Protein Gummies

I have a hard time keeping my protein intake up where it should be, and I’ve been trying to be better about that.

There are CLEAR benefits to getting enough protein - it impacts everything from weight loss, energy levels, and maintenance of lean muscle, to things like heart health, pain issues, and slowing the effects of aging.

Coming up with protein snack options has been my go-to, convenient way to pack more protein into my day, and one of my favourite ways has been to make high protein gummy bears!

... and gummy dinosaurs, gummy fish... etc.

They’ve all got great gummy taste, the texture I crave, SO much protein, and more.

Oh, and it manages to be a healthy snack that satisfies my sweet tooth, WITHOUT weird ingredients like “carnauba wax”, or high glycemic crap like corn syrup.

PERFECT!

Anyway, I’ve got a few high protein gummy recipes (see the “more recipes!” section, near the end of the post), and those ones use collagen peptides to boost the protein content.

This delicious snack option makes it even easier, by using your favourite protein powder as the base!

This gives you ALL kinds of room to customize to your tastes, and all you’ve got to do is add two more ingredients.

Oh, and one of those is water, so that only BARELY counts as a third ingredient, IMHO.

Anyway, lots to discuss, so let’s get to it!

Nutritional Information Notes

Due to the WIDE variety of nutrient values across different brands of protein powder, I’ve left the protein powder itself out of the nutritional information calculations in the recipe card at the end of this post.

So, you’ll want to factor in the amount of protein and other macros that your particular powder is bringing to your batch, and adding that additional protein, extra calories, etc into your meal plan.

I have counted this recipe as two servings, and it uses 2 servings of protein powder.

So, if you’re eating half the batch - 1 serving - all you have to do is add the grams of protein, etc in ONE serving of the protein powder, to the values listed in the recipe card.

If your protein powder is 20 grams of protein per serving, you’ll add that to the 25 grams of protein that come from the gelatin, and you’re looking at 45 grams per serving.

That said, if you want to look at this as 4 servings, you’ll do the same, then just divide it in two.

In this case, it would be a 22.5 g protein serving for ¼ of the batch.

Ingredients

This is super simple recipe that only has 2 ingredients - 3, if you count water! You may not be able to find them in grocery stores - I order online.

A few ingredient notes for you:

Protein Powder

Any protein powder will work in this recipe, with the caveat being that the type of protein will influence the texture of the gummies.

I like to use Clear Whey Protein when I want really clear gummies (see the yellow ones below), but generally just use candy flavoured whey protein more than anything.

If the protein powder you pick mixes up to a clear liquid, you’ll get transparent gummies. If your protein powder mixes up to a thick and milky liquid, the gummies will have that creamy, milky look and texture as well.

If you use a “sour” type flavour - usually with some form of citric acid involved - your gummies can foam up.

They key things to keep in mind are to use a protein powder that dissolves smoothly, or you’ll have gritty gummies. Also: Use one that you love the flavour of!

Beyond that, there’s really not “Right protein” to use, you’ll just want to use one that suits your own tastes and dietary needs.

Pea protein and lentil protein powders are good options for someone who needs a plant-based protein - again, just be sure you love the flavour!

For me, I can taste too much “bean” flavour on them.

Personally, I skip the ones with “natural flavor”, preferring to use protein powders that already taste like the gummy candies I miss. Proteins with a wild berry or mixed berry flavor are my other favourites.

I like when a protein powder has a lot of essential amino acids included, and do like those that mostly use a natural sweetener, like organic stevia leaf extract.

Really, just go with what you like!

More Protein Powder Notes

Depending on the protein powder used, your gummies may end up with some degree of "bloom" on them after sitting for a few hours or chilling. They may not be as cute, but they're just as tasty and effective

If you use a “sour” variety of protein powder, you’ll have a fair amount of foam.

You can premix the protein and water and let it chill ahead of time, to get rid of some of it... but it’ll foam up again as you whisk in the gelatin. It’s a fun texture when it sets, though!

If you want to do smaller batches to be able to make mixed servings, you can do ½ cup water, 1 scoop protein powder, and 1 ½ tablespoon gelatin.

Gelatin

I use Unflavored Beef Gelatin Powder, which I buy in 1 lb containers.

I make a LOT of protein gummies (and use gelatin in other recipes), so I go through a lot of it.

Knox gelatin is great, but those little envelopes can get expensive!

Whatever you end up using, just be sure it’s unflavored. You don’t want your gummies having a lingering taste of beef, after all!

Water

Living in Hamilton, our tap water tastes amazing - no filters needed. So, I make this with just regular tap water.

If I was still living in Minneapolis, I’d be using bottled water or purified water, as the tap water there was gross.

Go with what makes sense where you are!

Equipment

You’ll need a small pot, a whisk - ideally a Sauce & Gravy Whisk, to prevent the mixture from burning on the bottom of the pan.

Then, you’ll need something to pour the gelatin into.

I am a HUGE fan of gummy molds, and probably have more than I’ll ever need. My go to shapes are:

Dinosaur Gummy Mold
Gummy Worm Molds
Gummy Bear Molds

... but I also love other Gummy Animal Molds.

If you don't have gummy molds, you can just pour the whole batch into an 8 x 8 pan, cutting into squares when set. Alternatively, silicone mini muffin pans work great!

How to Make Protein Gummies

The full recipe is in the recipe card at the end of this post, here is a pictorial walk through.

Lay your gummy molds out on a flat surface, so they’re ready to fill. You’re going to want to work FAST when the gelatin mixture is ready!

In a small pot, whisk together protein powder and gelatin. Add water, continue whisking until no lumps remain.

Note: If you’re using a protein powder that foams up a lot, you can mix the protein and water, then let it sit until any foaming comes down. THEN add the gelatin and proceed!

Heat mixture over low heat, whisking constantly, until gelatin is completely dissolved and mixture is smooth. Turn heat down to lowest setting

Working quickly, pour mixture into clean gummy molds. (You can use an eye dropper, but it’s way fussier and sets really fast!)

Allow gummies to set - it'll take an hour or so at room temperature, or 10-15 minutes if refrigerated.

I like to allow it to gel a bit - about 10 minutes - at room temperature before chilling. It lowers the chances of a messy spill when transferring to the fridge!

Once set, pop candies out of the mold and transfer to an airtight container or zipper baggie.

More Keto Candy Recipes

Looking for more low carb, sugar-free ways to satisfy your sweet tooth? I've got you!

Homemade BCAA Gummies
Keto Cream Cheese Mints
Sugar-Free Bananas Foster Truffles
Sugar Free Chocolate Chip Truffles
Sugar-Free Gummy Frogs
Sugar Free Salty Black Licorice Gummies
Sugar-Free Sour Cherry Cola Gummies
Sugar Free Sour Jubes
Sugar-Free Sour Peach Gummies

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