Today we are going to be talking about alcoholic gummy bears. No, I am not talking about gummy bears that are drunk all the time. Instead, I’m talking about delicious gummy bears that have been infused with some kind of alcohol or another. You may be aware that candy can be soaked in alcohol to combine the two; perhaps you’ve been doing it a lot yourself recently – or you have a party coming up. But maybe you want to take your candy and alcohol combining skills to the next level. Maybe you want to make the alcohol gummy bears from scratch. So let’s find out how exactly we do that.
So, how to make alcoholic gummy bears from scratch? You can make alcoholic gummy bears from scratch with very few ingredients and equipment. The process starts by heating a concoction of a chosen alcohol with gelatin and jello. You then add this concoction to a set of gummy bear molds before finally leaving them in the fridge for several hours to set.
Once this time is up, you will open your fridge to find a batch of alcoholic gummy bears staring back at you!
That’s the gist of it.
But there is more to it.
So keep reading to find out exactly what you need, how to use them, and the timeframes this will all take!
What Do You Need To Make Alcoholic Gummy Bears?
To make alcoholic gummy bears, you merely need your alcohol, your gummy bear creation ingredients, and the necessary equipment to shape the gummy bears.
Remember, this is how we make alcoholic gummy bears from scratch.
Anyone can buy a pack of Haribo gummy bears and soak them in alcohol to combine the two.
But in this article today, we’re talking about making them from scratch, where all the fun is in birthing the bears themselves.
So, let’s start with the ingredients.
To make gummy bears from scratch, you need two ingredients.
These are gelatin and jello. The ones I recommend are below on Amazon.
You have the freedom here to decide what flavor jello you use to make your alcoholic gummy bears.
It could be strawberry, raspberry, or popcorn flavored (if they sell that?)
These are the two ingredients that will produce the gummy bears.
If you wanted to make a batch of 50 gummy bears, then you would need 1 pack of gelatin and one box of jello with a flavor of your choosing.
Now, that is all we would need if we were just making gummy bears. But we’re not! We’re making alcoholic gummy bears.
So, in addition to the gelatin and the jello, we also need…you guessed it…alcohol.
Just like the gelatin, the alcohol you use is up to you. Spirits are best, but I will talk a bit more about that later.
For the example we’re using, which involves 1 pack of Knox gelatin and 1 box of jello, you will need a ½ cup of your chosen spirit.
When making a bath of strawberry jello alcoholic gummy bears, my chosen poison is ½ of flavored vodka. But it’s up to you.
So, let’s round that up. Combining 1 pack of gelatin with 1 box of jello and ½ cup of a chosen liquor will leave you with 50 alcoholic gummy bears.
But having the ingredients is only half of the job.
The other half is the necessary equipment.
You will need a saucepan, hob, and spoon to combine the ingredients.
You’ll also need a pipet or something to drop the concocted mixture into molds.
Then you’ll need a fridge for storage.
But most fundamentally, you’ll need a set of molds. After all, how are you going to get your ingredients to form the famous shape of gummy bears?
There are many affordable gummy bear molds of different capacity sizes that you can pick up off the internet! My go to is the below best-seller from Amazon!
- EXCLUSIVE VALUE SET: 4pcs bear molds can make 200 mini bears of various treats at a time. BPA free
- COME WITH DROPPERS: 2 droppers are very handy, easy to fill liquid into molds, especially for kids
- VERSATILE SILICONE MOLDS: Making healthy food of mini candy, chocolate, gummy, mint and much more.
- NON-STICK & EASY RELEASE: Flexible and easy to clean, making these cute silicone candy molds with your kids, I believe kids will love it with good detail shape
- Please pay attention to the size, it's mini size, each bear size: 1ml
How To Make Alcoholic Gummy Bears – Step By Step
The steps involved with making alcoholic gummy bears are whisking, heating, distributing, setting, and enjoying.
- Whisking
This is where we combine the ingredients of gelatin, jello, and liquor. In the saucepan, whisk all of the ingredients together until they are thoroughly mixed.
- Heating
Now we’re going to heat these mixed ingredients in the saucepan on the hob. Do this on medium heat whilst stirring. You need to do this until you have a mixture that is thick and hot but not boiling.
- Distributing
Great. Now you have your mixture. But now we need to distribute it in the molds. I personally use a pipet for this. You could also use a medicine syringe or eye dropper to simply drop the mixture into each of the gummy bear cavities in the molds.
- Setting
The molds are full. But you will have noticed that the alcoholic gummy bears aren’t actual gummy bears yet. They’re just liquid. So, we need to make them form into alcoholic gummy bears, which means sticking them in the fridge for 2-3 hours. It may take longer, or it may take less time. It may depend on the temperature of your fridge. But you will be able to check and judge for yourself whether or not the alcoholic gummy bears have been born.
- Enjoying
The simplest step. And the most fun one as well. Once your alcoholic gummy bears are ready, you can enjoy them now. So dig it. But go easy. Remember, they contain alcohol!
What Alcohol Is Best For Gummy Bears?
Spirits are the best for making gummy bears. My personal favorite is vodka.
You want a liquor that is going to compliment the fruity flavor of the gummy bears, not overpower them.
Spirits are usually best for this because, whilst they may be strong, they are dense in alcohol content, so you don’t need to use too much.
Tequila, bourbon, rum, you name it. If you like the taste, then go for it! But right now, I’m going to talk a little more about my favorite.
Vodka
Vodka is pretty polarising when drunk neat.
But everyone seems to love it when it’s mixed with a soft drink. Well, the case is the same when it’s mixed with candy, especially gummy bears.
In fact, many regard vodka gummy bears as the GOAT (greatest of all time) of the alcoholic candy world.
I love it too.
Its versatile flavor works in most recipes combining well with all suitable candies. But adding flavored vodka takes things up another level.
Alcohols To Avoid
You want your alcoholic gummy bears to taste nice. Otherwise, you’d just drink the alcohol straight and leave the gummy bears out.
So finding an alcohol that works well with your gummy bears is important.
It might take a little bit of experimenting to find out what works for you. But let’s talk about two alcohol types that I really don’t think mix in well with your gummy bears.
These are beer and wine. The problem with these two drinks is that, whilst they are delicious on their own, they simply don’t mix well with gummy bears or any candy for that matter.
The taste just isn’t compatible.
Additionally, their quantity to low proof rate is a problem. It would take a lot of beer or wine to make your alcoholic gummy bears well, alcoholic.
Pouring more beer or wine into the mixture just isn’t an option as it would simply overpower the gummy bears.
How Long Does It Take To Make Alcoholic Gummy Bears?
In total, it should take between 2 hours and 10 minutes to 3 hours and 10 minutes.
That 10 minutes you see at the end of those two times above is your prep time.
So, generally, mixing your ingredients together and distributing the resulting concoction amongst the molds should take 10 minutes.
The 2 hours or 3 hours is the time it takes for them to sit in the fridge.
You’re looking at 2 hours if your fridge is working effectively at a cooler temperature than, say, a less cool fridge. This fridge would mean you’ll probably wait an extra hour.
So the quality of the setting conditions impacts the time you will have to wait before you can enjoy your alcoholic gummy bears.
What’s so convenient about making them from scratch is that they’re actually really quick to make and can be done on the day of a boozy party!
How Long Do You Let Gummy Bears Sit In Alcohol
The process we have talked about today involves infusing the alcohol directly into the gummy bears. But if you make the gummy bears separately, then you will have to leave them in a bowl of alcohol to soak for 24 hours.
The average time required to let gummy bears soak in alcohol is 24 hours. By waiting this amount of time, you allow the candy to fully absorb and be infused by the alcohol.
If fully infused, you’ll be able to feel the effects of the alcohol from them. They will actually be alcoholic gummy bears.
Finally
The process of eating alcoholic gummy bears is a special one.
But it’s made even more special when you are the creator of those alcoholic gummy bears.
You get to see them be born from the mixture into beautiful alcoholic gummy bears…
…only to be devoured by you! Their maker!
Related Guides:
- Best Candy To Soak In Alcohol • 5 Of The Best To Try! •
- How To Make Vodka Gummy Bears Not Slimy • And Why They Do •
- How Long Do Vodka Gummy Bears Last? • On Average •
- How Many Vodka Gummy Bears Equals A Shot?
Hello, I’m Matthew, a candy expert and enthusiast with over a decade of experience in the candy industry. My passion for candy started at a very young age. Since then, I have worked in numerous, large candy stores, and have been fortunate enough to try out hundreds of brands of candies, different types and flavors. In addition to my work, I enjoy sharing my extensive knowledge with others, and decided to create Sugar Stand in order to do so. My mission is to make the world a sweeter place, one candy at a time.
