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    Home » Recipes » Easter Recipes

    Homemade sour Easter gumdrops

    Modified: Mar 26, '25 · Published: Mar 28, '20 · By: Beth Klosterboer · Commission earned on paid or sponsored links.

    Jump to Recipe

    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.

    brightly colored homemade sour easter gumdrops in bunny, carrot, chick, and egg shapes

    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.

    These cute bunny, carrot, chick, and Easter egg shaped sour gumdrops are soft and chewy and really delicious.

    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.

    use pectin, baking soda, and water to make homemade gumdrops
    boil sugar and corn syrup to make homemade gumdrops

    Step-by-Step Instructions

    Check out my Under the Sea Gumdrop recipe for a step-by-step tutorial.

    Recipe

    brightly colored homemade sour easter gumdrops in bunny, carrot, chick, and egg shapes
    Print
    Sour Easter Gumdrops
    Prep Time
    25 mins
    Cook Time
    10 mins
     
    This Easter fill your candy dishes and baskets with these cute and colorful sour Easter gumdrops. Each bite-sized bunny, chick, carrot, and egg-shaped candy is coated in colorful sugar that has been blended with citric acid to give it a sour punch.
    Course: Dessert
    Cuisine: American
    Keyword: candy, gumdrops, sour candy
    Servings: 36
    Calories: 61 kcal
    Author: Beth Klosterboer
    Ingredients
    Gumdrops:
    • 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)
    Colored Sugar
    • ⅔ cup granulated sugar
    • 3 teaspoons citric acid powder plus more to increase the sour flavor
    • liquid food coloring
    Instructions
    Gumdrops:
    1. Spray an 8-inch nonstick square baking pan liberally with baking spray.
    2. Grease one medium-large saucepan with butter and set aside.
    3. In another medium saucepan combine the water, pectin, and baking soda.
    4. Stir the foamy mixture and set over high heat.
    5. Bring to a boil then remove from the heat and set aside.
    6. Pour the corn syrup into the greased saucepan then add the sugar on top.
    7. Set the pan over medium-high heat and allow it to cook for one minute.
    8. Gently stir the sugar into the corn syrup and continue stirring until the sugar begins to dissolve.
    9. 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.
    10. Remove the pan lid then clip your candy thermometer onto the side of your pan.
    11. Cook, without stirring, until the thermometer registers 260 degrees Fahrenheit.
    12. At this point place the pan of pectin back over high heat and bring to a boil.
    13. Once the pan of sugar syrup reaches 280 degrees F remove it from the heat.
    14. 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.
    15. 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.
    16. Remove from the heat and stir in the flavored candy oil.
    17. 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.
    18. The candy should have cooled down enough to safely touch and it should feel firm but pliable like a gumdrop.
    19. If it’s too soft, then you will need to reheat the mixture to 280 degrees F.
    20. Pour the liquid candy carefully into your prepared 8-inch pan.
    21. Set aside to cool and firm up for 8 hours.
    Colored Sugar:
    1. Stir together the sugar and citric acid.
    2. Divide the sugar into small zip-top bags according to the number of colors you’d like.
    3. Add drops of liquid food coloring to each bag and shake and knead the sugar until the color completely coats the sugar.
    4. Pour the colored sugar into bowls and set aside, stirring occasionally, until it air dries.
    Cutting Gumdrops:
    1. Just before cutting the gumdrops place the pan in the freezer for 10-15 minutes.
    2. 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.
    3. Flip the pan upside down and allow the gumdrops to fall out of the pan.
    4. Spray your mini Easter cookie cutters with non-stick baking spray.
    5. Press a cutter into the gumdrops to make a nice clean cut.
    6. Push the candy out of the cutter into a bowl of the sugar.
    7. Toss the candy to evenly coat it with sugar then set it on a non-stick baking pan to dry.
    8. Continue to cut your gumdrops.
    9. The scraps of gumdrops and be cut into small pieces and tossed in the remaining sugar.
    Recipe Notes

    Store covered for up to 2 weeks.

    Related Recipes

    Learn how to make homemade gumdrops. See tutorials for Gumdrop Star, Brains, Skulls, and More at HungryHappenings.com.

    See all of my homemade gumdrop recipes.

    • Author
    • Recent Posts
    Beth Klosterboer
    Beth Klosterboer
    Hi, I'm Beth 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
    Beth Klosterboer
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    1. candy curious says

      April 01, 2020 at 10:26 pm

      If I wanted to add food coloring to the mixture, drops or gel and how much? thanks!

      Reply
      • Beth says

        April 01, 2020 at 11:23 pm

        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.

        Reply
    Beth Jackson Klosterboer

    Welcome to Hungry Happenings!

    I'm Beth. I've been a professional chocolatier & baker for over 30 years, have written 5 cookbooks, and love creating fun food for holidays and special occasions.

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