Gumdrop Brains - Creepy Halloween Candy

Creep out your friends this Halloween by serving them homemade Gumdrop Brains. Each transparent candy looks like it's bleeding inside.

Oh, why didn't I come up with this idea last year for our zombie party? These bleeding candy brains would have been a killer addition to our zombie dessert table served alongside my Cake Ball Brains.

I have a bit of an obsession with bleeding brains for Halloween. Although I love creating cute party food, when it comes to Halloween the creepier the better. These are definitely in the gruesome category.

Each candy brain is hemorrhaging blood, or so it appears. Really they are just homemade gumdrops filled with red food coloring.

It's really cool how you can see the ruby red blood inside the clear gummy brain.

It's even better when you cut into the brains, er, I mean gumdrops. The cross-section really shows the blood.

Have you ever made homemade gumdrops? I did. last year, for the first time. I made Red, White, and Blue Gumdrop Stars, and I fell in love with their soft chewy texture. They are much better than store-bought candies and the best part is that you can make them any flavor you like.

I'll admit that making gumdrops can be a bit challenging, but I promise you once you get the hang of it, you'll want to make them over and over again, in various shapes and flavors. I got a bit carried away the other day and made three different batches of Halloween gumdrops. I'll share the other two tutorials with you soon.

Homemade Halloween Candy - Brain Hemorrhage Gumdrops

Ingredients:

powdered fruit pectin (not low or no sugar pectin) - I used Sure-Gel pectin. Some pectins, like Ball Pectin have a brownish tint. You really want to use clear pectin when making these gumdrop brains and Sure-Gel pectin is nice and clear.

baking soda - Baking soda will provide lift to the candies so they are airy and light. These gumdrops have the most amazing texture. They are softer than store-bought gumdrops.

sugar - Use granulated sugar to make your candy sweet. You will also coat your gumdrops in sugar to keep them from sticking.

light corn syrup - Not only does corn syrup add sweetness, but it also prevents your gumdrops from crystallizing and adds the perfect chew to the candies.

flavored candy oil - I used LorAnn Sour Apple oil but you can use any flavor you like. Start by adding ¼ teaspoon of the candy oil to the hot gumdrop mixture. To test the flavor, fill a glass with ice cubes, then pour in some water. Dip a metal spoon into the hot gumdrop candy mixture then set that spoonful of candy into the ice water to cool for one minute. Once the candy cools, you can taste it to see if you want to add more flavoring.

red liquid food coloring - You will add a drop of liquid red food coloring to each gumdrop brain to make them look bloody inside.

Supplies:

2 Brain Freeze Molds (each has 4 brain cavities)
optional, food handling glove to help with greasing your molds

1 ½ or 2-quart saucepan, preferably a good quality stainless steel pan
2 or 3-quart saucepan

candy thermometer
glass bowl with a spout or a glass mixing bowl
skewer or toothpick

Instructions:

Step 1 - Grease your silicone brain molds.

1. Butter your brain molds before you make your batch of gumdrops.
   • I recommend using butter because cooking spray will leave a film on your silicone molds.

Step 2 - Make homemade gumdrops.

1. Pour corn syrup and sugar into a buttered 3-quart saucepan set over medium-high heat.
2. Cook until a candy thermometer reaches 280 degrees Fahrenheit.
3. Meanwhile, in another saucepan bring water, pectin, and baking soda to a boil, stirring constantly.
4. Once the sugar syrup reaches 280 degrees, pour in the pectin syrup.
5. Stir constantly for one minute then remove it from the heat.
6. Stir in the flavoring.

Step 3 - Fill brain molds with gumdrop mixture.

1. Set your silicone brain molds on a baking pan or cutting board that will fit into your freezer.
2. Pour the gumdrop mixture into the brain molds, filling them about ¾ full.
   • You can top them off after you fill up all 8 brains. You won't have enough to completely fill the molds.

Step 4 - Make the brains look bloody!

1. Immediately, poke a hole in each brain using a skewer or toothpick that has been dipped in red food coloring.
2. Swirl the skewer around a bit, spreading the red coloring around inside the brains.

Step 5 - Cool the gumdrop brains.

1. Allow the gumdrops to cool at room temperature for 1 hour.
2. Then, pop the molds into the freezer for an hour.
3. Remove, and un-mold the brains onto some sugar.
4. Coat all the gumdrop brains in sugar.

The brains look eerily transparent without sugar, but they are pretty sticky, so I do recommend coating them.

Step 6 - Storing your homemade gumdrop brains.

1. Store in an airtight container for up to a month.
2. Do not refrigerate. They will become sticky.

You can find the supplies needed to make these gumdrop brains at Amazon.com (commission earned for sales).

be sure to check out all the Halloween recipes here on Hungry Happenings.

Print

Gumdrop Brains - Creepy Halloween Candy

Prep Time

30 mins

Cook Time

10 mins

Total Time

40 mins

 

Gumdrops made in the shape of brains with red food coloring "blood" inside

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: gumdrop brains, gummy candy, homeade gummy brains

Servings: 16

Author: Beth Jackson Klosterboer

Ingredients

• butter to grease pan and brain mold
• ¾ cup water
• 1 1.75 ounce package original powdered fruit pectin (not low or no sugar pectin)
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup light corn syrup
• ¼ -½ teaspoon flavored oil I used LorAnn Sour Apple oil
• granulated sugar to coat gumdrops
• red liquid food coloring
• NOTE: You want pectin that is white or clear looking. I used Sure-Jell for this recipe. Ball pectin has a brown hue to it so I don't suggest it for this project.

Supplies:

• 2 Fred and Friends Brain Freeze Molds with 8 brain cavities
• optional food handling glove to help with greasing your molds
• 1 ½ or 2 quart saucepan preferably a good quality stainless steel pan
• 2 or 3 quart saucepan
• candy thermometer
• glass bowl with spout or a glass mixing bowl
• skewer or toothpick

Instructions

1. Butter your brain molds before you make your batch of gumdrops.

2. Pour corn syrup and sugar into a buttered 3-quart saucepan set over medium-high heat.

3. Cook until a candy thermometer reaches 280 degrees Fahrenheit.

4. Meanwhile, in another saucepan bring water, pectin, and baking soda to a boil, stirring constantly.

5. Once the sugar syrup reaches 280 degrees, pour in the pectin syrup. Stir constantly for one minute then remove it from the heat.

6. Stir in the flavoring.

7. As soon as your gumdrop mixture is ready, pour it into a glass bowl, preferably with a spout.

8. Pour the gumdrop mixture into your brain molds, filling them ¾ full.

9. Immediately, poke a hole in each brain using a skewer or toothpick that has been dipped in red food coloring.
10. Swirl the skewer around a bit, spreading the red coloring around inside the brains.
11. Allow the gumdrops to cool for 1 hour then pop the molds into the freezer for an hour.
12. Remove, and un-mold the brains onto some sugar.
13. Coat all the gumdrop brains in sugar.
14. Store in an airtight container for up to a month.

This recipe was originally published on October 3, 2013.

More Creepy Halloween Edible Crafts

from Hungry Happenings fit for a Zombie party

Cake Ball Brains Oozing Cherry Blood

Pumpkin P-Eye

Cookies 'n Cream Tombstones with clever epitaphs

Hand-Burger Dripping in Blood Red Ketchup

Creme Brulee P-EYE

Lung Calzones

Pizza P-EYE and other Appet-EYE-sers

• Author
• Recent Posts

Beth

Hi, I'm Beth Jackson Klosterboer, a professional chocolatier & baker, cookbook author, and event planner. I love sharing recipes for happy occasions here on Hungry Happenings. I also create easy fudge recipes to share at HowToMakeEasyFudge.com, rice krispie treat recipes at HowToMakeCerealTreats.com, and easy cookie recipes at HowToMakeEasyCookies.com

Latest posts by Beth (see all)

• Homemade Chocolate Easter Bunnies - April 3, 2023
• Mini Basketball Cheeseburgers - February 15, 2023
• Snowman Popcorn Bucket - December 24, 2022