Easy Sugar Free Homemade Gummies (Vegan Option)
This post may contain affiliate links from which I will earn a commission. Learn more in our disclosure.
These sugar-free homemade gummies are an easy, naturally-sweetened alternative to store-bought gummy snacks. Made with simple ingredients like fruit juice and gelatin, they’re customizable, kid-friendly, and ready in minutes.
You can make them low-carb using lemon, lime, or cranberry, or use other juice concentrates for a naturally sweet version without corn syrup, refined sugar, or artificial ingredients.
I'm always looking for easy healthy snacks that I can make in a jiffy like these no-bake cookies, no-bake chocolate mint bars, kale chips, homemade “JELLO®”, and healthy chocolate truffles.
This recipe for Sugar-Free Homemade Gummy Candy fits the bill.
These gummies come together quickly and can be made completely sugar-free.
The low-carb version (lemon, lime, or cranberry [using sugar-free cranberry juice]) of these homemade gummy snacks is tangy and refreshing. For other flavors, I recommend using only no sugar added fruit juice concentrate.
The flavor will likely not be strong enough if using diluted fruit juices or pureed fruits, but feel free to play around and try adding more sweetener. Those options may just suit your tastes!
What You'll Need
- lemon or lime juice: or other juice concentrate. See Recipe Notes for alternatives
- grass-fed gelatin: I recommend Great Lakes gelatin. They use pasture-fed cows that are not treated with antibiotics or hormones and are free of many allergens as well as MSG.see vegan alternative above in notes)
- liquid stevia: to taste. You can also use powdered stevia extract.
Directions
- Whisk all ingredients in a small sauce pan.
- Heat over low heat until mixture loses its “applesauce” consistency and starts to liquify.
- Pour into molds. (Photo 5)
- Allow gummies to set. You can either do this by placing molds on a flat surface in the freezer, fridge or on the counter. The freezer is your quickest option and will take about 10-15 minutes to set. (Photo 6)
- Remove from molds and store in the fridge in an air tight container.
So Many Fun Molds for Gummies
Of course, homemade sugar-free gummy bears are one of the cutest things you can do. These are the gummy bear molds that I have:
Even though they look hard to make, they're not. You just have that one extra step of putting the liquid in the dropper (and cleaning it out, of course).
These silicone star molds are very close to the ones that I have and I LOVE them. I've used them to make my Homemade Jello® and Homemade Chocolate Chips into super fun shapes..yum!
Silicone Molds
These flexible molds are great for making fun shapes of Homemade Gummy Candies, and of course there are so many more fun uses for them as well. Think chocolates, ice cubes, fudge, frozen treats and so much more. You can even make homemade soap, lotion bars, homemade crayons--the possibiities are endless!
Here's a photo of gummies made with those molds.
There are so many fun molds to try for all kinds of seasons and events!
How about:
- St. Patrick's Day Molds
- Fun Assorted Molds
- Easter Theme Molds
- Valentine's Day Molds
- Christmas Molds
- Flower Molds
These are all just too. Much. Fun.
Recipe Notes and Variations
- Flavor Options: You can make so many different flavor variations of these sugar-free gummies. Any of the following juice concentrates would be amazing: cherry concentrate, cranberry concentrate, pomegranate juice concentrate, or apple juice concentrate. However, some of these will add a lot of carbs to the recipe.
- Important Note: Make sure to avoid pineapple, kiwi, mango, ginger root, papaya, figs, and guava juice. They contain protease enzyme which will prevent gelatin from setting and you'll end up with seriously mushy gummies.
Special Diet Options
- Sweetener Options: Some people have been asking how much stevia extract can be used instead of the liquid stevia. I'm working on figuring that out for you!
If you would like to make your own liquid stevia, see Homemade Liquid Stevia. You can substitute other sweeteners as desired. Use 4-5 tablespoons honey, maple syrup, or sucanat (4-5 tablespoons) for AIP, or for a low-carb granulated sweetener, use either 4-5 tablespoons xylitol or allulose, or 5-7 tablespoons erythritol. I haven't tested all of these, but they should work. - Vegan Option: Vegans can use organic agar-agar powder instead of gelatin.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are These Homemade Gummies Like Store-bought?
The gummies in this recipe are kind of a mix between gelatin snacks and gummy snacks. I hope to try a recipe using just pectin in the future to make them more like store-bought snacks. We do love them anyhow, however, and so do our friends.
How Should You Store These Gummies?
You can store these in the fridge, or even in the freezer.
Are These Stable At Room Temperature?
These Homemade Gummies taste great at room temperature, just out of the fridge, and they even taste GREAT out of the freezer! However, these do not do well in very hot weather–as in, they morph into a liquid gummy drink.
We once took them to a county fair when it was over 90 degrees, and ended up with a gummy puddle. We were super hungry so we drank the liquid homemade gummies anyhow, but just be forewarned.
You could, of course, get a small cooler pack like this so you can take your gummies with you even in warm weather!
The easiest way to make these is to pour the mixture into a square or rectangle pan and then cutting them after chilling, or be creative and make them into any kind of shape.
This single batch is a small batch. We legit make 12 (yes, that's TWELVE) batches of these every time that we make them. Feel free to just make one batch to see how you like them, or if you want to make a whole bunch of flavors. But make twelve if you want to have quite a few around for ongoing healthy snacking.
Sugar Free Homemade Gummies (Vegan Option)
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup lemon or lime juice (or other juice concentrates–see Recipe Notes for alternatives)
- 3 tablespoons grass-fed gelatin (see vegan alternative above in notes)
- liquid stevia (to taste. I used 30-40 drops. Powdered stevia extract can also be used. Start with 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon and go from there.)
Instructions
- Whisk all ingredients in a small sauce pan.
- Heat over low heat until mixture loses its “applesauce” consistency and starts to liquify.
- Taste the liquid. If it doesn't taste good to you, the gummies won't either. Add more sweetener as needed in this step.
- Pour into molds. (I like to transfer the mixture to an easy-pour container first to avoid spills, especially if you have small molds!)
- Allow gummies to set. You can either do this by placing molds on a flat surface in the freezer, fridge or on the counter. The freezer is your quickest option and will take about 10-15 minutes to set.
- Remove from molds and store in the fridge in an air tight container. These will last about two weeks, although the texture becomes firmer over time, they are still delicious!
Notes
- Storage: Store gummies in the refrigerator or freezer for best texture and freshness.
- Sweeteners: You can use your preferred sweetener. For AIP, try 4–5 tablespoons honey, maple syrup, or sucanat. For low-carb options, use 4–5 tablespoons xylitol or allulose, or 5–7 tablespoons erythritol. Liquid stevia works well; powdered conversions are still being tested. See Homemade Liquid Stevia if you’d like to make your own.
- Flavoring: Lemon and lime require more sweetener to balance tartness. Fruit juice concentrates (like cherry, cranberry, pomegranate, or apple) provide stronger flavor and may be sweet enough on their own. Regular juice can be used but will result in a milder flavor.
- Important: Avoid pineapple, kiwi, mango, papaya, figs, guava, and fresh ginger root—these contain enzymes that prevent gelatin from setting, resulting in soft or runny gummies.
- Vegan Option: Substitute agar-agar powder for gelatin.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. It may vary depending on ingredient brands, substitutions, and preparation methods. Optional ingredients are not included. Net carbs are typically calculated by subtracting fiber and sugar alcohols (such as erythritol) from total carbohydrates. This information should not be relied upon for medical or nutritional purposes.
Whatever flavor of homemade gummy snacks you try, I so hope you enjoy them!
Please share your thoughts about these gummies after you make them!
I would love to try this recipe, but I was wondering which Great Lakes gelatin you used, the green or orange can? Thanks!
You use the orange, which is gelatin. The green is collagen hydrolysate and doesn’t gel. Enjoy!
35 years ago, my vegetarian neighbor educated me on several things, one being gelatin. She told me that gelatin pills are an animal product and I was shocked! ha ha! That was when I was young and learning. So, if you take pills in a capsule, it’s probably an animal product.
Thanks for the recipe!
I know – you have to really look for vegetarian capsules but they are becoming more and more plentiful.
Hi just wanted to suggest you try some food grade diatomaceous earth for the candida. It’s great stuff. Good luck
Thanks!
While reading this recipe, I’m drinking a Braggs organic concord grape-acai apple cider vinegar drink. The “sugars” (5 grams/16 ounces) on the label is far less than “straight fruit juice” as the beverage is 14% juice and the rest apple cider vinegar. I’m going to try this gummy recipe using this drink for a nice tart grape-y flavor with fewer “sugars” than with a regular fruit juice or puree. If it works, there’s other varieties to explore like apple cinnamon and ginger as well. Thanks for the recipe!
Sounds amazing! I hadn’t heard of that!!
Okay I have to know–does this actually taste like a gummy, or jello?
Hmmm….I guess a cross between. You might want more sweetener b/c it is a bit sour. Just polished off a bunch of them today.
I was wondering if you could use extracts or flavoring oils for these?
Yes, sure! Sounds great! Some other ladies said they use tea and stevia – sounds lovely :).
What about cinnamon? I love cinnamon bears but want a low carb version.
That sounds lovely! Add to taste.
i tried these yesterday, but i think i didn’t whisk the ingredients enough, so they were not the right consistency (they had a powdery like consistency). they were also too liquid so i put them in the dehydrator all night together with my raw oat cookies. that really worked well to make them harder. now i just squeezed fresh lemons and retried (and whisked better of course). they’re in the freezer and later i will put them in the dehydrator again. thanks for posting this recipe.
forgot to mention I used agar agar cause I’m vegan.
Hmmm…I wouldn’t think that would make a difference, but possible.
You’re welcome. Glad they worked out!!
Agar-Agar (from Peta ‘s web page)
This flavorless gelling agent, derived from cooked and pressed seaweed, is available flaked, powdered, or in bars. For best results, grind the agar-agar in a coffee grinder or food processor and then cook it, stirring it regularly until it dissolves. When used in a recipe, agar-agar sets in about an hour and doesn’t require refrigeration to gel. For a firmer gel, add more agar-agar, and for a softer gel, add more liquid. And don’t worry if you don’t get it right the first time—you can fix a faux pas simply by reheating the gel. Here’s a general guide on how to use agar in recipes:
• Substitute powdered agar-agar for gelatin using equal amounts.
• 1 Tbsp. of agar-agar flakes is equal to 1 tsp. of agar-agar powder.
• Set 2 cups of liquid using 2 tsp. of agar-agar powder, 2 Tbsp. of agar-agar flakes, or one bar.
• Keep in mind that highly acidic ingredients, such as lemons, strawberries, oranges, and other citrus fruits, may require more agar-agar than the recipe calls for. Also, enzymes in fresh mangoes, papaya, and pineapple break down the gelling ability of the agar-agar so that it will not set. Cooking these fruits before adding them to a recipe, however, neutralizes the enzymes so that the agar-agar can set.
Thank you for trying to come up with “sugar-free” foods for people such as diabetics. As a diabetic of 44 years and a high school nutrition teacher I have to tell you what soooooooooooo many people confuse. The juice in this recipe (while small quantity) still has fruitose in it. To make juice all fiber has to be taken out of juice. Fiber does help to hold down glucose. Juices should only be taken in by a diabetic if in hypoglycemia.
I have always LOVED any kind of Jello or gelatine and admire your use of it.
The subject that makes me most upset with the process of teaching new diabetics how and what to eat the idea that it is okay to eat any amount of “sugar-free” foods. There really is no such food. You can put pickles and sugarless Jello gelatin in that list though because these truly are “sugar-free”. It is not the sugar that bothers diabetics… it is the amount of carbohydrates the the kinds of carbohydrates… either complex or simple. I see so many diabetics lose there health by eating a lot of “sugar-free” candies, cookies, cakes, etc…. The health field has misled the public. As long as there is not weight problem and the carbohydrates are calculated into the way of eating or the amount of insulin to cover the carbohydrate count then occasional foods are okay.
Again… I am not criticizing you for trying. I love that people try to make foods for those on restricted food. I am just angry that the health field does not do a good job teaching the public. When I was six (44 years ago) I was in the hospital for two weeks getting training. Then before the doctors would let me get pregnant I underwent a thorough training with a dietitian and a diabetic educator. I have always had a love of learning nutrition since I was six. Back then we had to memorize serving portions. Today it is very easy by the food labels that the government mandates.
I think I will try this recipe as I love gummies and eat only a few at a time. Thank you for posting it.
Debby
Hi there. I believe the recipe recommended using lemon or lime juice to make this recipe low carb – correct? I always use one of those :).
I disagree with you about sugars not being a diabetic problem, however, as they are carbs. I think those sugar free foods can be horrible, of course as many of them are highly processed and have tons of harmful ingredients and refined flours.
Let me know what you think about my response and I do appreciate your comment. My mother died of diabetes and so I am no expert but I do know a thing or 2 about blood sugar. Thanks again!
Thank you so much for posting this recipe it’s just what i was looking for. same amount of agar agar as gelatin?
Yes, it should be the same but use powder :)! Enjoy!
Do you use your homemade liquid stevia with vanilla?
Yes, I do or otherwise just the plain stevia extract powder.