How to Make Boozy Gummy Bears

Gummy bears are bright, colorful, delicious—and perfect for soaking up vodka. Making vodka-soaked gummy bears is the easiest and tastiest DIY project ever. Plus, the boozy snack is party perfect. Guests will go crazy trying to snap the most awe-worthy Instagram pic before diving into cupfuls of the tiny, chewable cocktails.

Grab some gummy bears and a bottle of vodka, and get ready to turn a childhood favorite into a grown-up treat. Here, how to make three different sizes of boozy gummy bears: mini, regular and massive.

Ingredients
Gummy bears
Vodka, enough to submerge the candy

Tools
Mason jars
Baking pan (if using a large bear)
Mesh sieve
Baking sheet
Waxed paper

Step One: Bathe Your Bears in Booze

Add gummy bears to a mason jar and cover with vodka. If you are using an oversized bear, place it in a baking pan and cover with vodka.

Step Two: Marinate Your Bears

Let the bears sit at room temperature for five hours. If you want to soak the bears for longer, place them in the refrigerator so they don’t get too slimy.

If you are infusing a big bear, let it soak in vodka in the fridge for at least three days, flipping it twice a day so that it infuses evenly.

You may notice the color begin to bleed out from the bears. This is expected and totally okay.

Step Three: Strain Your Bears

Strain the bears using a mesh sieve. Save the vodka for another use (Gummy Bear Martini, anyone?). If you’re using a large bear, just remove it from the baking pan.

Step Four: Dry Your Bears

Place the gummy bears on a wax paper-lined baking sheet in a single layer, leaving gaps between each bear so they don’t stick together. If you have extra bears, place another sheet of waxed paper on top of the first layer of bears and repeat until all bears are laid out.

Place the tray in the refrigerator and let sit overnight.

Step Five: Eat Your Bears

One of the best parts about infusing gummy bears with booze is watching the bears expand. The minis grow to the size of regular bears, the normal sized bears swell to almost twice their size and the large bear plumps up nicely. After admiring your vodka-fattened bears, it’s time to eat them.

For mini- or regular-sized bears, place them in small cups and serve with toothpicks so guests don’t get sticky hands. If you were ambitious enough to tackle the big bear, be prepared for an extra-potent gummy treat. To us, the big boozy bear tasted a bit like cherry cough syrup—but what it lacked in flavor, it made up for in presentation. Present it to your guests on a platter, then carve pieces and serve.