This is a basic recipe you see all over the place for “Homemade Gumdrops” but I think that name is a bit misleading. These Sparkly Fruit Gummies aren’t as chewy and sticky as a gumdrop, they’re more soft and jelly-like. Almost like (and I really hate to use this comparison, because they’re way better than this- I swear) a glorified Jell-O jiggler. But they’re delicious and sparkly and kind of addicting. You can customize them any way you want as far as flavors and colors go. My kids couldn’t keep their little fingers away from these, and they loved helping smell the flavors and pick color combos.

Ingredients Needed

This is just a preview of ingredients and method, keep scrolling for full printable recipe.

Gelatin – These take quite a bit of gelatin, you’ll need a couple of boxes at least. Keep in mind you’re buying unflavored gelatin (which is found near the baking supplies and Jell-O in the grocery store).
Water
Granulated sugar
Flavor extracts or oils – I prefer oils when flavoring candies because they are less likely to leave an alcohol aftertaste, but use what you have!
Food coloring – Gel color is my go-to for vibrant colors in recipes like this! For less saturated colors, liquid food coloring will work.

How to Make Sparkly Fruit Gummies

Start by sprinkling some unflavored gelatin over cold water. It will instantly take form as the granules of gelatin absorb the water. After it softens, add boiling water to dissolve it and you’ll have a liquid. Once the gelatin is mixed in and dissolved, add the sugar.
Bring this mixture to a boil on the stove-top. You’ll want to keep an eye on it to ensure it doesn’t bubble over. Once the mixture finishes boiling remove it from the heat. At this point, it’s pretty much done and you can color and flavor it.
Transfer to a heat-proof bowl and add your flavoring and food coloring (if you’re only making one variety, feel free to mix these in right in the pan the mixture is already in). I used oils and started with about 1/8 teaspoon per cup of sugar mixture, and increased to taste from there. I’m using oils, but regular extracts will work fine too. If you can find oil, they work particularly well in things like this because you don’t run the risk of having an alcohol-ish after taste from extract. The mixture should be cool enough to test by this point so you can go by taste. When you’re satisfied with your mixture, transfer it to a container lined with plastic wrap and non-stick spray.
Once they’re in their containers or pans, chill them for at least 4 hours in the fridge. When they’re chilled and set, pull the mixture out by the plastic and peel off onto a cutting board that’s been sprinkled in sugar. Since I was making small batches, I placed them directly on a plate of sugar and turned to coat all sides.
Use a sharp knife (it might help to coat with cooking spray) to cut into cubes and roll the cubes in sugar. It helps to have a plate of sugar nearby to coat the sticky sides and make cutting easier. I also found we all liked these much better in smaller pieces, like 1/2 inch squares as opposed to 1 inch squares.
Leave the candies out at room temp for a day or two (overnight is fine) so the sugar can crystallize and form a crunchy exterior. We did blue with blueberry, green with lime, lemon with yellow, tangerine with orange, strawberry-kiwi with pink, and coconut with white.

Storing and Other Tips

Store finished gummies in an airtight container at room temperature. Enjoy within 3 weeks for best results.
People are always asking us for goodies that pack and ship well- and these fit the bill!
If you’re experimenting with small batches in random-sized containers, a good trick is to use a measuring cup to measure how much water fills the container up about 1/2 inch so you know how much sugar mixture to color.
A silicone pan with a spray of non-stick spray will work in place of a plastic-lined container.
Did you know you can get white food coloring? I love this when making flavors like coconut.