Homemade Gummies made with real fruit (not juice), gelatin, and sweetened with just a little honey! A great option for an easy and healthy all-natural snack with protein and no artificial junk in them! Paleo, gluten-free, and dairy-free.
Last updated on May 12, 2021.
Check out the video to see how easy they come together!
Healthy homemade gummies!! This makes my heart so happy! Gummy candies are my absolute favorite. I was never a huge chocolate fan growing up.
Although my taste buds have changed and I like it now, gummy candies still have my heart. I don’t eat them too often, but sour patch kids, Swedish fish, gummy bears, and sour worms are some of my favorites.
It wasn’t until 7-8 years ago when I actually started reading ingredients instead of just looking at the nutrition label that I realized gummy candies are filled with crap. The ingredients pretty much look like this – sugar, sugar, corn syrup, sugar, red 40, blue 1, and yellow 5.
Well now times have changed and I’m happy to say I can still enjoy my gummy candies and make them at home with the help of a few whole food ingredients and gelatin.
These paleo healthy homemade gummies make a great easy snack or dessert for grown-up and kids! Low in sugar and each one has 2.5 grams of protein. Make them for meal prep to have on hand throughout the week!
What is gelatin?
A lot of people are familiar with collagen, but some might not be as familiar with gelatin. Basically, they are very similar but have some differences.
Gelatin is a colorless and tasteless protein made from hydrolyzed collagen, which means it is part of the broken-down collagen. It provides important amino acids which are the building blocks of protein.
Gelatin also has a lot of the same health benefits as collagen – supports digestive and gut health, maintains strong bones, helps with joint pain, strengthens tendons, improves skin health, and can even help improve sleep.
One of the main differences between gelatin and collagen is when cooled, gelatin becomes a sticky adhesive like glue and gels together. Which is how we can make homemade gummies from it.
The gelatinous quality is actually great for our bodies because it helps build strong connective tissues and cartilage and gives parts of our bodies some elasticity. Some find that gelatin is easier to digest than collagen too.
I love Vital Proteins gelatin as it is from grass-fed cows.
Homemade gummies with real fruit
You might feel like making healthy homemade gummies would be really hard, but I promise it’s super easy. Made with real fruit, gelatin, and sweetened with just a little honey! Loaded with nutrients and so much better for you than store-bought.
Homemade gummies ingredients:
- real fruit – I used oranges and strawberries
- light coconut milk
- water
- grass-fed gelatin
- honey
- salt
First, you need to blend the fruit to make a fruit puree. Add your fruit to a Vitamix or high-powered blender and blend until broken down. Depending on what fruit you use, you might need to add some water too (see below for the full recipe).
Then strain it through a nut milk bag to get out any pulp or seeds. You can use a metal strainer or something similar, you just want the puree to be smooth. Next, add in the remaining ingredients and warm up the mixture in a small pot on the stove.
Slowly whisk in the gelatin, making sure there are no clumps. You want to warm the mixture because when the gelatin is heated and cooled, it makes that chewy jelly-like consistency you love in gummies!
Once thoroughly combined, pour into silicone molds or a glass dish. Let cool in the refrigerator for 2 hours. Carefully pop them out of the molds or cut them into bite-size pieces if using a glass dish and enjoy!
Do homemade gummies need to be refrigerated?
Yes, since these homemade gummies are made with real fruit, they need to be refrigerated. They can sit out on the counter for a few hours, and will soften up a little, but best if kept in the fridge.
How long do gelatin gummies last?
Gelatin gummies will last up to 2 weeks in the fridge. Make sure they are kept in an air-tight storage container. Since they are made with all-natural ingredients and no preservatives, be careful as they get close to 2 weeks as they could get some mold on them.
Do I need to use real fruit?
I love knowing these have real fruit blended right into them, but you could also use fruit juice. Easily substitute 1 1/2 cups fruit juice instead of blending the fruit.
Do I need to use a silicone mold?
You do not have to use a silicone mold for these. You can pour the mixture into a glass baking dish, let it cool in the refrigerator, and then just cut into equal size pieces.
I used this silicone ice cube mold to make it easy to have uniform pieces. If you want to get really fancy, try a gummy bear mold, it will just take more time to distribute the mixture.
Substitutions for homemade gummies
These homemade gummies are fairly straightforward, but you can make a few substitutions if need. Here are some suggestions:
- fruit – any fruit will work, except PINEAPPLE. Pineapple contains bromelain, which helps break down protein. It will denature the gelatin and they will not gel if using pineapple.
- fruit juice – substitute 1 1/2 cups fruit juice instead of blending fresh fruit
- gelatin – while I have not tried this, for a vegan option, you can try agar agar powder
- coconut milk – you can use water or full-fat coconut milk
- honey – maple syrup should work instead of honey
More healthy snack recipes
- Baked Plantain Chips (Paleo)
- No-Bake Protein Cookies
- Honey Rosemary Roasted Cashews
- Chocolate Peanut Butter Protein Balls
- Watermelon Sorbet
- Collagen Hot Chocolate

Paleo Homemade Gummies with Real Fruit
ingredients
Orange Creamsicle Gummies
- 2 1/2 large oranges, peeled (250 grams)
- 1/2 cup light coconut milk
- 1 teaspoon honey
- pinch of sea salt
- 4 tablespoons Vital Proteins Beef Gelatin
Strawberry Gummies
- 2 heaping cups chopped strawberries (350 grams)
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/4 cup lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon honey
- pinch of sea salt
- 4 tablespoons Vital Proteins Beef Gelatin
instructions
Orange Creamsicle Homemade Gummies
- Place oranges in a Vitamix or high powdered blender. Blend until smooth, about 1 minute. Line a small pot with a nut milk bag or metal strainer. Pour orange puree through the bag. Squeeze puree to get all the juice out and leaving behind any pulp. You should have about 1 1/2 cups of juice.
- To the pan add coconut milk, honey, and sea salt and whisk to combine. Heat mixture over low heat until it warms. You don't want it to get too hot, just barely warmed. Slowly whisk in gelatin. Let it sit for a minute two to allow the foam to disappear.
- Pour into a silicone mold or a greased glass baking dish. Place in the fridge for 2 hours or until firm. Remove from mold or cut into bite-size pieces if using a glass dish. Store in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. Gummies will soften some (but still hold together) if left out at room temperature.
Strawberry Homemade Gummies
- Place strawberries, water, and lemon juice in a Vitamix or high powdered blender. Blend until smooth, about 1 minute. Line a small pot with a nut milk bag or metal strainer. Pour strawberry puree through the bag. Squeeze puree to get all the juice out and leaving behind any pulp or seeds. You should have about 1 1/2 cups of juice.
- To the pan add honey and sea salt and whisk to combine. Heat mixture over low heat until it warms. You don't want it to get too hot, just barely warmed. Slowly whisk in gelatin. Let it sit for a minute two to allow the foam to disappear.
- Pour into a silicone mold or a greased glass baking dish. Place in the fridge for 2 hours or until firm. Remove from mold or cut into bite-size pieces if using a glass dish. Store in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. Gummies will soften some (but still hold together) if left out at room temperature.
video

notes
per 1 gummy - 18 calories, 0.1g fat, 2.2g carbs, 2.4g protein, 1.5g sugar
nutrition
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Lilie Stanford says
TYSM I needed a healthy one with no fruit juice and I found this one!!! LOVE IT!
Keep up the good work
~God bless
Lilie
Kelly says
So glad you enjoyed them Lilie!!
Natali says
Love this! A little late to making these in my pregnancy. 33 weeks, better late than never! My question is how many do you recommend eating per day? I don’t want to over do it!
Kelly says
Hey Natali! Glad to hear you enjoyed them! I wouldn’t say there is a recommended serving size, but honestly a handful a day would be fine! You are just getting in the good benefits of gelatin and micronutrients from fruit!
anupatel says
The page you have created is very beautiful and it must not have been so easy, you must have found it very difficult because it is not an easy task to write your thoughts in words, I love your written words, keep writing in the same way.
Kelly says
Thanks so much, I appreciate it!
mary says
Question: Can these gummies be dehydrated to make them shelf stable?
Kelly says
Oh gosh, I am not sure as I am not familiar with that process. I wish I could help more. If you try it, let me know!
Diana says
Looks yummy! Definitely going ti try.
Kelly says
Hope you enjoy Diana!
Amy says
This recipe was awesome and so fun! Made some mango flavored ones by only switching out mango for the oranges and they were a hit with my niece and me! Really easy and such a fun way to get in some fruits. This is definitely going to be a recipe on top rotation for some fun and quick ways to get in some fruits and snacks!
Kelly says
Love the mango idea! So glad you liked them Amy and thanks for trying!
Zoro Yang says
The nutrition facts does not state how many grams 1 cube weighs?
Kelly says
Hi Zoro! No sorry, just that each version makes 15 cubes. I do not weigh each serving size.
Evee says
Hi. I was wondering how much gelatin I should use if I use Knox instead of Grass fed. Does it matter? Is the consistency gummy like? Thank you !
Kelly says
Hi Evee! If it is gelatin, then it should be a 1 for 1 sub. The gelatin gives it that chewy consistency so you do need to use that. It is gummy like – I wouldn’t say exactly your your typical gummy bears, but close enough for a healthy version. Hope that helps!