Published: · Modified: by Emily · This post may contain affiliate links · 17 Comments
You won't believe how EASY it is to make your own 'Starburst' candy at home, using simple healthy ingredients -- no refined sugar! Strawberry, Orange, Lemon and Raspberry! (But PINK is my favorite!!)
You guys!! These homemade starburst are SO GOOD, and SO EASY. Mix together a few simple ingredients & pour into silicone molds to set! That's IT!! No cooking involved.
And ZERO junky stuff! No food coloring, corn syrup, chemical fillers, refined oils or refined SUGAR! Just the chewy sweet fruit flavored deliciousness you love! But now so much healthier!
THE PINKS
Pink Starbursts have always been my absolute FAVORITE! The amazing strawberry flavor (and pretty color!) PINKS ARE THE BEST.
So how do you replicate these amazing little treats?!!?
The flavor and color come from FREEZE DRIED Strawberries!! It's simply fruit that has the moisture removed and what's left is CRISPY light slices of strawberries (not chewy and shrunken like dehydrated fruit).
Simply blend the freeze dried fruit in a small blender (I used my single cup Ninja blender) for about 5-10 seconds until a fine powder forms. Add the powder to your base and it turns this gorgeous shade of pink and adds incredible strawberry flavor. SO DELISH! Like OMG good.
I get my freeze dried strawberries at ALDI. One bag is only $2.99. Woohoo! Just try not to eat the whole bag before you get them in the blender. They are amazing on their own!
{ps - if you're looking for more recipes using freeze dried fruit, check out my Mini Strawberry Cheesecakes, Raspberry Lemonade Pie, and Bluberry Whipped Cream.}
What are these made with?!
The magic ingredient is... COCONUT BUTTER! Have you tried it?! It's so yummy!
If you're not familiar with it, you might be wondering... What is coconut butter?! What is it for? How do you make it?
- Just pureed coconut shreds!Surprisingly, it does NOT taste like coconut. It has a neutral/semi sweet flavor-- sorta like shortbread.
- PERFECT for frosting (like on these cookies, and this fruit pizza), or to slather on toast. And to make this CANDY!
- Super easy to make yourself in a food processor. Just throw in 2 cups of shreds and blend for 10-15 minutes.
- Homemade is much less expensive than store bought, but you can definitely use store bought to skip a step!
4 FLAVORS OF CANDY
You can add different fruits to make different flavors! I have included instructions to make LEMON, ORANGE, STRAWBERRY and RASPBERRY.
One batch of coconut butter (⅔ cup) makes 2 flavors, and about 14 delicious Starburst candies.
Oh and these are GIANT Starburst, haha! The silicone mold I have is at least 1 Tbs for each, so you get BIG candy. And bigger is definitely better! 😉
If you don't have a silicone mold, you can pour the mixture into a small dish lined with parchment and freeze it into one slab, then cut it up into little pieces. That might make it look more like "real" starburst" too!
ENJOY! And if you make these, I'd love to hear what you think! Drop a comment or tag me on Instagram @emily.likes.food #prettypies
Click below to save this recipe on Pinterest:
Easy, Healthy, Homemade Starburst
Your favorite candy -- without the JUNK! Made from real fruit, and healthy whole-food ingredients. No refined sugar!
4.55 from 22 votes
Print Pin Rate
Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes
Total Time: 10 minutes minutes
Servings: 14 pieces
Author: Emily
Ingredients
US Customary - Metric
Strawberry "Starburst"Candy
- ⅓ cup coconut butter
- 2 Tbs freeze dried strawberry powder
- 2 Tbs coconut oil
- 1 Tbs water
- 1 Tbs maple syrup
- Dash of salt
Orange "Starburst"Candy
- ⅓ cup coconut butter
- 2 Tbs mandarin orange slices - (I used 5 mini slices)
- 1 ½ Tbs coconut oil
- 1 Tbs maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon orange zest (from 1 mandarin)
- a few drops orange essential oil - (optional, for more flavor)
- Pinch of turmeric - (optional, for color)
- Dash of salt
Instructions
To make Pink (Strawberry) Starburst:
{Make coconut butter in a food processor and reserve half for another flavor (see notes), or use store-bought}Blend freeze dried strawberries in a small blender for 10 seconds to make strawberry powder.
Melt together all ingredients and mix well (I just threw everything a food processor)
Pour into silicone molds (makes about 7 large candies). Stir each well to release bubbles.
Freeze for 20 minutes to set.
Enjoy!
To make Orange Starburst:
Blend all ingredients in a food processor until smooth.
Taste and adjust for orange flavor and sweetness.
Pour into silicone molds. (makes about 7 large candies) Stir each well to release bubbles.
Freeze for 20 minutes to set.
Enjoy! (See notes for lemon and raspberry recipes!)
Notes
What I used:
Shredded Unsweetened Coconut
Cuisinart Food Processor
Freeze Dried Strawberries from ALDI(also available at Target, Whole Foods, Sprouts, Trader Joes, Amazon and other stores)
Nutiva Organic Virgin Coconut Oil
Optional -- Coconut Butter aka Coconut Manna
Silicone Mold from TJ Maxx - similar on Amazon
How to make Coconut Butter:
Place 2 cups of unsweetened coconut shreds in a food processor and blend for 10-15 minutes, stopping occasionally to scrape down the sides. Keep blending until liquefied. Yields ⅔ cup butter (enough for 2 flavors)
(You may need pause to give your food processor a break to prevent overheating if it is having trouble) Note- older shreds take much longer to blend. Best to use a freshly opened package.
Store at room temp for 1 month. Refrigeration causes it to harden. Place in a bowl of warm water to soften.
Note about store bought coconut butter: You MUST melt it down and STIR, or there will be a layer of oil on top of the jar.Place the jar in a bowl of warm water to melt, then stir and let cool back down.
Recipe for Lemon Starburst:
⅓ cup coconut butter
1 ½ Tbs coconut oil
1 Tbs maple syrup
1 ½ Tbs lemon juice
1 teaspoon lemon zest
Pinch of turmeric, for color
Dash of salt
To make: Melt together all ingredients and mix well (I used a food processor). Pour into molds. Freeze for 30 minutes. Enjoy!
To make Raspberry Starburst:
Use the same recipe as Strawberry, but swap in Freeze Dried Raspberries! I have gotten these from Sprouts. Whole Foods should carry them, too.
To store homemade starburst: Keep refrigerated for 7-10 days, or frozen 3-4 weeks, tightly wrapped. Set out at room temp to soften to desired consistency.
Tried this recipe?Tag @emily.likes.food #prettypies!
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About Emily
Emily is the creative force behind the food blog, Pretty Pies, a destination for people with dietary restrictions including dairy-free, gluten-free, grain-free, sugar-free and egg-free, as well as those pursuing a healthier lifestyle.
She is the author of two cookbooks in the low-carb sweets niche, "PS It's Healthy," and "Yay It' Sugar-Free!"
Her recipes have reached millions across the globe over a 7-year time span, and helped countless readers enjoy delicious desserts without detriment to their health.
Reader Interactions
Comments
Lani
these look amazing. A question about the orange. When you say mandarin slices do you mean freeze dried or fresh?
I tried the strawberry flavor a few min ago. It wasn’t pourable. Was thick like a spread and seemed to split a bit. I’m hoping it doesn’t affect the final product. Any ideas y it would separate?Reply
Emily
Yes, fresh mandarins 🙂
If it's thick, it might just be cold (since coconut butter and coconut oil harden below 76 degrees) You can melt it down to make it easier to mix. But it should be fine. Let me know how they turn out 🙂Reply
CMoore
Just wanted to alert you that Pinterest is blocking your recipe because it “may lead to inappropriate content”.
Guess I’ll save it to Paprika for now instead.Reply
Emily
Oh no!! 🙁 thank you for letting me know! I will try to get it fixed
Reply
Nathalie Roy
Using the strawberry recipe for a healthy eating gym project! thank yoU!!
Reply
Emily
Awesome!! You are welcome
Reply
Brent
Would dehydrated fruit powder work for this recipe? I am wanting to try to make a huckleberry flavored starburst.
Reply
Jennifer
For orange, do you think canned mandarin oranges would work? I get the kind without added sugar.
Reply
Emily
Yes that should work great
Reply
Gracey
Do you have the measurements in grams or ounces please?
Reply
Emily
I just updated the recipe card to include the conversion button. Hope that helps!
Reply
April
Does this melt above 76 degrees?
Reply
Emily
Yes it does melt. Maybe not exactly 76, but when it gets warm. Coconut butter has a slightly higher melting point.
Reply
Scott Diamond
Emily thanks for the recipe. I’m excited to make, but I have a question...how long will these keep and still be good?
Reply
Emily
Mine have stayed perfectly fresh for the past 5 days in a glass container on my counter 🙂 I would say they keep at least a week.
You can refrigerate them for longer, maybe 2 weeks (but they will need to thaw a few minutes since the coconut oil hardens them a little).
Or you can always freeze them in an airtight container for a few months. (But I don't think you'll have any leftovers, haha!)
Hope you enjoy! 🙂
Reply
RC
What could you swap for the maple syrup? Truvia drops? Monk fruit? Swerve?
Reply
Emily
You can use monkfruit syrup or Use the same amount of liquid + any powdered or concentrated sweetener you like— drops, powdered monkfruit, something that will dissolve in liquid 🙂 Sweeten to taste. Hope that helps
Reply
4.55 from 22 votes (22 ratings without comment)
