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!
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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:
- Put your cold juice into a sauce pan.
- Add your 1/3 cup of gelatin.
- Let it sit for a minute or two so the gelatin can “bloom”. (This will help prevent a clumpy or gritty finished product!)
- Turn on the heat to low to medium till the gelatin dissolves.
- Turn off heat and let sit for a few minutesto cool down.
- Add your lemon juice and raw honey. Stir well.
- Use a syringe and suck up your juice concoction and push out into your gummy bear mold.
- 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.
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FAQs
The traditional gummy bear is made from a mixture of sugar, glucose syrup, starch, flavoring, food coloring, citric acid and gelatin. However, recipes vary, such as organic candy, those suitable for vegetarians or those following religious dietary laws.
Is it healthy to eat gummy bears everyday? ›
Can you eat gummy bears every day? 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.
Are there healthy gummy bears? ›
Made without any artificial colours or flavors, low in sugar and high in fibre, Better Bears naturally sweetened gummies makes snack time a breeze. It's snack time!
What is the sugar substitute in gummy bears? ›
Rather than being made with sugar, the gummy bears are made with Lycasin, a hydrogenated glucose and sugar replacement. Lycasin is a maltitol syrup with properties of taste and sweetness ideal for the preparation of sugar-free syrups, lozenges or jellies, according to manufacturer Roquette.com.
What are sugar free gummy bears made of? ›
A glance at the nutrition panel shows that the first (and thus most prevalent) ingredient in the sugar-free variety is lycasin, a hydrogenated syrup. Lycasin, meanwhile, consists mainly of maltitol, a sugar alcohol that is almost as sweet as table sugar but half as caloric.
How long do homemade 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.
What do gummy bears do to your body? ›
They help build the immune system with vitamin C and maintain eye health with vitamin A. Vitamins regulate a number of body functions, and since we can't produce them ourselves, we need to find an alternative way of getting them in our body. Gummy bears can also be beneficial for your hair, skin, and nails health.
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.
Is eating too many gummies bad for you? ›
One of the main concerns with gummy vitamins is their high sugar content. The appealing taste of gummy vitamins often comes from added sugars, which can contribute to excessive sugar consumption. Overconsumption of added sugars has been linked to obesity, heart disease, and dental cavities.
Are Welch's gummy bears healthy? ›
Many believe that Welch's fruit snacks are a healthy option. However, even though it contains added vitamins, such as vitamin C, vitamin A, and vitamin E, they also contain corn syrup, sugar, modified corn starch, and gelatin. When it comes to fruit snacks, there are MUCH better and healthier options than Welch.
Sugar-free candies are available for those seeking sweets without added sugar. These candies are typically sweetened with sugar substitutes like stevia, xylitol, or erythritol. Popular examples include Smartsweets, Sugar-free Reese's, Lily's, and Candy People, sugar-free Swedish fish.
Are gummy fruits healthy? ›
Gummies were the least nutritious fruit snack, followed by canned fruit packed with something other than juice and dried flavored fruit, both of which have a lot of added sugar.
How do you add sugar to homemade gummies? ›
When coating your gummies, the process is very straightforward. The prepared mixture of citric and sugar can be sprinkled overtop of the freshly popped product, or the gummy can be added directly to a bowl of citric and sugar, tossed, and then removed with a mesh sieve.
Can diabetics have gummy bears? ›
The main ingredients in gummy bears are sugar, corn syrup, and gelatin. The body quickly absorbs all these ingredients, leading to a rapid spike in blood sugar levels. Sure, they also contain some protein, but their overall consumption can harm you with the risk of diabetes due to high glucose and sucrose levels.
Are there gummies without sugar? ›
Yes. Nature Made® Zero Sugar gummies‡ have the same benefits and great taste as regular gummies but instead have zero grams of sugar per serving.
What are the main ingredients in gummies? ›
Ingredients. 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? ›
Gelatin. Added to a variety of yogurts, Jell-O products and confections such as gummy bears, fruit snacks and jelly babies, gelatin is about 50 percent boiled pig skin and 25 percent cow bones.
What are the ingredients in most gummies? ›
In general, the ingredients in gummy bear candy include sugar, gelatin, con syrup, starches, flavorings, food colorings and citric acid. Beet sugar is sometimes used to sweeten gummy candy. A sugar-free gummy bear recipe would omit the sugar and include an artificial sweetener such as Aspartame.
What part of the pig is in gummy bears? ›
Two of the major ingredients in gummy candies are gelatin and carnauba wax. Gelatin is made from the cartilage, bones, hooves, or skin of slaughtered pigs, and sometimes other animals. “Carnauba wax, a key ingredient in car wax that produces a brilliant shine, is also found in gummy bears and fruit-flavored snacks.
