What’s inside: We’ll show you how to make slime without borax – a colorful, taste-safe edible silly putty recipe that only requires 3 simple ingredients! Our very first edible slime recipe, and still one of the most popular!
DIY Slime without Borax
Seeing all the photos of fluffy, squishy slime on my social media, I’ve been itching to give it a try. I loved playing with Gak, oobleck, silly putty, and Flubber as a kid, and I know my girls will love it too!
Everyone is crazy over slime and silly putty right now! In fact, many stores are actually running out of glue (a common slime ingredient). If you can’t find glue, or prefer to use safer ingredients (in case you have a little one that likes to put stuff in their mouth), then this taste-safe easy slime without borax is the recipe for you!
Since I have small children, I decided to figure out how to make slime without borax and glue, based on a recipe I used growing up. Except I added an extra “secret” ingredient that gives the silly putty color and flavor. It even changes color when you mix it!
Not only is this easy silly putty recipe non-toxic…it’s edible! Actually, it tastes pretty yummy! Not that I recommend eating the whole batch, but if your kids lick their fingers it’s all good.
How Do You Make Slime without Borax?
Borax is one of the most common slime activators – it causes a chemical reaction when combined with glue that results in streeeetttcchhyy particles and slime!
However, like I mentioned above, it may not be the best choice for young children or those with sensitive skin.
The good news is that you can make an amazing slime recipe without borax! Actually we’ve made a LOT of homemade slime without borax!
But there is one big watch-out when learning how to make homemade slime without borax….
Many so-called borax-free slime recipes actually contain a form of boric acid, which is essentially the same thing.
If you see contact lens solution, laundry detergent, liquid starch in the ingredients of a slime recipe — those are not truly borax-free slime recipes.
We’ve made plenty of slime recipes with contact lens solution and liquid starch as the activator, with no adverse effects. However, with young kids, I like to err on the side of caution, which is why we make so many taste-safe and easy slime without borax.
Updated January 2018 — This edible silly putty was hands down our most popular slime recipe of 2017! Be sure to check out the demo video in the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post!
Why I love this edible silly putty recipe:
- Easy to make (only 3 ingredients)
- Safe and non-toxic (glue free slime, no borax, no liquid starch, etc)
- Quick clean-up (washes right off with water)
Keep in mind that this DIY slime without borax won’t behave exactly like stretchy glue/borax slime, as they have different properties and react differently. However, I feel that safety aspect of an edible slime is well worth the trade, especially with younger children.
Affiliate links provided for your convenience in recreating this recipe; read our disclosure policy here.
Edible Silly Putty Ingredients
- 1/2 cup corn starch
- 1/2 large package sugar-free gelatin (1/2 of 1.55 ounce package)
- water
Tip: Don’t have Jello? Try our edible pudding slime recipe!
How to Make Slime without Borax
A free printable copy of this recipe as well as a video demo that shows exactly how to make slime without borax is available below our step-by-step photos.
To make our DIY slime without borax, begin by pouring cornstarch and sugar-free Jello in a medium mixing bowl.
TIP: In case you’re wondering why I recommend sugar-free Jello, I find that it doesn’t stick to hands as much as regular Jello. Either will work for the recipe, but sugar-free is a bit less messy.
Start by adding 2 tablespoons water to dry ingredients. Stir until a paste begins to form. This is the cool part…the pale white powder turns a vivid color! (Ours is purple because we used this Frozen-inspired berry-flavored gelatin)
Continue to add water little by little until the silly putty clumps together instead of sticking to the bottom/sides of bowl.
Keep reading for tips on getting the perfect slime, cleanup, and slime safety, as well as more of our favorite slime recipes!
Tips for Making Perfect Slime without Borax
- We used a silicone baking mat
as our play surface for easier clean-up. (Putty washes right off with water!)
as our play surface for easier clean-up. (Putty washes right off with water!)
- You can’t really “mess up” making this recipe. If it’s too runny, simply add more cornstarch. If it’s too thick, add a bit more water. (Note that this is similar to classic “oobleck” putty, as opposed to stretchy and bouncy kinds made with chemicals).
- If putty begins to dry out or crumble, add a teaspoon of water and squish to rehydrate for more play time!
- “Cool” colors like green, blue, and purple are less likely to stain hands.
- Just a note: this putty is taste-safe, but it’s not a food item and not meant to be eaten in large amounts. Always supervise young children when playing with this silly putty.
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Learn to Master Slime
There are three starter slime recipes that form the base for hundreds of awesome slime variations, like this Edible Silly Putty Slime. Once you master these basic recipes, you can make almost anything!
Click here to learn how to make slime using our three starter recipes!
How to Make a Mess-free Slime Experience
One of our readers shared this simple tip for mess-free play and we loved it so much that we asked if we could share!
For mess-free slime play, simply scoop your silly putty mixture into a plastic zipper bag and seal. It’s also perfect for kids that don’t like sticky hands and it keeps slime from drying out as quickly. Win-win!
Thanks Teresa!
Grab a free printable copy of our easy slime recipe without borax:
Have you make this DIY slime without borax? Let us know what you think in the comments below!
How to make slime without borax - a colorful, taste-safe edible silly putty recipe that only requires 3 simple ingredients! Our very first edible slime recipe, and still one of the most popular!
- 1/2 cup corn starch
- 1/2 large package sugar-free gelatin 1/2 of 1.55 ounce package
- water
Combine cornstarch and sugar-free Jello powder in a medium mixing bowl.
Begin adding water to dry ingredients, 2 tablespoons at a time. Stir until a paste begins to form.
- Continue to add water little by little until the silly putty clumps together instead of sticking to the bottom/sides of bowl.
Recipe Video
Can’t Get Enough Slime??
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From seasonal & holiday slime, to glow-in-the-dark slime, there are 43 unique slime recipes for hours of play! Many of them are brand new and never published!
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More Edible Slime and Play Dough Recipes:
Don’t miss: Check out our Master List of Edible Slime Recipes for Kids here!
Our edible slime recipes are made with simple household ingredients that you might already have in your kitchen. Perfect for hours of sensory play that’s safe and non-toxic!
More of our favorite homemade slime and play dough recipes:
3-Ingredient Edible Chocolate Slime
Smells just like a cup of hot cocoa – yum!!
Heavenly-smelling Birthday Cake Batter Edible Play Dough recipe (it’s taste-safe too!)
Seriously, this soft homemade play dough smells out of this world! No cooking required to make it!
Stacey aka the Soccer Mom
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Last updated on February 24th, 2019 at 03:02 pm
Yadhira Negrete says
March 6, 2017 at 3:49 pmTried it super good recipe?
Stacey aka the Soccer Mom says
March 6, 2017 at 7:03 pmAwesome! Glad you enjoyed it!
Kayla says
October 31, 2018 at 9:17 amI haven’t yet but I will
Bianca Bowman says
March 13, 2017 at 3:35 pmWhat a wonderful recipe. I love it, and I know my little ones will too. Perfect for summer fun. Thank you so much for sharing this with us.
Summer says
March 21, 2017 at 1:47 pmSounds great! This is just what I need for my 1 year-old. What color does it turn if you use regular gelatin?
Stacey aka the Soccer Mom says
March 22, 2017 at 9:08 amHi Summer – The color depends on the gelatin mix, so if you’re using regular (unflavored), your dough will stay white.
Charby says
March 24, 2017 at 7:30 amIs there a reason for sugar free vs regular jello in this recipe?
Stacey aka the Soccer Mom says
March 25, 2017 at 12:12 amHi Charby – We used sugar free because that is what we had on hand. I also thought that perhaps sugar would be stickier, but haven’t tested out the theory 🙂
Sally says
July 6, 2018 at 5:40 pmHow long will this last if kept sealed between play times?
Stacey aka the Soccer Mom says
July 7, 2018 at 8:05 amHi Sally – I would say this is a 1-2 use slime recipe, since it is made with food ingredients. If kept sealed, you can add a little bit of water and try to rehydrate, but I wouldn’t allow kids to taste on the 2nd play. Hope this helps!
Charlotte Hansen says
August 8, 2018 at 1:00 pmyou called your putty color changing it makes people think it changes colors so if you don’t want people to be mad bc it doesn’t then I suggest changing your title
Stacey aka the Soccer Mom says
August 8, 2018 at 9:04 pmHi Charlotte – the putty changes color when you mix it up, which I explain in the post and show in the video. If anyone were to get mad about that title, I think they have too much time on their hands 😉
Happy Hands says
October 18, 2019 at 10:59 amWe tried this and loved it. Great Post!