Essential Oil Gummy Candies for Immune Support

What kid doesn’t love gummy candies? Unfortunately, many store-bought brands contain lots of sugar and food dyes that our kids really don’t need in their little bodies. So we’ve come up with a recipe that has the opposite effect of store-bought gummies—with immune-boosting properties from elderberry syrup, honey, and lemon essential oil.

Elderberry Gummy Candies

Servings: Yield 1 1/4 cups (300 ml) | Time: 15 minutes active; 1 hour inactive | Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients:

• 2/3 cup (160 ml) homemade elderberry syrup, divided (see recipe below)
• 1/3 cup (80 ml) mixed-berry, grape, or orange juice
• 2.5–3 Tbsp. (27 g) powdered grass-fed beef gelatin
• 1–2 Tbsp. (15–30 ml) honey (depending on sweetness preference)
• 2–3 drops lemon essential oil (you can also try 1–3 toothpicks each of cassia, clove, and ginger if using orange juice)

Instructions:

1. Pour 1/3 cup (80 ml) elderberry syrup and 1/3 cup (80 ml) fruit juice into a saucepan. Sprinkle the powdered gelatin over the liquid, and let sit for 5 minutes.
2. Turn the heat to medium, and stir until the mixture gets bubbly and the gelatin dissolves. Whisk in the honey, and stir until completely dissolved.
3. Stir in the rest of the elderberry syrup (1/3 cup or 80 ml) and the essential oil.
4. Pour into a silicone mold or mini ice cube tray, and refrigerate until set (about an hour).

Homemade Elderberry Syrup

Servings: Yield 4–5 cups (about 1 liter) | Time: 5–10 minutes active; 1 hour inactive | Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients:

• 1 cup (90 g) dried elderberries
• 4 cups (1 liter) water
• 1 vanilla bean, split (optional)
• 3/4–1 cup (180–240 ml) honey
• 1–4 toothpicks clove essential oil, to taste (optional)
• 1–4 toothpicks cassia essential oil, to taste (optional)
• 1–4 toothpicks ginger essential oil, to taste (optional)

Instructions:

1. Place the elderberries, water, and vanilla bean in an electric pressure cooker (we used an Instant Pot®), and cook on high pressure for 10 minutes. Allow the pressure to release naturally (about 18 minutes).
2. Once your pressure cooker has cooled down enough to open, strain out the elderberries and allow to cool until warm before you stir in the honey and essential oils.
3. Use in gummy candies (recipe above), as a pancake syrup, or drink 1 tsp. (5 ml) or so (1/4–1/2 for children) several times a day when you feel a cold or the flu coming on.