How to Make Tropical Homemade Gummies
The thing I love about this homemade toddler snack is that it’s fun to eat, but it’s a bit more balanced than traditional fruit snacks. The fat from the coconut milk pairs with the natural sugars in the fruit to provide longer lasting energy—which can help prevent a sugar crash. (It’s always good to avoid a toddler meltdown when we can, right?!) These homemade gummies feature a nice serving of whole fruit, they are a super easy recipe to stir together, and they hold up for about a week in the fridge—so you can pack them in lunches or serve as snacks all week long. We’ve made these with both pineapple and mango and we like both variations. (They actually taste sort of similar.) I also made some in an 8×8 pan, then cut them with little cookie cutters, and did another batch in a silicone candy mold. It works really well both ways, so do whichever you prefer (and have the gear for!).
Recipe Tips:
Be sure to let them chill for the full time if you can since the longer they firm up, the easier they are to get out of the pan. In a rush to eat them? Just be sure to go slowly when removing the first few pieces from the pan. I give a range of sweetener since how much you will want to use will depend on your personal preference and the sweetness in the fruit. Taste the mixture before putting it into the pan to set and add more honey if needed. They should taste like natural fruit—do not expect them to be super sweet like store-bought fruit snacks. Fresh, ripe mango tastes delicious in this recipe and the more flavor the fruit has, the better the gummies will be. You can also use frozen —simply thaw it before processing it in the food processor.
