Plant-Based Gummy Delights

There’s a special kind of magic in biting into a homemade vegan gummy bear – it instantly transports you back to simpler times. These wholesome treats have quickly become a household staple for us, especially with my daughter, who absolutely loves helping to make them. Her enthusiasm is infectious, and now she constantly asks for these fruity delights. Fortunately, they are incredibly quick and easy to prepare, relying on a mere 3 essential ingredients. The beauty of this recipe lies in its versatility; you can effortlessly change the fruit flavor to suit your preference. So far, I’ve experimented with pomegranate juice, zesty lemon juice, tangy grapefruit juice, and classic orange juice, but the possibilities for flavor combinations are truly endless, allowing for endless creativity in your kitchen.

Essential Ingredients for Perfect Vegan Gummies

Crafting these wonderfully chewy, vibrantly fruity vegan gummy bears at home is made possible with a handful of accessible and straightforward ingredients. Each component plays a vital role in achieving that ideal texture and burst of natural flavor, making them stand out from their store-bought counterparts. Understanding the purpose of each ingredient will help you achieve consistent results every time.

• Pure Fruit Juice: The foundation of your gummies’ flavor and color! Opt for a juice with absolutely no added sugar to ensure the purest, most natural fruit taste shines through. The choice of juice is entirely up to your preference – anything from crisp apple to sweet cherry, tropical mango, or tart cranberry works beautifully. Consider blending different juices for unique flavor profiles. For example, a mix of orange and pineapple can create a sunny, tropical treat, while pomegranate and berry juices yield rich, deep hues and flavors.
• Agar Agar Powder: This is the star ingredient that transforms your liquid into a firm, yet delightfully chewy gummy. Agar-agar is a natural, plant-based gelling agent derived from seaweed, making it an excellent vegan substitute for traditional gelatin. Unlike gelatin, which requires animal collagen, agar-agar is a fibrous plant material. You can typically find agar-agar powder in the baking aisle of most well-stocked grocery stores, often located near other gelling agents like pectin or baking ingredients. Alternatively, it’s widely available online, ensuring you can easily source it for your gummy-making adventures. Be aware that agar-agar sets more firmly than gelatin and at room temperature, which requires you to work quickly.
• Liquid Sweetener: While optional, a touch of liquid sweetener can significantly enhance the overall flavor profile, adding a delightful boost of sweetness that complements the fruit juice. Maple syrup is my personal favorite for its rich, nuanced flavor that pairs well with many fruit juices. Agave nectar is another excellent vegan option, offering a neutral sweetness. If you are not strictly vegan, honey could also be used. Adjust the amount of sweetener to your taste, or omit it entirely if your chosen fruit juice is naturally sweet enough. For those looking for sugar-free options, a plant-based liquid sweetener like stevia or erythritol drops can also be used, though you may need to experiment with quantities to achieve your desired sweetness level.

How to Make Homemade Vegan Gummy Bears: A Simple Guide

Creating your own batch of vibrant, chewy vegan gummy bears at home is a surprisingly simple and rewarding process. With just a few basic ingredients and a little patience, you’ll have a batch of delicious, wholesome treats ready in no time. The key is to work efficiently once the mixture is heated, as agar-agar sets relatively quickly. Let’s walk through the steps to ensure perfect gummies every single time!

STEP #1: Simmer the Ingredients to Perfection – Begin by combining your chosen fruit juice, agar-agar powder, and liquid sweetener (if using) in a small saucepan. Place the saucepan over medium heat. Whisk continuously to ensure the agar-agar fully dissolves and to prevent it from clumping or sticking to the bottom. Once the mixture comes to a gentle simmer, reduce the heat slightly and let it cook for precisely 2 minutes. This simmering period is crucial for activating the agar-agar’s gelling properties. After 2 minutes, promptly remove the saucepan from the heat. It’s important to work swiftly from this point, allowing the mixture to cool for just a brief moment – only enough to handle safely – before it begins to set.

STEP #2: Fill the Molds with Precision – This step requires speed and a steady hand! As soon as the mixture is cool enough to handle but still liquid, immediately begin filling your gummy bear molds. A dropper or a small squeeze bottle is highly recommended for this task, as it allows for neat and efficient filling of the small cavities without overfilling or creating a mess. Work as quickly as possible, as the agar-agar mixture will start to solidify fairly rapidly. Once all your molds are filled, carefully transfer them to the refrigerator. Allow them to chill for approximately 20 minutes, or until they are completely firm to the touch. This chilling process ensures they set properly and develop their characteristic chewy texture.

STEP #3: Unmold and Store for Freshness – Once the gummies are fully chilled and firm, it’s time for the satisfying part: popping them out of their molds! Silicone molds are particularly useful here, as their flexibility makes extraction effortless. Gently push each gummy from the bottom of its cavity until it releases. Collect your freshly made vegan gummy bears and transfer them to an airtight container. For optimal freshness and to maintain their best texture, I highly recommend storing them in the refrigerator. While they can be kept at room temperature for a short period, refrigeration will significantly extend their shelf life and prevent them from becoming too soft or sticky, ensuring you can enjoy your delicious homemade treats for longer.

Helpful Tips for Gummy Bear Perfection

Achieving perfectly set, delicious vegan gummy bears consistently comes down to a few key techniques and considerations. Here are some invaluable tips to ensure your homemade treats turn out wonderfully every single time:

• Work Quickly and Efficiently: This is perhaps the most crucial tip when working with agar-agar. Unlike gelatin, which takes longer to set, agar-agar begins to solidify very rapidly once it cools below a certain temperature. Once you’ve removed the mixture from the heat, you’ll need to move swiftly to pour it into your molds. If the mixture starts to thicken too much in the saucepan, you can gently reheat it over low heat for a very brief period (just until it becomes liquid again) to buy yourself a little more time. However, excessive reheating can slightly diminish the final texture.
• Embrace the Dropper or Squeeze Bottle: Filling tiny gummy bear molds can be a delicate task. A food-grade dropper or a small squeeze bottle with a fine tip will become your best friend. These tools allow for precise control, making it incredibly easy to fill each cavity neatly without spillage or overflow. This not only minimizes mess but also ensures each gummy is perfectly formed and uniform in size.
• Understand the Texture Differences: It’s important to manage expectations regarding the final texture. Vegan gummies made with agar-agar will have a slightly different consistency than traditional, gelatin-based gummy bears. They tend to be a bit denser and have a firmer bite, rather than the super bouncy, elastic chew of gelatin. This is a characteristic of agar-agar, and while different, it is still incredibly delicious and provides a very satisfying texture. Don’t be discouraged if they’re not identical to conventional gummies; they are a unique and wonderful treat in their own right! If you desire a slightly softer gummy, you can try reducing the agar-agar powder by a tiny amount (e.g., 1/4 teaspoon) in future batches, though this might also affect how quickly they set.
• Optimal Storage for Longevity: While these gummies can briefly stay at room temperature, storing them in an airtight container in the refrigerator is highly recommended. This prevents them from becoming sticky, maintains their firm texture, and significantly extends their shelf life, allowing you to enjoy them for up to 1-2 weeks.
• Experiment with Silicone Molds: High-quality silicone molds are ideal for gummy making. Their flexible nature makes it incredibly easy to pop out the finished gummies without any sticking or tearing, ensuring perfect shapes every time.
• Troubleshooting Sticky Gummies: If your gummies turn out too sticky, it could be due to too much moisture. You can try reducing the juice slightly in your next batch or ensure they are thoroughly chilled. A light dusting of cornstarch or arrowroot powder (mixed with a tiny bit of powdered sugar if desired) can also help reduce stickiness on the outside.

We hope you thoroughly enjoy creating and tasting these delightful vegan gummy bears. This recipe offers a fantastic way to enjoy a classic treat with wholesome, plant-based ingredients. If you give this recipe a try, or any other wonderful creation from Food with Feeling, please consider sharing your experience! Your comments and a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating below are incredibly valuable, letting other home cooks know how much you cherished it. Happy cooking and happy snacking! Don’t forget to connect with us and tag your creations on Instagram @foodwithfeeling; we love seeing your culinary masterpieces!

Vegan Gummy Bears

By
Brita Britnell

Prep:

10
mins

Cook:

7
mins

Total:

17
mins

Servings:

10
servings of 15 gummies

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Print

Vegan gummy bears are a fun, fruity treat that’s surprisingly easy to make at home! With bright flavors and chewy texture, they’re the perfect plant-based snack for kids and adults alike.

Equipment

• Big molds
• Small molds

Ingredients

• 1
  cup
  pure fruit juice,
  get juice with no added sugar*
• 1
  tablespoon
  agar agar powder
• ¼
  cup
  liquid sweetener,
  optional but recommended, I used maple syrup but agave syrup or honey would also work well if not vegan

Instructions

• Add the juice, agar agar, and maple syrup to a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a simmer and let cook for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat.
• Let cool for just a minute, but no longer, as it hardens quickly.
• Drip the liquid into gummy bear molds using a dropper, working quickly so the liquid doesn’t harden. Place the molds into the fridge to chill until hardened, about 20 minutes.
• Pop out of the molds and store in an air-tight container. These can be stored at room temperature, but I suggest storing them in the fridge so they stay fresh longer.

Notes

Juice: I made 4 different flavors using pomegranate juice, lemon juice, grapefruit juice, and orange juice.
Texture: I want to stress that the texture of these gummy bears does not turn out quite as bouncy as traditional gummy bears. They’re a bit denser but still delicious and super fun!
I got about 150 traditional-sized gummy bears out of this recipe.

Nutrition

Serving:
1
serving

,

Calories:
35
kcal

,

Carbohydrates:
9
g

,

Protein:
0.1
g

,

Fat:
0.03
g

,

Saturated Fat:
0.01
g

,

Polyunsaturated Fat:
0.01
g

,

Monounsaturated Fat:
0.001
g

,

Sodium:
2
mg

,

Potassium:
49
mg

,

Fiber:
0.1
g

,

Sugar:
7
g

,

Vitamin A:
0.2
IU

,

Vitamin C:
0.2
mg

,

Calcium:
14
mg

,

Iron:
0.1
mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Tried this recipe?
Mention @foodwithfeeling or tag #foodwithfeeling!