Gelatin, however, contains collagen, which is obtained from animals. As such, it’s a non-starter for people looking for a vegan or vegetarian jelly candy. Beeswax can be an alternative, but again, it’s derived from an animal, which is the case with shellac as well. The best ingredient for making vegan gummy bears is agar-agar powder. It comes from plants (seaweed), and offers the same consistency as gelatin. You’ll probably be unable to tell the difference between gummy bear’s made with gelatin and ones made with agar-agar. The taste doesn’t take a hit either.

Apart from a few additional steps, the process of making vitamin gummies is similar to that of regular ones. Depending on how healthy or loaded with vitamins you want your gummy to be, you need to add a few extra ingredients to your base. In that case, a stand mixer can help get a good blend, if you’re making gummies manually. The next step would then be to cook the mixture until it nearly boils and then stir in vitamin C powder.

If you’re using gummy making machines, introduce the vitamin C powder to your ingredients and load them into the equipment’s mixing and melting tanks, then continue with the same general process. When adding supplements to your gummies, check the recommended daily dosage for each so you don’t exceed them.