Oh gummy bears…how I loveyou but wish you were healthier. Thankfully, these berry vegan gummies can sub in! They are tasty, simple to make, and absolutely kid-friendly.
Berry Delicious Vegan Gummies
I am sure I’m not alone, but my toddler goes through snack phases. Last month, all he wanted to eat was apples. (Green apples, to be specific, and I was that awful mother who accidentally bought red apples. Eeek.) Not just for a snack, though. For every single meal.
Last week, it was chocolate. Boy, was that a battle. He knows I hide chocolate in the fridge so whenever I told him we didn’t have any (total lie) he would open the fridge doors, pull up a chair, and start rifling around. Luckily, his arms only extend so far haha.
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Thankfully, this week it’s gummies. I say “thankfully” because my homemade gummies are healthy!
While Yummy Earth Organic Gummy Bears are slightly better than other brands (no artificial ingredients and non-GMO), they are made with fruit juice instead of the whole fruit so they’re definitely not “healthy”. Fine for a rare treat, like on Halloween or Easter, but with the way my child has been eating gummies?! Not gonna cut it.
How to Make Healthy, Vegan Gummies
These homemade gummies are also vegan, which is great if you follow that diet or if you are just cutting back on animal products in your home. Thank you, agar powder, for being our gummy savior.
Note that homemade gummies aren’t the same “stretchy” texture as store-bought gummy bears – perhaps because these contain blended, whole fruits instead of just fruit juice. But they’re still delicious and toddler-approved.
For the gummy molds, I used these Silly Molds (it’s a 3-pack with hearts, stars, and sea shells.) This recipe fills up two complete molds. My son thinks they also work wonderfully as hats. I got to watch my husband cook breakfast with a gummy mold on his head this morning and it was glorious.
The most difficult (but really not difficult) part of making these is the process of blending the berries and then straining out the skins and seeds. I take a spatula or spoon and push down on the mixture in the strainer to make sure I’m getting as much liquid as possible out. It only takes a few minutes, though, so no hard feelings, right? Including the fruit “pulp” into these gummies instead of simply using fruit juice makes them healthier because of the fiber content. The fiber helps our bodies properly process the sugar.
After you strain, you simply bring the “juice” to a simmer with the agar powder and pour into the molds. Let set in the fridge and 30 minutes later (or less), you have a yummy treat on your hands.
Hey – if you love healthy berry recipes, check out this recipe for Very Berry Vegan Cheesecake!
Ingredients
- 1 cup blueberries
- 1 cup blackberries
- 1/3 cup water
- 1 tablespoon agar powder
Instructions
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Blend together the blueberries, blackberries, and water until there are no chunks.
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Strain out the berry juice from the skin and seeds using a mesh strainer. Use a spoon to press and move the mixture around to make sure you're getting all the liquid out.
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Add the juice to a pot with the agar powder on medium heat.
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Bring to a simmer for 30 seconds and remove from heat.
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Spoon into molds and place in the fridge and let set, about 30 minutes.
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Remove from molds. Store in a container in the fridge (if you don't eat them all right away!)
These look wonderful! But I LOVE Cinnamon candy & would like to try a gummy that’s gelatin free. I really don’t want a fruity flavor in it as there’s some cinnamon gummy bears out there made with apple juice & it tastes weird. Anyway, any suggestions. I’ve been googling & haven’t found anything.
I am looking for an aid to help my 4year old with constipation. Even though you strain the pulp and berries, there is still fiber in the gummie?
If you use something like a cheesecloth, probably not. But if you use a mesh strainer, there is still some pulp and fiber in there!
Hi
I used Agar flakes and the gummies did not solidify. the store only had flakes. What is the difference between flakes and powder?
Hi, Anna! The powder is more concentrated. If you make them again, try 3 tbsp of the flakes.
Hello! I am excited to try this recipe. Quick question: would I be able to use Agar liquid in place of the powder? I don’t have the powder but happen to have it in liquid form.
Hi! I’m honestly not sure, I have never used agar liquid before!
Where can you get agar powder? Is it like gelatin
Yes, it works like gelatin. I get mine from Amazon.
Thank you!!! I have been looking for a vegan or vegetarian gummies recipe. Gelatin seriously grosses me out. I also appreciate that you used berries!!! These are so good for you! I’m going to give these a shot, I’ll try it out in ice cube trays first, since I don’t have a mold. Also considering doing these with coconut milk. Thanks again!!!
Can you make this with agar flakes? It’s what I have on hand, but will make the trip to the store if powder is essential.
Hi! I’m sure you could, but I have never tried it so I’m not sure how much you would need to use.
Question: I got your mini eBook of other gummy recipes and those recipes all call for a significantly smaller amount of agar – 1tsp to 1.5 tsp, vs the tablespoon you call for in this recipe. Is there a reason for that?
Yes – this recipe makes more.
Hi, quick question – how many does this make?
Hi! It really depends on the tray/molds you use. This recipe filled up two of the trays I got from Amazon (which are shown and linked to in the post).
Can you use frozen fruit?
Yep! Just make sure to thaw it out first.
Can you blend a veggie into it like maybe spinach or kale
Sure, that would work fine!
Are they sour? Just wondering without sweetener
Nope, not sour! The berries provide natural sweetness but you can always add a tablespoon or two of maple syrup or agave if you would prefer them to be sweeter.
Would it be possible to use some kind of other thickener/stabilizer for this recipe? Specifically, I’m wondering if corn starch might work. It’s just something that’s always in my pantry, as opposed to agar or arrowroot, which I rarely use.
Thanks!
Agar is used to gelatinize the mixture, not just to thicken it – corn starch or other thickeners won’t give you those bouncy-textured gummies or solidify like the mixture like agar does.
Do they have to stay in the fridge? Wondering if they’d work for a road trip snack.
I’d recommend keeping them cold since they are made with fresh fruit without any type of preservative. Storing them with an ice pack in a lunchbox would work great though for the beginning of your trip!
How long would these last in the fridge? Could you freeze them?
They’ll last a few days – we’ve never gotten past 3 days though without eating them all so they may last longer! I’ll test them out in the freezer and get back to you. 🙂
And what if you use a slowjuicer?
I’m sure that would work fine, though I haven’t personally tried it!
How do you store these? Or do you have to eat them right away?
You can store them in the fridge!
Could you just put the fruit in the blender first to get it all?
Yes – definitely blend the fruit. I find that even blending it doesn’t get out the skin and seeds though so I still like to strain it.
Could you use the same method with different fruit?
Yes!