Healthy Gummy Bear Recipe (Using Fruit & Honey) (2024)

Here’s a healthy gummy bear recipe that uses just fruit, honey, gelatin, and love. A tasty take on the classic (but kinda junky) kid’s candy.

Healthy Gummy Bear Recipe? Really?! Yes!

One of my passions is switching out unhealthy recipes for healthy ones. Eating a real food diet does nothave to be boring or feel likedeprivation (I would never last!)

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Now that my kids are entering the real world and learning aboutpixie sticks and cotton candy (gasp!), they have stumbled upon the adorable Haribo Gummy Bear package in the checkout line. I remember munching on these as a kid myself. But, when I recently looked at the package’s ingredients, I knew there had to be a better way!

Haribo Gummy Bear Ingredients in U.S.

Glucose syrup (from wheat or corn), sugar, gelatin, dextrose (from wheat or corn), citric acid, corn starch, artificial and natural flavors, palm kernel oil, carnauba wax, white beeswax, yellow beeswax, yellow 5, red 40, and blue 1

But if you break it down,it’s really about:

  • some form of sugar (not all are bad)
  • some type of fruit flavoring (could use the real thing)
  • and gelatin.

I’ve talked about the manybenefits of gelatin before.So, in the scheme of things, these gummy bears could actually be a healthy “treat” when compared with others.

Haribo Gummy Bear Ingredients in Germany

Interesting to note: in Germany, where Haribo isheadquartered, they don’t use food dyes for color. Instead they use plant and herbal extracts. (Europeans always get the food right!) Here’s a list of their ingredients:

Glucose syrup; sugar; gelatin; dextrose; fruit juice from concentrate: apple, strawberry, raspberry, orange, lemon, pineapple; citric acid, lemon, pineapple; citric acid; fruit and plant concentrates: nettle, apple, spinach, kiwi, orange, elderberry, lemon, mango, passionfruit, blackcurrant, aronia, grape; flavorings; glazing agents: white and yellow beeswax; carnauba wax; elderberry extract; fruit extract from carob; invert sugar syrup

So, my recipe takesthe more German approach: fruit concentrates (juice), gelatin, and sugar (in the form of honey.)

Note: This is a slightly “highermaintenance” recipe than most of the ones you’ll find on this site. I had a fun timemaking these with mykids, but I certainly wouldn’t be making these on a regular basis. Too much work! 🙂 But, for a road trip, Halloween, a birthday party, or just a fun activity to do with the family, this gummy bear recipe isgreat.

Healthy Gummy Bear Recipe using fruit and honey small handful by Mama Natural

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Healthy Gummy Bear Recipe

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup organic juice for each color
    • For the red gummy bear: pomegranate or cherry juice (100% juice not diluted with sugar and water)
    • For the orange gummy bear: I used peach/carrot juice combo. You can also use apricot nectar juice. I also added in 4-5 drops of Orange essential oil before adding to molds. This gives them a great flavor!
    • For the yellow gummy bear: I used a combo of orange and pineapple juices. You can add Lemon essential oil before adding to mold for an authentic lemon-y flavor.
  • For the clear gummy bear: I used a mix of pineapple juice andlemonade.
  • 1/3 cup Vital Proteins beef gelatin
  • 2 TB lemon juice
  • 1/2 raw cup honey
  • Gummy bear molds with droppers (where to buy)

Healthy Gummy Bear Recipe using fruit and honey platefull

Directions:

  1. Put your cold juice into a sauce pan.
  2. Add your 1/3 cup of gelatin.
  3. Let it sit for a minute or two so the gelatin can “bloom”. (This will help prevent a clumpy or gritty finished product!)
  4. Turn on the heat to low to medium till the gelatin dissolves.
  5. Turn off heat and let sit for a few minutesto cool down.
  6. Add your lemon juice and raw honey. Stir well.
  7. Use a syringe and suck up your juice concoction and push out into your gummy bear mold.
  8. Let sit for 5 minutes so it sets and then put in fridge for one hour. Remove bears and enjoy!

Final notes:

This gummy bear recipe will make at least 100 bears of each color and last in the fridge for at least one week. You can also leave out in room temperature for a few days (just don’t let them get above, say, 85° For you’ll have a big bear meltdown.)

How about you?

Do you like gummy bears? Would you ever make a treat like this for your kids? Share with us in the comments below.

Healthy Gummy Bear Recipe (Using Fruit & Honey) (1)

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Healthy Gummy Bear Recipe (Using Fruit & Honey) (2024)

FAQs

What are the 3 main ingredients in gummy bears? ›

Gummy bear
Gummy bears produced by Haribo, the first company to manufacture gummy bears
TypeGummy candy
Place of originGermany
Created byHans Riegel Sr.
Main ingredientsGelatin, sugar, glucose syrup, starch, flavoring, food coloring, citric acid
1 more row

Are there healthy gummy bears? ›

Why We Love It: Better Sour's sun-shaped gummies stand out for their punchy, fruity flavors. The gummies are 100% plant-based, contain less than 3 g of sugar per bag, and are free of sugar alcohols as well as artificial flavors and colors.

How long do homemade gummies last? ›

How long do gelatin gummies last? Gelatin gummies will last up to 2 weeks in the fridge. Make sure they are kept in an air-tight storage container. Since they are made with all-natural ingredients and no preservatives, be careful as they get close to 2 weeks as they could get some mold on them.

Are gummy bears healthier than fruit snacks? ›

It is important to understand that fruit snacks are not a fruit substitute and have been classified by nutritionists as being slightly better than gummies. Many fruit snacks are artificially flavored and packed with added sugars and artificial colors and have little to no vitamin content.

What ingredient keeps gummy bears from melting? ›

Gelatin - Helps set the gummy bears and gives them a nice chew. You can replace gelatin with agar agar if you would like a vegetarian option but be sure to follow the substitution suggestions on the box.

Can I make gummies without a mold? ›

You can use fun and fancy shaped little molds, but you don't have to! I have used the smaller shapes, but I also love using a regular ice cube silicone mold too. If you don't have trays like this, don't worry! You can use a glass dish with sides and cut out the gummies into squares.

Is it OK to eat gummy bears everyday? ›

It is not recommended to eat gummy bears every day because they are high in sugar and calories. Eating too much of them can cause gaining weight, tooth decay and other health problems.

What do gummy bears do to the body? ›

What are the Benefits of Consuming Gummy Bears? There are useful proteins within gelatine-based gummy bears which are beneficial especially post workout. Gelatine also contains collagen which helps to strengthen your hair, skin, and nails. It also tightens loose skin.

What is the healthiest hard candy? ›

If you prefer hard candy over chewy, grab a bag of Dr. John's hard candy. These sugar-free candies are tooth-friendly and a great choice for those with diabetes (as are these chocolate recipes you won't believe are diabetic-friendly). These candies are also allergy-friendly, so everyone can enjoy them.

Why did my homemade gummies get moldy? ›

High humectant content, low polish level, degraded gelatin and insufficient drying may contribute to this problem as well. The best hack is to dip the gummies in ethanol, dry them and then coat them with citric acid before any sugar dusting.

Why are my homemade gummies hard? ›

If You find hard pieces in your gummies this is commonly caused by gelatin that is not fully bloomed. If you are using sheet gelatin be sure to separate all of the sheets individually before blooming in water.

Why are my homemade gummies wet? ›

Citric acid is extremely water soluble. If you apply the citric acid, sugar mix when you remove the gummies from the mold, it will pull the moisture out of your gelatin causing it to melt the sugar making the candy wet and sticky.

Which is better, Motts or Welch's fruit snacks? ›

Even though Welch's uses more natural ingredients, they're not all that more healthy due to the 7 grams of added sugars. Mott's may have 10 grams, but they also have added vitamins. And if you're vegan, you're in luck. Mott's are vegan, according to shoppingfoodie.com.

Why do I crave gummy bears so much? ›

The Lifestyle Factor

The same occurs if you reach for sugary goods as a reward for completing tasks, to induce a sugar-high burst of energy during the mid-day slump, or to distract from annoying tasks. Stress and sleep deficiency can also cause you to crave more sweets than normal.

Can I eat gummy bears and still lose weight? ›

Gummy bears are high in sugar and calories, so they won't help you lose weight anyhow.

What ingredient is in gummies? ›

Gummy candies are made mostly of corn syrup, sucrose, gelatin, starch and water. In addition, minor amounts of coloring and flavoring agents are used. Food acids such as citric acid and malic acid are also added in order to give a tart flavor to gummies.

What is the gross ingredient in gummy bears? ›

Gummy bears and gummy worms are usually made with gelatin, which often comes from pigs.

What is the main ingredient in Haribo gummy bears? ›

GLUCOSE SYRUP (FROM WHEAT OR CORN), SUGAR, GELATIN, DEXTROSE (FROM WHEAT OR CORN), CONTAINS LESS THAN 2% OF: CITRIC ACID, ARTIFICIAL AND NATURAL FLAVORS, PALM OIL, PALM KERNEL OIL, CARNAUBA WAX, WHITE BEESWAX, YELLOW BEESWAX, YELLOW 5, RED 40, BLUE 1. MAY CONTAIN: WHEAT, TRACES OF MILK.

What part of the pig is in gummy bears? ›

We then add gelatin and dissolve it into the mixture. Gelatin comes from the hooves and skin of pigs or cows and is basically collagen broken into smaller molecules. Think of a tough or grisly meat steak— that's collagen.

References

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