It’s no secret that I am a gummy candy fanatic. We usually have at least a couple types of gummies in our pantry. Being the baking enthusiast I am, I got the bright idea to try to make my own gummy candies. However, I decided to put a bit of a healthy spin on the recipe and make healthy gummies!
These gummies are made with just four ingredients, and the recipe can be made with different types of fruit juice to make different flavors!
The fruit juice in these healthy gummies also naturally give them a beautiful color. This recipe doesn’t include any food coloring or artificial ingredients.
Substitutions and Swaps
While I love this healthy gummy bears recipe just the way it is, I know some of you might not have all these ingredients on hand!
Below are some swaps and substitutions that can be made in this recipe.
- Fruit Juice – I like using a bunch of different types of juice to create colorful gummies, including apple juice, orange juice, grapefruit juice, pomegranate juice, and black cherry juice. Other juices that would work great are limeade, lemonade, or grape juice!
- Honey – If you don’t have honey on hand, you can use an additional Tbsp of granulated sugar or stevia sweetener in its place. You can also use maple syrup!
- Stevia / granulated sugar – Adding additional sweetener or sugar is optional, but I find these gummies taste better with more than just the honey. You can add another Tbsp of honey in place of the stevia / granulated sugar if you don’t want to add sugar. You can also use other types of natural sugar like coconut sugar.
- Unflavored Gelatin – I used packets made by Knox (each packet has about 2 1/2 tsp of gelatin), but you can also use gelatin from a larger container like this. Most large grocery stores carry unflavored gelatin, or you can order it online! To make vegetarian/vegan gummies, use 1 tsp of 100% agar agar powder like this. However, they won’t set quite the same as they do with gelatin.
Using The Right Mold To Make These Healthy Gummies
Most small silicone molds will work with this recipe, so you can get creative with the shape of these healthy gummies too!
There are some awesome sea shell and dinosaur molds that would be so fun to use. I am a fan of the classic gummy bear mold, but don’t feel limited to that! But do keep in mind that different sized molds can change the total number of gummies a batch makes.
Most silicone molds come with an eye dropper that makes them easy to fill. If you don’t get one, I highly recommend ordering an eye dropper. Filling these molds would be a nightmare without them!
Filling These Molds Properly
It’s important to fill your molds up to the very brim to give your gummy bears a proper shape.
If you don’t, the back of each gummy bear will be quite flat, and it will be noticeably thinner than a traditional gummy bear.
Fill each cavity to the very brim, so that you can see the surface tension holding the juice in place. I like to do this slowly, so that the molds don’t overflow.
As you fill the molds, take care not to squeeze air bubbles into the juice!
They will set inside or on top of the gelatin and make your gummies look a bit odd when you pop them out.
Since we are filling these molds so full, I suggest placing the silicone molds on a baking sheet to make them easier to move into the fridge.
Making Different Flavors of Gummies
Feel free to use different juices to create different flavors of gummies!
I used apple juice, orange juice, grapefruit juice, pomegranate juice, and black cherry juice to make these gummies.
I love these juices because they create a beautiful spectrum of colors.
Other juices that taste great are lemonade, limeade, watermelon juice and grape juice.
Just be sure to avoid pineapple, kiwi, mango, ginger root, papaya, figs, or guava juice. They contain an enzyme (protease) which can prevent gelatin from setting firmly.
Tips for Making the Best Healthy Gummies:
- Get creative with the type of fruit juice you use to make a fun variety of flavors!
- Place your silicone molds on a baking pan to make them easy to move around without spilling.
- Clear out an area in your fridge to allow you to set the trays flat as they chill.
- After bringing your fruit juice mixture to a boil, let the juice mixture cool for about 3 minutes. This will help the gelatin set more firmly.
- Immediately add the bloomed gelatin (gelatin powder mixed with water) to your juice mixture, or else it will set firmly and be harder to mix in.
- Be sure to stir the fruit mixture and gelatin with a spoon or small spatula and not a whisk! A whisk will incorporate air bubbles into the mixture and make them harder to pipe into the silicone mold.
- Adjust the amount of sweeteners in these gummies to match your preference! You can add up to 1 additional Tbsp of granulated sugar or honey, or by omitting the honey and sugar or stevia all together.
Storing These Healthy Gummies
Leftover gummies can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week. I recommend keeping them in the fridge to prevent molding!
Let Me Know What You Think!
If you try this recipe for healthy gummies, I’d love to hear what you think of it! Please leave a rating and comment below.
And don’t forget to tag me @chelsweets and use the #chelsweets so that I can see your amazing creations on social media!
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Yield: 7 servings of 10 gummies
These healthy gummies are made with just 4 ingredients and taste so good you'll wonder why you ever bought gummy candy from the store.
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Additional Time30 minutes
Total Time55 minutes
Ingredients
Healthy Gummies Recipe
- 1/3 cup fruit juice (80g)
- 2 Tbsp honey (42g)
- 2 tsp or 2 packets of stevia (4g) or granulated sugar (8g) - optional
- 2 1/2 tsp (or 1 envelope) unflavored gelatin (8g)
Tools / Equipment Needed
- small silicone molds (I like to use this gummy bear mold)
- eye dropper (most silicone molds come with these)
- lots of fridge space allow you to set your trays flat
Instructions
Healthy Gummies Recipe
- Begin by placing the silicone molds on a baking tray. This makes it easier to transport them into the fridge. Also, make sure you have a flat area in your fridge to place the gummy bears once they're poured in the molds.
- Make each flavor separately.
- Bring 1/3 cup fruit juice, 2 Tbsp of honey, and 2 tsp of either stevia sweetener or granulated sugar to a boil over medium-high heat in a small saucepan or pot.
- Set aside to cool for 3 minutes. It should still be warm enough to melt the gelatin, but not hot enough to weaken the setting power of the gelatin.
- In a small container or bowl, bloom the unflavored gelatin by mixing together 2 1/2 tsp of gelatin with 1 Tbsp of water until the gelatin is fully dissolved. The mixture should become quite thick as you stir it.
- As soon as the gelatin and water are mixed together, add it to the slightly cooled juice mixture.
- As the gelatin sits it can firm up and become difficult to mix in. If this happens, don't worry. It should still be able to dissolve into the juice mixture, but it will take longer to melt/dissolve fully. Make sure the gelatin is fully dissolved before filling the molds, or else tiny bits of gelatin can clog up the eye dropper.
- Use an eye-dropper (they come with most small silicone molds, or you can order them here) to carefully fill the silicone molds. Be sure to do this as soon as the gelatin is fully mixed into the juice mixture. If you let it sit and continue to cool, the mixture will start to set.
- Carefully place the molds in the fridge for 30 minutes, then pop them out of the molds and enjoy!
- Make as many batches as you want with different flavors of juice. You can also combine two different juices! I made five using apple juice, orange juice, grapefruit juice, pomegranate juice, and black cherry juice.
- Leftover gummies can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week.
Notes
Yield
One batch of gummies makes about 75 small gummies using this mold. You can make as many or as few flavors as you'd like to get the number of servings you want. I made five batches to make the gummies in these photos.
Substitutions and Swaps
Please see the section titled substitutions and swaps above for all the possible substitutions you can make.
Making Different Flavors
Feel free to use different juices to create other flavors! I love using lemon juice, lime juice, watermelon juice and grape juice too!
Just be sure to avoid pineapple, kiwi, mango, ginger root, papaya, figs, or guava juice. They contain an enzyme (protease) which can prevent gelatin from setting firmly.
You can also adjust the amount of honey if you want your gummies to be sweeter or less sweet.
Using The Right Mold
Most small silicone molds will work with this recipe, so you can also get creative with the shape of these healthy gummies!
There are some awesome gem and dinosaur molds that would be so fun to use. I am a fan of the classic gummy bear mold, but don't feel limited to that!
Nutrition Information
Yield
7Serving Size
1
Amount Per ServingCalories 31Total Fat 0gSaturated Fat 0gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 0gCholesterol 0mgSodium 9mgCarbohydrates 7gFiber 0gSugar 7gProtein 1g
For a walk down memory lane, check out the photos below from the first time I tried to make my own healthy gummy bears back in 2013!!
