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Homemade 5-Ingredient Sour Fruit Gummies. Wow, it turns out that making gummies at home is shockingly easy. All you need is a jar of high-quality fruit jam, lemon juice or water, fruit pectin, and granulated sugar. I also add collagen for added protein, but this is optional! These come together in just minutes and are so yummy! They’re a fun treat for kids and adults. You’ll soon be addicted to these adorable homemade candies!
You all? How stinking cute are these fun fruit gummies? I love them!
When I was a kid, I never ate much candy, but I do remember loving those Sour Patch Kids. My brothers and I would beg my mom to get us some while we were in the grocery checkout line.
When I shared this idea with my mom, she immediately said you have to make homemade gummies!
We both thought these could be so fun for to add to your kid’s Easter baskets! Or to share with friends.
Here are the details
Step 1: the ingredients
You need a really great jar of jam. It can be any berry flavor, but my favorites are strawberry and blueberry. Then, fresh lemon juice. You can also use water, but I think the lemon adds a nice flavor. Then, fruit pectin is the ingredient that will turn the fruit into chewy, gummy candies.
You can also use gelatin, but after testing, I found the pectin to yield a more candy-like gummy bear.
Step 2: mix and boil
Now mix the jam with the lemon juice, then whisk in the pectin and collagen powder. Bring the fruit mixture to a boil and cook for 8 to 10 minutes. You want the fruit to be very glassy and look like syrup. See photos for some visuals!
The longer you cook the fruit, the thicker your gummies will be. I found 8-10 minutes to be the perfect amount of time
Step 3: the molds
I found gummy bear molds at Walmart. If my Walmart here in the mountains carries them, I would think that most stores would have them. But you can also order them online. The options for molds are endless, but I have to say I love the classic gummy bear!
If you don’t have any molds, you can use a square baking pan. Then, just cut the gummies into squares.
Pour the fruit mixture into the molds and chill for at least 2 hours or overnight.
Step 4: pop the gummies out and coat in sugar
As the last step, pop the gummies out of the mold and coat them in sugar. The sugar is crucial for these sour gummies, but how much you add is up to you. Once coated, you can enjoy them immediately or keep them in the fridge.
Note that the gummies will release some of their moisture over time. It’s best to eat these within a day or two. But that’s not hard—these are addictive!
These cute fruit gummies take me back to being a kid. There’s nothing I love more than being a kid again. So fun!
Looking for other homemade versions of childhood favorites? Try some of these.
Giant Frosted Strawberry Pop-Tart
Healthier Homemade Somoas Cookies
Homemade Chocolate Fudge Pop Tarts
Lastly, if you make these Homemade 5 Ingredient Sour Fruit Gummies, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!x
Homemade 5 Ingredient Sour Fruit Gummies
Servings: 40 gummies
Calories Per Serving: 4 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 1 jar (13 ounce) strawberry, blackberry, or blueberry jam
- 3/4 cup lemon juice, or use water
- 2 tablespoons fruit pectin
- 2 tablespoons collagen (optional)
- granulated sugar, for coating add to your liking
Instructions
- 1. In a saucepan, mix the jam with the lemon juice/water. Sprinkle the pectin and collagen on top, then whisk into the fruit. 2. Place the pan on the stove over medium heat. Bring to a bubble and cook 12-15 minutes, until the pectin has dissolved and you have a very smooth, syrupy liquid that is starting to look jam like.3. Pour the mixture into the gummy bear molds or into a 9x9 parchment-lined baking dish. Refrigerate for 2 hours until completely set. 4. Pop the gummy bears out of the molds (or cut into small squares). Place the sugar in a bowl and toss the gummy bears in the sugar. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
Notes
The Fruit Pectin: I tested with both pectin and gelatin and whole both work well, I think using pectin give you a more candy like gummy bear.
*The calories were calculated without the sugar coating, as that is added to taste
Total mush 🙁 didn’t work at all
Hi Brooke,
So sorry to hear this! Was there anything you adjusted in the recipe? How long did you boil for? My guess is the consistency wasn’t thick enough. Again, my apologies! xx
Delicious!! Set perfect for me…
Cooked for nearly 25 mins till it was thick and glossy like the recipe says.
Also, I used Jam Setting Sugar instead of Pectin as I couldn’t find Pectin at any supermarkets in Australia.
Hey Sally,
Fantastic!! Thanks so much for making this recipe and your comment, so glad it was a winner:)
These ended up turning out good for us! I think I may have actually cooked them a few minutes too long because it started to set before I was even done pouring the mixture into the mold. I was wondering, could you add even more lemon juice or would that mess up the way it sets? I think they still kind of just taste like jelly and could use even a bit more sour flavor. My son likes them though!
Hey Kristin,
Awesome!! Thanks so much for making these and sharing your feedback! Sure, you could add more lemon flavor, that would work for you! Have a great weekend! xx
So good!!! I had jokingly said a couple of weeks ago that since finding this site the only food I don’t make myself is sour gummies! These are so cute and so yummy! Now I just need smaller molds. I used what I had for my first attempt.
Hey Krystle,
Amazing!! I’m so glad to hear that these gummies turned out well for you, thanks for making them! Have the best weekend! xT
I was so excited to make these for my grandsons tonight, but they unfortunately did not turn out very well. I followed the directions, but I did keep it on the stove an extra 2 to 3 minutes. I also left them in the refrigerator for four hours and when I just pulled them out to remove them from the mold, they are very mushy.
Not sure what I did wrong, but I am so disappointed.
Hi Kimmie,
Thanks for trying this recipe and sharing your feedback, so sorry to hear they are mushy. I would pop them back in the fridge to see if that helps! It sounds like they may have needed to boil even longer until a thick jammy consistency is reached. xx
If you “found 8-10 minutes to be the perfect amount of time”, how come the instructions state 12-15 minutes? Confusing. Also what are the instructions for using gelatin? Thanks.
Hi Elizabeth,
You can follow the recipe as written using the 12-15 minute time frame, that seems to be working best for everyone else:) I removed the gelatin option from the recipe as people were having issues with that. Please let me know if you give this recipe a try! xx
I was a bit skeptical making these after reading the reviews but they ended up turning out great and were fun to make. I would suggest for those of you that had gummies that didn’t set to cook it longer. I cooked my mixture closer to 20 minutes and I found the mixture hardening as I was putting it into the mold, so next time I will cook it a bit shorter. I appreciate a healthier version of a gummy that my kids can enjoy 🙂
Hey Jenny,
Happy Monday! I love to hear that this recipe turned out well for you, thanks a lot for making it! Xx
For everyone struggling to get these to set, just use this recipe: https://www.loveandoliveoil.com/2022/05/homemade-sour-strawberry-gummies.html
It includes extensive testing and notes about how too much acid and heat degrade the pectin, preventing the gummies from setting, and precise measurements and temperatures for this kind of sugar work.
I tried this one already when it first came out because I really wanted to try homemade gummies, but it didn’t set for me. The taste was ok, but the end consistency was still jelly. Tieghan’s recipe worked though, no problems. I followed both recipes as written (because I am not a skilled candy maker, so I don’t really know how to improvise.) Not sure if my altitude is an issue with either. I’m at a pretty low elevation, probably around sea level.🤷♀️
Teighan lost a follower with this. She’s doubling down and pushing this recipe as part of her meal plan this week. She’s not modified anything in the recipe. She just does NOT care that this recipe has literally failed for EVERYONE who’s tried it. She’s pushing it more so even more people can waste their money on these.
I made these over the weekend. I was hoping they would turn out for my granddaughters. I even put them in the freezer, hoping that they would settle but that’s still didn’t work.
Hi Corinne,
Thanks so much for trying this recipe and sharing your feedback, I’m so sorry to hear they didn’t turn out for you! Did you use the pectin or the gelatin? I think your mix just needed to be cooked longer, you are going for a thick jam consistency. Again, so sorry! xT
Followed recipe exactly and used fruit pectin. Never set.
Hi Meina,
So sorry to hear the gummies didn’t set for you. I think ultimately, it just needed to cook longer. You are looking for a thick jammy consistency. xx
Pectin and gelatin are not the same. Gelatin would need to be bloomed first. Cooking longer is not going to fix this recipe. Kindly do the work before recommending everyone go out and spend money on YOUR recipes
Hi there,
Thanks for sharing your feedback:) I tested this recipe several times using both the pectin and the gelatin, I would not have shared this recipe if it didn’t work…the last thing I want is for my readers to make a failed recipe. I’m sorry if you had issues making these gummies! I really think it just needs to be cooked longer, you want a thick jam consistency before pouring into the molds. My apologies. Have a great day! xx
I made these over the weekend, following the recipe exactly with Bonne Maman jam, lemon juice, and pectin. Unfortunately, they did not set up and remained very soft even after an overnight in the fridge. Having made homemade jam before, I think the problem is in the cook time and/or temperature. To see if jam is thick, I either pull it across a chilled plate to check the consistency or temp it with an instant read thermometer to 220.
Hi Amy,
Thanks so much for trying these gummies and sharing your notes. I agree with you, I think this needed to be cooked longer, you are looking for a thick jam consistency. My apologies that they didn’t set properly! xx
Pretty good. I tried both the gelatin and the pectin versions. I personally like the gelatin texture better. Also, don’t use water or you won’t get any sour flavor. You need the lemon juice!
I have had no issues with setting, but I did accidentally use twice the amount of pectin needed, oops. I followed the gelatin amount exactly. I cooked my mixtures until they were viscous, almost like caramel.
My only beef is that I don’t like the taste of jam, and it does come through in this. If you don’t like the flavor of eating about a teaspoon of the jam you’re using, find a different jam or skip out on this recipe and find a juice one.
Hey Kara,
I appreciate you giving this recipe a try and sharing your detailed notes! I’m sure they will be helpful to others! Thanks again! xT
If I could give 0 stars I would. I followed the recipe exactly and it didn’t set. What a waste of time and money.
Did you test this disaster recipe?
Hi Sarah,
Thanks for your feedback:) Yes, I tested this recipe quite a bit, I’m so sorry to hear it didn’t work for you! Can I ask what happened? Did you use gelatin or pectin? Please let me know so I can help! xx
Didn’t set for me either
Hi Schyler,
Thanks for trying this recipe and your feedback, I’m so sorry to hear the gummies didn’t set for you! Did you use the gelatin or the pectin? If pectin, I think your mix needed to be cooked longer, you are looking for a thick jam consistency. I hope this helps! xx
I used pectin and I cooked it for the amount of time you recommended until it was very thick.
How does this recipe have 3.5 stars when the only ratings are 1 and 2 stars? Am I missing something?
You’re not. That’s how the math works on this website