Our 8 Favorite Uses for Cannabis Gummies

Our 8 Favorite Uses for Cannabis Gummies

Gummies seem to appeal to adults as well as kids. Whether you’re male or female, most likely you like to chew on a gummy every now and then—or perhaps on a regular basis! Infused gummies are among the most popular of cannabis edibles, as marijuana connoisseurs accomplish the desired THC effect while enjoying a tasty treat.

There is something undeniably appealing about these candies. Perhaps it’s the fun shapes they come in. Gummy bears and worms are two of the most popular, Kids find them fun and for adults they bring back positive memories of days past when their lives were simpler and more innocent. In addition to bears and worms, some of the shapes gummies come in include fish, penguins, eggs, frogs, dinosaurs, smurfs, and snakes—although you’d be hard-pressed to differentiate a snake from a worm.

History

Gummies experienced a large surge in popularity during the 1980s, but they were originally created several decades earlier. In 1920, a German candy maker, Hans Riegel, decided to form his own candy company to make hard candies with a copper kettle and marble slab as his main equipment. He named his company Hans Riegel of Bonn-Haribo. When Riegel’s hard candies didn’t sell as well as he expected, he began to experiment and came up with delicious soft, fruit-flavored, gelatin-based candies in the shape of dancing bears. Riegel passed soon after World War II, and his two sons stepped up to continue building his candy company, which eventually became the Haribo candy company we known today.

Haribo continues to make gummy bears to this day. Later, other companies got on the gummy bandwagon and pumped out their own versions. Besides Haribo, gummies from Black Forest, Trolli, Lifesaver, Brach’s, and Jolly Rancher are some of the largest and most popular. Cannabis companies, of course, also make their own infused gummies.

But besides being fun, first and foremost gummies are tasty colorful treats. They come in a range of delicious fruit flavors, with both sweet and sour versions. A sour worm is every bit as delicious as a sweet bear, it’s just a different spin on the same form of candy. Gummies come in a wide range of colors, but don’t expect the color alone to give away the flavor experience you will have when you bite into one.

Believe it or not, there are 12 flavors of these fun candies, with cherry and strawberry being two of the most popular. The other 10 flavors that pack a fruity punch are raspberry (which is often colored blue), lemon, watermelon, pink grapefruit, orange, lime, grape, green apple, mango, and pineapple. That’s a lot of fruity goodness and many people find that narrowing down a favorite is difficult. No single flavor dominates gummy bear sales. Color popularity varies as well, but the visual appeal of the golden gummy bears makes them the hands-down winner. More golden gummies will appear in a bag than any other single color.

Cannabis-Infused Gummies

When cannabis-infused candies became mainstream, infused gummy bears quickly grew in popularity. They created a unique problem for the legal cannabis industry, however, because the fun bear shapes appealed to children, many of whom enjoyed the regular version of these bears. Some recreational cannabis states were quick to recognize this and mandated companies to eliminate fun shapes that would attract the attention of kids who would want to eat them. As a result, the shapes of infused gummies are not nearly as fun as bears or worms, but the flavor still appeals to adults. In some recreational cannabis states, infused gummies take the shape of small circular discs.

Fun Things to Do with Gummies

Regardless of shape, there are a lot of fun things you can make with cannabis gummies, regardless of whether they’re infused or not. Let’s discover some fun ways to incorporate gummies into new recipes that will appeal to adults as well as kids.

Gummy Popsicles

As the weather warms up, the idea of a cool snack becomes increasingly appealing. Making your own gummy popsicles is an easy way to produce a fun splash to your summer. All you need is gummies, popsicle molds and Sprite or 7-Up soda. Simply full your molds half full of gummies, fill with sprite, freeze, and voila! You have a sweet and cold snack everyone will love.

Drunken Gummies

Hard spirits (80 proof) and gummies are all that you need. Rum makes an obvious choice because it’s on the sweeter side, and “Rummy Bears” are undeniably irresistible. Use a one-quart mason jar with a sealable lid and fill it ¾ full with gummies. Then pour rum over the gummies until they are completely submerged. Next, seal the jar and either place it in the refrigerator for three to four days or leave it on your countertop for eight hours. What results is an alcohol-infused gummy treat. Vodka makes a good substitute for rum, but many types of liquor will work, so use your imagination and get creative!

Ghost Gummies

This is a great treat for your next Halloween party (they’re great during any time of the year), and you’ll need to use bears for this simple recipe. Melt white chocolate and assemble gummies of assorted colors. Thoroughly dip each bear in the white chocolate and place on wax paper before transferring to the refrigerator to cool. In a short period of time you’ll have a fun batch of gummy bear ghosts.

Chocolate Bears

Chocolate bears are another treat that are easy to make at home. They are a spin on an old candy known as “muddy bears” and are just as tasty. Simply melt milk chocolate and dip one end of each gummy in it, just like you would with chocolate-dipped strawberries. Then, place them in the freezer for a short time to harden slightly. Within an hour, you have something fun to share—or horde for yourself because they are so tasty!

Gummy Cupcakes

Here’s another one for the chocolate lovers (and who isn’t?). Simply bake a batch of cupcakes and coat them in chocolate frosting. Then, simply arrange an assortment of gummies on the surface. Mix your colors and you’ll create something colorful, attractive—and delicious! These are fun dessert items, but you would be wise to make a dozen or more, because it’s hard to stop at just one.

Gummy Bark

Here’s a chocolate-and-gummy candy combo that incorporate not one, but three types of chocolate. Melt separate batches of milk, dark, and white chocolate and spread into separate thin layers on parchment paper. Then dot the surface with gummies. For an extra-colorful creation, dust on some rainbow sprinkles and you have an assortment of chocolatey confections that come in a rainbow of colors.

Swimming Gummies

This one just takes minutes. Simply fill a small, glass bowl with your favorite flavor of creamy yogurt. Them submerge your gummies so they are half visible. If you use bears, they will appear to be bobbing in a thick ocean of delicious fruity color. Yogurt comes in such an assortment of flavors that it’s simple to create interesting flavor and color combinations.

Gummy Cookies

Mix your favorite sugar cookie dough and form a dozen walnut-shaped balls of dough. Place the dough on parchment paper place a gummy on the surface of each and press it into the dough, then place the dough balls in the fridge for several hours. Finally, arrange the balls on a greased cookie sheet and place in a pre-heated 350-degree (F) oven for 8-10 minutes. Remove from the oven when the cookie edges are brown and crisp and the centers are set. Cool and enjoy!

Final Thoughts

These eight fun and delicious gummy treats are bound to add enjoyment to your day. Share them with your friends and you’ll soon have an appreciate group that’s hungry for more. Whether they’re infused or regular gummies, these squishy sweet candies are very versatile, making them a key ingredient in many delicious recipes. Plan to include them in some of your next party recipes, and most likely they will be among the first food items to disappear!

Karen Getchell

Karen gained expertise in developing training programs and technical documentation as a Senior Editor at Cisco Systems. She began her journey in cannabis as a patient, searching for a way to heal herself. When she perfected a method for making cannabis oil, other patients began to seek her out. An early adopter of CBD medicine, she started her CBD-infused-products business in 2014. Over the last two decades, Karen has taught hundreds of patients and caregivers how to select strains, infuse oils, and extract cannabinoids.

When she isn’t teaching cannabis cooking classes, Karen works as a cannabis business consultant, writes for online cannabis publications like Cannabis Training University, Leafly, and Weedmaps, and runs a CBD-infused-product business.