Create any flavor gummy you want with this simple Vegan Gummies recipe! These gummies are gelatin-free and only use 4 ingredients: fruit puree, agar agar powder, sweetener, and lemon juice to recreate a beloved candy.
It’s hard to find vegan gummies or fruit snacks at the grocery store, but if you have a craving, it’s easy to make your own! These delicious vegan fruit snacks contain real fruit and only a bit of additional sugar. They are perfect for adding to vegan cakes, ice cream, or snacking on alone.
If you like vegan candy alternative recipes, you will love my vegan chocolate bar, chocolate peanut butter pretzels, and vegan Oreo bites!
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Only 4 Ingredients: This vegan gummy candy is made with only 4 ingredients: fruit puree, agar agar powder, lemon juice, and a sweetener. The result is delicious and flavorful gummies without gelatin.
- Gluten-Free, Nut-Free, and Gelatin-Free: This vegan gummy recipe uses agar powder instead of gelatin to make the candies vegan. They are also gluten-free and nut-free, so people with allergies can enjoy them.
- Customize Using Your Favorite Fruits: You aren’t limited to the flavors you get in your bag of gummy bears with this recipe. You can make vegan gummies in almost any flavor and shape you want!
Ingredients
- Fruit Puree: Blend the fruits of your choice individually until they reach puree consistency before using them in this recipe. I used strawberry, mango, kiwi, and blueberry!
- Agar Agar Powder: This vegan gummy bear recipe uses agar agar powder to achieve a gelatin-like consistency. Agar Agar is a plant-based gelatin alternative made from red algae. I use this particular one from Amazon, but any agar again will do.
- Sweetener: Maple syrup or sugar are the ideal sweeteners for these agar agar gummies.
- Lemon Juice: You can make your gummies a little sour by adding a splash of lemon juice to some of the fruit purees. It can also help balance the flavors.
Tools
You can make these gummies in any ice mold you already have on hand, or you can make the recipe in a small pan and cut up the gummies after they have solidified.
If you want to make the same heart-shaped gummies I made, here is the link for the mold that I used. I may get a small commission if you decide to use this link.
See the recipe card below for exact ingredient amounts, nutritional information, and detailed instructions.
Variations
- Change the Shape: I made hearts but you can use any shape mold you want! Even make vegan gummy bears for the kids or yourself!
- Any Fruit You Like: You can create more gummy flavors using other fruits like raspberry, peach, pineapple, or apple. You will need to taste test your puree to decide if your blends need sweetener or lemon juice.
For more fruit-forward snacks try a mango blueberry smoothie!
How to Make Vegan Gummies
It’s incredibly simple to learn how to make gummy candy without gelatin! This recipe calls for a few simple ingredients and a little bit of patience, but the result is worth it!
Step 1: Create Your Fruit Purees. Blend your choice of fruits until they reach a smoothie consistency and set them aside.
Step 2: Combine the Ingredients. Whisk together the fruit puree, sweetener, lemon juice, and agar agar in a small saucepan until the mixture is well combined.
Step 3: Activate the Agar Agar. Heat the liquid until it starts bubbling, then lower the heat and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes. The mixture needs to cook long enough for the agar agar to activate, otherwise, the gummies won't firm up.
Step 4: Transfer to a Mold. Transfer the gummy mixture to a silicone gummy or ice mold using a food dropper. Then place the mold in the refrigerator for an hour until the gummies are set. Use vegan gummy hearts to decorate a slice of vegan red velvet cake!
Expert Tips
- Clean the Molds: Be sure to clean and wipe out the molds before adding the gummy liquid so there is no dust or residue inside of them.
- Don’t Overcook the Mixture: Be careful not to overcook the gummy liquid. It should have the consistency of syrup, not honey when it is finished cooking.
- Storing: These vegan gummy bears need to be refrigerated since they don’t contain preservatives. They will last for 3-5 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator. You can also freeze them for up to 2 months, but freezing may change the consistency after they thaw.
Serving Suggestions
These vegan gummies are a great alternative to the candy filled with gelatin. The flavors are fun to customize and you can make them any color you want as well! These are fun treats to make for a birthday party or Halloween festivities, especially if there are adults and kiddos with allergies or dietary restrictions!
- Make vegan gummy worms and add them to a vegan gluten-free chocolate cake or edible brownie batter for a fun vegan version of dirt cake!
- Use the gummies as a garnish for your vegan cocktails or mocktails.
- Serve them as part of an ice cream toppings bar with vegan ice cream, vegan caramel sauce, and homemade dairy-free chocolate.
Recipe Video
Agar Agar Gummies Recipe FAQs
If you don’t want to purchase molds you can line a lipped baking tray with plastic wrap. Then pour the gelatin mixture into the tray and smooth out. The mixture should be about ½ - 1 inch thick. After the gummies are set, cut them into small squares or rectangles.
There probably wasn’t enough agar agar in the mixture. Be sure to use agar agar powder and not flakes. You also want to be sure that the powder you use has more than 20-30% agar in it. If it’s less then you will need to add more.
It’s hard to mimic the texture of gummies exactly without gelatin. These gelatin-free gummy bears will be a little more firm and not as chewy as a regular gummy, but they are still a delicious alternative.
More Delicious Vegan Candy-Inspired Recipes
Vegan Gummies
Ingredients
- 1 cup fruit puree see notes
- 2 teaspoon agar agar powder
- 1-4 tablespoon maple syrup or sugar
For Sour Version
- 1-4 tablespoon lemon juice optional
Instructions
- Blend up fruit of your choice until you get a pureed, smoothie consistency. This is your "fruit puree".
- Measure out 1 cup of the fruit puree, then in a small pan over medium heat, combine the fruit puree with the agar agar, sweetener of choice, and lemon juice. Whisk well.
- Cook until it starts bubbling, then lower the heat and cook for another 2-3 minutes. You want to cook it for long enough time to allow the agar agar to activate. Otherwise, the gummies won't gelatinize.
- Next, transfer the gummies to a gummy mold or an ice mold and place in the fridge for at least an hour. Then, remove from the molds and enjoy!
Notes
- 🍓Strawberry gummies: I added 4 tablespoon of sweetener and 2 tablespoon lemon juice.
- 🥭Mango: I added no sweetener and 2 tablespoon of lemon juice.
- 🥝Kiwi: I added 4 tablespoon of sweetener and 1 tablespoon of lemon juice. I also added a pinch of matcha powder for color, but that is optional.
- 🫐Blueberries: I added 4 tablespoon of sweetener and 2 tablespoon of lemon juice.
- Clean and wipe out the molds so they are free from dust before adding the gummy mixture.
- Be careful not to overcook the gummy liquid. It should have the consistency of syrup, not honey.
- Be sure to use agar agar powder and not flakes otherwise your gummies won’t set properly.
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