You Only Need 3 Ingredients To Make DIY Candy Grapes That Rival Nerds Clusters
If you're a fan of Nerds Gummy Clusters, you're not alone. According to the New York Times, after the hard-working candy scientists at Nerds headquarters came up with the idea for Nerds Gummy Clusters back in 2018, company profits went from $40 million to $800 million in just six years. They are a perfect mix of sweet, tangy, crunchy, and chewy. Making them at home doesn't seem that easy, but leave it to TikTok to come up with a way to DIY them that only requires grapes coated in melted gummies and some Nerds candies to roll them in.
If there is one thing TikTok is known for these days, it's creative food hacks and viral recipes. The short-form content lends itself perfectly to fun tips that anyone can follow at home in minutes. This recipe keeps the Nerds and the gummy candy right where you want them. The grape is there to give the whole thing structure as well as a pop of juicy flavor that store-bought Nerds Gummy Clusters don't have. You can also try this soda machine grape hack first to see what happens.
Gummy candies are normally formed with molds. Modern production often uses silicone, but traditional production relied on starch molds. That would add a lot of extra steps at home. The use of the grape here eliminates the need for molding by giving you a shape to build on. It's easy, ingenious, and delicious.
Take your grapes to the next level
In a video shared on TikTok by Foodies, grapes are washed and dried before being pierced with a skewer. You're going to be dipping these in melted candy, so this is to keep your hands from getting burned and sticky. After the grapes are prepared, Jolly Rancher gummies are melted in a microwave — but any brand and flavor will do. Melt multiple flavors in separate microwave-safe bowls for variety. It's best to melt the gummies in 10-second increments so nothing bubbles over, keeping an eye on the candies along the way.
Once the grapes are skewered and the gummies are melted, dip them into a bowl filled with Nerds until they are fully coated. After that, place each grape on a wax paper-lined cookie sheet. Quickly chill them in the fridge to make sure the gummy candy sets up. After that, they're ready to go. Compare them to these two-ingredient DIY Nerds Clusters to see which you like best.
@foodies Upgraded Candy Grapes🤤 You NEED to make this!!! 🔥 (via: @Yardenjoseph )
Take it one step further by drizzling chocolate over the clusters after they've set. Or, for a spicy-sweet twist, try mixing some Tajín or chili-lime powder in with the Nerds before rolling the gummy-coated grapes in them.