Healthy Homemade Gushers

Remember tearing open that little packet of Gushers as a kid, watching the fruit “gush” out when you bit in? But many store-bought ones are packed with artificial dyes, sugar, and mystery ingredients. That’s where this version comes in. These Homemade Gushers deliver that juicy, chewy satisfaction — but using real fruit, natural coloring, and clean ingredients. They’re fun for kids, satisfying for adults, and guilt-free enough to sneak into lunchboxes. Let me walk you through why these are special, how to make them, and all the tips you’ll want to know.

Homemade Gushers

These homemade gushers are a fun, chewy treat with gooey fruit filling, made with real fruit, natural colors, and clean ingredients. A nostalgic snack that’s kid-friendly and adult-approved!

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 5 minutes mins

Total Time 20 minutes mins

Course Dessert, Kid-Friendly Treats, Snack

Cuisine American, Healthy Homemade Candy

Servings 20 gushers

Calories 35 kcal

Ingredients

  

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• 1 cup orange juice divided
• ¼ cup mango purée
• ¼ cup grass-fed gelatin
• 1–2 tablespoons honey optional
• Pinch blue spirulina powder for natural blue color
• 1 cup no-sugar-added lemonade
• ¼ cup peach purée
• ¼ cup grass-fed gelatin
• 1–2 tablespoons honey optional
• Pinch matcha green tea powder for green color
• ¾ cup frozen strawberries
• ½ tablespoon arrowroot flour
• 1½ tablespoons water

Instructions

 

• In a small saucepan over medium heat, cook the frozen strawberries until they soften and bubble (3–5 minutes).
• In a separate bowl, whisk arrowroot and water into a slurry.
• Stir the slurry into the strawberries and cook 1–2 more minutes until jammy. Remove from heat and cool completely. Transfer into a piping bag or small zip-top bag with a tiny cut in one corner.
• For the blue base: Warm ½ cup orange juice with mango purée (and honey, if using) over low heat — avoid boiling.
• Remove from heat, whisk in the remaining ½ cup juice. While whisking, gradually sprinkle in gelatin to avoid clumps.
• Stir in a pinch of blue spirulina powder until color is uniform.
• Quickly pour into silicone gummy molds, filling halfway. Pipe a tiny dot of strawberry filling into the center. Top off with more orange-mango gelatin mixture to seal.
• For the green base: Warm ½ cup lemonade with peach purée (and honey, if using) over low heat.
• Remove from heat, whisk in remaining lemonade. Sprinkle in gelatin while whisking. Add matcha powder and stir well.
• Repeat the mold process: half-fill, add strawberry filling, then top off to seal.
• Refrigerate molds for 1–2 hours until fully set.
• Once firm, gently remove gushers from molds and store in an airtight container in the fridge.

Notes

Store gushers in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Let them sit at room temperature for 5–10 minutes before eating for the best chewy texture. For vegan versions, substitute gelatin with agar-agar and pectin (note the texture will be less chewy). Customize with other purées and color powders like raspberry, pineapple, or beet for fun variations.

Nutrition

Calories: 35kcalCarbohydrates: 6gProtein: 2gSodium: 5mgPotassium: 40mgSugar: 5gVitamin A: 50IUVitamin C: 15mgCalcium: 4mgIron: 0.1mg

Keyword clean candy, fruit snacks, homemade gushers, natural gummies

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Why These Homemade Gushers Are Worth It

• Clean ingredients, no artificial dyes or Jell-O mixes. We use fruit purées, natural powders like blue spirulina and matcha, and grass-fed gelatin.
• Customizable flavors and colors. You can easily swap in berries, tropical fruits, or other natural powders.
• Texture just right. Chewy on the outside, with a burst of gooey jam inside — the same delightful contrast that made classic Gushers iconic.
• Kid-friendly and adult-approved. My crowd of taste testers (ages 4 through 40) all gave thumbs up.
• Fun gift or snack. They’re adorable, portable, and perfect for lunchboxes, parties, or just a little midday pick-me-up.

Ingredients Breakdown + Substitutions

Here’s the full recipe (yields ~20 gushers) along with ideas to tweak it:

Ingredients

Blue (Orange Mango) gummy mixture

• 1 cup orange juice, divided
• ¼ cup mango purée
• ¼ cup grass-fed gelatin
• 1–2 tablespoons honey (optional)
• Pinch of blue spirulina powder (for natural blue color)

Green (Peach Lemonade) gummy mixture

• 1 cup no-sugar-added lemonade
• ¼ cup peaches, puréed
• ¼ cup grass-fed gelatin
• 1–2 tablespoons honey (optional)
• Pinch of matcha green tea powder (for green color)

Filling (Strawberry Gel)

• ¾ cup frozen strawberries
• ½ tablespoon arrowroot flour
• 1½ tablespoons water

Substitutions & Tips

• Fruit purée: Fresh fruit worked too — just blend and strain if needed for smoothness.
• Sweetener: You can replace honey with pure maple syrup, agave, or omit entirely if your fruit is sweet enough.
• Gelatin alternative: If you want a vegetarian version, you could try agar-agar, though the texture will differ (less chew, more gel).
• Natural color powders: Blue spirulina and matcha are gentle and mild. You could also try beet powder, turmeric (very small amount), or berry powders — test small amounts first.
• Arrowroot: It helps thicken the filling without altering flavor. Cornstarch also works, though arrowroot gives a clearer gel.

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Make the Strawberry Filling

1. In a small saucepan over medium heat, cook the frozen strawberries until they soften and bubble (3–5 min).
2. In a separate bowl, whisk arrowroot and water into a slurry.
3. Stir the slurry into the strawberries and cook 1–2 more minutes until jammy.
4. Remove from heat and cool completely. Transfer into a piping bag or a small zip-top bag with a tiny cut in one corner.

2. Make the Blue (Orange Mango) Base

1. Warm ½ cup orange juice with mango purée (and honey, if using) over low heat — avoid boiling.
2. Take off heat, whisk in the remaining ½ cup juice.
3. While whisking, sprinkle in the gelatin gradually (to prevent clumps).
4. Stir in the pinch of blue spirulina powder until uniform.
5. Quickly pour the mixture into silicone gummy molds, filling halfway.
6. Pipe in a tiny dot of the strawberry filling at center, then top off with more orange-mango gelatin to seal.

3. Make the Green (Peach Lemonade) Base

1. Warm ½ cup lemonade with peach purée (and honey if desired).
2. Remove from heat, whisk in the remaining lemonade.
3. Sprinkle in gelatin while whisking.
4. Add matcha powder, stir well.
5. Repeat the mold filling process: half-fill, pipe in filling, then seal on top.

4. Chill & Set

• Place molds in the fridge for 1–2 hours until firm.
• Once set, gently remove the gushers and store in an airtight container in the fridge.

Prep Time: 15 min
Cooking Time: 5 min
Total Time: ~20 min (+ chilling)
Servings: ~20
Storage Tip: Store up to 5 days. For best chew, let gushers sit 5–10 minutes at room temp before eating.

Variations, Serving & Storage

Variations

• Berry Blast: Use blueberry or raspberry purée plus matching natural powder for color.
• Tropical Twist: Pineapple + passion fruit purée with a dash of turmeric or butterfly pea powder for color.
• Citrus swirl: Lime or grapefruit purée inside, with external flavor from other fruit.
• Vegan twist: Try using agar-agar + fruit pectin (but expect a softer texture).

Serving Ideas

• Pack a few in lunchboxes for a fun fruity treat.
• Use them as edible candy garnishes or decor on cakes or cupcakes.
• Serve them on a small dessert platter — the contrast of colors looks gorgeous.

Storage

• Refrigerate in an airtight container, separate layers with parchment to avoid sticking.
• Best eaten within 5 days.
• Let them sit ~5–10 minutes at room temp before serving so they soften slightly and deliver that gush effect.

Final Thoughts & Links

I hope you fall in love with these Homemade Gushers as much as I did. They’re playful, colorful, and clean-ingredient — perfect for snacking, gifting, or sneaking into lunch boxes. If you’re craving more treat inspiration, you might also love my recipes like Ghost Linzer Cookies, Raspberry Swirl Brioche Loaf, or Pumpkin Blondies. And don’t forget to check out my other sweet treats like Pumpkin Snickerdoodle Cookies, Blue Cheese Stuffed Pears, Italian Cheese Loaf, Pistachio Cream Cookies, Pumpkin Pie Twists, Pumpkin Earthquake Cake, Pumpkin Bars, and Pumpkin Muffins.

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