With only a few ingredients, you can make these Healthy Fruit and Veggie Gummy Bears that your kids will love. They’re also a great addition to lunchboxes!
My 4-year-old loves gummy bears and store-bought fruit snacks. I have been trying to avoid some of the packaged goods that contain artificial coloring and flavors, and I know it is hard to avoid these, but if I can add a few homemade fun snacks, we will have an improved overall diet, so it is a win for me!
These homemade gummy bears are naturally made without wax, corn syrup, or preservatives. It does not have the same texture as store-bought real gummy bears; however, they are still squishy and tasty, and my kids love them! Just wanted to make sure this is known to adjust any expectations before you start making these!
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Table of Contents
Reasons to Love These Healthy Gummy Bears for Kids
- Naturally sweetened: This recipe is sweetened with apple juice and maple syrup.
- Natural ingredients: This recipe is made with real fruit and veggies and does not use processed or artificial dyes and additives, artificial sweeteners, or food coloring, such as the ones used in the Jello mix!
- Easy and simple: This recipe uses easy ingredients you probably already have in your pantry.
- Customizable: You can use the same fruit/veggie/juice ratio to create different flavors. Use your choice of sweetener (maple syrup, honey, or regular sugar)
- Bonding activity: You can turn this recipe into a fun project to make with your little chef!
Ingredients
Here is what you need to make these healthy homemade gummies:
- Strawberries: to achieve the red color desired and for some tangy flavor.
- Beets: Cooked beets are combined with strawberries to achieve a bright red color and add nutrition to the gummies.
- Apple Juice: I chose to use apple juice as it is one of the juices you easily find without any added sugars, and it adds the perfect sweetness to the mix.
- Maple Syrup: The main source of sweetness for these homemade gummies. After blending, you can taste the mixture and adjust as needed.
- Unflavored Gelatin Powder: Add the gummy texture to the recipe. Make sure to add plain, unflavored gelatin.
Step by Step Instructions
Follow these simple steps to make your own gummy bears:
- Add the strawberries, cooked beets, maple syrup, and apple juice to a blender and blend until smooth.
- Transfer the fruit puree to a small bowl and add the unflavored gelatin. Mix and let it “bloom” for 3-5 minutes.
- Add the gelatin mixture to a saucepan over low heat and whisk until dissolved (do not boil).
- Place the silicone mold on a baking tray and transfer the gelatin mixture.
- Refrigerate for 2h until firm, unmold, and enjoy!
Tips for Success
- Blend the mixture very well—no chunks should be left! I love using a Ninja blender because it is powerful and blends well.
- You can taste the sweetness of the mixture after blending and adjust if necessary.
- Before filling the silicone mold, place it on a tray to facilitate moving it. This step is very important as the mixture is liquid, and the molds are silicon, so they won’t hold their shape when filled. If not using a tray, you may fill the mold and wait about 15 minutes until the gummy bear mixture sets a bit, then move them to the refrigerator.
- Use a little dropper or small spoon to transfer the gummy mixture to the silicone mold.
- These molds make perfect-sized gummy bears (not too small), and it is very easy to unmold!
- These gummies do not have the same texture as store-bought ones, as they are naturally made without waxes or corn syrup. But they are very tasty and more jelly-like in texture.
Tools Needed
- Blender
- Whisk
- Silicone molds
Storage Instructions
Once refrigerated and removed from the gummy molds, you can follow the instructions below:
- Room Temperature: These gummies can be kept at room temperature for 1-2 days in an airtight container. They hold their shape well if you want to add them to lunchboxes.
- Fridge: Store for up to 7 days.
- Freezer: I don’t recommend freezing these gummies.
Serving Suggestions and Substitutions
You can serve these as part of a snack or add to lunchboxes as a special treat!
You may substitute apple juice with grape juice, cranberry juice, or other sugar-free juice alternative.
Frequently Asked Questions
You can use natural fruit and vegetable juices and purees, instead of consuming artificial flavorings and colors from store bought gummies.
You will need a good silicone mold to shape your gummies, a dropper or small teaspoon to fill the molds, unflavored gelatin and fruit juice.
You can coat the gummies in a mixture of citric acid powder or vitamin C powder and granulated sugar to achieve a sweet and sour taste.
These gummy bears are homemade and free of waxes, so they are more jelly-like in texture, but firmer.
No, there is no need to strain the mixture before adding the gelatin.
No, you don’t have to! This recipe popped out perfectly from these gummy bear molds without any additional measures. Just make sure the mold is thoroughly cleaned and dried.
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🥣Recipe
Healthy Fruit and Veggie Gummy Bears
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup strawberries cut into small pieces, then measure
- 1/4 cup beetroot cooked. Cut into small pieces, then measure
- 1/3 cup apple juice unsweetened
- 2 tbsp maple syrup or honey
- 3 tbsp gelatin unflavored
Instructions
- Add the strawberries, cooked beets, maple syrup and apple juice to a blender and blend until smooth.
- Transfer the fruit puree to a small bowl and add the unflavored gelatin. Mix and let it "bloom" for 3-5 minutes.
- Add the gelatin mixture to a saucepan over low heat and whisk until dissolved (do not boil).
- Place the silicone mold on a baking tray and transfer the gelatin mixture.
- Refrigerate for 2h until firm, unmold, and enjoy!
Notes
- Make sure to blend the mixture very well, no chunks should be left! I love using ninja blender because it is powerful and blends very well.
- You can taste the sweetness of the mixture after blending and adjust if necessary.
- Before filling the silicone mold, place it on a tray to facilitate moving it. This step is very important as the mixture is liquid and the molds are silicon and won’t hold their shape when filled. If not using a tray, you may fill the mold and wait about 15 minutes until the gummy bear mixture set a bit, then move them to the refrigerator.
- Use a little dropper or small spoon to transfer the gummy mixture to the silicone mold. I find that using a small spoon is easier as the mixture is thick, and the dropper creates way too many bubbles.
- These molds make perfect-sized gummy bears (not too small) and it is very easy to unmold!
- These gummies do not have the same texture as store-bought as they are naturally made without any waxes or sorn syrup. But they are very tasty and more jelly-like in texture.
Nutrition
Other Beet Recipes You May Like
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So healthy and yummy! My toddler LOVED it! Thank you for sharing!