How to make homemade jelly lollies (gummy recipe) (2024)

Make your own jelly lollies – all you need is you favourite fruit juice, gelatine powder and honey.

They’re super easy and simple to make and are actually a delicious, healthy snack option.

Make your own jelly lollies

Got a sweet tooth?

I was complaining to my husband the other day about how much I wish he loved baked goods like I do so I could bake for him.

I said that my love of baking was pretty much wasted on him and it wasn’t fair.

His response to this was ‘well then make me gummy bears, I’ll eat them.’

My first reaction was, as if homemade gummy bears are a thing, but a quick Google search taught me that you can and in fact it is ridiculously easy and quick.

So my challenge was set.

You might also likeberry mango roll ups.

I thought that the end result was delicious.

Not too sweet like store-bought lollies and a nice chewy texture (but not too chewy).

They’re actually really similar to a jelly treat that one of my family friends used to make for all our special events growing up.

They would make a great school holiday activity!

Make your own jelly lollies and see how easy it is!

Health benefits of homemade jellies

Since making the first batch years ago, I’ve discovered that good-quality gelatin is actually a really nutrient-dense food and a great way to get goodness into the kiddos.

What is gelatin?

I’m going to leave this one toDr Axeto explain:

In the case of food manufacturing, gelatin is made into a dried powder that’s created from isolating and dehydrating parts of animals, including skin, bones and tissue.

This might not sound too appetizing, but you likely won’t even know you’re eating itwhen you have it because it’s virtually colorless and tasteless.Dr Axe

Is gelatin good for you?

Gelatin is a form of protein and a really nutritious food.

There are many benefits of gelatin. It helps us to form cartilage and connective tissues and helps our skin retain its elasticity.

It can improve gut health and prevent intestinal damage.

It’s a really good food to add to your diet after any sort of stomach upset or a dose or antibiotics.

Gelatin is reallygood for joint painand helps to ease inflammation and aid in recovery from injuries.

It can also help to heal muscles, aid in sleep and keep you feeling full for longer.

So when you give your kids homemade gummies, they’re actually getting a little hit of goodness (and they think they’re getting a treat!).

Health benefits of homemade jellies

Since making the first batch years ago, I’ve discovered that good-quality gelatin is actually a really nutrient-dense food and a great way to get goodness into the kiddos.

What is gelatin?

I’m going to leave this one to Dr Axe to explain:

In the case of food manufacturing, gelatin is made into a dried powder that’s created from isolating and dehydrating parts of animals, including skin, bones and tissue.

This might not sound too appetizing, but you likely won’t even know your eating itwhen you have it because it’s virtually colorless and tasteless.

Dr Axe

Why’s gelatin good for you?

Gelatin is a form of protein and helps us to form cartilage and connective tissues and helps our skin retain its elasticity.

It can improve gut health and prevent intestinal damage.

It’s a really good food to add to your diet after any sort of stomach upset or a dose or antibiotics.

Gelatin is really good for joint pain and helps to ease inflammation and aid in recovery from injuries.

It can also help to heal muscles, aid in sleep and keep you feeling full for longer.

So when you give your kids homemade jelly lollies, they’re actually getting a little hit of goodness (and they think they’re getting a treat!).

How do you make jelly lollies

Making jelly lollies is really simple, quick and uses just a few ingredients.

​Ingredients for homemade gummy candies

To make homemade gummies you will need just three simple ingredients:

• ​juice
• unflavored gelatin – make sure you’re using a good quality gelatin (preferably grass-fed sourced)
• honey

Can you use sweeteners other than honey?

Absolutely. You can use whichever sweetener you like. Maple syrup is a good alternative or I have seen some recipes use corn syrup but I’m not a fan of it. I also wouldn’t recommend using artificial sweeteners.

If you’re using a naturally sweet juice you can even skip the sweetener.

How do I make vegetarian gummies?

To make vegetarian gummies, instead of gelatine, you can useagar agar powder. It is a slightly different method to using gelatine and will have a mildly different texture.

Can I use real fruit to make gummies?

Yes you can use real fruit to make gummies. Fruit can be pureed and used to make gummies.

It will require at least 50% more gelatine than using plain juice.

Do you use gelatin powder or gelatin sheets?

The type of gelatin you use is up to personal preference and what you have on hand.

This recipe uses gelatin powder.

Equipment needed to make gummies

You will need either a small saucepan and spoon or a Thermomix to make gummies.

Personally, I prefer the Thermomix because my 3yo can help a bit more than if we use the stove top.

Whichever way you choose they’re really simple and quick and take about the same time both ways.

Method for making jellies

To make jelly lollies:

1. Pour the juice into your saucepan and sprinkle over the gelatin and leave to sit for 5 minutes.
2. Add the honey if using and bring to a simmer.
3. Stir until the gelatine has dissolved and then pour into a glass or pyrex container or moulds.
4. Refrigerate until firm.
5. Remove from moulds or if using a container, use a knife to cut into squares.
6. Store in the fridge.

Can I use jelly crystals to make gummy candies?

You sure can use jelly crystals. To make them, you’ll add boiling water to the jelly crystals and add another 10g of gelatine powder to the mixture. This will help it to set firmly.

I prefer to make it from scratch with fresh juice to avoid the artificial ingredients in packet jelly.

Do you need special moulds to make the jellies?

If you want to make a special shape, you will need to have a mould and I highly recommend getting silicone molds.

We have littlegummy bear moldsthe boys got for Christmas but to be honest I wouldn’t recommend them because they’re really little and annoying to fill and fiddly to get out of the moulds.

Personally, I’d suggest getting something a little bigger but these ones are super cute and you can make gummy bears and gummy worms in the same tray.

They look a bit bigger than the ones we have too:

You can also use silicone chocolate moulds which do the same job.

Alternatively, if you don’t want to get special moulds you can just tip the whole jug into a larger silicone cake tin then once it’s set, us a non-serrated knife to cut it up or use mini cookie cutters to cut shapes.

Do you need to grease the moulds?

Nope you don’t need to grease the moulds they should just pop right out.

I turn them inside out which seems to do the trick nicely.

If you’re using little moulds then use a dropper or turkey baster to fill them.

READER REVIEW:

I’m so excited.
Have just made these with our crushed up vitamin tablets. Now I can get essential vitamins and minerals into my two VERY fussy six year olds!
They’re in the freezer now. I cant wait to see how they turn out- Nikita

To make it easier to transfer them to the fridge, put the moulds on a plate or chopping board before you fill them.

Make sure they’re nice and firm before you try to take them out of the moulds and store them in an airtight container in the fridge. I like to store mine in a glass jar.

They’re great for little ‘treats’ but also a nice little snack to pack in lunchboxes.

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Remove the sweets from the moulds and enjoy! Store any uneaten lollies in an airtight container.

Make your own jelly lollies

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Additional Time: 2 minutes

Total Time: 22 minutes

Ingredients

• 350ml fruit juice
• 30 - 60g raw honey (or maple syrup/rice malt syrup/agave syrup) (The amount depends on how sweet you would like them and on what sort of juice you're using. Some are sweeter than others).
• 35g powdered gelatine

Instructions

STOVE TOP

1. Mix all the ingredients together in a small saucepan and set aside until the gelatin has absorbed most of the water (about 10 minutes).
2. Heat the mixture over low heat, stirring constantly until the gelatin has dissolved.
3. Transfer the mixture to a heatproof jug and pour the jelly into your moulds. Leave them to sit for about 10 minutes then put them in the freezer for another 10 minutes. If you're patient you can put them in the fridge to set.
4. Remove the jellies from the moulds and store in an air-tight container in the fridge.

THERMOMIX

1. Add all ingredients into the bowl of the Thermomix (careful not to pour the gelatine on the middle of the blade or it will stick to it) - heat 4 minutes/50 degrees/Speed 2.
2. Pour into silicon moulds and place in fridge for a few hours to set.
3. Remove from the moulds and store in an air-tight container in the fridge.