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This caramelized kombucha SCOBY candy is a guaranteed hit for any kombucha lover! Its unique, chewy texture and caramelized flavor make for a surprisingly tasty, waste-free treat—perfect for using up those extra “mothers” and enjoying every last bit of your brew!
save this recipe!Your New Favorite Candy
Alright, stay with me for a second (I know that’s not the most comforting opener for a recipe, but open your mind for this one). For all my fellow sugar addicts, we’re diving into the deliciously weird world of kombucha SCOBY candy today (a.k.a. kombucha mothers, so… sugar mamas!).
If you’re already brewing your own homemade kombucha, chances are you’re probably open to trying unconventional eats. And honestly? These candies are worth it. They’re soft and chewy with just a hint of that kombucha tang and a perfect caramelized bite.
And while we wouldn’t call them “healthy” by any means (hello, sugar, and see ya later, probiotics!), they’re a fun, waste-free way to put that alien-like “mother” floating on top of your brew to good use.
Reader rating
“I made these, and they are so delicious! They taste just like gummy candies!” —Cait
You Only Need 3 Ingredients
You don’t need much to transform a SCOBY into some mouthwateringly delicious candies! This is just an overview—jump to the recipe card for exact measurements.
- Kombucha SCOBY: The SCOBY (Symbiotic Culture of Bacteria and Yeast) is the “mother” that ferments your kombucha. Here, it takes on a whole new life as a chewy, gummy candy! Use as many SCOBYs as you’d like.
- Sugar: The sugar accomplishes two things. First, it adds sweetness (of course). Second, it caramelizes during cooking, giving each piece that rich flavor you’d expect in a classic caramel-style candy.
- Lemon Juice: We’ll use lemon juice for a hint of brightness that balances the sugar. The acidity also helps cut any lingering vinegar notes from the kombucha. Fresh lemon juice is best here, but bottled will work in a pinch!
- Coating: A sprinkle of lemon zest mixed with sugar gives these candies a fresh, citrusy finish. It’s optional but highly recommended.
These Candies Are So Easy To Make
This kombucha SCOBY candy recipe is a breeze compared to your usual candy suspects. (Jump to the recipe card for the full printable instructions!)
- Cut the SCOBY into squares.
- Boil SCOBY squares, sugar, and a touch of lemon juice.
- Transfer them to a pan, then coat them with cooled, thickened syrup.
- Bake for 10 minutes, then sprinkle with lemon zest and sugar.
Recipe Tips
Sugar Proportion: Weigh your SCOBY pieces and use an equal weight in sugar to end up with the right balance of sweetness and caramelization.
Time the Caramelization: If you want a softer, chewier texture, cook the candies for a bit less time. For firmer candies, let them caramelize longer!
Work In Batches: If you have a lot of SCOBYs, cook them in smaller batches to ensure they caramelize evenly and don’t clump together.
Kombucha SCOBY Candy
Ingredients
- Kombucha SCOBY, however many you have or are willing to use
- Equal part sugar as SCOBY*, by weight
- A dash of lemon juice
- equal parts lemon zest and sugar, Optional
Instructions
- Cut: Rinse SCOBY to remove gunky stringy things, then dice with clean scissors or a very sharp knife.
- Boil: Gently combine SCOBY squares, sugar, and a tablespoon or so of lemon juice in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Boil for 7 to 10 minutes (if you have a candy thermometer, aim for 250 degrees F, 120 C), stirring frequently.
- Coat: Remove the pot from the stove and, with a perforated spoon, remove the candies and place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Allow syrup to cool until slightly thickened, then pour over the candies.
- Bake: Bake at 350 degrees F (175 C) for about 10 minutes. Remove and allow candies to cool. Optionally, sprinkle with a mix of lemon zest and sugar.
Notes
did you make this?Leave a comment below and tag @liveeatlearn on social media! I love seeing what you’ve made!
I finally tried. Had to cook it longer then 10 min to get temp to 250 the texture is ok but it’s super sweet dusted some citrus acid on outside cause I like sour. I’m glad I tried it
The citrus on the outside really helps cut the sweetness, doesn’t it? I love it with lemon zest 🙂
My granddaughter got me to try this tea and I now can’t live with our it so I am hoping I will love the candy as well
I think you’re going to love it! 😀 So happy you liked the kombucha too!
Hi Sarah. Do you add a bit of water to boil or just lemon juice ( i used lime) , sugar and scoopy?
My liquid was gone very quick
Thank you
Hi Alex! There’s no need to add water. The sugar melts and that’s what is going to be boiling into caramelized goodness (in other words, the boiling isn’t to cook the SCOBY so much as it is to melt and cook the sugar, which is why water isn’t needed).
Can I use a stevia xylitol erythritol blend as the sugar? We don’t use sugar and I have a ton of SCOBYs!! 😊
Hi Melinda! This is one of few recipes where you really cannot use sugar substitutes. BUT you won’t actually be consuming that whole 1 cup of sugar. The sugar is food for the bacteria and yeast. They’ll basically eat it all up and produce wonderful things like acidity and carbonation, and the finished kombucha will be mush lower in sugar as a result. 🙂
Hey Sarah,
I think you’re mixing candy and kombucha comments. The dead SCOBY won’t ferment the sugar, right? But I agree that the sugar would be important for caramelization. I’m not sure the desired caramelization can occur with sugar substitutes. Not to mention that sugar alcohols in high concentrations in something you’ll likely be eating mindless quantities of (like candy) would cause a lot of intestinal distress (see the reviews for sugar free gummy bears on Amazon for examples). Thanks!
Whoops, you’re so right! I was confusing the two, but agreed that I don’t think sugar subs would work here. The caramelization of the sugar is an important part of this candy! 😀
Hi there! do these really only last a week?
They could probably last longer, but I found the texture was best within a week. Will try making them again soon and updating with what I find! 😀
Hi Sarah,
Thanks so much for sharing this recipe! I tried it out tonight, since I’ve had a neglected jar full of thick SCOBYs sitting around for months just waiting
I used 3 cups brown sugar for roughly 3 cups SCOBY, and added like 4 tablespoons of lemon/lime juice, and tossed in some ginger (store bought powdery type, I don’t have time to grate fresh ginger) into the boiling pot and DANG the flavor is on point. Since my chunks were super thick, I added more cooking and baking time. I will try to make this baking party more of a routine thing, and not let the SCOBYs grow so thick, since the thinner slices cooked way better. The edges/outer layer of the thicker slices turned into what I assume is the desired texture, kind of gelatinous and easy to chew – really delicious! When biting into these thicker chunks though, I noticed that the center was not cooked (or at least not caramelized and soft), and was still very tough/fibrous. Is it safe to eat these pieces, even though they did not caramelize all the way through? May I send you some photos, to get your opinion?
Hi Madeleine! As long as the SCOBY is healthy (no mold etc) then it should be safe to eat, regardless of if it is cooked through. Next time just pull the thick SCOBY apart (like, hamburger style) to make a few thin SCOBYs. I’m so happy you liked this recipe 😀
I’ve seen where the scobies are dried out then used to make things like small wallets !
I’ve heard of this! Intriguing haha, but I haven’t tried it out.
Love the idea. However, heating the SCOBY would kill the beneficial bacteria and the SCOBY has more than the Kombucha.
Yep this is true! This is purely to get the gummy structure of the SCOBY without having to use gelatin 🙂
Hi, tried this, so much fun while on Covid 19 Lockdown in NZ! I put maple syrup in my sugar syrup, real sweet and sour now, just perfect! I also booked the leftover syrup longer and used it as toffee, I put walnut halves in it. Delicimoso. I made a cinnamon sugar for my candies. The sad thing is I cannot share my lollies! (Boo boo, how sad, never mind!) Thanks !
Hahah, so happy to hear you liked them, Lee! 😀
So I read the instructions and the comments before I made mine. I didn’t have lemon so instead, I chopped up little bits of apple!
I let mine boil for 18 minutes, sprinkled cinnamon on and baked for 15 minutes and they are really good! It’s like apple pie filling. Thank you for the guidance. I really didn’t know how the heck to cook all my scoby!
Ooooh love that modification! Thanks for letting me know how it went! 😀