{homemade gummy bears}

i have been making my own homemade gummy bears for a while now, and i have been meaning to write a post about it…

i have always loved fruit snacks, gummy bears, et al. however, the ingredient list always detoured me – even the natural ones are full of mostly sugar.

so, i did some research and realized that i could be making my own gummy fruit snacks! and not only that, but i could make them GOOD for me!

my curiosity was piqued when i started looking for a clean source of gelatin to help with collagen production and joint support.

…which i don’t have pictured here because i typically transfer everything i buy into a glass jar… {no shame in my game}…

anyway, i wanted to incorporate gelatin into my diet and that’s when i got super stoked about the idea of making my own gummies! so i found these silicon molds on amazon {along with the gelatin} and looked up a few recipes to get me started.

as usual, i like to keep things as simple as possible. some recipes call for honey or a sweetener, but i like to avoid added sugar where i can {so i can guiltlessly enjoy a candy bar from time-to-time}.

so – here is my very simple {2-ingredient!} homemade gummy fruit snack recipe – which yields about 200 gummies and the ratio can be adjusted accordingly :

• 1 cup fruit juice {i usually opt for concord grape}
• 3 tablespoons gelatin powder

you could add in some honey or agave for sweetness, but i find the concord grape juice to be sweet enough on its own.

sometimes i’ll add in some elderberry syrup for additional health benefits during the cold-season months.

the biggest factor in making your own gummy fruit snacks is dissolving the gelatin powder. they are all a little different. some recipes call for heating the liquid first, then adding in the gelatin powder. i have found that it’s best to start on low heat and sprinkle in the gelatin in slowly, whisking as you go. this seems to keeps the powder from clumping. and if you get a few clumps, no big deal.

you may also notice that a frothy layer begins to form on the top – which is okay… you can simply scoop this out before transferring the mixture into your gummy molds.

it’s pretty amazing that only 1 cup of fruit juice makes roughly 200 gummies.

after i add the mixture to my molds, i put them in the refrigerator for about an hour, or until they are firm. then i pop the gummies out of the mold and put them in an air-tight container and keep them in the fridge for up to a week. i usually share them with friends and co-workers, so they don’t last very long.

i will mention that because there are no preservatives, these gummies will eventually go bad if not consumed within a week. i learned that the hard way when i accidentally made hundreds of them and couldn’t eat them fast enough 😛

look how cute they are!

the texture is definitely different than other gummy fruit snacks, so it’s wise to set standards low in comparing them to store-bought brands. however, i enjoy them because i know they are good for me {real gelatin = healthy benefits} and so it’s kind of like eating a supplement – in the form of an adorable gummy bear fruit snack 🙂

plus, they’re SQUISHIE!

Tags: blogging, DIY, diy gummies, easy, food, food blogger, food blogging, food blogs, food photography, foodography, fotography, fruit snacks, gummy bears, healthy, healthy eating, healthy gummy bears, healthy recipes, healthy snacks, homemade, in the kitchen, keep it seriously simple, kiss, photography, recipes, simple, snacks, squish, squishie, squishy