gummy bear experiment preschool

Gummy Bear Experiment

Osmosis can be a difficult concept for kids to understand. I’ve always found that visual explanations really hit home with kids and help them to understand. Today we have a growing gummy bear experiment that is a perfect compliment to our Gummy Mummy experiment that explores the science of desiccation and diffusion. Because gummy bears are made of gelatin they will not dissolve in water like other candy will. They will however absorb liquids and change in shape and size. We’ve set up an experiment with four different liquids to see the difference in how the gummy bears are able to absorb each and how they change over the course of the day.

Great Growing Gummies – Gummy Bear Osmosis Experiment

What you will discover in this article!

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What is Osmosis?

Scientifically, Osmosis is when solvent molecules (usually water) cross a semipermeable membrane from an area of lower solute concentration to an area of higher solute concentration. This creates equilibrium between the solute and solvent, balancing the concentration of solutes on both sides of the membrane. Osmosis is a passive process in that it requires no energy from the cell to occur.

Now – that’s a lot of big words and concepts so let’s break down that vocabulary:

Solvent : substance able to dissolve other substances. Solute : a dissolved substance Membrane : a thin, soft flexible sheet or layer especially of a plant or animal part Semi-Permeable Membrane : a membrane that only allows certain substances to pass through. Concentration : the amount of a component in a given substance. Equilibrium : a state of adjustment between opposing or divergent influences or elements

Gummy Bear Osmosis Lab

Gummy Bears Small Clear Bowls or Jars Water Sparkling Water White Vinegar Oil

I like to start this in the morning so you can check on it throughout the day and see the changes in the gummy bears.

STEP 1: Lay out four bowls on the table and put a gummy bear in each bowl. Then beside each bowl put another gummy bear of the same color so you can compare the two easily over the course of the day.

STEP 2: Measure equal amounts of each of your solvents. We used a quarter of a cup of water, sparkling water, white vinegar and oil and poured them over the gummy bears in the bowl.

STEP 3: This is a great time to have a discussion about osmosis and have your kids make predictions about what they think is going to happen in each bowl and why. What effect might each substance have on the gummy bear? Have the kids write down their predictions.

STEP 4: Set a timer for an hour and let the bears do their thing.

STEP 5: Check back each hour for the rest of the day and write down observations over the course of the day.

Gummy Bear Osmosis Experiment Results

Now the exciting part… the results of our experiment! Let’s take a look at the results individually first.

When gummy bears are soaked in water the bear will swell and grow in size. This is because the water will flow into the gummy bear through its semi-permeable membrane. The sugar molecules try to spread and dissolve but they can’t get out of the gelatin so they expand resulting in the gummy bear expanding.

Sparkling Water

Will have a similar result to water. The only difference is that the addition of carbon dioxide to the water can have an acidic effect on the bears which would cause the outside to soften allowing more water to be able to pass through the bear and it swells up more. You will also be able to observe the carbon dioxide bubble sticking to the outside of the bear.

White Vinegar

White Vinegar will have an acidic reaction with the gummy bear softening the outside of it, however the liquid is not as easily absorbed into the bear as water so the gummy may get softer but will not change in size as much as the bears soaked in water.

Because oil is polar it doesn’t mix well with water or other substances. The oil will have very little effect on the bears and you will not see much change if any at all. This gummy bear will also retain its color the best because the oil isn’t breaking down the bear or being absorbed into it so the structure and color will remain the same.

Comparing the Results

The most fascinating part of this experiment is comparing the results of the different solvents. Set the gummy bears out side by side with their controls so you can visually see the differences.

To get really scientific with your results, which is perfect for your older kids or kids needing more of a challenge, have them weigh and measure the gummies and compare results with the controls and each other.

You can also dissect the gummy bears and view them under a microscope to look for microscopic changes.

Extension Ideas

I think your kids will love this Gummy Bear Lab experiment on Osmosis! Encourage your students to get creative and add other variations like adding things like salt or baking soda to the water to see if it changes the results. Or try other solvents.

Want more osmosis experiments? Try this Rainbow Water Beads Experiment or the Bouncy Egg Experiment which involves a chemical reaction and osmosis.

Want more gummy science? Check out our Gummy Mummies . Or make your own gummies! You can check out these recipes on the site: Valentine’s Day Gummies , Star Wars Gummies , Rainbow Dragon Egg Gummies .

5 Days of Smart STEM Ideas for Kids

Get started in STEM with easy, engaging activities.

Gummy Bear Science | Exploring Osmosis with Preschoolers

Gummy bears are a super fun, yummy treat. Do your kids love them as much as mine do? Since I’ll take just about any excuse to indulge in this candy, I pulled together a tasty gummy bear science activity inspired by this week’s Early Childhood Education team theme of teddy bears.

Don’t be fooled, though… While I wrote this activity and created a free downloadable science journal for your gifted preschoolers (and mine), this is great science for your littlest ones as well as your biggest ones. You can take it all the way to osmosis – water transferring through a membrane (like a cell wall) to a place with lower concentrations of water molecules – or just stick with the basic observations – the gummy bear got bigger.

Getting Ready for Gummy Bear Science

Download the file that contains the printable journal below by entering your email address — once you confirm, it will be emailed stright to your inbox. Cut out each page, fold the spreads in half along the solid middle line, and tuck the blue ends into the journal cover. Staple it together, and you’re set with a pocket-sized science journal that takes your kiddo through the scientific method.

Download your FREE Gummy Bear Science Journal Here: [wp_eStore_free_download_squeeze_form id=9]

Grab your supplies:

• Three gummy bears (try giving your child all the same color)
• Two clear glass or plastic cups, one filled halfway with water
• Printable Journal (below)
• A tray where the cups can sit undisturbed for a few days

Exploring Gummy Bear Science

If you decide not to use the journal, just have your kiddo use his or her science notebook or a piece of paper.

Follow these steps:

Give your child one of the gummy bears. Ask him to observe it thoroughly using all of his senses – touch, smell, hearing, sight, and finally taste. Tell him to draw or write about his observations.

Have him drop one of the gummy bears into the empty cup. This is the control gummy bear. Explain that the control is the bear that shows what he started with. He’ll use that to compare, and conclude what happened to the other gummy bear at the end of the experiment.

Before dropping the third gummy bear into the cup with water, ask your child to write or draw out his hypothesis on paper or in the space provided in the journal. A hypothesis is a guess that makes sense – help your kiddo remember what other things have done when they’ve been placed in water. Logan decided that it would “break into pieces” because other food items she’s put into water have dissolved in the past.

Finally, have your child place a gummy bear in each cup – one with water and one without – and draw or write his observations. Then put it up high for a few hours.

Have your kiddo pull it back out and check it after two hours, and then again after 24 hours, drawing his observations in his journal.

Explaining the Gummy Bear Science

So, what happened? Depending on your kiddo, you can go as in depth as you want. My little one is precocious , and so we share the big words. She has a basic understanding of how plants absorb water and nutrients from the soil. Osmosis.

We talked about how the water moved from the glass into the gummy bear through the outer “membrane” of the bear. The bear grew, instead of dissolving because the water molecules moved into it, swelling it up. We’re leaving our gummy bear for a few more days, and keeping the control bear so we can compare the before and after again.

What do you think? Would your kiddos like to explore some gummy bear science this week? Don’t forget to download your free printable gummy bear science journal – there are extra activity and experiment suggestions at the end in case your child is like mine, and can’t get enough hands-on science.

More from the ECE Team:

Before you go, check out some of the other super fun preschool learning activities for kids – all featuring a teddy bear theme – from the other amazing educators and bloggers on the ECE (Early Childhood Education) Team. The collective wisdom and creativity is stunning, and you’ll be able to plan a fantastic themed unit each week by visiting everyone on Wednesdays. My role is providing great higher-level thinking activities for your gifted preschoolers, but remember asynchrony ? Your gifted preschoolers are still that – preschoolers. Little ones enjoy play-based learning AND stretching their thinking, so pull the resources together for fun and learning at home.

• Teddy Bear Beginning Sounds Picnic by Growing Book by Book
• Feed the Bear Alphabet Activity by Mom Inspired Life
• Teddy Bear Alphabet Activities by Tiny Tots Adventures
• Bear Counters Name Recognition Activity by Munchkins and Moms
• The Dissolving Teddy Bears: Simple Preschool Science! by The Preschool Toolbox Blog
• Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear, Let’s Add to Ten-Kinder and Pre-K Math activity by Capri + 3
• Printable Bear Math Patterns for Preschoolers by Fun-A-Day
• Teddy Bear Preschool Theme Counting Activities by Learning 2 Walk
• Teddy Bear Writing Activity for Kids with FREE Printable by The Educators’ Spin On It

Gummy Bear Science Experiment

Categories Activities , Science

This gummy bear science experiment is sure to ignite awe in your little scientist.

It uses items you already have on hand and it’s mess-free!

This article may contain affiliate links to products that may help you when homeschooling preschool.

Why Do a Gummy Bear Experiment

Introducing science and scientific thinking to kids when they are young helps them to learn how to problem-solve.

It also helps them to critically think about what could happen and make predictions.

The great thing about science is that a prediction (called a hypothesis) can then be tested to see if the hypothesis is correct.

Your kids get to choose what liquids they want to put the gummy bears in.

Water, juice, and vinegar are most likely to be already on hand so it is suggested that you start with those.

The vinegar does not create the same outcome as the other two which is why it is a great addition to the gummy bear experiment.

This experiment can be done many times with different outcomes.

Changing the liquids, the time the bears are left in, the color of the bears are all ways to make this experiment different.

If changing something, choose one thing to change so that your kids can know for sure that it was that one thing (like the time left in) that was causing the difference in outcomes.

The gummy bear experiment is part of week 44b: Bears in our Homeschooling Preschool Curriculum.

Be sure to check it out to find other activities that go with the bear theme.

The Science Behind the Gummy Bear Experiment

When the gummy bear is placed in water, it goes through something called osmosis.

This is a big word that means the water from the outside of the gummy bear moves inside the gummy bear.

The gummy bear has tiny holes that we can’t see with our eyes.

There is a lot of water in the cup.

The water molecules get crowded and want to go somewhere there aren’t as many other water molecules.

The gummy bear has room inside of it so the water goes through the tiny holes into the gummy bear where it isn’t so crowded.

All this extra water makes the gummy bear grow in size, just like a water balloon!

The gummy bear in the vinegar will grow as well, but at the time, the acid in the vinegar breaks down the gelatin that the gummy bear is made from.

This is why there are only little pieces of the bear left.

What You Need

• gummy bears
• different liquids– water, juice, vinegar, etc.
• something to write with

How to do a Gummy Bear Experiment

1 – Decide what liquids you want to use.

2 – Pour water into one cup, juice into another cup, and vinegar into a third cup.

If your little one has another liquid she wants to test, pour this liquid into a fourth cup.

Use a measuring cup to help keep the amount of liquid poured into the cups consistent.

3 – Add a gummy bear to each cup.

You may want to have a cup with no liquid in it so that you will be able to use a dry gummy bear to compare to the gummy bears in the liquids.

4 – Set the cups in a place they won’t get knocked over by little hands.

This may be the hardest part of the experiment!

5 – Wait a few hours and check the gummy bears.

6 – Label a sheet of paper with the liquids and place the gummy bears by the correct label.

7 – Compare the gummy bears.

**For your health and safety, please refrain from eating the soaked gummy bears after the experiment **

Gummy Bear Experiment

This gummy bear experiment is a great way to show your little ones osmosis.

They are sure to enjoy conducting this experiment over and over (and snacking on a few gummy bears, too).

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• Children’s Books About Bears
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Gummy Bear Osmosis Experiment

Learn about the process of osmosis when you try this easy gummy bear osmosis experiment with the kids. Watch your gummy bears grow as you investigate what liquid makes them grow the biggest. We are always on the hunt for simple science experiments and this one is just super fun and easy!

Explore Science With Gummy Bears

A fun gummy bear experiment all in the name of science and learning! There are so many simple science experiments that are quick and easy to set up for young children. Older children can easily add data collection, graphing and charts to turn this fun edible science experiment into more of a challenge!

Grab a bag of gummy bears or alternatively, you can make your own homemade gummy bears with our easy 3 ingredient gummy bear recipe .

Then head into the kitchen to grab your supplies and let’s find out what happens when you add gummy bears to different liquids. Watch your gummy bears as you investigate what makes gummy bears grow the biggest.

LOOK: 15 Amazing Candy Science Experiments

Set Up A Gummy Bear Osmosis Lab

Let’s find out what liquid makes gummy bears grow the biggest! Remember, the dependent variable is the size of the gummy bears and the independent variable is the liquid you use. Learn more about variables in science.

• Gummy bears
• baking soda
• ruler or measuring scale
• optional – stopwatch

TIP: Extend the experiment by using additional liquids such as juice, vinegar, oil, milk, baking soda mixed with water etc.

Instructions:

STEP 1. Carefully measure and pour the same amount of water into 3 cups. Add the same amount of distilled water to another cup if using. Pour the same amount of vinegar into another cup.

STEP 2. Add sugar to one cup of water, baking soda and salt in another. Mix well.

STEP 3. Weigh and/or measure each gummy bear beforehand. Use the printable worksheet above to record your measurements.

STEP 4. Add a gummy bear to each cup.

STEP 5. Then set the cups aside and wait to observe what will happen. Check them again after 6 hours, 12 hours and 24 hours.

TIP: This gummy bear experiment takes at least 12 hours to work!

STEP 6. Remove your gummy bear from the liquid and carefully measure and/or weigh each one. What liquid made the gummy bears grow the biggest? Why was that?

Free Printable Gummy Bear Lab Worksheet

Use the free gummy bear data sheet below to track your results! It’s perfect for older kids to add to a science notebook.

How Does Osmosis Occur In Gummy Bears?

The process of moving water across a semi-permeable membrane from a low concentrated solution to a high concentrated solution is called osmosis . A semi-permeable membrane is a thin sheet of tissue or layer of cells acting as a wall that allows only some molecules like water molecules to pass through.

The main ingredients in gummy bears are gelatin, sugar and flavoring. The semi-permeable membrane in gummy bears is the gelatin.

CHECK OUT: How To Make Slime With Gelatin

It is the gelatin that also stops the gummy bears from dissolving in liquids, other than an acidic solution such as vinegar.

When you place gummy bears in water, the water moves into them through osmosis since gummy bears don’t contain water. The water is moving from a low concentration solution to a high concentration solution.

Learn more about osmosis with our potato osmosis lab.

Using The Scientific Method With Kids

The scientific method is a process or method of research. A problem is identified, information about the problem is gathered, a hypothesis or question is formulated from the information, and the hypothesis is put to test with an experiment to prove or disprove its validity.

Sounds heavy… What in the world does that mean?!?

The scientific method can simply be used as a guide to help lead the discovery process. You don’t need to try and solve the world’s biggest science questions! The scientific method is all about studying and learning things right around you.

As kids develop practices that involve creating, gathering data, evaluating, analyzing, and communicating, they can apply these critical thinking skills to any situation.

💡To learn more about the scientific method and how to use it, CLICK HERE .

Even though the scientific method seems like it is just for big kids, this method can be used with kids of all ages! You can have a casual conversation with younger kids or do a more formal notebook entry with older kids!

Gummy Bear Science Fair Project

Science projects are an excellent way for older kids to show what they know about science. They can also be used in various environments, including classrooms, homeschools, and groups.

Kids can take everything they have learned about using the scientific method , stating a hypothesis, choosing variables , and analyzing and presenting data.

💡 Sample Hypothesis: If a gummy bear is placed in water overnight, then it will increase in size due to the process of osmosis, where water molecules move from an area of higher concentration (the water) to an area of lower concentration (inside the gummy bear).

Want to turn this gummy bear osmosis experiment into an awesome science fair project? Check out these helpful resources.

• Science Project Tips From A Teacher
• Science Fair Board Ideas
• Easy Science Fair Projects

More Fun Candy Science Experiments

• Try a candy taste test with chocolate.
• Why do the colors not mix in this skittles experiment?
• Dissolving candy corn experiment is fun to do !
• Make a coke and mentos eruption !
• What happens when you add pop rocks to soda?
• Try this floating M&M experiment.

Helpful Science Resources

Here are a few resources that will help you introduce science more effectively to your kiddos or students and feel confident yourself when presenting materials. You’ll find helpful free printables throughout.

• Best Science Practices (as it relates to the scientific method)
• Science Vocabulary
• 8 Science Books for Kids
• All About Scientists
• Science Supplies List
• Science Tools for Kids

Printable Science Projects For Kids

If you’re looking to grab all of our printable science projects in one convenient place plus exclusive worksheets and bonuses like a STEAM Project pack, our Science Project Pack is what you need! Over 300+ Pages!

• 90+ classic science activities  with journal pages, supply lists, set up and process, and science information.  NEW! Activity-specific observation pages!
• Best science practices posters  and our original science method process folders for extra alternatives!
• Be a Collector activities pack  introduces kids to the world of making collections through the eyes of a scientist. What will they collect first?
• Know the Words Science vocabulary pack  includes flashcards, crosswords, and word searches that illuminate keywords in the experiments!
• My science journal writing prompts  explore what it means to be a scientist!!
• Bonus STEAM Project Pack:  Art meets science with doable projects!
• Bonus Quick Grab Packs for Biology, Earth Science, Chemistry, and Physics

Subscribe to receive a free 5-Day STEM Challenge Guide

~ projects to try now ~.

• Elementary Homeschool

Gummy Bear Science Project

Are you wondering what a gummy bear experiment is? What liquid makes a gummy bear grow? Or what happens when you put gummy bears in water?

Did you know a gummy bear will grow when placed in a variety of liquids by using the process known as osmosis? Since the gummy bear water was removed when it was created, when you place a gummy bear in water the water will move into the bear by osmosis. But in which liquid will the gummy bear grow the most? Find out as we use the scientific method in this gummy bear science experiment !

Undoubtedly, this is one of our favorite science experiments of all time, we call it Gummy Bear Osmosis.  One of our contributors, Jordyn C. Jordyn , performed this gummy bear osmosis experiment with her children, and we will share her results with you below, but if you’d like to perform your own experiment, here is what you will need.

Scientific Terms to Know For the Gummy Bear Science Experiment

• osmosis – passing of a material (like water) through a membrane (a gummy bear)
• equilibrium – a state where opposite forces are balanced so one isn’t stronger than the other
• membrane – a thin, soft layer of material that separates two things
• cells – basic building blocks of all things
• semi-permeable – only certain, small molecules can get through
• solute – a substance that dissolves (like sugar in water)
• solvent – a substance that is able to dissolve other substances (like the water that dissolves the sugar)
• gelatin – a food ingredient made from collagen that makes liquids become squishy solids (like jello, marshmallows, gummies, etc.)
• gummy bear – a gelatin substance with no water

Science Behind the Gummy Bear Experiment Explained

This science experiment lab is supporting the concepts of osmosis, equilibrium, solutions, solutes, and solvents . A solution is a homogenous mixture of one or more substances. The parts that are mixed to achieve a solution are called the solute and the solvents .

In most cases, a sugary substance (sugar or even sugary candy) will dissolve quickly and easily in water. When you dissolve sugar in water, the water becomes the solvent and the sugar is the solute . While there can only be one solvent in a solution, but there can be many solutes (gummy bears, sugar, candy, etc).  However, in this science lab, we will be using water and several other types of solvents like vinegar, milk, saltwater, or other solvents (liquids) you have on hand to use in the experiment.

What Is Happening In this Gummy Bear Experiment

In this experiment, the water or liquid can enter the gummy through the membrane without letting out the sugar. The change that will occur to the gummy bears is osmosis and the process that it uses is equilibrium .  This process of equilibrium allows water to diffuse from a higher area of concentration to a lower area of concentration. For a visual explanation, you can watch this science experiment video , or use this Gummy Bear Chemistry PowerPoint .

The point of this science lab experiment is to understand the process of osmosis and equilibrium . Watch this video on osmosis before the experiment to help the kids understand the background concepts thoroughly. Then take time to print out the Gummy Bear Osmosis Lab Printables or the Science Experiment Journal Kit at the bottom of this post.  In additon, you may also want to discuss the concept of semi-permeable membranes and, if your homeschoolers are old enough, you could even try this experiment using eggs and other solvents as well! In fact, we really enjoyed this osmosis experiment using eggs .

Additionally, it is a good idea to use the same color gummy bear throughout the experiment. We know colors are fun, but when you use different colors, that adds a variable to the experiment. Or in other words, it adds another option or reason for a difference in the end result. However, if we use all the same color and same size gummy bears, then the end results of our experiment will be more reliable.

Materials You Need for The Gummy Bear Science Project

• Gummy bears (for experimentation and comparison…and maybe an extra pack for snacking)
• A small glass for each water/solution
• Baking soda
• Paper towels
• Kitchen scale

Instructions for Gummy Bear Experiment

• Then, add a half cup of water to the tap water glass.
• Then, add a half cup of water and 1 tablespoon of salt to the saltwater glass. Stir the salt until it is dissolved.
• Next, add a half cup of water and 1 tablespoon of sugar to the sugar water glass. Stir until the sugar is dissolved.
• Then, add a half cup of water and 1 tablespoon of baking soda to the baking soda water glass. Stir until the baking soda is dissolved.
• Then, add a half cup of your soda of choice to the soda glass.
• Next, add a half cup of vinegar to the vinegar glass.
• Finally, add a half cup of milk to the milk glass.

**Any of these liquids can be omitted or changed according to your preference.**

• Weigh and measure a gummy bear and record results.
• Add one gummy bear to each glass of liquid.
• Set a timer for 12 hours.
• After the timer goes off, remove each gummy bear from its solution, weigh, measure, and compare to a new gummy bear.
• Discuss the results and complete the worksheet (found below).

**To extend the experiment, return the gummies to their original glasses for an additional 12 hours and check results again.**

One Family’s Gummy Bear Osmosis Experiment

“Science is fun at our house, and we decided to try the dissolving gummy bear experiment. We decided to try different liquids and solutions to see if we would get different results. First, we measured and weighed the gummy bears and recorded our results. Next, we put a gummy bear in plain water, sugar water, saltwater, vinegar, milk, and baking soda water. We let them sit for 12 hours and then checked on them the next morning to see what had happened. Testing Our Gummy Bear Osmosis Lab Results We decided to try different liquids and solutions (further expanding on our solubility lesson a.k.a. gummy bear experiment) to see if we would get different results.  First, we measured and weighed the gummy bears and recorded our results. Next, we put a gummy bear in plain water, sugar water, saltwater, vinegar, milk, and baking soda water.  We let them sit for 12 hours and then checked on them in the morning to see what had happened. The results were quite surprising! The kids all wanted to know what had happened and why they hadn’t dissolved like other water experiments we had tried. Scientific Conclusions For The Gummy Bear Experiment The results were quite surprising to my kids! Instead of dissolving, the gummies grew, some to almost triple their original size! We compared our new gummies to their unchanged counterparts and noted our scientific observations including weight and measurements. The gummy bear that absorbed the most was the one put in plain water. The one that grew the least was the one put in saltwater. Interestingly, the gummy bears remained completely intact, just larger, with the exception of the one put in vinegar. The gummy bear we put in vinegar did expand, but lost all of its gummy bear shape and just became a blob. We believe that the acid in the vinegar dissolved the gummy bear completely. The answer to our gummy bear experiment was simple.   Osmosis !  I explained that osmosis is when a liquid (usually water) moves from one side of a membrane to another. Science is All About Trying Again I was met with blank stares and crickets….hmmmm….let’s try this again…..I told them to imagine themselves at the Haunted Mansion at Disney on a really crowded day. They take you into the little room and cram you all together before the ride starts. Think of how uncomfortable you feel pushing against other people, just wanting to get out, when finally they open the door and you are able to move away from other people and through the door.  This is exactly the same as osmosis .  You are water molecules , with the door being the membrane . The water molecules are all crammed up, so they move to where there are none of them, through the membrane. Then they got it!  I explained that the gummy bears were not solutes, they were actually polymers and therefore were able to absorb the water by osmosis.  Cool!! We got out our sheet and compared our new gummies to their unchanged counterparts and noted our scientific observations including weight and measurements.  You can clearly see that the gummy bear that absorbed the most was the one put in plain water, while the one that was the one put in saltwater changed the least. Interestingly, the gummy bears remained completely intact, just grew larger, with the exception of the one put in vinegar. We posit that the acid in the vinegar dissolved the gummy bear completely into this gummy blob. This science experiment was so easy and so much fun! The kids loved it, and it was awesome to see that they actually retained what they learned. It was the perfect way to bring in some fun STEM learning to our homeschool science. Our gummy bear science project was a success!” – Jordyn C. 

Gummy Bear Science Project Results. Why Did the Bears Get so Big?

Well, we already know from the introduction that water diffuses from an area of high concentration of water molecules to an area of low water concentration. At the beginning of the experiment, there is less water and more gelatin inside each gummy bear. As time goes on, this changes and the gummy bear begins to act as a sponge.

In the last part of this experiment, water moves into the Gummy Bear, clearly where there are fewer water molecules. Therefore, making it swell up. In fact, the water keeps moving until the water molecules are evenly spaced out (for example: when they have reached equilibrium). In the end, the molecules will stop diffusing when they reach equilibrium or when there is the same concentration of water molecules in the gummy bears as there are outside of the gummy bears.

Start Here: Print Your Gummy Bear Experiment Worksheet pdf

Obviously, every good experiment makes use of lab notes. Along with the steps above, we’ve compiled gummy bear experiment notes that will help you work through this experiment and learn the science behind it. This set includes Gummy Bear Science:

• Terms to define
• Experiment chart
• Experiment Follow-up Questions

Additional Science Lab Experiments To Try After The Gummy Bear Experiment

If your kiddos loved doing this lab, then you’ll want to explore our collection of fun and free science-based lesson plans for kids who hate science ! We know how difficult it is to plan and execute science experiments while you are homeschooling multiple children. It’s so important to make the experience unbelievably fun homeschool science and to fun ways to bring science labs into everyday life. We have three homeschool science experiments that are sure to help you do that with minimal effort. Our simple home science experiments will have your kids laughing and wanting more. Try our science slime experiments and the soggy cereal science experiment as your next adventure in homeschool science labs!

Jamie Gaddy

Jamie Gaddy, B.S., M.Ed., Ed.D. has been a college education professor for over 17 years. Education has been a part of her life in both the classroom and as a principal. Six children later found her dissatisfied with traditional school and homeschool became the better fit. She is also a pastor’s wife, editor, and entrepreneur who now homeschools four of her six children in Georgia. Jamie loves to share about her homeschool experience to help other homeschoolers find success. Connect with her at [email protected] .

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Gummy Bear Science Experiment: DIY Science Project Ideas for Kids

Gummy bears sure are yummy, but they are tiny. What if you could grow a huge gummy bear? Do you think that’s possible? Will the large gummy bear be as yummy as the regular one? Perform the gummy bear science experiment with your little ones to find out. Science experiments for kids are a great way to help children understand difficult science lessons, like the concept of osmosis. 

Step-by-Step Instructions on Gummy Bear Science Experiment

Here is a step-by-step guide to performing the growing gummy bear science experiment at home.

What You’ll Need?

The growing gummy bear experiment is not only fun but inexpensive too. All you need are:

• 3 gummy bears, one red, one green and one yellow (you can use any color of your choice)
• 3 glasses filled with water
• ¼ cup of sugar
• ¼ cup of salt
• Pen and paper

How to Perform Gummy Bear Science Experiment?

Setting up the expanding gummy bear experiment is very easy. Follow these instructions to perform the experiment:

• Place the 3 glasses of water on your work surface. Ensure that the level of water in all 3 glasses is the same.
• Add ¼ cup of sugar into the 1st glass of water. Stir with the spoon until it’s completely dissolved.
• Now add ¼ cup of salt to the 2nd glass of water and stir till it is completely dissolved.
• Using the ruler, measure the height, length and width of each of the gummy bears and write it on the paper.
• Now, measure the weight of each gummy bear using the scale and note it down.
• Now, add the red gummy bear into the glass with sugar and the green gummy bear into the glass with salt. Finally, add the yellow gummy bear into the glass with plain water. 
• Note down the time and allow the gummy bears to sit undisturbed in their water bath for 12 hours.
• After 12 hours, check the gummy bears. Take them out of the water and measure and weigh them.

What You’ll See?

After 12 hours, you’ll see something magical in the 3 glasses. 

• You’ll notice that the yellow gummy bear, which we put in the plain water, has expanded and grown into a big gummy bear.
• The green gummy bear, which was in the salt solution, has barely grown. 
• The red gummy bear, which was in the sugar solution, has shrunk.

Science Behind Gummy Bear Experiment

So, why did the 3 gummy bears behave differently? Let’s find out by learning the science behind the expanding and shrinking gummy bears.

• Why did the gummy bear in plain water become bigger?

When the gummy bear is added to the plain water, it expands because of a process called Osmosis.

Gummy bears are made of gelatin, sugar, and flavoring, which are dissolved in warm water. A bit of the water leaves the solution as it cools leaving a firm but chewy candy bear. When you add the gummy bear into the water, the water moves into the gummy bear to balance the amount of water and sugar. With more and more water moving into the gummy bear, it expands and grows bigger.

• Why did the gummy bears in the sugar solution shrink?

In the glass with the sugar solution, the concentration of sugar is greater than the amount of sugar in the gummy bear. So, the water in the gummy bear moves out to balance the concentration of sugar, which makes the gummy bear shrink.

• Why did the gummy bear in the salt solution not grow much?

Salt molecules are much smaller than gelatin. So, the concentration of salt in the salt solution is greater than the salt content in the gummy bear. As a result, the water in the gummy bear moves into the salt solution to balance out the concentration of salt. This is why the gummy bear in the salt solution doesn’t grow much.

• What is Osmosis?

Osmosis is the process where water molecules or any solvent moves from an area with a lower concentration of solute to an area with a higher concentration of solute to balance the 2 solutions.

Other Way to Perform Gummy Bear Science Experiment

Now that we know how gummy bears behave in water, sugar, and salt, let’s see how they behave with other solutions. Let’s perform the gummy bear science experiment with liquids other than water.=

Here is what you need to perform this experiment:

• Gummy bears

How to Perform Gummy Bear Science Experiment for Kids?

Check out stepwise instructions on gummy bear science experiment for kids below.

• Place the vinegar, milk and olive oil in 3 different bowls.
• Now, measure the height, length, width and weight of each of the gummy bears. Note the measurements down.
• Then, place 1 gummy bear in each of the 3 bowls. Note the time.
• After 12 hours, check the gummy bears. Note down the changes in each of the gummy bears. 
• Ask the children to check how the gummy bears behaved differently in each of the liquids.

Check Osmo for more experiments, activities, games, and worksheets to aid in your kids learning .

Frequently Asked Questions on Gummy Bear Science Experiment

Why should you do the growing gummy bears science experiment.

The gummy bear science experiment is a wonderful way to help little children understand the concept of osmosis.

What do you need for the expanding gummy bears experiment?

The gummy bear in the water science experiment is very simple and needs very few things. All you need are 3 glasses of water, gummy bears, sugar, salt, scale, ruler, pen, and paper.

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Home » Free Homeschooling » Gummy Bear Osmosis

Gummy Bear Osmosis

Check out our FUN Gummy Bear Osmosis experiment!

This is a simple and fun experiment for children 12 and under (and their moms).

A quick safety note: 

Don’t let your kids eat the gummy bears after they’ve soaked in the various solutions. The ones in baking soda and vinegar will taste awful, and they will all contain bacteria as your kids will be handling them and then putting them back in the fluids.

AND, if you have a cat like we do, the cat might lick from the containers and/or drop a hair or two among the various solutions.

BTW – because of our cat, I did talk about the importance of strict scientific procedures and how data can be contaminated.  My kids know that our experiment was more of a fun experiment – and that some contamination undoubtedly occurred.

Just a thought – you might want to buy TWO bags of gummy bears – one for the experiment and one for nibbling.

_____________________________________________________________________

Some educational info before you start (so you can explain the science to your kids):

Most sugary candy dissolves in water.  In fact, you might want to try this experiment first, so your kids understand that this is true.

Gummy bears are an exception – they don’t dissolve in water .  This is because they’re made with gelatin . When gummy bears are made, gelatin and water are heated and mixed (like when you make gelatin at home). As the mixture cools, water leaves the candy  and the candy hardens and becomes gummy/chewy.

When you put a gummy bear in water, it is a solute , and the water molecules are a solvent. Since the gummy bear does not contain water (remember, the water was removed when the gummy bear was made), water now moves into the bear by the process of osmosis . Osmosis is the process whereby water moves from a greater concentration of water to a lower concentration of water (from a container of water to the candy bear).

Also, gummy bears have a semi-permeable membrane – their surface has holes in it and these holes allow small, non-charged particles like water in, but don’t let larger particles (like sugar) out.

At the beginning of the experiment, there is less water and more gelatin inside each gummy bear. As time passes, this changes, as the gelatin makes the gummy bear act like a sponge, absorbing water rather than being dissolved in it (like other candies).

Try the  Gummy Bear Osmosis  experiment and see what happens!

_______________________________________________________________

This Gummy Bear Osmosis experiment takes less than an hour to set up, but the actual experiment runs for 48 hours.

Materials You Need for the Gummy Bear Osmosis Experiment

• Gummy Bears
• A glass container for each liquid/solution
• One tablespoon of salt
• A tablespoon of sugar
• One tablespoon of baking soda
• Kitchen scale
• Paper towels
• Clock or timer
• Gummy Bear Experiment Sheet (included at the end of this post, although the spacing is slightly different)
• Gummy Bear Scientific Data Table (included at the bottom of this post)

Instructions for the Gummy Bear Osmosis Experiment

• Label each glass with its contents: water, salt water, sugar water, etc.
• Fill the glass labeled water with one-half cup plain water.
• Fill the glass labeled salt water with one-half cup water. Thoroughly mix in one tablespoon of salt (make sure all the salt is dissolved).
• Fill the glass labeled sugar water with one-half cup water. Thoroughly mix in one tablespoon of sugar (again, make sure all the sugar is dissolved).
• Fill the glass labeled baking soda water with one-half cup water and thoroughly mix in one tablespoon of baking soda.
• Fill the other containers with their respective liquids.
• Select a gummy bear for each glass.
• Measure the length, height and width of each gummy bear, weigh each gummy bear and write this info on the Gummy Bear Scientific Data Table.  If your scale isn’t able to weigh just one gummy bear you can still do this experiment. Visually, your kids will be able to see the difference in the bears pre- and post-experiment.
• Check – and write down the time.
• Now, add a gummy bear to each glass.
• Wait 12 hours.
• Remove the gummy bears from their respective glasses.
• Let your kids ooh and ahh and talk about the differences in the bears.
• Now, measure and if you can,weigh each bear. Use the Gummy Bear Scientific Data Table to write down your results.
• Put the gummy bears back in their solutions.
• Check back after 24 hours and again measure and weigh each gummy bear.  Again, give your kids plenty of time to talk about the results.
• Again, put the gummy bears back in their glasses.
• Check back after 48 hours, measure and weigh each gummy bear. Use the Gummy Bear Scientific Data Table to write down your results.

What did you discover?  Did your gummy bears GROW – by A LOT!?! Which gummy bears grew the most, without losing shape?

Explain scientifically what happened., check out our experiment below., this is the beginning of it..

(our cat lost interest quickly)

Gummy Bear Osmosis Experiment – After 12 hours

Gummy Bear Osmosis Experiment – After 24 hours

Our water gummy bear has lost part of its leg!  And I can clearly see gummy particles in some of the water solutions.

But our vinegar gummy bear isn’t a blob yet, and I’ve heard that’s what happens. I’m getting a little worried – did we do something wrong?

Gummy Bear Osmosis Experiment – After 48 hours

A lot of the gummy bears are falling apart after 48 hours!  I originally planned to check again after 72 hours – but they just won’t make it!  The vinegar gummy is a blob (yeah!), and the water and soda gummy bears are literally falling apart. This gummy bear osmosis experiment was so much fun for the kids!

From http://mirada.oursciencefair.com/SchoolHome.aspx

I’ve included the forms I used below – in case you’d like to use them ____________________________________________________________________________

GUMMY BEAR SCIENCE EXPERIMENT

Gummy bear osmosis.

TAP WATER                                                                                                            

DISTILLED WATER

SALT WATER                                                                                                         

BAKING SODA WATER

SUGAR WATER                                                                                                     

SODA                                                                                                                        

_____________________________________________________________

Scientific Data Table

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Home » Articles » STEM » STEM Science » Gummy Bears Osmosis Experiment

Gummy Bears Osmosis Experiment

Today we will combine two fun activities from our childhood: eating gummy bears and learning about osmosis just kidding about osmosis being fun, back then it was a hard concept to grasp. but in today’s experiment, we will show you how to learn this important concept in a fun and easy way, article contents.

What is Osmosis?

Osmosis is defined as the movement of water molecules from a solution with a higher concentration of water molecules to a solution with a lower concentration of water molecules, through a cell’s semipermeable (partially permeable) membrane . What do we mean by the concentration of water? It’s the proportion of the water in a solution. Let’s talk about that next.

Solvent, Solute, and Solution

Speaking about Osmosis, you will probably often hear about solvent, solute, and solution. So let’s see what they are.

A solvent is any substance that dissolves other substances that we put in it. The most common solvent is water . We know that if we, for example, add sugar to the water, it will dissolve. This is important since, in our organism, water dissolves ions and proteins in our cells.

On the other hand, in our example above, the sugar would be a solute . The solute is a substance dissolved in another substance. So, sugar (solute) dissolves in water (solvent).

And the product we get is called a solution . Solutions can have different concentrations , depending on how much solute we dissolve in a solvent. If we add more sugar to the water, it will be sweeter and denser, more concentrated. However, this solution will now have a lower concentration of water molecules, since there are other things (sugar) in as well.

To summarise – when sugar (solute) dissolves in water (solvent) we get a mixture of water and sugar (solution) .

What is Semi-Permeable Membrane?

Think of the membrane as a wall with gaps (it’s semipermeable!). When solutions on both sides of the wall have the same concentration, nothing interesting happens – there is an equal probability water molecules will move from each side of the wall so in the end concentration will stay the same.

However, if we change the balance on one side of the wall, for example, add salt to one side – water molecules will now move from the place where there are more of them (ordinary water) to a place where there are fewer of them (salted water).

This state of different concentrations is also called osmotic pressure and therefore the amount of liquid will increase on the side with more salt, and decrease on the side where the salt concentration is lower until the osmotic pressure is equalized. The goal is to reach equilibrium, a state where concentrations are the same on both sides.

Here, we have 2 explanations of the process:

• The Mechanical explanation is that molecules of salt are blocking the movement of the water molecules so they are less likely to move from that side. 
• The Chemical explanation is that salt molecules consist of ions – Na+ and Cl-. Since water molecules are also partially charged they are attracted to salt molecules and therefore don’t move through the membrane.

Why Is Osmosis Important?

Osmosis is essential for the survival of all living organisms . It allows nutrients and minerals to move inside the cells, through the cell membrane, and also for waste to move out of the cells. For example, plants absorb water from the earth through the process of osmosis.

Try to remember the last time you ate something salty, such as chips. You must have been very thirsty afterward. This is because salt prevents water from passing into the cell through the semipermeable membrane and no matter how much you drink, it is difficult to quench your thirst.

Let’s go now and demonstrate the osmosis process in a simple way using gummy bear candies and different solutions.

Materials needed for the Gummy Bear Experiment

• Gummy bears (gummy candies) . You can buy gummy candy in any grocery shop. We have used Haribo gummy bears and they worked well for our experiment. It is not important which gummy candy you use, but we have got reports that some types/brands of gummy candy won’t work well and will just dissolve. Best to have at least 4 gummy bears to make easy comparisons of all experimental results and the original gummy bear.
• Water . 2 deciliters of water will be enough. We will add 1 deciliter to 2 of our glasses. 
• Salt . One tablespoon of salt will be enough to act as a solvent and create a concentrated solution.
• Vinegar . We will need 1 deciliter of vinegar to serve us as the second solution and we will add it to the last glass.
• 3 glasses . Since we will have 3 experimental groups, we will need 3 glasses. In the first glass, we will add pure water. In the second glass, we will add water and salt. And in the third glass, we will add vinegar.

Instructions for making Gummy Bear Osmosis Experiment

Check the video at the beginning of the article to see how to conduct this experiment. As mentioned in the required materials section, we used three types of solvent (water, salted water, and vinegar) but you can experiment with any type of solvent.

• Prepare 4 gummy bears (one for every type of solvent, +1 for comparison). Gummy bears are excellent for this experiment because they are made out of sugar, water, and gelatine. Gelatine doesn’t dissolve in water, but it allows water to pass through so it functions as a semipermeable membrane.
• Prepare your solvents. Put pure water in one glass, water with a big spoon of salt into the second glass, and vinegar into the third glass. 1 deciliter of liquid in each glass will be more than enough. You can also experiment with different mixtures, like oil, milk, or soda to see what will happen.
• Put 1 gummy bear into each solution . Leave one gummy bear on the side so you can compare afterward. Leave the gummy bears inside their solutions for a few hours. Check every 3 hours to see the changes.

Results of the osmosis experiment

• After 9 hours, we observed that the gummy bear left in pure water got much bigger than in the other solutions. The water went in! There is just a little bit of water in the gummy bear, so there was big osmotic pressure.
• Gummy bear in salted water got just a little bit bigger . Osmosis at work! Salted water had a lower concentration of water than the pure one, so in this situation, less water went into the gummy bear.
• In vinegar, the gummy bear got bigger , but it also started to fall apart, and that’s because of the acid in vinegar which can dissolve the gelatine.

What kind of solutions did you use and what are the results? Tell us all about your experiment in the comments!

What will you develop and learn?

• Knowledge from chemistry and biology . Osmosis, semipermeable membrane, solutions, etc., all play a big role in the functioning of living organisms. Talking about them will help us in better understanding what is happening on the cell level.
• What is osmosis and how does it work. Without osmosis, there would not be life. So understanding osmosis is important to understand biology.
• Scientific method and conducting experiments. Here, we conducted a scientific experiment with 3 experimental variables (water, salted water, vinegar) and a control variable (gummy bear that we didn’t put into any solution). This enabled us to control every aspect that could influence the outcome of the experiment.
• Learning by doing . We best learn through experience, and here, we conduct our own experiments. So new knowledge while having fun is guaranteed!

We hope you too were enjoying this experiment. If you are in the mood for more great activities, we have some to recommend.

• If you are interested in learning about defusion, a similar process to osmosis, then you can check How to demonstrate diffusion with hot and cold water article.
• We also recommend learning about oxidation and how oxygen reacts with electrons in the Apple oxidation experiment .
• If you are interested in making your own sweet candy, you can learn How to make homemade sugar crystals (Rock Candy) .
• And finally, if you are interested in learning about polarity, the chemical property of atoms, you can learn about it in a simple but fun Colorful milk polarity experiment .

Happy experimenting!

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Growing Gummy Bear Science

Looking for a fun candy science experiment ?!  Learn about osmosis with this oh-so-simple gummy bear science experiment!

Go ahead! Raid your candy stash – and this time you can do it in the name of science!

Follow the simple step-by-step below and then grab 30 more easy-to-follow science experiments kids will beg to repeat (plus a no prep science journal to keep track of their results!) in our shop !

Getting Ready

To prep, I gathered 2 small bowls, water, salt and gummy bears, of course.  It couldn’t get much simpler than that.

Growing Gummy Bears

In this candy science experiment , we compared gummy bears left in water to those placed in salt water.

To get started, we needed to make about a cup of supersaturated salt water solution.  So, we added salt, a little bit at a time, to a cup of boiling water until no more salt dissolved.  (Please use caution when allowing your little one to work with hot water.)

Once the water couldn’t hold anymore salt, we let it cool in the fridge.  If you use warm water for your experiment, you could melt your gummy bear.

When the salt water cooled, it was time to fill the bowls.  My kids poured a little salt water in one bowl and plain tap water in another.

Next, we gathered our gummy bears and compared them to pick ones of similar size.

They placed a couple gummy bears in the salt water and a couple in the plain water. They wanted to eat the remaining gummies, but I reminded them we needed to save them as the controls.  We wanted to be sure we could compare what happened to the ones we put in the different water solutions.

Now all we had to do was wait!

We started this experiment in the evening so we waited overnight.

You’ll need to let them soak for several hours, but I wouldn’t leave them for longer than overnight or they might fall apart on you.

My 5 year-old predicted the gummy bears in the plain water would expand and the ones in the salt water would shrink.

This is what we found the next morning….

The yellow bear was the control, the red was the salt water gummy and the green was soaked in plain water.

Both kiddos were surprised to see how much bigger the bears soaked in plain water had become.  They noticed the bears soaked in salt water were a little bit bigger but not that much.

My curious 3 year-old decided he needed to eat his gummy and popped a salt water gummy in his mouth. Oh, was he surprised when it was salty on the inside!

The Science Behind Growing Gummy Bears

To make gummy bears, sugar, gelatin and flavor are dissolved in a warm water solution.

As the solution cools, water leaves the gelatin solution and the bears become firm but chewy.  (Not all the water leaves the gelatin however, otherwise the gummy bears would be rock hard.)

It’s this little bit of water that makes the gummy bears act as a solution of water, one with a lot of sugar dissolved in it.

The plain water in the bowl, however, had very little dissolve in it.  We’ve learned from our egg experiment (the one with the dissolved shell) that different solutions of water will want to balance each other.

The plain water, with very little dissolved in it, will move toward the solution of water with a lot dissolved in it, the gummy bear.

This movement of a solvent from one of lower concentration to higher concentration is called osmosis.

The force behind that movement of water is called osmotic pressure.

In the bowl with the salt water, we tried to balance the amount of stuff (salt) dissolved in the water with the amount of sugar dissolved in the gummy bear.

Since our gummy bear placed in the salt water solution did expand a little bit, we knew our salt water solution did have a lot dissolved in it but not quite as much as the gummy bear did.

So, a little water moved into the gummy bear to balance the two solutions.

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Science Project Ideas

Gummy Bear Experiment

The gummy bear experiment is a fun activity that teaches the basic concept of osmosis to the little ones in an easy manner. They will also be thrilled at the idea that their favorite gummy bears could teach them a lesson or two in science.

Gummy Bear Science Project Instructions

Hypothesis for growing/shrinking gummy bears.

When a gummy bear is placed in a hypotonic solution (e.g. water) then it will increase in mass and volume. On the other hand, its mass and volume decrease when placed in a hypertonic solution (e.g. salt water). Hypertonic refers to a higher concentration of solutes and hypotonic is just the reverse.

Things Needed

• Physical balance or digital weighing machine
• Sieve, plastic fork or screen
• Graph paper
• Measure the dimensions (length, breadth and height) of the bear with a scale. Measure its mass with the balance.
• Fill the bowl with water.
• Completely immerse the gummy bear in the water.
• Let the bowl sit overnight in a place away from direct sunlight.
• Next day, lift the bear from the water with a plastic fork, sieve or screen.
• Record the dimensions and mass of the bear again.
• Do the same observation each day for a couple of days more.
• Plot a graph with the time in hours along the X-axis (the dependent variable) and the mass or weight of the gummy bear along the Y-axis (independent variable). Check the nature of the graph.

Things You Can Try

• Set up a series of bowls on the table and fill them with different solutions like that of baking soda, vinegar, salt, distilled water, etc. Make similar observations as above for each one of them. Compare your results.
• Also, check if the taste and/or color of the bears have changed.

Gummy Bear Osmosis Video

How does it work.

The ingredients of gummy bears are sugar, water, and gelatin, with little water content. Due to the process of osmosis, i.e., the movement of water molecules through a selectively permeable membrane from an area of high concentration to that of a lower concentration, the bear starts to grow. However, it doesn’t get dissolved as the gelatin is insoluble in water.

On trying out the different ideas, you will find that the degree of expansion of the candy depends on the liquid on which it is kept. However, vinegar, which is actually an acid, can dissolve the candy .

This simple trick can prove to be a cool science fair idea. The kids will be enthralled to display their knowledge to the audience in a fun way.

References:

https://biozone.weebly.com/uploads/2/7/4/2/274298/gummy_bear_osmosis.pdf

https://tinkerlab.com/incredible-growing-gummy-bears/

https://www.childrensmuseum.org/blog/saturday-science-growing-gummy-bears

https://www.homeschool.com/blog/index.php/2014/04/homeschool-science-gummy-bear-osmosis/

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Osmosis Experiments With Gummy Bears

Gummy Bear Science Experiments

Gummy bears offers kids a way to get interested in and understand osmosis – something about the brightly colored, tasty candy captivates young students. In osmosis experiments with gummy bears, the bears swell up to several times their normal size, which can be quite amusing and unexpected for kids and adults alike. Teachers like gummy bear osmosis experiments because they are simple, entertaining and easy to explain and understand.

Osmosis Terms

Understanding key terms is crucial to learn what happens during gummy bear osmosis experiments. Osmosis occurs when liquids flow through a semi-permeable membrane from a diluted to a concentrated environment. Semi-permeable membranes allow some molecules to pass through them – most frequently liquids – but not others. Scientists explain this by using the terms hypertonic and hypotonic: hypertonic solutions have higher concentrations of solutes – solids dissolved in liquids – while hypotonic ones have a comparatively lower concentration. Diffusion is the active movement of a substance from hypertonic to hypotonic, until an isotonic solution – equal concentration – is reached.

Gummy Bear Composition

Made from gelatin, water and a sweetener like sugar or corn syrup, gummy bears start as a liquid and cool into a chewy, gummy solution. The chewiness of gummy bears is due to the presence of gelatin, whose molecules are chain-like and create a solid matrix.

Gummy Bear Experiment: Tap Water

The first experiment involves soaking your gummy bears overnight in plain water. Prior to soaking, have your students measure the height, width, and depth of the gummy bear, and record this information in their lab books. Place the gummy bears in cups of water – one per student – and set aside. Then discuss hypotheses – what do the students think will happen to the bears? The next day, the bears will have expanded, as water moved by diffusion through the bear's semi-permeable membrane to reach an isotonic state where the concentration of water molecules inside and outside the bear were the same. The students should measure the bears again and use their before-and-after data to calculate the percentage of growth.

Gummy Bear Experiment: Salt Water I

Conduct the same experiment, this time soaking new gummy bears in salt water. Again ask your students to predict the outcome: Will the addition of salt change the outcome of the experiment in any way? Your students may be surprised at the results. New gummy bears soaked in salt water will shrink, but imperceptibly so. The bears' gelatin construction will cause it to hold its shape and size, for the most part, even when water leaves the bear.

Gummy Bear Experiment: Salt Water II

Soak the original, water-expanded gummy bears from your first experiment in salt water, and ask your students to predict the outcome. The bears will shrink as osmosis causes water to leave the gummy bear.

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• Minnesota Science Teachers Education Project: Investigating Osmosis Using Water and Gummy Bears
• k20alt: The Gummy Bear Lab

About the Author

Based in northern Virginia, Rebecca Rogge has been writing since 2005. She holds a bachelor's degree in journalism from Patrick Henry College and has experience in teaching, cleaning and home decor. Her articles reflect expertise in legal topics and a focus on education and home management.

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Find Your Next Great Science Fair Project! GO

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Stay-at-home science project: Enlarge gummy bears to reveal the secrets of osmosis

By Rachel Feltman

Posted on May 4, 2020 4:00 PM EDT

Welcome to PopSci’s at-home science projects series . On weekdays at noon, we’ll be posting new projects that use ingredients you can buy at the grocery store. Show us how it went by tagging your project on social media using #popsciprojects.

Gummy bears are delicious. That’s not up for debate (though you’re welcome to eat a few to prove the hypothesis). But they’re also the perfect critters to help demonstrate a process that makes life as we know it possible: Osmosis.

Believe it or not, osmosis also happens when you drop gummy bears into water, revealing the most basic inner workings of your body’s cells. Just add water and a spoonful of salt to see it happen before your eyes.

• Time: 5 minutes of prep, and 3 to 9 hours of waiting
• Difficulty: easy

What you’ll need

• Gummy bears, preferably dark in color
• Three small bowls
• 2 tablespoons of salt
• (Optional) Ruler
• (Optional) Kitchen scale

Instructions

1. Fill two of your bowls with cool water. Room temperature is fine, but keep away from hot water—it’ll melt your gummy bears.

2. Add the salt to the first bowl. The second should just contain water.

3. Plop one gummy bear into each bowl. Make sure they’re fully submerged. Leave the bowls somewhere they won’t be disturbed. Gummy bears are tempting—even when they’re salty and soggy!

• Note : We tried different types of gummies (including the sour kind coated with mouth-puckering crystals), and we came to the conclusion that the ideal gummy bears for this experiment are dark in color and chewy instead of soft—just the classic gummy bear . A darker color will not dilute so much as to turn the gummy bear totally clear as it absorbs water, and the thicker gelatin mixture will make the candy less likely to fall apart when you take it out for observation. Also, stay away from sour gummies and those with unusual flavor additives, since they are less likely to yield the intended results.

4. Set aside a third gummy as your experimental control. We recommend you do this before you even think about eating the rest of your gummy bears. It’d be tragic to suddenly realize you ate them all and you no longer have a control for your experiment. Keep it dry.

5. Wait for three hours.

6. Check back in on your waterlogged candies. You can scoop them out with a spoon and observe them on a paper towel if you so choose, but be sure to return them to their proper bowls. Take note of how the gummies have changed—write down your observations so you can contrast them with the end results. You can check in again after the next three hours.

7. (Optional) Take some measurements. If your little experimenters need more of a challenge, you can have them measure the bears with rulers and/or kitchen scales, and calculate just how much size and mass the bears have lost or gained.

8. Wait another six hours. The full transformation should be complete around hour nine.

9. Retrieve your bears from their bowls. Use a small spoon and line them up on a plate or paper towel to see how much they’ve changed. The gummy in plain water should be much larger than the unsoaked candy, while the salted water should have kept its bear roughly the same size—unless it’s caused it to shrink. More on that later.

10. Fill a third bowl with cool water and a tablespoon of salt. Place the expanded, waterlogged gummy bear into it and observe it every few hours. It should get noticeably smaller as it soaks.

How it works

Osmosis is the movement of water through a semipermeable membrane—that is, a material with holes large enough to let some things in, but small enough to keep others out. In this process, water moves through the membrane without force or energy, to make water concentration versus other molecules roughly the same on either side.

This process is important in keeping us alive. The outer membrane of our cells is semipermeable and allows small molecules like water and oxygen to pass through while keeping all the cell’s organelles protected and in place. When it’s time to eliminate waste, the cell will start pushing the toxic molecules out, while absorbing water from our blood through osmosis. Once the cell has balanced its water concentration to the one outside of it, it will stop taking in more liquid, thus preventing the cell from bursting.

Gummy bears are made of gelatin and sugar, and the proteins that make up gelatin are very similar to the outer membranes of our cells. Just like them, the gummy bear’s gelatin “skin” will allow water and other small molecules to pass through while keeping larger ones contained—in this case, those larger molecules are the sugar that make gummy bears taste so good.

When you place a gummy bear into water, the sugar molecules will try to spread out and disperse evenly through the water bowl. But the gelatin membrane won’t let them out. That sugar also makes the gummy have a relatively low concentration of water compared to the liquid around it. Osmosis seeks to correct this imbalance, so water will keep pushing into the gummy and through the membrane until the concentration is the same on either side of the gelatin. This means your gummy is going to absorb lots and lots of water.

In a solution of water and salt, the bowl and the bear have similar water concentrations, so the candy may stay about the same size or even shrink, if the water is salty enough. Just as the sugar in the bear lowers its water concentration, the salt in the bowl means a lower ratio of water to other molecules. As a response, the bear may push out water in order to dilute the liquid inside the bowl. If you place the water-swelled bear into a salt solution, those extra water molecules will leave the bear to lower the salt concentration in the bowl.

If you have time (and gummies) to spare, you can elaborate on this experiment by testing different salt concentrations. You can line up several bowls with increasing quantities of salt in the same amount of water. The more salt you add, the more your candy should shrink.

• Cooking & Baking /
• Kitchen science /

Gummy Bear Science Project

It is time for these little bears to grow up...and out with this gummy bear science project! Watch as gummy bears grow and shrink in different liquids in this kid-friendly experiment. This project is open for exploration and discovery, so kick things off by asking your child what they will happen to a gummy bear in water. Will it dissolve? Will it shrink or grow? Will it fall apart? How long will it take? Don’t forget to grab a notebook to write down their ideas so you can compare what they predicted with what actually happens! You’ll start to see results in just a few hours, and you’ll definitely see big changes in size in just a day.

Want to explore more kitchen science experiments? Explore the tastier side of learning with Science of Cooking: Ice Cream from the KiwiCo Store !

Ages: 5 - 11

<30 minutes

Grownup needed

Materials you'll need

• gummy bears
• water (3 cups)
• food scale - optional

Step-by-step tutorial

After the bears go into the water (or salt water, or sugar water), do NOT allow your child to eat them. Bacteria could start growing in the water as the bears soak, making them unsafe to eat.

Spoiler alert: this experiment explores osmosis. That’s a chemistry term for the motion of water through a barrier (like a gummy bear). If you give this a try, you’ll see that the gummy bear in the plain water will grow — a lot! One question that might come up is why gummy bears grow when other candies (like peppermints) dissolve. That’s because gummy bears, unlike peppermints, contain gelatin (which doesn’t dissolve in water) as well as sugar (which does). If you zoomed way in to look at the individual gelatin molecules, you’d see that they’re all tangled together, with tiny pockets in between where liquid can get trapped. As you’ll see in this experiment, those pockets can hold a lot of liquid! This strong but flexible gelatin structure is what makes gummies, well, gummy. Give it a try and see what happens, or scroll to the bottom for more about gummy bear osmosis!

Heat 1 cup of water over the stove. Slowly add salt to it and stir. (You’ll need around 7-9 tablespoons.) Continue adding salt until it no longer dissolves and a few salt crystals remain at the bottom. You now have a supersaturated salt solution.

You can skip the heating step if you’re working with younger kids or if you just don’t want to spend the time. The experiment will still work and you’ll see similar results — the bears may just be somewhat different sizes as ours.

Pour the salt solution into a bowl. Let the mixture come to room temperature. Repeat steps 1 and 2 with sugar instead of salt to get a supersaturated sugar solution.

Finally, fill the last bowl with normal water. You now have three bowls filled with different solutions.

Take your gummy bears and place a few in each bowl. Remember to save a few as control tests. Let the bears sit in the bowls for 12-72 hours. How do you think the bears will react with each solution?

Now observe the bears! (These are our bears after 48 hours.) You can use a kitchen scale to see how heavy each bear is using the control bears as a reference point. Are some bears more jiggly than others? Did the color change at all? Can you find a way to shrink the largest gummy? Continue to experiment by soaking your bears in different liquids and different concentrations!

When you drop a gummy bear into plain water, you’ll see the bear grow and grow as water flows into the bear. Why? The water moves to even out the stuff dissolved in it. Outside the gummy bear, you have water with nothing in it. Inside the gummy bear (trapped inside those pockets in the gelatin), you have water + sugar. There’s more stuff inside the bear, so the water moves into the bear to try and make the proportion of sugar molecules to water the same in both places. (You can think about this like a sugar cube dissolving in a cup of water. If you let it sit for long enough, the water at the top of the cup will be as sweet as the water at the bottom.) So what about the salt water? You still have water + sugar inside of the bear. But outside of the bear, you have water + salt. Salt molecules are much smaller than sugar molecules, so more of them will dissolve in water. This means there’s more stuff in the water than there is inside the bear. So this time the water moves out of the bear to try and even things out. The sugar water is an interesting case because just like the salt, you have a lot of stuff dissolved in the water outside of the bear. But this time, we saw the water flowing into the bear, not out. That tells us that there must be more sugar inside the bear than there is in the water outside.

Final result!

You don’t need to stop here! You can try changing the amount of sugar and salt, or test out different liquids. Or, to add a little bit of math to the activity, weigh your gummy bears on a kitchen scale every day and make a chart of how it changes over time. Happy experimenting!

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Gummy Bear Science Experiments

Katelyn is a freelance writer and travel blogger who loves writing about travel, health, finance, and science topics. She holds a bachelor's and master's degree in science fields.

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Mom always said never play with your food, but that wouldn't be any fun! Using fun food, like gummy bears, is a great tool to teach kids about the basics of chemistry.

The Amazing Growing Gummy Bear

The amazing growing gummy bear is a simple and fun experiment for children under the age of 12. The set up will take under an hour, but the experiment will run for at least 48 hours.

While most sugary candy dissolves in water, gummy bears are made with gelatin, which prevents the bears from dissolving. The gummy bear experiment is a great way to teach kids about osmosis. Osmosis is the process when water moves from a greater concentration of water to a lower concentration of water, such as the gummy bear. Try the experiment and see what happens!

• Gummy Bears
• Three glasses of water
• One tablespoon of salt
• One tablespoon of sugar
• Kitchen scale
• Paper towels
• Pen and paper
• Clock or timer

Instructions

• Select three gummy bears of the same color.
• Measure the length, height and width of each gummy bear and write it down.
• Weigh each gummy bear and write it down.
• Label each glass with its contents: water, salt water or sugar water.
• Fill the glass labeled water with one-half cup of plain water.
• Fill the glass with labeled salt water with one-half cup of water. Add and mix in one tablespoon of salt until all the salt has dissolved.
• Fill the glass labeled sugar water with one-half cup of water. Add and mix in one tablespoon of sugar until all the sugar has dissolved.
• Add a gummy bear to each glass and note the time.
• Wait 12 hours, measure and weigh each gummy bear.
• Replace the gummy bears back into their glasses.
• Check back after 24 hours, measure and weigh each gummy bear.
• Check back after 48 hours, measure and weigh each gummy bear.

How Does It Work?

What happened to the gummy bears? Why do they grow instead of dissolving like other candies? Gummy bears contain gelatin which is the same ingredient in Jell-O. Once the water and gelatin have cooled, the water in the gummy bears is drawn out leaving behind a delicious solid candy bear.

Gelatin is a long chain-like molecule that twists to create a solid form. When a gummy bear is placed in a glass of water, it becomes the solute. The solute is the dissolved material in the solution. The water is the solvent. Since the gummy bear does not contain water, when it is added to a glass of water, the water moves into the gummy bear by the process of osmosis.

Salt is a much smaller molecule than gelatin. There is more salt molecules in the water mixture than there are in the gummy. The water molecules will move towards the salt molecules to even out the number of water and salt molecules in the solution. That's why the gummy bear in the salt water doesn't grow that much if at all. What happened to the gummy bear in the sugar water?

The Amazing Growing Gummy Bear Part II

Now that the kids have learned what happens to the gummy bears in water and salt water, it's time to find out what gummy bears do in other solvents. The experiment doesn't need to be fancy, just find other liquids in the kitchen, like vinegar, milk, vegetable oil, or anything else that can be found in the pantry and refrigerator.

• Glasses or bowls
• Vegetable Oil
• Other liquids found in the kitchen (optional)
• Select three (or more depending on the number of solvents) gummy bears of the same color.
• Measure the length, height, and width of each gummy bear and write it down.
• Label each glass with its contents.
• Fill the glass labeled with its liquid contents.
• Add a gummy bear to each glass and start the timer.

Osmosis Made Easy

The amazing growing gummy bear experiment is a fun and simple experiment to teach children the basic principles of osmosis. By using colorful and delicious gummy bears, kids can see how water moves in and out of the bear. We just don't recommend eating the bears after they have been in salt water or vinegar!

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The Sprinkle Topped Teacher

Polar Bear Science Experiment For Kids

A polar bear science experiment with food! Can you think of anything better to get your students engaged? 

Gummy bear science is a no brainer when it comes to getting kids excited! In this experiment we used gummy bears to grow our own polar bears and to review the scientific method.

Setting Up the Experiment 

For this project we worked together as a class. We followed this Scientific Method Experiment Booklet . 

I decided to do the experiment in small groups. I set up 4 cups on each of the students’ tables. One was filled with water, the next filled with salt water, the third filled with vinegar, and the final cup was filled with a baking soda mixture. 

Next, I placed a plate of 4 gummy bears on each table. This is when my class’s excitement really began to bubble! 

Experiment Tip: Label the plate with which solution the gummy bear will be dropped in.

We reviewed what each cup contained and placed labels on the cups accordingly. This is also the point where we discussed the steps of the project, and my students made their hypothesis. 

After we reviewed the project and guessed what the gummy bears would do in each liquid, it was finally time for the students to drop the gummy bear. Once the bear was dropped, I had my students note any differences between the bear now and before it had been placed in the water. 

Observing multiple cups made my students feel like they were really working in a lab! 

Gummy Bear Science Project Results

The mixture has to sit for at least 4 hours in order for osmosis to fully change the bear, but I prefer to leave it overnight for a more dramatic result. 

However, this project is short and fun enough that it can be done on the same day as your school’s holiday event. That makes it easier for the student’s to leave the mixture alone for the 4 hours. 

(The gummy bear science project is also a super fun way to end the last day of school before winter break!)

The next day, the kids came rushing in to see the results! They ran right over to their cups!

The students couldn’t believe what was waiting for them. 

My students mostly predicted that the liquid solutions would all cause the gummy bear to shrink, but much to their surprise the gummy bears had grown inside the cups! 

Once the kids (and myself) had settled down from discovering the results of the experiment we finished filling out the experiment guide. 

This is also where I explained that osmosis caused the liquid molecules to move into the gummy and that is what caused it to grow. My students were fascinated and wanted to know more! 

I know many teachers are now distance learning as well, so there’s even a Google Slides version included for completing the digital science experiment!

A lot of parents have also reached out to share that they used this for science fair projects too! 

Here’s What Other Teachers are Saying: 

What the Polar Bear Science Experiment Taught

I love the Polar Bear Science Experiment so much and not just because of the leftover gummy bears. The Grow Your Own Polar Bear experiment is such a fun way to review the scientific method.  My students were not only able to perform the entire scientific method, but they were able to do it while having fun! 

The science project is also an easy way to explain a not so easy topic such as osmosis. After the project each student was able to explain how osmosis affects the gummy bears. 

My class got a stronger understanding of osmosis after this short experiment than they did when just reading about it! Why just read when you can experiment? 

Teachers were loving these scientific method notebooks! You can check out a fun slime experiment here!

Have you tried this polar bear science experiment with your class? What did you think? Do you have any tips to share?

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Bakers Brigade

How To Make Alcoholic Gummy Bears From Scratch

Making gummy bears from your favorite cocktail, wine or even beer is easy! With a handful of ingredients and a gummy bear mold you can have these ready to enjoy in under 30 minutes. Just mix up a half cup of your favorite alcoholic drink, add sugar and gelatin, then use a dropper to fill your molds.  Want to learn how to make alcoholic gummy bears from scratch?  Read on!

The Story Of Barfy Meat Bear:

This is a story of how something that was supposed to be delicious was absolutely disgusting then went all the way around to being beyond delicious.  I was reading an online article about how an $8 bottle of rose wine from Aldi had won second prize in some international wine competition.  I’ve been toying with the idea of some alcoholic gummy bears and had already ordered the molds (thanks Amazon Prime for fulfilling my every whim).  I got pretty excited and started to research wine flavored candies and gummies.  Right away I found this recipe, but I had two problems.

Problem the first, they seemed so basic and it is my personal mission to overgild the lily whenever possible.  Problem the second, I didn’t want to like, drive to Aldi to get the rose.  So I hatched a plan to make my bears with some moscato I had on hand (yum!) and to add some extra yumminess with the real fruit flavor of strawberries.  I had powdered some dehydrated strawberries for another recipe so I was good to go.  Usually when I start to feel very smug about my superior recipe ideas it’s right about time to make something truly and remarkably unpalatable.  And in case that’s not enough foreshadowing for you, I was feeling VERY smug about these Strawberry-Moscato Gummy Bears.

First I cooked everything up according to the directions and added a few tablespoons of strawberry powder right at the end.  Then I poured them into the molds, let them set up for awhile and then unmolded them, super excited to see the mini-masterpieces I had just created.  The first problem was that the orange-ish red of the strawberry powder combined with the clumpy, gelatinous and mottled texture made these poor bears look like they had been crafted from discarded organ meats.

No biggie, I thought.  They are going to taste amazing and that’s what counts.  I can work on the appearance.  Maybe add some red food dye or use the hand blender to get them smoother.  Nope, after tasting them I realized the their appearance was their best feature.  By some feat of hellish alchemy, I had perfectly balanced the mustiness of the wine with the acidity of the strawberries and achieved a flavor as close to barf as anything I have ever willingly tasted.  Then maybe I ate 5 more just to be sure they really were super-disgusting.  Then I made my husband eat some.  He is usually diplomatic but simply said, “Those are not good”.

Since I sort of hate being wrong, I uncorked a bottle of rose I found lurking in the wine cabinet and decided to make them just as the recipe recommended.  These sure looked a lot better!  Pale pink, perfectly clear.  But they just didn’t taste that good to me.  I guess I just don’t like wine-flavored gummy bears.  But I do like fancy cocktails.

Cocktail-Inspired Gummy Bears From Scratch:

So here’s how I’ve atoned for those Meat-Barf Bears:  Lovely, boozy, flavorful and fancy gummy bears based on a few of my favorite cocktails.  I started with the Aviation ones.  An Aviation is a mix of gin, maraschino liquor, lemon juice and Creme de Violette.  I didn’t have the latter so I just added a drop of purple food dye to give the bears that iconic Aviation color.

Next up, my personal favorite, Manhattan bears.  Whiskey, sweet vermouth, bitters and a hit of maraschino syrup right from the jar.  This is the recipe that made it necessary to carry my great aunt Helen down the stairs to the car on multiple Christmas Eves.

And finally, sweet limoncello bears.  Straight limoncello, fruity, frosty and a bit bitter.  The drink that reminds me of long, relaxed Italian meals served at an appropriately late hour.

How To Make Alcoholic Gummy Bears From Scratch:

These are so simple.  They really take less than a half an hour from start to finish.  You could be mixing these up at 4:30 and popping them into your mouth at 5:00.  And it’s got to be five o’clock somewhere.  Cheers!

More Alcohol-Inspired Treats From Bakers Brigade:

• Bourbon Barrel-Stout Gummy Bears
• Salted Mezcal Caramels
• Campari Cake With a Negroni and Blood Orange Filling

• 2 ounces gin
• 1.5 ounces Luxardo maraschino liquer
• 1 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 drop purple food dye (I used Wilton violet)
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 3 packets unflavored gelatin Knox brand
• 2 ounces whiskey
• 1 ounce sweet vermouth
• 2 dashes bitters
• 2 tablespoons maraschino syrup from a jar of maraschino cherries
• 4 ounces limoncello
• 1 drop yellow food dye optional

• In a medium saucepan, stir the gelatin and sugar until well combined. Add the remaining ingredients and stir until smooth.
• Heat over medium-low heat until the gelatin and sugar have dissolved. If you want to keep all the alcohol, use a candy thermometer to keep your mixture under 90 degrees F.
• Once dissolved, use an eye dropper (included with the molds), to fill each gummy bear cavity. This recipe will fill two 50-bear molds.
• Put in the fridge for at least 15 minutes to set, up to overnight. Unmold and refrigerate in an airtight container until ready to serve. Keeps for about a week.

88 thoughts on “ How To Make Alcoholic Gummy Bears From Scratch ”

1. Please please PLEASE tell me that you took a photo of that first unfortunate set of gummies. And that you’re willing to send it to me.

2. These sound just amazing, and I will absolutely be making them in the near future.

I didn’t but I should have! So mucilaginous.

Hi Jane! My future cousin-in-law is vegan, so I’m going to try my hand at some of these using agar instead of gelatin. Any words of wisdom? Advice to anyone with 3 year olds: I gave the two sets of gummy molds and little droppers to the twins yesterday with a couple glasses of water, and they were entertained for a good hour. #magic

I have no words of wisdom regarding agar. Except that you should probably google it. And bonus on the toddler magic. Great idea!

How I convert this into a recipe for Coke & whiskey gummies?

Hi Bob! I would do 3 tablespoons of whiskey and 5 tablespoons of coke. If you really want them to have a kick, you could go half and half. Also, consider using Diet Coke because the regular coke might make them a bit stickier than is ideal. Let me know how it goes if you try it! I’ve made gummy bears out of about 20 different cocktails but haven’t tried this combo yet.

How much of each the other ingredients would I use?

I made the gummies today, but I ended up using rum instead of whiskey. (I assume it makes no difference.) I also flattened the Coke before starting. They turned out to be very good, although I think they’d be better if they were just a touch sweeter.

Also, I don’t know if this makes a difference to anyone else, but I used kosher gelatin, and it never seemed to completely dissolve, but I don’t think that it affected the final product.

Hi Bob 🙂 Sorry I’m just now getting back to you. I’m glad the gummies worked out! For any variation, I use 1/2 cup of liquid, 1/4 cup of sugar and 3 packets of gelatin.

I’m confused, your recipes say 3 packets, but he you say 2 .. yikes! What do I do?

I’d say use the coke to hydrate the gelatin, and you want the sugar from the real coke. I’d also suggest adding some glucose syrup to the sugar and heat it to 240f. You can always use agave or honey or whatever too. Also, you can buy flavor concentrate and use that. I’ve actually been making an Avation cocktail gummy for years, and I use gin extract, Bombay Sapphire, & juniper berries to up the gin flavor, lemon, creme de violette, violet extract, citric acid, then Luxardo of course. But if you want shelf stable gummies, you have to dehydrate them anyways, so you might not want to waste your good gin ‍♂️ Happy experimenting! ‍

Loved reading this, sounds so familiar to thoughts in my own head with a variety of failed attempts . Have my molds and eye dropper ready to go and can’t wait to try these!

Hi! This is a great post! Can you help me with a Champagne and peach schnapps recipe? How much of each liquid should I use?

Hi LishaBeth! That sounds like a yummy combination ❤️ I would probably do half and half. I recommend using a dry champagne as opposed to a sweeter one. The schnapps are very sweet and I’ve found that the gummy bears get a little sticky if there’s too much sugar. But honestly, that’s splitting hairs. These are pretty foolproof!

Hi! I am thinking of making these as an old fashioned. Thinking bourbon, bitters and a touch of grenadine or orange juice. What do you think??

Hi Heather! I think that sounds delicious . If you make them, will you let me know how they turn out? I LOVE an old fashioned.

These turned out perfectly. Ended up making Old Fashioned, Gin & Tonic, Rum Punch, Margarita, Moscow Mule and Fireball!!

You are not messing around! I made some Fireball ones and they were so good ❤️. Thanks for the update, I get a kick out of seeing what other people make 🙂

What were your Rum Punch and Fireball recipes (or did you just use only Fireball)?

The intention was just one flavour but they were so easy to make that I went wild! So pretty too with all the different colours!

Exactly! Once you see how easy it is, you want to try a batch with every bottle in your liquor cabinet.

I tried this recipe using regular Coke and no alcohol. The results were…. 🙁 The gummies were almost flavorless, and they were very hard. Next I tried reducing 2 cups of Coke, then using 2 packets of gelatin, and they came out in between jello and gummies, and the flavor was better, but still weak. Any suggestions how to improve them? PS All the gelatin I’m using is kosher gelatin (ie fish gelatin). Does that make a difference?

The kosher gelatin shouldn’t matter I don’t think. I think it’s going to be tough to get a really strong cola flavor without using some extract and something acidic. The advantage of the cocktail bears is that the ingredients in a cocktail are already quite intense. But the flavor in cola is not quite as concentrated. You Pils try boiling it down almost to a syrup but then the other ingredients would need to be tweaked. Without experimenting myself, I couldn’t say what the magic combo would be. The alcohol does affect the way they set up so my recipe will be really tough and too gummy with no alcohol. Take a look at this recipe, it might be more of what you’re looking for: https://www.thespruceeats.com/cola-gummies-520894

Hello! This is so fun. I’m wondering if the bears have the effect of or just the flavor of alcohol?

Hello! If you hear it gradually and keep it under 90 degrees they will be just as alcoholic as the cocktail by volume. The hotter and longer you heat it, the more the alcohol will cook out. What flavor are you making? I’m looking for ideas

I’m so excited to make these, but I only have a jar of gelatin, no packets. Do you know how much is contained in each packet of gelatin? Thanks so much for all these recipes and the inspiration!!

.25oz is one packet!

I have the packets they are .25oz each! I am going to try pinapple Malibu ones!

Oooooo. What measurements did you use for the pineapple coconut ones? I would love to try them

I made ciroc apple gummies and they tasted amazing but a bit sticky. Any suggestions?

This is so awesome! I’m so excited to make them. Do you know the approximate shelf life after making them? How long can they be stored before having to eat them?

Those of you who made Fireball ones, did you use only Fireball or did you mix it with something else?

Any other ideas are also welcome! Thinking about doing this for Halloween spiders.

No one else has the problem of the gelatin clumping up as soon as it hits the fluid? I sprinkle it lightly to no avail. The little molecules find each other in the booze and WHUMP…..family reunion.

Cornstarch fisted I to the molds before purging will reduce stickiness and you can toss gummies with a sprinkle of cornstarch I’m a ziplock bag to help as well! I’ve also read that cooking spray can help but that just seems counterintuitive to me. Found this while looking up sparkling jello from my childhood and then thinking to make champagne Jell-O shots but I love this idea so much more because I have these molds sitting in my cupboard. Boozy bears to the Christmas party is a go!

I’m having a girl’s night soon and I just ordered the molds. I had a melty disaster the last time I tried to make vodka gummy bears with store bought bears.

And yes, I have a question – 2 ounces of booze seems light. How much can I use in the bears and still get them to set? I don’t want to sound like a lush, but it’s a sleep over

Sorry I’m just seeing this! I haven’t tried to pack any more liquor into these so I think you’d have to do some trial and error. For what it’s worth, they are actually pretty boozy as is. But maybe I’m a lightweight. I’ve been called worse! Let me know what you discover <3

@jane – is white sugar part of the ‘jelling’ process? Could I substitute Splenda or Truvia?

Hi! Yes, the sugar is part of the gelling process. You can do some research about low-sugar or sugar free jellies and see if there might be a way. But I’ve not tried it myself. Good luck and let me know what you find out!

We are having a pot party (pot luck that is) and dressing up the 60th look. I am making gummy bear shots.

4 packs of gummy bears in casserole dish. Cover in Vodka and soak overnight covered. Make jello flavour you like put in fridge till set. Mix soaked jello bears in with set jello Put in shot glasses. So good.

That sounds amazing! I’ve never soaked store bought gummy bears before. Sounds like an excellent short cut. And then to get all meta and suspend it all in another layer of jello? Next level.

I needed your story this morning! You are a very funny person! Though I have had my moments like yours and at the time I know it’s the worst thing in the world!

Thanks Brandon! Gotta break some eggs to make an omelette, right? Truth is that I rarely have a good idea that’s not some version of a really bad idea I had first!

Anyone try it with Hennessy?

I’m extremely confused for the order here am I making a caramel first & then adding the liquor and gelatin??

No, no caramel needed. You just briefly warm the ingredients until the sugar and gelatin has dissolved. Let me know how it goes!

Need to know if you could use flavored gelatin instead of unflavored.

I think that would be fine. But if it has sugar in it, that will throw off the recipe.

I tried to find a question about it already but I may have overlooked- anyone have the measurements for vodka gummies and tequila gummies? I do not drink but want to make these for a friend so I do not want to trial and error with them. Thank you.

You can make these with 1/2 cup of any cocktail. Vodka and/or tequila should be fine. I might add a little lime juice to give it a little more zing <3

Any reason this recipe wouldn’t work with red or white wine?

Nope! Wine should work just fine

I’m thinking about a caramel apple. Butterscotch schnapps and apple cider. Think I would still need to add full amount of sugar?

Ooooo, yum! I would do 2oz vodka, one ounce schnapps and one ounce cider. Tell me how they turn out!

How long do they last after making them?? Can you keep them at room temperature?

These should last in the fridge for about 2 weeks. At room temperature, it depends a bit on the cocktail you use. I’ve found that the “gummier” they are, the better they do at room temp and that varies.

Can you make these without the sugar? How do you think they will turn out? Is the sugar a necessity?

I have never tried them without sugar. There are some good sources online about tweaking the sugar content in gelatin desserts. Let me know how it goes if you try it!

How could i make them with Hennessy???

Hi Yazmin! Just use 1/2 cup Hennessy in place of the other cocktail ingredients

I know you said … 3 packets of Knox but I have the Plastic Jar…. Whats the packets in table or teaspoon?

Hi Griselda 🙂 3 packets of Knox gelatin equals 7 1/2 teaspoons or 2 tablespoons plus 1 1/2 teaspoons. Hope that helps!

Jane, thanks for all your help….I never asked a question but I got some great advise….I hope you know you’re doing a great job helping! Keep it up….we appreciate it!!!

Aw, thanks Marcy! This comment is so kind I had to read it a few times before I realized it wasn’t spam . Have a great day ❤️

Can you vacuum seal them and not have to keep them refrigerated?

Interesting question Linda, I’m honestly not sure. I think that what makes them lose their texture is being warm for an extended amount of time not being exposed to air. But I’ve never tried it, so I can’t be sure!

Hey there Jane – I’m in the UK and only have leaf gelatine (15 leaves / 25g in total) and am unsure how many leaves to use – I am going to try your limoncello bears and some wine bears!!! Genius recipe btw !!!!!

Thanks Clare! One packet is equal to 3 leaves. So this recipe will require 9 leaves :). Let me know how they turn out <3

Is there a way to preserve these?? I made some but a few days later they tasted like rubber. Is there a preservative that can be added??

I’m not sure about a preservative, sorry! I haven’t had that experience, maybe I’m eating them too quickly 😉

Would you say these are more like jello shot shaped gummies? I’m looking for the consistency of a real gummy bear. Any advice? I have gelatin, corn syrup, and soribol. Any help matters…thank you

Yes, these are made with gelatin so they don’t have the exact texture of gummy bears. Good luck, let me know what you find out!

How do you make them more shelf stable? Like able to be packaged for sale?

Hi Sarah 🙂 I don’t know of a way to do that, I wish I did!

LOVED ALL OF IT. your descriptions were so funny! I made the limomcello and manhattan. I also made a mulled wine/apple flavor. 1/4 cup wine, 1/4 cup apple that came out delicious. I still think Manhattan was my fave.

That’s excellent Meg! The Manhattan ones are my favorite too ❤️

Hi so I’m getting into candy making and found out what actual gelatin is and got disgusted. Reason I mention that is because been making own flavors using basic cider technique fruit, water, later adding Suva and spices than once cooled use a little liquid once strained well mix with agar agar and they come out fine. Is there a way to opt gelatin for agar agar in a small batch because that would be awesome I love drinking and making those into gummies sound amazing so many ideas already but gelatin is a no go for me

Sugar and spices**

There is a vegan gelatin mix out there that’s made with carreggan (spelling?) by the modernist pantry I do believe. I’ve been trying with agar powder for a while now and have been having trouble getting it to a good gummy bear consistency. They come out more like jello shots, jelly or chewies but not true gummy bears

Your receipt makes it feel like an actual gummy berry or is the texture different? If so, please advise.

Hi Nidy! The texture of these is more like a very firm jello.

Just tried these tonight, wasn’t sure if the 4oz of alcohol was correct as i seen videos using 1 cup and the rest of the same amount of stuff but i tried it and was pleased it turned out. I used Wave blue raspberry vodka, they taste good but not like alcohol by any means…i used a candy thermometer but i think i still might have cooked away the alcohol or it dissipated as the gummies were firming up, i’m gonna try pumpkin spice liquor ones next maybe use less sugar and low heat instead of med low

How long do these store for?

Some recipes iv seen call for sorbitol, supposed to give a more gummy textue and more shelf life , Any thoughts on sorbitol ?

I haven’t used sorbitol. These really aren’t very shelf stable, but they are very boozy 🙂

Have you ever tried making these with the concentrated flavors you use to make hard candy?

I have never tried that but if you do, let me know how it turns out!

I made these as gummie worms as it is almost Halloween and I am doing a graveyard theme. I made them with citron vodka and the recipe worked perfectly. I colored them yellow and they looked and tasted great. I am going back for pumpkin vodka tomorrow and make some orange worms. Great recipe!!!

I made the limoncello gummies for a ladies night. I added a dram/ml of peppermint extract to make a lemon mint flavor profile. They were hit!

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• Best Vodkas
• Information & Guides

How To Make Vodka Soaked Gummy Bears

• March 20, 2024
• Posted by Ferdynand Scheuerman

Get ready to be the life of the party with a delightful twist on your favorite gummy bears. Vodka-soaked gummy bears are not only delicious but incredibly easy to make, and they are guaranteed to impress your friends and family! In this comprehensive guide, we'll walk you through the entire process of making these boozy treats, as well as share some tips and tricks to give your gummy bears the perfect vodka-infused kick.

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How To Make Vodka Soaked Gummy Bears Table of Contents

What you'll need:, step 1: choosing your gummy bears, step 2: preparing the container, frequently asked questions, looking for the best vodka you'll love these vodka guides....

• One bag of gummy bears (about 1.5 to 2 pounds)
• Vodka of your choice (we recommend choosing a quality brand for the best flavor)
• A glass or plastic container with an airtight lid (large enough to hold all of your gummy bears)
• Optional: fruit juice, flavored vodka, or even rum for a different twist

While any type of gummy bear will work for this recipe, we recommend using a higher-quality brand for a better taste and texture. The softer and chewier the gummy bears, the better they will absorb the vodka. Some popular choices include Haribo, Albanese, and Black Forest.

Before you start, make sure your container is clean and free of any residue. This will ensure your vodka-soaked gummy bears taste fresh and delicious. You can use a glass or plastic container, but it must have an airtight lid to prevent your gummy bears from drying out and hardening.

Step 3: Adding The Gummy Bears To The Container

Place your gummy bears into the container, making sure they are spread out evenly. Try to avoid large clumps of gummy bears, as this can make it difficult for the vodka to evenly coat each bear.

Step 4: Pouring The Vodka Over The Gummy Bears

Now it's time to add the vodka! Slowly pour the vodka over the gummy bears until they are completely submerged. We recommend using a quality vodka brand for the best flavor. Keep in mind, the gummy bears will expand in size as they soak up the vodka, so leave some space at the top of the container.

Step 5: Seal & Refrigerate

Once your gummy bears are fully submerged in vodka, place the airtight lid on the container and secure it tightly. Put the container in your refrigerator for at least 24 hours, allowing the gummy bears to absorb the vodka. For best results, leave the container in the refrigerator for 48 hours, stirring the gummy bears occasionally to ensure even soaking.

Step 6: Drain Excess Vodka & Enjoy!

After your gummy bears have soaked for the desired length of time, remove the container from the refrigerator and drain any excess vodka. The gummy bears should have expanded in size and have a delicious vodka-infused flavor. Serve them in a bowl at your next gathering and watch your friends be amazed! Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge.

How To Make Vodka Soaked Gummy Bears Example:

Optional Variations:

There are countless ways to customize your vodka-soaked gummy bears! You can experiment by:

• Using flavored vodka, such as vanilla, raspberry, or even whipped cream for a unique twist
• Adding a splash of fruit juice for a fruity cocktail flavor
• Replacing the vodka with rum for a fun and tropical treat
• Combining different types of gummies, such as gummy worms or gummy fish, for added variety and excitement

What type of gummy bears work best for soaking in vodka?

The best gummy bears for soaking in vodka are ones that are reasonably firm and not too soft. High-quality brands tend to hold up better during the soaking process without dissolving.

How long should I soak the gummy bears in vodka?

To achieve the best flavor saturation, you should typically soak the gummy bears in vodka for 24 to 72 hours. Taste test them to adjust the soaking time to your preference.

Can I use other types of alcohol for soaking gummy bears?

Yes, you can use other types of alcohol like rum, tequila, or flavored spirits. However, liquor with a higher alcohol content like vodka is recommended for efficient absorption.

Do I need to refrigerate the vodka-soaked gummy bears?

While not necessary, refrigeration is recommended as it keeps the gummy bears fresh and can help prevent them from becoming too sticky.

How can I prevent the gummy bears from sticking together after soaking?

To prevent sticking, stir the gummy bears occasionally during the soaking process and dust them with powdered sugar or cornstarch after removing them from the vodka.

Is there a limit to how much vodka gummy bears can absorb?

There is a limit to how much alcohol gummy bears can absorb, and this saturation point typically depends on the quality and type of gummy bear. Continuing to add vodka after the gummies reach their saturation point can result in a gooey mess.

Should I cover the gummy bears while they're soaking in vodka?

It's a good idea to cover the gummy bears while they soak to prevent contamination and the absorption of other flavors or odors from your refrigerator.

What is the best container to use for soaking gummy bears in vodka?

Use a glass or plastic bowl with a tightly fitting lid. These materials won't react with alcohol and will also help to contain the vodka smell.

Will soaking gummy bears in vodka change their taste?

Soaking gummy bears in vodka will infuse them with the flavor of the alcohol, which may slightly alter or complement the original taste of the gummy bears.

Do vodka-soaked gummy bears get you drunk?

Yes, vodka-soaked gummy bears contain alcohol and can make you drunk if you consume enough of them. Always consume them responsibly and be mindful of how much you're eating.

How should vodka-soaked gummy bears be served?

Vodka-soaked gummy bears should be served chilled, in a bowl or on skewers for easy consumption. Make sure your guests are aware that they contain alcohol.

Can I speed up the soaking process with higher temperature?

Heating up the gummy bears may break them down and should be avoided. Soaking at room temperature or in a cool place like a refrigerator is recommended for best results.

What if the vodka-soaked gummy bears are too strong in taste?

If the taste is too strong, soak the gummy bears for a shorter time, or rinse them quickly in water after soaking to remove some of the surface alcohol.

Are vodka-soaked gummy bears safe to eat for everyone?

They are not suitable for children, pregnant women, or anyone else who should not be consuming alcohol. Always consume them responsibly and in moderation.

Can I add fruit juice or other flavors to the vodka and gummy bears?

Absolutely, adding fruit juice or other flavors can enhance the taste of your vodka-soaked gummy bears. Experiment with different combinations to find your favorite.

How can I store leftover vodka-soaked gummy bears?

Leftover vodka-soaked gummy bears should be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Eat them within a few days for the best quality.

Can soaking gummy bears in vodka make them expand in size?

Yes, gummy bears typically expand as they absorb the vodka. The amount of expansion depends on the soaking time and the brand of gummy bears used.

What's the best way to evenly distribute vodka among gummy bears?

Arrange the gummy bears in a single layer and pour the vodka over them to cover evenly. Stir occasionally during the soaking process to ensure consistent absorption.

Can I use sugar-free gummy bears for vodka soaking?

Yes, sugar-free gummy bears can be used, but they often absorb alcohol differently and may have a different texture after soaking. It's best to soak them for a shorter period to avoid disintegration.

How can you tell when the gummy bears are properly saturated with vodka?

The gummy bears will typically become plump and soft to the touch once they're saturated. If they're overly squishy or falling apart, they've been soaked for too long.

Is it necessary to stir the gummy bears while they are soaking?

Stirring is not required but can help ensure that all gummy bears soak evenly. If you notice some bears are absorbing more vodka than others, a light stir can redistribute the vodka.

Now that you've become an expert in making vodka-soaked gummy bears, it's time to share your newfound knowledge and delicious creations with your friends and family! Be the star of your next party and delight your guests with these tasty and fun confections. And don't forget to explore other exciting vodka guides, recipes, and tips right here on Vodka Doctors! If you enjoyed this tutorial, please don't hesitate to share it with your fellow vodka enthusiasts and gummy bear lovers!

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