When you think of going to the fair or carnival, you probably think of cotton candy. This sweet, sticky treat’s unique texture is unlike any other food, which is part of the fun of eating it. But what exactly is in cotton candy, anyway? Do all of the different colors and flavors contain different ingredients?
Traditional cotton candy is vegan because it doesn’t contain animal products. Colored sugar is the main ingredient, which can be made using food coloring or dyes and corn syrup. Newer “artisan” brands may not be vegan, so you should always check the ingredients. The best vegan alternatives include Albertson’s O Organics Cotton Candy Grapes or Stretch Island Organic Fruit Strip.
Cotton candy has changed a lot since it was first introduced. With traditional and artisan cotton candy available, it can be tricky to know if it’s vegan, gluten-free, or allergen-free. Keep reading if you’re curious about how this unique sugary treat is made, what’s in it, and what some healthier alternatives are!
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History of cotton candy
Cotton candy was actually made in 1897 by a dentist and a confectioner. It was originally called “fairy floss”. In the decades to follow, another dentist (maybe wanting more business?) made a machine similar to the one that made fairy floss. In order to avoid being associated with the original fairy floss, this dentist named the candy “cotton candy”.
Cotton candy has changed a lot since then. The original cotton candy was white and was just made of sugar, so didn’t have specific flavors. Today, you can find cotton candy in all sorts of colors and flavors thanks to dyes and flavored syrups.
How is cotton candy made?
Cotton candy is made in a machine that heats and liquifies sugar. The machine spins the heated sugar through small holes where it quickly cools and solidifies into airy strands.
There are several types of sugar used to make cotton candy. Colored sugar is made by combining food coloring and sugar. Flavored and colored syrups can also be used, and come in many different varieties. Corn syrup is a popular choice for commercial cotton candy makers because it’s less expensive than regular sugar.
Questionable Cotton Candy Ingredients For Strict Vegans
Most vegans wouldn’t think twice about eating cotton candy because the ingredients don’t come from animals. However, strict vegans might have issues with how ingredients in cotton candy are made.
Refined sugar
Refined sugar can be processed with bone char as a filler. Bone char comes from cattle bones and helps bleach refined sugar, giving its bright white color. If “sugar” is listed as an ingredient in cotton candy, it’s difficult to know if it contains bone char or not. Most vegans eat foods with refined sugar without issue.
Food coloring
Cotton candy comes in all colors of the rainbow. Natural food colorings are typically vegan because they come from sources like fruits and vegetables. Artificial coloring might be controversial for some vegans.
Strict vegans might choose to avoid artificial colors because they’re tested on animals. Carmine is a type of food coloring made from beetles. It’s also known as “natural red 4” and is commonly used in red lipstick. However, most red coloring used in processed foods like cotton candy is red dye #40, which is from petroleum and is vegan.
Is Cotton Candy Healthy?
Cotton candy isn’t considered a health food by any means. It’s primarily made of added sugar and doesn’t provide any nutritional benefits. High-sugar, low-nutrient foods are considered “empty calories” because they don’t really provide anything besides calories nutrition-wise.
Cotton candy is about 70% air by volume, which means the sugar content isn’t as dense as some sugary treats. If you’ve ever taken a large bite of fluffy cotton candy and let it dissolve to almost nothing in your mouth, that illustrates this point perfectly.
Because it’s less dense than other sugary treats, cotton candy might provide less sugar than other sweet treats. While it’s generally not helpful to label sweets as “bad”, they should be eaten in moderation.
Artisan Cotton Candy
Some of today’s cotton candy doesn’t resemble the original “fairy floss” made in the late 1800s. “Artisan cotton candy” and gourmet cotton candy are becoming popular and aim to “change the way you perceive cotton candy”, according to one gourmet brand.
Artisan and gourmet cotton candy is made with more natural ingredients like pure cane sugar and natural flavors. It’s important to note that some types of gourmet cotton candy can contain animal products. For example, Sugar & Spun’s Strawberry Shortcake cotton candy contains both flour and dairy – but that isn’t traditional cotton candy.
Cotton Candy Nutrition Information
If you buy your cotton candy at a fair or carnival, it will be difficult to know exactly what’s in it. Thanks to online retailers, you can buy cotton candy to enjoy at home if you can’t wait until the next local fair or carnival.
Fun Sweets Classic Cotton Candy
This traditional cotton candy contains only a few ingredients, similar to the original. If you’ve had cotton candy at the fair, then this is likely very similar.
Ingredients:
- Sugar
- Artificial flavor
- Red #40
- Blue #1
Nutrition facts (per one ounce):
- Calories: 108
- Total Fat: 0 g
- Total Carbohydrate: 28 g
- Total sugars: 28 g
- Protein: 0 g
Gold Medal Candee Fluff Cotton Candy – Pink Vanilla & Blue Raspberry
This is another classic cotton candy with traditional ingredients and colors.
Ingredients:
- Sugar
- Artificial flavors
- FD&C Red #40
- FD&C Blue #1
- Vanillin flavor
Nutrition facts (per one ounce):
- Calories: 120
- Total Fat: 0 g
- Total Carbohydrate: 30 g
- Total Sugars: 30 g
- Added Sugars: 30 g
- Protein: 0 g
Lolli & Pops Cotton Candy – Classic Pink Vanilla
This artisan cotton candy definitely doesn’t qualify as traditional cotton candy. Even with the additional ingredients, this cotton candy is still considered vegan.
Ingredients:
- Organic Cane Sugar
- Cane Sugar
- Unbleached Enriched Wheat Flour (Wheat Flour, Niacin, Reduced Iron, Thiamine Mononitrate, Riboflavin, Folic Acid)
- Expeller Pressed Canola Oil
- Cocoa Powder (Processed With Alkali)
- Wheat Starch
- Invert Syrup
- Natural Flavors
- Salt
- Baking Soda (Sodium Bicarbonate)
- Soy Lecithin (Emulsifier)
- Maltodextrin
- Peppermint Extract (Alcohol, Oil Of Peppermint, Water)
Nutrition facts: not listed for this brand
Healthier Vegan Alternatives to Cotton Candy
If you’re not crazy about the idea of traditional or gourmet cotton candy, some of these alternatives might appeal to you.
Albertson’s O Organics Cotton Candy Grapes
Certain types of green grapes have natural cotton candy-like flavors. Fresh fruit is a healthy option for everyone and is definitely vegan!
Ingredients:
- Organic green grapes
Nutrition facts: not available (many types of fresh fruit don’t list nutritional facts)
Stretch Island Organic Fruit Strip
Fruit leather is usually made with fruit/fruit concentrates and is free of added sugars. Stretch Island fruit leather strips come in a variety of flavors and are free of artificial flavors and colors – and they’re all vegan!
Ingredients:
- Apple Puree Concentrate
- Pear Puree Concentrate
- Strawberry Puree
- Lemon Juice Concentrate
- Strawberry Juice Concentrate
- Other Natural Flavors
Nutrition facts (per one 14 gram strip)
- Calories: 50
- Total Fat: 0 g
- Total Carbohydrate: 12 g
- Total sugars: 9 g
- Added sugars: 0 g
- Dietary fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 0 g
One on One Flavors Strawberry Cotton Candy Flavored Liquid Concentrate
You can have cotton candy flavor in anything you want with these vegan flavor drops. These drops don’t contain sugar and can be used in baking, added to drinks, or anything else you can imagine.
Ingredients:
- Propylene Glycol USP
- Ethanol
- Natural Flavoring
- Artificial Flavoring
Nutrition facts (per 20 drops)
- Calories: 0
- Total Fat: 0 g
- Total Carbohydrates: 0 g
- Total Sugars: 0 g
- Protein: 0 g
Final Thoughts
Traditional cotton candy was made by heating sugar in a machine and allowing it to cool into airy strands. Over time, cotton candy development became more sophisticated. Different flavors and colors are used in making colorful varieties of cotton candy.
More recently, gourmet and artisan cotton candy have become available. These types of cotton candy usually have more natural ingredients and come in unique flavors. While traditional cotton candy is vegan- some flavors of artisan cotton candy aren’t.
Traditional or gourmet, cotton candy is high in added sugar. If you want a healthier vegan treat, there are plenty of options – some of which are even cotton candy flavored.
Related Questions
Is cotton candy bad for you?
Cotton candy is hardly considered a healthy food, as it’s high in sugar with few nutritional benefits. High-sugar, low-nutrient foods like cotton candy shouldn’t be included as part of your regular diet. Instead, try to choose these foods as occasional treats.
Is cotton candy dairy-free?
Traditional cotton candy is dairy-free since it’s usually just made of sugar, food dye, and flavorings. Gourmet and artisan cotton candy brands might include dairy in certain flavors, so you should always check the ingredients label.
Is cotton candy gluten-free?
Traditional cotton candy is gluten-free. Gourmet and artisan cotton candy might contain flour and therefore gluten, so you should always check the ingredients label.
Is cotton candy fat-free?
Traditional cotton candy is primarily made of sugar, which is fat-free. Gourmet and artisan cotton candy can include additional ingredients that might contain fat.
Is cotton candy made of cotton?
Cotton candy is not made of cotton. It got its name because it’s light and airy, similar to cotton blowing off a tree in the breeze.