This recipe is for creepy crawly, black as night gummies made from fruit juice and gut-healing beef gelatin for a fun treat that you’ll want to make year round. Think birthday party, science-themed get together, and more! Read on for the Bug Gummies recipe and complete tutorial!
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Gummies are easy, simple, and fast to make. They are so fun to make, I know you’ll want to hang out in the kitchen with me, watch me make them, and start out on the right foot so your first (and every!) batch is a complete success! I have a fun video mini lesson inside the Free Homemade Gummies Course you can jump into here- join me! You’ll get exclusive gummy recipes and video lessons on how to get perfect gummies no matter what mold you have. And it’s free!
Jump in and watch STEP BY STEP as I make gummies on video. I share in detail exactly HOW to make these nutritional powerhouses. It’s a free mini course and you’ll get access to 3 super helpful videos that show you
the equipment
the ingredients
and the process
of making healthy homemade gummies. Dive in here!
The trick to making these black as sin Bug Gummies is adding a secret ingredient. Note, you don’t HAVE to add it, but it definitely makes the gummies opaque, and completely black. You can’t taste it and it creates a fantastic effect that’s sure to delight.
The ingredient that makes these gummies SO black is activated charcoal.
That’s right. Just a few teaspoons and it turns grape juice (a lovely purple on its own) into a wonderful ebony.
Note: Enjoying too much activated charcoal can potentially cause some medicines to be absorbed and could render them ineffective. Consult your doctor if you or your child takes medicines that could be affected by activated charcoal. I read this article on Women’s Health for more information on this topic. I think that in moderation for a healthy person who is not taking daily medicine, activated charcoal is fine, but please consult a professional.
Tools You Need For Making Bug Gummies
You’ll need a saucepan and a whisk (crucial for mixing in the gelatin- you can see how I do it in the Free Homemade Gummies Course) but most importantly, of course, are the Bug Molds. These are made of silicone and can’t believe how well the bugs pop out of them (even the spider legs!).
Pro Tip: You MUST let the gummies cool till they are cold, preferably in the fridge, in order to get the centipede legs and spider legs out without tearing. Press up from the bottom of the mold and press the outside edge of the mold first- the legs on the spider for example- and then the middle of the shape to loosen. They will pop right out!
Bug Gummies Recipe
You Will Need:
1 cup grape juice
2 teaspoons activated charcoal
3 tablespoons sugar (optional but makes the faint taste of the charcoal completely disappear)
1/4 cup beef gelatin
How to Make Bug Gummies
Combine the 1 cup grape juice with the charcoal and the sugar in a saucepan.
Whisk over low-medium heat (a 3 on a electric stove that goes to 8, for example).
When the mixture is hot, and nearing a simmer (not quite simmering yet, but getting close, and steam is rising from it) SLOWLY start to whisk in, bit by bit, the 1/4 cup gelatin. Turn the whisk over, reverse direction, and whisk with vigor to discourage lumps. The grape juice mixture will be sweet, fragrant, black, and starting to look thicker. Remove from heat.
Using included droppers from mold set, fill the bug mold.
Pro Tip: Set the mold on a perfectly flat tray (not a plate that has curved edges) to fill.
When the bug mold is filled, place in a very cool place like the fridge until gummies are very firm, likely 30 minutes or so.
If you have extra, you can pour the remaining gummy liquid into a silicone ice cube tray or cupcake mold, or in a glass casserole dish to cool.
OR you can keep it warm on the stove, stirring often, until the first batch of gummies are cooled and removed from the mold. Repeat process.
How to Store Bug Gummies
These aren’t shelf stable and should be stored in the fridge and if so will keep for months. These are a great thing to make ahead of time and enjoy all year long!
I made these for the first time and didn’t tell my kids. I packed them in their lunch as a fun October surprise. Imagine their faces when they saw black centipedes and spiders in their lunchbox!
You will also enjoy
Elderberry Gummies! Get the recipe here.
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