How to Make Healthy Gummy Bears

Gummy bears are super fun to eat and also enjoyable to make. You can infuse your homemade gummy bears with healthy juices, honey and fresh squeezed citrus. My kids love gummy bears and I love that these tasty snacks don’t contain lots of sugar. I made a batch of homemade gummy bears using orange juice and cranberry juice sweetened with honey. I thought it was especially fun to customize our homemade gummy bear flavors.

Orange Cinnamon Gummy Bears

My kids loved these citrus-infused homemade gummy snacks. I used orange juice with some fresh squeezed lemon juice. I also added some honey and cinnamon for a little extra flavor. These orange cinnamon gummy bears were easy to whip up using a few simple ingredients.

Ingredients

1 cup orange juice
1 tbsp. lemon juice
2 tbsp. honey
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
3 packets of unflavored gelatin

Cranberry Lemon Gummy Bears

Cranberry and lemon combine with the sweet honey to create a tart flavor with a chewy gummy texture.

Ingredients

1 cup cranberry juice
1 tbsp. lemon juice
2 tbsp. honey
3 packets of unflavored gelatin

Healthy Gummy Bear Instructions

To make homemade gummy bears, first combine the flavor ingredients such as orange juice, lemon juice, honey, and cinnamon in a sauce pan and heat until just bubbly. I squeezed in fresh lemon juice. You could also use fresh squeezed orange juice and raw honey as a sweetener.

Stir in the Gelatin

Next, slowly whisk in a little gelatin at a time to avoid creating clumps. Dumping it in all at once will create a sticky, clumpy mess. I combined the packets of gelatin in a bowl and sprinkled it into the hot liquid a little at a time while constantly whisking the mixture.

Once you’ve fully added the gelatin to the juice mixture, continue stirring until it is fully melted and combined, resembling a glassy texture.

Fill the Molds

Carefully spoon or siphon the gelatin mixture into the silicone gummy bear molds. These gummy bear molds came with a really handy bulb syringe that makes filling the molds very quick and easy. Any liquid that spills over onto the space between the molds will create a thin skin that can easily be removed later. I highly recommend getting a silicone gummy bear mold set that comes with a bulb syringe because it’s so easy to use. Place your gummy bear molds into the freezer for 20 minutes to let them set.

Finally, turn the molds over and firmly press each gummy bear out of the mold. The silicone gummy bear molds easily clean up in the dishwasher or by rinsing them in the sink.

Combine your gummy bear flavor ingredients.

Add fresh ingredients such as citrus or raw honey.

Fill the gummy bear molds.

My kids love having morning and afternoon snacks so I try to make them healthy snack options and creatively introduce them to new foods. Smoothies and air-popped popcorn are great kids snacks too!

I hope you enjoy this creative kids snack idea. Making gummy bears can be a fun afternoon project and your kids can help too! When we cook and bake together, I often let my girls add the ingredients and mix them together. I usually take care of the heating and baking steps. Spending time with your kids in the kitchen is a great way to teach fun and practical life skills!

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Katie Wallace

Hi, I’m Katie! I live with my husband and 4 kids in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. I love Jesus, coffee, creative projects, photography, and traveling. I’ve previously worked as a web designer, journalist, and barista. I hope you enjoy our creative projects and family adventures!