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These little homemade gummies are so much fun to make and eat. Letting your kids help fill the molds using the dropper is a great fine motor skill activity. Bonus: they are more likely to enjoy them if they get to help make them!
Making your own gummies (also known as fruit snacks) may seem like an unattainable goal, but this step-by-step easy gummy recipe makes it so simple to create these childhood favorites. Plus, these healthy fruit gummies are made with beets and blueberries. Beets and blueberries make a beautiful color combo and their dark, vibrate blue and purple colors are indicative of their antioxidant properties.
Another perk of homemade fruit snacks? They are fun to make with the kids! It can be exciting for little ones to add things to a blender and watch them change shape and color as they whirl around and become something new.
A gummy bear mold (or gummy dinosaur mold!) makes these treats look like they were just picked up from the store. Gummy molds come in many shapes and sizes, and they can be found in stores or online.
If you don’t have these molds, no worries! A parchment-paper-covered baking dish or pan works just as well. You can still carve out shapes, either carefully with a knife or with cookie cutters. Note: Be mindful of the size pan you use and how much of the mixture you have. The larger the pan, the more the mixture will spread and the thinner your fruit snacks will be. A smaller pan will yield thicker fruit snacks.
Sometimes, parents find themselves sneaking into their kids’ fruit snack gummies as a treat for themselves. These are no different, and your whole family (even those over the age of 10) will love them! You might even find yourself experimenting with different flavors!
Homemade fruit snacks with no gelatin
These gummies use gelatin to create their fruit-snack-like texture. They are also sweetened with honey. To make them vegan and vegetarian, try using agar-agar, a known gelatin substitute with gel-like texture that is derived from red algae. You can also swap the honey for maple syrup.
This gummy recipe uses cooked beets to make them healthy, tasty and brightly colored. Generally speaking, beets can take about 30 minutes to boil. To save on time, use pre-packaged cooked beets. They can often be found in the produce section of your grocery store.
How to serve healthy DIY gummies to kids
These fruit snacks can be served just like any other fruit snack or gummy candy. Throw a generous handful (about 20 per serving) into your kid’s lunchbox or snack bag.
Keep some on hand on the counter for a quick sweet treat for everyone in the family. Keep them as a fun dessert or snack for your kids.
The real fun is in making these gummies, so get your kids involved wherever possible!
Creating a balanced snack with fruit snack gummies
While these snacks have a lot of goodness in them from the blueberries and beets, keeping a kid fueled until their next meal will require a complete snack with fat and protein. To avoid a ‘hangry’ meltdown, pair these gummies with string cheese or mixed nuts.
In a blender, combine beets and blueberries. Blend until smooth, about 1 minute.
Place a fine mesh strainer over a glass bowl or liquid measuring cup. Pour beet-blueberry puree into strainer. Using a spoon, work the mixture through until all the puree has been strained.
In a small saucepan, combine strained puree, water and honey. Over medium-low heat, bring mixture to a slow simmer.
Add in gelatin and use a silicone whisk to incorporate gelatin. Keep stirring until gelatin is completely dissolved, about 2-3 minutes.
Continue to stir mixture frequently and simmer about 5 more minutes or until mixture is shiny and smooth.
Place fruit snack molds onto a sheet pan. Using a dropper, fill each mold with fruit snack mixture. Each cavity in the mold holds about ¼ tsp. of liquid.
Cover fruit snack molds and refrigerate for 2 hours or until fruit snacks are set.
Remove fruit snacks from molds and place in an airtight container. Fruit snacks can be kept refrigerated for up to 7 days.
Notes
Prepackaged cooked beets are often found in the produce section near the salads and/or other prepackaged produce. They are a great time saver for this recipe!
This recipe uses fruit snack molds but you can also pour the mixture into a parchment-paper-lined pan and cut into squares or use cookie cutters to cut into fun shapes.
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Created by experts, Kids Eat in Color is the leading resource for families seeking evidence-based information and strategies on child nutrition and feeding.
Annie is an RDN, mom of 2 boys (ages 4 and 1), Wyoming native, outdoor enthusiast, and lover of all things food. Her favorite thing about being a mom is teaching her kids how to be adventurous eaters by exposing them to a wide variety of foods and teaching them how to cook. In addition to working full-time as a dietitian, Annie runs a food blog focused on wild game cooking. You can find her on Instagram @peak.to.plate or at peaktoplate.com. Annie is passionate about sharing food with others and looks forward to sharing approachable, easy meals for busy parents just like herself!
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These little homemade gummies are so much fun to make and eat. Letting your kids help fill the molds using the dropper is a great fine motor skill activity. Bonus: they are more likely to enjoy them if they get to help make them!
Fruit gummy recipe
Making your own gummies (also known as fruit snacks) may seem like an unattainable goal, but this step-by-step easy gummy recipe makes it so simple to create these childhood favorites. Plus, these healthy fruit gummies are made with beets and blueberries. Beets and blueberries make a beautiful color combo and their dark, vibrate blue and purple colors are indicative of their antioxidant properties.
Another perk of homemade fruit snacks? They are fun to make with the kids! It can be exciting for little ones to add things to a blender and watch them change shape and color as they whirl around and become something new.
Related: Does your child dislike beets? Teach kids to eat beets with our guide.
Homemade gummies
A gummy bear mold (or gummy dinosaur mold!) makes these treats look like they were just picked up from the store. Gummy molds come in many shapes and sizes, and they can be found in stores or online.
If you don’t have these molds, no worries! A parchment-paper-covered baking dish or pan works just as well. You can still carve out shapes, either carefully with a knife or with cookie cutters. Note: Be mindful of the size pan you use and how much of the mixture you have. The larger the pan, the more the mixture will spread and the thinner your fruit snacks will be. A smaller pan will yield thicker fruit snacks.
Related: Up your lunchbox game with 5 quick tips for making cute lunches.
DIY gummy candy for kids and adults, too!
Sometimes, parents find themselves sneaking into their kids’ fruit snack gummies as a treat for themselves. These are no different, and your whole family (even those over the age of 10) will love them! You might even find yourself experimenting with different flavors!
Homemade fruit snacks with no gelatin
These gummies use gelatin to create their fruit-snack-like texture. They are also sweetened with honey. To make them vegan and vegetarian, try using agar-agar, a known gelatin substitute with gel-like texture that is derived from red algae. You can also swap the honey for maple syrup.
Related: Learn how to teach your kids to eat blueberries.
How to make gummies at home
These gummy bears take a little while to make (they need to set for about 2 hours), but the steps are easy to follow.
Anyone can follow this easy gummy recipe to make a tasty snack for their kids!
Related: Get more snack ideas, recipes and tips for kids.
Time-saving tip
This gummy recipe uses cooked beets to make them healthy, tasty and brightly colored. Generally speaking, beets can take about 30 minutes to boil. To save on time, use pre-packaged cooked beets. They can often be found in the produce section of your grocery store.
How to serve healthy DIY gummies to kids
These fruit snacks can be served just like any other fruit snack or gummy candy. Throw a generous handful (about 20 per serving) into your kid’s lunchbox or snack bag.
Keep some on hand on the counter for a quick sweet treat for everyone in the family. Keep them as a fun dessert or snack for your kids.
The real fun is in making these gummies, so get your kids involved wherever possible!
Creating a balanced snack with fruit snack gummies
While these snacks have a lot of goodness in them from the blueberries and beets, keeping a kid fueled until their next meal will require a complete snack with fat and protein. To avoid a ‘hangry’ meltdown, pair these gummies with string cheese or mixed nuts.
Related: Learn what to feed a picky toddler.
Healthy Blueberry-Beet Gummy Recipe
Ingredients
Instructions
Notes
Nutrition
Need more healthy snacks for kids? Check out Everyday Snacks: 100+ Snack Recipes & Ideas for Kids.