These Gummy Bears have the classic chewy taste with a fruity flavor that is irresistible.
It’s October which means that Halloween is just around the corner! It also means that I am going to turn my focus entirely to making homemade candy. October is candy month after all.
I have a gummy candy lover in the house, and I am always experimenting with different recipes to find the best homemade version. Gummy bears are actually extremely difficult to make, the balance of flavor to texture is a major challenge.
To get the right texture requires a lot of gelatin and causes the gummy bears to have a gelatin like flavor. To get the right flavor requires less gelatin which means the texture becomes less gummy and heads more towards a jelly like texture. What’s the difference between gummy and jelly? I tend to think of gummy candy versus something like Jell-o.
But! But. I finally came to a recipe that is getting me closer to making those perfect gummy bears that I am trying to achieve. While I still think I could work to perfect the recipe more, I am very happy with this version. The results were delicious, and I felt that these gummy bears came out really well.
Check out the Make section of MCG for more fun recipes like desserts and savory dishes.
Ingredients
The core ingredient of gummy bears is gelatin which makes my life a bit more difficult. Gelatin is not vegetarian, but it is very difficult to make gummy bears without it. Two other ingredients that really helped make these gummy bears are sorbitol and citric acid. The more I get into making candy, the more uncommon ingredients invade my kitchen.
Process
The Base
There is a core base that makes up the gummies is the same regardless of flavor. But there is an opportunity to add more flavor at the base step. First, since I am using powdered gelatin (not sure if there is another form), I needed to have it bloom. This step basically hydrates the gelatin.
Typically, water is used for this step, but juice can also be used. Using juice for this step does enhance the flavor. I was curious to see how flavor is affected by using juice versus adding flavor essence after the base is made. So, I did do multiple batches to create a comparison.
While the gelatin is blooming, it was time to prep the other half of the base. This is just a mixture of corn syrup, sugar, and sorbitol. Delicious, I know. The main goal of this step is getting the powders dissolved, especially the sugar. The mix should run clear under all the bubbles.
Then I added in the gelatin to get that dissolved into the mixture. The combination of corn syrup and gelatin is very, very sticky. With everything dissolved, I took the mixture off of the heat and added in the citric acid. The combination of all these ingredients causes a massive amount of white foam to come together on top.
Off the Stove
After the mixture has cooled down a little, but not too much, I skimmed all the foam that had accumulated. I did my best to get everything but there was definitely some difficulty. The main reason for doing this is because I want that clear gummy bear texture rather than have bubbles in it. I did strain the mixture as an extra precaution.
To the water-based mix, I added some tropical punch flavoring and red dye. The dye was mainly to tell the difference between the two mixes. The gelatin is naturally a yellow-ish color which is good to take into consideration when adding the dye.
Then, using a syringe, I transferred the gummy mixture into the molds. This all has to be done while the mixture is still warm to hot because it will harden as it cools down. Then it was into the fridge to help with that cooling and hardening process. Then it’s time to pop the gummy bears out of the mold and enjoy. Well, someone else enjoyed them 😂
Reflections
This was one of my most successful gummy bear recipes and I am amazed the effect that the sorbitol and citric acid have. They enhance the flavor and preservation of the gummies while just keeping everything together.
The texture felt right and both the juice flavored and essence flavored gummy tasted good. I used guava juice for the juice-based gummies, and it had a more subtle tasted. The fruit punch was more in your face. But the fact that both worked was really exciting because it opens up the world for flavors.
Lessons
What are these weird ingredients you’re using?
When I started doing research into gummy bear recipes, I found that sorbitol and citric acid were ubiquitous across many sources. Sorbitol helps with temperature regulation in cooking and prevents the base mix from caramelizing. Citric acid is used to enhance fruity flavors but, in terms of texture, it helps the pectin gelation. This help the gummy set with less gelation, so the gelatin flavor isn’t too forward.
recipe
Gummy Bears
Ingredients
- ⅔ Cup Granulated Sugar
- 1 Cup Corn Syrup
- 3 Tablespoon Sorbitol
- 6 Packages Gelatin about 44g
- ¾ Cup Cold Water can be replaced with juice
- 2 Tsp Fruity Flavor optional if water replaced with juice
- 1 ½ Tsp Citric Acid
Instructions
- Add gelatin to a bowl of cold water. Stir and let rest (bloom) for about 5 minutes.
- While the gelatin is resting, in a medium saucepan, mix corn syrup, sugar, and sorbitol. Bring to a simmer over a low boil or until the sugar is fully dissolved.
- Add gelatin and stir until it is completely dissolved.
- Take the saucepan off the heat and mix in the citric acid. Let cool and remove white foam that forms on top. Repeat until mixture is warm and white foam is no longer forming.
- Sieve the mix through a strainer to remove any excess pieces. Add fruit flavors and colors as desired.
- Lightly oil the molds with a neutral tasting oil and fill with gummy mixture. Let chill in the refrigerator from 6 to 24 hours.
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