This 3-Ingredient Sour Patch Kids Recipe tastes JUST like the original, and is shockingly easy to make! Try them for your own version of homemade chewy sour candy. They're a healthy and fun sweet treat.
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How to Make Sour Patch Kids
- Using a fork scrape out the insides of your citrus. Press to flatten and small and sharp cutter to cut out shapes of choice.
- Add cut out citrus to a medium pot on the stove with a few cups of water. Bring both to a boil. Once citrus is boiling, let cook for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and drain. Repeat this process two more times.
- Add peels back to the pot with 2 cups of sugar and 2 cups of water. Bring to a boil again, stir, and let cook 20-30 minutes. Carefully drain the liquid off. Place candied peels on a wire rack and let dry for a few minutes.
- Mix remaining 1 cup sugar with citric acid in a medium bowl. Toss candied peel in this mixture to coat. Place back on the wire rack to dry fully.
Are citrus peels safe to eat?
Yes, citrus peels are completely edible and delicious! The trick of making them less bitter is a process of boiling + draining (in fresh water each time) to coax out those more pungent notes. I like to use organic citrus when possible.
Thicker peels (like those of a large grapefruit) may take a bit longer to cook than very thin peels (like Meyer lemons). For this reason, I recommend looking for citrus for this recipe that is all a relatively similar size. Sumo mandarin oranges are my favorite (if you can find them) as their peels are a medium thickness and the fruit inside will come out very easily! There is not need to worry about scraping every bit of the pith and fruit out of these peels though, some will boil away during the cooking process.
What is citric acid? Where can I buy it?
Citric acid is an organic compound that exists in a variety of fruits and vegetables, most notably in the citrus family. Industrial citric acid production first began in 1890, where the juice was treated with calcium hydroxide to form calcium citrate, which was set aside and converted back to the acid using diluted sulfuric acid. It is totally safe to consume in small quantities and often used in the production of "sour/sweet" candies. You definitely would want to avoid mistaking your citric acid for sugar! Consuming a large amount is not recommended.
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Citric acid can be purchased at a variety of stores including Target and Sprouts Market. You can of course also find it online at Amazon!
I hope you enjoy this recipe for sour patch kids! Let me know in the comments what you think of it. If you're looking for more simple homemade candy recipes, try one of these.
Extra Tips When Making Homemade Sour Patch Kids
Be sure to only cook the peels to the time specific in the recipe. Overcooking will lead to discoloration!
I have not attempted this recipe with another sweetener, so am not certain how a swap would work. Chemically, something granulated is the closest option. Please let a comment if you try another option!
Thicker peels will be the easier to work with. Be sure you're using a sturdy knife or cutout to make the shapes as accurately as possible. Very small metal cookie cutters would work well!
More Healthier Homemade Candy Recipes
And if you'd like another use for citrus peels, make these Sorbet Orange Wedges next!
3-Ingredient Sour Patch Kids Recipe
Ingredients
- 6 pieces organic citrus fruit I used 2 grapefruit, 2 lemons, and 2 oranges or tangerines
- 3 cups sugar divided (organic cane sugar if possible)
- 1.5 TBS citric acid*
Instructions
- Slice citrus in half. Using a fork, scrape out the insides of the fruit and reserve for another use (like juicing). Be careful not to puncture the citrus peel itself. Using a small knife, cut a slit into the side of each peel and press to flatten (like the shape you would see on an atlas). Use a small and sharp cutter to cut out shapes of choice. If you do not have a small cutter, cut citrus into small rectangular strips.
- Add cut out citrus to a medium pot on the stove with a few cups of water. Bring both to a boil over high heat (covering the pot can speed up this process). Once citrus is boiling (with heavy bubbles), let cook for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and drain liquid away. Repeat this process two more times (so you will have three boilings total). Each time you boil, you are helping soften the peels and removing some of their more bitter notes).
- After the third round, add peels back to the pot with 2 cups of sugar and 2 cups of water. Bring to a boil again, stir, and let cook 20-30 minutes, until mixture is very bubbly and fragrant. Carefully drain the liquid off, as the molten sugar can burn you! Place candied peels on a wire rack and let dry for a few minutes, until not hot to the touch.
- Mix remaining 1 cup sugar with citric acid in a medium bowl. Toss candied peel in this mixture to coat. Place back on the wire rack to dry fully. Sour Patch Kids will keep for about a month in a sealed container. Feel free to reserve sugar coating and re-roll just before eating!
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Notes
Nutrition
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Chris says
Have you tried or thought about adding other natural fruit flavors, extract, syrup, or powder? I'm looking forward to trying this recipe out but was wondering if I'd be able to add other fruit flavors.
Emily says
That's a great question, Chris! I have not tried that yet, but I would suggest pulverizing some freeze dried fruit (such as strawberries) and adding that into the citric acid coating. It would be a similar powder texture and a nice coating on the surface that would complement the citrus. Please let me know if you try it!- Emily
Jennifer says
Hi!
These are so cool!
At what temperature should these be cooked in the sugar syrup for the 20-30 min? I cooked my first batch - lemon- at medium on the stove (just over 100 degrees C) for 15 minutes and the syrup and peels started to discolour - brownish specs/hue.
Also, would it work to cook in an alternative sweetener? (Stevia? Honey?...and if so how would the water to sweetener ratio need to shift?
Thanks, again, for sharing this recipe!
Emily says
Thanks for trying this, Jennifer! I'm sorry for the slow reply, I somehow missed this comment! It should be cooked for 5 minutes at a time, with the draining. This will help with discoloration. I have not tried another sweetener so am not sure there! Something granulated (like Stevia) is likely the closest 1:1 swap :).
Adam says
I'm looking for a substitute for Sour Patch Kids because I can't do the fake Citric acid. Citric acid is now made by fermentation with a black mold. The fruits don't give problems but the chemical version does. So, no more pop (soda) or energy drinks for me.
Emily says
Hi Adam! If you'd like to try this recipe without citric acid, feel free to substitute half the amount of tartaric acid in its place. It will not be exactly the same, but a close approximation. Thanks for reading!
Kathryn B says
Are these chewy like sour patch kids?
Emily says
Hi Kathryn! Yes they are, depending on how thick your citrus peels are. For example, grapefruit and orange tend to be the chewiest. Hope that helps, thanks for commenting! 🙂 Emily
Patricia Gilmore says
Really enjoyed these! Thanks!
Emily says
Thank you Patricia!!
Tim says
I can't believe how easy this is to make! I've always wanted a use for citrus peels and this is such a fun example.
Emily says
Thanks so much for reading, Tim! I am glad you like the idea 🙂
Ashley Hoover says
Delicious and so creative!
Emily says
Thanks so much Ashley, I'm glad you liked them!!