Homemade Elderberry & Apple Cider Gummies

Elderberry gummies are a great way to get the health benefits of elderberries but disguised as a treat.

In the past, I have made elderberry gummies from my homemade elderberry syrup recipe (just add a little extra water and a few tablespoons of gelatin).

They tasted great, but I thought it would be fun to give them a little twist and make them more like the sweetly flavored berry gummies my kids already know and love.

Plus, I discovered that some folks don't like the flavor of elderberry syrup, which the original elderberry gummies taste like. So I thought it was time to experiment a little and see what we could come up with.

Since it was fall, we had Apple Cider on hand, and that seemed to be the perfect match for elderberries. I'm confident this could work with other juices as well. So, feel free to experiment.

Another feature I love about these elderberry and apple cider gummies is that the recipe does not contain honey. Sometimes the flavor of homemade gummies ends up overpowered by honey. As in, all you can really taste when you eat them is the honey. I'm not really a fan of that, so finding that elderberries and apple cider was a sweet enough combination, without the need to add honey, was a big plus.

These elderberry-apple cider gummies provide a nice boost of vitamin C and also contain the gut-healing benefits of beef gelatin. Definitely a winning combination in my books.

My oldest daughter exclaimed that these were the best gummies I'd ever made. And I've made a lot of gummies! Including these strawberry-lime gummies. So, I think that's a kid-approved stamp of approval right there.

Elderberry & Apple Cider Gummies

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Ingredients

1/2 cup dried elderberries (buy from Mountain Rose Herbs or Amazon)
2.5 cups apple cider or apple juice (buy from Mountain Rose Herbs)
3-4 tablespoons beef gelatin (I use Perfect Supplements brand)

Optional ingredients:

1-3 tablespoons honey – for extra sweetness
2 teaspoons cinnamon chips for extra flavor. Cinnamon also aids in increasing circulation.

You will also need silicone molds

Method

Combine in a pot and let soak for 20 minutes. Warm over medium heat and simmer for 30 minutes.

Pour juice through a fine mesh sieve and strain out the elderberries, pressing the berries to get out as much juice as possible.

Discard the elderberries.

Measure the remaining juice. If it is less than 2 cups, add extra apple cider or apple juice until it reaches 2 cups. You can also use water instead if needed.

Taste the juice to see if the flavor is sweet enough. If not, add 1-3 tablespoons of honey, to your taste.

Return juice to pot and warm gently (it does not need to boil or simmer, just get it warm enough to dissolve the gelatin). As you get ready to stir in the gelatin, you will need to work quickly to avoid clumps. Have your gelatin measured and whisk ready to go.

Sprinkle one tablespoon of gelatin over the warmed juice, Whisk quickly to dissolve.

Repeat with remaining gelatin.

Pour into molds (I use these fruit-shaped silicone molds)

Refrigerate until set.

You may also put in the freezer for 10-15 minutes to speed up the process.

Once set, remove from molds and store in an airtight container in the fridge.