Frozen Gummy Bears with Sprite
Frozen gummy bears with Sprite have taken over TikTok for good reason - they're almost impossibly simple to make and wildly addictive to eat. The carbonation from the Sprite infuses into each bear overnight, giving them a slightly fizzy, citrusy flavor before the freezer turns them into the slushiest little bites you've ever had. Two ingredients. Zero cooking. Total crowd-pleaser.
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What Are Frozen Gummy Bears?
Frozen gummy bears are regular gummy bears that get soaked in soda - in this case Sprite - then frozen until they develop a unique icy, slushy texture. The result is somewhere between a gummy bear and a frozen lemonade slushie: chewy on the outside, slightly icy in the center, with a faint citrusy fizz from the Sprite.
They went viral on TikTok for good reason - and if you love a weird-but-works TikTok food moment, my Dill Pickle Lemonade is another one that delivers.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Two ingredients - gummy bears and Sprite are all you need.
- No cooking involved - just a bowl, the fridge, and the freezer.
- A fun project for kids - they love watching the bears transform.
- Perfect for summer - cold, refreshing, and endlessly snackable.
- Crowd-friendly - bring them to a party and watch them disappear.
If you like a viral TikTok food moment, my Grimace Shake copycat is another one that delivers.
Ingredients You'll Need
You only need two things:
- Gummy bears - Haribo is the gold standard here. Their texture is firmer than most store brands, which means they hold their shape beautifully after soaking and freezing instead of turning mushy.
- Sprite - the carbonation does the real work, slightly altering the texture and infusing a subtle citrus-lime flavor into each bear. Any lemon-lime soda will work in a pinch.
How to Make Frozen Gummy Bears with Sprite
Step 1: Soak the Gummy Bears
Place your gummy bears in a medium mixing bowl and pour the entire bottle of Sprite over them, making sure they're fully submerged. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap or a lid.
Step 2: Refrigerate Overnight
Place the covered bowl in the refrigerator and let the bears soak for at least 8 hours - overnight is ideal. This is the step that gives them that signature flavor and sets up the texture for freezing. Don't rush it.
Step 3: Arrange for Freezing
Line a 9x13 baking sheet with parchment paper. Using rubber gloves (the bears are slippery), gently scoop the soaked bears out of the bowl and give them a light shake to remove excess liquid. Spread them in a single layer on the sheet with a little space between each bear so they don't freeze together.
Step 4: Freeze
Transfer the baking sheet to the freezer. Freeze for at least 3 hours, or until the bears are completely solid. Once frozen, the result is somewhere between a gummy bear and a frozen slushie - if you love that icy, slushy texture, you'll also want to try my Fruit Roll-Up Ice Cream.
Tips for Perfect Frozen Gummy Bears
- Use Haribo. Other brands can turn mushy during the soak. Haribo's firmer formula is specifically what you want here.
- Wear rubber gloves when transferring. The soaked bears are slippery and hard to handle barehanded. Gloves give you grip without squishing them.
- Don't skip the parchment paper. Frozen gummy bears will weld themselves permanently to a bare baking sheet. Parchment is non-negotiable.
- Space them out. Bears that freeze touching each other clump together and are hard to separate without breaking.
- Don't skip the soak. The full 8-hour soak is what creates the texture. A quick 2-hour soak will leave you with regular gummy bears that are just... cold.
Variations to Try
Once you've made the classic Sprite version, the door is wide open for experimenting:
- Lemon-lime with Sierra Mist or 7UP - virtually identical to Sprite, but a slightly different citrus profile.
- Tropical Sprite - use Sprite Tropical Mix for a fruity twist that pairs especially well with the tropical-flavored bears.
- Sparkling water - Waterloo or Spindrift adds the carbonation without the sweetness, for a more subtly flavored frozen bear.
- Ginger ale - ginger ale adds a warm spice note that's unexpectedly good with the fruity gummy flavor.
Want another freeze-it-yourself trick? Try my Frozen Jello Grapes - same overnight method, completely different vibe.
Tip: Avoid sour gummy bears for this recipe. They don't hold up well to the soaking and freezing process and tend to break down into a sticky mess.
How to Store Frozen Gummy Bears
Once frozen, transfer the bears to an airtight container or zip-top freezer bag and store them in the freezer. They'll keep well for up to one week.
A few things to watch for: if they thaw and refreeze, they'll stick together in clumps. Try to keep them consistently frozen. If you're serving them at a party, pull them out just before serving - they start to soften quickly at room temperature.
Yes, you can freeze plain gummy bears, but the result is quite different. Without the Sprite soak, you'll just get cold, firm gummy bears - not the slushy, icy texture that makes this recipe special. The soak is what transforms them.
Any lemon-lime soda works - 7UP, Sierra Mist, or even sparkling water if you want less sweetness. Ginger ale is another fun option that gives the bears a slightly spiced flavor. Avoid diet sodas, as the artificial sweeteners can leave a slightly off taste after freezing.
Haribo gummy bears have a firmer gelatin base than most store brands. That firmness is important because the bears need to soak in liquid for 8 hours and then freeze - softer brands tend to get mushy during the soak phase and lose their shape. Haribo holds up.
Stored in an airtight container, frozen gummy bears will last up to one week in the freezer. After that, the texture can start to degrade. For best results, make a batch and enjoy them within a few days.
Absolutely - this is one of the best kid-friendly kitchen projects out there. There's no heat involved, no sharp tools, and the transformation from regular gummy bear to icy, slushy treat is genuinely exciting for kids to watch. The only step that needs adult help is handling the slippery soaked bears with rubber gloves.
They pick up a subtle citrusy, slightly fizzy flavor from the Sprite soak, but it's not overwhelming. The base gummy bear flavor still comes through - the Sprite adds a light backdrop rather than taking over completely. If you're looking for a stronger soda flavor, let them soak for the full 8 hours rather than cutting the soak short.
Frozen Gummy Bears with Sprite
Equipment
- Medium Mixing Bowl
- Rubber Gloves
Ingredients
- 8 Ounces Regular Gummy Bears
- 16.9 Ounces Sprite
Instructions
- Place the gummy bears into a medium mixing bowl and pour the Sprite over the top.
- Cover the bowl and place it in the fridge for 8 hours or overnight.
- Line a 9x13 baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Using rubber gloves, gently scoop the gummy bears out and lightly shake them over the bowl so it gets rid of some of the excess liquid.
- Place the bears on the prepared pan and line them up so they have just a wee bit of space in between each one (as long as they're not touching, that works).
- Place in the freezer for 3 hours or until frozen through. Enjoy!
Notes
The gummy bears will want to slide when picking them up and transferring them to the freezer, but if you are careful and are ready for them to do that, it's pretty easy to keep them from sliding around.
Rubber gloves were, by far, the easiest and quickest way to get the soaked gummy bears out of the bowl and onto the baking sheet. You can use a slotted spoon, if preferred, but we had trouble with it breaking pieces of the bears off and it was a bit slower.
It's important to use the regular gummy bears as they are more resilient to the soaking and freezing. Other types of gummy bears such as sour, etc. didn't turn out well. Haribo was the best brand due to their harder style gummy bears.
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