I love a good fruit chew. I used to absolutely love fruit roll ups as a kid, or fruit strips with real pressed fruit. We used to call the shaped ones ‘fun fruits’ or fruit snacks. Sharks were my favorite, with Fruit by the Foot in close second. Well I had my fun eating those as a kid, because now I know most of those packaged fruit snacks are filled with weird not-good-for-you ingredients and were probably a contribution, along with many other not healthy goods, to my poor digestive health as an adult. Oh only if we knew then what we know now! The 90s was full of fun and brightly colored crappy foods.
Well good news is, I made some all natural gummies, sweetened with a little honey and made with fresh blended fruit and fruit juices. They are high in vitamin C and full of gelatin, which are both great for gut health and immunity. And who couldn’t use some immunity right now? Or through all of 2020, let’s be honest.
I know this is said and seen often but your immunity and immune system actually begins in your gut. It is full of good bacteria (3 lbs worth!), and this good bacteria keeps invaders out, like viruses and bad bacterias. Gelatin has been proven to rebuild and repair any damage that may have been done by bad bacterias caused by spoiled food, parasites found in food, and viruses and flus. Taken in large amounts it can seal up a leaky gut as wel. It is also great for hair and nails so it’s a win win! And it’s a fun ingredient to bake and create little healthy treats with. I also use it in all of my ice cream recipes.
I used pure unsweetened gelatin in these homemade immunity fruit gummies. And they are a total of 4 ingredients. I couldn’t just create one flavor! I wanted a little variety:
Blood Orange Raspberry
Strawberry Lemonade
Lemon Ginger
All sweetened with honey! If you cannot tolerate honey due to the high fructose, you can also use maple syrup or agave. The citrus makes them naturally tangy, so I call them sour gummies. But you can always add more sweetener if you prefer. You can taste before you pour into molds to adjust the flavors.
What type of mold to use for the healthy fruit gummies:
You need a silicone mold so you can easily pop them out. I used this heart silicone mold for these immunity gummies, but any shape silicone mold will work! There are some fun ones out there, different shapes and even Legos which would be fun for the kiddos!
What is the texture like in these homemade sour fruit gummies?
In the blood orange/raspberry and the strawberry lemonade, I puree real fruit in the blender. These have the texture of a soft jelly. They aren’t chewy, but easy to bite into. In the ginger lemon, it is made purely with water, ginger/lemon juice, so these have more of a gummy texture. But not as chewy as a gummy bear. They’re easy and fun to eat and I can honestly half the batch in one sitting! One recipe makes MANY.
These healthy fruit gummies are gluten free, paleo and autoimmune paleo friendly!
They are made with unsweetened gelatin, fruit juice and fresh fruit and sweetened lightly with honey. They’re safe for most restricted diets!
Are these homemade paleo fruit gummies easy to make?
Very easy. I’ve always been intimidated by making gummies but it’s really just blend, heat, pour and refrigerate! One batch makes so many.
How to store homemade fruit gummies:
These are best stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator since they are made with fruit and fruit juice. It will preserve them longer. However they will keep their shape at room temperature, after they set they can sit out on the counter for a day.
What is in these homemade paleo fruit gummies:
Fresh fruit juices: I used fresh squeezed juices from oranges and lemons, but you can also substitute or bottled orange juice. I don’t recommend bottled lemon juice though, it’s too acidic.
Fresh or frozen fruit: I used frozen fruit, but fresh fruit will work too. Any berries will work in substitution of the strawberries and raspberries
Unsweetened gelatin: I've used Knox gelatin because it’s one of the OG brands, or Vital Proteins Unsweetened Beef Gelatin. Any unsweetened gelatin powder should work. You cannot use collagen but can add a scoop to the gelatin mixture when heating if you choose to do so.
Pure honey: To lightly sweeten the gummies. But you can really use any syrupy sweetener, like agave or maple syrup.
Ingredients:
Raspberry Blood Orange:
1 cup of raspberries fresh or frozen
3/4 cup fresh squeezed blood orange juice or any orange
3-4 tbsp of honey or agave or maple syrup
1/4 cup of gelatin unsweetened
Strawberry Lemonade:
1 cup of strawberries fresh or frozen
1/2 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
1/4 cup of filtered water
3-4 tbsp of honey or agave or maple syrup
1/4 cup of gelatin unsweetened
Ginger Lemon:
1/4 cup of fresh ginger juice I used Ginger People or fresh pressed*
1/2 cup of fresh squeezed lemon juice
1 cup of filtered water or coconut water
1/4 cup of gelatin unsweetened
3-4 tbsp of honey or agave or maple syrup
How to make the sour fruit gummies:
To make the raspberry blood orange and strawberry lemonade:
For each recipe, place the ingredients in a blender EXCEPT the gelatin and blend until smooth. Then transfer to a saucepan and sprinkle gelatin on top of mixture. Wait 2 minutes and then whisk in, as you turn on the stove to medium heat (be sure to mix the gelatin in while the mixture is cold). Heat until mixture is slightly bubbling but not a full boil for 5 minutes. Keep whisking to ensure all the gelatin has dissolved.
For the raspberry blood orange mixture, I suggest to strain out the raspberry seeds. Using a fine mesh strainer, strain the mixture until all the seeds have been removed.
Carefully spoon the gelatin mixture into silicone molds and refrigerate until set, about 20 minutes. Alternatively, you can pour into a small baking pan and cut them into cubes after. Pop out and store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. But they won’t last that long!
To make the ginger lemon:
In a blender, place all the ingredients in a blender EXCEPT the gelatin, and blend until well mixed. Taste your mixture, add more lemon if you want it to be more tart or more ginger for more warmth. Then transfer to a saucepan and sprinkle the gelatin over the mixture. Wait 2 minutes and then whisk in, as you turn on the stove to medium heat. Heat until mixture is slightly bubbling but not a full boil for 5 minutes. Keep whisking to ensure all the gelatin has dissolved.
Carefully spoon the gelatin mixture into the silicone molds and refrigerate until set, about 20 minutes. Alternatively, you can pour into a small baking pan and cut them into cubes after. Pop out and store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. But they won’t last that long!
Recipe Notes:
If you do not have access to fresh ginger juice, you can use a very strong steeped ginger tea. Steep 2-3 ginger tea bags in 1 1/2 cups of water. This will be in substitution of the filtered water and the ginger juice.
Make sure your mixture is cold when adding the gelatin. If the mixture is warmed or hot, the gelatin will clump and not dissolve fully.
These gummies are naturally sour from the citrus fruits, specifically the lemon. If you want them to be less sour, reduce the lemon juice by half and replace with water.
If you make these little healthy sour gummies, leave me ratings or reviews below and make sure to tag me in your photos on Instagram @gutsy_baker, I love to see what you create!
xo Stephanie
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