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
Gummy bears are typically made of gelatin, citric acid, sugar, fruit juice, corn syrup, flavoring and starch. These ingredients combine to give gummy bears their chewy texture and sweet taste.
Is there a healthy gummy bear? ›
MaryRuth Organics Gummy Bears Snack with Electrolytes and Fiber | Fruit Flavored Gummy Candy Pack | Strawberry | Orange | Papaya | Vegan | Gluten Free | Non-GMO | Family Size | 240g. This brand is popular with other customers and this product is highly rated, well-priced, and available to ship immediately.
What are the ingredients in lovely honey gummy bears? ›
Ingredients: Sugars (Honey, Rice Syrup, Sugar) Modified Starch, Citric Acid, Sodium Citrates, Natural Flavors, Colored With: Tumeric Oleoresin, Paprika Oleoresin, Black Carrot Juice, Apple Juice, and Spirulina Extract, Sunflower Oil, Glaxing Agent: Carnuba Wax. Wheat Starch used as a processing agent.
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.
What are the five flavors of gummy bears? ›
Variations and flavors
Manufacturers offer a range of sizes including bears that weigh several kilograms. In the United States, Haribo gummy bears are sold in five flavors: raspberry (red); orange (orange); strawberry (green); pineapple (colorless); and lemon (yellow).
Is it healthy to eat gummy bears everyday? ›
No! The traditional gummy bear is made from a mixture of sugar, glucose syrup, starch, flavoring, food coloring, citric acid, and gelatin. All the sugar and glucose syrup is bad for you because it's contained in excess. We all know too much sugar is very detrimental to your health.
Is it OK to eat gummy bears everyday? ›
What are the consequences of consuming excessive amounts of gummy bears? Consuming excessive amounts of gummy bears can have negative consequences such as flatulence, gut-churning, diarrhoea, cardiovascular disease, gaining weight and diabetes type 2.
What do gummy bears do for your 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 sweetener is 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 is beeswax in gummies? ›
You see, the final step when making fruit gums is to spray them with a thin coating of beeswax and carnauba wax (made from the leaves of a palm tree) to give them a nice sheen and prevent them from sticking together.
White beeswax, yellow beeswax, and carnauba wax are all common ingredients used in making gummy candy and help maintain product quality. These waxes and fats impart a nonstick coating and polish when the product is agitated or tumbled, and also provide a sealed layer of protection from the outside environment.
What do you coat homemade gummies with? ›
The process of applying a carnauba wax coating to gummy candies involves creating a mixture of carnauba wax and a neutral-flavored oil, such as vegetable or canola oil. This mixture can be heated in a microwave to make it easier to work with.
How do you harden homemade gummies? ›
Dry the gummies (I do this at room temp on a baking sheet covered with a silicone sheet, what they call a “silpat” in the biz) for a few days until they develop a thick “skin.” Roll them in a 3:1 mixture of confectioner's sugar and corn starch. Store in a sealed container at room temperature.
How do you increase the shelf life of homemade gummies? ›
You can increase the amount of citric acid to get more 'time' but Homemade gummy candies are usually good for as long as 6 months or more when stored properly - but from my personal experience, they're usually completely devoured long before the 6 month mark.
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 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.
Do gummy bears have pork or beef gelatin? ›
Our Gummy Bears use pork and beef-based gelatin to get that quintessential gummy bear bounce. Was this article helpful?
