Knockoff Haribo Gummy Bears (and Dinosaurs)

Okay, my ALL TIME favorite candy is Haribo gummy bears. I don't like the green ones

(who chose STRAWBERRY as the green flavor???) but I won't eat any other gummy bears. Nothing compares. Obviously, I had to try and make them. I found a copy-cat recipe here and was pretty impressed. The texture was right - the flavor was not, but I sort of knew that using Jell-O flavors wouldn't give me QUITE what I wanted. I'm still on the hunt for the best way to get the right flavors, but I had a blast making these and would definitely recommend trying it. It wasn't impossible or super high effort, and I'll keep perfecting my flavor sourcing :)

Recipe (copied from Top Secret Recipes)

Ingredients:

• 1 3-ounce box Jell-O Gelatin Dessert powder (Raspberry, lemon, orange, pineapple, lime or strawberry)

• 1 pkg. Knox unflavored gelatin (7.2g)

• 1/4 teaspoon citric acid

• 1/4 cup corn syrup

• 1/3 cup water (room temperature)

• Nonstick cooking spray

Equipment:

• Silicone molds with approximately 1 mL shapes

• Eye dropper or liquid measuring cup with pour spout

Directions:

1. Combine Jell-O, unflavored gelatin and citric acid in a medium microwave-safe bowl and stir to combine.

2. Add the corn syrup and water, and stir gently with a soup spoon until all of the ingredients are blended together. Stirring too fast may add air bubbles to the mixture, so keep it slow and sweeping. Let the mixture sit for 5 minutes so that the gelatin can bloom.

3. Stir the candy syrup gently again, then microwave it on high for 30 seconds. Stir it again, then zap it for another 15 seconds. Repeat heating it for 15 seconds 3 more times for a total heating time of 1 1/2 minutes. If air bubbles begin to form on the surface of the gelatin, stop heating and stir gently. You don't want any bubbles in the syrup if you can help it. Let the mixture sit for 10 minutes. Give the solution a gentle stir every couple of minutes and you should see it become clearer over time.

4. Spray the bear molds lightly with oil spray.

5. Pour the candy syrup into a measuring cup with a spout, then carefully pour the liquid into the bear molds. Don't fill each bear all of the way to the top. Leave a little room in each mold.

6. Let the candy sit for 30 minutes, then put the molds into your refrigerator for another 30 minutes.

7. When the candy is firm push each piece out of the molds and arrange them on a baking sheet or in a large storage container so that they are each standing upright. Let them sit this way for 48 hours, then lay them on their backs for 24 hours. This process will help the bears dehydrate so that they are chewy like the originals. Depending on your climate, your gummy bears may have shrunken enough after 72 hours. If not, leave them out for another day or two, until they are chewy. Toss them around every so often as they dry out. When they are chewy enough for you, seal them up in an air-tight covered container or zip-top bag. Keep them stored in a sealed container and they should last for a couple weeks.

Baby Dino Gummies

These oddly bulbous-headed dinosaurs couldn't "stand" quite like the bears, so they had a big frown while looking like a drunk trying to walk home, but delicious nonetheless.

I did fill my bears all the way to the top, as they were a little smaller than the molds described in the recipe. It turned out fine. The texture gets to be right, though some of the bears had a edge that almost could be considered a crust after their dry time, but once I put them in a jar, that went away quickly. Like I said, the Jell-O flavoring leaves some room for improvement, but I'll have to see what I can experiment with next time!

Lemon/Lime Bear Army