If you have kids you know how impossible it is to get them to eat certain healthful foods. I’ve found the perfect way to keep your little ones cold-proof this winter; and it involves a fun way to introduce them to Elderberry Syrup (recipe here). Thats right…your children will be BEGGING for these little vitamin packed elderberry syrup gummy bears–which surely doesn’t happen with this same recipe in liquid form. The texture of these are like very firm jello, it’s a much more involved process to make real gummy bears so I wanted to stream line this recipe to use the least amount of ingredients and steps.
Elderberries have been used as a remedy for thousands of years to prevent and treat colds and influenza. These magical little berries boost antioxidant levels which can shorten our cold duration—but more importantly this syrup will help deal with that pesky phlegm that never seems to go away.
You can purchase Elderberry Syrup at your local health food stores or you can save money by making your own with my Elderberry Syrup Recipe here.
I used these cute gummy bear molds I found on amazon, click on the image if you want to check them out. This recipe makes just enough to fill all 3 gummy bear molds (each individual bear mold holds a little under ¼ Teaspoon each), but you can use any silicone molds that you already have.
Purchases these gummy bear molds here With these molds, they hold about ¼ Teaspoon each.
29 Comments
Missy
January 13, 2018 at 1:13 am
How long Are these good for? How do you store them? Can you place them in the freezer to make them last longer?
Van
January 13, 2018 at 5:00 pm
They are good in the refrigerator for about 10 days. Placing them in the freezer changes their texture, it would be a better idea to make a ½ or ⅓ batch instead if you don’t think you’ll eat them all within 10 days.
Samantha
January 22, 2018 at 4:10 am
Can these be made without the lemon juice? Is there a sub or can I just leave it out? Thank you for sharing!!
Van
January 22, 2018 at 3:40 pm
Hi Samantha, you can leave out the lemon juice, I only added it for flavor.
agw
January 29, 2018 at 5:11 am
Thanks! I am definitely going to try these!
Victoria
February 4, 2018 at 5:19 pm
Hi, do these contain honey? I don’t see honey in your recipe, but you caution against giving these to kiddos under one because they contain honey. How much honey would you suggest adding, if I did choose to? Thanks!
Van
February 4, 2018 at 9:06 pm
Hi Victoria, my recipe for homemade elderberry syrup contains honey & most other recipes for elderberry syrup do as well – so the honey is already in the syrup. Did you make your own or are you using a store bought one, usually the store bought ones don’t have honey.
Victoria
February 5, 2018 at 7:33 am
That makes sense. I do have a store-bought one. I have some local raw honey I wanted to add. Do you know how much I would want to put in? Thanks!
Van
February 5, 2018 at 8:50 am
Hi Victoria, if you want to add raw honey – use 1/3 Cup of syrup instead of 1/2 Cup and add 2 Tablespoons of honey.
Ivie
February 7, 2018 at 3:22 pm
Followed the directions set by step and when combined the gelatin and syrup….. did not mix at all. Wasted syrup ;(
Van
February 7, 2018 at 3:37 pm
Hi Ivie, do you mean the gelatin wouldn’t mix with the syrup? You could try putting everything into a saucepan and using the lowest heat setting melt the gelatin again. Just don’t let it get too hot or it won’t set up. What type of gelatin are you using?
Jennifer Fries
February 23, 2018 at 10:45 pm
Too cute! How do you get your gummies to pop out of the mold perfect?? Do you spray your molds with anything?
Van
February 24, 2018 at 7:57 am
Hi Jennifer, with the molds I used I didn’t have to spray them, the bears were firm enough that they just pop right out. I’ve seen some other styles of molds (not bears) that have a lot of detail and they need to be sprayed.
Yotunde
April 30, 2018 at 10:11 am
I’m so glad I found your great recipe. I made elderberry syrup for the first time this weekend. And the addition of lemon and orange rind plus juice made it taste so delicious (she didn’t know it was good for her). I can’t wait to try making these. Thanks for sharing.
Van
April 30, 2018 at 10:54 am
That’s awesome Yotunde! My kids love the syrup, they come running when I ask “who wants elderberry syrup?” They also love helping out when I make the gummies, I hope she enjoys them 😀
Janna
June 5, 2018 at 8:03 am
Hi there. I plan on using your recipe. Question: since the elderberry contains honey, why does the gummy only last about 10 days. Does the gelatin somehow lessen the time it can be stored in the fridge? Also asking because my homemade elderberry by itself I keep in the fridge for about a month. Thanks!
Van
June 5, 2018 at 8:53 am
Hi Janna, you’re correct – it’s the gelatin that causes a short shelf life. Discard when you see any sign of mold forming on them.
Patricia
November 6, 2018 at 12:54 pm
Is elderberry concentrate the same as syrup?
Van
November 7, 2018 at 7:24 am
Hi Patricia, I don’t think it is. I’ve never used concentrate, so I had to look it up and it looks like you mix the concentrate with water to make a drink.
Adrianne
November 11, 2018 at 5:28 pm
I tried this recipe with ready-made elderberry sera up, and when I mixed the syrup with the gelatin it immediately gelled up and didn’t mix. What did I do wrong? Also, in the step Pryor where I was melting the gelatin that was very difficult and found that it wasn’t really melting very well. Makes me wonder if it be best if the water is already hot when adding the gel powder??
Van
November 11, 2018 at 6:34 pm
Hi Adrianne, was the elderberry syrup refrigerated or room temp (about 73F)? If it was cold, it would cause the gelatin to start gelling immediately – the syrup should be room temp. Did you let the gelatin bloom before heating it? If you add hot water straight to gelatin, you will end up with lumpy gelatin. If it starts to gel when you add the syrup, you could also reheat it gently on low heat.
Kelsey A
October 30, 2019 at 2:28 pm
My gummies turned out to hard/stiff for my 2yo to chew them easily. Any tips on what to do with the tray and a half ive made so I don’t have to throw them away?!
Van
October 30, 2019 at 6:47 pm
Hi Kelsey, you can heat them up again to melt them and add more liquid – maybe turn them into popsicles?
Daisy
March 2, 2020 at 4:14 pm
I followed the instructions but it doesn’t yield 150 gummies for me. I’m only able to fill 1 tray and like 2 rows of the second. What could I be doing wrong? Does that mean each gummy would be more concentrated?
Van
March 2, 2020 at 6:29 pm
Hi Daisy, sounds like the molds are just a different size from the ones I’m using. Mine hold about ¼ Teaspoon each. Measure how much liquid yours hold, a daily serving is 1 Teaspoon.
Daisy
March 2, 2020 at 7:23 pm
I bought the molds in your link…could I be overfilling them?
Van
March 3, 2020 at 8:35 am
Oh really? Hmm I wonder if they changed the molds, because it sounds like yours hold double the amount.
Linda
November 16, 2020 at 3:21 pm
What do you do about condensation? I put my gummies in a glass jar and there is so much condensation in there. I put a piece of paper towel in the jar to soak some of it up.
Van
November 16, 2020 at 4:57 pm
Hi Linda, I’ve never had condensation with these gummies – I suggest that you leave the jar open for a few hours so they dry out slightly so you avoid getting condensation.