Description
This homemade gumdrops recipe yields chewy, fruity candies made with gelatin and jello, offering a fun and colorful treat that you can customize with your favorite flavors. These gumdrops are coated in sugar for a classic finish and are perfect for candy lovers who enjoy a sweet and easy-to-make confection.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients
- 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 the Dish: Spray an 11×7 or 9×13 baking dish with non-stick cooking spray; set aside.
- Combine Ingredients: In a large saucepan, stir to combine 2 cups sugar and the remaining ingredients; let stand 1 minute.
- Cook Gelatin Mixture: Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Allow the gelatin mixture to boil for 1 minute then pour immediately into the greased dish.
- Cool and Refrigerate: Allow to cool at room temperature for 15 minutes and then refrigerate for 3 hours, or until firm.
- Prepare Sugar Coating: Line a large cutting board with parchment paper and sprinkle generously with sugar.
- Remove Gelatin from Dish: Use a metal spatula to loosen the gumdrop mixture from the sides and bottom of the dish. Transfer to the lined baking dish. You can transfer the whole sheet at once or slice into 6-8 large pieces and transfer one piece at a time.
- Cut Shapes: Cut out shapes with mini cookie cutters; return to lined baking sheet.
- Set Gumdrops: Let gumdrops sit at room temperature overnight (or at least 8 hours).
- Coat with Sugar: Add the remaining granulated sugar to a shallow bowl and roll each gumdrop in it until coated.
Notes
- Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.
- To make red and green gumdrops, prepare the recipe twice using lime jello and cherry jello separately.
- Heat cookie cutters in hot water before cutting to easily cut into the chewy gumdrops without sticking.
- If you don’t have cookie cutters, use a pizza cutter or sharp knife to neatly slice gumdrops into small pieces.
- The gelatin mixture will be very sticky, but keep sliding a metal spatula under it and keep pulling—it will come out!
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 gumdrop
- Calories: 35 kcal
- Sugar: 8 g
- Sodium: 15 mg
- Fat: 0 g
- Saturated Fat: 0 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 0 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 9 g
- Fiber: 0 g
- Protein: 0 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
