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Make your own aloe vera jelly with just 2 ingredients! Add this healthy and nutrient-packed jelly to your favorite drinks! It’s chewy, not too sweet, and makes the perfect topping for iced tea!
Suppose you are like me and have seen aloe vera leaves in the supermarket but need help with what to do with it. You came to the right place!
Today, we are making aloe vera “jelly,” which not only makes a great addition to any of your favorite drinks but also brings many health benefits!
📘 What is Aloe Vera?
Aloe vera is a stemmed plant with large and thick leaves. It has been used for thousands of years as a medicinal plant to treat skin issues and some injuries.
It is loaded with antioxidants, vitamin C, vitamin B, and on lower levels, vitamin B-12. According to studies, aloe vera may help reduce acne, improve skin tissues, and it has been found to lower blood sugar levels as well.
What is Aloe Vera Jelly?
Aloe vera jelly is a topping that is often offered as an option in many bubble tea shops. It consists of aloe vera that is peeled, cut into mini cubes, and cooked with some sugar.
If you are looking for a healthier alternative to boba, aloe vera jelly is the perfect alternative! It is chewy, slightly crispy, and has such a fresh flavor!
🥣 How to Make Aloe Vera “Jelly”?
What we are calling jelly here is actually the aloe vera gel that is inside the leaves.
Start by cutting the leaf in half lengthwise, then cut the gel into very small cubes. Try to make the cubes small enough so they can go through a boba straw.
Once that is done, soak the gel cubes for 10 minutes in cold water. Finally, boil the cubes with a couple of tablespoons of sugar to add a subtle sweetness to the jelly. Don’t worry. It’s not too sweet!
Tip: If using aloe vera from your garden, you first want to remove the latex from the leaves. To do so, cut the ends of the leaves and discard them. Next, place the aloe vera leaves upright in a large bowl and allow the yellow liquid (latex) to drain out from the leaves for about 15 minutes. If using aloe vera from the supermarket, you can skip this step.
🧋 How to Use It?
You can use the aloe vera cubes in all of your favorite cold drinks. Iced teas, lattes, iced chocolate, and more! Who doesn’t like something to chew in their drink?! This would make a great addition to this Orange, Peach and Lemongrass Ice Tea, or this Watermelon Lime Iced Tea!
💬 FAQ
No, aloe vera gel is raw and is blended to make a paste.
Totally! Just make sure to remove the latex if using homegrown aloe vera.
You can keep the jelly for up to 3 days in the refrigerator.
This aloe vera jelly makes a healthier and lower-calorie alternative to boba (the tapioca pearls added to milk tea). It’s rich in antioxidants, easy to digest, and so fresh!
🍹 More Healthy Drink Recipes
Let me know in the comments if you try this recipe!
How to Make Aloe Vera Jelly
Ingredients
- 2 large aloe vera leaves
- 2 cups water
- 2 tbsp sugar or maple syrup
Instructions
- Wash the aloe vera leaves under cold water. Using a large and sharp knife, cut off the top and bottom of each leaf and discard. Slice the aloe vera in half, lengthwise, trying to slice it so you have two pieces with an even thickness.
- Next, cut off the green skin by running a sharp knife between the aloe vera gel and the skin. Discard the skin and cut the aloe vera gel into 1/2-inch cubes. Repeat with the remaining aloe vera and transfer the cubes to a large bowl. Cover with cold water and let it sit for about 15 minutes.
- Drain the aloe vera cubes and transfer them to a medium saucepan. Add the 2 cups of water and sugar.
- Bring to a boil and let simmer for about 10 minutes. Drain and rinse under cold water. This step will keep the aloe vera from being slimy. Drain again and transfer to a bowl to cool.
- Use it as a topping for iced teas, lattes, fruit juices, or even smoothies! Aloe vera jelly will keep for up to 3 days in the refrigerator.
Notes
About the Author
Thomas Pagot is the founder, photographer, and recipe developer behind Full of Plants. He created the blog in 2016 as a personal cookbook for vegan recipes. Through years of recipe development, Thomas has successfully grown Full of Plants into a trusted resource for plant-based recipes.
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This post takes me back to a bunch of years ago when I use to make this with the massive aloe vera my parents had in their garden!
I want to make it again now, thanks for sharing 🙂
Hi, I have been using aloë vera for a couple of years. It grows wel in my garden in Greece. I have known it for much longer. What I do in the morning is collect the natural gel and I blender it with some cold water. Then drink it. Sometimes I add some lemon juice for extra vitamins and the taste of it. I read your recipe, I sure wil try it tomorrow. Just wondering why do you boil it for 10 min? Isn’t pure and raw much better?
Hi Christophe,
Thanks for sharing! I boil it to make it slightly sweeter, so it absorbs some of the sugar, and make it a bit chewier. I think you should be able to eat it raw though.
You definitely can eat it raw but it has a bitter flavour to it. Also if cutting from garden you should allow it to drain a bit the yellowish coating on it.
To use in drinks you want it to be chewier as well as sweet if it’s an alternative to boba!! My only problem is it only lasts 3 days and I would like to make a huge jar to have for the week.
I took a couple of aloe leaves off the plant several weeks ago. Can I still use the gel in these leaves.
If the leaves are still green and fresh then yes.
Could you put a tablespoon of the aloe cubes into an ice cube tray and freeze them? Then you could add a cube to smoothies or ice tea, etc.
I think this should work!
I took a couple of aloe leaves off the plant several weeks ago. Can I still use the gel in these leaves.
Hello,
I ran it through water a couple of time but still can’t get rid of the sliminess. My daughter love the Aloe Vera at the boba shop because their not slimy. Any suggestion?
Kindly,
Van
Hi Van,
It should not be too slimy, and when eaten through a boba straw you should not even feel it.
Hi Van,
Just blend it with a food processor and a little bit of water and the slime is gone. If you don’t like the tast, you can use some fruit juice or what ever you like in stead of water
I guess she wants aloe vera jelly in small cubes to enjoy as a topping for tea, so blending is not an option.
Thanks, Thomas – very healthy and suitable for my kid that has lots of allergies. Bookmarking this!
Thanks! 🙂
Thanks for the recipe, Thomas! Do you think honey would make a good alternative for sugar when simmering the cubes?
Hi Bryant,
Honey should work!
hi do you think i can simmer my cubes in stevia instead of sugar?
Hi Janelle, stevia should work!
I made this in high hopes of being able to use as a topping for boba tea and found the aloe pieces to be covered in the slime that they usually are. When I had aloe added into boba tea at stores, there is no trace of the slime. I did not mind it but everyone else in my family did not enjoy it.
I use it as a topping for tea too and I don’t find it slimy. You may want to rinse it under cold water for a few seconds after cooking.
Thanks for sharing, I read your recipe, I sure will try it tomorrow. I will share these tips with our family.
You’re welcome Sophia!
I have read this post and find it really informative for me. Thanks for sharing it, I hope I can find more in the future.
can i just eat the cubes by itself
Sure!
Wow I love this but how can I be using it on my face
Well, that’s a different recipe you are looking for 🙂
Hi I got a aloe vera plant peeled it as supposed to but I noticed the inner part which is supposed to be be jelly like,wasn’t! It was rather very hard and I didn’t notice any gel from it .
My aim was to make my own gel from it so I could apply it on my itchy skin .what do I do?
Hi,
I’m afraid this is not a recipe for a gel, this one is meant to be used as a topping for tea.
Do you have recommendations for if the aloe cubes are still bitter after making the recipe? They aren’t green or yellow and I’ve rinsed them several times
They shouldn’t really be bitter to begin with, is your aloe vera fresh?
i will try it out
One very important step that needs to be included is to drain out the yellow latex liquid before processing! This stuff is a laxative that can upset your stomach and give you diarrhea. All you have to do is cut the ends off and set the leaf upright in a glass or bowl and let sit until all the yellow liquid is drained out. Then wash and do your thing with it.
Thanks for your input Pauline.
However, I have seen aloe vera jelly prepared to be used as a topping a few times and they never drained out any yellow liquid. Maybe your technique applies if the aloe vera is not boiled.
Hi, it is true that the yellow liquid aloin is strong and could be laxative or disruptive to the stomach. This is what you personally should find out. When you make a mixture cooked or not and you find having diarrhea every time then you should drain it the way Pauline says. I have used it a lot and mostly uncooked and have seldom had this problem. Only times I had diarrhea was when I had digestive problems and then the aloë did do the job. Lol.
Christophe, are you talking about freshly cut aloe vera? Because I get mine from the store and never had any yellow liquid coming out of it, so I’m wondering if this only happens on very fresh aloe vera.
Yes they grow in my garden
thanks for sharing, aloe vera is the king of herbs! so i encourage people to always use it.