Description
Homemade gumdrops are a fun and delicious candy made with simple ingredients like sugar, applesauce, gelatin, and flavored Jello. These chewy treats are easy to prepare and perfect for festive occasions or sweet snacking.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups granulated sugar, divided
- 1 ⅓ cups unsweetened applesauce
- 6 ounces flavored Jello (such as lime or cherry)
- 2 envelopes unflavored gelatin (such as Knox)
Instructions
- Prepare baking dish: Spray an 11×7 or 9×13 baking dish with non-stick cooking spray and set it aside to prevent sticking.
- Combine ingredients: In a large saucepan, stir together 2 cups granulated sugar, unsweetened applesauce, flavored Jello, and unflavored gelatin. Let the mixture stand for 1 minute to begin dissolving.
- Cook mixture: Bring the saucepan to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly to prevent burning. Allow the gelatin mixture to boil for 1 minute.
- Pour mixture: Immediately pour the hot gelatin mixture into the prepared baking dish, spreading evenly.
- Cool and set: Let the dish cool at room temperature for 15 minutes and then refrigerate for 3 hours, or until the gelatin mixture is firm.
- Prepare for cutting: Line a large cutting board with parchment paper and sprinkle generously with granulated sugar.
- Remove gumdrops: Use a metal spatula to loosen the gumdrop mixture from the sides and bottom of the baking dish. Transfer the whole sheet or cut into 6-8 large pieces to the prepared parchment paper.
- Cut shapes: Use mini cookie cutters to cut out shapes from the gelatin sheet, then place them back on the parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Dry gumdrops: Let the gumdrops sit at room temperature overnight or at least 8 hours to firm up and dry slightly.
- Coat with sugar: Pour the remaining ½ cup granulated sugar into a shallow bowl and roll each gumdrop in the sugar until fully coated.
Notes
- Store gumdrops in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.
- To make red and green gumdrops, prepare the recipe twice using lime Jello for green and cherry Jello for red.
- Heat cookie cutters in hot water before cutting to prevent sticking and ensure clean cuts.
- If you don’t have cookie cutters, use a pizza cutter or sharp knife to slice gumdrops into small shapes or pieces.
- The gelatin mixture will be sticky; use a metal spatula to carefully slide and loosen it from the dish.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 gumdrop
- Calories: 30 kcal
- Sugar: 7 g
- Sodium: 0 mg
- Fat: 0 g
- Saturated Fat: 0 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 0 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 8 g
- Fiber: 0 g
- Protein: 0 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
