These delicious Homemade Gummy Bears are the perfect DIY candy treat! A fun and easy recipe to make with kids — you only need 3 simple ingredients to make these colorful Jello Gummy Bears!
Jello Gummy Bears
My five year old is obsessed with gummy bears!
Whenever we go to the candy store at the mall, the rest of us are piling our bags with chocolate, while she sticks with gummy bears only.
Funny enough, she doesn’t like gummy worms or other shapes as much — gummy bears are the hands-down favorite.
When I found out how easy it is to make homemade gummy bears, I knew we had to give this a try!
Believe it or not, you can make DIY gummy bears at home with only 3 ingredients and water! (Hint: one of the ingredients is JELL-O!)
So grab your favorite JELL-O flavor and lets make some gummy bears!
Related: For the “grown-ups only” version, try our Rosé Gummy Bears!
Homemade Gummy Bears Ingredients
For your convenience, I’ve included shop-able ad links to some of the products used to make this gummy bear recipe; disclosure policy available here.
- Your favorite flavor of Jello — Grab one 3oz box for each flavor you’re making.
- Unflavored gelatin — You’ll need two 0.25 oz packets for each box of Jello/flavor gummy bear.
- Water
- Cornstarch (optional) — You can still make gummy bears if you don’t have cornstarch on hand; we use it to dust the molds and then lightly coat the finished gummies to keep them from sticking as much.
Gummy Bear Molds and Supplies Used
- Gummy bear molds — this set comes with 2 handy droppers like you’ll see in our video tutorial and photos
- Silicone pastry brush
How to Make Homemade Gummy Bears
First, watch this quick demo video to see exactly how to make homemade gummy bears like we did, then keep reading for photo step-by-step directions. A free printable copy of our gummy bear recipe is available at the bottom of the post.
Click video to play:
Prepare your molds by dusting with a light coating of cornstarch (if using). These gummy bear molds are the ones we used and come with a handy dropper!
Combine the Jello and gelatin in a saucepan with the water. Whisk together over medium-low heat until all the powder is dissolved.
Allow the liquid to cool enough to handle safely, but not enough to set.
TIP: You can use a medicine dropper to fill the molds – this keeps everything neat and clean.
After the molds are filled, allow them to cool for a bit before dusting the top with a light coating of cornstarch.
Place in the fridge to set – this should take about 15-20 minutes – then you can remove your gummy bears from the mold.
How to Preserve Homemade Gummy Bears
After the gummies are cool and set, toss them in a small bowl or bag with a couple Tablespoons of cornstarch. While you can absolutely make gummy bears without it, this light coating of cornstarch will keep the gummy bears from sticking to each other.
Store gummy bears in an airtight container in a cool place, away from sunlight, or in the fridge.
How Long Do Homemade Gummies Last?
The shelf life of homemade gummy bears depends on how they’re stored. If kept on the counter at room temperature, you’ll want to eat them within a few days, as they’ll start to get sticky and kind of mushy.
If kept in a sealed container in the refrigerator, homemade gummies can last much longer. You can expect your gummy bears to stay good for 2-3 weeks, perhaps even a month. That is, if you can keep from eating them all first!
More Jello Fun
Jello is such a versatile ingredient for kids recipes and activities! Here are some of our favorite things to make with Jello:
Can You Make Homemade Gummy Bears without Jello?
If you’re looking for a gummy bear recipe that doesn’t require Jello, try our Healthy Homemade Green Gummy Snacks! Made with green juice and sweetened with honey, they’re a fun and healthy snack for kids!
Make Cooking Fun (and Easy!)
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Grab a free printable copy of our DIY Gummy Bear Recipe:
If you like this recipe, please rate it! We’d also love to hear your thoughts in the comments below.
These delicious Homemade Gummy Bears are easy and fun to make with JELLO!
- 1 Box Flavored Jello (A typical box is 3oz)
- 2 Packets Unflavored Gelatin
- 1/3 Cup Water
- 1/4 Cup Cornstarch
Dust the gummy bear molds with a light coat of cornstarch. Set aside.
In a saucepan place flavored jello and 2 packets of unflavored gelatin.
Add ⅓ cup water.
Mix together and let sit for 5 minutes.
Place the pan on low-medium heat and whisk continuously until the powder is dissolved. This will take about another 5 minutes.
Once dissolved use a dropper to place in molds.
Allow gummies to sit for 5-10 minutes to cool. Lightly coat the backs of the gummy bears with cornstarch.
Place the molds in the refrigerator for 15 minutes to fully cool and set.
In a shallow bowl, add 1 tbsp cornstarch. Pop the gummy bears out of the molds and into the bowl.
Lightly toss to coat the gummies evenly. The cornstarch will prevent the gummies from sticking together.
Store in an airtight container.
Recipe Video
Note: Nutrition information is a rough estimate only; actual values will vary based on the exact ingredients used and amount of recipe prepared.
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Candy says
i like using Bakers Sugar instead of cornstarch. Its very fine and makes a very nicely finished gummy bear
Wenche says
Hi. I live in Norway. Could you please inform how much 2 packets of unflavored gelatin is in grams or oz? Thank you.
Stacey aka the Soccer Mom says
They are usually 1/4 ounce each. Hope this helps!
Liz Nieman says
Oh my gosh this is so smart!
Stacey aka the Soccer Mom says
It’s one of our favorite recipes! 🙂
Angie says
Can these be made with sugar free jello? I’m diabetic and would love a sugar free version.
Stacey aka the Soccer Mom says
Hi Angie – I think it should work with sugar free jello, though I haven’t tried that yet.