Easy Homemade Christmas Gumdrops

Easy Homemade Christmas Gumdrops are made with just a few ingredients like flavored Jell-O and applesauce and are perfect to package for gifts for the holidays or any occasion.

Gumdrops have always been a favorite of mine, especially the spiced ones but I do love these easy Homemade Christmas gumdrops just as much. I think I enjoy making them because I know exactly what ingredients go into them without the stuff I don’t want or need. Not to mention they are so good to eat!

Christmas gumdrops are a wonderful gift to gift during the holidays. Place the red and green gumdrops in a mason jar with a cute ribbon and even better use a second jar filled with this old-fashioned cinnamon hard candy. Two delicious homemade gifts! I also love to use cute treat bags to package the candy.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Easy to make using only 5 ingredients.
• Make any flavor you want using flavored Jell-O .
• Great homemade candy idea for gift giving and the holiday season.
• Make the gumdrops a holiday tradition and get the kids to help.

What are Gumdrops?

Gumdrops are a delicious candy that is soft, chewy, and coated in sugar. Gumdrops are made with fruit flavors and gelatin. Some gumdrops are made with flavorings like cinnamon, to give a little bit of spice.

The sweet candy can be cut in any shape you wish. The gum drops I made have a Christmas theme, but you can use this recipe and shape them any way you would like.

Why do you use unflavored gelatin?

Using unflavored gelatin along with the flavored will give the homemade gumdrops the right texture needed. Don’t skip using it.

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Homemade Christmas Gumdrops

The first time I made gumdrops it was a learning curve with how long to let the candy set until it was firm and to get it to not stick to the wax paper. I will share those tips with you as it made it so much easier to make the second time and every time since.

For these gumdrops, you will want to use contrasting Christmas colors like red and green. I choose to use cherry and lime Jell-O but strawberry works great for the holidays, too. I found the cute mini holiday cookie cutters on Amazon and they are the perfect size for this recipe. If you don’t have or want to use the cookie cutters, slicing the candy into small squares works great, too.

Not going to lie, while making this gummy candy to package for gifts, the best part was the “scraps” left in the baking dish. They’re like bonus pieces of candy that I rolled in sugar and munched on while cleaning up.

Equipment

• Two 13 x 9 inch baking dishes (make sure it’s oven-safe to handle the hot candy mixture)
• non-stick spray
• Two cookie sheets
• small metal cookie cutters
• whisk
• large saucepan
• rubber spatula

Ingredients

The ingredients in gumdrops are easily found at your local grocery stores. Most of the items will be located in the baking aisle.

For the cherry gumdrops:

• 2½ cups sugar, divided
• 1⅓ cups applesauce
• 2 packages (3 ounces each) cherry gelatin
• 2 envelopes of unflavored gelatin
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice

For the lime gumdrops:

• 2½ cups sugar, divided
• 1⅓ cups applesauce
• 2 packages (3 ounces each) lime gelatin
• 2 envelopes of unflavored gelatin
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice

Steps to Make Christmas Gumdrops

Note: Process is the same for cherry gumdrops and lime gumdrops. It’s also important to note that this is not a last minute recipe. You will need to make this the day before to allow for the chill time and the drying of the gummy candy.

Step 1

Spray each 13 x 9-inch baking dish with non-stick spray and place in the refrigerator to chill. Also, spray a cookie sheet with nonstick spray and set aside (does not need to be chilled).

Step 2

In a large saucepan, combine 2 cups sugar, applesauce, cherry gelatin, unflavored gelatin, and lemon juice; let stand for 1 minute.

Step 3

Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Boil for 1 minute.

Step 4

Immediately pour into a cold 13 x 9 in. baking dish coated with cooking spray. Refrigerate for 3 hours or until firm.

Step 5

With a spatula, loosen cherry gelatin from the sides of the pan. Using the small sharp cookie cutters dipped in hot water, cut into shapes. Alternatively, you can cut the gelatin into 1-inch squares. Place cut shapes onto the prepared cookie sheet from Step 1. Dry at room temperature for about 8 hours or until slightly sticky.

Step 6

Once the candy is ready, roll each piece in the remaining sugar (1/2 cup).

Step 7

You will repeat steps 2 – 6 for the lime Jello-O. Store finished gumdrops in an airtight container. They are best when eaten in a couple of days.  

Tips, Tricks, and FAQs

• This is not a last-minute recipe. You will need to make this the day before to allow the chill time (3 hours) and the drying out of the gummy candy to set (8 hours).
• Spraying the baking dish and cookie pans is important so that the sticky gelatin doesn’t stick. Makes it easy to remove them from the dish/pan.
• Use any flavor of Jell-O you would like. Change it up for different holidays or themes.
• Same with the cookie cutters, you can find many different shapes either online or at your favorite kitchen store.

Other Christmas Candy Treats You May Enjoy

• 3 Ingredient Old-fashioned Potato Candy
• Homemade Christmas Crack Toffee
• Christmas Grinch Bark
• Soft Homemade Buttery Caramels
• Strawberry White Chocolate Bark

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Enjoy!