Made from only four ingredients, this watermelon/lime* mixture ends up having remarkable similarities to the chewy gummy fruit candies sold in stores. This version is a far healthier fruity treat, although perhaps not quite as chewy. You can thank registered dietician and runner Chrissy Carroll (Snacking in Sneakers) for creating it.
Makes 45-50 gummies
Ingredients:
2 cups diced watermelon (or start with 1 cup strained watermelon juice)
½ cup freshly squeezed lime juice (about 3+ limes depending on size)
3 tablespoons honey
3-4 tablespoons unflavored gelatin (the larger amount results in firmer gummies)
Equipment: Silicone candy molds and a food-safe eye dropper – or flat, shallow baking dishes**
Preparation:
Place the watermelon pieces in a blender or food processor. Turn on for a few seconds until they all become liquid. Place a fine-mesh strainer over a bowl and pour the watermelon puree through. You’ll be left with about 1 cup of watermelon juice in the bowl, which you’ll use for this recipe.
In a medium pot over low heat, combine 1 cup watermelon juice, lime juice, and honey. Continue to heat on low, whisking a few times, until everything is fully combined and hot. Do not allow it to boil.
Whisk in the gelatin and remove from heat. Continue whisking for another 30 seconds. If there are any chunks of gelatin remaining, just scoop them out and discard.
Use a food-safe dropper to place the mixture in silicone molds OR pour a shallow layer (about ¼ inch) into flat, shallow baking dishes.
Put the molds/baking dishes into the freezer for about 15 minutes OR into the refrigerator for an hour.
Pop the gummy shapes out of the molds OR cut the gummy sheet into smallish diamonds or other shapes.
If you wish, dip all (or only a part) of the top of each gummy into granulated white sugar for a sweeter, decorated treat.
To store, keep in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
*A recipe for watermelon/sour cherry gummies by the same recipe creator can be found at https://www.snackinginsneakers.com/watermelon-protein-gummies/
** If you want gummies that look like commercial gummies, use silicone candy molds (often sold for making chocolates), which create various nifty small shapes—stars, crescent moons, circles, even small bears. OR pour about 1/4-inch of the gelatin mixture into flat, shallow baking dishes. After it sets, use a knife to cut it into smallish diamond shapes, small oblongs the size of gummy bears, or other appealing shapes.
–Slightly adapted from a recipe created by Chrissy Carroll and shared by watermelon.org. Used with permission of both.
- Chrissy Carroll’s original blog post on watermelon gummies is at Snacking in Sneakers (including nutrition information) at https://www.snackinginsneakers.com/watermelon-protein-gummies/
- Watermelon.org is the website of The National Watermelon Promotion Board
Recipe tested by Ellen Ficklen; email questions to hello@watermelontimes.com