Healthy Gelatin Gummies for Kids: A Delicious and Nutritious Snack

These healthy gummy bears made with gelatin are a delicious and healthy snack your kids will love. They are easy to make and you only need three ingredients!

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Nearly every child enjoys fruit snacks, gummy bears, or similar treats. Unfortunately, most packaged fruit snacks from the store are packed with artificial ingredients, corn syrup, and food dyes that we want to avoid.

That’s why I’ve decided to make more snacks at home. I want to cut out processed foods as much as possible and know exactly what’s in the snacks my kids eat. We love making our own cheese crackers too!

One of my favorite snacks to make is gelatin gummies. They’re simple to make, healthy, and my kids love them!

Why Gelatin Gummies Are a Great Choice

Gelatin is packed with health benefits. It’s rich in collagen, which supports healthy skin, hair, and nails, and can even help with growing strong bones and joints. Gelatin also helps to soothe the gut lining and promotes better digestion.

Incorporating gelatin into your child’s diet helps boost their protein intake in a way that’s enjoyable. Unlike sugary fruit snacks from the store, these homemade gummies provide a simple, nutrient-dense treat that your kids will love.

The Problem with Store-Bought Fruit Snacks

Parents are busy and it takes time to make homemade snacks. So does it really matter if you buy fruit snacks and other processed snacks for your kids from the store? I believe it does.

When you look at the ingredient list of most store-bought fruit snacks, it’s a bit alarming. Many are loaded with high fructose corn syrup, artificial flavors, and food dyes that don’t belong in a healthy diet.

Even the options that claim to be “natural” or “healthy” often contain more sugar than you’d expect. They might seem like a convenient choice, but they’re far from the nutritious snack we want for our kids.

Instead of offering your kids something that’s essentially candy, making your own gelatin gummies allows you to control what goes into their snack. What your kids eat is a very big deal!

By making your own gummies at home, you can ditch the unnecessary additives and focus on real, wholesome ingredients. You get to choose the type of juice, the amount of natural sweetener, and the quality of gelatin.

I like to get these ingredients from Azure Standard which saves me so much money too! Read here about how I source a lot of my food from Azure Standard and save lots of money by doing so.

Ingredients for Gelatin Gummies:

Juice: We enjoy cherry and apple juice, but use any kind you like! Avoid papaya, pineapple, kiwi, or mango juice – an enzyme in them may not allow the gelatin to become firm.

Honey: As a natural sweetener, honey is not only delicious, but also provides anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and antibacterial properties. Honey also contributes to the soft chewiness of the gummies. I prefer to use raw honey. Maple syrup works also.

Gelatin: Unflavored, grass-fed gelatin is the healthiest option.

Tools You May Need:

Gummy Bear Silicone Molds 

How To Make Gelatin Gummies:

Step 1: Add juice to a saucepan and gently and evenly sprinkle gelatin over the juice. Gently mix with a spoon and let the mixture sit for 5 minutes. Do not heat up the mixture yet.

This process is called “blooming” the gelatin. Blooming gelatin is the process of hydrating gelatin in cold liquid before dissolving it in hot liquid. This process ensures the gelatin dissolves smoothly and prevents any clumping.

Step 2: Add honey to the mixture and turn the stove to medium-low heat. Make sure the mixture doesn’t boil. As the mixture warms up, it will turn into liquid.

Step 3: Turn off the heat and carefully pour the liquid into the molds. These Gummy Bear Silicone Molds come with a few droppers, but I prefer to pour the liquid into the molds using a glass measuring cup. Sometimes using the droppers can create a lot of bubbles.

Step 4: I let them sit out on the counter for an hour before putting them in the fridge. This way the juice doesn’t spill as I carry them to the fridge. Let them set in the fridge for a few hours, then pop the gummies out of the molds and enjoy! Store leftovers in the refrigerator.

You can experiment with different flavors of juice and make all kinds of different healthy gummies for your kids!

Tips

• Sprinkle the gelatin over the juice mixture rather than dumping it in all at once. 
• Add some lemon juice for a little tartness.
• Avoid juices like papaya, pineapple, kiwi, or mango, as they contain an enzyme that can prevent the gelatin setting up.
• If you don’t want to use honey, you should be able to substitute maple syrup.
• Fill the silicone molds fully for the best results.
• When transferring the gummy mixture to the refrigerator, I like to set my molds on a cookie sheet or similar tray just in case some of the liquid spills out.

Recipe FAQ’s

More Benefits of Making Your Own Gummies

You decide the ingredients – When you make your own gummies at home, you’re in complete control of the ingredients. Whether it’s using organic juice, or reducing the sugar content, you get to decide what goes into each batch. No more worrying about preservatives, artificial dyes, or unnecessary additives that sneak into store-bought snacks.

Cost-effective – Making your own gummies is surprisingly cost-effective. A few simple ingredients- juice, gelatin, and a sweetener- can go a long way. Instead of constantly buying boxes of fruit snacks that disappear quickly, you can whip up a batch of gummies at a fraction of the cost. Plus, once you have the basic ingredients on hand, you can make them as often as you like, experimenting with different flavors and shapes.

Fun to make – Your kids will love helping to make these! Getting them involved in the process- choosing the flavors, picking out fun molds, and helping to mix- turns snack time into a family activity. Not only are they excited to eat a healthy treat, but they also feel proud knowing they helped make it.

As busy parents, its rewarding to find quick and simple ways to provide healthy options for your kids. Making these gummies takes just a little time, but the impact it has on your family’s diet is well worth it.

Give it a try and let me know what you think in the comments below!