Easy Homemade Jelly Candies (Using Kool-Aid!)

Both of my kids have a pretty big sweet tooth. And while I might get a little tired of them asking for candy, I have to remind myself that they come by it honestly. I, too, have a big sweet tooth.

But instead of constantly saying no to buying candy, I decided to turn it into an activity to do with my kids. Let’s use that sweet tooth to teach them about the kitchen and how to make some homemade candy.

If you’re looking to try your hand at making candy, homemade jelly candies are a great place to start. You don’t need to fuss with a candy thermometer and getting the right temperatures. This recipe is fool-proof and it’s pretty easy to get success. And while you can flavor jelly candies with juice, I decided to go with one of my childhood favorites. This recipe is going to use Kool-Aid.

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup water, divided
• 4 packets unflavored gelatin (I used Knox Gelatin. Each package was about 2 tsp)
• Packet of unsweetened Kool-Aid (whatever flavor you want)
• 1/2 cup sugar, plus about 3-4 tbsp for dusting
• 1/4 cup light corn syrup

Directions

1. Pour 1/4 cup of the water into a bowl and add the gelatin. Stir to combine and let sit for 5 minutes to soften.

2. Put 1/2 cup water, Kool-Aid, sugar, and corn syrup into a small saucepan. Place over medium heat and stir until the sugar dissolves.

3. Add the gelatin to the sugar/Kool-Aid mixture and stir over medium heat until the gelatin is completely dissolved. The gelatin will want to stay in one clump. This should take about 3-5 minutes.

4. Pour the mixture into a greased 9×9 in. pan. Allow to cool and completely set, about 4 hours in the refrigerator or overnight at room temperature.

5. When the mixture has set and cooled, dust the top with 1 tbsp sugar.

6. Use a sharp pairing knife and cut around the edges. Turn out the cooled jelly sheet onto a cutting board. I ended up using a thin spatula to help pull out the jelly sheet. It should be pretty firm at this point.

7. Dust the other side with another tablespoon of sugar. Cut the jelly into various shapes using either small cookie cutters or a knife.

8. Roll the cut-out jellies in a small bowl of sugar to coat them completely.

Serve and enjoy! The candies will start to absorb the sugar, so if you want to prepare this ahead of time, wait to coat the jellies with sugar until you’re ready to serve.