If you love gummy bears, you can make homemade gelatin gummies for gut health. They are healthier than store-bought ones because you can: make them yourself, include organic ingredients, and avoid artificial colors and flavors. Learn how to make homemade gelatin gummies here.
Hello, hello! What are you doing this week? I feel like this week is crazy, but I am looking forward to getting my hair cut tomorrow, which is much needed. My hair is getting out of control. This is so weird, but the cashier at Whole Foods asked me for my hair routine. It made my whole night, especially when I was running around like a stressed out greaseball trying to gather some items for dinner. I admitted that I don’t wash it much, I use cheap shampoo and conditioner, I swear by Moroccan oil, and I think that including collagen and gelatin in my routine has made all the difference.
Collagen is super easy to incorporate into my morning coffee, but I’ve been finding more creative uses for gelatin lately. I’m sharing one of my favorites in this post! I ordered Missing in action If you could help me with a jelly bean recipe for the blog, and share your favorite recipe with me.
Grass-fed gelatin gummies
Grass-fed gelatin gummies are a great healthy snack for you and your kids! Grass-fed gelatin has many health benefits. It can help repair the intestinal lining and promote healthy hair, skin, and nails. It’s good for the joints and is an easily digestible protein for those with stomach problems. It’s not a substitute for meat, but it’s a great way to get extra amino acids, especially if we’re not eating from head to toe.
Read on to learn a healthy homemade gummy recipe that your kids will LOVE (and you will, too!) and what makes them even better than the store-bought versions.
Homemade gelatin gummies for intestinal health
Collagen vs gelatin
Gelatin and collagen are similar, but slightly different. Collagen is the most abundant form of protein in our body and is made up of amino acids that affect our connective tissues, hair, skin, and nails. Gelatin is hydrolyzed collagen, meaning it has been cooked to break down into smaller particles. Gelatin produces the gel-like substance when mixed with water, while collagen does not. Both can be used to promote healthy skin, hair, nails, connective tissues, joint function, gut health (from the formation of the tissues that line the gut), and immune function. <— Our gut health dramatically affects our immune system!
Benefits of homemade gummies
Our kids LOVE store-bought gummies, but many of them are filled with less-than-ideal ingredients like food coloring, artificial flavors, corn syrup, and wax. I don’t want to say they never eat this stuff (I’m an “everything in moderation” kind of person), but if I can find a better option that they like, I go for it. They’re big fans of Annie’s fruit snacks, but they go fast here. I thought it would be fun to try making our own, especially since it meant I had control over what I put in them.
These little treats have simple ingredients and, as we mentioned above, can help repair the gut lining. Many of us have gut issues, such as leaky gut, so gelatin can be a gentle ingredient to incorporate into a healthy eating routine.
Ingredients
The good thing about homemade gummies is that You can modify them to suit your unique taste preferences.As long as the method and proportions of gelatin and liquid are respected, you can substitute the juice and puree for your favorite fruit. Also, you can add any seasoning you like, such as turmeric or ginger.
**Note: Pineapple juice cannot be substituted in a 1:1 ratio as a juice substitute. It must be mixed with at least 50% of another type of juice, such as orange, grape, etc. Pineapple contains bromelain, an enzyme that helps with protein digestion and will prevent gummies from forming.
For this recipe, we used a combination of tart cherry juice, cranberry juice, lime juice (you can also use lemon juice), gelatin, and honey. For our gelatin, I purchased the Vital Proteins brand at Whole Foods (they also have different options at Prosperous market).
Instructions
The first thing you have to do is let the gelatin “bloom” by mixing it with water. Once it has bloomed, you can warm it up on low heat on the stove with your juices and sweetener of choice. Then, you’ll pour the mixture into a baking dish or small molds to place in the refrigerator to set. You’ll be amazed at how easy this recipe is and our kids devoured it.
Bonus: Tart cherry juice can help promote restful sleep, so three cheers for that.
How to make fun shapes and sizes
Amazon to the rescue!! I placed an order These candy molds And they showed up at our door the next day. They have many different shapes and types of silicone molds, and they are all very pretty. We will definitely be playing around with shapes and flavor combinations.
Homemade gelatin gummies for intestinal health
Learn how to make homemade gelatin gummies for gut health. The whole family will love them! Feel free to change up the juice flavors you prefer and customize them to your liking.
- Preparation time: 10 minutes
- Time to cook: 2-4 hours
- Total Time: 2-4 hours
- 3 cups Pure cranberry juice, not from concentrate.
- 1 cup sour cherry concentrate
- A splash of fresh lime
- 1 cup of filtered water
- 6 tablespoons grass fed gelatin
- 1 tablespoon honey or maple syrup
- Pinch of sea salt
- Sprinkle the gelatin over 1 cup of room temperature water until it thickens and rehydrates the gelatin. This is called “blooming” the gelatin.
- Next, heat the 4 cups of juice plus the lemon juice and mix it with the hydrated gelatin. Add honey or maple syrup and salt.
- Let it all dissolve over medium-low heat. Once completely dissolved, remove from heat and pour into gummy molds or your favorite shapes. You can also pour into a glass container to harden.
- Let it sit for 2-4 hours before enjoying. Keep for up to a week in the refrigerator.
Grades
*Note: Pineapple juice cannot be substituted in a 1:1 ratio as a juice substitute. It must be mixed with at least 50% of another type of juice, such as orange, grape, etc. Pineapple contains bromelain, an enzyme that helps with protein digestion and will prevent gummies from setting.
Short video with instructions
Here’s a quick video I made on how to make these little gummies! P and Liv helped out and it was a fun project to do together. They were super easy to make; the hardest part was waiting for them to harden. I put the rest in a baking dish and it turned out like a homemade version of Jell-O. So yummy!
Have you ever tried making gummies at home?
What is your child’s favorite healthy snack?
xo
Gina
PS: You have to try these amazing collagen brownies!
