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
Made without any artificial colours or flavors, low in sugar and high in fibre, Better Bears naturally sweetened gummies makes snack time a breeze. It's snack time!
What are the 3 main ingredients in gummy bears? ›
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.
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.
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 is a healthy alternative to Haribo gummy bears? ›
Gummy candy: SmartSweets
The chewy candies don't contain any sugar alcohols, artificial colors, or artificial flavors but taste just as good as your favorite Haribo and Trolli bears. If you accidentally eat the entire bag (we don't blame you), you won't feel guilty.
Is it healthy to eat gummy bears everyday? ›
Can you eat gummy bears every day? It is not recommended to eat gummy bears every day because they are high in sugar and calories. Eating too much of them can cause gaining weight, tooth decay and other health problems.
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 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.
How long do homemade gummies last? ›
How long do gelatin gummies last? Gelatin gummies will last up to 2 weeks in the fridge. Make sure they are kept in an air-tight storage container. Since they are made with all-natural ingredients and no preservatives, be careful as they get close to 2 weeks as they could get some mold on them.
Is the gummy bear diet safe? ›
A gummy bear diet is designed to cause loose bowel movements by eating typically around 15-20 individual gummy bears. This diet is not recommended by health professionals. The gummy bear diet is fairly severe on your body and we do not recommend trying it on the go.
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 are the ingredients in Amazin fruit gummy bears? ›
Corn Syrup, Sugar, Gelatin, Fruit Juice Concentrates (Contains Grape, Cherry, Pineapple, Orange, Apple, and Strawberry), Citric Acid, Natural and Artificial Flavorings, Sodium Citrate, Mineral Oil, Carnauba Wax, Hydrogenated Soybean Oil, and Artificial Coloring (Includes Red 40, Yellow 6, Yellow 5, and Blue 1).
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.
Is there such a thing as healthy candy? ›
Candy with nuts is your healthiest option, but if you're into sugary sweets, Smarties are the healthiest option. One serving of Smarties contains just 25 calories and 6 grams of sugar. For comparison, Sour Patch Kids contain 110 calories and 24 grams of sugar in one serving.
Which fruit snacks are the healthiest to eat? ›
The next time you're packing lunch for your kid or reaching for a healthy afternoon bite, consider this: only three types of fruit snacks – dried fruit, fruit puree and canned fruit with juice – meet the latest recommendations for high-nutrition snacks set by federal dietary guidelines, according to research by ...
Are fat free gummy bears healthy? ›
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.
Are Haribo gummy bears healthy? ›
Assuming that you ingested no other added sugars, you could consume multiple servings of Haribo gummy bears and still be within the FDA's recommendation. However, this amount of sugar means that gummy bears' health benefits are minimal.
Are gummies healthy? ›
Gummies can contain half a teaspoon to two teaspoons of added sugar (2 to 8 grams) per serving. While this might not seem like a lot of sugar, gummies can contribute to overall excessive sugar intake, especially when one or more gummies are consumed daily.
