My children were very upset with me last night when they saw I was making gummy bears. Why? I told them they could not eat any as I needed them for a morning photo shoot…for you all. The boys will be happy this afternoon when they get home from school and find this healthy candy ready to eat. These gluten-free gummy bears are the perfect thing to pack as a treat in school lunches, make a wonderful after-school snack, and are a great homemade Halloween candy for your little ghosts and goblins.
My boys (both teenagers now) are literally obsessed with these fruit juice-sweetened gummy bears and worked with me as I made them numerous times to perfect both the texture and flavor.
Gummy Bears
Ingredients
- 1 cup organic grape juice, pineapple, or pomegranate juice
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- ¼ teaspoon stevia
- 3 tablespoons gelatin
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan bring juice to a boil
- Allow to cool for 3 minutes, then stir in lemon juice and stevia
- Very gradually, Whisk in gelatin
- If you do not whisk gradually and thoroughly your bears will be lumpy
- Allow mixture to cool almost to room temperature, then pour into gummy bear molds
- Refrigerate for 2 hours
- Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days
Each healthy gummy bear candy has close to 2 grams of protein –not bad for a snack food. My older son likes to eat these with breakfast.
I haven’t played with gelatin for quite some time, however, Kelly kept telling me about her gummy recipe using pure gelatin (as in unflavored, without all of the sugar and dyes found in the more commercial product) and now I’m totally on the gelatin bandwagon.
Gelatin is fantastic for gut health and high in protein, which makes it an optimal food for my family. I make sure to purchase the grass fed gelatin and have found it to be very high quality. Here’s to the oxymoron of healthy candy, and gummy, or gummi, bears!
Maggie says
I don’t have molds–do you think it would work if I just spread the mixture out thinly on a parchment-paper lined jellyroll pan?
Deila says
If you pour this into any pan with a lip, it sets up very quickly (mine sets in the fridge within 10 minutes) then you can cut shapes out with rings or cut into slices.
Paula says
Try pouring into a rectangular glass pyrex baking dish (perhaps oiled with a little coconut oil so it doesn’t stick?). Then slice into cubes once set.
elmleaves says
I am a vegertarian, how can I use something else to substitute the gelatine, pls?
Anna says
Do these melt at room temperature?
Heather J says
I tested it for you… They don’t melt :) they were a little softer but not sticky
Heather J says
BUT! Adding to my comment: I left them on my counter for a few days and they did grow mold. This probably wouldn’t happen if kept in the fridge.
Noa lev says
Have u tried agar powder instead of gelitan. It should work just as well and be healthier. Thanks. Noa
Deila says
Noa~
I am not sure that agar would be healthier than gelatin. Gelatin provides a vast amount of nutrition, protein, and helps with joint issues. i think I would prefer to stick with grass fed gelatin when making gummy candies.
Sheindal says
But if one were not to use gelatine because one didn’t use animal products, then asking if agar agar would work is a valid question, even if it is not one that Elana would have the answer to. (And one I’d like to know the answer to as well!) Sea vegetables have a great deal of nutrition in, so assuming the refining process does not extract all the goodness (and the company that make the ones I have don’t use chemicals to process it) then I can’t see why agar wouldn’t be equally as beneficial to your body, if in a different way from the nutrition cited above for gelatine. BTW, for any vegetarians or kosher following enquirers, my agar flakes box suggests one full tablespoon of flakes to one cup of liquid. I might try and see…
Fabiana says
Please somebody try the agar agar and let us know….
Sara says
I have a high sensitivity to all things beef, so I tried agar agar instead and they didn’t quite work. I’m not sure though if it was the agar or that I used pure organic pineapple juice, which was a little thicker then the typical juices. It was also challenging to get it to dissolve, even in the hot juice. I ended up have to take my immersion blender to it to fully integrate the agar agar. Anyway, they didn’t get completely solid like gummies, they are more like jell-o that hasn’t quite set. Either way they are totally tasty and it won’t be a problem making them disappear. I’m going to try again with a thinner juice (like grape) and then I’ll know for certain if it was the juice or the agar.
Ruth says
Did you try it again?
Belinda says
I haven’t worked with any of the better gelatin, but “run-of-the-mill” gelatin doesn’t set up when using fresh pineapple. Something in the fresh pineapple juices counter-acts the jelling process. Canned pineapple can be used with gelatin.
Frederique says
It is the enzyme in fresh pineapple that cuts up the bonds used to gel. Boiling the pineapple juice should do the job. You also need a whole lot more agar than gelatin to get the consistency – it’s quite fussy! Oh and agar is good for you, but does not have the same “gut healing” properties as the collagen in the beef bones are responsible for that. If just for fun though, agar is a great vegan substitute!
Ruth says
Caution for those trying agar agar. While it says on most sites to substitute agar agar powder for gelatin in the same amount, when I did this and followed Elena’s recipe, I came out with bears the texture of wax. I googled “agar gummy bears” and came up with recipes that use roughly 1 Tablespoon of agar per 8 ounces (as Elena uses) of fluid. Also, the juice with agar must be simmered at least 5 minutes to thicken. I’ve yet to perfect agar gummy bears and I’ve used an entire bottle of agar and an entire jar of organic juice experimenting.
(When I made it with gelatin, I got it perfect the first time.)
Like others, my kids are allergic to beef, so I might punt on the agar and use gelatin from fish.
Ruth says
Used fish gelatin from Modernist Pantry and they came out GREAT again. Fish gelatin needs to be stirred *really* well for consistency. Some gummy’s were too solid, some perfect.
Michele says
I’m about ready to jump on the gelatin bandwagon myself! I found some through Azure Standard that is grass and grain fed (I assumed finished) at half the price ($8.60 a lb) and I am motivated to finally try it tonight!
Jane says
I’m also curious about the molds, they’re adorable. The recipe looks great, will be trying, thanks!!
Michele says
Elana has an affilate link for the molds in step #5 of the recipe. I don’t want to break her link on accident so forgive me for not linking to it here.
minnie says
if you use a small portion of the juice to bloom the gelatin (soak it til it hydrates) you’ll have no lumps. i think maybe 1/4 c would work
Michele says
I assume we’d need the juice to be hot? And about how long would it take for it to ‘bloom’?
I just made some a little while ago and had a little bit of trouble whisking in the gelatin, but that may have been the pan and the whisk I used.
Debra E says
You don’t need the juice to be hot, just room temperature. Let the gelatin soak in and gel, then you can whisk it into the hot liquid mixture. I believe that once it has gelled that you could also add it to the rest of the ingredients while they heat up. You might not have to wait until the end if you did the gelatin this way.
Bernadette says
I poured half the juice into a bowl and sprinkled the gelatin over it to let it bloom, The other half of juice was put in a saucepan and I just warmed it. It doesn’t need to be hot. In fact, you’ll retain some of the vitamin C if you DON’T heat it hot. I then mix in the juice from the bowl into the saucepan and used a whisk to get out all the lumps.
fio says
you need to boil the juice to extract all the air in it so that the gelatin becomes completely clear. some chef even boils it twice letting the juice completely cool between one boil and the other.
kathy scott says
Hi Elana
I just love your recipes and would love to make these for my grandson! Could you tell me where you bought your gummy bear moulds? I live in Ontario.
Thank you
Kathy S.
Michele says
Elana has an affiliate link in #5. I don’t want to mess it up so I’m not going to cut and paste it.
Heather J says
I bet Michael’s craft store would have them.
I used plastic ice cube trays from Ikea (gummi fish)! One tray had 10 fish which filled half the recipe.
Sharon L Ulam says
This sounds great for our grand children. Will have to print it up! :)
Kate says
Are they the size of standard ice cubes using the Gummy Bears ice cube tray?
Laura says
Is the Stevia necessary? Does it help the candies set up?
Deborah says
I would also like to know the answer to this. My sensitive tummy doesn’t do well with Stevia.
Lillian says
And it gives me migraines!
Bernadette says
I made gummies with honey and it still set. The best thing to do is to taste it before pouring into the mold to see if the sweetness and tartness is acceptable for you.
Sile McDermott says
I’ve used these with NO added sweetener. In my opinion, fruit juice is sweet enough (And I’m talking the 100% no sugar added stuff)!
samantha says
no, it is only a substitute for sugar