Homemade Gummy Bears
These homemade gummy bears or fruit snacks are easy to make and healthier than store-bought. The gummies are made with fruit and honey and contain no artificial flavors or colors.
A few years ago, I made my own fruit snacks. They were easy and delicious, but I also used Jell-O to make them. I’ve been wanting to make a more natural and healthier version. My husband recently came across gummy bear silicone molds on Amazon. He shared the link with me, which naturally meant he was okay with me buying them right?
The gummy bear molds worked great. Each individual bear is quite tiny, so I needed two molds. But they popped out easily and they are so cute. They come with an eyedropper tool so you can easily fill the cavities. Also since they don’t have faces, I didn’t have such a hard time eating them.
Homemade Gummy Bears Made with Fruit Puree
I’m sharing two versions of how to make these. One is with fruit puree and the other is with fruit juice. I personally prefer the fruit puree. Using fruit puree gives each gummy a concentrated fruit flavor and the gummy bears also are chewier from the concentrated fruit.
To make the gummies with fruit, you can use fresh or frozen but fresh works best. I like sticking with berries because they have less sugar and less water. They are pureed with just a little water in the blender and then sweetened with honey (you can replace with other sweeteners).
Homemade Gummy Bears Made with Fruit Juice
A popular and easier way to make homemade gummy bears is with fruit juice. This is definitely easier since you don’t need to puree the fruit. However, the fruit flavor of these gummies is much lighter and you taste more of the gelatin. They also have a less chewy texture.
While I prefer the fruit method, I will make the juice version when I’m pressed for time. Again, I recommend sticking with berry juices because they tend to have a more concentrated flavor.
More Gummy Recipes
- Keto Gummy Bears
- Rose Champagne Gummy Bears
- Vegan Gummy Bears
- Gummy Bear Ice Pops
- Gummy Fruit Snacks
Special Tools
Gummy Bear Molds* | Knox Gelatin*
*Some of the links contained in this post are affiliate links. Much like referral codes, this means I earn a small commission if you purchase a product I referred (at no extra charge to you).
Recipe is now updated with video! The video shows how to make these gummies with fruit juice. You can also find all my recipe videos on my youtube channel.
Homemade Gummy Bears
Ingredients
Fruit Puree Gummy Bears
- 1/2 cup fresh blueberries or strawberries
- 3 tbsp water
- 1-2 tbsp honey , depending on how sweet you want your candy and the sweetness of your fruit
- 2 tbsp unflavored gelatin
Fruit Juice Gummy Bears
- 1/2 cup fruit juice, I recommend berry juices
- 1-2 tbsp honey, depending on how sweet you want your gummies
- 2 tbsp unflavored gelatin
Instructions
Fruit Puree Gummy Bears
- Add all ingredients except gelatin into a blender and mix on highest speed until fruit puree is smooth. Pour puree into a small saucepan.
- Sprinkle gelatin in, one tbsp at a time, and whisking after each tbsp so that the gelatin does not clump up. Bring mixture to a low-medium heat and stir constantly until gelatin is completely dissolved. Do not bring mixture to a boil. When gelatin is completely dissolved, turn off heat.
- Use eyedropper tool to put liquid into the individual bear cavities. Place into fridge to set, about 15 minutes. If you enjoy your gummies a little firmer, eat them straight out of the fridge. If you prefer softer, let them come to room temperature. Store uneaten gummies in fridge.
Fruit Juice Gummy Bears
- Whisk juice and honey in a small saucepan. Follows Steps 2-3 above.
Notes
- I used these Gummy Bear Molds* and Knox Gelatin*
- Avoid using pineapple, kiwi, mango, papaya or other fruit and fruit juices that have a high concentrare bromelain. This enzyme breaks down proteins like gelatin and will cause the gummies to not gel properly.
They did not solidify. Bummer. Maybe I needed more gelatin?
I’m sorry to hear that! I would recommend trying to add more gelatin
Can I use frozen fruit for these gummies?
Thanks
You can use frozen but fresh works best. Frozen fruit tends to be more watery so you wouldn’t need the full 3 tbsp additional water.
15 minute setting time doesn’t work, it needs atleast a few hours. But besides that recipe was great!!
We’re so glad you enjoyed this recipe!
They’re quick and easy and they actually taste good. Great healthy snack for kids!
Thanks for your nice review!
Yes you can freeze the gummies. I would store them in the fridge or freezer to keep them longer or stay fresh tasting.
Just made these. The texture came out really well but it was not sweet enough for me. Everyone has their preference of sweetness, but when using mixed berries, which aren’t very sweet to begin with, 2 tbs of honey just wasnt enough. I’m going to have to play with the recipe to make it more sweet but overall very cool.
You can definitely add more honey if needed. I wanted them to be very natural tasting so I didn’t want to add a lot of sugar. How sweet your fruit is also makes a difference. I would taste the gelatin mixture while it is still liquid and add more honey if needed
Hi! About how many gummy bears did this make?
the recipe makes 50 mini gummies
I made them and refrigerate them. However they were sticky and they stuck to one another after out from mold. It was also hard to pull them out from the mold. Any advice pls? Thanks!
It sounds like you don’t have enough gelatin. If you added more fruit or water, then you will need more gelatin to compensate. Did you by chance use frozen fruit? Frozen fruit tends to be more watery so you wouldnt need the full 3 tbsp additional water.
I dont have a mold can I just pour in flat pan and. cut up???
The gummy bears are quite sticky so it may be hard to cut them, but you could try it that way
I had a jello mold jello-beans perfect for these tasty treats. Also found that using a condiment bottle from dollar store was perfect for pouring into mold!
How creative! I bet they were cute in the jello bean molds!
First, these taste very good. I was worried as I love my fruit snacks and I don’t like to compromise flavor. Second, Are these meant to have a strange, bubbly texture? Did I do something wrong- maybe too much heat?? Thank you!!
Mine had a few bubbles but not a lot. It may have been too much heat. You can definitely play around with the ratios and add more liquid. A thicker batter will have more bubbles because of the higher concentration of gelatin, but you can pop them before the gummies set. If you use more liquid and less gelatin, you’ll have less bubbles but the gummies are also softer and less chewy
Hi, I followed this recipe exactly, though I used vegetarian gelatine, unfortunately mine have just stayed in liquid form, they have been in the fridge overnight now and still the same, any idea what I can do to make them firmer?
Hi this recipe will not work the same if you do a substitution with vegetarian gelatine. I have a recipe using agar as well https://kirbiecravings.com/2017/06/vegan-gummy-fruit-snacks.html
Made them with vegan “gelatine” mix, worked out just fine. I also put in a little bit of corn starch because I like the firm texture. They were seriously yummie!
Yay! Happy to hear it worked out for you
Are these sugar free?
there is sugar in fruit and in honey
I have a juice extractor, it seperated the pulp through a fine mesh screen,would i need to include the pulp or just the juice?
You can do just the juice. You probably can leave out the water
Do you think you can store some in the freezer and pull them out as needed?
I have not tried to freeze them before. I’ll have to try it next time
They look great! Just one question: how many gelatin leaves would it be? In Belgium, you can’t find the powder type
unfortunately i do not know the answer to that
Would sugar-free jello mix work with this recipe?
I’ve successfully made the jello version using this recipe: https://kirbiecravings.com/2013/04/homemade-fruit-snacks.html
Hi! Do you think frozen berries would work too?
frozen could work but they’ll have more water so you’d have to play around a little with the gelatin ratio, or reduce down the berry puree to eliminate the excess water
Looks like a great recipe!
Have you tried it with other fruit? If so, what kind of results have you had?
I have only tried with strawberries and blueberries so far. I imagine it works with most fruit though I did read that it does not work with pineapple
Love that they’re so easy to make and they’re all natural. What’s the shelf life for these gummies?
I don’t know the exact shelf life but since these don’t have preservatives, I recommend keeping them in the fridge for up to one week.
These look so lovely! I bit the bullet and bought some matcha powder, the band you suggested, now I think maybe matcha gummy bears might be nice too! Or just adding a bit of sweet condensed milk to the mix, instead of honey, for berries and cream gummies? Haha, although I think your recipe is the healthiest of them all. Ordering these molds!
what an interesting idea! I will have to experiment with that. I hope you enjoy using the matcha powder. I feel like it’s made a huge difference in how my baked goods come out. The brands I tried previously, they would turn yellow brown after time in the oven
These are soooooooooo cute!!!!
haha, thanks! I really love the bear molds. It makes such a difference!
Wow! Easier than I thought.
yes they are easy and I love that they are natural fruit flavored
Hi how long I can keep it in the fridge? ??or how long on room temperature in winter.???
since these use fruit puree, you need to store them in the fridge and not at room temperature. they should keep about a week in the fridge