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Free Printable: Low Carb & Keto Food List
Get It NowYou won’t believe how sweet and chewy these pink sugar free gummy bears are. It’s easy to think that keto gummy bears take a ton of time and a ton of crazy ingredients — but that’s not true! You can whip up these keto gummies with just 20 minutes prep and you’ll even get some health benefits while you eat them.
(If you want something quicker without having to fill individual gummy bear molds, make keto jello instead, which is very similar but more jiggly — and faster to make.)
Why You’ll Love These Sugar Free Gummy Bears
- Sweet and fruity flavor
- Chewy and gummy… just how you would want them to be
- Surprisingly simple to make
- Just 20 minutes active prep time
- 3.3 grams net carbs per handful
- Just 3 ingredients (made with real food!)
Have you ever seen the ingredients in gummy bears that are in stores? They are basically sugar, sugar, and more sugar. So, I made my own instead.
The key to the perfect texture in these keto gummies is my Besti monk fruit sweetener. It’s not the same as other brands of monk fruit! Unlike others, this one dissolves effortlessly and won’t crystallize when you store it, leaving you with perfectly smooth, sweet gummies without an aftertaste or weird texture.
Ingredients You’ll Need
This section explains how to choose the best ingredients for keto gummy candy, what each one does in the recipe, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card below.
- Strawberries – Use ripe and dark red fresh strawberries for the sweetest flavor. Frozen strawberries will work as well. (See variations below for other flavors!)
- Besti Monk Fruit Allulose Blend – This is the closest in texture and flavor to real sugar. It’s an important ingredient because it dissolves better than other sweeteners and won’t crystallize when you store your low carb gummy bears.
- Unflavored gelatin powder – This can’t be substituted, as it’s what gives the keto gummy bear recipe its chewy texture.
How To Make Sugar Free Gummy Bears
This section shows how to make keto gummy bears, with step-by-step photos and details about the technique, to help you visualize it. For full instructions, including amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card below.
- Boil strawberries. Combine water and strawberries in a saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring and mashing berries. Simmer until berries are falling apart and mash easily.
- Bloom gelatin. Sprinkle gelatin powder into the bowl of remaining water and whisk immediately before it sets. Set aside.
- Strain. Pour the berry mixture over a fine mesh sieve lined with a jelly bag. Press berries with the back of the spoon to get out all of the juice.
TIP: You need 3/4 cup juice total.
If you don’t have 3/4 cup, add water to make it enough. If you have too much, measure out 3/4 cup only.
- Sweeten. Wipe down the saucepan (so there aren’t any solids in it!) and pour juice back in. Add Besti Monk Fruit Allulose Blend and stir until dissolved.
TIP: Adjust sweetener to taste.
After the sweetener has dissolved, taste and add more if desired. The amount you need can vary depending on how sweet your strawberries are.
- Add gelatin. Add the bloomed gelatin to the saucepan and heat gently, while stirring, until gelatin dissolves. Be careful not to overheat, to avoid breaking down the gelatin’s properties.
- Fill molds. Use a dropper to fill gummy bear molds.
- Chill. Refrigerate gummy bears until set. Remove molds from fridge and pop them out.
TIP: Take the molds out of the fridge one at a time.
The bears are easier to remove when cold.
Are Sugar Free Gummy Bears Keto?
While you can find plenty of sugarless gummy bears at the store, most of them are made with artificial ingredients, flavors, and sweeteners. They might be fine if you’re dirty keto, but it’s much better to make your own with natural ingredients.
Just be careful with homemade versions, too. Most recipes for “sugar free” gummies are made with fruit juice, which is actually loaded with sugar. Make this keto friendly gummy bear recipe instead — it has less than 3g sugar per serving.
Flavor Variations
- Raspberry, blackberry, or blueberry – Use one of these other berries (they are all keto fruit!) in your sugar free gummy bear recipe. You can use approximately the same weight as you would for strawberries, and just measure out 3/4 cup of liquid to use in step 4.
- Lemon/lime – Dilute 1/3 cup of lemon or lime juice with water to make 3/4 cup of liquid, then proceed with the recipe starting with step 5.
- Gummy worms – Use a worm silicone mold instead of bears!
- Lower carb version – This recipe has 3.3g net carbs per serving. If you want to lower the carb count, reduce the amount of strawberry juice from 3/4 cup to 1/2 cup and add 1/4 cup water instead. You can adjust sweetener if needed.
Storage Instructions
- Store: Keep this homemade sugar free gummy bears recipe in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Because they are made with fresh berries, it’s not recommended to keep them unrefrigerated for extended periods, but a few hours is fine if you want to take them on-the-go.
- Freeze: Arrange the gummies in a single layer on a parchment lined baking sheet. Once solid, transfer them to a bag for freezer storage. Thaw on the counter before enjoying.
More Keto Candy Recipes
If you like this keto gummy recipe, you might also like some of these other keto candies:
Tools To Make Sugar Free Gummy Bears
- Saucepan – This one is durable and a good size for this recipe.
- Fine mesh sieve – For straining the strawberries.
- Jelly bag – A sieve on its own is not enough, so be sure to also get this jelly bag for the best texture in your gummies.
- Silicone gummy bear molds – These molds are a must for this keto-friendly gummy bear recipe.
Homemade Sugar Free Gummy Bear Recipe
Sugar Free Gummy Bears (Keto, 3 Ingredients!)
Make sugar free gummy bears with just 3 ingredients! These easy, sweet, and fruity gummy bears are made with real strawberries.
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Ingredients
Tap underlined ingredients to see where to get them. Please turn Safari reader mode OFF to view ingredients.
Instructions
Tap on the times in the instructions below to start a kitchen timer while you cook.
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Combine 1/4 cup water and strawberries in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring and mashing as berries soften.
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Reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer for 4-7 minutes, until berries are fall-apart soft. Mash with the back of a spoon.
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Meanwhile, pour the remaining 1/2 cup water into a small bowl. Sprinkle the gelatin powder into the bowl and whisk immediately before it sets. Set aside to bloom for at least 5 minutes.
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Place a fine mesh sieve lined with a jelly bag or nut milk bag over a bowl. When the berries are very soft, pour the berry mixture over the sieve to strain. Press with a spoon or spatula to push the juice into the bowl. You should get about 3/4 cup of juice – measure out 3/4 cup to use for the jello, and add water to reach this mount if it’s not enough juice.
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Wipe down the saucepan and pour juice back into the saucepan over medium heat. Add Besti and stir to dissolve. Taste and adjust sweetener to taste if needed.
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Reduce heat to low. Stir in the bloomed gelatin and heat, stirring, for about 2 minutes, until gelatin dissolves.
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Use a dropper to fill silicone gummy bear molds with the liquid.
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Refrigerate for about 2 hours, until set. Remove the molds from the fridge one at a time to pop out the bears. (They are easier to remove when cold, so don't take all the molds from the fridge at once.) Store in the refrigerator.
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Recipe Notes
Serving size: 25 gummy bears
Nutrition facts are provided as a courtesy. Have questions about calculations or why you got a different result? Please see our nutrition policy.
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73 Comments
Stephanie
0To everyone complaining about the texture you need to “dry out” your gummy bears to get the traditional texture. Google it.
Roberta Krouth
0What would happen if I did not strain them? Of course would not be clear, but hate losing out on the pulp. It would change the ratio of fruit and gelatin.
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Roberta, I have not tried that but if you do please let me know the results.
S
0I don’t want to use strawberries in these gummies as I really like eating them whole and fresh. I have some acai powder that I will mix with the Besti Monk Fruit granulated sweetener and the gelatin and any other necessary ingredient. I will also save more on the carbs.
Jane
0I am hoping to make these with my niece next week but don’t have time to have the Besti Monkfruit Allulose Sweetener shipped to me. What should I use in it’s place?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Jane, Unfortunately I don’t know of another sweetener that would work well here. Besti or plain allulose are the only ones that will dissolve correctly. Normally Besti is on Amazon with 2-day prime shipping, but if it shows unavailable, plain allulose here would be fine, just add 30% more of it.
Jane
0Thanks! Ordered the allulose.
Terri
0Best Ever.
Dianna
0Looks easy! Do you know if there is a way to make them sour? I love tart sweets! Can’t wait to make this, I need to buy molds first. Thanks!
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Dianna, Adding a tiny amount of citric acid will give you sour gummies. Enjoy!
Denise Ganulin
0I have tried many of your wonderful recipes and loved them. This one is not up to your others. I made it exactly as the recipe said with the molds and jelly bags. I got 3/4 cup of juice just as you said. The flavor is awesome. The problem is the texture. These are NOT chewy at all. They are like little pieces of jello. I even tried freezing them, but then they are icy and still not chewy. I had high hopes for these, but was very disappointed. Not sure how you can make these chewy, but I wish you would go back to the drawing board and find out!! Thanks for all your wonderful recipes…………
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Denise, Mine were very chewy. It sounds like there wasn’t enough gelatin in your batch, or maybe you used a different brand and that had some effect? Just to make sure, you put in 2 tablespoons (not 2 teaspoons) of gelatin powder?
Denise Ganulin
0yes, I used 2 TABLESPOONS of gelatin…….just as the recipe said. I used Knox Gelatin packets. What kind of gelatin did you use??
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Denise, I linked the brand I used in the recipe card. It may differ slightly from the brand you used, but they should be similar. The gelatin needs to bloom in cold water, then can be added to the hot liquid to fully dissolve.
Heather
0Hi, I was wondering if just regular collagen peptides could be used in place of the gelatin? I tried this they came out like jello. Thanks!
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Heather, Sorry, no collagen won’t work in place of gelatin, it doesn’t have gelling properties. It sounds like there wasn’t enough gelatin in your batch, or maybe you used a different brand and that had some effect.
Amy L Huntley
0I can’t believe that these are sugar free. So sweet! Gummy Bears are my favorite!
Kristyn
0My kids will be in heaven!! We seem to never have enough gummies around. This will be a great treat to make with my kids!
Natalie
0Cute & delicious!! My kids love things gummy, so I will be keeping these made all the time!
Katie
0I’ve always been a big fan of gummies and I love that I can make these at home without all the sugar!
Arlene Baker
0I have an over abundance of purple (not concord) grapes, and would like to know if you have ever tried it with grapes? I realize the color would need to be boosted, but I don’t want to see my 2# of grapes go to waste, and don’t feel like making ‘raisins’ out of them.
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Arlene, I have not tried this recipe with grapes, but it would probably work as well.
Pam
0Not a fan at all. Went to the expense of purchasing the necessary supplies and ingredients and they turned out bleh. To me, they are not the least bit pretty and the taste and texture are off-putting. Will not make again.
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Pam, I’m sorry you were not happy with the outcome of this recipe. The basic recipe could be altered to suit your tastes by adding additional extract or a variety of berries.
Hakim archuletta
0The final quantity of liquid after blending the strawbs and the water would be useful so the liquid to gelatin ratio is accurate. This also should, for example, I choose raspberries instead,
thanks
Sandra Oller
0What is erythritol?? where can I buy it?? I can’t seem to find a way to print your recipes. Am I missing something??
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Sandra, You can learn more about erythritol and low carb sweeteners here. You can print the recipe by taping the PRINT button on the recipe card.
Myriam
0Hi I made these and texture and is like jello, is it possible I didn’t cook enough with sugar?
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Myriam, Did you follow the recipe as written?
Michelle
0Thanks for the recipe! I made these today and the taste was pretty good. A bit disappointed in the texture – more like jello than gummy. I used the same quantities specified in the recipe. Perhaps I should add more gelatin next time?
Wholesome Yum
0Hi Michelle, good call! Your gelatin brand may be the culprit. Try adding an additional tablespoon next time.
Beth E Thurman
0I tried a similar recipe using stevia liquid, but the gummy melts in your mouth. Do your gummies stay firm in your mouth?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Beth, They do stay firm. I don’t recommend liquid stevia for this recipe.
Coby
0Thank you for the recipe! I made a fruit punch flavored gummy by using 8 oz frozen strawberries and 4 oz frozen (fresh) cranberries. I then added orange extract instead of strawberry and 3/4 tsp of food grade citric acid to give them a little sour zing. I used powdered swerve as my sweetener in the same proportion and it worked well. Sooooo good!
Denise
0Can you tell me how many gummies this typically mores for you? I used the same gummy molds as you. I filled 4 and then used a bake pan for the rest of the mixture. It would have made another 75-90 bears I think. So when I did the nutrition on it (you indicated it is 10 small bears a serving for 1/10th if the recipe), I come up with 17 gummies a serving as 1/10 of the recipe. The calorie count is lower as well by a bit. I used a beef gelatin powder with similar nutrition facts.
Jeanette Clayton
0I’m allergic to strawberries so what do you think I could sub?
THANKS in advance
Jeanette
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Jeanette, Other berries would probably work. I haven’t tested to say for sure if the amount would be identical. Let me know if you try it with other berries!
Suzanne
0Where do you get the bear molds?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Suzanne, I added a link to the molds above the recipe card. 🙂
Elana Steinberg
0Is it possible to make this with kosher gelatin (which does not work like non kosher gelatin) or agar? Preferably a vegan product.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Elana, You should be able to use fish-based kosher gelatin. I know agar has been used for gummy candies but have not tested it with this recipe, so am not sure if it would work. Let me know how it goes if you try something different!
Daizy Virk
0Hi I tried the recipe but my gelatin turned all lumpy, I sprinkle little at time than whisk and stir, stir, still no luck it turned lumpy. Can I use pectin instead? Do you know what would be the ratio? Can I use frozen strawberries?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Daizy, It might help to heat it more. Gelatin dissolves when heated. I haven’t tried this recipe with pectin, but that’s high in carbs so would not recommend it if you are going for low carb gummy bears. I also haven’t tried frozen strawberries, but that should probably work.
Deedee
0Hi Maya,
Could you please tell me how much liquid you ended up with if strained? Thank you!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Deedee, Sorry, I didn’t measure it but will do that next time!
Jaime
0Was wondering if we could achieve a more gummy bear (think cinnamon bear) consistency by adding xantham gum? I’ve never used it before.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Jaime, I haven’t tried that, but the gelatin is what creates the gummy bear consistency. If they still aren’t “gummy” enough for you, I’d recommend straining the strawberry pulp out.
Bronwyn Schulz
0Hi, would it work still without the fruit and use essence and food colouring instead?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Yes, but it would require recipe testing to get the ingredient ratios right. Let me know if your get it to work!
Claudia
0OMG these are ingenious! I only recently found your site but you have amazing recipes and for sure now I have to try them for my grandkids!
I thought these gummy bears had Himalayan Salt in them from their colour. Do you think the recipe would work if I added some?
(Note: Himalayan salt has >75 beneficial minerals and not only enhances our pH but also the flavour of foods.
Do you think they would hold together?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Thank you so much, Claudia! There is no Himalayan salt in these. I agree it has benefits, but didn’t see gummy bears as a place for salt. I’m sure you could add some if you wanted to, if you’re ok with salty gummy bears. 🙂
Rita
0Is the nutrition info per bear?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Rita, The nutrition info is per serving, which is 10 gummy bears or 1/10 of the entire recipe.
Sister Madeleine
0Can these be made with agave nectar instead of Powdered erythritol? Of course adjusting the liquid to compensate for the liquid sugar for the powdered.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Possibly, but they would not be low carb or sugar-free.
Larisa
0Could I use just regular gelatin for these?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Larisa, Yes, you can!
Elle
0Hi Maya, I just made these last night and the taste is great, but I was disappointed in the texture. Mine came out more like a stiff jelly instead of a gummy. Nothing chewy about them. Is that normal? Or do you think I ended up with too much liquid? How stiff/chewy should can they get?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Elle, This is the slight texture difference that happens if you don’t strain the pulp – I mentioned this in the post. You can strain it next time for a better texture if you’d like. I’m glad you still liked the taste!
Denise
0I too found when I made them last night that they were more like stiff jello. I did stain them. Would a bit more gelatin stiffen them up a bit? The taste is great! The texture doesn’t bother me too much. I guess I was expecting to have the texture just like store bought. Who’s. Of course has all kinds of crap in them to stiffen them more no doubt. But expecting store bought texture isn’t really realistic, right?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Denise, I typically get 100 gummy bears. It sounds like you ended up with more liquid than me, so needed to simmer for longer which evaporates some if it. That’s probably also responsible for the texture difference. The texture should be quite similar to store bought if you do strain the berries.
Daisy
0Can you use frozen berries?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Daisy, I think it might work but haven’t tried it. My only concern would be possibly different water content. Let me know how it goes if you try!
Eric
0Thank you, my kids are asking for me to make this! I will give it a go at the weekend and let you know their verdict.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Thank you, Eric! Let us know what they think!
Debbie
0I’m excited to make these for my family for an Easter treat. We’re trying hard NOT to buy or make any treats with sugar so thank you, Maya, for creating this recipe and so many others! I found gummy bear molds & strawberry extract on Amazon & reasonably priced! My question is…how long do they store? I’m trying to figure how far in advance I can make these. Thanks again!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Debbie, Keep them in the fridge for storage. As far as how long, it would be about the same amount of time as fresh strawberries, which varies by area and how fresh your strawberries were to begin with. For me it’s usually a few days.
Lisa Schmidt
0Doesn’t using grass-fed beef gelatin powder instantly make it NOT vegetarian? We do not consume gelatin because it is an animal product.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Lisa, They are not vegetarian. I have heard of some people using replacements like agar or carrageenan instead of gelatin in recipes, but have not tried them.
Roseann pacheco
0Wanting to make the gummy bears. Wondering if I could use frozen fruit?
And could I use say blue berries and put licorice flavor? I just love the black licorice bears 🙂 Thanks, R
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Roseann, I haven’t tested it with frozen fruit or blueberries. The frozen fruit might work a little differently due to the changed moisture content, since it’s more watery when it melts. I wouldn’t recommend blueberries because the skins are thicker and would affect the texture of the end result. But let me know if you try one of these!
Roberta
0Any suggestion for a fruit-free options mantaining the same texture and consistency? I have a lot of limitations with the few fruit allowed on keto (and honestly don’t miss fruit in general, maybe also because makes me feel sick), but I love gummies and use collagen and gelatin to improve my gut health that needs it a lot! Thank you!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Roberta, I haven’t tried making them without fruit. Strawberries are pretty low in net carbs and fine for keto in limited quantities. You might be able to try just water and an extract, but I haven’t tested that so couldn’t tell you the amounts.