Easy recipe for jello shots made with pure elderberry juice for tasty therapeutic benefits! Kids love them!
The immunity-boosting benefits of elderberry syrup for reducing symptoms of cold and flu make it one of the most important remedies in the holistic medicine cabinet. It is also an excellent remedy for illness prevention when small amounts are taken daily – ideally right before work or school.
While the syrup straight off the spoon is an enjoyable experience for most children, some need a bit more encouragement. If that’s the case in your home, this recipe for elderberry jello bites can come in handy!
Note that this jello recipe does not contain raw honey, which is not safe for children less than one-year-old. If your children are older, I do not recommend using honey to make elderberry jello anyway. I’ve tried it before, and it makes the jello quite sticky and not at all smooth.
Since elderberry juice by itself is rather bitter, this dish is lightly sweetened with date syrup, which has beneficial properties similar to honey.
Another plus of this recipe is that each jello bite contains approximately 1 teaspoon of elderberry syrup. One bite after each meal or between meals as a treat is a fun way to help keep children well all winter long! You might even be able to use it as a way to entice a picky eater to finish all his/her vegetables!
For children that are ill, elderberry jello is a soothing remedy for sore throats and cool and comforting to young ones suffering from strep throat too.
Elderberry Jello Bites
Simple recipe for transforming elderberry juice into a yummy jello dessert lightly sweetened with only fruit. Helpful for immune support as prevention or to reduce cold/flu symptoms.
Ingredients
- 10 ounces pasteurized elderberry juice preferably organic
- 4 ounces date syrup
- 4 Tbl filtered water boiling hot
- 1 Tbl unflavored gelatin
Equipment
- 1 glass bowl
- silicone candy molds or mini muffin tins
Instructions
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Pour elderberry juice into medium glass bowl. Mix in date syrup and blend well. If you are using fresh pressed elderberry juice, you MUST boil it on the stove for a few minutes to pasteurize it. Raw elderberry juice is a gastrointestinal risk.
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Mix 4 Tbl boiling hot water with the gelatin powder. Stir until mixed and dissolved thoroughly and no lumps remain.
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Pour gelatin water into the elderberry juice/date syrup mixture. Blend well.
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Carefully fill the silicone candy molds 3/4 full with elderberry mixture. Each mold will hold about 1 tsp of the elderberry juice mixture.
*If you don’t have candy molds, make the elderberry jello in one large bowl and then once set, scoop out jello shots one at a time with a melon baller.
Refrigerate for 4+ hours or overnight.
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When set, pop the elderberry jello shots out of the molds one at a time as needed placing the mold back in the fridge after each use. Use 1-4 bites per day per child. 1 after each meal works very well.
Recipe Notes
I recommend California date syrup for this recipe as it is thinner and mixes better than date syrup from other parts of the world.
If you are using fresh pressed elderberry juice for this recipe, you must boil it for a few minutes first before making the jello. Raw elderberry juice is a gastrointestinal risk.
If using pasteurized commercial elderberry juice, the recipe works best when the juice is about room temperature when you blend in the date syrup and gelatin/water mixture. If the juice is cold right out of the refrigerator, sometimes little chucks of gelatin form in the jello, compromising the texture slightly.
Silicone candy molds are safe as they are not heated.
Do not use collagen hydrolysate (peptides) or hydrolyzed collagen as this will not gel the liquid. Only plain gelatin should be used.
Sarah is the Frontier dry elderberry considered raw
That’s a good question! My guess is that they are not low temp dried, but I would call the company to ask. Ultimately, it doesn’t matter though as you cook them to extract the juice. You don’t want to be eating raw elderberries anyway! https://www.thehealthyhomeeconomist.com/raw-elderberry-dangers/
The date syrup recommended isn’t available. Do you have a recipe for date syrup? I tried to search for one on the site but was not unsuccessful. I didn’t know if I missed it!
Thanks for the heads up. Here is an available source for the date syrup. https://amzn.to/2SSsBI0
What can you recommend to substitute as a gel for those who don’t eat mammals?
I don’t have a substitute sorry.
Love making these sorts of ‘jelly’ treats! You are so correct.. Needs to be unflavoured gelatin to work well. Have you tried hibiscus or any other herbs? I make my elderberry jellies… just as you do — and also make a combination with elder, rose hips + hibiscus. One of these days, I will get organized + take a picture!!
Great idea! I am making some for my grand children! I’m trying to find a mold that would be cute. How much liquid is going into each gummy? One and a half teaspoon?
Each jello shot contains about 1 tsp of elderberry juice.
Hi Sarah, thanks for the lovely recipe. Can I substitute the gelatine with agar agar powder insted?
Thanks.
I haven’t tried that to know for sure. If you try it, please let us know how it turns out!
Qi have a sensitivity to dates,. Do you know of a substitute, possibly dried figs?
Dried figs would not work here. You can use maple syrup.
I use a lot more gelatin than that to make it more like a gummy. I think they’re easier for my kids to handle and transport well. Since my kids don’t eat sugary treats, we serve these after a meal time like a dessert/candy so it’s nice that they transport well for picnics and hikes.
Great idea!