We published every recipe. Including ours.

Based on: GU Energy Gel (Tri-Berry)

GU's formula is maltodextrin + fructose for dual-transporter absorption, plus BCAAs and green tea caffeine (20mg). The commercial product has 18 ingredients. This DIY version hits the macros with 5.

Ingredients

Optional: a few drops of natural berry flavoring for taste authenticity.

Instructions

1. Measure all ingredients by weight on a digital kitchen scale.
2. Combine maltodextrin and fructose powder in a small bowl. Stir dry until uniform.
3. Add water one teaspoon at a time, stirring after each addition. The maltodextrin will absorb water and form a thick, sticky paste.
4. Add the sea salt. Stir to dissolve completely.
5. Add xanthan gum and stir vigorously for 30–60 seconds until fully incorporated — the mixture will thicken noticeably.
6. Add flavoring drops if using, then stir again.
7. Transfer to a reusable gel flask or squeeze packet using a small spatula.

Computed Nutrition vs. Label

Consistency: Thick and sticky — not pourable liquid, not stiff paste. Should flow slowly when tilted, like cold honey. Storage: Refrigerated up to 2 weeks. Room temp during activity: same day. Omitted: BCAAs (L-Leucine, L-Valine, L-Isoleucine) — research on BCAAs in gels during exercise is thin. Caffeine (20mg from green tea extract) — add 0.5g instant espresso powder if desired.

Based on: SiS GO Isotonic Energy Gel

The world's first isotonic gel — ~38g carbs per 100ml matches blood plasma osmolality, so it empties from the stomach as fast as water. No water chase needed. Commercial version uses maltodextrin (33%), gellan gum, xanthan gum, and acesulfame K (artificial sweetener).

Ingredients

Optional: a tiny drop of stevia for sweetness without calories (SiS uses Acesulfame K).

Instructions

1. Warm the water to about 40°C (104°F) — slightly warm to touch. This helps maltodextrin dissolve without lumps.
2. Slowly pour maltodextrin into the warm water while whisking continuously. Add gradually over 30–45 seconds.
3. Add the trace of sea salt and stir.
4. Sprinkle xanthan gum over the surface and whisk vigorously for 60 seconds. It will thicken slightly.
5. Allow to cool to room temperature before transferring to a 60ml soft flask.
6. Consistency check: When squeezed from a flask, the gel should flow freely in about 1 second without squeezing hard. If it needs real pressure, add 2–3ml more water.

Computed Nutrition vs. Label

Consistency: The thinnest gel in this collection — intentionally. Should feel like drinking a slightly viscous liquid. Storage: Refrigerated up to 10 days. Stir/shake before use. Key: The isotonic property depends on the high water ratio (~38g carbs/100ml). Less water makes it hypertonic and requires a water chase.

Based on: Honey Stinger Classic Energy Gel (Gold)

The Gold is Honey Stinger's flagship — honey is the first ingredient, fortified with B vitamins and potassium citrate. 34g serving, not 31g as some older sources report. Ingredient list: Honey, Water, Potassium Citrate, Salt, Niacinamide (B3), Calcium Pantothenate (B5), Pyridoxine HCl (B6), Riboflavin (B2), Thiamine Mononitrate (B1), Cyanocobalamin (B12).

Ingredients

Optional: crush one B-complex vitamin tablet and stir in to replicate the B vitamin fortification. Add a pinch of potassium citrate (food grade) for potassium.

Instructions

1. Measure honey by weight on a scale. Do not estimate — a tablespoon of honey varies widely.
2. Gently warm the honey (30 seconds in a warm water bath or 10–15 seconds in microwave) until it flows easily.
3. Add water and sea salt while honey is still warm. Stir until salt is fully dissolved (~30 seconds).
4. If adding a B-complex tablet, crush to powder before stirring in.
5. Allow to cool slightly, then transfer to a squeeze flask.

Computed Nutrition vs. Label

Consistency: Thick, golden, viscous — exactly like the commercial product. Use mild clover honey for the closest taste match (buckwheat and wildflower are too strong). Storage: Honey is naturally antimicrobial. Sealed flask: several weeks at room temp, months refrigerated. Cold weather: Keep flask in an inner jersey pocket — body heat restores flowability.

Based on: UnTapped Maple Energy Gel

Single-ingredient product. The entire ingredient list: Organic Pure Vermont Maple Syrup. That's it.

Ingredients

Instructions

1. Weigh 38g of pure maple syrup directly into your squeeze flask.
2. Seal. Done.

Use Vermont Grade A Dark Robust for the closest match to UnTapped's flavor. Natural micronutrients: 35% DV manganese, 15% DV riboflavin, 82mg potassium.

Computed Nutrition vs. Label

Consistency: Thin, free-flowing liquid — more fluid than most gels, especially warm. This is authentic. Storage: 2–3 weeks room temp, months refrigerated. Use clean utensils — maple syrup can mold if contaminated. Warning: Very low sodium (5mg). Supplement with electrolytes on long efforts.

Based on: Maurten Gel 100

Maurten's hydrogel technology: sodium alginate + gluconic acid + calcium carbonate form a gel matrix in stomach acid that encapsulates carbohydrates for faster gastric emptying. 6 total ingredients. Fructose:glucose ratio is 0.8:1. This is the most technically demanding recipe in this collection.

Ingredients

Note: Maurten's label shows 20mg sodium (down from older reports of 85mg). The sodium comes primarily from the sodium alginate (~52mg) — no added sea salt needed. Gluconic acid from the commercial formula is omitted; it assists gelation but isn't critical for a home version.

Instructions

1. Add 14ml water to a small bowl.
2. Sprinkle sodium alginate over the surface and whisk vigorously for 2 full minutes. Alginate takes time to hydrate and will clump if rushed.
3. Let the alginate solution rest 3–5 minutes to fully hydrate.
4. Add glucose and fructose powders. Stir until dissolved (~60 seconds).
5. Last step: Add calcium carbonate. Stir gently but thoroughly. Calcium ions will cross-link the alginate, initiating gelation. Texture shifts from liquid to soft gel within 1–2 minutes.
6. Allow to set undisturbed for 5 minutes. Result should be a firm, wobbly gel — like very soft gelatin.
7. Transfer to a squeeze packet. The gel breaks up when squeezed and re-forms slightly.

Computed Nutrition vs. Label

Consistency: A firm, wobbly soft-gel mass — not a liquid. When squeezed, it breaks into a flowing semi-liquid. The unusual texture is correct. Storage: Best consumed fresh within 24 hours. Hydrogel weakens and releases water over time. Refrigerate if storing; knead before use. Do not freeze. Sodium note: Our recipe yields ~52mg Na from the alginate. Maurten's label says 20mg — they may use a lower-sodium alginate grade or a different Na measurement methodology.

Based on: Huma Chia Energy Gel (Strawberry)

Real fruit base with powdered chia seeds. No maltodextrin — uses brown rice syrup (glucose) + cane sugar (sucrose) + fruit fructose. Commercial ingredients: Strawberry Puree, Cane Sugar, Water, Brown Rice Syrup, Powdered Chia Seeds, Strawberry Concentrate, Sea Salt, Citric Acid.

Ingredients

Optional: a few drops of strawberry concentrate or citric acid for brightness.

Instructions

1. Grind chia seeds in a spice/coffee grinder until a fine powder forms.
2. Combine strawberry puree, cane sugar, and brown rice syrup in a small bowl. Stir until sugar dissolves (~2 minutes). Warm briefly if the rice syrup is stiff.
3. Add water and sea salt. Stir thoroughly.
4. Sprinkle ground chia powder over the mixture and whisk in immediately before it clumps.
5. Transfer to a gel flask and seal.
6. Refrigerate for 30 minutes before use — chia absorbs water and thickens the gel to correct consistency.

Computed Nutrition vs. Label

Consistency: Thick fruit puree with a slightly grainy feel from chia. Small dark specks visible — authentic to Huma. Storage: Contains fresh fruit — refrigerate and use within 3–4 days. Do not leave at room temp >4 hours.

Based on: Spring Energy Canaberry

Real-food gel — no maltodextrin, no rice syrup. Commercial ingredients: Basmati Rice, Organic Banana, Strawberry, Maple Syrup, Coconut Water, Coconut Oil, Soy Lecithin, Organic Lemon Juice, Guarana, Vitamin C, Citric Acid. Lower carb count (17g) than most gels — some energy comes from fat (3g from coconut oil).

Ingredients

Omitted from commercial version: soy lecithin (emulsifier — not needed at home scale), guarana (negligible caffeine in Canaberry), vitamin C, citric acid.

Instructions

1. Cook basmati rice per package instructions. Spread on a plate to cool completely (at least 30 minutes). Warm rice does not blend smoothly.
2. Melt coconut oil if solid (10 seconds in warm water bath).
3. Combine cooled rice, banana, strawberry, maple syrup, lemon juice, and coconut oil in a high-powered blender.
4. Add sea salt.
5. Blend on high for 90–120 seconds until smoothest possible puree. Some texture will remain — this is authentic to Spring Energy. Add 1–2ml water if blender struggles.
6. Load into a wide-bore squeeze pouch — standard narrow-bore flasks will clog.
7. Refrigerate immediately.

Computed Nutrition vs. Label

Consistency: The chunkiest, most food-like gel in this collection. Thick smoothie/puree texture. Coconut oil may partially separate — knead pouch before consuming. Storage: Contains fresh fruit and rice — refrigerate and use within 3–4 days. Most perishable recipe here. Best consumed at room temp (cold coconut oil solidifies).

Based on: Clif Shot Energy Gel (Razz) — discontinued May 2025

Clif Shot was one of the simplest commercial gels: 7 ingredients, 90%+ USDA organic. Ingredients: Organic Maltodextrin, Organic Dried Cane Syrup, Water, Raspberry Juice Concentrate, Sea Salt, Potassium Citrate, Citric Acid. Now discontinued — this recipe preserves it.

Ingredients

Instructions

1. Combine maltodextrin and cane sugar in a small bowl. Stir dry until uniform.
2. Add water and stir vigorously until both dissolve (~60 seconds). Cane sugar takes longer than maltodextrin — patience required.
3. Add sea salt and stir.
4. Add raspberry juice concentrate for the Razz flavor.
5. Transfer to a gel flask. Consistency should be medium viscosity — thinner than GU but thicker than SiS.

Computed Nutrition vs. Label

Consistency: Medium, pourable — notably thinner than GU and easier to take on the run. Slightly sweeter due to higher cane sugar ratio. Storage: Refrigerated up to 2 weeks. Cane sugar acts as mild preservative. Note: Clif Shot was discontinued in May 2025. This recipe preserves the formula.

Based on: PowerBar PowerGel Original (Tropical Fruit)

PowerBar's C2MAX formula: 2:1 maltodextrin:fructose dual-carb system for dual-transporter uptake. Ingredients: C2MAX Dual Source Carb Mix (Maltodextrin, Fructose), Water, <2% of: Salt, Citric Acid, Sodium Citrate, Potassium Sorbate, Natural Flavors. Highest sodium in this collection (210mg).

Ingredients

Instructions

1. Combine maltodextrin and fructose powder in a bowl. Stir dry.
2. Add water gradually and stir until a thick, slightly gummy paste forms.
3. Add sea salt. Stir until completely dissolved.
4. Note: 210mg sodium is intentionally high — this is the saltiest recipe here. You will taste the salt. This is correct and authentic to PowerBar's formula for heavy sweaters.
5. Transfer to a gel flask.

Computed Nutrition vs. Label

Consistency: Similar to GU but slightly thinner. The dominant sensory note is saltiness. Designed for heavy sweaters or hot conditions. Training tip: If the salt is overwhelming, reduce to 0.39g (150mg Na) for training. Storage: Refrigerated up to 2 weeks. High salt acts as additional preservative.

Based on: UCAN Edge Energy Gel

Commercial ingredients: Water, LIVSTEADY Non-GMO Corn Starch, Allulose, Glycerin, Natural Flavors, Cellulose Gum, Xanthan Gum, Ascorbic Acid, Lactic Acid, Fumaric Acid, Potassium Sorbate.

Ingredients

Instructions

1. Heat water to ~60°C (140°F) — hot but not boiling.
2. Slowly whisk waxy maize starch into warm water, adding gradually to prevent clumps.
3. Continue stirring over low heat for 2–3 minutes until thickened and slightly translucent.
4. Remove from heat. Add sea salt and optional xanthan gum; stir thoroughly.
5. Cool completely to room temperature before loading into a flask. Starch gel thickens further as it cools.
6. If too stiff when cooled, stir in 2–3ml cold water.

Computed Nutrition vs. Label

Consistency: Thick, starchy, semi-transparent gel after cooling — like a thick cornstarch gravy. Use a wide-bore flask. Storage: Refrigerated up to 3 days only. Cooked starch gels grow bacteria faster than sugar gels. Texture thickens further in fridge — let warm to room temp before use.

Based on: Trail Butter (Maple Syrup & Sea Salt)

Not a gel — a nut butter. 85% of calories from fat. Commercial ingredients: Almonds, Cashews, Avocado Oil, Pure Maple Syrup, Sunflower Lecithin, Sea Salt, Ground Vanilla. Best for low-intensity, long-duration efforts where fat oxidation matters more than fast carb delivery.

Ingredients

Optional: a small pinch of sunflower lecithin powder to emulsify and prevent oil separation (authentic to commercial formula).

Instructions

1. If grinding your own nuts: combine almonds and cashews in a food processor and process 3–5 minutes, scraping sides, until a smooth butter forms.
2. Combine nut butters with avocado oil. Stir vigorously until emulsified — oil should not visibly separate.
3. Add maple syrup, sea salt, and vanilla. Stir until a uniform thick paste forms.
4. Transfer to a wide-mouth squeeze pouch — this is too thick for standard narrow-bore flasks.
5. Knead/stir the pouch before use — nut butter gels can partially separate.

Computed Nutrition vs. Label

Consistency: The thickest product here — it's a nut butter. Requires wide-bore pouch. Best for: Ultra-distance at easy pace, hiking, bikepacking — where fat oxidation is dominant. Not suitable for high-intensity racing. Storage: Room temp up to 1 week, refrigerated up to 3 weeks. Avocado oil solidifies slightly when cold — let warm before use. Allergen: Contains tree nuts (almonds, cashews).

Based on: Hammer Gel (Apple Cinnamon)

Hammer's philosophy is "no added simple sugars." Commercial ingredients: Maltodextrin, Water, Apple Juice Concentrate, EnergySmart® (Rice Syrup, Grape Juice Concentrate), Cultured Dextrose, Cinnamon, Ascorbic Acid, Vanilla Extract, Malic Acid, Potassium Carbonate, Salt, L-Leucine, L-Alanine, L-Valine, L-Isoleucine. The 2g sugar comes entirely from fruit concentrates.

Ingredients

Omitted from commercial version: EnergySmart® (rice syrup + grape juice concentrate — a branded low-sugar sweetener), cultured dextrose (natural preservative), amino acids (L-Leucine, L-Alanine, L-Valine, L-Isoleucine — present in small amounts).

Instructions

1. Combine maltodextrin and water in a bowl. Stir until fully dissolved.
2. Add apple juice concentrate. Stir to incorporate.
3. Add sea salt, cinnamon, and vanilla. Stir until uniform.
4. Taste: the apple flavor should be subtle, not prominent. Hammer Gel is mild and not strongly sweet.
5. Transfer to a gel flask.

Computed Nutrition vs. Label

Consistency: Medium-smooth, slightly less thick than GU — closer to a thick sauce. Taste: The defining Hammer Gel characteristic is the absence of noticeable sweetness — almost savory due to low sugar and high maltodextrin. Gentle apple-cinnamon in the background. Storage: Refrigerated up to 2 weeks. Scaling tip: Hammer sells 26-serving jugs — scale recipe 26× and store dry maltodextrin; mix individual servings fresh with water.

An original caffeinated gel based on the GU-style maltodextrin-fructose base (Recipe 1). Comparable to GU Espresso Love or any caffeinated maltodextrin gel.

Ingredients

Instructions

1. Dissolve cocoa powder and espresso powder in the 4g of warm water first. These powders resist dissolving in cold water.
2. Combine maltodextrin and fructose in a separate bowl. Stir dry.
3. Add the flavored water, then sea salt and xanthan gum. Stir vigorously.
4. Total serving weight: ~32g.

Caffeine strategy: Use 45–60 minutes before a hard segment, or in the final third of a long race. Max 2 caffeinated gels per session without accounting for total daily caffeine intake. Storage: Refrigerated up to 2 weeks.

An original stomach-friendly gel based on maple syrup (Recipe 4). The ginger helps with nausea — useful at ultras when nothing else stays down.

Ingredients

Instructions

1. Grate fresh ginger on the finest grater available. Squeeze through a fine cloth or paper towel to extract just the juice.
2. Combine maple syrup, orange juice, ginger juice, and salt. Stir until uniform.
3. Transfer to a gel flask.

Best for: Late-race nausea, sensitive stomachs, anyone who needs fuel but can't face sweetness. Storage: 2–3 weeks room temp, months refrigerated. Warning: Very low sodium — supplement with electrolytes on long efforts.