Healthy Homemade Gummy Bear Recipe (Just 2 Ingredients!) (2024)

My kids LOVE this healthy homemade gummy bear recipe & I love that there’s no junk & only 2 ingredients. Ready in 15 minutes too, and great for a snack or school lunch!

If I could pick only one topping for frozen yogurt, it would be gummy bears.

My whole life I’ve loved gummy candies. Gummy bears, gummy worms, sour gummies… (sour patch kids were THE BOMB!). Now there are even “life saver” gummies and “jolly rancher” flavors too.

Since gummy bears contain ingredients that we avoid in our home (like high fructose corn syrup), I’ve re-created my favorite gummy candy into homemade gummy bears!

It took some experimenting, and LOTS of taste testing (against my will, of course), but I’ve come up with a homemade gummy recipe that will totally give any other typically processed gummy bear a run for its money.

AND it’s healthy!!

THE BEST HEALTHY GUMMY BEAR RECIPE

Now, before you take on this challenge yourself, there are a few things you need to know.

Although way good for you, gelatin on its own does not taste good.

Just one tablespoon contains a whopping 6 grams of protein – talk about a super-food (and in my gummies?! Squee!!)

But it does come from animal proteins and by default, doesn’t taste that great.

Thankfully in this gummy bear recipe, we are using fruit juice AND we can add sweetener to cover the taste of gelatin.

WHAT ARE GUMMIES MADE OF? GUMMY BEAR INGREDIENTS

This healthy gummy bear recipe uses 3 easy ingredients:

• Gelatin. You want unflavored gelatin. I like this brand.
• Fruit juice or puree. Use 100% fruit juice or a fruit puree. I like a puree since it contains real fruit and adds just a bit more nutrients.
• Honey. (Optional) You will want some sweetener if you use a puree. The juice will already be sweeter. Maple syrup or liquid stevia works too.

GUMMY BEARS MADE FROM JUICE

The flavor combinations for healthy homemade gummies are endless!

If the fruit juice flavor combination sounds good in your head, chances are it’ll be good in a gummy bear. Strong flavors (i.e. grape juice) will make for a very tasty gummy. Mild flavors (i.e. apple) will make a mild gummy bear and in my humble gummy-loving opinion, would be better paired with something stronger to keep the gelatin flavor at bay.

In general, avoid single strong acidic flavors since they tend to not gel up as well (think pineapple juice, orange juice, or grapefruit). You can combine them with something else though for sure!

Here are some favorites that come to mind:

• Cherry
• Lime
• Mango
• Raspberry
• Cranberry
• Apple
• Grape

GUMMY BEAR RECIPE TOOLS

If you look on Amazon, the options for silicone gummy molds are nearly endless. Our favorites are the traditional gummy bear mold and LEGO.

The goal though is to choose a silicone mold that makes small, individual gummies like this one for hearts or this one for bears. Be sure to read the measurements so you’re not ending up with monster-sized gummies (trust me, I’ve made that mistake!).

If a silicone mold is out of the question, use a glass dish or ice cube tray instead and cut these delicious healthy homemade gummies into squares. Don’t think you can’t do this just because you don’t have a mold!

HOW TO MAKE GUMMY BEARS RECIPE

Step 1: If you’re starting with whole fruit, make fruit puree by blending fruit in a blender. Then measure fruit puree into a large measuring cup first. Stir in honey if using.

Step 2: Measure juice into a small saucepan and turn it to medium-low heat. Add the gelatin and whisk constantly. Bring the mixture to an almost simmer – you want it to be definitely warm, but not hot, to the touch – about 3 minutes. The liquid should be opaque or clear and the gelatin should be completely dissolved before proceeding.

Step 3: Add the gelatin mixture to the puree (if using). Whisk to combine gelatin mixture with puree and/or honey, if using.

Step 4: Place the mold on the baking sheet. Pour the mixture into the molds, but do not overfill them. Alternatively, pour the mixture into the 8×8 glass pan.

Step 5: Place the entire baking sheet with the mold on top, or the 8×8 glass pan, in the freezer for 15 minutes.

Step 6: Pull the gummies out from the freezer and pop them out of the molds. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.

HEALTHY GUMMY BEAR RECIPE TIPS

• Have all of your supplies and ingredients ready to go before you begin. The recipe moves fast!
• Taste the liquid before freezing. If it doesn’t taste good, the gummies won’t either when they’re done. Err on the side of too sweet rather than not sweet enough!

FAQs REGARDING THIS RECIPE FOR GUMMY BEARS

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Easy and Healthy Homemade Gummies

Print Recipe

★★★★★4.7 from 9 reviews

My kids LOVE this healthy homemade gummy bear recipe & I love that there’s no junk & only 2 ingredients. Ready in 15 minutes too, and great for a snack or school lunch!

• Author: Tiffany
• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 30 minutes
• Total Time: 45 minutes
• Yield: 24 gummies 1x
• Category: Snacks
• Method: Freeze
• Cuisine: American

Ingredients

Scale

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup 100% fruit juice, OR
  ⅔ cup fruit puree and ⅓ cup 100% fruit juice
• 8 tsp grass-fed gelatin
• 2 Tbsp honey (optional)

SUPPLIES

• small saucepan
• silicone mold OR 8×8 glass pan
• baking sheet (if using the mold)
• small measuring cup
• larger measuring cup or bowl with a spout (for easy pouring)
• whisk
• spatula

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

1. If you’re starting with whole fruit, make fruit puree by blending fruit in a blender. Then measure fruit puree into the larger measure cup/bowl first. Add honey if using.
2. Measure juice into a small saucepan and turn the heat on medium-low. Add the gelatin and whisk constantly. Bring the mixture to an almost simmer – you want it to be definitely warm, but not hot, to the touch – about 3 minutes. The liquid should be opaque or clear and the gelatin should be completely dissolved before proceeding.
3. Add the juice/gelatin mixture to the puree (if using) in the bowl/cup with the spout. Whisk to combine juice/gelatin with puree and/or honey, if using.
4. Place the mold on the baking sheet. Pour the mixture into the molds, but do not overfill them. Alternatively, pour the mixture into the 8×8 glass pan.
5. Place the entire baking sheet with the mold on top, or the 8×8 glass pan, in the freezer for 15 minutes.
6. Pull the gummies out from the freezer and pop them out of the molds. Store in a container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.

Notes

• Have all of your supplies and ingredients ready to go before you begin. The recipe moves fast!
• Taste the liquid before freezing. If it doesn’t taste good, the gummies won’t either when they’re done. Err on the side of too sweet rather than not sweet enough!

Nutrition

• Calories: 13

Keywords: gummy bear recipe