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

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 (2/3 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!

4.50 from 14 votes

Print Pin Rate

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 10 minutes

Servings: 14 pieces

Author: Emily

Ingredients

US Customary - Metric

Strawberry "Starburst" Candy

• 1/3 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

• 1/3 cup coconut butter
• 2 Tbs mandarin orange slices - (I used 5 mini slices)
• 1 1/2 Tbs coconut oil
• 1 Tbs maple syrup
• 1 tsp 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 2/3 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:

1/3 cup coconut butter

1 1/2 Tbs coconut oil

1 Tbs maple syrup

1 1/2 Tbs lemon juice

1 tsp 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!