7 Vegan Candles to Create a Cozy Winter Home

Turn your home into an aromatic winter wonderland—even if you live in a West Coast beach cottage.

Whether you can see your breath the second you step outside—or if you’re in warmer climates and catch a winter chill the moment the temperature dips below 65—no matter where we are this time of year, we all crave that snuggly, winter feeling at home. And what’s the easiest, most affordable way to switch on those holiday-infused, heavy sweater vibes? Clean-burning and delicious smelling seasonally scented candles, obviously. In honor of the holiday season and our obsession with yummy-smelling candles, we’ve compiled a list of the four best scents of the season, in order of cost.
 
1. Evil Queen: Grandma’s Cookies
The most decadent, no-holds-barred holiday scent, Grandma’s Cookies smells like you’re whipping up loads of sugar cookies for a massive bake sale. There is sugar, frosting, vanilla, and, according to the label, “childhood memories.” These are great for enjoying with your morning coffee.
Price: $18
 
2. Evil Queen: Cozy Sweater
The most subtle fragrance on our list, Cozy Sweater can give even a sunny Californian home a bit of that chilly Midwestern vibe with its hints of cotton, bonfire, and amber. Made from 100-percent soy wax and 100-percent cotton wicks with phthalate-free fragrance oils, EQ’s products are never tested on animals.
Price: $18
 
3. P.F. Candle Co.: Pumpkin Spice
You want that fall feeling to last all winter long? P.F. Candle Co.’s Pumpkin Spice is made special with toasted cinnamon, nutmeg, and brown sugar—but without any of the cloying artificiality of supermarket candles.
Price: $18
 
4. P.F. Candle Co.: Orange Cardamom
A sophisticated take on winter scents, base notes of tonka beans, cardamom, and white vanilla bean are layered with ginger and black pepper and then topped with hints of orange and black tea leaf. All of P.F. Candle Co.’s products are made with domestically grown soy wax, cotton wicks, and fine fragrance oils, and hand-poured in Los Angeles.
Price: $18
 
5. Linnea’s Lights: Cashmere
This hand-blended and hand-poured candle works for any room in a home but should be featured prominently in entertaining spaces to set the mood when hosting guests for hot toddies and vegan s’mores. Fragrance notes include herbal patchouli, vanilla, and lime.
Price: $34
 
6. Linnea’s Lights: Forest Fir Holiday
If you’re ready for that full-board cabin feels, strike a match to unleash this bad boy for instant ski season. Notes of spruce, fir needles, and balsam will transport you to a Douglas Firs-covered snowy mountain … even if you’re celebrating summer in December on Bondi Beach.
Price: $34
 
7. Lite + Cycle: Urban Forest
Are you looking for a hostess gift for your in-laws or a special thank-you gift for your coolest aunt? If so, LA-based Lite + Cycle’s is the gift to get. Described by its founder as being “inspired by a woodland refuge in the center of a bustling city,” notes of warm wood, sweet anise, and balsamic greens create a slightly gritty-but-elevated take on traditional holiday scents. All of Lite + Cycle’s candles are crafted with pure essential oils often from wild-grown sources, as well as renewable biodegradable materials, soy waxes, and unbleached cotton wicks.
Price: $78
 
Margaux Lushing is planning on gifting all of the above to her friends and family this holiday season, but is still on a search for the perfect candle for her very picky cat Louis.