The 10 Best Gummy Bear Molds
Special Honors
Vector Molds Half Sheet While this one is probably too pricey for hobbyists, its 296-cavity capacity makes it a good choice for professional candy makers who need to produce in bulk. With an expected lifespan of 4 years, you should get plenty of use out of it. vectormolds.com
Truffly Made Silicone This versatile mold can be filled with gummies, chocolate, ganache, and more and it's easy to pop out the finished product. The trays can be used with the company's universal depositor, so you don't have to spend countless hours filling each cavity by hand. The molds are available in a variety of shapes, from simple cubes to leaves and bears. trufflymade.com
Editor's Notes
April 26, 2021:
In this update, we removed the Disney Mickey Mouse Treat Maker as it has been discontinued. We also removed the Momma & Me Gummysaurus due to availability issues. However, we still wanted to include a dinosaur-shaped option, so we added the Palksky Dino. This set includes four trays and four droppers, so it's a good choice if you want to make candy with a group of friends or family, or use candy-making as an activity for a scout troop or slumber party.
We also added the JLHua Emoji, which comes with two trays that feature 28 different facial expressions based off of the classic emoji keyboard. The range of designs can be fun, but keep in mind that there is only one of each expression per tray, so this isn't a good choice for making a dozen identical smiley faces. The details can also be a bit hard to see, with some colors making for better results than others.
Two special honors were also added in this update. While other options on the list are generally affordable and meant to be used by home cooks, these two are better suited for candy-making professionals who want to make bulk batches. The Vector Molds Half Sheet has an impressive capacity of 296 and a 12-month warranty. The Truffly Made Silicone only fits 80 pieces, but it can be used with one of the company's universal depositors, which can automate the process of filling the trays with gummies, hard candy, chocolate, and more.
January 17, 2020:
Like a cake pop maker, gummy bear molds can provide hours of kitchen fun for both kids and adults. This is especially true given that they come in tons of shapes, not just bears. Even though we liked the Bargain Paradise Corp Set of 8's robots and dinosaurs, it's become tough to find at this time, so we've opted to remove it. For a cute alternative, we've selected the Silly Pops Animal, a set of two molds for creating a range of creatures. But if it is traditional bears you seek, either the Lizber Three-Pack or The Modern Gummy Professional should do the trick. The former has smallish cavities, so if you want an amply sized finished product, the latter is the better choice. And if you're really looking to go big, there's the Mister Gummy DIY Giant. It's offered in green or red, and can make a bear that weighs more than a pound. Finally, we've decided to add the PowerPuff Marijuana Leaf, a fun choice for those dabbling in legal edibles and CBD oils. The three sheets you'll receive can make a total of 102 gummies at once, and there's a dropper to make the filling process easy.
Unique Things You Can Do With Gummy Bears
For a summer treat that's refreshing and a bit more grownup, try adding some gummy bears to white wine sangria.
Once Halloween has passed, do you find yourself with lots of extra gummy bears on your hands? That's no surprise, since Americans spend billions on candy during this spooky holiday. There are bound to be some leftovers. Fortunately, we have creative ways to use them. And you don't need to feel (too) guilty about snacking on your sweet treats throughout the year. According to nutritionist's opinions on the best and worst Halloween candy, those of the gummy variety aren't too bad. So let's take a look at ways to take your gummy bears further.
If the holidays are approaching, there are plenty of ways to incorporate gummy bears into some classic winter goodies. Try making gummy bear bark. Add some of these colorful, chewy bears to your milk or white chocolate bark. If you're tired of eggnog during this festive time of year, try making boozy bears. Empty a large bag of gummy bears into a punch bowl, cover the candy with your alcohol of choice and let the bears stew for a few days in the fridge. You'll have a colorful and sweet cocktail when it's ready. Thumbprint cookies are another sugary confection you find a lot during the holiday season. Dress yours up by placing a gummy bear in the center of each one.
During the hotter months, you may want to make gummy bear popsicles. Just throw some of these candies into your popsicle mold with your favorite popsicle recipe, and you'll have a really stunning frozen treat when they're ready. Another fun thing to do with gummy bears and a freezer is to make gummy bear ice cubes. Simply add one gummy bear to each square of your ice tray and you'll have some of the most colorful ice cubes anyone has ever seen. For a summer treat that's refreshing and a bit more grownup, try adding some gummy bears to white wine sangria.
The History Of Gummy Bears
The creator of the first gummy bear is still one of the most popular brands for this candy today: Haribo. More specifically, the man behind Haribo is responsible for the first batch of these treats. German factory worker Hans Reigel was fed up with his job and in 1920, he decided to launch his own candy company. At first, Reigel used nothing but a kettle and a marble slab to create what were, admittedly, boring, colorless, and hard candies. Reigel's wife delivered orders on her bicycle. Hans Reigel was from Bonn, Germany and he created the name of his candy company based on parts of his name and his hometown. Hence: Haribo.
At first, Reigel used nothing but a kettle and a marble slab to create what were, admittedly, boring, colorless, and hard candies.
Haribo first made their big push at German street festivals, but they weren't having the success they'd hoped for. Haribo eventually had the idea to make gelatin-based, colorful gummy candies shaped like the dancing bears that were popular at some of the original Oktoberfest celebrations and other European events. The first gummy bears weren't the squat, cute ones we eat today: they were longer and more slender, like real bears. It wasn't until the company started to market their product to children that they decided to make the candies cuter, and turn them into the little kid-friendly shapes we see today.
Haribo wasn't the first company to make gelatin-based candies. When Haribo came out with its bears, wine gums and Jujubes had already been on the market for some time. But those treats didn't have the same adorable appeal as the forest-shaped animals Haribo had created. For the record, Haribo had its ups and downs, in spite of the world's warm welcome to gummy bears. At the start of World War II, Haribo had around 400 employees. But in 1945, Hans Riegel passed away, and his two sons were taken prisoner. By the time the sons were released, Haribo had dwindled down to just 30 employees. But, as the story goes, Haribo got back on its feet. In fact, they're set to build their first US-based factory soon, which will put them head to head with some of North America's top candy producers.
What To Look For In A Gummy Bear Mold
If you want to make gummy bears at home, you want to find a mold that does this famous candy justice. You could go for a show-stopper, with a giant gummy bear mold. Rather than make dozens of tiny treats, give your friend a gummy bear the size of a stuffed animal. That should satisfy her sweet tooth for a few months. Some molds have bonus trays that let you make gummy worms, fish, and other animal-shaped candies. These are a fun way to create a little edible scene. You can put your gummies on top of a cake, and make it look like the bears are chasing the fish that are chasing the worms.
Gummy bear making can be messy, so you may want a mold that's safe to put in the dishwasher and that disassembles easily for cleaning. Consider featuring gummy bear making as the main event at your child's birthday party. Children will love taking home their own sugary concoctions as party favors. Just make sure your mold comes with multiple droppers so that several children can get to work at once. Gummy bears aren't only for kids, of course. In fact, grownups living with children tend to snack on the stuff, too. You might want trays with a few more adult shapes, like hearts or madeleines, so you can make gummy gifts for your friends.
If you've discovered the magic of frozen gummy bears, make sure your mold can go in the freezer. Of course, if you do plan on sending your molds through the freezer, dishwasher, and more, make sure they feature heavy-duty construction so they don't crack in extreme temperatures. Non-stick materials will also make it easy to pop your finished gummies out of the trays.