I Tried TikTok’s Viral “Sprite-Frozen Gummy Bear” Trend, And The Texture Was Like Nothing I've Ever Tasted
There is just something so wonderful about gummy candy or gelatin and using osmosis to create a jelly-soaked treat. Of course, I'm thinking of Jello shots — but for a more family-friendly treat, TikTok has put me onto Sprite-frozen gummy bears as of late.
In the video that sparked the trend, which is mainly ASMR, TikTok user @emiri.asmr demonstrated the aural appeal of these gummy treats. TikTok user Kat Chao followed up by making a more comprehensive video, demonstrating how to make them with Sprite. The recipe is fairly simple: one bag of Haribo gummy bears and a single can of Sprite. Place the gummy bears in a dish, fill with soda, then place in the refrigerator overnight. (An airtight container is not necessary.) Then, transfer the now Sprite-soaked gummy bears out from the liquid and onto a plate, and freeze for 2–3 hours.
@katchaomeow / Via tiktok.com
Simple enough, right? Real talk, I confused the directions and put them in the FREEZER overnight rather than the refrigerator. Naturally, this led to the Sprite freezing all the helpless bears in its pool.
I could not take a picture because I was so ashamed. However, other users on TikTok shared my mistake, too. Please do not be like @def_not_noara and me 😓.
Panicked, I thawed all of it in the microwave to let them soak at room temperature.
I felt like I was global warming, rapidly melting those ice caps to free those gummy [polar] bears.
Then after an hour of letting them sit, I removed some gummy bears (some of which were now missing limbs or had melted/sloughed off faces). I removed them from the pool of Sprite, transferred them to a plate, and placed them in the freezer correctly this time.
I did have some gummy bears and a bit of Sprite left, so I tried it again correctly this time, and it turned out picture-perfect!
Francesca Rivera
I have very sensitive teeth, so it was a wild sensory rollercoaster going from enjoying the initial effortless, clean, frosty bite through the previously chewy gummy bear to my tooth enamel meeting a small, hardened, chewy core similar to Dots candy.
Francesca Rivera
Pain. Regret. Agony. All at 6:30 a.m.
However, I worked through the pain and ate a few pieces. The icy texture is really overpowering. I couldn't really taste the Sprite, but the gummy bear flavors were still largely present. It seems like water (still or sparkling) could have worked just fine to make the gummy bears bigger.
A resounding *shrug* from me.
I guess I shouldn't be so surprised. The fact that this went viral from an ASMR video, highlighting things other than the taste of the food itself, probably should've been a hint that this isn't the most impressive treat to actually eat. Even Chow noting that her kids enjoy it (no shade on kids), emphasizes that this trend is a gimmicky experience over anything else. And that's fine... I take my sweet treats seriously, though, and probably won't revisit.
Honestly, I would just stick to frozen grapes if I wanted a cold, sweet treat with a nice bite. If I had to do this again, I'd toss them into an alcoholic beverage to function as a dissolving, flavored ice cube of sorts.
But honestly, seeing someone soak their gummy bears in Mountain Dew has me rethinking it all...
What do you think of this Sprite-frozen gummy bear trend? Future party staple? Better as a solo act or a supporting act? Let us know in the comments.
