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!)
Do you love Starbuck’s PSLs? Great, natural pumpkin spice latte recipethat’s healthy and tastes like the real thing!
Love traditional breakfast foods on weekend mornings? Me too! Here’s a delicious grain free waffle recipethat kids of all ages just love.
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
Get free updates based on your toddler’s birth date! – Free Updates on Toddler [In-article]
Sign me up!
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.
Read This Next…
- How to Make Jello the Natural and Healthy Way
- Healthy Gummy Men Fruit Juice Gelatin Snack for Kids
- Dandelion Root Tea: a tasty way to show your liver some love
- 4th of July Recipes: Superfood Star Gummies
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.
Can gummy bears be healthy? ›
While these fruity treats may not be the healthiest option for a snack, they do offer some surprising health benefits for children. Gummy bears are a great snack for those who want something sweet and satisfying — they don't contain any added sugar, and they're a good source of fibre to keep you feeling full.
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.
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 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).
What are the disadvantages of eating gummies? ›
Sugar alcohols, which are natural sugar substitutes that come from fruits and berries, are commonly found in vitamin gummies and may cause digestive issues like nausea, bloating, and diarrhea. Gummy vitamins are often loaded with artificial food dyes, fillers, and other things to give them an appealing texture.
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.
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.
How do you get sugar to stick to homemade gummies? ›
The process involves a blend of granulated sugar and citric acid, mixed and then applied to coat the gummies. Ingredients: Granulated sugar, encapsulated citric acid. Application: Mix sugar with a proportion of citric acid (1:4 ratio as a starting point). Coat the gummies evenly in the mixture.
Do gummy bears raise blood sugar? ›
Gummy candies contain carbohydrates, which have a large impact on blood sugar levels. “Simple sugar-based foods absorb rapidly into the bloodstream after you eat them and can raise your blood sugar within five to 15 minutes,” says Norton.
Cutting down on the portion sizes of gummies can help reduce sugar intake. Consider making smaller gummies or using mini moulds to make bite-sized treats. Gummy bears are high in sugar, which makes them have a high glycemic index.
Which fruit snacks are the healthiest to eat? ›
Of all the commercially available fruit snacks, defined by the USDA as “products made with fruit and fruit juices, which may or may not contain added sugar, artificial colors and flavors, and preservatives,” the UMass Amherst team found that dried fruit has the best overall nutritional profile – the highest nutrient ...
Are Welch's made with real fruit? ›
Every Welch's product is made from Concord and Niagara grapes grown at family farms across the United States.
Why do I crave gummy bears? ›
The chewy texture of gummy candy can be a factor in why some people find it addictive. Our brains are wired to enjoy foods that are soft, chewy, and easy to swallow because they signal to our brains that the food is safe to eat and easy to digest.
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.
Is gelatin in gummy bears good for you? ›
Gelatin is notable for its low nutritional value and poor protein quality, and is one of the few foods that has a negative protein efficiency ratio, according to the FDA. “Despite its low nutritional value, gelatin is not considered hazardous by applicable government regulations,” according to the FDA.
