If you like gummy bears, you can make homemade gelatin gummies for gut health. They’re healthier than store-bought because you can: make them yourself, include organic ingredients, and avoid artificial colors and flavors. Learn how to make homemade jellies here.
Hello Hello! what are you doing this week I feel like this week is bananas, but I’m looking forward to a much needed haircut tomorrow. My hair is out of control. This is so random, but the cashier at Whole Foods asked for my hair routine. It made my whole night, especially when I was running around like a stressed grass trying to gather some items for dinner. I admitted that I don’t wash it a ton, I use cheap shampoo and conditioner, I swear by Moroccan oil, and that I think including collagen and gelatin in my routine has made a difference.
Collagen is pretty easy to work into my morning coffee, but lately, I’ve been finding more creative uses for gelatin. I am sharing one of my favorites in this post!! I asked A if she would help me with a gelatin recipe for the blog, and shared her recipe with me.
Pieces of gelatin with grass
Grass Gelatin Gummies make a great healthy snack for you and your kids! Grass-fed gelatin has many health benefits. It can help restore the lining of the gut and support healthy hair, skin and nails. It’s good for your joints and is an easily digestible protein for those suffering with abdominal problems. It’s not a meat substitute, but it’s a great way to sneak in extra amino acids, especially if you’re not a nose-to-tail eater.
Read on for a healthy homemade chewing gum recipe that your kids (and you!) will love, and what makes them even better than the store-bought versions.
Homemade Gelatin Gummies for Gut Health
Collagen vs Gelatin
Gelatin and collagen are similar, but slightly different. Collagen is the most abundant form of protein in our body and is made up of amino acids that affect our connective tissues, hair, skin and nails. Gelatin is hydrolyzed collagen, meaning it has been cooked to break it down into smaller particles. Gelatin makes the gel-like substance when mixed with water, while collagen does not. Both can be used to promote healthy skin, hair, nails, connective tissue, joint function, gut health (from the formation of the tissues lining the gut) and immune function. <— The health of our gut dramatically affects our immune system!
Benefits of homemade chewing gum
Our kids LOVE store-bought gum, but so many of them are filled with less-than-ideal ingredients like food dyes, artificial flavors, corn syrup, and wax. It doesn’t mean they never have those things – I’m an “everything in moderation” kind of person – but if I find a better option that they like, I’ll do it. They’re big fans of Annie’s fruit snacks, but they go fast here. I thought it would be fun to try to make our own, especially since it meant having control over what happened to them.
These little treats have simple ingredients and, as we mentioned above, can help restore the lining of the gut. Many of us deal with gut issues like leaky gut, so gelatin can be a mild ingredient to incorporate into a healthy eating routine.
Components
The great thing about homemade chewing gum is that you can modify them to suit your unique taste preferences. As long as you follow the method and gelatin to liquid ratios, feel free to swap in your favorite fruit juice and puree. Also, feel free to add any spices you love, like turmeric or ginger!
**Note: Pineapple juice cannot be substituted 1:1 as a juice substitute. It should be cut with at least 50% other kind of juice like orange, grape etc. Pineapple contains bromelain, an enzyme that helps digest proteins and will prevent your gums from forming.
For this recipe, we used a combination of tart cherry juice, cranberry juice, lime juice (you can also use lemon juice), gelatin, and honey. For our gelatin, I picked up the Vital Proteins brand at Whole Foods (they also have different options at Thrive Market).
Instructions
The first thing you need to do is let the gelatin “bloom” by mixing it with water. Once it blooms, you can warm it over low heat on the stove with your juices and sweets of your choice. Then, you will pour the mixture into a pan or small molds to put it in the fridge to solidify. You’ll be surprised how easy this recipe is and our kids gobbled.them.up.
Bonus: Tart cherry juice can aid restful sleep, so three cheers for that.
How to make fun shapes and sizes
Amazon to the rescue!! I ordered these candy molds and they showed up on our doorstep the next day. They have so many cute different shapes and types of silicone molds. We will definitely play with shapes and flavor combinations.
Homemade Gelatin Gummies for Gut Health
Learn how to make homemade gelatin gummies for gut health – the whole family will love them! Feel free to swap out any juice flavors you enjoy and adjust to your liking.
- Preparation time: 10 minutes
- Cooking time: 2-4 hours
- Total time: 2-4 hours
- 3 cups pure cranberry juice, not from concentrate
- 1 mug cherry tart concentrate
- Squeeze fresh lime
- 1 mug filtered water
- 6 tbsp grass-fed gelatin
- 1 tbsp honey or maple syrup
- Pinch of sea salt
- Pour the gelatin over 1 cup of room temperature water until it thickens and rehydrates the gelatin. This is called “blooming” of the gelatin.
- Next, heat the 4 cups juice plus lime juice and stir in the bloomed gelatin. Add honey or maple syrup and salt.
- Let everything dissolve over medium heat. Once completely dissolved, remove from heat and pour into molds or your favorite shapes. You can also pour into a glass container to thicken.
- Let it set for 2-4 hours before enjoying! It keeps for a week in the refrigerator.
Notes
*Note: Pineapple juice cannot be substituted 1:1 as a juice substitute. It should be cut with at least 50% other kind of juice like orange, grape etc. Pineapple contains bromelain, an enzyme that helps digest proteins and will prevent your gums from forming.
Quick how-to video
Here’s a quick video I made on how to make these little gummies! P and Liv both helped and it was a fun little project to do together. It was a snap to make – the hardest part was waiting for them to set up. I put the rest in a pan and it was like a homemade version of Jell-o. So well!
Have you tried making gum at home before?
What is your kids favorite healthy snack?
xo
Gina
PS You must try these amazing collagen brownies!
