If your kids love those sugary fruit rolls, they're really going to love when you make them homemade fruit leather. I'm going to show you how to make fruit leather that will delight your kids!
Why make fruit leather?
It's no secret that my little guy will not eat fruits or veggies in their natural form. Give him a puree pouch and he's good to go, but fresh fruits and vegetables - no way. I've been trying to get more creative with incorporating produce into his diet and found myself purchasing organic fruit snacks and dehydrated fruit bites for big bucks. That's when I decided to take matters into my own hands and make my own fruit leather. These are just like those delicious fruit rolls I ate as a child, but with only three ingredients - all of which I can pronounce (score!).
How to make fruit leather
All you'll need is 4 cups of the fruit of your choice (I choose strawberries), half a lemon, and ⅓ cup of sugar. The lemon brightens up the flavor of the fruit, and the sugar adds a bit of sweetness. You can add more or less depending on your preference.
After you wash and hull your berries, you'll just need to drop it into your food processor or blender, along with the sugar and the juice from ½ the lemon. I just adore the Blendtec and it's definitely my blender of choice. Just blend until smooth.
Pour your mixture onto a silicone baking mat (placed on a jelly pan) and spread evenly. I've read that you can use parchment paper instead, so I tried that and it did not work at all (although after reading the comments below, I think I might have used wax paper?! I don't have the box anymore so I'm not sure). The silicone baking mat worked perfectly. I saw Silpat mats were available for $25+ per mat and just couldn't bare to pay that, but found a 2 pack of Tanors silicone mats on Amazon for $13.99 and they're fantastic. This recipe will make enough for 2 mats.
Bake at the lowest setting of your oven for 6-8 hours. At 170 degrees it took about 7 hours for my fruit leather to finish. You'll want it so it's just ever so slightly tacky to the touch (not wet at all). It's a good idea to rotate your pans 180 degrees and swap racks every few hours.
Once it's done, just cut it into strips and roll it with parchment paper to prevent it from sticking. You can store them in an airtight container but ours never seem to last very long. They are so yummy!
Fruit Leather
Instead of those fruit rolls that are loaded with preservatives, make a batch of your own fruit leather.
Ingredients
- 4 cups Fruit (pick any fruit you like)
- ½ Juice of a lemon
- 1.3 cup Sugar
Instructions
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Blend all ingredients in a blender.
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Pour mixture onto sheet pan (onto silicone baking mat preferably)
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Bake at the lowest setting of your oven for 6-8 hours. At 170 degrees it took about 7 hours for my fruit leather to finish. You’ll want it so it’s just ever so slightly tacky to the touch (not wet at all). It’s a good idea to rotate your pans 180 degrees and swap racks every few hours.
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Once it’s done, just cut it into strips and roll it with parchment paper to prevent it from sticking.
I hope you enjoy this fruit leather recipe!
If you like this recipe, be sure to check out our no-bake energy bites and our fruit filled ice pops! They're a hit with kids!
Disclosure: I received a promotional item to facilitate this post. Amazon links are affiliate links.
Sally T. says
This looks so good and easy~I have a dehydrator and hope this
would work in there.
Thank-you I will be trying soon
Lisa Cole says
Looks really yummy and is all natural. I'd love to make this for my son.
Laquandra R says
Can't wait to make these with the kids this weekend.
Angela A Simmons says
Now that is a cool idea I would have never thought about this. what a healthy way to get your kids to eat fruit.
Cheryl McCalister says
so much healthier! thanks!
Chrissy Kim says
These look SO delicious! I'll have to try this next year when strawberries are in season!
Suzanne Michele says
I'm definitely going to have to try these!
Angela Thomas says
This is fantastic, I am always looking for ways to make lunches a little healthier. I tried making some fruit leather previous, but it wasn't as successful. I will be trying this!
Dee Lafrenz says
I will be making this for the kids. One way to get them to eat more fruit. My grandson is not a fruit eater, but he loves leather. Thanks for the recipe.
Deb says
My Grandchildren will love this.
Alejandra Carreno says
I can not wait to make this and have my 8yr old daughter help. I think I'm more excited than she is! 🙂
Crystal Wall says
Thanks for this. My kids love fruit leather from the store but its expensive and who knows what kind of additives and perseratives are in them. I love the idea of making it from fresh fruit. I assume you could do with with most fruits? Thanks so much for this post. Love the blog, I follow and share.
~Crystal
Linda Bragg says
This is a great recipe!! Come spring/summer I am going to try this. These would make great snacks to take along when going on a days drive to site see or even take along for a quick snack and they would be so healthy to eat also. Thanks for sharing this!
Irina Vakulchik says
I love this Ruth !!! It is so healthy and easy to make. Will be making these with my 4 kiddos. Thanks for sharing. 🙂
Lauryn R says
We love fruit leather! I always made the premade kind from the fruit/veggie section. I definitely can't wait to try making my own, I bet it is amazing!! 🙂 Thank you for sharing!