As a kid I was all about snacking on gummy bears, gummy worms, gummy candy basically anything that was sweet and chewy. At that age who was concerned about the ingredients?? I definitely wasn’t. Now when I’m offered gummy bears I can’t help but cringe because of the refined sugar content and weird additives. I pass on them these days but every once in a while I get the craving.
This is how my healthy homemade gummy snacks came about, made with all natural HEALTHY ingredients → kombucha, gelatin and raw honey. Experimenting in the kitchen is always fun and I played around with a few different recipes using kombucha and fruit juice. My favorite was obviously with kombucha because of the probiotic health benefits but the fruit juice batch was just as tasty.
Kombucha Gummy Snacks Health Benefits
Kombucha- a fermented tea that contains healthy bacteria known as probiotics. The healthy bacteria supports your digestive system and boosts your immune system.
Gelatin– a collagen protein that supports the gut and digestion health. Gelatin is known to heal the gut lining by restoring the mucosal lining and increasing gastric acid in the stomach. You can reduce the amount of inflammation in the gut when your food breaks down and absorbed correctly. Make sure to grab the gelatin and not a collagen powder as the collagen will not produce a gel like consistency as gelatin does. I used a high quality gelatin Vital Proteins that is pasture-raised, grass-fed bovine hide gelatin powder that can be mixed in both hot and cold liquid.
Raw Honey- known to increase good gut bacteria by providing prebiotics and antimicrobial properties. Honey also contains anti-bacterial and antioxidant properties that boost your immune system.
Not just a gummy snack but also great for the Gut!
As far as texture goes for the gummy snacks, it’s not quite as firm as a gummy bear but not as soft as jello. It’s right in the middle so it may be an acquired taste of texture. Give it a go and let me know how it turns out.
How to Make Kombucha Gummy Snacks:
1.5 cup of kombucha or 100% fruit juice (your choice of brand and flavor but make sure to use one that has a low sugar content)
4 tbsp gelatin
2 tbsp raw honey
On LOW heat add kombucha and honey in a saucepan and bring to a low simmer. Do not boil. The heat will destroy the kombucha probiotics.
Slowly whisk in the gelatin and continue to whisk until the mixture is smooth.
Pour into a lightly greased candy mold or glass baking dish. I used coconut oil to grease the candy molds.
Place in the refrigerator for two hours to set. Pop them out of the mold or if you are using a baking dish cut into squares. Ready to eat.
If using a fruit juice, do not use pineapple or kiwi, the enzymes will not allow the gelatin to set.
Eat Well, Live Well and Age Gracefully
~melissa~
