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Home » Recipes » Gluten-Free Dessert Recipes

3-Ingredient Sour Patch Kids Recipe

Published: Feb 28, 2021 · Modified: Oct 4, 2024 by Emily · 14 Comments

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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.

Jump to:
  • How to Make Sour Patch Kids
  • Are citrus peels safe to eat?
  • What is citric acid? Where can I buy it?
  • Extra Tips When Making Homemade Sour Patch Kids
  • More Healthier Homemade Candy Recipes
  • 3-Ingredient Sour Patch Kids Recipe
  • Pin this recipe for Sour Patch Kids

How to Make Sour Patch Kids

  1. Using a fork scrape out the insides of your citrus. Press to flatten and small and sharp cutter to cut out shapes of choice.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. 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.
table of sliced lemons, limes, oranges, and grapefruit

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.

white bowl filled with sugar and homemade sour patch kids

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

  • Peppermint Patties
  • Almond Joy Date Truffles

And if you'd like another use for citrus peels, make these Sorbet Orange Wedges next!

black try with chewy homemade sour patch kids candy on top

3-Ingredient Sour Patch Kids Recipe

Emily
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.
5 from 5 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 30 minutes mins
Cook Time 45 minutes mins
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 30 pieces
Calories 16 kcal

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!

Video

Notes

*Citric acid can be purchased in the bulk section of some grocery stores (like Sprouts), in some superstores (like Target) or online.

Nutrition

Serving: 1/30 of recipeCalories: 16kcalCarbohydrates: 4.2gFiber: 0.3gSugar: 3.6g
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Pin this recipe for Sour Patch Kids

These 3-Ingredient Sour Patch Kids taste JUST like the original, and are 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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Comments

  1. Chris says

    October 03, 2024 at 2:07 pm

    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.

    Reply
    • Emily says

      October 03, 2024 at 4:26 pm

      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

      Reply
  2. Jennifer says

    June 30, 2024 at 9:25 pm

    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!

    Reply
    • Emily says

      September 02, 2024 at 5:29 pm

      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 :).

      Reply
  3. Adam says

    June 22, 2023 at 3:37 am

    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.

    Reply
    • Emily says

      June 22, 2023 at 9:45 pm

      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!

      Reply
  4. Kathryn B says

    August 02, 2022 at 4:21 pm

    Are these chewy like sour patch kids?

    Reply
    • Emily says

      August 03, 2022 at 1:24 am

      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

      Reply
  5. Patricia Gilmore says

    May 02, 2021 at 5:03 am

    5 stars
    Really enjoyed these! Thanks!

    Reply
    • Emily says

      May 02, 2021 at 3:44 pm

      5 stars
      Thank you Patricia!!

      Reply
  6. Tim says

    March 03, 2021 at 2:25 pm

    5 stars
    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.

    Reply
    • Emily says

      May 02, 2021 at 5:01 am

      5 stars
      Thanks so much for reading, Tim! I am glad you like the idea 🙂

      Reply
  7. Ashley Hoover says

    February 28, 2021 at 6:41 am

    5 stars
    Delicious and so creative!

    Reply
    • Emily says

      February 28, 2021 at 4:06 pm

      Thanks so much Ashley, I'm glad you liked them!!

      Reply

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Hi, I'm Emily! I have been a plant-based food blogger since 2017. Garlic Head is a recipe website for anyone who wants to easily, affordably, and sustainably incorporate more vegetables into their diet. I am a lifelong vegetarian and 10+ year vegan.

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