Elderberry gummies are a tasty way to boost your immune system, and a fun way to get children to take their medicine. Elderberry syrup is well known in natural health circles as an immune-stimulating tonic, but why get out the medicine spoon when it’s a lot more fun to pop a few elderberry gummies in your mouth!
My kids love homemade gummy bears, ever since we made our first batch of dandelion honey gummies this spring. My daughter will pull out the silicone gummy bear molds and beg for gummy bear time.
Why not? They’re quick and easy to make. About 20 minutes start to finish, and two pre-schoolers do most of the work themselves!
For the most part, our homemade gummy bears are just fun treats. Sure, we’re using grass-fed gelatin which provides plenty of nutrients and protein, but I’ve yet to try to incorporate herbal medicines into my homemade gummies. Given that the base recipe starts with either herbal tea or fruit juice, using medicinal herbs (or berries in this case) is a logical next step.
I started by making a batch of homemade elderberry syrup. Recipes vary, but the basic process is to take dried elderberries and simmer them in water for about 30 minutes until they make a strong elderberry tea. I started with 1 cup of elderberries in 2 cups water and simmered it until the liquid had reduced by half to yield 1 cup (about 25-30 min).
Allow the mixture to cool to lukewarm and add in 1/2 cup of raw honey.
At this point, you have homemade elderberry syrup!
Of course, you can always start with store-bought elderberry syrup instead if that’s what you have on hand. Keep in mind though, storebought elderberry syrup often has other ingredients, including alcohol and cider vinegar for preservation. If you’re opposed to that, be sure to make your own simple elderberry syrup using dried elderberries and raw honey.
From elderberry syrup, there’s only one more ingredient to add to transform your syrup into convenient (and fun) elderberry gummies.
Elderberry syrup is the main ingredient in this homemade elderberry gummies recipe.
Grass-fed gelatin adds nourishing collagen to this recipe, as well as protein. Both of which help to nourish the body, making these the perfect tonic for cold and flu season.
The brand I use is Vital Proteins, which dissolves readily without clumps in lukewarm liquid (~90 to 100 degrees f). That means I can make these homemade elderberry gummies with raw honey, which makes this an even healthier elderberry gummies recipe.
I haven’t tried to make it with regular Knox gelatin, but if you do, let me know how it goes in the comments. I’d love to know if it dissolves as easily in a low-temperature liquid so that you can keep the honey raw.
Whisk the gelatin into the elderberry/honey mixture, and pour the mixture into gummy molds of your choice. My kids love gummy bears and gummy worms, as kids would. They come together in a pack of silicone gummy molds, along with convenient droppers that make filling easy.
I’ve also seen gummy molds for miniature dinosaurs if that’s more your thing…
Elderberry gummies can be made in any shape, and gummy worms are a huge hit.
Believe it or not, it only takes about 15 to 20 minutes for elderberry gummies to firm up. Try to peel one out and if it doesn’t come cleanly, allow them a few more minutes to fully set. Once removed from the molds, elderberry gummies will keep in the refrigerator for 2-3 weeks. It’s important to keep them refrigerated, there are no preservatives and they’ll quickly spoil at room temperature.
This is a small batch elderberry gummy recipe, which is perfect for just a few people over the course of two weeks. You shouldn’t have any trouble eating these all in a few weeks, and especially if you’re trying to take elderberry regularly as an immune booster.
Think of them as your own personal wellness army, just waiting to go to work…
Elderberry Gummy Variations
Given that these simple elderberry gummies can be made with a strong elderberry tea and honey, it’s easy to incorporate other herbs into the mix. Consider adding other immune-boosting herbs, or other targeted herbs based on your goals. Cinnamon and ginger are warming and comforting, and are good choices to complement elderberry gummies.
Consider adding any of the following:
- Echinacea for further immune-boosting benefits.
- Medicinal mushrooms like turkey tail, reishi or Chaga.
- Anti-microbial herbs like bee balm, sage or lavender.
- Natural herbal cough suppressants like thyme or cherry bark.
A collection of immune-boosting herbs, spices, mushrooms and lichen from around my yard.
Elderberry Gummies
Elderberry gummies are a convenient way to take elderberry syrup to help boost your immune system. They're easy to make and fun to eat!
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups Elderberry Syrup (see note)
- 3 Tbsp. Gelatin Powder
Instructions
- Gently warm the elderberry syrup on the stove until it's lukewarm (90 to 100 degrees).
- Add the gelatin powder and whisk until fully dissolved about 1-2 minutes.
- Pour the mixture into silicone gummy molds, using a dropper for easier pouring (or simply carefully spooning the mixture).
- Allow the elderberry gummies to set for about 20 minutes until firm.
- Remove the gummies from their molds.
- Store in a tightly sealed container in the refrigerator. Consume within 2-3 weeks.
Notes
To make homemade elderberry syrup, simmer 1 cup dried elderberries in 2 cups water for about 20-30 minutes. The liquid should reduce to about a cup once strained. Allow this strong elderberry tea to cool, and then add 1/2 raw honey for every cup of elderberry tea.
These elderberry gummies can be made with other herbs as well, simply add your choice of ingredients to the simmering pot along with the dried elderberries.
Recommended Products
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Honey Gardens Elderberry Syrup with Apitherapy Raw Honey, Propolis & Elderberries | Traditional Immune Formula w/Echinacea | 8 fl. oz. -
Vital Proteins Beef Gelatin : Pasture-Raised, Grass-Fed, Non-GMO (16.4 oz) - Gluten free, Dairy free, Sugar free, Whole30 Approved, and Paleo friendly -
![[UPGRADED VERSION] Vasdoo Silicone Gummy Bear Mold,Gummy Worm Mold,2 BONUS Droppers,Nonstick Candy Molds,Gumdrop Jelly Molds,Chocolate Molds - FDA Approved,BPA Free](https://adamantkitchen.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/71YDDhnmcOL._SX425_.jpg)
[UPGRADED VERSION] Vasdoo Silicone Gummy Bear Mold,Gummy Worm Mold,2 BONUS Droppers,Nonstick Candy Molds,Gumdrop Jelly Molds,Chocolate Molds - FDA Approved,BPA Free
More Elderberry Recipes
Kerry Lansford
Can these be made with agar agar?
Ashley Adamant
I haven’t tried making agar gummies, but I think you can? Another good vegan gummy option is pomona’s pectin, and the pectin has instructions for making gelatin with it. Use a bit more than you’d use for regular gelatin and the pomona’s will give you a good firm set on gummy bears.
Michael
I am interested in your elderberry gummies. This year we picked from our own elderberry trees about 5 kg of fruit which we have free flow frozen.
You use dehydrated fruit. Would I use the same recipe as you use or would I have to change it as I am using frozen fruit.
Ashley Adamant
You can make it with frozen fruit (or fresh) without issue.
Abby O'Reilly
What’s your serving size once prepared? I typically do a TBSP of liquid per day for immune maintenance. Do you know how much of the liquid approximately goes into each gummy?
Admin
The recipe makes 150 gummy bears with 1.5 cups of elderberry syrup, so you’re looking at 1 tablespoon being around 6 bears.
Lissa P.
Great Post, I appreciate your content Ashley. Short and easy to put it in action. I want to make delicious gummies for my children. They don’t like taste of raw elderberry much. I believe honey will help to taste these gummies better, Is there any way to add citrus taste to these gummies?
Admin
Hi there. You can add some lemon juice to your liking at the same time you combine the elderberry syrup and gelatin.
Evanne
How much gelatin did you put in there? Also, was it like a softer gummy not like a gummy bear texture?
Admin
The recipe called for 3 TBSP of gelatin. The gummies are softer. I’ve found that if you let them set in the freezer, they set up a lot cleaner and have a better texture. They won’t be chewy like store-bought gummies.
Kathryn Young
How much Thyme would you suggest I add?
Admin
Fresh or dry? I would probably start with a pinch of either and test whether or not it’s strong enough for me.
Summer
Hiya,
I’m hoping to make some gummies but can only seem to find freeze dried elderberries in NZ. Is it okay to use these?
Admin
Definitely!
Connie
Do you.strain the elderberries before adding the honey?
Ashley Adamant
Yes, you need to strain the elderberries.
RM
I used this recipe to make some herbal gummies for a botanical medicine class today and they came out amazing! I used elderberries, cinnamon, and a few drops of lemon essential oil. They were a hit! I’ll be playing around with some other herb combinations in the near future, as we plan to make gummies for our school’s club fair. I mostly used this recipe to get an idea of the syrup-to-gelatin ratio that is needed for herbal gummies, and the ratio in this recipe was great. The gummies were set within 2 hours in the fridge and were super tasty. I will definitely be referring back to this recipe as a base for any herbal gummies I make in the future 🙂
Carol Ann Vigoda
I used Bakol Jel Dessert Cherry which is 100% Natural Ingredients. It dissolved at 90-100 degrees. However, it gels very quickly, so you must move fast.
Patricia Ashie
Can I use organic pure fruit juice instead of water?
Looking forward to making these gummies. Thank you for information. Have a wonderful day.
Ashley Adamant
Yes, you can use fruit juice in place of water.