A yummy snack for both kids and adults alike, these homemade stevia-sweetened gummy bears are a fun treat to make! Super simple to customize, just throw in your favorite flavoring. Keto, sugar-free, low-carb, Paleo.
I’m always looking for ways to improve the health of my joints and skin. I’ve struggled with joint issues and acne for a very long time, and they are two issues that have not significantly improved through a change in my diet.
Both issues have been around for quite some time, and are both common annoyances that I am always trying to find the root cause for. I suspect that I either recently got Lyme Disease, or have had it for many years and not known it.
I am currently on a natural protocol through a naturopath for what she suspects is indeed Lyme Disease. I’ll know in a few weeks whether I do in fact have it after some blood testing. But in the mean time, I’m trying everything I can to protect my joints from further damage.
Gelatin and collagen are two things that I see popping up all over the place these days as a “miracle cure” for all sorts of issues including joints, skin, gut and digestive.
While I don’t necessarily believe that gelatin and collagen can solve health-related issues on their own, they can definitely be used as a supplement to a healthy diet and lifestyle.
Health Benefits of Gelatin
- Improving the health of joints, hair, skin and nails
- A good source of protein and vital amino acids, such as glycine
- Helpful in improving digestive function
- Can improve sleep quality
Health Benefits of Stevia
- A low glycemic sweetener that won’t spike blood sugar
- 0 calories
- Can help improve cholesterol and blood pressure
- No side-effects like some artificial sweeteners
If you’ve ever made jello before, then you know how easy it is to make. To make gummy bears is not a terribly different process. You’ll want to start by boiling some water.
In a heat-safe container, add in some fruit juice or strong brewed tea. I used the juice of 1.5 lemons, but you could crush then strain some raspberries and use the juice.
You could also brew some tea, I imagine the next time I make these, I will be using green tea for some delicious matcha gummies. You can go crazy here!
To the fruit juice, add in the gelatin, stevia drops, and the boiling water. Stir until completely dissolved. Next, you’ll want to portion it into a mold of some sort.
I recently bought these gummy bear and chocolate molds and have been in love with them. The droppers are complete life-savers, so I highly recommend you get some!
If you give these homemade stevia-sweetened gummy bears a try, please let me know what you think in the comments below. Also be sure to follow me on Facebook and Pinterest so you don’t miss a recipe!
You may also enjoy these gummy bears!
Homemade Stevia-Sweetened Gummy Bears (Keto, Paleo)
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup boiling water
- 2 tablespoons gelatin 0.5 oz (two packets)
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice, strong tea or sugar-free flavoring of choice I used the juice of one lemon, but you can use herbal tea, green tea, or any sort of sugar-free flavoring. See note below on using fruit juices like raspberry
- 15-20 drops stevia or to taste
Instructions
- While water is boiling, add gelatin, juice and stevia together in a heat-safe bowl and stir.
- Pour boiling water into bowl and stir until gelatin is fully dissolved.
- Using a silicone gummy bear mold with a dropper, portion the liquid into each of the cavities.
- Place mold on a tray in the fridge until solidified, approximately 15 minutes. You will need to repeat the process if you only have one tray. This recipe makes about two-three trays of gummy bears (depending on the tray size).
- Store in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
30 comments
Can these be frozen to make them last longer?
Great question! I haven’t tried it actually, but I don’t see why not. The texture might change slightly when you thaw them out. I will try it out and report back if I was successful!
How do you make them harder? They are a pretty soft chew. Add More gelatin?
Yes, you can add a little more gelatin. Rather than 2 packets, you can try 2 and 1/4 packets or 2 and 1/2 packets. Either that or you can reduce the amount of water by a few tablespoons. Let me know if that helps!
As compared to store bought how is the texture? Are they firm like Haribro or squishy like Black Forest or Albanese?
They are squishier like Black Forest. However, you can customize the amount of gelatin or water you add, so if you like them firmer, you can just add a little less water. Hope that helps!
Thank you for this great recipe! I love the lemon ones and add 6 drops of edible lemon essential oil to give them an even more lemony flavor For the gelatin, I used the Great Lakes one. They are delicious and have a great texture following the recipe quantities as it. Best gummie bear recipe out there !!
Thank you Donna, so glad they turned out well for you! The lemon ones are my favorite too, and I love the idea of adding essential oils, SO smart!
Do they have to be stored in the fridge?
You don’t need to, but they do store longer in the fridge. I also think the texture is chewier like a real gummy bear when stored in the fridge. They do get a bit softer at room temperature, but don’t melt or anything.
I have a bag of grass fed beef gelatin. Would that be alright to use instead of Knox gelatin?
Yes, of course! I always try to use grass-fed when I can 🙂 You should get the same results with either one.
I added more gelatin because I have a hard time getting enough protein in my day, but they were like India rubber. 1 T of light corn syrup solved that, with the addition of 1 t citric acid to offset the extra sweetness. If that doesn’t work for your requirements, this won’t help you, but it’s worth a try if you can use it. I made 24 large candies, and 4 =1 serving, 60 cals., with 5.1 carb gms and 10.1 protein gms. That’s just the right snack if dinner is 1 hour off and I’m famished.
Thanks for the feedback, glad you were able to customize them to get in more protein!
Hi Deanna, Thank you for sharing this recipe. I looked at a lot of them but liked the simplicity and cleanliness of yours. I have two daughters, who at the ages of 6 and 10 contracted Lyme disease. It was a rough road but, through GAPS diets and homeopathics, they are doing well at 10 and 14 years old now. My 14 year old still makes her own turmeric capsules when jount pain flares up. These gummies have been a fun way for the entire family of 7 kids to get involved in making healthy treats. I use Trace Minerals electrolyte packets (stevia sweetened), lemon juice, some additional stevia drops and the gelatin in water for my recipes. The whole family thinks “these are the bomb.” Thanks again for sharing!
Hi Aimee, thank you so much for commenting. I’m so glad your family loves these gummy bears! I can totally relate to what your daughters went through with Lyme Disease. I am finally now recovering myself after several years. Natural treatments and diet changes helped me significantly as well. I hope your daughters continue to improve and keep enjoying the gummy bears in the future!
I’ve been scouring the internet trying to find out why mine turned out more like jello. Thanks for the tips (I’ll adjust the gelatin to water ratio). I am curious tho – do you know why I had chunks of gelatin that wouldn’t dissolve? PS I flavor with propel electrolytes and they taste great with 0 cal 0 sugar
Hi Jenn. Gelatin can be a bit temperamental. I find that first mixing in a bit of room temperature liquid (like the lemon juice), helps it to dissolve before adding in the hot water. Next time, try adding a bit more water to form a bit of a paste first. Thanks for leaving a comment!
I am excited to try these gummies! (I haven’t made them yet) but suspect the salts in the propel or other supplements would contribute to the lessening of firmness.. just because.. salt does that.. You know, lowers the temperature for phase changes, it makes sense it would make them softer
Hi Carla, thank you for leaving a comment. You are probably right, that makes a lot of sense 🙂
Hello there, i’m so glad I’ve found your recipe! Is there a way for this to have a longer shelf life or atleast 1 month?
Hi Noime, thanks for asking! They may last longer in the fridge than I had indicated. They never last long enough in my house for me to find out the true shelf life. But if you have issues with mold, you can try freezing them, or vacuum sealing them. You may also be able to use preservatives to help prolong the life, but I’ve never tried this myself.
I only have granulated sweetener (Stevia and Lakanto). How much of this should i use?
Hi there, you should be able to substitute the stevia drops for 1 tablespoon of granulated sweetener.
Man I really wanted to love these cuz they weren’t insanely hard and didn’t take that long but the flavor was very meh and the texture was that of a jelly cake and def not a gummy (in a HUGE funny person… more than my kids cuz I can’t eat chocolate but am on a very strict diet so need to make my own) I would love to know how to make them into more of a gummie bear texture
Hi Chelsea, I’m not sure what happened here. Mine are definitely more gummy, and I’ve made them quite a few times. Next time, try adding an additional teaspoon of gelatin in. That will give them an even gummier texture. It sounds like maybe you added a little too much liquid? You also could try reducing the liquid a little bit.
Could you use the plain kool-aid packets for flavoring?
Hi Mollie, yes you can try that 🙂
Hey, love the recipe, wondering what you do to get rid of the bubbles after whisking?
Hi Jackson, I don’t recall having issues with a lot of bubbles myself. Maybe next time you could try using a spoon instead of a whisk, or whisk more gently or for a shorter time. It could be that you overmixed it a bit.