Gummy Worms

By
Elizabeth LaBau
Sweet Book of Candy Making Elizabeth LaBau
Elizabeth LaBau
A professional pastry chef, cookbook author, and writer, Elizabeth LaBau has published more than 600 articles on baking and candy making.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Updated on 12/17/22
Gummy worms recipe

The Spruce / Ulyana Verbytska

Prep: 20 mins
Cook: 10 mins
Setting Time: 2 hrs
Total: 2 hrs 30 mins
Servings: 8 servings

This recipe makes dual-flavored orange and raspberry worms. You can substitute other juices to change the flavors, or make a double batch with a single flavor.

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup unflavored gelatin, divided

  • 1/2 cup cold water, divided

  • 2/3 cup raspberry juice (see note)

  • 3/4 cup sugar, divided

  • 1/2 cup corn syrup, divided

  • 2/3 cup orange juice

  • Food coloring, optional

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Ingredients for gummy worms
    The Spruce / Ulyana Verbytska

  2. Prepare an 8 x 8-inch pan by wetting it lightly with water.

    Prepare pan
    The Spruce / Ulyana Verbytska

  3. Place 4 tablespoons gelatin in 1/4 cup cold water to soften for about 5 minutes.

    Gelatin
    The Spruce / Ulyana Verbytska

  4. Place the raspberry juice, 6 tablespoons sugar, and 4 tablespoons corn syrup in a medium saucepan over medium heat and stir until sugar dissolves.

    Raspberry juice
    The Spruce / Ulyana Verbytska

  5. Stir in the gelatin and continue stirring until gelatin dissolves.

    Stir in gelatin
    The Spruce / Ulyana Verbytska

  6. At this point add food coloring, if you're using it.

    Add food coloring
    The Spruce / Ulyana Verbytska

  7. Pour into prepared pan and refrigerate for 1 hour, until set.

    Gelatin in pan
    The Spruce / Ulyana Verbytska

  8. Repeat procedure with orange juice: place 4 tablespoons gelatin in 1/4 cup cold water to soften for about 5 minutes.

    Repeat with orange juice
    The Spruce / Ulyana Verbytska

  9. Place the orange juice, 6 tablespoons sugar, and 4 tablespoons corn syrup in a medium saucepan over medium heat and stir until sugar dissolves.

    Place orange juice and sugar in bowl
    The Spruce / Ulyana Verbytska

  10. Stir in the gelatin and continue stirring until gelatin dissolves.

    Stir in gelatin
    The Spruce / Ulyana Verbytska

  11. At this point, add food coloring, if using.

    Add food coloring
    The Spruce / Ulyana Verbytska

  12. Remove from heat and allow to cool for 10 minutes in pan.

    Allow to cool
    The Spruce / Ulyana Verbytska

  13. Pour over raspberry layer and refrigerate for 1 hour, until set.

    Pour over raspberry layer
    The Spruce / Ulyana Verbytska

  14. When set, turn out of the pan and cut with a sharp knife into long, thin strips to resemble worms.

    Turn out pan
    The Spruce / Ulyana Verbytska

  15. Enjoy in pudding dirt cups or by themselves.

    Gummy worms
    The Spruce / Ulyana Verbytska

Prefer gummy bears? Try this recipe.

Tip

  • Raspberry juice can be obtained from boiling fresh or frozen raspberries over medium heat. Place 1 /2 cups of berries in a small saucepan and heat, stirring occasionally, until they are very liquidy. Pour through a strainer, reserving juice, and press fruit against the strainer to squeeze out all the juice.
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
176 Calories
0g Fat
40g Carbs
6g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 8
Amount per serving
Calories 176
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 0g 0%
Saturated Fat 0g 0%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 40mg 2%
Total Carbohydrate 40g 15%
Dietary Fiber 0g 0%
Total Sugars 39g
Protein 6g
Vitamin C 15mg 77%
Calcium 10mg 1%
Iron 0mg 1%
Potassium 67mg 1%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)