Constipation is no fun…if you’ve ever dealt with the occasional bout of sluggish bowels or even chronic constipation, you know what a battle it can be. Your stomach hurts, you have no appetite, and it even impacts your mood, turning you into a real grouch!
The same is true for kids. When my little people have trouble going to the bathroom, they turn into mini versions of the Grinch! They have trouble sleeping, eating, and their moods and behavior are the worst!
While there are some over the counter and prescription options available for children struggling with constipation, many have side effects like cramping and can lead to long-term dependency on the medications to be able to poop. Others, like Miralax, have never been proven safe for long-term use in children and may have potential side effects including mood and behavior changes (you can read more about that here).
Luckily, there are lots of natural remedies for constipation in children that really work! You can read more about the top 20 natural remedies for constipation in kids here. One of the 20 remedies I recommend are these Go-Go Gummies!
Don’t let the name fool you…while these Go-Go Gummies are the same shape as homemade gummy bears, the texture is closer to a soft chocolate. Most of the ingredients in these constipation candies are from the top 20 natural remedies for constipation list.
INGREDIENTS
Coconut Oil
Coconut oil is a staple in our house. We use coconut oil for cooking, baking, as a carrier oil to mix with essential oils, in DIY recipes, as a make-up remover, on our skin for eczema, rashes or burns, and so much more!
Cold-Pressed Virgin Coconut Oil is a type of saturated fat that is high in Medium Chain Fatty Acids. MCFA’s have a unique structure that leads to minimal absorption in the gut. This means they can help soften stools and relieve constipation naturally.
Coconut oil is antimicrobial and antifungal, so it also works to fight underlying gut dysbiosis (overgrowth of bad bacteria in the gut) and Candida (a pathogenic yeast), both of which can contribute to constipation.
Many cases of constipation in babies and young children are due to stools that become dry and hard in the intestinal tract. Including coconut oil in your child’s diet can help to provide constipation relief naturally by lubricating the bowels and softening stools.
Lemon Juice
One of my favorite ways to boost energy first thing in the morning is to drink a warm glass of lemon water! Yes, I do also love a hot, steaming cup of coffee or matcha tea (I am a Mom of three after all), but drinking a warm glass of water with lemon juice first thing in the morning is a great way to flush out toxins from the liver, stimulate digestive juices, and increase energy.
Fresh squeezed lemon juice is also a natural remedy for constipation. The citric acid in lemon juice acts like a stimulant to sluggish bowels, providing relief from constipation.
Berries
Berries are a great high fiber food for providing constipation relief in children. Berries, like most fruit contain both soluble and insoluble fiber. Soluble fiber absorbs water and forms a gel-like substance that helps to soften stools. Insoluble fiber does not dissolve in water and provides both bulk and hydration to stools.
Of all the berries, raspberries are one of the best for moving sluggish bowels because of their high fiber content. Just one cup of raspberries provides 8 grams of fiber! For this reason, I chose to use raspberries in this recipe, but you could easily swap them out for any other berry or even a blend of different berries!
Honey
Honey may be one of the sweetest natural remedies for constipation. Research has shown that honey may have a laxative effect in some individuals. Similar to coconut oil, honey also has antimicrobial effects and can be useful in everything from healing wounds to relieving a sore throat.
The best type of honey is raw, unpasteurized honey since it still has all of its beneficial properties. Be advised: Because of the increased risk of Botulism, raw honey is not recommended in babies under one year of age.
TOOLS
All you need to make these delicious constipation candies is a pot or microwaveable safe bowl (to melt the coconut oil), a whisk, and a gummy bear mold or other silicone candy mold, and droppers to transfer the melted candy mixture into the molds.
RECIPE TIPS
This recipe works best if you cool the gummy bear molds in the freezer for 15-20 minutes before pouring in the liquid contents. I also recommend leaving the molds in the freezer while you work, taking them out one at a time as needed.
While the gummies will harden in the fridge, they can break easily when you pop them out. I always put mine in the freezer for half an hour before transferring them to a freezer safe container for storage.
These constipation gummies will keep in the fridge for up to two weeks or in the freezer for a month (or longer…they’ve never lasted that long in my home).
Go-Go Gummies
These Go-Go Gummies are the perfect solution for natural constipation relief. They are kid-friendly and make a delicious treat that can really get things moving! With all-natural ingredients like coconut oil, lemon juice, honey, sea salt, and raspberries, this is one constipation remedy you can feel good about giving your child!
Ingredients
- 1 cup Coconut Oil Extra virgin, cold pressed
- 1/4 cup Lemon Juice
- 2 tbsp Honey
- 1/4 tsp Sea Salt
- 1/2 cup Raspberries
Instructions
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Using a microwaveable safe bowl or a pot on the stove, melt the coconut oil.
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Combine the melted coconut oil with the remaining four ingredients and blend in a food processor or blender.
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Use a dropper to carefully transfer the mixture to the gummy bear mold or other candy mold until no mixture remains.
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Transfer the molds to the freezer and leave for an hour or until the gummies are fully set. The final texture should be similar to a soft chocolate.
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Once the gummies are set, you can pop them out of the molds and store them in the refrigerator for up to two weeks or the freezer for a month or longer.
28 thoughts on “Go-Go Gummies: Yummy Constipation Relief for Kids”
These look great and easy to make. I wish I had this recipe when my girls were younger. I’ll be saving this for my friends and followers.
Thanks Stacy! They’ve definitely been a lifesaver for our kids. Glad you liked the post!
Raina if there is not much of the mixture for all the molds what should l do?
You can just fill up as many as you have. Better to have full molds (but less of them).
I’m going to try these- how many do your kids usually take at a time? Thank you!
To start out, I usually give 4-5 and see if there is any effect. If that doesn’t work, we up to 10-15! 🙂
Great idea! I’m going to make these.
How many gummies does this recipe make?
Hi Sophie, I’m glad that you are going to give the recipe a try! The number of gummies will depend on what type of molds you use. Mine makes over 100 gummies and fills 2-3 of my trays! Hopefully, that helps!
I’m so glad I found this recipe and I look forward to trying it for my son! I have read that heating coconut oil (especially microwaving) kills the antimicrobial properties though. Have you heard this? In case this is true, I usually melt my coconut oil but heating up glass measuring cup and then putting cold oil in it. It’s my understanding this does not get it hot enough to cause damage
Mine did not turn out! Is this 1 cup coconut oil melted or room temperature? Maybe that’s where I went wrong?!
Hi Amanda, in the directions the first step is to melt the coconut oil. The 1 cup measurement is room temperature coconut oil before melting. What didn’t turn out? Did you leave them in the freezer long enough to harden?
Can you take these on a daily basis for chronic idiopathic constipation? Also can you mix in Castrol oil or magnesium citrate?
Yes, these are gentle enough for daily use. You could try mixing in castor oil, but I’m not sure if they would set. The mag citrate would probably mix well though!
Hi there. I’m excited to make a version of these because our little battles chronic constipation. She has reactions to almost every berry however. Any suggestions of what to replace the berries with?
Hi Christy, I haven’t personally tested this with other fruit, but I imagine that you could replace it with any other pureed fruit. Even pureed dried fruit like raisins or prunes would work!
Great idea! Thank you!
I just got done making these my 4 year old loves these but my 7 year old doesn’t is there anyway to make these sweet instead of sour? I tried mixing sugar in some of it and it wouldn’t mix with the oil it clumped up
Hi Hannah, using a different fruit (like pureed strawberry) may help to sweeten and remove some of the sour. To sweeten, try a liquid like honey.
HI. I’m not sure I understand about the lemon juice. Is that lemon juice I can buy in a bottle or if it should be fresh squeezed. If fresh squeezed, should it be diluted in water or all of the 1/4 cup is pure squeezed. Thank you for clarifying. Danielle
Hi Danielle, it can be either fresh or bottled but I always prefer fresh (citrus loses Vitamin C within 24 hours of juicing). No, it doesn’t need to be diluted at all!
Could I add psyllium husk powder to this recipe?
Absolutely!
I’m about to try these, do the raspberries need mashed? Or do I leave them whole?
Nvm I forgot you put the stuff in a blender lol so sorry about that
Hi! I only had bigger molds than a bear so mine are a bit larger than bite sized. I may cut them into better bites. But how do I serve them to a toddler? Just handing her one will be an oily mess! And when they are frozen, I have to really bite down to eat it? I don’t think she will just let it melt in her mouth haha. I feel like I’m about to have a disaster hahaha! But really hoping we find a way because all the prunes aren’t helping ☹️ Thanks!
Cutting them into pieces may help! Once they are “set” in the freezer, you can move them to the fridge. That should help to chew them and also make them less oily! Hope that helps!!!
I’d like To add some pear juice to this but do you think they’d still freeze/harden okay? And do you think they would stay in their hardened state once you moved them to the fridge? Thanks!
I haven’t tried that but I imagine it would work! Let me know how it goes!