Fork and Beans

Making food fun for the family

Healthy Gummy Fruit Snacks

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Have you ever heard of agar? If not, pull up a chair and let me tell you a little story about an incredible food ingredient that will make you marvel over the wonders of Mother Nature. Picture it, Sicily 1932. No wait, that is Golden Girls. I apologize–my circuits got crossed. Agar. A jelly-like substance obtained from algae that is odorless and tasteless. It needs to be placed in boiling liquid until dissolved to create its gelatinous texture. Do note that it comes in two different forms: powder and flakes. I used the agar powder (purchased on Amazon) for these healthy gummy fruit snacks but can also use the flakes, just double the amount. So why is agar the bees knees? Oh well, I’m glad you asked! It’s because it is an incredible vegetarian substitution for gelatin. You can read more about agar here, I won’t bore you with all of the details. 

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Get your daily serving of fruit in a new form with these healthy gummy fruit snacks that are actually made from agar and not gelatin.

Agar is the key ingredient that makes these Healthy Gummy Fruit Snacks into solid form. It’s like voo-doo witchcraft. Do note that though agar plays as a great substitute for gelatin, it doesn’t always give the same texture. These aren’t chewy like you find with Gummy Bears but are still tasty and pose as a great snack option for your kids!

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Get your daily serving of fruit in a new form with these healthy gummy fruit snacks that are actually made from agar and not gelatin.

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Healthy Gummy Fruit Snacks (using agar)

★★★★★ 5 from 2 reviews
  • Author: Fork & Beans
  • Prep Time: 10 mins
  • Cook Time: 5 mins
  • Total Time: 15 mins
  • Yield: Lots of Gummy Snacks
Print Recipe

Description

This recipe is so versatile, you can use whatever fruit you desire! Just blend together with water, heat up with agar powder, and allow to set you have your very own vegan gummy fruit snacks.

Ingredients

Scale

Strawberry Gummies:

  • 1/2 c. strawberries
  • 3/4 c. apple juice (or water)
  • 1–3 Tbsp. maple syrup
  • juice of lemon wedge
  • 1 1/2 Tbsp. agar powder (or 3 Tbsp. agar flakes)

Blueberry Gummies:

  • 1/2 c. blueberries
  • 3/4 c. apple juice (or water)
  • 1–3 Tbsp. maple syrup
  • juice of a lemon wedge
  • 1 1/2 Tbsp. agar powder (or 3 Tbsp. agar flakes)

Kiwi Spinach Gummies:

  • 2 kiwis, peeled and chopped
  • 1 c. spinach
  • 3/4 c. apple juice (or water)
  • 1–3 Tbsp. maple syrup
  • 1 1/2 Tbsp. agar powder (or 3 Tbsp. agar flakes)
  • juice of a lemon wedge

Orange Gummies:

  • 1 small orange, peeled
  • 1/2 c. orange juice
  • 1–2 Tbsp. maple syrup
  • 1 1/2 Tbsp. agar powder (or 3 Tbsp. agar flakes)
  • juice of a lemon wedge

Instructions

  1. Blend together the fruit, apple juice or water, and 1 Tbsp. of maple syrup (if using apple juice) or 2-3 Tbsp. if using water, together until smooth.
  2. Place into a saucepan and bring to a boil.
  3. Stir in the agar powder and reduce to a simmer for 2 minutes. The agar should be completely dissolved by now. Add the lemon juice and mix. Add more maple syrup if needed at this point.
  4. Pour into desired molds (I used this one) and refrigerate until sets (approximately 30 minutes). If you do not have any fun molds, fear not. Simply line an 8×8 pan with parchment paper and pour the mix into the pan. Allow to set, remove from the pan and slice into small rectangles.
  5. Keep chilled in the fridge for up to 1 week in an airtight container.

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 5 Fruit Snacks
  • Calories: 30
  • Sugar: 5g
  • Sodium: 0mg
  • Fat: 0g
  • Carbohydrates: 7.5g

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Get your daily serving of fruit in a new form with these healthy gummy fruit snacks that are actually made from agar and not gelatin.

I made four different flavors for you but you can have fun with whatever favorite fruit/fruit combo you might like best. Go ahead and experiment and have fun! I salute you agar! You, too, healthy gummy fruit snacks. You are the perfect option for those who don’t want to cook with gelatin and still have a healthful treat to put into your kid’s lunchbox.

About Cara

Based in Chicago with her husband and son, Cara is the creator behind the site Fork and Beans: A place where kids can have fun with their food.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Amanda

    Is this the one? After a long and tedious search, have I finally found the recipe for shelf stable gummies that do not require refrigeration? Oh please! 🙏. Thanks!

  2. Frank

    I never thought of making my own gummy bears. This is such a clever idea. Thanks for sharing!!

    ★★★★★

  4. Michelle

    This was my first time ever using agar agar flakes (since I’m newly vegetarian) and this recipe turned out pretty well! The first time I tried it, I used your strawberry recipe word for word, and the result was kind of mushier than I wanted, and a bit bland for my taste. I made a second batch using 1 cup of blueberries, blackberries, and raspberries, with 1 tablespoon extra of the agar agar flakes, 3 Tbs. of blue agave syrup, and 1 Tbs. of honey. This turned out GREAT. I also don’t have molds, so I just stuck a silicone baking mat at the bottom of a square brownie pan, and cut that into pieces with a knife!

    ★★★★★

      • Samuel Coleman

        It says in the recipe that you use double the amount of agar when using flakes compared to powder

  5. Melanie

    These are great! And my toddler loves them. How should I store them? And how long will they keep?

  6. heidi

    I made the blueberry ones but the texture was a bit dry for me. The jellies did not bend or give way – might have to try tweaking the recipe!

  8. jane

    I’ll read anything you write! You entertain and fascinate me with your wit and humor! You probably can make math sound fun!!
    I’m craving sugar, I need these right now!

  9. Emma

    These look so good! I feel like you used to see agar in recipes a lot more than you do these days. In any case, I still have a little packet in my cupboard that needs using up 🙂

  10. Geanna

    This is perfect, Cara! I’ve been wanting to make a recipe just like this – and now you’ve done it so I don’t have to put all the work into creating one. Thank you! I can’t wait to try them.

  12. Beth E.

    Genius! And I have agar flakes! I might give these a try this weekend if I can stop stuffing my face with your graham crackers.

  14. Lynda

    Your blueberry gummies are made with strawberries…..oops. I assume I should be using 1/2 cup blueberries here. Have a good day.
    And by the way, we don’t want chewy gums because that means they are made from the collagen in animal skins and bones….not pleasant at all.

Trackbacks

  7. […] My photos of the fruit leather weren’t too great, so I’ll pass on sharing them. Instead, here’s a photo of homemade fruit gummies that I made out of leftover grape juice. I also whipped up some strawberry-lemonade ones, but they were a bit bland. Sweeter juices seem to work better, but if you do opt for a strawberry route, I recommend adding a little more sugar. Recipe can be found here over at Fork and Beans. […]