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    Home >> Candy

    Easy, Healthy Homemade 'Starburst' (Paleo, Vegan, No Refined Sugar)

    Published: Mar 26, 2018 · Modified: Apr 6, 2023 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!!)Healthy Homemade Starburst (Paleo, Vegan, No Refined Sugar) PrettyPies.com

    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!

    Homemade Starburst (Vegan & Paleo) PrettyPies.com

    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.}Healthy Homemade Orange Starburst (Paleo, Vegan, No Refined Sugar) PrettyPies.com

    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!

    Homemade Starburst (Vegan & Paleo) PrettyPies.com

    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:

    Healthy Homemade Starburst (Paleo, Vegan, No Refined Sugar) PrettyPies.com

    Easy, Healthy, Homemade Starburst

    Your favorite candy -- without the JUNK! Made from real fruit, and healthy whole-food ingredients. No refined sugar!
    4.59 from 17 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Prep Time: 10 minutes
    Total Time: 10 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!

    « Dairy-Free Caramels {Paleo, Vegan & Keto}
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    Filed Under: Candy, Low-Carb, Nut-Free Tagged With: bites, coconut butter, colorful, lemon, nut-free, orange, pink, recipe makeover, strawberry

    About Emily

    Emily is the creative force behind the food blog, Pretty Pies, a destination for people interested in healthier eating, and for those with dietary restrictions and preferences, such as dairy-free, gluten-free and egg-free.

    Emily specializes in healthy desserts that are low-carb, keto, and made with plant-based natural ingredients. 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 of people across the globe over a 7-year time span, and helped countless readers enjoy delicious desserts without detriment to their health.

    When she's not creating in the kitchen, she loves spending time with her family and petite Goldendoodle, Eevee, spending time in nature, and eating Tex-Mex.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Lani

      April 03, 2018 at 7:43 pm

      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

        April 03, 2018 at 7:48 pm

        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
    2. CMoore

      April 03, 2018 at 10:01 pm

      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

        April 03, 2018 at 10:03 pm

        Oh no!! 🙁 thank you for letting me know! I will try to get it fixed

        Reply
    3. Nathalie Roy

      April 13, 2018 at 10:40 am

      Using the strawberry recipe for a healthy eating gym project! thank yoU!!

      Reply
      • Emily

        April 13, 2018 at 10:42 am

        Awesome!! You are welcome

        Reply
        • Brent

          August 07, 2020 at 3:53 pm

          Would dehydrated fruit powder work for this recipe? I am wanting to try to make a huckleberry flavored starburst.

          Reply
    4. Jennifer

      April 24, 2018 at 3:39 pm

      For orange, do you think canned mandarin oranges would work? I get the kind without added sugar.

      Reply
      • Emily

        April 24, 2018 at 3:58 pm

        Yes that should work great

        Reply
      • Gracey

        January 29, 2021 at 6:14 pm

        Do you have the measurements in grams or ounces please?

        Reply
        • Emily

          January 29, 2021 at 7:08 pm

          I just updated the recipe card to include the conversion button. Hope that helps!

          Reply
    5. April

      August 15, 2018 at 3:40 pm

      Does this melt above 76 degrees?

      Reply
      • Emily

        August 15, 2018 at 3:49 pm

        Yes it does melt. Maybe not exactly 76, but when it gets warm. Coconut butter has a slightly higher melting point.

        Reply
    6. Scott Diamond

      October 02, 2018 at 6:35 am

      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

        October 02, 2018 at 6:55 am

        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
    7. RC

      June 27, 2021 at 6:15 am

      What could you swap for the maple syrup? Truvia drops? Monk fruit? Swerve?

      Reply
      • Emily

        June 27, 2021 at 9:26 am

        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

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