Coconut Water Gummy Stars With Honey for Full GAPS

These coconut water gummy stars have a light coconut flavor and a little sweetness from honey. Three cups of fresh coconut water and four tablespoons of plain gelatin set in an 8-inch square pan, then you cut the chilled slab into stars. The shape comes from a cutter, so there are no small molds to fill.

This is a three-ingredient Full GAPS snack made with fresh coconut water, plain gelling beef gelatin, and one tablespoon of honey. The coconut water keeps the mixture pale and translucent. Coconut milk would give you a different, creamy preparation.

For outings, our family packs food or eats ahead. Having that part of the day settled helps when there are six kids to get ready. A gelatin snack still needs its own plan for staying cold, though. If you’re making these for a gathering, give the pan time in the refrigerator before you start cutting the shapes.

Three Ingredients For Coconut Water Gummies

• 3 cups fresh coconut water, collected from whole coconuts
• 4 tablespoons plain unflavored grass-fed beef gelatin
• 1 tablespoon raw honey

Coconut water is the liquid inside the coconut. Coconut milk is made from the flesh and water, so check that you have the right ingredient before measuring. This recipe needs three cups of the water itself, without diluting it to make up the amount.

The amount of liquid inside a coconut varies. Collect and measure it rather than assuming that a fixed number of coconuts will provide three cups. Fresh coconut water should taste pleasantly sweet and fresh. Dr. Natasha’s coconut instructions say to discard a coconut whose liquid tastes rancid.

Choose whole coconuts without cracks or other damage. For a hard-shelled coconut, the GAPS book describes making two openings through the eyes, allowing air through one while draining the liquid through the other. Collect it in a clean vessel and remove any loose pieces of shell before measuring.

Use plain gelatin that sets when chilled. Great Lakes unflavored beef gelatin is a gelling product. Collagen peptides are a different powder and won’t turn this liquid into a cuttable slab. Avoid flavored gelatin mixes with sugar or other added ingredients.

One tablespoon of honey lightly sweetens the whole batch. Measure it before adding it to the saucepan, then stir until it blends through the warm coconut water.

Set The Pan Up Before Heating

Use an 8-by-8-inch glass dish and make room for it on a level refrigerator shelf. The pan needs to sit flat while the mixture sets. A tilted dish gives you a thicker slab at one side and a thin edge at the other.

Keep a stainless steel star cutter ready for later. The batch makes about ten stars, but the exact count depends on the size of the cutter and how closely you place the cuts. There will be usable pieces left between the stars. You can serve those pieces too.

Do the measuring before the saucepan goes on the burner. Gelatin starts in the cool coconut water, then dissolves as the mixture warms. Having the honey and dish ready keeps the short stovetop part straightforward.

How To Make Coconut Water Gummy Stars

1. Moisten the gelatin. Pour the three cups of coconut water into a saucepan away from the heat. Sprinkle the four tablespoons of gelatin across the liquid and stir so all the powder is moistened.
2. Warm and dissolve. Put the pan over medium heat. Add the tablespoon of honey and stir for about five minutes, until the gelatin and honey have dissolved. Keep the heat gentle enough to stir comfortably; you don’t need a rolling boil.
3. Fill the square dish. Pour the dissolved mixture into the room-temperature 8-by-8-inch glass dish. Let the filled dish cool if it is hot before setting it level in the refrigerator.
4. Chill until firm. Refrigerate for about two hours, or until the slab holds its shape well enough to cut. Give it longer if the middle is still too soft.
5. Cut the stars. Press the star cutter straight down through the chilled slab. Lift the stars out gently and save the pieces between the cuts. Keep the gummies refrigerated until serving.

In the first step, spread the powder over the liquid instead of dropping it in one heap. Stir through the saucepan so there are no dry pockets. The mixture can look cloudy as the gelatin gets wet; it doesn’t need to look like a finished clear gel at that point.

During heating, sweep the spoon or whisk across the bottom and around the sides. The gelatin should dissolve into the coconut water rather than remaining in pale granules or lumps. Honey also needs to be mixed through, without a sticky patch at the bottom of the pan.

Before pouring, check the liquid on your spoon. It should be evenly mixed and free of dry powder. Five minutes is a useful cooking estimate, but visible undissolved gelatin means the mixing step is not finished yet.

The refrigerator does the setting. A dish that still sloshes when you move it gently needs longer. When ready, the slab should move together and a cut edge should hold its shape. Don’t try to cut stars while the center is still liquid.

Press the cutter all the way down so the point of each star separates cleanly. Lift without pulling hard on one point. Cutting close to the previous shape helps you use more of the slab, but don’t force a star into a space that is too narrow for the cutter.

A different pan size changes the thickness. A wider dish spreads the same mixture thinner, while a smaller dish makes it deeper. Use the specified square dish for the thickness described here, especially when you are planning the cutter size and serving count.

Where Coconut Water Fits On GAPS

The 2020 GAPS book describes the fresh liquid inside a coconut as suitable for drinking and cooking. This recipe uses that fresh liquid, then heats it briefly with gelatin and honey.

Serve these as a Full GAPS snack. For meals during Intro, the Stage 1 guide covers the soft foods and meat-stock preparations used at the beginning. These chilled coconut-water stars belong later, with Full GAPS treats.

There is no milk, egg, or nut ingredient in this three-ingredient batch. Coconut water is a plant ingredient, so this isn’t a No-Plant GAPS recipe.

If you want a creamy coconut gummy instead, try blueberry coconut gummies. Follow that recipe for the milk-and-berry version. Fresh coconut water gives these stars their lighter coconut flavor and translucent appearance.

Coconut Water Gummy Stars Recipe

Serving And Keeping The Stars Cold

Cut the stars once the full slab is firm, then transfer them to a covered container in the refrigerator. Keep the offcuts alongside them or in a separate container. They are the same coconut-water mixture, just a different shape.

Bring out the portion you want to serve and keep the rest refrigerated. The stars are a chilled homemade gelatin snack, not shelf-stable candy. For an outing, pack them with the food you are keeping cold rather than leaving them loose in a bag.

If the shapes cling together, arrange them in a single layer or separate layers with parchment. Handle them gently when serving so the points stay intact. The cut shape is part of the fun, but the leftover small pieces are worth eating too.

For a fruitier flavor, blueberry lime gummy worms use whole blueberries and fresh lime. That recipe fills worm molds, while this one sets a slab and cuts the shapes afterward.

Tools For Heating And Cutting

A saucepan with room to stir is all you need for the heating step. The Le Creuset 1.75-quart Signature Round Saucepan in Artichaut is one suitable size for this three-cup batch. A spoon or whisk helps you reach the bottom while the gelatin dissolves.

Use an 8-inch square glass dish for chilling, a stainless steel star cutter, measuring cups and spoons, and a covered container for the finished pieces. A wider cutter makes fewer stars. Have the dish ready before you heat the mixture and the cutter ready before you remove the set pan from the refrigerator.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I Use Coconut Milk?

This recipe uses coconut water, the liquid from inside the coconut. Coconut milk changes the mixture and gives an opaque, creamy result. Use the linked coconut-milk gummy recipe for that version.

Why Hasn’t The Mixture Set?

Check that you used gelling gelatin rather than collagen peptides, measured four tablespoons, and dissolved it fully. Then allow enough refrigerator time for the middle to firm up. The set is the endpoint, not the timer alone.

Do I Have To Make Ten Identical Stars?

No. Ten is an approximate yield because cutter sizes vary. Keep the ingredient amounts and pan size the same, then let your cutter determine the count. Serve the small pieces between the shapes as well.

Can I Double It?

The doubled card gives six cups coconut water, eight tablespoons gelatin, and two tablespoons honey. Make two batches, each with half those amounts, and use two 8-inch square dishes. That preserves the slab thickness and gives each saucepan batch room for stirring.

Is The Two Hours Active Preparation?

No. It is refrigerator time. The mixture heats for about five minutes, then needs about two hours to set. Allow extra time to collect the fresh coconut water, measure, cool the filled dish if needed, and cut the stars.

More Homemade Gummy Recipes

The planned Gummies & Fruit Snacks Cookbook will bring more homemade snack recipes together in one place. Watch the WFLI shop for its release when you want more flavors to choose from.