If you’re a crunchy mama you likely already know that apple cider vinegar is great for you. Drinking it in water every day (or several times a day) can get old after a while though. These apple cider vinegar gummies are a tasty way to get your daily dose and reap the wellness benefits of ACV!
Great Tasting ACV Gummies
Apple cider vinegar may not be the first thing you think of when it comes to a delicious gummy. While I’ve made yummy tangerine gummies and berry probiotic gummies before, I’ve also been known to make weirder ones like activated charcoal gummies. The vinegar not only has some impressive health benefits, but it adds a nice sweet and sour tang to this version. I also add some raw honey and juice to better balance the flavors.
ACV gummies have become more popular in recent years and you can find them even at big box stores. They make promises of being gluten-free, non-GMO, and with added vitamins like folic acid. However many are also high in total sugars thanks to ingredients like tapioca syrup and cane sugar. Gummies with processed sugar are a great way to get cavities, especially when they’re part of a daily routine!
A homemade ACV gummy is a great way to get the benefits of ACV without the unwanted ingredients.
Benefits of Apple Cider Vinegar
It’s become really popular in more recent years, but what’s so great about apple cider vinegar? ACV (as it’s more affectionately known) is basically acetic acid. And while I use distilled white vinegar for cleaning, I prefer apple cider vinegar for food and supplement use. You can read about the health benefits of ACV here, but here’s a recap:
- Heart Health – Animal studies show ACV enhances calcium absorption. This helps calcium go where it’s supposed to, not gather in the arteries. It also helped lower systolic blood pressure.
- Cancer – While drinking ACV every day isn’t going to cure cancer, it does provide some benefits. Several studies have looked at the role of ACV in leukemia and colon cancer prevention and treatment. Vinegar helped the tumors from growing and stimulated natural killer cell activity. It’s important to note that these were in vitro and animal studies, so more research needs to be done. ACV is also high in antioxidants to help fight free radical damage.
- Blood Sugar Levels – In studies, pairing vinegar with a carbohydrate-rich meal helped reduce glycemic load. ACV also helped people feel fuller after a meal. This is one area where we do have several human studies linking ACV with improved health benefits.
- Weight Loss – Researchers looked at body weight, BMI, fat around the organs, waist size, and blood triglyceride levels in two groups. The groups given ACV had much better lab numbers than the placebo group. Several studies show ACV can help with weight management and reduce cravings.
- AGEs – Aka advanced glycation end products, these harmful compounds cause disease and inflammation. They form when protein and fat combine with sugar in the bloodstream. Fruit vinegars are rich in polyphenols and a good source of AGE inhibitors. People with higher blood sugar make more AGEs and ACV also helps lower blood sugar.
Other ACV Health Benefits
Here are a few more ways apple cider vinegar has been shown to help better health.
- Reduced inflammation in animal studies
- Helps reduce kidney stones
- Boosts energy levels from overall improved health
- Has good bacteria for gut health and to help improve immune function
Drinking vinegar in water daily can wear away tooth enamel. This is why it’s important to have it along with enamel-building foods, like gelatin. Gelatin is also great for gut health and improving the immune system. I also focus on healthy fats, bone broth, and grass-fed animal products for enamel-building nutrients.
How to Make ACV Gummies
The gelatin is what makes these gel and firm up. Be sure you use gelatin, not collagen peptides or you’ll end up with liquid. Some vegan-friendly recipes call for pectin or agar agar, but these aren’t something I’ve tried.
I’ve also added some juice to these to help mellow the tang from the ACV. To enhance the natural apple flavors use apple juice or apple cider. The batch I made for the photos used pomegranate juice which was also delicious!
If you’re using a less sweet juice then increase the honey some. I found that 1/4 cup was perfect, but you can use 1/3 cup and reduce the juice by 1 Tablespoon if you like them sweeter.
Apple Cider Vinegar Gummies Recipe
Servings
Equipment
- Small silicone molds (or 8×8 glass baking dish)
Ingredients
- ½ cup apple juice (or apple cider or pomegranate juice)
- ½ cup organic apple cider vinegar
- 5 TBSP gelatin
- ¼ cup honey
Instructions
- Combine the juice, vinegar, and honey together in a pot and whisk to combine.
- Sprinkle the gelatin over the top of the liquid and allow it to bloom for 2-3 minutes.
- Once the liquid has absorbed the gelatin, turn the stove onto medium-low heat. Gently stir or whisk the gummy mixture just until everything is melted and combined, about 2 minutes. Don’t over-whisk or the mixture will get really foamy.
- Immediately pour the ACV gummies mixture into your desired molds and allow it to cool in the fridge until firm.
Nutrition
Notes
Other ACV Recipes
Want more? Here are some more recipes that use apple cider vinegar!
- Apple Kale Salad
- Homemade Salad Dressing Recipes
- Spicy Fire Cider
- Ginger Honey Switchel
- Sweet and Smoky BBQ Sauce
Have you ever tried ACV gummies before? What’s your favorite way to get more ACV into your daily routine? Leave a comment and let us know!
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