These Matcha Coconut Gummies are the jade-colored jigglers you need in your life.
No, these are not little hand soaps.
Like many food obsessives, I’m crushing hard on matcha, coconut, and gelatin these days—and not just ’cause they’re good for you. There’s been plenty written about how these ingredients are antioxidant- and nutrient-rich “superfoods” that help fight inflammation, boost metabolism, promote gut and joint health, and protect against a host of diseases. (Want to learn more? Here’s a great article about gelatin, and one about matcha.)
But let’s get real: I didn’t make these green-tea-infused gummies because I think they’ll turn this frumptastically frazzled mommy into a supermodel with lustrously thick hair, dewy skin, and a killer gut-lining. For me, any benefit from the purported health-boosting properties of this stuff is just the cherry on top.
The real reason I made these jiggly treats? Because matcha, coconut, and gelatin combine deliciously. Plus, my Matcha Coconut Gummies turn out super cute with the right molds. And sometimes, cute trumps all.
I mean, COME ON. They even look like emojis, for cryin’ out loud.
What is matcha?
If you’ve never tasted matcha (which is a special type of finely milled green tea powder), try before you buy. Go order a matcha drink at your local hipster coffee/tea hangout, and take a sip or three before deciding whether to drop a small fortune on a fancy tin of green powder. (Good quality matcha ain’t cheap, people!)
Matcha mixed with hot water can have a grassy, vegetal flavor loaded with umami; while the taste is not for everyone, I—and most people I know—happen to adore it. I prefer matcha to coffee. When it’s blended into a latte drink, the grassy matcha flavor is muted, and you end up with a tasty, creamy beverage that gives me a calm alertness. Personally, my favorite brand of matcha is this one. (Use code: nomnompaleo to save 20%. Not a sponsor or an affiliate link—I just love them and asked them to give you a discount.).
What kind of gelatin should you use?
Make sure you procure a high-quality gelatin derived from grass fed animals. (I like this one.) You are what you eat, remember? Also, take care to buy gelatin and not collagen peptides for this recipe. Why? Because collagen peptides won’t gel, which means your gummies won’t firm up. Ever.
Can you make these matcha coconut gummies sweeter?
Feel free to add more or less honey based on your preference. I like my gummies just mildly sweet, so a single tablespoon of honey is the perfect amount for me. Henry, on the other hand, prefers gummies with no added sweetener whatsoever. And my nine-year-old wishes I’d dump in the whole honey jar.
Don’t like coconut?
You can swap out the coconut cream for your favorite non-dairy milk or Whole30-friendly creamer. Just remember to keep the ratio of gelatin-to-liquid consistent.
No molds?
If you aren’t using molds, it’s not necessary to add as much gelatin. You can decrease the amount of gelatin to 2 tablespoons to produce a less-gummy, more-Jell-O-like texture. But if you’re using molds, stick with the amount of gelatin listed in the recipe.
What do you do with the extra matcha?
I’m glad you asked! You can make my Cold Matcha Latte, No-Bake Matcha Cheesecake, Matcha Pudding, and Cold Brew Matcha!
The blender makes a difference!
After testing this recipe a bunch of different ways, I can tell you that your choice of blender will affect the look of your final product slightly—but it’s not a deal breaker. If you use a high-powered blender, the gummies will be a uniform, creamy-green color throughout. But if you use an immersion blender or a less powerful blender, your gummies may separate a bit and settle before it solidifies. Not a big deal—and hey, it all ends up in the same place (your mouth!)—but something to keep in mind.
Time to make Matcha Coconut Gummies!
Makes 12 gummies (I usually eat 2 at a time!)
Ingredients:
- 2½ tablespoons gelatin (use only 2 tablespoons if you are not using molds)
- 2 cups coconut water, divided
- 1 tablespoon honey (optional, and you can adjust the amount according to your taste)
- ¼ cup coconut cream (or the hardened stuff that floats to the top of a can of chilled full-fat coconut milk)
- 2 teaspoons matcha (save 20% with coupon: nomnompaleo)
Equipment:
- Measuring cups
- Measuring spoons
- Large bowl or 1000 mL beaker
- Small saucepan
- High-speed blender or immersion blender
- 3 silicone ice molds or an 8-inch square baking dish
Method:
Got yourself some cute silicone molds? Good.
Pour 1 cup of coconut water in a bowl or beaker, and sprinkle the gelatin on top. (My coconut water is pink because I used Harmless Coconut Water. (Here’s why it’s pink, in case you’re curious.) No biggie if yours is clear or colored; the gummies will turn out green regardless.)
The gelatin will take about 5 minutes to bloom (or soften).
In the meantime, heat the remaining 1 cup of coconut water (and honey, if you’re using it) over medium heat…
…until steaming, but not boiling.
Pour the hot coconut water into the container with the bloomed gelatin. Add the coconut cream…
…and matcha.
The brighter and greener the matcha, the higher the quality!
Blend with a high speed blender…
…or an immersion blender.
Taste the matcha to see if it is sweet enough for your taste and adjust as needed. (Remember: the jigglers will taste less sweet when chilled.) Pour the matcha mixture into silicone molds or into an 8-inch square baking dish.
If you’re using silicone molds, place them on a rimmed baking sheet before adding the liquid. That way, you can transfer them to the fridge without the molds flopping around and spilling.
Chill the gummies in the fridge for at least 2 hours or until they’ve solidified. Then, pop them out!
You can keep these gummies in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days, but I bet you’ll finish ’em off before then.
They’re super-cute and tasty no matter if they’re two-toned and speckled…
…or creamy green!
The color and shine remind me of my favorite jade necklace, which I wear pretty much ALL THE TIME because it gives me superpowers. Really.
See?
Then again, maybe I derive my powers from matcha and gelatin. And emojis.
Got extra matcha? Make these other nomtastic recipes:
Looking for more recipe ideas? Head on over to my Recipe Index. You’ll also find exclusive recipes on my iPhone and iPad app, and in my cookbooks, Nom Nom Paleo: Food for Humans (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2013) and Ready or Not! (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2017)!
PRINTER-FRIENDLY RECIPE CARD
Matcha Coconut Gummies
Ingredients
- 2½ tablespoons gelatin use only 2 tablespoons if you are not using molds
- 2 cups coconut water divided
- 1 tablespoon honey optional, and you can adjust the amount according to your taste
- ¼ cup coconut cream or the hardened stuff that floats to the top of a can of chilled full-fat coconut milk
- 2 teaspoons matcha save 20% with code: nomnompaleo
Instructions
- Pour 1 cup of coconut water in a bowl or beaker, and sprinkle the gelatin on top. The gelatin will take about 5 minutes to bloom (or soften).
- In the meantime, heat the remaining 1 cup of coconut water (and honey, if you’re using it) over medium heat until steaming, but not boiling.
- Pour the hot coconut water into the container with the bloomed gelatin. Add the coconut cream and matcha.
- Blend with a high speed blender or an immersion blender.
- Taste the matcha to see if it is sweet enough for your taste and adjust as needed. (Remember: the jigglers will taste less sweet when chilled.)
- Pour the matcha mixture into silicone molds or into an 8-inch square baking dish.
- If you’re using silicone molds, place them on a rimmed baking sheet before adding the liquid. That way, you can transfer them to the fridge without the molds flopping around and spilling.
- Chill the gummies in the fridge for at least 2 hours or until they’ve solidified. Then, pop them out!
- You can keep these gummies in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days, but I bet you’ll finish ’em off before then.
Video
Notes
- If you’ve never tasted matcha (which is a special type of finely milled green tea powder), try before you buy. Go order a matcha drink at your local hipster coffee/tea hangout, and take a sip or three before deciding whether to drop a small fortune on a fancy tin of green powder. Personally, I dig this brand of matcha, but I also buy cans of matcha at my favorite tea shop and at Japanese markets.
- Make sure you procure a high-quality gelatin derived from grass fed animals. (I like this one.) Also, take care to buy gelatin and not collagen peptides for this recipe, because collagen peptides won’t gel, which means your gummies won’t firm up.
- Feel free to add more or less honey based on your preference.
- Don’t like coconut? You can swap out the coconut cream for your favorite non-dairy milk or Whole30-friendly creamer. Just remember to keep the ratio of gelatin-to-liquid consistent.
- If you aren’t using molds, it’s not necessary to add as much gelatin. You can decrease the amount of gelatin to 2 tablespoons to produce a less-gummy, more-Jell-O-like texture. But if you’re using molds, stick with the amount of gelatin listed in the recipe.
- Your choice of blender will affect the final outcome slightly. If you use a high-powered blender, the gummies will be a uniform, creamy-green color throughout. But if you use an immersion blender or a less powerful blender, your gummies may separate a bit and settle before it solidifies. Not a big deal, but something to keep in mind.
Nutrition
Coco says
Couldn’t wait to see the recipe for these… so cute!!! And yes I totally thought they were handsoaps when I saw them on your Instagram story, lol.
nomnompaleo says
Ha ha! You know I’m all about the homemade beauty products! 😏
Pat says
do they have to be kept and stored in the refrigerator after they are set or will they melt?
nomnompaleo says
They won’t melt, but I keep them in the fridge for food safety reasons.
TGL says
Do you have tiny hands or are those molds awesome-size (or both)? 😀
nomnompaleo says
Each mold holds about 1/4 cup. My hands are small, but not micro-sized.
LaNeshe @Nesheaholic.com says
This is a cool recipe. I’ve been thinking about making gummies and I love matcha so this is a win.
Linds says
Can you make these without the coconut cream?
nomnompaleo says
Yep! Add an extra 1/4 cup of coconut water, though.
Carolyn says
I have to aviod caffeine almost entirely. Is there something else you could use besides matcha?
nomnompaleo says
Make fruit juice gummies or you can infuse the coconut water with chamomile tea.
Stephanie Roche Beecher says
Could you also use this recipe as a base for other flavors? If so, what might you sub for the matcha?
nomnompaleo says
You can use any liquid (e.g. juice, etc.) and make the ratio the same. 2.5 tablespoons gelatin: 2.25 cups liquid.
Gina White says
I just looked on Amazon and the owl molds are ‘currently unavailable and don’t know if or when will stock again’–bummer! All of those molds are so cute!
Holly M says
Hi, my child is allergic to all things bovine, including gelatin. Could we use agar powder? If so, how much? thanks!
nomnompaleo says
I don’t use agar agar, but this article might be helpful: http://www.thekitchn.com/vegetarian-and-vegan-substitutes-for-gelatin-tips-from-the-kitchn-189478 Also, there is marine gelatin available: http://amzn.to/2nGe7z2 However, I’m not sure these gummies will be popular with the kiddos. My kids don’t like matcha and they are high in caffeine.
Holly M says
Thanks. My kids are 21 and 23 with pretty sophisticated palates, despite the autism and multiple allergies, so we’ll give it a whirl.
nomnompaleo says
Whoops! I just assumed they were younger. 😂
Mandi says
I am excited to try these. My husband brought me some matcha from Japan, but I drink it enough. So this will be fun to try instead of only drinking it.
CarrieYoung01 says
Hi – thanks for the recipe. Just so you know, your link to matcha on Amazon shows a product that is not available. Any other favorite brands?
Jennifer B says
I am having foot surgery in 10 days and am prepping. Are these freezable? (Please forgive me if that’s a dumb question – I’m still learning). I can’t wait to try them, freezable or not! Thank you! 🙂
nomnompaleo says
I don’t think so. I’ve never tried it, but I don’t think they’ll freeze well.
Jennifer B says
I didn’t expect they would but it never hurts to ask 🙂 Thank you for the reply!
Katie Cofield says
Hiya! Made these today and they’re DELISH. But I had trouble removing them from the square silicon molds and from my larger silicon pan. Any tips?
nomnompaleo says
Maybe grease the molds with some melted coconut oil?
Katie Cofield says
Thank you!!
Priya Shiva says
so cute! I got to try these matcha gummies..
Bonnie Bonomé says
Help, I love these but need a video tutorial of how to ‘pop them out’ of their moulds without mutilating the poor creatures! Rounds one and two have resulted in green carnage… :-O
Catherine Melissa Park says
Totally!
Catherine Melissa Park says
Michelle said she shows it in video above, about the 19 minute mark
Catherine Melissa Park says
I’ve tried these twice and the “pop them out” step just remains a mystery. How? How do they not get mangled? I tried freezing them also… they popped out perfectly! But once they thawed it was like eating a wet sponge. So flabby and wet. Please help! Make a video of popping them out. 😱😱😱😬
nomnompaleo says
I show it in the Facebook Live video posted above. Just forward to the 19:00 mark.
Laura says
I’ve been following your blog since you used to curse and post pictures that were… less perfect 😉 I haven’t looked at it in a while and I can’t believe how big your son looks. I’m used to seeing him as a little kid. So grown up now!
psteffek says
FYI – we also had trouble getting the gummies out of their molds in one piece. Running hot water over the backside of the mold for half a minute or so made them release much better 🙂
Taylor Torregrossa says
Do you have to refrigerate the coconut cream overnight to get the cream on top? The directions on the can I bought say to!
Klara says
I have the feeling The ratio of liquid and gelatin is wrong. I have been using 4 tbsp gelatins for about 430 ml of total liquid and the gummies would pop out of the moulds perfectly and hold shape. Reducing the amount of gelatin from 4 tbsp led to softer and disintegration-prone gummies. I can not imagine the results for doubling the amount of liquid, while reducing gelatine to almost half.
nomnompaleo says
I don’t like super solid gummies, so this is the ratio I prefer. If you like yours more solid, you can add more gelatin.
Debra says
Thanks, love this recipe using matcha in a cool refreshing way for a nice change of pace. I prefer using stevia to sweeten them. I have heart molds but would like to find the cute little penguin and owl molds. Do you have a link for them? Also, I’ve discovered quite by accident (when I was in a hurry to firm up the gummies and forgot they were in the freezer) that my gummies pop out of the molds with no problem after hardening in the freezer for about 20 to 30 minutes. I don’t spray the molds with oil, I just use them as they are and they come out clean every time.
Debra says
I found the molds by the link you have in your article, thanks!
Staci says
I made a triple batch of these thinking the boys in the family might like them. They couldn’t get past the color. Too bad for them I guess, my daughter and I ate a lot of them! I will definitely make the recommended amount next time. They tasted great and looked just like jade. The texture and bounce is fun. A few of mine broke when trying to pop them out of the molds, you have to be careful. But they still tasted good. I need to find a way to make strawberry or blueberry ones the boys might try. Thank you for this recipe!