Gumdrops!
Pretty little homemade gumdrops.
I found a recipe for them in the book Celebrating Candy and wanted to give these sugary treats a try.
Plus, it’s just fun to try new things.
You’ll need some unflavored gelatin…
…four tablespoons or about six envelopes.
Add the gelatin to cold water to soften.
And then add sugar and boil.
Pour the mixture into pans…
…and add a little bit of flavored extract.
Of course you’ll want to make them in a few colors.
You’ll only need to add a drop or two of food coloring though.
Here’s where I could have made things go a little easier. I didn’t have the recommended pan size to make these. Instead I had this large pan with nine much smaller cavities.
Let’s just say I got myself into a sticky situation.
After you pour the mixture into the pans, you’ll need to let it chill overnight in the fridge so it will set up and allow you to cut it into cubes.
This is where it would have helped to have a bigger pan. I made quite a mess trying to remove the set gelatin out of these small shapes.
But after a little struggling, I managed to get cute cubes that I could cover in sugar.
Now the hard part. Let them sit for a couple of days to crystallize.
Ugh. Waiting.
See. I told you I struggled. But about halfway through pouring into the pans I decided to spray a few with Pam even though the recipe didn’t require it. I was skeptical.
So when in doubt, spray … or use non-stick pans. That could have made it less messy, too.
These were so fun to see actually come together. Despite my sticky fingers.
But even more fun was packaging them into cute little goodie bags.
Goodie Goodie Gumdrops.
I made these labels to fit 3.75 X 6 inch treat bags. (Print the Goodie Goodie pdf )
You can use these for other treats, too.
Cute. Cute.
The bags will hold about 8-9 gumdrops each depending on how big you cut your cubes.
Adapted from the book, Celebrating Candy. You can also make 2 - 8 X 8 pans or 1 - 9 X 12 pan depending on the number of colors you want to make.
Goodie Goodie Gumdrops
Ingredients
Instructions
The gelatin may pull, but continue cutting. Notes
Enjoy!
Ah these are adorable!! I only made gumdrops once when I was little, but my mom got so frustrated we never tried again.
But how could I say no to trying this out?!? So pretty and such a neat gift – especially if I dye them Halloween colors for trick or treaters!
These are fun, fun, fun!!! Thanks so much for sharing!!
can this be done with sheet gelatin? I happen to have some in my cupboard
Just finished making these. I might have an easier way to get the gum drops out of the pans. Instead of little pans I put the hot sugar mix in two small jelly roll pans. After taking them out of the fridge, I placed them in some hot water in the sink just to warm the bottom of the pan, loosening them. I then sprinkled top with with sugar before removing from pan. I prepared another jelly roll pan with sugar and roll the gum drop sheet onto the sugared pan. Now both sides should be coated with sugar and you can just cut them into square without having to heat the knife….the sugar keeps it from being sticky. When cut into pieces just shake them around in the pan to coat with sugar and place onto wax paper. This system was quick and “stickyless.”
Bakerella –
soooooooo cute!!!
could you just use jell-o, and let is sit with the sugar?
What a fun idea! Super colorful and better-looking than any store-bought gum drop. Plus the cute labels :)
SooooooooCute !!!!!!
When the weather’s good, we make these in our bakery. ^_^ The best way we’ve found is to spray and paper a half sheet baking sheet, and when we’re ready to cut to just flip it out onto a board with granulated sugar. Peel back the parchment and dust liberally with more sugar before cutting into cubes with a hot wet chef’s knife.
I have made 3 batches of these since last week when you posted this as my daughter’s first birthday was on the weekend… I thought I would be a little more healthy with the first batch and used cartoned strawberry citrus juice and 2 cups of sugar. Second batch was made with no sugar and frozen juice concentrate. Do not do either of these LOL. I’m not sure if these are supposed to get chewy (i hope they are) but the first batch was like jello but a bit tougher and the second liquified after i coated them in sugar. Last night I decided to follow the recipe… except I didnt click on the link to this page and didnt know that I should cook for 25 mins and also your type out of the recipe says to use 1/4 tsp flavor but the official recipe says 1/4 per pan so I dont think I used enough lemon oil in the latest batch. I also used 6 pouches of gelatin and just realised that each pack of gelatin contains 1 Tbs. So I have been using way to much! Is your knox gelatin different in the states from Canada? I cut up the latest batch tonight and got about 250 pieces. I am really hoping they will turn out. Can you tell us what kind of consistency they end up being after the 3 days of waiting? If these are a disaster I think I may get my hands on some pectin and try another recipe next time. HELP!
Those look absolutely delightful! Wonder if it can be made sugar-free for us diabetics.
Sooooo yummy-looking – like little jewels!! :)
I didn’t get a chance to read through all the comments so I apologize if someone suggested this…
I made a big batch of these this weekend (they’re setting up as we speak), but I bought those little 3 cup Pyrex glass containers and used those for the initial mold. They work wonders! I did end up with some edge pieces that weren’t square, and instead a little rounded due to the way gelatin sets, however, if those are less desired than cute squares, a really fine line can be cut from corner to corner to square off the tops, if that makes sense. Not much waste at all. The great thing about the glass containers was that the pieces were incredibly easy to pull off without any collateral damage.
I made these yesterday. They look amazing. Coated in sugar today so now we are waiting. Tough for my 5 yr old! I used glass pans and no spray and they came out PERFECT. Soaking the pans in warm water before removing did help, but not 100% needed. Thx for the inspiration.
I LOVE gumdrops. Thanks for sharing this adorable idea and recipe. The goodie bag was the perfect way to package up the little beauties.
oh goodness those look good. Gotta go find me some gelatin now!!
I don’t really like candy, but these looks so cute! I love how you made a rainbow of colours.
I so can’t wait to make these. I am so excited… My mom came into town and brought me your cake pop book and I can’t wait to create…
upon seeing this i immediately said, “oh! how sweet!” and seriously, those are the cutest gumdrops ever!
Oh my goodness, you’ve done it again! It’s reasons like this that I feel a little sad I live in the Middle East where you can’t find those ingredients! Maybe next time I travel I can find some of them so I can make delicious little treats just like yours! :) Keep up the awesome sweeties, they all look AMAZING! *drool*
Those gumdrops look great–so cute and colorful. I bet they’re really fun to make!
I made these at christmastime just to have an alternate texture in my candy gifts. I did some with coconut milk instead of extract, and rolled them in a mixture of sugar and toasted coconut that I had crushed together in the blender. I also did a lemon. They got rave reviews!
it would have NEVER occured to me to make my own gumdrops. i use them to make flowers and decorate my cakegems/cupcake bites…now i can have blue flowers that DONT have to taste like black licorice. i’m SO excited.
it would have NEVER occured to me to make my own gum drops….i make flowers and decorations for my cake gems/cupcake bites out of gumdrops….YAY!! blue gumdrops that DONT have to taste like black licorice. *dances*
wow the colors are incredible. gorgeous photos! i’m very impresed!! hahah
What a fun project! I’d love to make these as favors for a shower or party…
How pretty! I am going to hand these out as favors at my next party.
Fun! Would it work with pre-flavored packets?
omgosh these are SOOO cute! i love the colors!
Love how they look. In my next supermarket visit i’ll buy some gellatine and i’ll try to make them!
I’m just wondering… how well would these go over if made with coconut sugar?
Coconut sugar is a natural sweetener that’s safe for diabetics and one I used recent;y to make cookies for my diabetic Dad. He really enjoyed them and it has the same consistency as regular cane sugar.
I’ll have to experiment at some point soon. Will post the results.
Would a cookie sheet with sides be to large to use?
So I tried this recipe 2 days ago and they still haven’t crystilized.. Is there a way to make the crystallization process go any quicker?
I love soft, chewy candy. I bet these are super. Can’t wait to make them.
What a fun, super cute, adorable recipe and looks pretty simple. I will have to give these a whirl.
I love this idea. Very cute. Did you know that you are on the list of Faves for Piperlime? I love seeing my favorites featured on other faves. Kinda cool.
http://www.piperlimeblog.com/links.html
Delightful! Not sure I’m ready for the mess, but they are hard to resist!
These are gorgeous! So much fun! Makes me want to try my own batch!
What a fun idea! Totally wanna try this.
Love Love Love these! I can see these in my holiday future!!! Your pictures are so beautiful!!! Love the colors. Have never really been a gumdrop fan..especially those nasty spice flavored ones!!! But…I think these look yummy! I want one right now!!! SO thankful that you are back!!!
Too stinkin’ cute!!
Hooray! So glad to see you up and around again! Just linked this to my blog post. I’d used citrus gumdrops from Trader Joe’s as an anchor for some Fruit Loop kabobs for a baby shower. Would’ve loved to have had this recipe to customize them! Thanks for always testing the baking/candy making waters for the rest of us and giving us the courage to dive in and try it ourselves!
Fondly,
Deborah
Those are awesome!! Thank you for sharing this colorful tidbit. Well they “look” easy enough to make, can’t wait to try them out!
:)
I don’t know if anyone already said this but, would it have worked better to get them out if you dusted the pans with cornstarch before adding the mixture? Thats what they do in the big candy companies, might be worth a shot?
You are an artist! Thank you so much.
How long in advance can I make them or
how long are they good for?
Shall I store them in the fridge.
Thank you for your answer. I have a birthdayparty to organise
:-)
Genial! como siempre.
Un saludo
Dear Bakearella,
I tried this woonderfull candies. They are now waiting patiently with the suger to harden. I have a question… I live in Israel, where the weather is hot… room temperature is close to 30…the candy top hardened but the buttom and inside is melting… is it ok to put it in the refrigiator to harden? I’m also worried that ants might come to it… what do you think?
(I’m trying too cool the room with air conditioniong but I can’t leave it working all day….
Thanks for your great recepies as always! Got your book the minute you published. I just had to have it deliverd here…
Yael
We already started these and I need help! When they’re crystalizing do they need to be in an airtight container?
To much to look at for a 12 year old. I will have good dreams now :)
I am so going to make these for favors at my cookie exchange this year. Thank you for the great idea. Hope mine come out as cute as yours.
I have not been on your site in a few months because I had a baby the end of May. I was thinking of you tonight and wondering if you had already had surgery… I am so glad to read that you & your mom are doing so well! =)
Another “project” for my christmas gifts this year. I’m trying to do a mostly homemade Christmas Gift thing this year for most people. Yay!
Thanks for sharing the recipe, can’t wait to try them! My mom passed down her gumdrop cake recipe and I’m betting these will be better in the cake than the store bought kind.
Bakerella you are the best
How light-hearted, youthful, carefree, and colorful! Just what I needed… fall is sneaking up on me, but these are just too playfully sweet to start feeling like summer is over. Thank you!
So cute. I think these are going to be favors for my daughter’s 1st birthday!
So cute!!! These look awesome! Very adorable gumdrops. :)
i am a candy addict!!! have never had homemade…
ACK so cute! unfortunately my mom has a strict rule against candy after my friend spilled sugar all over her stove. but these are beautiful!
I am making these for ginger bread houses!
You always make everything look so easy! Now I feel like an idiot. I tried to make these last night and ended up with a total disaster on my hands. I followed the directions as best I could, using medium-high heat and stirring, but after 20 minutes I basically had gloppy gritty looking caramel. There was no salvaging it. :(
This is just too cute :3
Those are just TOO cute! You never cease to amaze me, Bakerella…looks like fun!
OMG I can die happy now. Cavities & all!
I never thought of making my own & this is going to be a FUN recipe to make wihen my grandkids & nephews visit!
THANKS!
Love these! They are so cute! Hope you’re doing well these days. :)
The bags should say “Yummy Yummy” or “Pretty Pretty”! Love these, and they look easier than you’d expect!
Oh, my, what a cute cute cute thing !!! I love the colors, wish I could smell the screen. ;-)
So cute! They even make me smile!
If it tastes so good as it looks i’m jealous to can’t eat some right now!
So pretty and colourful! I must make some!
They’re so pretty!!
these are too cute!
i’m not sure if i should make them though,
they probably look way better than they taste.
I am blown away each time I receive an e-mail from you. Everything you create is a thumbs-up for me and my family. Thank you so much for taking the time to share your ideas with all of us – you rock!
How wonderful.. So cute and fun.
How cute and colorful!! My kids are gonna love these! :)
These are adorable! Do you think using almond extract as one of the flavors would work? My boyfriend LOVES the cherry-like taste of almond extract.
So cute! And I love all the pretty colors!
Oh. My. God. These are so cute I’m going to die!!!!! I need to try this out! Thanks Bakerella. <3
SO CUTE!
Gumdrops- such happy little candies!
So awesome for a candy shop b-day party…LOVE, thanks for sharing!
talk about eye candy! I wanna make these, they would be perfect for my gum drop cookies…..thanks for the beautiful pics and recipe. LOVE your blog!!!!!
Oh my goodness, these are adorable and are going on my must try list… now for a reason to make them.
Love these! We call them jubes in Oz and they always remind me of my grandparents :) they were little treats for the grandkids whenever we went over :)
It’s so wonderful to have you back.
These are SO cute! I love the pictures!! (Although I’m not really a gum-drop fan!)
awww~ Those gumdrops look so yummy!
Love this! In holiday colors they would make amazing little treats too! Halloween party goodie bags…I can see it now!
“Place gumdrops on wax paper and leave at room temperature for two days to crystallize.” In a sealed container, or left uncovered? Despite my best efforts, flies keep getting into my home, I can’t leave food uncovered, so hoping they can be put in a container or covered while they crystallize! I would like to give this a go.
I do not like gumdrops but if I could flavor them myself… oooo here comes some fun flavors!!! Thank You!
Bakerella, you never cease to amaze me..what a great idea for party favors, etc! Thank You for sharing. BTW, I just took a look at your kidney pops…OMG I WANT TO EAT THEM!
xo,
Naia
these look so cute! I want to eat my computer screen!!
These would be perfect for an upcoming birthday!! Thanks Bakerella :0)
So cute!! Can’t wait to give these a try!
how long are they good for?
what if i make them to put in my welcome bags for out of town guests to our wedding? could i make them a week or so in advance?
your photos are awesome!
Cute! Great idea to give as little Christmas treats. :)
These are so pretty – what a wonderful idea. Well done Bakerella, another stunning creation.
I love this idea! Thx for sharing!!! =)
I had the same thought as the other commenters that mentioned silicone ice cube trays. Check out this adorable mini silicone ice cube tray at Amazon:
Link
You make it look so easy! I can’t wait to try them for myself. Thanks for sharing.
I absolutely love this idea and they don’t look as complicated as one would have thought. The colors are just fab, like a piece of art!
Those look amazing! What a fun thing to make!
Oh how sweet and cheery those look :D
I want to make these soooooooo bad. YUM.
Get outta here! The mystery of the gumdrop revealed! I had no idea these were possible to make at home. Yours are AMAZING to look at (and no doubt to nibble…). :D
oo my goodness how yummy looking! I’d make a TON of orange ones…. orange are the only kind I eat
I can’t wait to make these. They will be perfect for gifts at Christmas.
These look like a ton of fun. I’ll have to add these to making more pate de fruit and making marshmallows.
I will be makeing these as part of my yearly christmas sweet things i always make a couple xlg tins for each brother a little tin on top with these willl be just a perfect top off!!!!
I’ve actually made these for years now. I LOVE them!
I do it differently though. I put them in pans with baking paper. Its really easy to get them loose with baking paper, I promise! And I use scissors to cut them. When it get sticky I just wash the scissors in hot water and continue. Easy peasy!
I swear you are psychic! I was going crazy tring to find my moms gumdrop recipe to make for a bridal shower. She had no idea where she put it…then POOF right in my email it appears! You’re the best!
These are beyond fantastic!!!!! WOW! The colors are perfect and I bet they taste wonderful. I love it.
Could you get any cuter or more creative? I thought not. :o)
Homemade gumdrops, that is the coolest thing ever! Love them! Such fun colors and so many possibilities, making school colors, holiday colors, thanks! I can’t stop looking at that picture of gumdrops up there, it is hypnotizing!
fabulous!! These are so fun!
They’re really pretty, but the ultimate question is… so how do they TASTE??? Are they worth the effort?
I have always wanted to make gumdrops with some unusual flavors — now I can. Thanks!!!
OMG these are too cute!! will definately have to make these and iin good time as my daughters birthday is coming up in october!! how adorable love them!!
IMy dad loves gum drops so guess what I’ll be making him for his birthday?
So pretty! There are recipes to make them with fresh juice rather than water and flavoring. Fresh squeezed orange juice or grape juice, yummmmm!
Yes super cute… But how do they taste…
Bakerella, why are you so cute. Whyyyyy.
These are soooo pretty! I can’t wait to try these. Gumdrops are our mother’s favorite candy :)
I love these, they are just darling! And the packaging is adorable too! What program do you use to create all of your labels?
Thank you for sharing this! Our family is doing total repurposed, handmade, homemade Christmas gifts this year and this will be just perfect for a stocking stuffer. You can make these in Hanukkah or Christmas colors and flavor with mint extract.
I think I will be making these very soon! very cute, what do you think about using silicone cake pans? should be easier to get them out without using oil…
Too cute!!! I can’t wait to try these with my girls!!!! I lOVE the packaging!! How did you attach it to the bag? How/what programing do you always use to make your labels and tag things? They always look awesome!!! I’m going to sell YUMYUMS at a 3 day craft fair and I need to make my own labels this week, any tips would be absolutley loved!!
Next time, just line the pan with plastic wrap, make sure to spray it with non-stick, and then you can pop it out to cut easier.
I love the colors! The possibilities are endless
Giveaway?! These look scrumdidlyumptious!
These will be so cute in orange and black for Halloween! :)
My Grandma Gert made these in peppermint and wintergreen every Christmas! They are one of my all time favorite Christmas treats and make me think of her every time :)
Wow!that is fantastic. It seems easy,i will try it one of these days.i admire how creative you are with your tags and the candies really looks yummy.
what a bright fun blog………….they look sooooooooooooo yummy and SWEET !
You never said if the Pam worked or not. I would think it would have. Plus the other thing you could have used for the shapes are those small square ice cube trays or the ones with those fun shapes. Does the book have other fun recipes as well? They look darling in spite of some difficulties you had.
So cute!
Absolutely brilliant Angie!!! Love the colors, love the flavorings, love the packaging and the best part is that I’d love to receive these myself – always a plus!!
very clever packaging idea. The gumdrops look dreamy…and messy. My kids would love them.
what fun- thanks for sharing!
So glad you are back and sharing these cute treats! I want to be you when I grow up! :)
They look yummy! Thanks for sharing !
Too cute!
These are great! And the recipe looks very manageable. Thanks for sharing.
So adorable. I love the packaging and they look so yummy.
Ahhh, so pretty!
What a great treat, beautiful!
Can you tell me how much gelatin in grams you used? Out here they don’t sell packages like the ones you used. With your information I can recalculate!
Thanks in advance!
Keep going, I love your inspiring blog!
Kind greetings from the Dutch lowlands!
This is a WONDERFUL idea that i am definitely going to try out! Your little candies turned out so cute :) Im a complete candy addict so to make my own would be so awesome, and make such individual gifts too :) Lovely!
What beautiful little jewels! And I love the final packaging, what a wonderful gift this would be to receive!
I haven’t read all the comments so it might have been mentioned, but if you have difficulty getting the set gel out of the form it usually helps to dip the form in some hot water, this melts the gelatine somewhat (a bit like an icecube) and the gel should slip out easily enough. Love your blog, you’re such an inspiration!
There really is no end to your creativity. I LOVE this idea.
Goody Goody! :)
I think I will give gumdrops a try!
AWSM
Definitely going to give these a try – looks like sooo much fun!
Do you think that they would work as well with fructose instead of ordinary sugar – for those diabetics out there?
I was thinking about your problem with pan sizes – would using silicone ice cube trays help with portion size and easy release do you think?
Oh.My.Yum! I’m making these NOW!
Bakerella.. THESE ARE GORGEOUS!
The colors are oh-so kid-friendly~
I think I’ll be able to use this recipe for my elementary students at my church’s summer school program.
Thank you! ^-^
They look fantastic! What a great little gift for a sweet toothed friend :)
Wow, these would be fantastic for a shower gift or wedding favor! So fun and personal. Maybe someday LA will have a WIlly Wonka candy truck! sigh…
No matter how you slice it or dice it….or in this case let it sit and cube it, I LOVE sugar!! In any shape, size, texture or color.
I may have to try making these at Christmas time for a cute little stocking stuffer or small gift from an “elf”!!!
Cool! Now when a recipe calls for some sort of gumdrop that I’ll never find in my stores, I can just make them! Thank you!
Oh my goodness those look soooo good. It’s must try for me! Thanks for sharing!
Thats so cute! Its so fun to make candy and eat it = )
Those look amazing! I love the colors! I’m gonna have to try these!!
These are SO pretty! I love the idea of filling little bags of these goodies, all in your wedding colors. :) Fabulous, wonderful, inspirational post!
I Love this idea. My son’s birthday is coming up and ive been trying to get certain colors of candies to use as giveaways. now i can make them. Thank you so so much
Simply adorable and such fun colors! Luv ’em!
I LOVE how you package your treats! So cute!
These look soo good, my mouth is watering! Thank you for sharing, can’t wait to try these out!!
Angie, you’ve done it again! Gorgeous photos, yummy treats… I just *love* it all!
So adorable!
This is pretty easy to make. You have to wait a couple of days to eat it but still. I think I’m making these for my sons 1st bday party together with some curious George cake pops. Oh just had an idea. I’ll make them banana flavor! Thanks for all your inspiration.
Love the packaging! The gum drops looked so glossy before they were covered in sugar. Yummm.
they look so beautiful and yummy
My kids are allergic to artificial food dyes. I am so excited to try these with natural colors, my kids are gonna be so happy to have gumdrops again! Ty!
So funky and cute! I love all of your creations! :)
They look great thanks for sharing !
I could stare at these pictures all day…so lovely and colorful! They remind me of old fashioned candy! YUMM!!!
I would have no patience to let them crystalize….God bless ya for that one!
These look amazing! So cute, the colours are fab. I can’t wait to try this!
Oh my goodness, these are SO cute!! And I am just so happy to see another post from you!!! Double yay!!
I can’t say I’ve ever craved a gum drop until just now! And so cute!
cuteness personified. ’nuff said. will be making these very very VERY soon. thanks for the easy-peasy lemony-squeezy recipe :)
I am seeing some really cute teacher gifts this year…
So cute! Thanks for sharing :) My boys will love these.
LOVE them! im SO making these for my husband homecoming party =)
So cute! Looks time consuming but you make them look easy!
SO fun! I definitely want to try this!
These are so cute! You could also roll these in a mixture of sugar and citric acid and have your own sour patch “kids”
These look delightful, love the colors you chose. So vibrant, fun and inviting (can hear them whispering “eat me!”) lol :-))))
You are so darn talented and creative!
I had no idea that one could make homemade gumdrops. Or rather, it just never occured to me to try. This is such a good idea for my son’s upcoming birthday party.
They look so yummy! Great idea for my daughts birthday party!
They look fabulous!!! Must try some day soon!
these are so cute!!
i’ll try them soon!!
How long do you suppose these keep?
OMG this is such a cute idea! Love them!
These look delicious! Hopefully i’ll be able to make some soon :D
How lovely! I definitely need to try these. Thanks for the treat bag idea too :)
Can’t wait to try these, my kids will LOVE them!
I LOVE it!!!!! You are so creative I just want to squish your cheeks! <3
To die for Bakerella!!!! Since I do not have your patience, and these seem to keep well, maybe you should have a giveaway??? :) xoxo
The colors alone are irresistible!!
So pretty and colorful… Yummy!!!