Homemade gumdrops are a fun and tasty science experiment you can easily make at home. Give this colorful candy making a try!
Gumdrops are something we recommend every home cook make at least once. Not only are they fun and cute, it’s actually really good practice in the science of cooking. Lots of different chemical reactions are happening in this recipe and it is a fun experience to watch the process as it moves along. Sure, you can’t eat the candies for a few days, but it’s a great kitchen experiment. Kids will love watching the process as well as eating the results. We really do love some good, clean kitchen fun!
What kind of flavoring should I use in Homemade Gumdrops?
This candy can easily be customized using various flavored clear extracts. We enjoy traditional citrus flavored gumdrops using orange extract or lemon extract, but you can also get creative and use any other flavored extract as well. We have found that vanilla extract is a bit too subtle of a flavoring and is not recommended. It is important that the extract is clear so that it does not taint the color of the candy.
What kind of food coloring should I use?
You can use any kind of liquid food coloring. Gels and powdered food coloring work, but we have found that it is much easier to use liquid food coloring for this particular recipe. We used McCormick Neon Liquid Food Coloring.
What kind of candy mold should I use?
Gum drops are best made using silicone candy molds. DO NOT use plastic molds as the will melt and deform. You can use a square silicone mold and then cut each square into 4 pieces so that the candies would be bite sized, but there are lots of other options. Everything from squares and circles to cartoon, bugs, and robots. In the video and photos we’ve used the squares as well as a heart shaped mold and a fluted round mold. You can even find lego shaped molds!
Thermometer Pro Tip:
We recommend the use of a good thermometer in this recipe for an accurate texture. Our favorite thermometer is the ThermapenMK4 which is what can be seen measuring the temperature of the candy in the video below.
Sour Gum Drop Instructions:
Instead of rolling the candies in plain sugar, add a tablespoon or two of citric acid to the sugar mixture.
Storage Instructions:
Once gum drops are crystalized, you can store them in an airtight container on the counter for up to 4 weeks.
If you like this recipe, you may be interested in these other delicious Christmas treats:
Watch the video below where Rachel will walk you through every step of this recipe. Sometimes it helps to have a visual, and we’ve always got you covered with our cooking show. You can find the complete collection of recipes on YouTube, Facebook Watch, or our Facebook Page, or right here on our website with their corresponding recipes.
I have a receipt for a gumdrop cake that was my mothers but I haven’t been able to get small gumdrops for it I will try this . Thank You!
After the gumdrop mixture is heated, would it be thin enough to suck into a syringe and inject into a biological specimen?
I don’t want to answer this question. It’s creepy. Please don’t inject gumdrops into animals.
Can I use candy oils instead of extracts?
Should work!
What is the best way to store these? I want to make some for Christmas, ahead of time? But do they keep for several weeks?
They DO keep for several weeks.
Isn’t 4 cups of sugar too sweet?
It’s candy so it is meant to be sweet.
Can you substitute fruit juice for water and use less sugar
I haven’t tested that, but if you try be sure to come back and let us know.
Can this recipe be cut in half?
Not really. There’s a lot of chemistry involved in making gumdrops and halving or multiplying the recipe should only be done with a lot of candy making experience.
Ok! Thank you for getting back to me. I’m making a batch right now ❤
What is the quantity of gelatine in one sachet as I have 50gms packet.
1 packet is 7 grams
What a fun idea! I wonder if this is similar to making gummies…my youngest son went through a science phase where he was making them nonstop for him and his friends. I know I was buying him the unflavored gelatin but I never watched him to see what he was doing. I'll have to try this for myself!
what can I use instead of the silicone molds?
The silicone pans make a HUGE difference in your ability to get the candy easily out of the mold. However, you could always use a shallow pan and simply cut it into pieces. I'd recommend glass.