Fill your Easter baskets and candy dishes with these cute homemade sour Easter gumdrops. These brightly shaped Easter candies are shaped like bunnies, eggs, carrots, and chicks and coated in sour sugar.
If you have never tried homemade gumdrops, you definitely should! There is no comparison to store-bought gumdrops and homemade gumdrops. They are soft and delicately chewy, not sticky.
Plus you can flavor them using any candy flavoring oils you like. So if you enjoy green apple or pear or peach or even bubble gum you can use those flavors.
My favorite is green apple and I love to give my candies a little sour punch. See all my homemade candy recipes.
Tips for making sour gumdrops:
To add a sour flavor to your candies you can toss your sugar with citric acid powder then roll the gumdrops in the sour sugar.
These gumdrops are made using pectin so they have a nice soft texture unlike gumdrops made using gelatin. Be sure not to use low-sugar or no-sugar pectin. Those will not work in this recipe.
I left these gumdrops clear and then coated them in colored sugar. If you are making a full batch of one Easter shapes then you can add food coloring to the candy mixture if you want your candies to be colorful all the way through.
I highly recommend you have a candy thermometer or my favorite instant-read thermometer, a Thermapen in order to make this recipe.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Check out my Under the Sea Gumdrop recipe for a step-by-step tutorial.
Recipe
- baking spray and butter to grease pans
- ¾ cup water
- 1.75 ounces powdered fruit pectin (do not use low or no sugar pectin)
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup light corn syrup
- ½ teaspoon flavored candy oil (green apple, watermelon, cherry, lemon)
- ⅔ cup granulated sugar
- 3 teaspoons citric acid powder plus more to increase the sour flavor
- liquid food coloring
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Spray an 8-inch nonstick square baking pan liberally with baking spray.
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Grease one medium-large saucepan with butter and set aside.
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In another medium saucepan combine the water, pectin, and baking soda.
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Stir the foamy mixture and set over high heat.
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Bring to a boil then remove from the heat and set aside.
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Pour the corn syrup into the greased saucepan then add the sugar on top.
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Set the pan over medium-high heat and allow it to cook for one minute.
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Gently stir the sugar into the corn syrup and continue stirring until the sugar begins to dissolve.
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Place a lid on the pan for two minutes. The steam build-up will help wash any sugar crystals down the sides of the pan.
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Remove the pan lid then clip your candy thermometer onto the side of your pan.
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Cook, without stirring, until the thermometer registers 260 degrees Fahrenheit.
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At this point place the pan of pectin back over high heat and bring to a boil.
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Once the pan of sugar syrup reaches 280 degrees F remove it from the heat.
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Begin stirring the sugar syrup and then drizzle the hot pectin into the pan very carefully. The mixture will bubble up and the steam will be very hot.
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Once all the pectin has been poured into the saucepan, return it to medium-high heat and cook it for one more minute without stirring.
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Remove from the heat and stir in the flavored candy oil.
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To test if the candy will set properly you can drop a spoonful of the hot liquid candy into a cup of ice water. Let it sit in the water for 30-60 seconds then lift it out.
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The candy should have cooled down enough to safely touch and it should feel firm but pliable like a gumdrop.
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If it’s too soft, then you will need to reheat the mixture to 280 degrees F.
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Pour the liquid candy carefully into your prepared 8-inch pan.
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Set aside to cool and firm up for 8 hours.
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Stir together the sugar and citric acid.
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Divide the sugar into small zip-top bags according to the number of colors you’d like.
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Add drops of liquid food coloring to each bag and shake and knead the sugar until the color completely coats the sugar.
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Pour the colored sugar into bowls and set aside, stirring occasionally, until it air dries.
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Just before cutting the gumdrops place the pan in the freezer for 10-15 minutes.
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Remove from the freezer and run a thin plastic spatula or metal knife around the edge of the pan to loosen the candy from the pan.
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Flip the pan upside down and allow the gumdrops to fall out of the pan.
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Spray your mini Easter cookie cutters with non-stick baking spray.
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Press a cutter into the gumdrops to make a nice clean cut.
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Push the candy out of the cutter into a bowl of the sugar.
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Toss the candy to evenly coat it with sugar then set it on a non-stick baking pan to dry.
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Continue to cut your gumdrops.
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The scraps of gumdrops and be cut into small pieces and tossed in the remaining sugar.
Store covered for up to 2 weeks.
Related Recipes
See all of my homemade gumdrop recipes.
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- How to make peanut butter? - February 15, 2024
- OREO Penguins - December 20, 2023
candy curious says
If I wanted to add food coloring to the mixture, drops or gel and how much? thanks!
Beth says
I would use liquid food coloring to color the gumdrops. The number of drops will depend on the color you use. Start with a few drops, then add more as needed. Also note that some brands of pectin are fairly clear while others are a bit more tan. That will also affect the color of the candy.