Description
These Homemade Gumdrops are a fun and fruity treat made with gelatin, jello, and applesauce. Coated in sugar, they offer a chewy texture and a burst of flavor from your choice of jello flavor. Perfect for candy lovers and a customizable snack for any occasion.
Ingredients
Scale
Gumdrop Base
- 2 ½ cups granulated sugar (divided)
- 1 ⅓ cups unsweetened applesauce
- 6 ounces jello (such as lime or cherry)
- 2 envelopes unflavored gelatin (such as Knox)
Instructions
- Prepare Baking Dish: Spray an 11×7 or 9×13 inch baking dish with non-stick cooking spray and set it aside to ensure gumdrops do not stick.
- Mix Ingredients: In a large saucepan, combine 2 cups of granulated sugar, the applesauce, jello, and unflavored gelatin. Stir well and let the mixture stand for 1 minute to hydrate the gelatin.
- Cook Mixture: Place the saucepan over medium heat and bring the mixture to a boil while stirring constantly. Let it boil for 1 minute to fully dissolve the gelatin and sugar.
- Set the Mixture: Immediately pour the hot gelatin mixture into the greased baking dish. Allow it to cool at room temperature for 15 minutes, then refrigerate for 3 hours or until firm.
- Prepare for Cutting: Line a large cutting board with parchment paper and generously sprinkle sugar over it to prevent sticking.
- Transfer Gumdrop Sheet: Use a metal spatula to carefully loosen the gumdrop jelly from the baking dish’s sides and bottom. Transfer the whole sheet or slice it into 6-8 large pieces and place onto the sugared parchment-lined board.
- Cut Shapes: Using mini cookie cutters, cut the gelatin sheet into shapes. Place the gumdrop shapes back onto the lined baking sheet.
- Dry Gumdrops: Let the cut gumdrops sit at room temperature overnight or for at least 8 hours to dry out a bit and firm up further.
- Coat with Sugar: Pour the remaining ½ cup of granulated sugar into a shallow bowl and roll each gumdrop in it until fully coated for a sweet, sparkly finish.
Notes
- You can customize the flavor by using different flavors of jello such as cherry, lime, or orange.
- Ensure thorough boiling to fully dissolve the gelatin; this affects the texture of the gumdrops.
- Letting the gumdrops dry overnight is essential to achieve the perfect chewiness and sugar coating adherence.
- Store gumdrops in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Candy
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: homemade gumdrops, gummy candy recipe, gelatin candy, fruit flavored gumdrops, easy candy recipe
