Description
These homemade gumdrops are a delightful, chewy candy made with gelatin and fruit-flavored Jello. Perfectly sweet and coated in sugar, they are a fun treat to make and customize with different flavors and shapes.
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 Baking Dish: Spray an 11×7 or 9×13 baking dish with non-stick cooking spray and set it aside for later.
- Combine Ingredients: In a large saucepan, stir together 2 cups of granulated sugar, unsweetened applesauce, Jello, and unflavored gelatin. Let the mixture stand for 1 minute to allow the gelatin to absorb the liquid.
- Cook Mixture: Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat while stirring constantly. Once it reaches a boiling point, let it boil for exactly 1 minute, then immediately pour it into the greased baking dish.
- Cool and Set: Allow the gelatin mixture to cool at room temperature for 15 minutes, then refrigerate for 3 hours or until firm.
- Transfer and Cut: Line a large cutting board with parchment paper and generously sprinkle it with sugar. Use a metal spatula to loosen the gumdrop mixture from the baking dish and transfer it onto the lined board, either as a whole sheet or in 6-8 large pieces. Cut out shapes with mini cookie cutters and place them back onto the sugar-lined baking sheet.
- Dry Gumdrops: Let the cut gumdrops sit at room temperature overnight or for at least 8 hours to dry and set further.
- Coat with Sugar: Place the remaining ½ cup of granulated sugar in a shallow bowl and roll each gumdrop in the sugar until fully coated.
Notes
- Store gumdrops in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.
- For red and green gumdrops, prepare the recipe twice using one box of lime Jello and one box of cherry Jello separately.
- Heat cookie cutters in hot water before using to prevent sticking to the chewy gumdrops.
- If you don't have cookie cutters, use a pizza cutter or sharp knife to slice the gumdrops into small pieces neatly.
- The gelatin mixture is very sticky but using a metal spatula to slide under will help you transfer it easily.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 piece
- Calories: 30 kcal
- Sugar: 7 g
- Sodium: 5 mg
- Fat: 0 g
- Saturated Fat: 0 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 0 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 8 g
- Fiber: 0 g
- Protein: 0 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
