These homemade vegan fruit snacks are a fun healthy gummy treat for kids or adults that you can make in any fruity flavor or shape with just 3 ingredients!
I did a lot of brainstorming trying to come up with a New Years recipe idea for today. I spent quite some time scrolling through Pinterest past cocktails in every color, sparkly dessert shooters, and champagne-flavored everything looking for inspiration. Something celebratory and party-perfect.
But in case you haven’t noticed, fancy party food is not exactly my style. And I don’t know how to make champagne flavored frosting. And black eyed pea cupcakes sounded a little too out there of a bean-y baked good for me.
And then finally on slide 10 out of 17 of this list I finally found my spark of an idea: fruit snacks!
Are they especially New Years-y? Not really, no.
Are they fun and cute and full of fruit? Absolutely!
Plus someone asked for a vegan gummy recipe a long time ago and I had yet to fulfill that request. So my apologies for the wait, but here they are in all their fruity chewy translucent snack-deliciousness!
Gummy or fruit snack–which do you say? I naturally say gummy, but then feel like a 3 year old and correct myself to fruit snack. Although there is really no way to discuss gummies/fruit snacks and feel very adult while doing it.
Random fact: I ate what were technically toddler gummies fruit snacks until I was…well…at least 5 times the age that qualifies as a toddler. They had a good flavor selection and they were fruit juice sweetened, okay. See even back then I was into the fruit-sweetened snacks. It was mostly for the flavors though.
More random fact: When I typed the word “gummy” autocorrect first changed it to tummy, the next time to mummy, the next time to dummy, and then finally just gave up and left it as gummy. I think it may have been trying to tell me something…?
Anywho…gelatin-free vegan gummies fruit snacks are surprisingly easy to make as long as you have one kinda-funky but very necessary ingredient: agar agar powder.
Why is it “agar agar” and not just one “agar”? I don’t know. But since there are 2 agars in the name I thought we’d make 2 flavors of gummies fruit snacks.
One is sweetened with maple syrup (or any liquid sweetener), and the other is sweetened with jam. I used a fruit juice sweetened jam in my fave flavor–blueberry. I am partial to the jammy version as it has better texture and extra fruit flavor, but I wanted to give you options. Plus some flavors (ahem…orange) aren’t easy to find in a jam. Both of the recipes can serve as templates for making any flavor you like. Just switch up the type of juice or jam and you can have snacks of just about any fruity sort.
The gummy fruit snack making process is simple–just 3 ingredients and less than 10 minutes of active time. Whisk the sweetener and agar agar into the juice. Let it rest for 5 minutes. Simmer and whisk for 2 minutes. Pour into a container/molds. Chill. For the jam version, you will just blend the juice + jam + agar (to avoid jammy chunks) and then boil/whisk/chill it the same way.
They take at least a couple of hours to set up completely before slicing them into squares. Or you can use fun-shaped molds or mini cookie cutters! The coating of sugar is another extra fun-factor option, but be sure to do it right before eating because it will dissolve after a few minutes and turn the gummies fruit snacks oddly juicy.
One important note is be sure you use agar agar powder not flakes. I have tried it with the flakes before and it did not set up the same way. I have also tried making powder from the flakes in a coffee grinder–another fail. This is the agar agar powder I used because it was organic and relatively reasonably priced. Also the packaging was pretty, and I would be lying if I said that didn’t factor in.
These gummies fruit snacks keep best in the fridge. In an airtight container in the fridge they will last for 1-2 weeks. They can stay out for a few hours at a time if you want to bring them along or pack them as an on the go snack though.
So now that we are all hopefully feeling a little more like 5 year olds, let’s make these gummy snacks (nope, not even going to correct it this time!)
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Homemade Vegan Fruit Snacks
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 240 minutes
- Total Time: 250 minutes
- Yield: 50 fruit snacks 1x
Description
These homemade vegan fruit snacks are a fun healthy gummy treat for kids or adults that you can make in any fruity flavor or shape with just 3 ingredients!
Ingredients
Orange Fruit Snacks
- 1 cup orange juice
- 1–2 tbsp liquid sweetener (maple syrup, agave, etc.)
- 1 1/2 tsp agar agar powder
Berry Fruit Snacks
- 1 cup beet/berry/cherry juice
- 1/4 cup berry jam
- 1 1/2 tsp agar agar powder
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan, whisk together the orange juice, sweetener, and agar agar powder.
- Set aside for 5 minutes.
- Over medium heat, bring the mixture to a simmer. Simmer for 2 minutes whisking constantly. Remove from the heat and pour into a shallow container or fun-shaped molds.
- In a blender, combine the berry/beet juice, jam, and agar agar powder. Blend until there are no chunks left.
- Set aside for 5 minutes.
- Over medium heat, bring the mixture to a simmer. Simmer for 2 minutes whisking constantly. Remove from the heat and pour into a shallow container or fun-shaped molds.
- Place in the fridge for at least 2-3 hours to set.
- Remove from the molds and cut into squares. Optionally coat with raw sugar just before eating.
- Keep the remaining fruit snacks in the fridge.
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Oh my goodness I have to try these.
They are so fun!! I want to make every color now 😀
Hi, can I substitute cornstarch for agar agar?
I don’t think cornstarch will be strong enough to give you that gummy texture, agar is more similar to gelatin hence why it works so well here. sorry!
Can I use gelatin if I dont mind them not being vegan?
Yes but you will need more gelatin than agar agar, probably around 2-3 tablespoons for the 1 cup of fruit juice. The cooking time may vary as well, just keep simmering/stirring until the gelatin is fully dissolved.
These are GORGEOUS! I am not a huge fan of gummies, but I totally want to eat that whole pile of them! My kids LOVE them, so these are definitely being made at some point!
Me and your kids share a lot of the same snack/food preferences 😀 Having to order the agar agar is kind of annoying, but after that they are really fun and easy!
I feel like you’ve said that before. LOL! And, I honestly think I’ve seen agar agar in the 1 or 2 of our stores with specialty aisles. I’ll be looking next time I go!
I have. But I just keep realizing more ways in which it is true ha 😀
Pretty! I only have apple juice at the moment so i’ll give that a try.Fingers crossed it tastes nice.Also,could i omit the liquid sweetener? Thank you!
I made a batch with apple juice while I was testing them, yes delicious! And yes you can omit the sweetener, it will change the texture slightly (less chewy) but will work just fine 🙂
Um… since when were fruit gummies NOT associated with NYE?? Haha. I must say, I do so appreciate the rigorous research you put into the perfect New Year’s recipe for us! 🙂 I like to think that the sugar coating resembles the sparkle of champagne. Nice random fact! Why am I not surprised that you knew of your fruit-sweetened calling before you could practically walk? 🙂 And good for your for sticking it to autocorrect until it just gave up. If “dummy” is saying something, then what is “mummy” telling you?? That’s a thinker, folks! Two flavors, one for each agar. I can get on board with that! Alright, before I forget my train of thought, I just wanted to say… these photos are INSANE. And by insane, of course, I mean AWESOME. These little fruit snacks came out so beautifully. Send me a batch or two? 🙂 xoxo
I just busted out laughing to the point that my mom asked me if I was okay hahahahaha!!! Oh you are the best–the mummy part is what really got me?? Yes autocorrect was being particularly insulting with both of those suggestions, it must be feeling a little post-Christmas cranky. The sparkly coating of sugar is what made me decide they were passable as NYE fare too. All things sparkly are A okay, yes?! 🙂 Um of course I will send you a batch! A rainbow batch that will arrive at 11:58 pm on New Years? Oh and no worries, I have a mushy recap/best of planned for tomorrow too?
OH MY GOSH. Stop the internet. Everyone can go home now. These fruit snacks are EVERYTHING!!! 😀
Hahaha, yes another fruit snack fan!! If only we could find that internet pause button, I can think of many times that could come in handy 😀
I think you could definitely pass these as “New Years Eve”-ish!! So sparkly and festive. 🙂 Also the idea of a black eyed pea cupcake totally made me laugh…sounds like something I’d consider too, haha. Hope the last few days of your 2016 are lovely, these Gummies look incredible!! (I had the same auto correct problem just now, glad I caught it before I told you your “dummies” look incredible!
Hahaha yes the “-ish” means we can slide anything through, right!? 😀 Love it! Maybe if I should just have a NYE party for kids, I’m sure they would totally agree with fruit snacks = New Years. Oh autocorrect. It’s an interesting list of words that rhyme with gummy though lol. Thank you so much Sara for the sweet comment, and a very happy end of the year to you too!
Oh my goodness Natalie! These fruit treats look so amazing! They are so beautiful and I love the vibrant colours! Pinned! 🙂
My favorite part was playing around with the fruits and colors, I love bright fun recipes like this! Thanks girl 🙂
Yippy Skippy, these are just what I didn’t know I wanted, and now I must make them ASAP. ?.
I’m a big candy fan, and like the alternative to chocolate. They look stunning. Have any ideas for some hard candie made with stevia or other healthier sugars?
Haha your first sentence made me laugh, I love your enthusiasm 😀 I am a big candy fan too, always have been (chocolate or fruity!) so a hard candy repine would be awesome! I will look into it, I really have no idea how to make something like that. I’m guessing it will involve candy thermometers and boiling stuff, but I’ll see what I can find…
Oh boy, just reading the words. ” candy thermometer ” sounds serious!!! I will keep my fingers double crossed that you have success. I’m not great at measuring etc. … so my few attempts have been rather messy!! ☺
I have not tried this recipe but I’m already the biggest fan of this vegan gummy snack. It’s perfect to pack it on a short weekend trip!
Yes, they would be the perfect car snack! I was planning on bringing some along on my next trip too 🙂 I hope you like them Agness!
Wow, that’s such an amazing recipe and so easy to make too! Only 3 ingredients and gelatin free? I really need to try that! Thanks Natalie, I hope you have a great day ?
Hey Ela! I know right, so simple. Just the thought of having to find a funky ingredient like agar agar turned me off making these for so long, but now that I know how simple it is I feel kinda silly 😀 Happy Thursday to you!!
Yes!! Finally an easy way to make fruit snacks!! Will this work with other fruit juices or say if I juice some fruit on my own?
Yep, any fruit juice will work or freshly juiced sounds even better! Enjoy 🙂
I love agar agar and have used it to test out a cheese recipe! I, too, wonder why the double “agar agar” lol! So silly! But, hey, whatever! I’m dying over how gorgeous and vibrant these are and dang, I love how much healthier they are than the sugar-tastic ones full of crap at the grocery stores! My husband is not a big sweets fan, but he absolutely LOVES gummies, so I absolutely need to make these for him. He’d gobble them up super fast I’m betting…oh and me and Olivia would too. I love that you did 2 different flavors and I would be all over the orange ones. I love orange juice and syrup of course, so I’m practically salivating all over my keyboard looking at them and thinking about them. Totally serious. What a wonderful and easy recipe. Totally better than black-eyed pea cupcakes, haha! Ewww!!
I’ll just accept the weird double agar thing if it can bring us vegan gummies and vegan cheese! Is this cheese recipe still in the testing/tweaking phase or to be shared soon? I am very intrigued now…plus I have a lot of agar agar on hand lol 😀 “Sugar-tastic” that is the perfect word for the packaged kind–no better than candy really. My first two flavor ideas here were orange and apple because I just love both of those juices, but the apple ones were not an attractive color. The orange ones are great, but if it’s fruity and a snack I am probably going to love it. Ha yes, save the black-eyed pea cupcakes for next year–NOT! Happy new years Brandi!!
I saw this post and have been meaning to check it out! I tried the whole home-made gummy snacks awhile back with agar (although i used flakes so maybe that was my problem…it was all that i could find at the store…although i always forget about looking online ha!). So my problem was that they weren’t gummy enough so wasn’t quite a fan of the texture. Still ate them and flavor was delicious, but was looking for that gummy factor since thats what the kids always go for…are these gummy in texture? If so i’m ALL on top of it! They look gorgeous btw…and love your random facts haha! I hate autocorrect sometimes =)
The health food stores always only have the flakes and I do no know why!?! It’s so annoying, and I have no clue how you get it to work with those because I have tried multiple times. I think you have to use A LOT more with the flakes, but the powder is just easier I’ve found. I researched after your comment on the chewy “gummy”-ness on FB, and I don’t think it’s possible with only using fruit juice because it’s the corn syrup in normal gummies that gives them that texture. With just juice they are more like jello in texture. Maybe brown rice syrup or some healthier sweetener that still has that viscosity could work? I don’t know, something to experiment with!
Anyone notice the link she posted takes you to Amazon selling **agar powder**? ONE ‘agar’ not two?? Maybe if enough people start calling ijust agar we can take it away from the scientest!
Omg you are right!! Maybe we can collectively juts knock off that second agar and the world will follow suit 😀
Ok, these are too cute!! I love agar jello/gummy type recipes. I actually have something kind of similar to share one day. I did want to add I’ve so been there with the agar flakes fails for gummy recipes ? You’re right — powder works heaps better.
I never though to try it with jam though. That’s a very interesting idea. Kind of going to have to give it a go. Is the jam you used more like a jello then? I’m so curious about this idea now.
What is up with those flakes?? Do they serve any purpose but to fool us? Haha! Oooh fun, I can’t wait to see what agar treat you have! These are more like jello texture, not super sticky gummy texture. I think the really chewy gummy thing has to do with corn syrup/syrupy sweeteners, not agar vs. gelatin. Idk, so many agar experiments left to do!
wooow what a great recipe 😀
can I put them in the freezer instead of the fridge to have them done more quickly?? Thank you so much for all your wonderful recipes!!! 🙂
Sure! Not sure how long they will take in there, probably an hour tops 🙂
I made those today with lime flavour. I wanted sour candy and didn’t have citric acid… but now it’s in a mold (same kind of mold you used) in the fridge. I tried to get it out of the mold, but it’s not possible. it breaks. So is there a better way to get it out or didn’t I use enough agar-agar? Or is it not long enough in the fridge yet… what did I do wrong?
To get them out of the molds I just run a knife along the edges and then tap the container upside down a few times on a table until it slides out. If it’s breaking, leaving it for another couple of hours in the fridge to make sure it’s really set will help though. You could also try slicing them in the molds and then popping them out one by one. Good luck!
These sound wonderful, but could you please tell me how long the shelf life would be and also how to store them. Sorry in advance if it is written somewhere, but I really can’t see it.
I’ve only just stumbled on your site and I love every recipe. I will be baking/making them all at some point, having just become vegan
★★★★★
They need to be stored in the fridge and without the sugar coating. The sugar coating will dissolve with time and make them really sticky/wet. In the fridge they should last at least a week or so, I haven’t tested much longer than that 🙂 And welcome, I’m so happy you found me!
Are these chewy? I’ve tried recipes for gummies like this before, and it just turned out like cooked-orange-flavored Jello.
In order to get chewy gummy you need a sticky syrupy sweetener like corn syrup or tapioca syrup, so any fruit juice gummy will not have that texture. Sorry!
Top rating for the recipe;)
★★★★★