So I have been making gummy candy for years now. Since I work with kids as young as 4 years old, I needed a recipe that was not dangerous. Candies like hard candy and caramel are challenging to make in class because you have to heat the sugar to a very high temp. .
While I have made hard candy with older kids, as shown above, for safety reasons, I don’t do that with my youngest students. So when I came across a recipe to make gummy candy, I was thrilled.
I did end up making changes to the recipe as the original did not have that nice chewiness that you find in store bought gummies. The change was adding the right amount of plain gelatin.
So how do you make these gummy candy? Check out the recipe below. I included ingredients to make strawberry and lemon/lime gummy candy.
Ingredients: 3 oz box of lime jello, 3 oz. box of strawberry jello, 8 packs of plain gelatin, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, water, cornstarch (optional)
- Begin by combining the the lime jello and 4 packs of the plain gelatine
- Then mix the lemon juice with the water
- Pour the water into the lemon juice until you have 1/4 cup of liquid and then slowly pour it into the jello mixture, while stirring it briskly.
The mixture will look like slushy. Set aside for at least 5 minutes.
After the timer goes off, set the solidified gummy mixture into a simmering water bath until melted.
Once the gummy mixture has melted, scoop out the bubbles that have accumulated on the surface of the mixture.
Then pour the gummy mixture into silicone molds and place into a fridge or freezer for faster setting.
- For a fun option if making this with kids, and you want to create your own mold design, pour some cornstarch into a small container.
- Gently shake the container to level the top of the cornstarch, then press an object that is at least 1/4 inch thick into the cornstarch.
- Carefully remove the object.
- Then pour the gummy mixture into into the indentation created by the object. Place in the fridge until set.
Once the dummies in the silicone mold have set, place the mold face down on the counter and gently peel the mold off the gummies.
All done.
Ingredients
- 8 packets unflavored gelatin 4 packs for each 3 oz jello box
- 1 box strawberry jello 3 oz
- 1 box lemon/lime jello 3 oz
- 1/4 cup water: for the strawberry dummies
- 2 tablespoons of fresh lemon or lime juice and enough water to make 1/4 cup of liquid for the lemon/lime dummies
- Corn starch optional*
Instructions
- Put a pot of water, filled about ¾ full, on the stove on medium high to boil and then turn it down to a simmer.
- Pour the gelatin and jello powder into a glass measuring cup and mix well.
- Slowly pour the water or water and lemon juice mixture into the gelatin and jello mixture while stirring briskly until it is well mixed. The mixture will look like a slushy.
- Put the mixture aside for 5+ minutes to rest. (This allows the gelatin and jello granules to completely absorb the liquid). By the time the timer goes off, the mixture will have solidified.
- In the meantime, set up your silicone molds by arranging them on a shallow baking tray and set aside.
- Once rested, put the glass measuring cup of gummy mixture in the simmering water bath until all the granules have melted. Stir occasionally however, too much stirring will cause bubbles to form which leads to a cloudy candy. A solution to this is once the mixture is melted, turn the stove off and let your mixture rest in the water bath. This allows the bubbles to rise to the top where you can scoop them out.
- Carefully pour the candy mixture into the molds* and allow to rest on the countertop for 1 to 2 minutes. (Add hot water into your now empty measuring cup as soon as possible, making sure to cover all surfaces with leftover gelatin mixture. This will allow for easier clean up). If there is still candy mixture in the cup, put it back in the simmering water bath.
- Transfer the tray to the freezer / fridge until the gummy sets. Of note, the lemon/lime candy takes longer to harden, almost twice as long as the strawberry.
- When the timer goes off, take the molds from the freezer and check for doneness. If the candy is still jiggly in the center, return to the fridge or freezer.
- If hardened, gently remove the candy. It will be sticky, so you can leave as is or sift some corn starch over the gummies, coat the entire surface then use paper towels to rub the the cornstarch off the gummies
- Return the molds to the tray and repeat steps 7 to 9 as needed.
- Once finished with the first flavor, repeat steps 1 through 10 for the next flavor.
- Once all the candy is set, enjoy right away or keep in an airtight container for 2 to 3 days.
- *If you want to make a custom mold (just as gummy manufacturers do), pour some cornstarch into a small container. Gently tap the container, to level the top. Then take a toy or letter that is at least ¼” thick and press into the cornstarch. Carefully pull the toy up. When the gummy candy mixture is ready to pour, carefully pour into the indentation. Place in the fridge to set. Of note, becos of the cornstarch, the candy will not be sticky. You can just wipe the cornstarch off the candy and enjoy.