How to Make Perfect Gummy Bears with Cannabis Butter

Have you tried making gummies with cannabis butter in the past and it turned out horrible? I can tell you exactly why and how to make store quality gummy bears using cannabis butter.

Gummy Bears made with cannabis butter

I had experience in regular candy making but adding cannabis butter was all new to me. My first few attempts I tried lollipops, they tasted great but the cannabis butter was not evenly mixing and when I poured the syrup into the mold the first few had a lot of the canna butter but the last few had very little.

I had to figure out how to mix a water base product with an oil based one and I remembered an emulsifier is needed.

An emulsifier (also known as an "emulgent") is a substance that stabilizes an emulsion by increasing its kinetic stability. One class of emulsifiers is known as "surface active agents", or surfactants. Emulsifiers are compounds that typically have a polar or hydrophilic (i.e. water-soluble) part and a non-polar (i.e. hydrophobic or lipophilic) part. Because of this, emulsifiers tend to have more or less solubility either in water or in oil. Emulsifiers that are more soluble in water (and conversely, less soluble in oil) will generally form oil-in-water emulsions, while emulsifiers that are more soluble in oil will form water-in-oil emulsions.

I was familiar with two different emulsifiers; soy or sunflower lecithin and guar gum. I did some experimenting with both products.  I found using lecithin changed the flavor and color of the candy that I did not like but it did fully incorporate the cannabis butter. Next I tried the guar gum and they candy turned out way better, Guar gum does not change the flavor or color and fully incorporates the cannabis butter into the syrup. Guar gum is my preference when making gummy bears.)

Follow the recipe below to create store quality, great tasting gummy bears at home.

Makes approx. 100 bears

Instructions:
1 3-ounce box Jell-O Gelatin Dessert powder (Raspberry, lemon, orange, pineapple, lime or strawberry)
1 tablespoon unflavored gelatin
1/4 teaspoon citric acid
1 tablespoon corn syrup
1/2 cup cool water 
1/4 cup water cool water (for unflavored gelatin)

3 tablespoons Cannabis butter melted

1/8 teaspoon guar gum 

You will also need:
2 1-inch silicone bear mold or any other silicone shaped mold you would like.
Spoon or spatula

Directions:

Combine Jell-O, and citric acid in a bowl and stir to combine.

In a separate bowl add 1/4 cup of cool water and evenly sprinkle the unflavored gelatin on top of the water and allow to sit for 5 mins so the gelatin can bloom.

Combine the Jello, citric acid and unflavored gelatin in a medium sauce pan let stand 3 mins.

Turn stove on to medium-low heat and heat syrup to all the sugar has completely dissolved and  syrup is clear. Stir gently trying not to create air bubbles. 

Once the candy syrup is ready, remove from heat and add the cannabis butter and guar gum.

Gently stir the candy syrup for 1-2 minutes or until all the butter is fully incorporated into the syrup. If  the butter is not fully blending in the syrup, add a pinch of guar gum at a time until mixture is all a uniform color.

Use the dropper that comes with mold to fill the cavities of the mold. Do not over fill the cavities.

Let the candy sit for 30 minutes, then put the molds into your refrigerator for another 2 hours.

When the candy is firm push each piece out of the molds and arrange them on a baking sheet or in a large storage container so that they are each standing upright. Let them sit this way for 48 hours, then lay them on their backs for 24 hours. This process will help the bears dehydrate so that they are chewy like the originals. 

Depending on your climate, your gummy bears may have shrunken enough after 72 hours. If not, leave them out for another day or two, until they are chewy. Toss them around every so often as they dry out. When they are chewy enough for you, seal them up in an air-tight covered container or zip-top bag. Keep them stored in a sealed container and they should last for a couple weeks.