Healthy homemade dandelion gelatin recipe – a sunny treat for a summer’s day! Forage dandelions for free in your backyard and use them immediately for this healthy dessert. No need to keep buying jello dessert from the store, simply learn to make your own at home.
Healthy Homemade Dandelion Gelatin Dessert
If you’re new to foraging, dandelions are a great place to start. Dandelions are:
- Easy to spot
- Bloom early in the spring until the late fall
- Are an ethical forage since they grow so abundantly
- Versatile in the kitchen
- Loved by children and bees alike
Learn more about the specifics of how to forage wild, free food including best practices, equipment, etc.
More Dandelion Recipes
Forsythia Dandelion Jelly Recipe
Dandelion Gelatin Dessert Recipe
Have your sunshine and eat it, too, with this dandelion gelatin recipe. Forage fresh dandelions and use wholesome honey for a healthy treat.
Ingredients
- 2 Cups Dandelion Flower Tea* OR 1 Cup Dandelion Tea Plus One Cup Organic Apple Juice
- 2 Tbsp. Organic Beef Gelatin
- 1/4 Cup Raw or Coconut Sugar
- 1/4 Cup Quality Honey
- Dash of Turmeric (for color - optional)
Instructions
- Put the tea* or the tea/juice combination into a saucepan.
- Add gelatin and let bloom**; stir in to combine.
- Bring to a simmer on medium heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
- Remove from heat and let sit for a few minutes - don't let it go too long or will get clumpy.
- Add honey and test sweetness until it makes you happy.
- Place into gelatin mold, ice cube tray, or glass baking dish.
- Refrigerate for 4-6 hours or for better results, leave in fridge overnight.
Notes
*To make a simple dandelion tea, gather 2-4 cups worth of dandelion flowers and pinch off the green backs.
Place them in a saucepan and cover with 2-3 cups of water. Bring to a boil; remove from heat; cover and let steep for 2-6 hours.
The longer it sits, the stronger the flavor (and the more beneficial for your health), so just taste test every so often. FYI, the longer you leave it, the darker the color will be from the bits of green that made it into the batch.
When it's done, strain out the flowers and measure the tea for this recipe. Drink whatever is left over.
**You can find organic beef gelatin online or at your local health food store. I prefer these organic brands over Knox because of where they're sourced and how helpful they can be at building up health.
Notes on Gel Set for Homemade Dandelion Gelatin
If you’re living off grid and/or without a fridge, get creative with the cooling. This mixture will gel a bit left on its own regardless. However, in the warmer months it won’t ever really set up without a good temperature drop. You can also try what Amelia, an intrepid reader, pointed out:
“If no refrigeration, you can use agar agar, a vegetarian gelatin made from seaweed (no it doesn’t taste like seaweed, no taste). Texture is firmer and not as ‘jiggly’ as animal gelatin.”
FAQs of Homemade Gelatin Dessert
Anyone can learn to make gelatin dessert at home with simple, healthy ingredients. However, if you’ve never done it before, you might have a few questions.
Can You Make Gelatin at Home?
Yes, you can make homemade gelatin dessert at home! You can use fruit juices or herbal teas, healthy sugar, and organic gelatin to make your own gelatin dessert yourself.
Making gelatin itself is a different process and there’s really no easy way to produce it at home. At least, not the gelatin you and I are used to using in the kitchen.
What Can be Used Instead of Gelatin?
As our reader, Amelia, pointed out above, agar agar is one of the most common substitutes for gelatin. It’s a vegetarian option since it’s derived from seaweed, although it has no seaweed flavor. It’s more potent than gelatin, so start experimenting by using half the amount you would for a gelatin recipe.
Another common substitute for gelatin is regular pectin. You can even learn to make your own powdered pectin from apples. There’s no exact replacement ratio and I’ve only used homemade apple pectin but you can start with doubling the amount of pectin.
Different juices and teas will all react differently depending on what their water ratio ends up being. Just experiment
What’s the Difference Between Gelatin and Jello?
Jello, or Jell-O®, is simply the brand name of the boxed, flavored gelatin dessert that you can buy in the store.
Gelatin is an ingredient in homemade gelatin dessert. Organic gelatin is usually made from beef bones. Hollywood Homestead has a great post explaining what what grass-fed gelatin is.
Dandelion Resources
Chocolate Dandelion Milkshake Recipe
A delicious and healthy mix of dandelion, cocoa, bone broth powder and homemade whipped cream.
Roasted Dandelion Root Chai
Dandelions for Food and Medicine that You Can Count On
Traditional Scandinavian Dandelion Syrup Recipe
Dandelion & Honey Ice Cream
Dandelion Pesto
Dandelion cupcakes with sunflower seeds
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Jan says
Your daughter is a genius! What a wonderful idea – pinning to my dandelions board for sure! 🙂
Homestead Lady says
I say that all the time, Jan! I’ll pass on your compliment for sure. I need to go check out your dandelion board…
Vicki @ FiveSpotGreenLiving says
Wow – this is a great recipe! I know dandelions have some great benefits AND my kids love jello. Good way to get them some extra nutrition. Thanks for linking up at the Natural Living Monday and Healthy Meal Planning Linkup!
Gentle Joy says
This is a new one for me…. I have never heard of this … or even thought of it!! Thank you for the great idea. 🙂
Homestead Lady says
It was new to me, too! My kids have great ideas and I just run with them – that’s why they’re my best friends. Well, that and that the forgive me when I’m a creep and love my pancakes. What are friends for?
Jenn says
I know it’s been a while, but how much honey would be a good starting point? Making this with some of our middle school students and I don’t want to be tasting as we go…
Thanks!
Homestead Lady says
That makes sense! Let’s see, if you use straight dandelion tea, I’d say start at a scant 1/2 cup of honey. If you use dandelion tea cut with apple juice, use a scant 1/4 cup of honey. Taste, especially sweet, is tricky because it’s so relative. However, I hope that will land you somewhere in the yummy zone.
If you like, email me at Tessa@homesteadlady.com for a little gift for you and your class that might be helpful for further fun!
Amelia says
Going to try this dandelion jello idea. If no refrigeration, you can use agar agar, a vegetarian gelatin made from seaweed (no it doesn’t taste like seaweed, no taste). Texture is firmer and not as “jiggly” as animal gelatin. Made some for Easter using mango juice/puree; the kids loved it.
Homestead Lady says
Thanks so much for the tip about agar agar – I had no idea! I’ll go add that to the article so others know.
We actually just made some dandelion gelatin this week. It’s one of the first things we do with dandelions. I let it steep too long this time and it was much more green and plant-y flavored – I wasn’t sure my kids would like it as well. They slurped it right up, though! One of them even said they liked how it tasted like actual dandelions.
Kids surprise me ALL the time!
Vladka says
What an easy and delicious recipe that kids will appreciate. I may try it with maple syrup.
Homestead Lady says
Maple syrup would be delicious!
Leigh says
This is great! I wonder, if the agar agar is firmer, could you make gummies with this?
Homestead Lady says
It might be, I have yet to use it!
Yes, you can make gummies with this recipe by increasing the amount of gelatin. Try doubling it and see how it works with your gummy mold. Some molds release really well and some you have to argue with.
Maggie says
This is such a unique way to capture those lovely dandelions!
Homestead Lady says
Tasty, too! Thanks for stopping by!
Paatrick says
I can’t wait to try this! I wonder if we could add homemade apple cider vinegar as well, double the gelatin and make super healthy gummies… experiment incoming, methinks! 😉
Homestead Lady says
Yes, it makes delicious gummies – have fun!
Hannah says
Loved by children and bees alike! Ha! I love that you used something growing in the back yard for a tasty treat. Great post.
Homestead Lady says
The backyard is my favorite grocery store. 🙂 Thanks for stopping by!