When you soak gummy bears in vodka, they absorb the alcohol and turn into a yummy fruity treat with a kick. The how-to part of this is pretty simple, so I decided to make things a little more interesting. In addition to regular vodka gummy bears, I made vodka sugar-free gummy bears, vodka gummy worms (purely to see if they turned out any cooler looking than the bears) and vodka Red Fish (these were disgusting, but in the interest of science I will share my mistakes as well as my triumphs).
For those of you who like really detailed instructions, first up is a tutorial. Those of you who already know how to do it, skip ahead to the “Results” heading.
[Update: there's been a lot of concern in the news recently about kids doing this to sneak drinking past their parents. Mix That Drink tutorials are strictly intended for people of legal drinking age. Vodka gummy bears are especially tricky because you never know how much vodka you're actually consuming with each bear. Even adults need to self-monitor their level of buzz to avoid getting more intoxicated than intended with this treat. So please, be careful and responsible!]
How to make Vodka Gummy Bears
You’ll need:
- Vodka
- Gummy bears or worms, sugar-free or regular
- A glass container (a glass with plastic wrap over it will do – rumor has it plastic does bad things to vodka, so be sure there’s no plastic actually touching the vodka). I used some Anchor Hocking glass storage containers I use for leftovers.
I put the bears/worms/fish into the glass dishes. Then I poured in vodka until it reached the top of the candy. Using that much vodka makes the candy swell and take on a noticeable but not unpleasant “burning” alcohol sensation. If you don’t want the alcohol that strong, use less vodka. (The amount of time you let the bears soak has no impact on how alcoholic they are. They will suck up nearly every drop of vodka you put in, so the trick is to use the right amount for your taste. You can always add more if you taste them after a day or so and think they’re not alcoholic enough.)
Then I put the dishes in the fridge. (The purple stuff is plastic wrap I tucked under the glass lids as extra insurance against the fruity smell leaking out into the whole fridge, but I’m not sure it was necessary.) I left the bears soaking for a total of five days, but after three they had absorbed about all the vodka they could. Give yourself time to leave them in at least a couple of days, if possible. This picture was taken about twelve hours after they started soaking – you can see they’ve absorbed some of the vodka because the level of liquid is lower relative to the bears:
I was told gummy treats would swell up “huge.” The bears did get noticeably bigger, but what really got big was the worms. Here’s a before and after picture (the red bear is sugar free, the green one is regular):
You’ll also find some liquid at the bottom of the dish. This is fruity vodka. It doesn’t look gorgeous or anything (kind of cloudy, may contain a gooey lump or two), so you may not want to serve it at a party, but it’s perfectly drinkable for you.
Drunken Gummy Bears
The regular gummy bears turned out very yummy, but surprisingly, I liked the sugar free gummy bears better. They had a more zingy taste than the ones with sugar, stayed a little firmer, and the alcohol kick was a bit stronger. If you’re watching your carbs, this is a really fun way to feel like you’re not.
The gummy worms also came out a little more exciting than the regular bears, in my opinion, but they were messier. I liked these because they got very big and… well, that’s it, really. Big huge vodka worms. But they were a little more slippery to grasp than the bears, hence a little messier. Which isn’t necessarily a bad thing – depends what kind of party you’re having! 
The Red Fish were these gummy-ish, waxy-ish things I found in the candy aisle and thought, why not see if other candies will soak up vodka nicely? The answer, in hindsight: because it’s a waste of vodka. The vodka softened about a 16th of an inch of the outside of the candy into goo, left the interior part hard, and didn’t really penetrate the candy at all. There was still a lot of vodka floating around in that dish. Also, the candies themselves aren’t very tasty. So you really need true gummy stuff for this. I have to admit, the candy-flavored vodka in the dish was pretty tasty.
The alcohol content in each vodka gummy isn’t very predictable, but they definitely sneak up on you – big time. Be forewarned and plan accordingly – designated drivers and so on.
Find more in How To
Updated: October 13, 2011
Copyright: March 22, 2009
{ 120 comments… read them below or add one }
← Previous Comments
Ok so I and a buddy tried to make vodka gummy bears (before ever reading this site). We tried 3 different brands and styles of gummy bears. We used Haribo original, Lifesaver’s gummy bears, and a no name CVS brand. They only soaked for about 5 hours and the Lifesaver ones almost completely broke down and turned the water pink and cloudy. The CVS brand did not do any better they looked solid but when we tried to pick them up the just crumbled. The Haribo were the only ones that really came out remotely close to yours (but they were really slimy).
the reason they did not work is because they did not soak at the right temperature for a long enough period of time. the chemical composition of the sugar and gelatin in combination with the alcohol completely breaks down and reforms, i.e. why it takes five days to make
do you have to put them in the fridge?
Amazing. gummi bears are children’s favorite. can’t believe it makes a refreshing drink like this..great one
what happens if you don’t put them in the fridge?
ah thanks this helped a lot, can’t wait to make vodka gummi bears this weekend!!!
So cute
i will be bringing these to a party this weekend
my only question is how do you serve them?
We served them in plastic shot glasses (the kind you make jello shooters in). Worked like a charm.
Once who have soaked them in the booze, how long do they last?
I’ve made these several times. And from experience, they last quite a while (at least a few days to a week) if you can keep from “testing” them too often.
I’ve made these a several times and love them. The bears, strawberries, cola bottles, cherries and other very clear ones work great. I found snakes that are about 2 feet long and am trying them now. The only problem is the snakes are multicolored. They have a section that is more opaque and I think this opaque part is going to look icky. I just tasted them and they taste fine but don’t look so pretty.
i have tried that the skittles and jolly rancher vodka, and they both turned out great! i was wondering if anyone knew of any other candy besides jolly ranchers to use for a blue vodka? i was also wondering if i bought candy oil, ie blue rasberry, or apple (which is clear,so i can add blue food coloring), and mixed it with the vodka if it would have the same effect like candy infused vodka?
thanks
Laffy Taffy makes a great infusion drink with vodka. Take a large size laffy taffy and break it up in a liter of vodka. After a day it will be completely desolved. No straining and no mess.
We’ve been trying these for at least 3 months now…. Our first batch turned out perfect and DELICOUS! But every batch since then as completely gelatinized? We’ve tried various vodka’s, various gummie’s and even tried in the fridge vs on the counter. We’ve air vacummed them and just placed them in a glass container… but to no avail. It seems like they do fine for the first 6 – 12 hours and then suddenly they completely turn to a cube of jello? Any suggestions?
before you make them leave the gummies out and let them get really stale – that way they won’t get too mushy
How many bags do you need to split theses between two people?
The gummies work great if you make them in the freezer in a mason jar!
Sounds tasty can’t wait to try them.
I think the gummies would taste even better soaked in gin.
pinnacle makes gummi vodka(there is a swedsh fish on the front of it). I used the hairbo gummi bears….they came out great!
1.) six bags of gummi bears
2.) 3/4 of the bottle of vodka.
I made vodka gummy bears and they were WICKED! I made them with 100 proof vodka and 3 bags of the bears, we left them soak over night and LOOK OUT!!!!! by game time we were kicked! they are much to strong with the 100 proof so next time we will be expermenting with a 80 proof flavored vodka! Ill let you know what the out come is next time. Have Fun!!!!!
How many did you eat by the time you “were kicked”? Just want to get an idea of how strong is strong?
John, it’s always going to vary, because not every batch soaks up the same amount of vodka (it may have to do with the brand of bear, its freshness, or even the brand of vodka). The trick is to go slow on these, and if you find you’re getting tipsier than you wanted to get, drink a lot of water to dilute the alcohol in your bloodstream.
Should note that the worms especially become really slimy. I usually wash them off with water and let them sit out for a bit to try and dry off but it doesn’t remove the slime completely; if it really bother you, eat them with toothpicks or forks or w/e you want. Flavored alcohol will make them taste differently, but personally I don’t think it’s worthwhile because they already taste fruity; and just using flavored vodka won’t remove the burn (plus why would you want to?).
Can it be done w/ Tequila too ?
Wouldn’t caoting them in powered sugar after soaking help the slippery/gooey problem?
So the question is how many gummy bears do you nee to soak up 24 oz of vodka?
Cuz i’ts the minimum amount for a person to get drunk!
@ Ainars…..Your village just called!
You’re going to die very soon if you believe that.
I would like to know if this would go well with the jolly rancher gummies?
One way to mask the flavor of the vodka even more is after soaking the gummys for 5 days in vodka, add some frozen juice concentrate (thawed first, of course) and let it soak for about 4 more days. It’ll make them extra fruity and sweet! Just remember to be careful and not eat too much!
after the gummy bears are udone how long can you store tyhem before they go bad???
they only save for about 3-4 dayz, leaving them in the vodka any longer makes them disenagrate, the gummys melt down and the vodka turns into gelitin! BUT,,,, you can microwave the remains and add a little sours to the juice and its GREAT! be-careful! have fun and be safe.
Will it work if u don’t keep them cold when they are soaking up.
I was also thinking about using hot tamales. I know they would dissolve, but I think it would make some tasty vodka. Has anyone tried that yet?
So I just tried this, they have been soaking for 3 days now but I never covered them is this gonna make a big difference or did I ruin the batch?
I don’t know.
I want to know if cinnamon bears would work, and how about The unbearably hot cinnamon bears??!
I would think that leaving the dish uncovered would allow some of the spirits of the vodka to escape. Something that seems so simple seems so complicated. I would think that it would be the same process as making Jello…like a Jello shot…dont add too much liquid if you dont want it to be a runny shot. Per online articles, it seems the way a gummi bear holds up in liquid depends on the type of pectin used to keep the bear firm. Using powdered sugar or corn starch on a plumped up bear doesnt sound like a good idea. I say, jab a toothpick in the bears belly button and call it a night!
Enjoy everyone!
i cant wait to try this i am going to make it with marshmellow or whipped vodka mmmmm cant wait
what happens if you only soak them in there for like 7 hours?
or like 10 or 12
“rumor has it plastic does bad things to vodka, so be sure there’s no plastic actually touching the vodka”
Doesn’t vodka come SOLD in plastic containers all the time? This seems like a stupid rumor.
Next on the list
Can you use Life Savers Gummy
i tasted one of my gummy bears in vodka after 1 day, and inside it’s very hard. Is this normal?
wooow thats a great idea i will do that for the weekend ;]D sounds awesome …
I reckon they would have to be refrigerated to prevent the bears from dissolving. Making my first batch now.
Make sure you stir them often! Also add fruit juice concentrate for a sweeter taste (mine came out REALLY strong)
I hoped to makes these for a party this saturday and started soaking them 4 days ago. As of now they have not absorbed any liquids. I put them in a plastic container, wasted almost 3/4 of a 1.75 liter bottle of Eveverclear ($40) and all that happened is that once they are in the fridge they become really hard as all gummy candies do when placed in a cold environment. This was a waste of time and money.
Maybe you should’ve used vodka, like the recipe called for?
I took them out of the Everclear and soaked them in vodka instead. Instantly i saw a difference. The only problem now is that the vodka has turned into gelatin. i had to add more vodka and a little bit of Everclear to breakup down the thick goo. Overall they are coming along great and i can’t wait to try the finished product.
Great! Yeah, sometimes you do have to add more vodka, or more bears, as you see what’s happening. Glad you figured it out!
Question. Once these are ready to eat, can they travel? If so for how long before the do melt or “leak”?
will i get the same results if i put them in the freezer?
Doese it work with barcdi?
Gummy Bears soaked in vodka is always a party favorite. It definitely gets it open, and you can twisted at the same time =).
← Previous Comments
{ 4 trackbacks }