Wondering what to do with gummy worms? This guide covers how to pick them, cook them, store them, and swap them, plus 12 recipes to put them to work.

What are gummy worms?

Gummy worms are the long, two-toned chewy candies shaped like earthworms, a cousin of the gummy bear stretched out and ridged. They're made from sugar and glucose syrup set with gelatin, then dyed in fruit flavors and bright colors that give each worm its split-color body.

The texture is the whole point. They're soft and springy, with a bit of stretch before they give, and that, plus the wriggly shape, is why they show up far more as decoration than as flavoring.

In the kitchen gummy worms are pure fun. They're a topping and a prop, the candy that turns a brown pudding cup into a bug-filled garden a kid actually wants to eat.

How to Use Gummy Worms

Their signature job is the dirt cup: layers of chocolate pudding and crushed chocolate sandwich cookies with gummy worms poking out of the crumbs, the way Dirt Cups and the much-loved Classic Flower Pot Dirt Cake are built. Half-burying a worm so one end stands up sells the illusion.

The same trick scales up to a sheet-pan Dirt Pie or a Halloween Dirt Cake, where worms crawl across the crumb topping. For a clear-glass look, set them in colored gelatin while it's still syrupy, as Edible Aquarium does, so they hang suspended like swimmers instead of sinking.

Beyond dessert, they top cupcakes and sundaes, hang off the rim of a milkshake, and decorate Halloween treats of every kind. Snip them into shorter pieces with kitchen scissors when you want them to read as small bugs rather than full worms.

This is a hands-on candy. That makes it a good one to hand off at a decorating station and let small cooks place themselves.

Pairing and Common Mistakes

Gummy worms go with sweet, soft, scoopable things. Chocolate pudding under crushed cookies is the classic bed, but ice cream and whipped topping work just as well. The contrast of chewy candy against a smooth base is what makes them pop.

The big mistake is baking with them. Gummy worms are mostly gelatin and sugar, so oven heat melts them into flat, sticky puddles that lose their shape and color long before a cake is done. Keep them out of the batter and add them after baking, as decoration.

The same goes for hot liquids and hot pudding. Stir worms into anything warm and they soften and start to dissolve, bleeding color into the base. Let puddings and gelatin cool first, then add the worms.

The last pitfall is timing. Pressed into a wet topping and left overnight, gummies absorb moisture and turn slick and tacky.

Add them within a few hours of serving so they stay chewy and distinct.

Substitutes

For the look, any gummy candy stands in. Gummy bears and fish-shaped gummies bring the same chewy texture and bright color. Sour-coated worms add tang and a sanded, sparkly surface if you want more bite.

For a dirt cup specifically, candy worms are nearly required for the effect, but chocolate rocks, crushed cookie "dirt," or a few chocolate-covered raisins can fill in if worms aren't on hand.

If you only need a chewy fruit candy and the worm shape doesn't matter, jelly candies or fruit snacks work, though they won't give you the long, drape-able body that makes a worm look alive.

Buying and Storing

Gummy worms live in the candy aisle year round, sold in bags from snack size up to bulk tubs. The big bulk bags are the cheapest route when you're decorating a crowd of dirt cups.

Most are made with pork or beef gelatin, so they aren't vegetarian. Look for pectin-based or specifically labeled vegan gummies if that matters for your guests.

Store them sealed at room temperature, away from heat and sun, and they keep for many months. Warmth is the enemy: a hot car or a sunny shelf makes them soften and fuse into one sticky clump.

Keep the bag closed tight, since exposed gummies dry out and go hard and leathery over time. If a few have stuck together, a brief spell in the fridge firms them up enough to pull apart cleanly.

Quick facts

In Chinese

粘性蠕虫

British (UK) term

Gummy worms

en français

les vers gommeux

en español

gusanos de goma

Recipes using gummy worms

There are 12 recipes that contain this ingredient.

All 12 recipes