Gumdrops Recipe
This Gumdrops Recipe is super easy and versatile for any occasion. Change the flavor for the holiday, and you have a sweet, chewy treat that everyone will love. They make perfect gifts too.
These Gumdrops are soft and sweet but not too sweet. I started with the same recipe I used for the Valentine’s Day Treats, and the secret…applesauce. Who would have known? Jello is the key to the different colors- so easy!
When I made the Valentine’s Day Gumdrops, I cut them with a cookie cutter into heart shapes. But this time I decided to keep them all the same and cut them into 1 inch squares. I didn’t have enough of the same size of pan to make all of the flavors, so I found some 13 x 9 x 1/2″ cookie sheets. The size was perfect.
I think they are perfect for any time of year. But I especially love all the flavors together. They would be a great Christmas gift for a teacher, neighbor or co-worker also. They would be super cute in little cellophane bags!
But of course, if you want to make red and green for Christmas, they would be awesome too!
Whatever color or shape you make (there are so many options in this cute set), they always taste great! Send us a picture if you try it!
Gumdrops Recipe
Soft, chewy and delicious. These Gumdrops can be made in any flavor.
Ingredients
- 2 cups sugar {plus a little for rolling gum drops}
- 1 + 1/3 cups applesauce, unsweetened
- 2 small (3 oz) boxes Jello, any flavor
- 2 envelopes (4 teaspoons) unflavored gelatin {like Knox}
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
Instructions
- Line 13x9 pan with parchment paper
- In a large saucepan, combine all ingredients, let stand 1 minute
- Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly, boil for 1 minute
- Immediately pour into prepared pan
- Place in refrigerator for 3 hours or until firm
- Loosen sides from pan with a spatula
- Turn Gum Drops onto a cutting board
- Cut out gum drops using a knife dipped in hot water to cut squares or a cookie cutter
- Roll Gum Drops in extra sugar, set onto wax paper until slightly dry
- Store in an airtight container
Great recipe! Made this today for my kids and they loved it! Thanks for sharing this recipe. 🙂
DO I NEED TO ADD WATER TO MIXTURE ?
Hi there, no water is needed. The gelatin is used for flavor, you won’t be actually making the jello.
-Liz
I was a little intimidated by the comments about the issues with the parchment. I tipped the whole pan upside down once it was chilled, loosened one corner of the gumdrop mix and then peeled the paper back kind of like turning down bed sheets (if that makes sense). It was sticky but the paper came right off! Cutting and sugaring was a bit time consuming but worth the effort! What a fun treat!!
Hi Mary, I’m thrilled you liked the Gumdrops! Thanks so much for stopping by and letting us know they worked out for you!
Happy Spring!
~Liz
I really love this cannel
You could use the sweetened applesauce then roll them in citric powder instead for the sweet and sour type candies.
These look so fun and colorful to make. Can’t wait to get started. The kids will love these and I know their parents ( my kids) will have a hard time sharing!! They look so easy as well as yummy ;). Thx
,
I’ve made these for decades and never used parchment. Just cut and remove with a metal spatula dipped in hot water and that works fine.
I had no idea they were this simple to make. Can’t wait to try them.
can you use regular applesauce? I forgot to pickup sugar free applesauce.
Hi Roberta, the recipe calls for unsweetened applesauce, not sugar free. So I’m not sure what you mean by regular applesauce. If it’s sweetened applesauce, it will work but the gumdrops will be sweeter.
~Liz
I wonder if I used unflavored gelatin…would I be able to make them into “spice” drops? I would love to make them in honor of my late grandfather who always had a cool whip container next to his chair…full of spice drops.
Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Hi Debbie, you can certainly make them any flavor using extract. Betty has a recipe that should work >> http://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/homemade-gumdrops/f6bc1047-5f73-43db-b096-2ee14b445c70
I have not tried it, because we love the recipe using Jello, but you can certainly give it a try. I’m sure it will be fine.
Happy Baking!
~Liz
oh my goodness, I love these!!! so colorful and fun!
These were incredibly easy to make and my sister loved the flavor (orange, her favorite). Though I followed the directions I had trouble when removing them from the pan. Am I missing something? The parchment stuck like glue and I spent over half an hour just pulling the drops from it. Help? Other than that, though, these were so easy and with how many my sister was able to sneak past me, something I will definitely be making again. Thank!
Hi Nicole, we used a knife dipped in hot water, cut them into squares, then used a small spatula to get them out. If you leave a little parchment paper hang over the edge of the pan, you can also use that as handles to remove it.
Hope that helps!
~Liz
If you turn these out so the parchment paper is on top, the paper peels right off once you get a corner started. My first batch was hard to get off my board, BUT the second batch was super easy–I just sprinkled sugar on the board first. Worked very well. These are so delicious and addicting. I now have to make a third batch since I taste tested a little too much! Thanks so much for sharing your receipe. I will be making these often!
Can I leave out applesauce? it’s really difficult to find in my city. What does the applesauce do and are there any substitutes for it? thank you for your time and energy
Hi Mina, the applesauce in the gumdrops gives them stability. I have not tried them without, here is a recipe you could try – https://www.tablespoon.com/recipes/homemade-gumdrops/4101d987-b91d-478d-8200-a9cccedd6d7c
-Liz
Mine was also really hard to get off of the parchment paper….I wonder if wax paper would be better? I used the hot water trick but still didn’t work that great.
I’m disappointed in these….time consuming (not the cooking part but the cutting and sugaring parts lol) and the applesauce flavour overpowers the orange which I wasn’t a fan of. Won’t be a recipe I make again but I’m glad I tried it!
Sorry you had trouble Sam. We didn’t have trouble with the parchment paper, but wax paper could be an option as well. Sorry you didn’t like them, we love them.
~Liz
I think I’m just to used to store bought! Lol. I expected them to be cheweier and harder but they are quite soft. Maybe I did something wrong? The stickiness to the parchment paper was unreal lol….when I flipped it onto my cutting board a couple corners of extra paper got on top of it and so it was stuck on both sides. Funny now that it’s over but it was annoying at the time LOL. The husband says he doesn’t mind them and I’ve some kids who I’m sure will eat them no problem!!
Sam, I totally understand your frustration when cutting. I checked with my husband, because he was the one that cut them and he said they were sticky, but not terrible. Maybe the mixture got too hot or was cooked a little long, not sure.
Also, did you use sweet applesauce? That might make the flavor different.
~Liz
I used unsweetened applesauce.
Just a note, I tried 1 batch on wax paper and the rest on parchment… DO NOT use wax paper! It sticks like glue and you cannot separate. I ended up having to throw that batch out. It’s sticky on parchment but you can peel the parchment off, the wax paper wouldn’t budge.
That’s how mine was on the parchment paper!! I considered throwing in the towel and garbaging it but I did finally get the paper off. Took them to a Christmas dinner where 1 out of the 4 kids gobbled them up!! She loved them!
Try spraying the parchment paper with cooking spray. That might help?
a lot of people are getting problems with how sticky that gumdrops are, and how hard it is to get them off the parchment paper — I make a lot of gumdrops, and I’ve always used plastic wrap lightly spray with Pam – it gets off sooo much more easier!
Try spraying the parchment with some cooking spray like Pam
These just say “fun”! I have to try these for myself. Packed up in little decorative jars they would make nice little gifts. We are hosting Holiday Best at Tumbleweed Contessa. You have so many wonderful Christmas ideas it would be hard to choose, but I’d love it if you could share these with us.
Linda
I have never made homemade gumdrops, but these look easy to make and kids would love them. And I love how easy they are to change up for different holidays. Thanks for sharing them.
These are SO FUN! Once my daughter sees this, I’ll be off to get the gelatin… I have no doubt she’ll want to make them with me. 🙂
It would be great to see a video.