DIY Gummy Candy – No Mold Required!

I got this idea from a Cookies Cupcakes and Cardio video, which used a fancy gummy candy machine and gummy bear/fish/snake molds. I didn’t have any candy molds, but wanted DIY gummy candy RIGHT NOW, so I had a play and discovered that you don’t need any special equipment or molds – cookie cutters and your microwave will do the trick.

You’ll need…

*1 packet of jelly – 4 serves
*2 heaped Tbsp of gelatin
*½ cup water
*Microwave safe bowl
*Pot/saucepan
*Glad wrap
*Small cookie cutters

Getting started…

Put all the jelly, gelatin and water into a microwave safe bowl/container and mix.

Put the mixture in the microwave for one minute, take it out and stir, then put it back in for another 30 seconds. Your mixture should now be a nice, smooth liquid. Pour it into your pot, give the pot a few taps on the bench to get rid of air bubbles, and then put it in the fridge to set. Come back to it in an hour or two. Test with your finger to check that it’s set and then run a butter knife around the outside edge of the gummy candy slab to release it from the pot. Use your fingers to ease the edges up, and the rest should follow with no trouble. Mine pretty much popped straight out. Cover your workspace with some plastic wrap, and put the gummy slab on top. At this point, if you have no suitable cookie cutters, you could just slice the gummy candy into squares – it will still taste just as good. If you do have cookie cutters, start cutting out your shapes. I used a heart and a tulip, but you can use whatever you have/whatever appeals to you. You’ll need to apply quite a bit of pressure to get the cutter to slice all the way through the gummy, and I found giving it a bit of a wiggle helped, too. If you’re worried about scratching the bench it might be best to work on a chopping board. When you run out of candy and can’t cut any more shapes with your cookie cutters, use a knife to cut the scraps into little squares/triangles. They’re not as pretty, but they’re still delicious. All done! Make sure you store your candies in an airtight container or ziploc bag so they don’t dry out and become impossible to bite into. Trust me.

Other options…

I love the idea of doing green ones with a clover cutter for St Patty’s Day, or orange ones with a pumpkin cutter for Halloween, etc. I don’t have any cookie cutters like that, but I’m sure they exist, somewhere.