trans fats in their foods. Trans fats were common in crackers.

Even saltine-type crackers use these ingredients. Buttery-type crackers do as well.

Here are some crackers without palm oil ingredients:

• Nabisco Triscuit:
  • Original
  • Whole Wheat Original
  • Reduced Fat
  • Original Organic
  • Thin Crisps Sweet Potato & Cinnamon

We will be researching more palm oil free crackers.

Snack cakes, packaged desserts

For more sweet treats, see desserts without palm oil.

What to look for: Know that when you buy sweet biscuits, packaged pastries, packaged cakes, and bakery snacks that are already prepared, they most always palm oil.

There are so many names for palm oil ingredients in baked goods; most don’t have “palm” in the name. 

Make your own for a much healthier option — all of those palm oil derivatives involve complicated chemical names. When you bake your own from scratch, you can make them from real, whole foods.

Fruit and vegetable chips

What to look for: These make for great snacks without palm oil. However, the only ingredients should be the fruit or vegetable. Any other ingredients should be ones you recognize, such as cane sugar, sea salt, etc.

• Bare Fruit Chips: Here’s a sample of their flavors without palm oil.
  • Apple Chips
    • Fuji & Reds Apple Chips
    • Cinnamon Apple Chips
  • Banana Chips
    • Simply Banana Chips
    • Cinnamon Banana Chips
  • Coconut Chips
    • Toasted Coconut Chips
    • Chocolate Coconut Chips
  • Vegetable
    • Sea Salt Carrot Chips
    • Salt & Vinegar Beet Chips

Fruit snacks and fruit strips without palm oil

What to look for: Many chewy foods contain palm in the form of Glycerin, Glycerine, Glyceryl, and Glycol. Avoid these ingredients completely because there’s no way of knowing if they are made with palm oil.

• Kirkland Signature Organic Fruity Snacks
• Stretch Island Organic Fruit Strips: Grape, Strawberry, Tropical

Ice cream

What to look for: Read labels; don’t just buy what’s on sale. Be sure you are buying “ice cream” and not “frozen dessert” which most always contains palm oil.

In addition to the “palm” words, watch for Mono- & Diglycerides, Polysorbate 80, Propylene Glycol Monostearate, etc.

• Ben & Jerry’s: all flavors

See our post Ice Cream without Palm Oil for additional brands and flavors.

Nut butter

Peanut and nut butters make a healthy on-the-go snack when it’s in its own container or pouch. At home, nut butters are easy to pair with apples, celery or toast.

What to look for: Peanut butter is another case when organic is not usually better. Most all of the store-brand, organic peanut butter at our local grocery store contains palm oil.

Watch for “No Stir” and “No Need to Stir” labeling which means the product has palm oil. Also watch for Peanut Butter Spreads which also contain palm oil plus many other ingredients and chemicals.

• Wild Friends Nut Butter + Oats: Almond Cashew; Peanut Cashew; Almond Cranberry; Peanut Blueberry

See our list of peanut butter without palm oil. There are some grab-and-go nut butters on this list as well, though it’s easy to put some in a reusable container.

Popcorn

What to look for: Buy already-popped or popcorn kernels. Completely avoid microwave popcorn unless you buy the palm oil free flavors from Quinn Snacks. Most of their flavors are palm-free.

It was a nice surprise to see the iconic Cracker Jack is still made without palm oil. Even their Holiday Sugar Cookie Popcorn is palm oil free.

Many holiday versions mean more ingredients which means a greater likelihood the snack will contain palm oil.

These are brands that offer some palm free snack options:

• Angie’s Boom Chicka Pop
• Cracker Jack
  
• Lesser Evil Buddha Bowl Organic Popcorn 
• Skinny Pop
• Quinn Snacks: Most of their microwavable flavors are free from palm oil which makes them a convenient snack.

• Lay’s Potato Chips
  • Classic
  • Salt & Vinegar

What to look for:  Many gluten-free and regular pretzels contain Tocopherols and/or DATEM, palm oil derivatives.

Watch out for yogurt-covered and chocolate-covered and other flavors which have more ingredients. Also, be aware of Halloween versions in the small packs. Depending on the company, it may contain palm oil.

You should be able to find these snacks palm oil free so be sure to read labels before purchasing. Our favorite is Rold Gold.

This post lists pretzels without palm oil.

Protein Meat Snacks

What to look for: Many shelf-stable meat and jerky products contain palm oil derivatives. Unless you contact the company, you won’t know if the Citric Acid, flavorings, and spices are derived from palm oil.

Epic Bar said they make all of their meat snacks without palm oil.

• Epic Bar
  • Snack Strips:
    • Wagyu Beef Steak Strip
    • Smoked Salmon Maple
    • Turkey Cranberry Sage
    • Venison Sea Salt + Pepper
  • Bites:
    • Sweet Savory Bison & Uncured Bacon
    • Hickory Smoked Bacon
    • Sweet & Spicy Sriracha Beef
    • Sweet Sesame Ginger Chicken
    • Beef Liver
    • Maple Glazed & Smoked Salmon
    • Savory Herb Blend Turkey
    • Sweet Maple Uncured Bacon & Pork
    • Original Hunter’s Recipe: Tender Venison Steak
  • Pork Skins:
    • Sea Salt Pepper Rinds
    • Texas BBQ Pork Rinds
    • Maple Bacon Pork Cracklings
    • Himalayan Sea Salt Rinds
    • Chili Lime Rinds
  • Hunt & Harvest Mix:
    • Berry Blossom
    • Coconut Carnivore
    • Honey Harvest
    • Mountain Medley
    • Bacon Lust
  • Bits:
    • Hickory Bacon
    • Chicken Sesame
    • Maple Bacon

Puffs

• Lesser Evil Grain Free Paleo Puffs
  • “No Cheese” Cheesiness
  • Himalayan Pink Salt
  • Apple Cider Vinegar
• Pirate’s Booty Aged White Cheddar

Snack bars

What to look for: Avoid protein, nutrition, and snack bars with chocolate, peanut butter, caramel, fillings, and coatings as these typically contain palm oil.

Most chewy bars use palm oil. Some crunchy snack bars do not, especially if they are fruit-flavored.

Look for nutritional type bars which use figs or dates to bind their ingredients instead of palm oil ingredients.

Glycerin, Glycerine and Tocopherols are common in snack bars. They are typically made with palm oil in these types of products.

A special shout out to Enjoy Life Foods, first in the US to have their snack line of Grain & Seed Bars and four flavors of their Protein Bites to be certified as palm oil free.

• Enjoy Life Foods
  • Grain & Seed Bars (all flavors)
    • Chocolate Marshmallow
    • Banana Caramel
    • Maple Sweet Potato
    • Cranberry Orange
  • Protein Bites Chocolate (in these flavors)
    • Dipped Banana
    • Dark Raspberry
    • Cinnamon Spice
    • Sunseed Butter

Companies which make their bars without palm oil include:

• Honey Bunchies – These peanut and pecan honey bars are palm oil free.
• RXBAR – All of their products are palm oil free.

For specific brands and flavors, see our post with an extensive list of snack bars and granola bars without palm oil.

Snacks without palm oil

Remember, the less processed, the better. Eating real, unprocessed foods means you don’t have to worry about palm oil.

Food that doesn’t come in packages — think apples, mandarins, grapes, snap peas, snow peas, mini peppers, bananas, and more — all make delicious and nutritious snacks.

Usually these types of kid-friendly snacks do not contain palm oil.

• Applesauce
• Cheese
• Dried fruit: Look for packages that only contain one fruit and not a mix. Read the ingredients and look for fruit only. Watch for oils.
• Fresh fruit: Wash citrus fruit thoroughly; they can be coated in palm oil ingredients.
• Fruit-squeeze pouches
• Nuts, especially if it’s just one type of nut. Added salt is okay but there shouldn’t be other ingredients.
• Rice cakes
• Vegetables
• Yogurt: Look for natural yogurts with live and active cultures. (Yogurt-covered fruit and nuts typically contain palm oil.)

Support snack products, brands and flavors that don’t use any palm oil. You will make a difference. See our ultimate list palm oil free products for more choices.

Our son, who gets sick from palm oil, eats these foods. 

Snacking industry

The snack industry is $605 billion globally. Consumers snack regularly.

One trend in snacking is consumers are replacing meals with snacks.

Consumers want exciting flavors with “fresh” packaging with clean labels and healthy and natural ingredients.

Remember, palm oil can still be hiding in these types of products. Read labels. Watch for palm oil derivatives.

Snack companies are using alternative ingredients, including many plant-derived and plant-based ingredients. Know that these can contain palm oil.

As with everything, less ingredients is better. Choosing fresh, real food for snacks means you won’t have to read labels.

Read labels to find snacks without palm oil

There are certain categories of foods and snacks in which palm oil ingredients are prevalent so always read labels.

Also, companies change ingredients frequently. Sometimes you will see the exact same product on the shelf with different ingredients.

We are updating this list of palm oil free snacks regularly.

Please note, snack manufacturers change ingredients and vendors regularly. This is meant for reference purposes only. Please read ingredient labels at the point of purchase before buying snacks and processed foods.

This list is not guaranteed and is meant as a starting point. Let companies know you support foods without palm oil. For a product to be certified Palm Oil Free, it has to apply to the International Palm Oil Free Certification Trademark Programme.

What are your favorite palm oil free snacks? Why do you avoid palm oil? Let us know in the Comments. Please be brand loyal to snacks you find that don’t use any palm oil ingredients.

 

 

Updated: January 17th, 2020

If you are looking for palm oil free peanut butter, read labels. You will find it.

Companies use “No Stir” labels as a marketing strategy. Others may use “No Need to Stir.”

This advertising on labels means there is palm oil in the product. It will be listed in the ingredients.

Peanut butter manufacturers add palm oil so their peanut butter spreads easily. Many larger companies who label their peanut butter as “Organic” and “All Natural” use palm oil as well. 

Peanut butter companies can’t use artficial trans fats in their products because the United States Food & Drug Administration (FDA) banned them. Many peanut butter companies have turned to palm oil.

Peanut butter spread contains palm oil

Also note, there is “Peanut Butter” and there is “Peanut Butter Spread.” These are not created equally. These products will be next to each other on store shelves. Peanut butter spreads will contain palm oil plus many other ingredients. 

Read the front of the peanut butter jar to see if it’s peanut butter or a spread.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration stated that palm oil is not a healthy substitute for trans fats, yet palm oil consumption continues to rise.

Find palm oil free peanut butter

1. Read labels.
2. Don’t buy peanut butter with “No Stir” labeling.
3. Don’t buy peanut butter spread.
4. Buy peanut butter with just peanuts and salt.

Peanut butter without palm oil

We love when industry leaders keep their products free from palm oil. Here is a list of peanut butter without palm oil ingredients. Please support them buy buying their products.

Wild Friends

Congratulations to Wild Friends Foods, the first nut butter company in the world to become Certified Palm Oil Free. ALL of their nut butter products are made without palm oil or palm oil derivatives.

The International Palm Oil Free Certification guarantees the products have been thoroughly researched, right back to the sources. Learn more.

Look at all of these choices of peanut butter without palm oil:

Wild Friends Peanut Butter

• Chocolate Coconut Peanut Butter
• Chocolate Protein Peanut Butter
• Cinnamon Raisin Peanut Butter
• Classic Creamy Peanut Butter
• Gingerbread Peanut Butter
• Pumpkin Spice Peanut Butter
• Chocolate Pumpkin Spice Peanut Butter
• Sugar Cookie Peanut Butter
• Vanilla Protein Peanut Butter

Wild Friends Almond Butter

• Chocolate Almond Butter
• Classic Creamy Almond Butter
• Vanilla Espresso Almond Butter

Wild Friends Sunflower Butter

• Organic Honey Sunflower Butter
• Organic Maple Sunflower Butter

Wild Friends Super Butter

• Almond Cashew Super Butter
• Peanut Cashew Super Butter

Wild Friends Collagen Nut Butters

These are their newest palm oil free peanut butter and almond butter products:

• Vanilla Collagen Peanut Butter
• Chocolate Collagen Peanut Butter
• Vanilla Collagen Almond Butter

For most of the above products, Wild Friends also offers single serve packs.

Move over Nutella! Now there is palm oil free: Wild Friends Chocolate Hazelnut Spread

Their Hazelnut Spread without palm oil is one of their newest products.

Wild Friends Oats and Nut Butter

These are also Palm Oil Free certified:

• Peanut Cashew Nut Butter + Oats
• Peanut Blueberry Nut Butter + Oats
• Almond Cashew Nut Butter + Oats
• Almond Cranberry Nut Butter + Oats

We regularly buy the following and love them:

• In jars: Chocolate Almond Butter; Classic Creamy Peanut Butter; Chocolate Coconut Peanut Butter
• Single serving packs: Organic Honey Sunflower Butter; Vanilla Almond Butter

Spread the Love Foods

It’s great Spread the Love advertises on their website: No palm fruit oil.

They also advertise this on their labeling. It’s so important to tell consumers to look for this feature!

It’s also Non-GMO and made in small batches.

Spread the Love’s Peanut Butter

• Naked Organic Peanut Butter
• Naked Crunch Organic Peanut Butter

Their almond butter is made in a peanut-free facility!

Spread the Love’s Almond Butter

• Unsalted Almond Butter
• Unsalted Crunch Almond Butter

Crazy Richard’s Peanut Butter Co.

For over 100 years, Crazy Richard’s has been an additive-free peanut butter. Their peanut butter ingredients are simple and don’t include salt or sugar… just peanuts!

Additionally, they recognize that hydrogenated palm oil isn’t a good thing.

We’ve used Crazy Richard’s Peanut Butter in recipes, and it’s very easy to mix. 

You can find this brand in many grocery stores.

Crazy Richard’s Peanut Butter

• Natural Creamy Peanut Butter
• Natural Crunchy Peanut Butter

Crazy Richard’s Almond Butter

Ingredients: Almonds

Crazy Richard’s Cashew Butter

Ingredients: Dry-Roasted Cashews and Sunflower Oil

Teddie Natural Peanut Butter

Teddie’s products are free from sweeteners, oils as well as anything artificial. The peanuts are grown in the United States and are Non GMO.

In addition, they use simple ingredients: Peanuts. Some contain salt. Others flaxseed. At most, there are three ingredients… that’s it! You can find this peanut butter at Target, Walmart, Safeway,  ShopRite, and more.

Teddie All Natural

• Smooth
• Smooth Unsalted
• Super Chunky
• Super Chunky Unsalted
• Smooth with Flaxseed
• Chunky with Flaxseed

Teddie Organic All Natural

• Smooth
• Creamy

Kroger Natural Peanut Butter

A reader made a suggestion in the Comments about Kroger’s Natural Peanut Butter as being palm oil free and an inexpensive option.

They don’t add oils, stabilizers, preservatives, or sugars. Their Natural Peanut Butter line contains only two ingredients: Roasted Peanuts and Salt.

Easy-to-find at Kroger stores, this is an accessible brand.

In addition, in the past we’ve contacted Kroger about some of their other products. We asked them about the source of some of their ingredients.

While most large companies avoid answering questions about palm oil, Kroger took extra steps to get us the information we asked for and were transparent about it. They asked their product development teams for the answers. They went above and beyond what other large companies have done.

Kroger Natural Peanut Butter

• Crunchy
• Creamy

RX Nut Butter

RXBAR has confirmed with us 100% of their products are made without palm oil or palm oil derivatives.

While they are known for their bars, now they are making peanut butter without palm oil. Their RX Nut Butter is available in 1.13 ounce pouches.

RX Nut Butter — Honey Cinnamon Nut Butter

Ingredients are Peanuts, Egg Whites, Dates, Coconut Oil, Honey, Cinnamon, Sea Salt, Natural Flavors.

Peanut Butter

The ingredients are Peanuts, Egg Whites, Dates, Coconut Oil, Sea Salt.

Almond butter without palm oil

RX Nut Butter — Vanilla Almond Butter

Also, they offer Vanilla Almond Butter without palm oil. The ingredients are Almonds, Egg Whites, Dates, Coconut Oil, Sea Salt, Natural Vanilla Flavor, Vanilla Beans, Natural Flavor.

Maple Almond Butter

The palm oil-free ingredients are Almonds, Egg Whites, Dates, Coconut Oil, Maple Sugar, Sea Salt, Natural Flavors.

Trader Joe’s

Trader Joe’s Organic Peanut Butter Creamy (Salted or No Salt) Valencia

Ingredients: Organic Valencia Peanuts. The salted version contains Sea Salt.

Trader Joe’s Organic Peanut Butter Crunchy (Salted or No Salt) Valencia

Contains: Organic Valencia Peanuts. Salted version contains Sea Salt.

Watch out for their other lines with “no stir” labeling which means they most likely contain palm oil.

Whole Foods 365

Whole Foods 365 Everyday Value Creamy Peanut Butter

Ingredients are Dry Roasted Peanuts and Salt.

Whole Foods 365 Everyday Value Crunchy Peanut Butter

Contains Dry Roasted Peanuts and Salt.

Avoid the organic peanut butter from Whole Foods 365 as it typically contains palm oil.

O Organics

O Organics Chunky Peanut Butter

Ingredients are Peanuts and Salt.

Be aware of their Creamy peanut butter with the “no stir” labeling and palm oil.

Skippy

While there are hydrogenated oils in these products which are controversial, our focus is on palm oil free peanut butter.

Remember, it’s important for the Everyday Consumer to be able to find an easily accessible, industry-leading brand who doesn’t use palm oil in some of their products.

We are happy Skippy still makes some of their products without palm oil.

Skippy Creamy Peanut Butter

and Skippy Extra Crunchy Peanut Butter

Ingredients: Roasted Peanuts, Sugar, and Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil (Cottonseed, Soybean and Rapeseed Oil) to prevent separation, Salt.

Skippy Honey Roasted Nut Creamy

Ingredients: Roasted Peanuts, Peanut Oil, Honey, Sugar, Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil (Cottonseed, Soybean and Rapeseed Oil) to prevent separation, Molasses, Salt.

Skippy Singles Creamy

Ingredients: Roasted Peanuts, Sugar, Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil (Cottonseed, Soybean and Rapeseed Oil) to prevent separation, Salt.

Note: Skippy Reduced Fat Creamy and Reduced Fat Super Chunk do contain Mono- and Diglycerides. We avoid them because they CAN be manufactured using palm ingredients.

Also note: All of Skippy’s Natural Peanut Butter Spreads contain palm oil.

Read labels for all of their products but you will find some without palm oil in the ingredients.

Choosing palm oil free peanut butter

Thank you to these companies for making these lines of peanut butter without palm oil.

We looked at lists of alternate names for palm oil derivatives — there are over 500 names. To the best of our knowledge, the ones listed above are palm oil free. However, it is not guaranteed.

The only way to know for sure is if the peanut butter manufacturers apply for Palm Oil Free certification. 

How to find peanut butter without palm oil

1.) Avoid “no stir” labeling.

Peanut butter companies who use palm oil may highlight “No Stir” on their labels. They are trying to make it seem like it’s a good thing.

This means there aren’t oils to keep it together; the fat from the peanuts naturally separate to the top. This is okay. You just have to mix it.

We await the day when marketing for peanut butter and other products includes “no palm oil” labeling as industry-wide advertising.

See all the work the International Palm Oil Free Certification Accreditation Programme is doing to highlight palm oil free products with their “No Palm Oil” Certification labeling.

As stated above, Wild Friends earned this certification for making nut butters and peanut butter without palm oil.

In addition, Spread the Love promotes “Palm Oil Free” on their labels, recognizing the significance of this.

2.) Watch out for Mono- and Diglycerides.

These ingredients are typically made from palm oil. They are emulsifiers that manufacturers use to stabilize foods, such as peanut butter, mayonnaise, ice cream, baked goods, margarine, and others.

In nut butters, companies use Mono- and Diglycerides to prevent the oils from separating.

3.) Don’t buy peanut butter Spreads.

Read the front of the jar to see how the company describes the product.

Peanut butter spreads contain palm oil ingredients.

In addition to having Palm Oil, “spreads” contain many more ingredients than just peanuts and salt.

4.) Read all ingredient labels.

You might think because it’s advertised as “Natural” or “Organic” that it’s superior to labels without these claims. These Natural and Organic peanut and nut butters often contain palm oil.

5.) Look for peanut butter that needs to be refrigerated.

When there are hydrogenated oils added to peanut butter, it increases shelf-life and doesn’t need to be refrigerated.

6.) The less ingredients, the better.

When you have peanuts and salt, what more do you need? You won’t miss added sugar when you have your PB&J.

Even better? Eat it with already-sweet fresh fruit or mix in some pure honey, etc.

Palm oil free peanut butter

In addition to finding peanut butter without palm oil, we enjoy other palm oil free products. Check out:

• Granola bars without palm oil
• Cookies without palm oil
• Cereals without palm oil
• Pretzels without palm oil
• Snacks without palm oil

Enjoy peanut butter as part of a breakfast without palm oil.

Peanut butter no palm oil

We are happy to be able to find peanut butter without palm oil and hope these companies keep these products free from palm.

Remember, always check labels. Companies are adding palm oil to their products all the time. It’s a cheap and versatile oil.

Many of our once-favorite products have started using palm oil; it’s even in beverages.

Reach out to companies to let them know you want them to make their peanut butter and other products without palm oil.

Best peanut butter

Many companies include palm oil in peanut butter.

Avoid NO STIR labeling. Avoid PEANUT BUTTER SPREADS. Read labels.

We believe in choosing products without palm oil and are happy to find palm free peanut butter. We think it’s the best peanut butter for our planet.

Whether you experience allergic reactions from palm oil, believe you have a palm oil intolerance, or avoid it for environmental reasons, it’s a good choice to choose peanut butter without palm oil.

Our son gets sick from anything with palm oil in it. It negatively affects his health in many different ways.

Learn more about his palm oil allergy here. Eating often a challenge because palm oil ingredients are so common in foods, including Natural Flavors, spices, etc. This is a list of what he eats. 

Remember to support these nut butters, protein spreads, and peanut butter brands without palm oil. Also, support Palm Oil Free labeling.

Please share in the Comments why you seek these products. If you know of any other brands of no palm oil peanut butter, please make a Comment as well.

Note, we are not medical professionals. This is not medical advice. Please consult with your physician. The information is based on our own Internet research, reading labels in stores, and reaching out to companies. Use this as a reference point. This list is not guaranteed.

The only way to know if a product is truly Palm Oil Free is if it has earned the certification trademark from the International Palm Oil Free Certification Trademark Programme which is recognized in 20+ countries.

Remember, it’s essential to read the ingredients before you buy anything.