I’ve shared my recipes for chewable gummy vitamins and healthy fruit snacks before, and today I’m sharing a flu-busting combination of the two.

It seems that this flu season is going to be a bad one, and elderberry syrup is one of my favorite natural remedies for avoiding or beating the flu. These flu busting gummy bears combine the immune boost from elderberry syrup with the gut benefits of gelatin for a healthy and delicious way to beat the flu.

Elderberry Gummy Bears Recipe

My kids love these! In fact, that is why the ones in the picture above look a little rough — little hands kept touching them while I was trying to take pictures!

To make this recipe, you’ll need to make homemade elderberry syrup first (don’t worry, it is easy!) and then make them into gummy bears.

Cold and flu busting gummy bears- simple homemade recipe that kids love

Elderberry Gummies Recipe

Homemade gummy bears with a base of elderberry syrup help boost the immune system and are fun for kids (or adults) to take!

Prep Time 10

Total Time 2 10

Calories 17kcal

Author Katie Wells

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Servings

gummies

Equipment

Glass container or silicone molds

Ingredients

1 TBSP coconut oil
1 cup elderberry syrup
¼ cup gelatin powder
½ cup hot water but not boiling water

Instructions

Grease molds or glass pan with coconut oil to prevent sticking.
Place ¼ cup of cooled elderberry syrup in a 2 cup measuring cup and quickly whisk in the gelatin powder.
Add the ½ cup of hot (not boiling) water and stir quickly until smooth.
Add the rest of the elderberry syrup and stir or whisk until completely smooth.
Pour into molds and refrigerate for 2 hours or until completely firm.
Pop out of molds and store in airtight container with parchment paper between layers.

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts

Elderberry Gummies Recipe

Amount Per Serving (2 gummies)

Calories 17 Calories from Fat 5

% Daily Value*

Fat 0.5g1%

Saturated Fat 0.5g3%

Sodium 2mg0%

Carbohydrates 2.7g1%

Fiber 0.1g0%

Sugar 2.3g3%

Protein 0.8g2%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Notes

Take daily as needed to avoid flu or take every few hours to help beat the flu faster.

Will last up to a week in the fridge in an airtight container (could last longer, but I haven’t tried it since they never last that long at my house!).

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Ever tried to make homemade healthy gummy bears? How did they turn out? Share below!

This Flu Busting gummy bears recipe is made with homemade elderberry syrup and gelatin for an immune boosting, gut healthy treat for kids of all ages!

About Katie Wells

Katie Wells, CTNC, MCHC, Founder of Wellness Mama and Co-founder of Wellnesse, has a background in research, journalism, and nutrition. As a mom of six, she turned to research and took health into her own hands to find answers to her health problems. WellnessMama.com is the culmination of her thousands of hours of research and all posts are medically reviewed and verified by the Wellness Mama research team. Katie is also the author of the bestselling books The Wellness Mama Cookbook and The Wellness Mama 5-Step Lifestyle Detox.

Comments

243 responses to “How to Make Flu-Busting Elderberry Gummies”

Kate

September 10, 2015

I love love love these gummies!!! My oldest son (10) doesn’t like drinking any elderberry syrup but he loves it in gummies. We make fun lego shaped gummies and I just got a gingerbread man mold that I know we are going to get lots of use out of. Thank You so much for this recipe!! 🙂

Reply
vicki

August 20, 2015

can these gummies be frozen? I would like to make them in a larger batch.

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Anna Arguello

March 25, 2015

Thanks for this inspiring recipe! I changed it up a bit to get my daughter to drink elderflower and calendula tea for her fever. Instead of water, I just replaced it with the infusion. Thought that would be nice to share on this wonderful blog.

Reply
Farhaana

March 8, 2015

I got collagen peptides and I thought I read somewhere that they are interchangeable. I ordered the Vital Proteins brand (they were out of the regular gelatin which is why I got the collagen). It did not gel up when I put it in the fridge. It has been in there for 1 day and still nothing. Should I try adding more? Did I need to mix it in a different way, or does it not gel? If it doesn’t gel, can I just administer the elderberry syrup which is now mixed with collagen.
Thank you

Reply
1. Katie – Wellness Mama
  
  March 9, 2015
  
  Collage Protein from Vital Proteins will gel, Collagen Peptides are the same as Collagen Hydrolysate and will not gel
  
  Reply
2. Wellness Mama
  
  March 9, 2015
  
  Collagen peptides does not gel, only the protein (https://wellnessmama.com/3058/collagen-hydrolysate/) . It should not hurt to take it in liquid form, and will still carry the benefits of the gelatin/collagen.
  
  Reply
Thea

March 5, 2015

When making my elderberry syrup I add dried rosehips to steep along with the elderberries. They are a great source of vitamin C. I put 1/4cup to the recipe.

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lexee

February 24, 2015

we love this recipe! thanks so much for posting it. I use your recipe for elserberry syrup, too, but find that 1/4 cup of honey is plenty sweet for us! I know local raw honey has benefits, but any more honey is just way too sweet for our taste. maybe I am making more of a liquid instead of a syrup? either way, the gummies always turn out just fine!

I also freeze ours because I only have one little one who eats one a day and we can’t get through a batch fast enough before they start to mold in the fridge.

Reply
becky

February 8, 2015

Have agar agar instead of gelitin. Hope to try it tonight with my silicone herb freezing trays. We have honey elder syrup and would love to add pureed blueberries also. Any suggestions would be great

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holly

January 26, 2015

Is the store-bought elderberry syrup ok to use in place of the homemade syrup? Also, what age should my child be while taking this remedy?

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Gwyn D.

December 30, 2014

I have made an elderberry tincture – can I use that in place of the syrup? I’m worried the alcohol may effect the gel process.
Thanks.

Reply
1. Katie – Wellness Mama
  
  January 2, 2015
  
  Yes, it should be fine. I’ve had champagne jello so I think alcohol can gel.
  
  Reply
Jess

December 16, 2014

This is a great recipe! I used as my gateway to making natural remedies. I’m thrilled that the syrup is so easy to make. I just made the gummies and they turned out a bit gritty and bouncy. I’m wondering if I stirred the gelatin too long or not long enough. Has anyone else had the same experience? Or does anyone have any advice on making them a bit more like a gummy bear and less like a plastic bouncy ball that tastes good? Thanks 8)

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1. Jennifer
  
  February 28, 2018
  
  I’m wondering that same thing! Also, the tops of mine are softer than the bottom half. Having a hard time getting the same consistentency throughout.
  
  Reply
Dee

December 8, 2014

Is there any reason that I couldn’t use Knox gelaton?

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1. Katie – Wellness Mama
  
  December 9, 2014
  
  Nope. It just isn’t as high quality but it will work.
  
  Reply
Jeanette

December 6, 2014

I’ve been jealous of people who are making all things with elderberry. Where I am in Florida, they don’t grow, and I’ve never seen them at the market. Where can I get elderberry syrup? Thanks, with hubby sick right now, wish Id seen this before. 🙂

Reply
1. Kim
  
  December 7, 2014
  
  Jeanette, whereabouts in Florida are you? I live near Clearwater and I get the dried elderberries at an organic foods store.
  
  Reply
Kari

December 2, 2014

This recipie came out great! However, I have hashimotos I couldn’t figure out why I kept getting sick, achy and more and more fatigued (than usual). Now I’m broken out in cold sores.
Just did some research and hashimotos and elderberries don’t mix!

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1. Liz
  
  December 1, 2015
  
  That’s odd cause I have hoshimotos and I’ve been using elderberry syrup daily for a year now.
  
  Reply
Jessica

November 17, 2014

I seen that the shelf life on these were only 1 week in the fridge. Can you tell me why that is? Thanks!

Reply
1. Katie – Wellness Mama
  
  November 17, 2014
  
  They might last longer, but I haven’t personally had any last that long without my kids eating them so I can’t say first hand.
  
  Reply
Kim

November 15, 2014

Hi, I was wondering how long the elderberry gummies last? Your elderberry syrup, you said, lasts several months. Do you think then the gummies would be good that long in refrigerator?

Reply
1. Katie – Wellness Mama
  
  November 17, 2014
  
  My kids always eat them within a week so I haven’t been able to test, but I would think if you could keep them in an air-tight container they would las a while.
  
  Reply
Katherine

October 17, 2014

Has any tried this with store bought elderberry syrup? I would hate to waste it if it doesn’t work :/

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1. Apolla
  
  November 9, 2014
  
  Yes I used store bought and they worked fine for me. I also froze them and gave them to my son when he had a slight fever with his illness. They of course didn’t help the fever but they were nice and cool for him.
  
  Reply
  1. Debbie
    
    November 10, 2014
    
    Regarding elderberry, I have a question 🙂
    I had a friend give me fresh elderberry and I froze them on the stem. Once they were frozen, I took a fork and loosened the berries, but I also have quite a few stems. The stems are many and some are very small, so I cannot remove them all. I have heard that the stems are somewhat poisonous. Can I still make elderberry syrup even with the stem pieces in there. I do know not to put them through a foley mill but just let them sit on cheesecloth to drain. I hope I haven’t ruined my berries 🙁
    
    Reply
    1. Vickie
      
      December 25, 2014
      
      Take the frozen berries and put in a fine colander and shake around. The stems should fall out . Do a little at a time as the berries will defrost and cause moisture then the stems will stick .
      I dehydrate the berries on the stem and use this method with the dry berries .
      
      Reply
      1. Ginger
        
        February 9, 2016
        
        What a great idea for getting rid of the stems! I will remember that next summer!
Sarah

October 14, 2014

Thanks for reposting these, Katie. When I’ve made other gummies (from your Tangerine recipe), they’ve popped right out of the silicone molds for me. Are the elderberry ones stickier? I’m wondering why you would use the coconut oil to grease them…

Reply
1. Katie – Wellness Mama
  
  October 14, 2014
  
  They are stickier because of the honey in the syrup and the oil just helps with that 🙂
  
  Reply
Janet

October 4, 2014

Can you add vit c & d?

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Jess

September 30, 2014

Oops- I see recommendation for molds. That’s what I get for multi-tasking! Thanks for the great recipe.

Reply
Jess

September 30, 2014

Hi- I can’t wait to make these. What molds are people using? Also- is elderberry safe for nursing mothers? Thanks!

Reply