Best Vegan Energy Gels and Chews (2026): Label-Checked

The Top 3 Picks

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Prices come from Amazon and were right at the time shown. They can change; the price on Amazon at checkout is the one you pay.

#1

Best overall

GU Energy Gel, Salted Caramel

22 g carbs, 20 mg caffeine per gel · 24 gels

$35.77

Check price →

#2

Best chew

GU Energy Chews, Caffeine-Free Mixed

24 g carbs per 8-piece serving · 12 bags, 24 servings

$24.80

Check price →

#3

Simplest label

Maurten Gel 100

25 g carbs per gel · 12 x 40 g

$47.90

Check price →

All 6 Picks, Side by Side

#	Pick	Key specs
1	GU Energy Gel, Salted Caramel Best overall	22 g carbs, 20 mg caffeine per gel · 24 gels Informed Choice (listed in Informed’s database)	$35.77Check price
2	GU Energy Chews, Caffeine-Free Mixed Best chew	24 g carbs per 8-piece serving · 12 bags, 24 servings Informed Choice (listed in Informed’s database)	$24.80Check price
3	Maurten Gel 100 Simplest label	25 g carbs per gel · 12 x 40 g Informed Sport (every batch tested)	$47.90Check price
4	Precision Fuel PF 30 Caffeine Gel Best caffeinated	30 g carbs, 100 mg caffeine per gel · 15 gels Informed Sport (every batch tested)	$61.99Check price
5	Huma Chia Energy Gel, Strawberries Best real-food gel	24 g carbs per gel · 12 gels No third-party certification found	$29.95Check price
6	Precision Fuel PF 30 Chew, Original Shortest chew label	30 g carbs per packet of 2 chews · 15 packets Brand says batch-tested; not found in Informed’s database	$42.99Check price

How We Picked

Vegan, checked on the label: a written vegan statement from the brand (none of these carry a vegan certification), plus a label with no honey, gelatin, beeswax, confectioner’s glaze (shellac) or carmine.
Independent testing you can look up: Informed Sport or Informed Choice, found in Informed’s own database. NSF Certified for Sport lists none of these products. A claim we couldn’t find in a certifier’s records doesn’t count.
Carbs and caffeine per serving, read against the 30 to 60 g of carbohydrate an hour that sports nutrition bodies describe for 1 to 2.5 hour efforts.
Cost per gel or chew serving, worked out from Amazon prices on the day we checked.
Clean record: FDA recalls and warning letters, California Prop 65 notices and lawsuits.

The Reviews

Ranked, roasted, and label-checked.

#1

Best overall

The gel most runners already know, and it holds up on paper. GU calls its gels vegan, the label backs it up, and Informed Choice lists GU Energy Gel in its database. It’s the cheapest per gel of our certified gels. Salted Caramel adds a light 20 mg of caffeine; Strawberry Banana skips it.

Brand states vegan; label has no honey, gelatin or other animal ingredients
Informed Choice (listed in Informed’s database)

Why it made the list

Informed Choice listing you can look up
Lowest cost per gel of our tested gels
125 mg sodium per packet on the label
Sold by Amazon

Watch out for

20 mg caffeine in this flavor
Informed Choice checks samples bought from stores, not every batch like Informed Sport
Part of GU’s 2018 recall over cyclamates (an artificial sweetener) traced to an amino acid supplier. FDA Class III, its lowest-risk class; closed in 2019.

Form: Gel, 32 g packet
Per serving: 22 g carbs, 20 mg caffeine, 125 mg sodium, 100 kcal
Servings: 24
Other ingredients: Maltodextrin, water, fructose, sea salt, potassium citrate, sodium citrate, citric acid, calcium carbonate, natural flavor, gellan gum, medium chain triglycerides, sodium benzoate, potassium sorbate; amino acids (leucine, valine, isoleucine) 450 mg; caffeine from green tea leaf extract
Sweeteners & flavors: Natural flavor; no non-sugar sweeteners listed

Sources: Product page (GU) · Salted Caramel label (GU) · Informed Choice listing · FDA recall record, 2018 (openFDA)

Check price on Amazon →$35.77 as of Nov 9, 1:43 AM ET

#2

Best chew

GU Energy Chews, Caffeine-Free Mixed

Gummy chews are where gelatin and beeswax like to hide. GU sets its chews with pectin and polishes them with carnauba wax, both from plants. Each bag holds two servings: eat half now, save half for the next hill. Cheapest per serving on the page.

Brand states vegan; pectin, not gelatin; carnauba wax, not beeswax
Informed Choice (listed in Informed’s database)

Why it made the list

Lowest cost per serving on this page
Informed Choice listing you can look up
Pectin and carnauba wax, no gelatin or beeswax
Caffeine-free box

Watch out for

Only 40 mg sodium per serving
Chewing at race pace takes practice
Part of GU’s 2018 Class III recall (closed in 2019)

Form: Soft chews, two servings per bag
Per serving: About 8 pieces (30 g): 24 g carbs, 0 mg caffeine, 40 mg sodium, 100 kcal
Servings: 24 (12 bags)
Other ingredients: Tapioca syrup, cane sugar, maltodextrin, water, pectin, citric acid, natural flavor, sunflower oil, sodium citrate, sea salt, fruit and vegetable juice (color), potassium citrate, carnauba wax; amino acids 420 mg (Blueberry Pomegranate label)
Sweeteners & flavors: Natural flavor; no non-sugar sweeteners listed

Sources: Product page (GU) · Blueberry Pomegranate label (GU) · Informed Choice listing

Check price on Amazon →$24.80 as of Nov 9, 1:43 AM ET

#3

Simplest label

Maurten Gel 100

Six ingredients, no flavors, no colors, no preservatives. That’s as close to unsweetened as a gel gets, since the carbs are the whole point. Maurten says its gels suit vegans, and Informed Sport lists Gel 100 with batches tested this year. The CAF 100 version adds 100 mg of caffeine from coffee beans.

Brand states suitable for vegans (not certified); six-ingredient label
Informed Sport (every batch tested)

Why it made the list

Informed Sport, every batch tested before release
No added flavors, colors or preservatives
Short, readable ingredient list

Watch out for

Highest cost per gel of the no-caffeine gels
Firm, jelly-like texture (Maurten’s description) isn’t for everyone
Vegan claim isn’t certified

Form: Firm hydrogel, 40 g sachet
Per serving: 25 g carbs, 0 mg caffeine, about 100 kcal
Servings: 12
Other ingredients: Water, glucose, fructose, sodium alginate, gluconic acid, calcium carbonate
Sweeteners & flavors: None added; no flavors

Sources: Product page and ingredients (Maurten) · Vegan FAQ (Maurten) · Informed Sport listing

Check price on Amazon →$47.90 as of Nov 9, 1:43 AM ET

#4

Best caffeinated

Precision Fuel PF 30 Caffeine Gel

The most carbs per gel here plus a real dose of caffeine: 100 mg, a quarter of the 400 mg a day FDA cites for healthy adults. Mild taste, short label, and Informed Sport lists it with batches tested this year. The caffeine-free PF 30 Gel is on Informed Sport’s list too.

Brand states suitable for vegans (not certified)
Informed Sport (every batch tested)

Why it made the list

Informed Sport, every batch tested before release
30 g carbs per gel, the most here
Mild flavor, no artificial ingredients listed

Watch out for

Highest cost per gel on this page
100 mg caffeine adds up fast with coffee or a second gel
Label says not recommended for children or pregnant women

Form: Gel, 51 g packet
Per serving: 30 g carbs, 100 mg caffeine, 120 kcal
Servings: 15
Other ingredients: Maltodextrin, water, fructose, caffeine, pectin, citric acid, potassium sorbate, calcium lactate
Sweeteners & flavors: None listed; mild ‘Original’ taste

Sources: Label and dietary info (Precision Fuel & Hydration) · Informed Sport listing

Check price on Amazon →$61.99 as of Nov 9, 1:43 AM ET

#5

Best real-food gel

Huma Chia Energy Gel, Strawberries

For runners who’d rather read a smoothie recipe than a chemistry set: strawberry puree, cane sugar, brown rice syrup and ground chia. Huma says every Original flavor is vegan. It ranks fifth for one reason: we found no Informed or NSF listing, so no testing credit.

Brand states vegan (FAQ and label icon)
No third-party certification found

Why it made the list

Fruit-puree base, short ingredient list
105 mg sodium per pouch on the label
Caffeine-free, sold by the brand

Watch out for

No third-party testing found
Huma recommends taking it with water
Costs more per gel than GU

Form: Fruit-puree gel, 43 g pouch
Per serving: 24 g carbs, 0 mg caffeine, 105 mg sodium, 100 kcal
Servings: 12
Other ingredients: Strawberry puree, cane sugar, brown rice syrup, water, chia seed powder, strawberry concentrate, sea salt, citric acid
Sweeteners & flavors: Cane sugar and brown rice syrup; no artificial flavors, sweeteners or colors (brand)

Sources: Product page and vegan FAQ (Huma) · Strawberries label (Huma)

Check price on Amazon →$29.95 as of Nov 9, 1:43 AM ET

#6

Shortest chew label

Precision Fuel PF 30 Chew, Original

Four ingredients: sugar, corn starch, water, citric acid. No gelatin, no wax, no flavoring, and 30 g of carbs in two big chews. Precision Fuel says they suit vegans and are batch-tested, but they aren’t in Informed Sport’s database. No listing, no credit.

Brand states suitable for vegans (not certified)
Brand says batch-tested; not found in Informed’s database

Why it made the list

Four-ingredient label
30 g carbs per packet
No caffeine, no added flavoring

Watch out for

No electrolytes (the brand pairs them with its drink mixes)
Testing claim not confirmed in a certifier database
Amazon lists the box as 15 Chews; the brand sells it as 15 packets of 2

Form: Chews, 2 per 34 g packet
Per serving: 1 packet: 30 g carbs, 0 mg caffeine, 120 kcal
Servings: 15 packets
Other ingredients: Sugar, corn starch, water, citric acid
Sweeteners & flavors: Sugar only; mild ‘Original’ taste

Sources: Label and dietary info (Precision Fuel & Hydration)

Check price on Amazon →$42.99 as of Nov 9, 1:43 AM ET

Why Some Gels and Chews Aren’t Vegan

Most gels are sugar, water and a thickener. Vegan, until you meet the exceptions. Honey is the big one. Honey Stinger describes its gels as a blend of organic honey and its chews as sweetened with honey. Chews add more traps: gelatin to set the gummy, and beeswax or confectioner’s glaze (shellac, made from a bug) for shine. Jelly Belly’s Sport Beans list both confectioner’s glaze and beeswax.

Look for pectin or alginate as the setting agent, carnauba wax (from a palm leaf) as the polish, and a vegan statement from the brand itself. Every pick above has one, and we read the current label for the exact flavor we link, because formulas change.

How Many Carbs Per Hour?

The joint position on nutrition and athletic performance from the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Dietitians of Canada and the American College of Sports Medicine lays it out by duration. Under 45 minutes, you don’t need carbs. For 45 to 75 minutes, small amounts or even a mouth rinse. For 1 to 2.5 hours, 30 to 60 g an hour. Past about 2.5 to 3 hours, up to 90 g an hour, where glucose plus fructose mixes help.

The Australian Institute of Sport uses the same table and says a typical gel holds 20 to 30 g, so one gel every 30 to 45 minutes lands in the 30 to 60 g range. AIS also says to try gels in training first and build up gradually. Your stomach wants a vote before the start line.

Protein can wait until you’re done. Our guide to the best vegan protein for runners covers the after-run shake.

Caffeine: Read the Milligrams

Caffeine per serving on our picks: GU Salted Caramel has 20 mg, PF 30 Caffeine has 100 mg, and the other four have none. The FDA cites 400 mg a day as an amount not generally linked to negative effects in healthy adults. Two caffeinated gels and a morning coffee get you a lot closer than you’d think.

Pregnant, breastfeeding, caffeine-sensitive or on medication? Ask your doctor or pharmacist before you add caffeine to your race plan. They know your body. Captain Vegan just knows labels.

Informed Sport vs Informed Choice

Both programs screen for more than 285 substances banned in sport. Informed Sport tests every batch before it goes on sale, which is what drug-tested athletes want. Informed Choice buys products from stores and tests at least 12 lots a year at random. Our Maurten and PF 30 Caffeine gels are Informed Sport; GU’s gel and chews are Informed Choice.

Clean Record Check

We checked FDA recall records, California Prop 65 notices and lawsuit news for every brand. No Prop 65 notices or lawsuits turned up for our six products. One old recall did: in 2018 GU recalled its gels and chews after its L-leucine supplier warned the ingredient might contain cyclamates, an artificial sweetener, and testing confirmed it. FDA rated it Class III, its lowest-risk class, and closed it in 2019. It’s in GU’s cons so you can weigh it.

Skratch Labs Energy Chews print “vegan” on the bag, but a 2022 Prop 65 notice alleged lead in four chew flavors and mercury in three. The case settled in 2023 with warning-or-limit terms. Those are allegations, not findings, but with no third-party testing to point to, Skratch missed the cut.

Quick Questions

Are energy gels vegan?

Many are. GU, Maurten, Precision Fuel and Huma all say their gels on this page are vegan. The usual exception is honey, so check the ingredient list or pick from the list above.

Which popular gels and chews aren’t vegan?

Honey Stinger gels are made with honey and its chews are sweetened with honey. Jelly Belly Sport Beans list confectioner’s glaze and beeswax. Both are label facts, not knocks on the taste.

Are Clif Bloks vegan?

Clif describes Bloks as made with plant-based ingredients, and the labels we’ve seen use pectin and carnauba wax. We couldn’t find a written vegan statement for Bloks on Clif’s own site, so they’re not on our list. Read the current label for your flavor.

Gel or chew?

Same fuel, different mouthfeel. Gels go down fast without chewing. Chews let you split a serving and feel more like food, but chewing at race pace takes practice. Plenty of runners carry both.

How many gels do I need for a marathon?

The joint position stand suggests 30 to 60 g of carbs an hour for 1 to 2.5 hour efforts and up to 90 g an hour beyond that. Divide by the carbs on your gel. Then practice it on long runs first.

Now Add the Protein

Fuel gets you through the session; protein is the other half of the plan. See our top 12 vegan protein powders, ranked by a public formula, or take the 60-second powder quiz.

Keep Reading

Sources

This guide is general shopping information, not medical advice. Labels change: check the one on your bottle.