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Why do all kids love fruit snacks? These homemade fruit gummies are my healthier answer, made with real fruit juice, a little honey, and gelatin.
I remember devouring them when I was a kid (though these days I’d reach for chocolate). Probably the fun shapes and bright colors make them so appealing.
The trouble is, most store-bought fruit snacks are full of sugar, artificial dyes, and high fructose corn syrup. So I was thrilled to find out that making your own is simple, and you get to control exactly what goes in them.
That’s really all there is to it, no sugar or artificial dyes in sight.
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Why You’ll Love These
- Naturally sweetened: Just fruit juice and a little honey, no refined sugar or dyes.
- Simple ingredients: Three things you probably already have.
- Fun to make: Pour them into any silicone mold and let the kids help. They love it.
What Goes Into Them
- 100% fruit juice: The base and the flavor. Use any juice with no added sugar, like grape, cherry, or apple.
- Honey: Just a touch to balance the tartness. Maple syrup works too.
- Unflavored gelatin: What gives the gummies their chew. I like grass-fed gelatin.
- Lemon juice (optional): A little brightens up the flavor.
How to Make Fruit Gummies
- Lightly grease a silicone mold (or a small glass dish) with a bit of coconut oil.
- Pour 1 cup of fruit juice into a small saucepan and sprinkle 3 tablespoons of gelatin over the top. Let it sit for a few minutes to soften.
- Warm the pan over low heat, whisking gently, until the gelatin fully dissolves and the liquid is smooth. Don’t let it boil.
- Stir in 2 tablespoons of honey and 1 tablespoon of lemon juice, if using.
- Pour the mixture into your molds.
- Chill in the fridge for 3 to 5 hours, or pop them in the freezer for 10 to 15 minutes to set faster.
- Pop the gummies out and store them in an airtight container in the fridge.
Fun Flavors to Try
Once you’ve got the method down, you can make all kinds of flavors:
- Grape: 1 cup grape juice + 1 tablespoon lemon juice + 2 tablespoons honey + 3 tablespoons gelatin.
- Orange: 1 cup fresh-squeezed or 100% orange juice, same as above.
- Strawberry: 1 cup pureed strawberries (blend thawed berries with a little water) + the same add-ins.
- Blueberry: 1 cup pureed blueberries + the same add-ins.
- Elderberry: Use 1 cup of homemade elderberry syrup in place of the juice for a rich, berry flavor.
Expert Tips
- Silicone molds make the gummies so easy to pop out. A little coconut oil helps too.
- Freeze them for 10 to 15 minutes if you’re in a hurry to set them.
- Store in an airtight container in the fridge and enjoy within about 5 days.
A Few Notes
- Keep the gummies refrigerated, since they’re made with real juice and no preservatives.
- Warm the gelatin gently and don’t let it boil, or it won’t set as nicely.
Homemade Fruit Gummies FAQs
Keep them in an airtight container in the fridge and enjoy within about 5 days.
Yes, just choose 100% fruit juice with no added sugar for the best result.
You can use maple syrup instead, or leave it out if your juice is already sweet enough.
Related Posts
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Homemade Fruit Gummies
Equipment
- Silicone mold or 9 by 13 glass pan
Ingredients
- 1 cup 100% fruit juice, such as grape, cherry, or apple
- 3 tablespoons unflavored gelatin
- 2 tablespoons honey, or maple syrup
- coconut oil for greasing molds
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice, optional
Instructions
- Lightly grease a silicone mold or small glass dish with coconut oil.
- Pour the fruit juice into a small saucepan and sprinkle the gelatin over the top. Let it sit for a few minutes to soften.
- Warm over low heat, whisking gently, until the gelatin fully dissolves and the liquid is smooth. Do not let it boil.
- Stir in the honey and lemon juice, if using.
- Pour the mixture into your molds, then chill in the fridge for 3 to 5 hours, or freeze for 10 to 15 minutes to set faster.
- Pop the gummies out of the molds and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
The gelatin set to fast for me to put them in the mold. Is it supposed to be like a liquid when you put them in the gummy mold. I mixed it and then had to tend to something else for a few minutes. When I can back they were already gummy and too hard to get into the mold.
Hi there! I tried this elderberry gummies recipe and could not get the gummies to set in the fridge. The recipe called for 3-5 hours in the fridge, but even 3-5 days was not enough to get the gelatin to set – what am I missing? I even tried putting them in the freezer, but still no joy. Any ideas? I’d really like to get this to work!
Thank you!
Hmmm yes, that is not right! It should definitely be set up. Did you get the gelatin to dissolve fully? The good news, is you can still use it as elderberry syrup!
Well that’s great news, thank you! Do you think I could try dissolving a separate portion of gelatin again and adding it, to see if they’ll set up, or would that be too much gelatin to consume?
Yes! Gelatin is a super food and great for you! We consume much more than that!
Hi, I love your posts, so inspirational, as a newbie to essential oils and diy I have already successfully made some of your recipes. I am vegetarian, is it possible to make these with vege gel instead of normal Gelatin?
Thank you! I have not tried it that way yet so I can’t say for sure.
Hi Laura!
I love your blog! Great work! Can you tell me how long will keep gummy bears in the fridge, please? I want to give it a try for my grand children! Thank you!
They are good for one week. Thank you so much!
These will be such a big help for kiddos!
These keeps us healthy year-round!
We love homemade gummies in our house! I need to try the elderberry ones here.
Oh yes I am sure you guys will love these too! My kids do!