✔ Updated · Haribo-style copycat, about 100 bears
These homemade gummy bears are my copycat take on Haribo-style gummies: glossy, bouncy and fruity, in any flavor you fancy. One batch makes about 100 bears, and honestly, popping them out of the mold is the best bit.
At a glance
The one tip that matters: Never let the syrup boil once the gelatin goes in. Boiling weakens gelatin, and you'll end up with sad, floppy bears instead of bouncy ones.
Why You'll Love These Gummy Bears
- A proper gummy chew, thanks to weighed gelatin plus corn syrup and sorbitol, just like the store-bought bags.
- Any flavor or color you like, from candy flavoring oils to canned juice and a drop of gel coloring. Rainbow batch? Yes please.
- About 100 bears per batch, at roughly 18 calories per large bear, so there's plenty to share (or not).
What Makes Gummy Bears Taste Like Haribo
Haribo Goldbears are built on glucose syrup, sugar, gelatin and citric acid, then coated with a thin layer of carnauba wax and beeswax so they don't stick together. That firm, springy chew comes from a high ratio of gelatin and sugar syrup to water, plus time to dry.
This copycat gets close with ingredients you can buy at home: corn syrup or confectioner's glucose for the bounce, sorbitol to keep the bears soft for days, and citric acid for the tangy fruit flavor. Curing the bears for a day or two after unmolding gets them closest to the store-bought texture.
Key Ingredients Explained
- Unflavored gelatin: plain packets, not sweetened flavored mixes. It gives the bears most of their chew. Gelatin is animal-derived, so these bears aren't vegetarian or vegan.
- Corn syrup or confectioner's glucose: not the main sweetener, but it's what gives gummies their bouncy, non-grainy chew.
- Sorbitol: a sugar alcohol sold online and in candy-making shops. It keeps the bears soft instead of drying out. If you can't find it, replace it with more corn syrup, but the bears firm up faster.
- Citric acid: nearly all fruit candy uses it. Without it, fruit flavors taste flat.
- Flavoring and color: candy flavoring oils come in dozens of fruit flavors. Gel coloring gives strong color without adding much liquid.
Equipment You'll Need
- A silicone gummy bear mold: silicone pops the bears out cleanly and is easier to use than plastic. Many come with a dropper.
- A dropper: fills the small cavities neatly. Pouring or spooning the hot mixture gets messy fast.
- A kitchen scale: for the gelatin especially (44 g per batch).
- A medium saucepan and a fine mesh strainer: for warming the syrup and straining it clear.
Step-by-Step Photos
Here's how it comes together. Exact amounts, times and temperatures are in the recipe card below.
Tips for Success
- Weigh the gelatin. Gummies are all about ratios. 44 g is about 6 packets, but packets vary, and scooping by volume is the number one reason bears refuse to set.
- Keep it below a boil. Simmer the syrup, then kill the heat before the gelatin goes in. Boiling breaks gelatin down, and there's no rescuing it after.
- Skim and strain. That white foam looks harmless, but it makes cloudy bears. Skim twice, about 5 minutes apart, then strain for clear, jewel-bright gummies.
- Go easy on candy oils. Concentrated flavorings are strong, so stop at 1/2 teaspoon. Keep the citric acid even with juice, or the flavor falls flat.
- Work fast with the dropper. The mixture starts thickening as it cools. If it gets stubborn, warm it gently for a few seconds and keep going. Lucy is the fastest dropper in our house, and Max happily eats the wonky ones.
- Let them cure for a chewier bite. Fresh bears are soft and wobbly. Air-dry them on parchment for 1 to 2 days and they firm up toward that store-bought chew. Worth the wait, I promise.
Haribo-Style Gummy Bears (Copycat Recipe)
100
bears15
minutes10
minutes18
kcal6
hours6
hours25
minutesCopycat Haribo-style gummy bears made with unflavored gelatin, sugar, corn syrup and sorbitol, brightened with citric acid and set in a silicone bear mold. Soft, bouncy and fruity, in any flavor and color you like.
Ingredients
- For the Gelatin
44 grams unflavored gelatin powder (about 6 packets)
6 ounces cool water (or canned or pasteurized juice, strained)
- For the Syrup
8 ounces granulated sugar
8 ounces light corn syrup or confectioner’s glucose
3 tablespoons sorbitol (liquid or powder)
- To Flavor and Finish
1 1/2 teaspoons citric acid
1 to 2 teaspoons fruit candy flavoring (no more than 1/2 teaspoon if using concentrated candy oil)
1 to 2 drops gel food coloring (optional)
a few drops neutral oil, such as grapeseed or canola, for the mold
Directions
- Make the Gummy Mixture
- Weigh the gelatin into a small bowl, stir in the cool water and let it bloom for about 5 minutes, until it turns thick and spongy.
- Put the sugar, corn syrup and sorbitol in a medium saucepan and bring to a gentle simmer over low heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves.
- Turn the heat off (or down to the lowest setting), add the bloomed gelatin and stir until it has just melted and everything is combined. Don’t let it boil, or the gelatin won’t set properly.
- Take the pan off the heat if it isn’t already and stir in the citric acid.
- Let the mixture rest for about 5 minutes, then skim off the white foam that rises to the top. Rest 5 minutes more and skim again. Skimming twice keeps the bears clear.
- Strain the mixture through a fine mesh strainer into a heatproof measuring cup or bowl.
- Flavor, Color and Mold
- Stir in the flavoring and color. With concentrated candy oils, use no more than 1/2 teaspoon. Add food coloring a drop at a time until you like the shade. For several colors, divide the mixture into small cups first.
- Very lightly oil the gummy bear molds by wiping a few drops of neutral oil over them with a paper towel.
- Fill each cavity to the top with a dropper, working quickly before the mixture thickens. If it starts to set, rewarm it gently for a few seconds.
- Chill the molds in the fridge for at least 6 hours, ideally overnight (up to 24 hours), then gently pop the bears out. For a firmer, more store-bought chew, let them air-dry on parchment at room temperature for 1 to 2 days before storing.
Notes
Yield: about 100 large bears or around 250 small ones, depending on your mold. Each large bear is roughly 18 calories.
Using juice instead of water: use canned or pasteurized juice and strain it well. Avoid fresh or frozen pineapple, kiwi and papaya juice; their enzymes stop gelatin from setting.
Gelatin: 6 packets of unflavored gelatin is about 42–44 g.
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Troubleshooting Homemade Gummy Bears
- They didn't set: the mixture boiled, the gelatin was measured by volume, or the juice had fresh pineapple, kiwi or papaya, whose enzymes stop gelatin setting.
- They're cloudy: skim the foam twice, about 5 minutes apart, then strain before filling the molds.
- They taste weak: keep the citric acid, even with juice. Gummies are small and sweet, so the flavor needs to be bold.
- They stick in the mold: oil the mold very lightly and chill for at least 6 hours, ideally overnight.
- They turn sticky in storage: cure them for a day, then store fully sealed, away from heat and humidity.
Flavor Variations
Swap the water for your favorite juice: cranberry, apple cider and grape all work. Use canned or pasteurized juice and strain it well. Avoid fresh or frozen pineapple, kiwi and papaya, because their enzymes stop gelatin from setting.
For a sour-gummy finish, toss the cured bears in a mix of 2 tablespoons of sugar and 1 teaspoon of citric acid just before serving.
Wine or cocktail gummies, made by replacing part of the water with rosé, Moscato or a margarita mix with tequila, contain alcohol and are for adults of legal drinking age only. Label them clearly and keep them away from kids; the juice version above is the alcohol-free option.
How to Store Homemade Gummy Bears
Let the bears cure on parchment for a day if you like them chewy, then store them in a fully sealed airtight container or zip-top bag. Keep them somewhere cool and dry, or in the fridge in warm weather. They keep for up to about 12 days, but taste best in the first week.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you make Haribo gummy bears at home?
Bloom 44 g of unflavored gelatin in 6 ounces of water, simmer 8 ounces each of sugar and corn syrup with 3 tablespoons of sorbitol, then stir in the gelatin off the heat. Add citric acid, flavoring and color, skim, strain, fill a bear mold and chill overnight.
What ingredients are in Haribo gummy bears?
Haribo Goldbears list glucose syrup, sugar, gelatin, dextrose, citric acid, fruit and plant concentrates for color, flavorings, and a thin coating of carnauba wax and beeswax so they don't stick. This copycat uses corn syrup, sugar, gelatin, sorbitol and citric acid, which home cooks can buy easily.
Why are my homemade gummy bears not setting?
Usually the mixture boiled, the gelatin was measured by volume instead of weight, or fresh pineapple, kiwi or papaya juice went in. Those fruits contain enzymes that break down gelatin. Give them a full 6 hours, or better still overnight, before you unmold.
How do you make homemade gummy bears chewier?
Let the unmolded bears air-dry on parchment at room temperature for 1 to 2 days, turning them once. They lose a little moisture and get that springy store-bought bounce. Weighing the gelatin and keeping the sorbitol and corn syrup in the recipe helps too.
How long do homemade gummy bears last?
Once cured, store them in a fully sealed airtight container or zip-top bag at cool room temperature or in the fridge. They keep for up to about 12 days but taste best in the first week. Heat and humidity make them sticky.
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The best part of making one’s own treats is no ‘and-or-may-contain’ list of unpronounceable, multi-syllable ingredients.
Cant wait to make these