Christmas Gumdrops Recipe

Course: candy, Dessert, Snack

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 30

Cool Time: 2

Total Time: 2 30

Servings: gumdrops

Calories: 40kcal

Author: Becky Hardin

These red and green Christmas gumdrops are soft, chewy, and bursting with flavor! Using real flavored Jell-O and bloomed gelatin, they’re fun to cut into festive shapes and roll in sugar for the perfect holiday candy.

Print Recipe

US Customary - Metric

Equipment

Kitchen Scale (optional)
2 8x8 Baking Pan(s)
Mini cookie cutters (optional)

Ingredients

2½ cups water divided
½ ounce KNOX unflavored gelatine divided (2 (¼-ounce) envelopes)
6 ounces cherry flavored Jell-O (1 package)*
6 ounces lime flavored Jell-O (1 package)
6 tablespoons granulated sugar divided
Red and green food coloring optional, for vivid colors
1 cup coarse sugar for coating

Instructions

Line two 8x8-inch baking pans with parchment paper and spray with nonstick spray. Set aside.
Place ¼ cup of water in a small bowl and empty 1 envelope of unflavored gelatine over the water. Don’t stir! Let sit and “bloom” for 2 minutes. Then, you can stir and microwave for 10 seconds if necessary. Repeat with another ¼ cup of water and envelope unflavored gelatine, keeping them separate. Set aside for now.
2½ cups water, ½ ounce KNOX unflavored gelatine
In a microwave-safe bowl, heat the remaining 2 cups of water to boiling. Remove and divide into 2 small bowls, placing 1 cup of water in each.
Sprinkle the cherry Jell-O in one bowl of water and the lime on the other. Stir until the Jell-O has melted, then add 3 tablespoons of sugar to each bowl of Jell-O.
6 ounces cherry flavored Jell-O, 6 ounces lime flavored Jell-O, 6 tablespoons granulated sugar
Add one of the bowls of unflavored gelatine to the cherry Jell-O and stir until combined. Add a few drops of red food coloring if so desired. Pour into one of the prepared baking pans and place in the refrigerator. Repeat this step with the lime Jell-O and place it in the refrigerator once it is poured into the pan. Refrigerate until set hard--this may take 2 or more hours. You want these to get very jellied and dryer.
Red and green food coloring
Remove the pans and lift the parchment paper with the Jell-O out of the pan. Set on a hard surface and cut out shapes or cut into small cubes, using cookie cutters or a knife.
Place the coarse sugar in a bowl and roll each piece until coated.
1 cup coarse sugar
Place the gumdrops on a platter or parchment paper-lined baking sheet.
Store in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

Notes

*You can use any colors/flavors of Jell-O you like; feel free to change them up for different holidays.

Tips:

To “bloom” gelatine means to let it sit in cold water until it dissolves. It will gel, but when stirred, it is fine and can be microwaved.
Feel free to adjust the texture as desired. For firmer gumdrops, add an extra ½ envelope of unflavored gelatin to each flavor. For softer gumdrops, reduce each unflavored gelatin envelope by 1 teaspoon.
To make boozy gummy jello shots, add 1-2 tablespoons of the alcohol of your choice per batch of jello. Stir it in before adding the bloomed gelatin, and note that it will make the gummies a little softer or chewier.
Make sure the Jell-O mixture is spread evenly in the pan. Gently tap the pan on the counter to release air bubbles and level out the thickness.
These gumdrops will have a little more liquid that will dry out some over time. You can still cut the shapes out, and just pat dry a little with a paper towel before rolling in the sugar.
Gumdrops aren’t fully set the moment they gel. Letting them air-dry for 20-30 minutes after cutting gives them that classic chewy, slightly firm gumdrop texture and helps the sugar coating stick better.
I used Christmas-themed cookie cutters, like stars and Christmas trees, to cut shapes out of the hardened Jell-O sheets. You can also pour the liquid (before refrigerating) into silicone molds and let it set.
If using cookie cutters or a knife, lightly coat the blades with oil or cooking spray. This keeps the Jell-O from tearing and gives smoother shapes.
If your kitchen is warm or humid, the coarse sugar can melt on the candy. To prevent this, chill the cut gumdrops for 10 minutes before rolling in sugar, or roll them twice--once immediately, then again right before serving.
Don't skip the sugar coating. It's vital for keeping their texture and preventing sticking.
These are best stored unstacked in an airtight container to prevent drying out. If stacking is necessary, separate layers with wax paper to prevent sticking.

Storage: Store Christmas gumdrops in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week or in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Nutrition