With minimum ingredients, Sour Candy Grapes and Sour Patch Grapes take very little time to make. If you love Sour Patch Kids, this sour then sweet treat will be a hit.
This recipe is a twist on a classic candy favorite. Candied grapes make the perfect combination of sweet and sour. It’s one of the Best Jello Desserts and so easy to make with tart flavor.
You might know these by a bunch of different names including glitter grapes, Candied Grapes, Jolly Rancher Grapes and more.
One bite of these grapes and you will instantly be reminded of Sour Patch Kids candy or Jolly Ranchers. My kids love the soft and chewy sour candy and now love Sour Patch Grapes. I think it is a healthier alternative to candy.
This candy recipe is so easy. Grapes are topped in lemon juice and then coated with the Jello flavor of your choice. This Sour Candy Grapes Recipe offer a unique twist for a much healthier way to enjoy a great snack.
Table of contents
Why We Love This Recipe
- This recipe only calls for a handful of ingredients with only 3.
- Tastes like Sour Patch Kids candy, and the kids love it.
- Healthy alternative to candy for the perfect treat.
- They are delicious refrigerated or frozen.
Ingredients
- Grapes. Green grapes work best in this recipe.
- Lemon. Fresh lemon juice.
- Jello. You can use any flavor you like. I used cherry, blueberry, orange, lime and lemon.
Find the complete list of ingredients at the bottom of the page.
Substitutions and Additions
- Grapes. We used green seedless grapes for the closest to the classic flavor of Sour Patch Kids, but you can also use red grapes for natural sweetness or black grapes. You can also try Cotton Candy grapes, but the flavor will be slightly altered from your favorite candies.
- Lime Juice. Substitute fresh lime juice instead of lemon in this recipe. Either will do the trick for the taste of sour candy.
- Combine Lemon and Lime Juice. For an interesting twist of flavor, combine both lemon and lime citrus juice.
- Jell-O. You can use any flavor you like. We love to make an assortment of different flavors and powders for vibrant color.
- Favorite Fruit. Feel free to try coating other types of fruit in the Jello mixture. Some ideas include strawberries, pineapple chunks, blueberries, green apple, mandarin oranges, honeydew melon and watermelon.
- Sweeteners. Instead of gelatin, coat the fruit in sweetener such as monk fruit sweetener without added sugar. You can also use a mixture of sugar if preferred.
- Extra Sour. To increase the sour flavor, add citric acid that naturally occurs in citrus fruit such as grapefruits, oranges, lemons and more.
- Serving Idea. Place grapes on a skewer.
How to Make Sour Patch Grapes
Step 1. Add each package of Jell-o powder into separate gallon size ziplock bags.
Step 2. Next, rinse the grapes in a strainer and remove any stems from the grapes. Drain the water off of the grapes and pay dry to remove excess water. Then squeeze the lemon juice over the grapes in a large mixing bowl. Make sure they are coated.
Step 3. Divide the grapes into the zip lock bags. Seal and shake to coat the grapes in the powdered Jell-O.
Step 4. Once coated, remove and place the grapes on a baking sheet or tray. Allow to chill at least 2 hours but overnight is best. You can also freeze for 20-30 minutes. Serve and enjoy these tasty Sour Patch Candy Grapes.
Storage
Refrigerate the leftovers in an airtight container up to 2 weeks. This is a tasty treat to keep in the refrigerator for a quick and easy treat.
Can I Freeze?
Yes, these grapes can be frozen up to 3 months. We love to freeze them in the Summer. Frozen grapes are so refreshing and a great treat.
You do not have to thaw the grapes. They taste great frozen.
Pro Tips
- Coating. Make sure each grape is entirely coated in the jello for the best outcome.
- Ziploc bag. It is easiest to put the Jello in a large plastic bag instead of a large separate bowl. You can securely shake the grapes in the mixture and makre sure they are well coated.
- Make pre-portion bags for the freezer. Go ahead and assemble individual portions in the freezer. The kids can easily grab a bag.
- Reduce the sourness. If you do not want the grapes too sour, mix equal parts water and lemon juice instead of straight lemon juice. This will reduce the sour taste but still provide enough to provide the flavor.
- Toothpicks. If you do not have ziplock bags, you can place the juice in one bowl and the jello in another bowl. Stick a toothpick in each grape and dip in juice and roll in the jello mixture.
- Wash and dry the grapes. The fruit should be washed and thoroughly dried before starting the recipe.
- Remove stems. Don’t forget to remove any stems before coating the grapes.
- Coat in batches. You can pour a portion of the jello in a bag and coat the grapes. Then add the remaining jello and finishing coating the fruit. This is helpful if you are concerned with the mixture getting wet from the grapes and not coating well.
More Dessert Recipes With Jello
If you love the classic Sour Patch candy, try this Candied Grape Recipe instead. They are really delicious and so much fun to make. Don’t forget to leave a comment and star rating after you try them.
Sour Candy Grapes and Sour Patch Grapes
Ingredients
- 3 pound Green Grapes
- 1 Lemon juiced
- 1 pkg Cherry Jell-o 3 oz.
- 1 pkg Blueberry Jell-o 3 oz.
- 1 pkg Orange Jell-o 3 oz.
- 1 pkg Lime Jell-o 3 oz.
- 1 pkg Lemon Jell-o 3 oz.
See how we calculate recipe costs.
Instructions
- Pour each of the packages of Jell-o in separate gallon size sealable bags and set aside.
- Rinse the grapes in a strainer and remove any stems from the grapes. Drain the water off of the grapes. Then squeeze the lemon juice over the grapes and toss them to coat them in the lemon juice.
- Then evenly divide the grapes into the 5 zip lock bags. Seal the bags and shake them to coat the grapes in the powdered Jell-o.
- Remove the grapes from the bags. Place the grapes on a baking sheet and chill for at least 2 hours (overnight is preferred).
- Then the grapes are ready to serve and enjoy!
