Sour Gummy Sweets Recipe

Delicious and nutritious sweets (gluten-free, sugar-free & dairy-free with gut healing gelatine)

Sour Gummy Sweets Recipe – aka Jelly Babies in South Africa!

(gluten free, sugar free and dairy free of course!)

A healthy alternative to store bought sweets – and oh-so-easy to make!

*This recipe is not in my book ‘Mila’s Meals: The Beginning & The Basics‘, but it will be in the second book 🙂

Key: gluten-free, dairy-free, sugar-free, egg-free, grain-free, paleo, for adults too

Makes: 22 sweets

Cooks In: 5 minutes

Total Time: 20 minutes

Mama’s Notes:

These were the very first sweets Mila ever had and I first made them for her second birthday party (you can read the full story of that party here).

These sweets are a really good alternative to the gummies (or Jelly Babies as we call them here in South Africa) which you find in the shops. Not only do they not contain any harmful food colourings, sweeteners, flavourings or preservatives – they actually have healing properties! This is thanks to the gelatine (see more below). It is important to note, however, that not all gelatine is created equal (as with most foods!) Where possible buy organic gelatine from grass fed animals. I say where possible, because I have been unable to find a locally produced one here in South Africa. The gelatine brands I have found all contain the preservative Sulphur Dioxide and I fear they come from conventionally raised animals who are fed GMO corn, in feed lots under terrible conditions. You can buy an organic imported one – but it is pricey!

UPDATE: GREAT LAKES GELATIN IS NOW AVAILABLE FROM JACKSON’S REAL FOOD MARKET IN JOHANNESBURG!

Chef’s Notes:

When it comes to gummy flavours you are only limited by your imagination! You can use any freshly pressed fruit juice – besides pineapple juice that is. The digestive enzymes in pineapple juice prevent the gelatin from setting.

INGREDIENTS

3 T. gelatine
(preferably from grass fed, organic cows)
2/3 cup fresh fruit juice*
(I suggest 1/3 cup lemon juice and 1/3 cup orange juice)
2 T. raw honey
(you can use 3T. if you’d like them sweeter)
1/2 t. orange or lemon extract
(optional – for a stronger flavour)
1T. vegetable juice
(as food colouring – see notes below**)

METHOD

Place the fruit juice, gelatine powder and honey in a saucepan and whisk until it is lump-free.
Heat over low heat, stirring constantly for approximately 4 minutes or until it has a creamy / velvety consistency.
Remove from the heat and stir in your orange or lemon extract and food colouring (aka veggie juice!)
Place your sweet molds / ice cube trays onto a baking tray.
Spoon the mixture into the molds one at a time.
Place the tray in the freezer for 10 minutes to set.
Once set, they will stay firm at room temperature (unless it is a very hot day). They are best stored in the fridge until they are needed at a party.
They will last in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.

*You don’t have to make sour sweets – its the lemon juice that makes these sour. If your little one doesn’t like sour sweets, simply use any other fruit juice (except pineapple).

** I love how freshly squeezed vegetable juice works beautifully as food colouring!

Here are some colour options:

Orange – carrot juice
Green – kale juice
Red – beetroot juice

Sour Gummy Sweets in the making!

I tried to get creative and dropped some beetroot juice into the mixture once it was in the molds – Mila was not impressed! And, come to think of it, the red drops do kinda look like blood :0

The finished product!

The health benefits in these sweets comes from the gelatine.

What is Gelatine?

Gelatine powder is a is flavourless, translucent substance derived from the processing of animal connective tissue and bones to extract collagen, an insoluble fibrous protein. Once extracted and powdered, gelatin dissolves in hot liquids and becomes more solid as it cools. It is commonly used as a gelling agent in gummy sweets, marshmallows, desserts, ice cream, dips and some yogurts.

Gelatine contains easy to digest (bio-available) calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, silicon, sulphur, amino acids and trace minerals.

Gelatine used to be a big part of healthy traditional diets when people regularly consumed bone broths as well as the fibrous tissues and organs of animals. While I am a big fan of drinking bone broth (and I really encourage you to give it a try), the little ones may not be so keen on it. So another way to get the healing benefits of gelatine into your diet is to use it in these sweets or in homemade Jelly.

So there you have it… delicious and nutritious sweets that are dairy-free, sugar-free and gluten-free too!

Enjoy!