Name: Tart Cherry Sleep Gummies Recipe
Cook time: 3 min
Total time: 123 min
Ingredients: 2 cups tart cherry juice; ½ cup gelatin powder; 1/3 cup honey; salt to sprinkle on top; 1 tsp vitamin C powder

As a mom, I’m all for recipes that simplify and save time. That’s why our dinner rotation includes simple one-pan dishes like beef and cabbage stir fry and Pakistani kima, and why I pre-make coconut oil pulling chews to do oil pulling every morning so that I don’t have to open multiple containers each day (ever tried to open a 5-gallon bucket of coconut oil? You’ll need Crossfit to prepare for it).

That’s why when my kids ask for things at night that I know help them sleep like tart cherry juice, gelatin in tea, or honey and salt, I’m happy to give it to them, but I wanted a simplified option …

All My Sleep Remedies in One …

I figured out a way to combine some of my favorite recipes and their favorite healthy treats: Tart Cherry Sleep Gummies.

These combine their chewable gummy vitamins, with the honey and salt remedy I use, and tart cherry juice for a simple nighttime snack that helps them sleep and that I can pre-make to save time.

I store these in a glass container in the refrigerator for up to two weeks and give each child one each night. I made them in this silicon mold for single serving size, but they could also be made in a coconut oil greased glass pan and cut into squares.

I didn’t add the salt to the recipe, but you could. I just sprinkled the final product with a mixture of salt and coconut sugar before giving to them.

Why It Works

As this post mentioned, honey and salt together are great for balancing cortisol levels and blood sugar at night. Even alone, these two are great for improving sleep.
That same post explains the beneficial substances in tart cherry juice (not the same as regular cherry juice) that make it good for improving sleep quality and length.
Gelatin is rich in amino acids proline and glycine that help relaxation and sleep.

Sleepytime gummies with tart cherry and honey and salt for deeper sleep

Tart Cherry Sleep Gummies Recipe

Gummies made with tart cherry juice, honey, salt, and gelatin to help promote relaxation and quality sleep.

Cook Time 3

Total Time 2 3

Calories 102kcal

Author Katie Wells

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Servings

gummies

Ingredients

2 cups tart cherry juice
½ cup gelatin powder
⅓ cup honey
salt to sprinkle on top optional
1 tsp vitamin C powder optional

Instructions

Pour juice into a small saucepan.
Slowly mix the gelatin powder into the juice.
Add the honey.
Turn on low heat and stir as it begins to warm.
Stir for 2-3 minutes or until mixture is smooth and gelatin has dissolved.
Remove from heat and add vitamin C if using.
Pour into silicon molds or a glass baking dish that has been lightly greased with coconut oil.
Place in the refrigerator for 2 hours to harden.
Remove from molds.
Store in an air tight container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks (they never last that long at our house).

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts

Tart Cherry Sleep Gummies Recipe

Amount Per Serving (1 gummy)

Calories 102

% Daily Value*

Sodium 18mg1%

Carbohydrates 23.9g8%

Sugar 22.5g25%

Protein 2g4%

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

Notes

Make sure you are using gelatin such as the one in the green can from this source, not collagen peptides, or your gummies will not firm up.

Like this recipe? Check out my new cookbook, or get all my recipes (over 500!) in a personalized weekly meal planner here!

These tart cherry sleep gummies combine all of the natural sleep remedies I use: honey and salt, tart cherry juice and gelatin, into one delicious gummy.

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

122 responses to “Tart Cherry Sleep Gummies Recipe”

yalda

September 28, 2015

Can you please help clarify something for me as I am going to order these products online: I went to the link you provided for the gelatin and two kinds come up–beef gelatin and the collagen peptides. What is the difference between these two?

Thanks for the clarification. Love your blog!

Reply
1. Wellness Mama
  
  September 28, 2015
  
  The gelatin (green lid) is needed for this recipe since it gels. The collagen has the same benefits, but does not gel, so it is great to mix into drinks and foods.
  
  Reply
Julia

July 25, 2015

All I can find is the original gelatine, with 1 tbsp packets for 2 cups of liquid, the brand is Knox, would I use 8 packets to create the 1/2 cup or trust the brand that it will set the liquid? I feel it may only set it like jello rather than firmer like a gummy but worry 8 packs will be too much. Any advice appreciated!!

Reply
1. Erica
  
  January 31, 2016
  
  I could only find Knox as well. I’d love to know the answer to this!
  
  Reply
  1. Laura
    
    April 3, 2016
    
    Did you ever end up making no these with the Knox gelatine? According to the box or this recipe? How did they turn out?
    
    Reply
Elizabeth

July 14, 2015

I made them and love them. You have to use both concentrate and water. If you just use concentrate it is gross and mushy. If you use water they turn out really awesome like a real gummy. I have been making them every week. This week I used the grape tree of life concentrate. It came in 8 ounces so I used that and a cup of water. I wish I could post pictures on this thing. These gummies are my new hobby. I already have 5 different moldings! My son loves them!

Reply
1. Jessica
  
  January 19, 2016
  
  Elizabeth!
  
  Hoping to clarify – do you mean in this recipe you’d use 1 cup concentrate and 1 cup water? Seems pretty obvious, but I made these gummies as written last weekend and they were… awful. I’d like to try again but haven’t seen many recipe tweaks in the comments.
  
  Thanks for the info!
  
  Reply
MJ

July 14, 2015

Thanks so much for this valuable information! I’m guessing that just drinking the juice with honey and salt would produce the same sleep results, right?

Reply
Elizabeth

June 1, 2015

I was wondering if there was something bad that could happen if eating too many at once? I’m making these for my son tomorrow so I want to warn him about the risk of eating too many. Thanks in advance 🙂 And thanks for the recipe, we are excited to make these!

Reply
1. Wellness Mama
  
  June 1, 2015
  
  Sugar jitters, extra drowsiness, and maybe the runs? Honestly, they are tasty, but a quite a bit tart. It would be hard to eat several, at least for me.
  
  Reply
Dee Coyne

May 21, 2015

I did post a question….but seems to have disappeared.

I asked if the Orange Gelatin Powder when mixed with water stinks? Because I’m new to using it and want to know if it is supposed to stink…or if I have a bad batch? I’ve only used the Green version before which did not really have much of a smell at all, but the Orange one really reeks!

Thanks Dee

Reply
1. Katie – Wellness Mama
  
  May 23, 2015
  
  It will have a smell when warm but it should fade when it cools
  
  Reply
Dee

May 19, 2015

Love all your helpful advice…only made the lotion bars so far but they’re Fab!!

I’ve used the green tin gelatin in my smoothies which was great, recently bought the orange tin to make these…I added some to liquid to see what it was like…it stank something awful!! Is this usual? Or did I get a bad batch?

Thanks!!

Reply
Tabitha

May 19, 2015

I looked through the comments and didn’t swe this answer, my apologies if I missed it, what size gummies and how many does this make?

Reply
1. Wellness Mama
  
  May 19, 2015
  
  The number of gummies it will make depends on the size of the gummies 😉
  
  Reply
  1. Tabitha
    
    May 19, 2015
    
    I looked through the comments and didn’t swe this answer, my apologies if I missed it, what size gummies and how many does this make?
    
    Ok. I suppose I should have asked what size you recommend making them..
    
    Reply
betsy

May 19, 2015

Could I use a cupcake pan to make individual molds?

Reply
Megan

May 18, 2015

My son is 19 months old and I have tried everything to help him sleep at night and nothing works. Just wondering if he is old enough to to give the gummies too. Thanks

Reply
Nicole

April 16, 2015

Is there a way to make these with a vegetarian source of gelatin? We are Muslim and cannot eat pork gelatin. Thank you!

Reply
1. Caitlin
  
  May 7, 2015
  
  The Vital Proteins brand collagen protein (the one she linked to in the recipe) is beef gelatin, not pork.
  
  Reply
Beth Cranford

March 31, 2015

I just found you via Pinterest. I have Adrenal Fatigue and somehow haven’t come across the whole thing about honey and salt balancing cortisol. I’ll have to give these gummies a try!

Reply
Tia

March 26, 2015

Which brand of tart cherry juice do you use for this recipe the Cheribundi or Dynamic Health?

Reply
1. Wellness Mama
  
  March 27, 2015
  
  I use dynamic health: https://www.amazon.com/Dynamic-Health-Concentrate-Certified-Servings/dp/B007RC6J72/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&linkCode=ll1&tag=wellnessmama-20&linkId=6cccd4fb07ace666bfe447afbf72b373&language=en_US
  
  Reply
2. June
  
  November 12, 2015
  
  I use 100% Montmorency Tart Cherry Concentrate from A Taste of Michigan Cherries.
  They have the highest level of concentration…68 Brix.
  
  Reply
Lissa

March 21, 2015

Hi! These sound great but my husband is a strict vegetarian so gelatin of any kind is a no-no. Can I use a substitute? And if so, what other changes will need to be for the recipe to set up properly? If anyone has any ideas, I’d love to hear them. Thanks!!!

Reply
1. Danyel
  
  March 22, 2015
  
  Lissa,
  I’m not sure how they would hold up since I haven’t made these yet, but I just googled vegan gelatin substitute and came up with a couple of different options. I’m assuming it will be trial and error till you figure out which works best. Good luck and please share when you find a successful alternative, I have many friends who are vegan/vegetarian, so they would love this option.
  
  Reply
2. Vasu
  
  July 12, 2016
  
  Hi Lisa, My family is vegetarian too and I can’t use gelatin either. I found three substitutes for gelatin on this website-
  
  https://www.thekitchn.com/vegetarian-and-vegan-substitutes-for-gelatin-tips-from-the-kitchn-189478
  
  1. Agar, Agar-Agar, or Kanten
  What it’s made of: Cooked and pressed algae.
  Where it’s often used: Asian desserts and firm jellies.
  Flavor and texture: Flavorless and has a firmer, less jiggly texture than gelatin.
  How to use it: Agar needs to be heated to dissolve properly. The powdered form of agar is easiest to measure and use; bars and flakes should be dissolved in water first or can be broken down into a powder using a coffee or spice grinder. It sets in about an hour at room temperature.
  
  1 teaspoon gelatin = 1 teaspoon agar powder (this will set 1 cup of liquid)
  1 teaspoon agar powder = 1 tablespoon agar flakes = 1/2 agar bar
  
  2. Carrageenan, Carrageen, or Irish Moss
  What it’s made of: Dried seaweed; carrageen extract called carrageenan is used in some vegan Kosher gel products like Lieber’s Unflavored Jel.
  Where it’s often used: Soft jellies, puddings, mousses, soups, ice creams, and dairy products.
  Flavor and texture: Flavorless and sets things more softly than regular gelatin; melts in the mouth. Use iota carrageenan for soft gels and puddings and kappa carrageenan in harder gel products.
  How to use it: To use the carrageen in its dried seaweed form (look for whole, not powdered), rinse it well, soak it in water for about 12 hours until it swells, then boil it thoroughly with the liquid you want to set before you strain it out.
  
  To set 1 cup of liquid, use 1 ounce dried carrageen
  
  3. Vegan Jel
  What it’s made of: Faith highly recommends Unflavored Vegan Jel by Natural Desserts, which is made of vegetable gum (we’re not sure what kind), adipic acid, tapioca dextrin, calcium phosphate, and potassium citrate.
  Where it’s often used: Anywhere gelatin is used.
  Flavor and texture: As Faith wrote in her panna cotta post, Vegan Jel “sets softly, melts in the mouth, and is by far the closest thing to regular unflavored gelatin that I have found.”
  How to use it: Beat this powder into cold water until dissolved.
  
  1 teaspoon gelatin = 1 1/2 teaspoons Vegan Jel
  
  Maybe one of these alternatives would do the trick. I plan on trying the vegan jel.
  Vasu
  
  Reply
Vivian

March 10, 2015

I am assuming just 1 gummy BUT how soon before bed and how long to take till you see the effects?

Reply
Christy

March 10, 2015

These look like they would also be great for my husband. He has one kidney and has elevated uric acid levels. Tart cherry juice is recommended to lower it. Of course, I’m always happy to try natural methods of getting all the boys to sleep at night.

Thanks!

Reply
Molly

March 5, 2015

I’m on my second batch of these, my kids like them but I can’t eat them. The texture is really thick…could I add less gelatin? I used an organic beef protien gelatin from our local food co op. The flavor is great though.

Thanks.

Reply
1. Sarah
  
  March 19, 2015
  
  I had the same problem. They are sooooo hard and chewy! My oldest daughter won’t eat them and my toddler is to little to handle something like this.
  
  Reply
  1. Mary O
    
    May 18, 2015
    
    I usually use 1.5 tablespoons of gelatin for 1 cup liquid. They aren’t very firm that way but still firm enough to get out of the mold without falling apart.
    
    Reply
2. Kacey
  
  March 22, 2015
  
  I’ve made three batches of different gummies from your recipes. One had a great texture, the other three have all been too firm. I thought maybe it was from over mixing with the immersion blender so the last batch I made sure to verrrry slowly whisk but same result. Would more liquid help or..?
  
  Also interested in knowing how long before bed they should be taken.
  
  Reply
  1. Katie – Wellness Mama
    
    March 25, 2015
    
    More liquid should help..
    
    Reply
Kacey

March 2, 2015

I recall reading one of your posts that mentioned gelatin should be introduced slowly-especially to children. Our son is 2.5 now. How many ‘servings’ or pieces of a gelatin item would you recommend starting with? (We wouldn’t be loading him up with a bunch of these sleep aids haha-just in general with different flavors). This would, for now, be the only way he is having gelatin.

Reply
1. Katie – Wellness Mama
  
  March 2, 2015
  
  With this particular mold, I’d start with 1/4 or 1/2 of one and work up…
  
  Reply
Szabo

February 28, 2015

I just finished the cherry gummy mix and put a small pan into the refrigerator but can’t tell how many slices I should cut when they’re set. Your recipe says 2 weeks (that’s 14 nights) and you have 5 children…hmmm, I’ll try for lots and lots of little slices but I’m scratching my head trying to guess. Thanks. I’m sure it will come together. I need the sleep!

Reply
brandie

February 27, 2015

I have some left over lotion bars with bees wax, shea butter, and sweet almond oil in them. I also have some vitamin e body cream from dollar general I am wanting to make a thick cream lotion can I melt and mix them with a mixer? does anyone have a simple cheap recipe? or any ideas of things I can do with my left over lotion bars?

Reply