Homemade fruit leather a healthy and tasty version of a fruit-roll up! This fruit leather recipe is made with fresh fruit and a little patience, the results are delicious chewy strips of your favorite fruits.
Make these for a perfect on the go snack or sweet treat for the kids. These homemade fruit roll ups are so much better than store bought versions and healthier too!
A Labor of Fruity Love
I’ve actually made fruit leather, or homemade fruit rolls several times but didn’t care for the results. The fruit either took waaay too long to dry out, or the consistency was wrong, etc. So I scoured the internet for a new recipe {there are thousands!}, reading comments from those that made it, and have decided to create my own recipe. I am pleased to announce that it turned out beautifully! We like it so much in fact, I’ve made multiple batches over the past week, and the kids just devour it.
This easy recipe uses fresh fruit and less sugar, and you can customize it to suit your families tastes. Try different kinds of fruit, combinations of berries, and the possibilities are endless. Every batch will be just as delicious (if not more so) as the last!
Why you’ll Love The Recipe
- It yields a lot! I give amounts for making two large jelly-roll pans worth. In my opinion, if you’re going to run the oven for several hours, you might as well make the most of it and make a large batch.
- Minimal ingredients. We only need 3 ingredients to make this recipe and they’re pretty easy to find and use, which just makes this recipe that much more incredible.
- It’s healthy! This is one sweet treat that you can really feel good about feeding to your family. With servings of fruit in every slice, this leather is a chewy example of great-tasting foods that are great for you too!
DIY Fruit Leather Ingredients
Fresh fruit– You will need 3 pounds of fresh fruit that has been washed, hulled, or pitted as needed. I usually use strawberries, but you can use any type of fruit you and your family enjoy.
Fruit juice-Use 1 cup of 100% fruit juice (any flavor works, so get one that pairs well with your fruit). You will need roughly ⅓ cup of juice per 1 pound of fruit.
Sugar-To cut down on any tartness; you will want to add 1-2 tablespoons of granulated sugar.
How to make Homemade Fruit Leather
Cook fruit
Begin by washing the chosen fruit and remove the hull/pit/stems/etc. Slice each berry in half and place in a medium size saucepan on the stove.
Then add the fruit juice and cook over medium heat until the fruit is soft. Next, add the sugar (if you’d like). I have made it with and without sugar, we loved it both ways, so I opted to leave it out. However, if your fruit is tart, adding a tablespoon or two might be good.
Blend fruit
The next step is to blend/puree the fruit until it’s super smooth. You can do this in a variety of ways, depending on what kitchen gadgets you have.
- I love my immersion blender, and it works great for this- stick it in the berries and blend. It took about 10 seconds to make a smooth puree. I blended it for about a minute to make sure I got all the chunks.
- You can also transfer the fruit mixture to a blender and puree it that way.
Proceed to pour the puree onto 2 jelly roll pans lined with parchment paper.
You might want to trim the paper down a bit so that the side doesn’t fall into the puree. Mine did once, and that fruit never dried out.
Bake
Get the oven preheating to 170 degrees F and once at temperature, place the pans in the oven to bake. Use a wooden spoon and prop the oven door open to act as a vent during the baking process. After many tries many recipes for fruit leather, this is the step that I believe makes the most difference.
As the fruit is drying, the moisture needs somewhere to escape. Just be sure to keep any toddlers out of the kitchen or block it off with a baby gate.
Bake/dry the fruit in the oven for 6-7 hours. Check it at 6 hours and see if you can peel it from the parchment paper, the fruit will still be slightly sticky.
You don’t want to make it crispy by cooking it too long. If it all peels up, it’s done! If you still have portions that aren’t cooked, put them back in the oven for another hour.
Serve
Once the fruit is done, proceed to cut it into strips before removing it from the parchment paper. Then peel the paper off. There is no need to take time to roll it with plastic wrap or wax paper or anything, just store it in an airtight container.
Snack and enjoy!
Homemade Fruit Leather
Ingredients
- 3 lbs fresh fruit, washed and hulled/pitted, etc. {I used strawberries}
- 1 cup 100% fruit juice {use 1/3 cup per pound of fruit}
- 1-2 TBSP sugar if desired
Instructions
- Cook fruit: Begin by washing the chosen fruit and remove the hull/pit/stems/etc. Slice each berry in half and place in a medium size saucepan on the stove. Then add the fruit juice and cook over medium heat until the fruit is soft. Next, add the sugar (if you'd like). I have made it with and without sugar, we loved it both ways, so I opted to leave it out. However, if your fruit is tart, adding a tablespoon or two might be good.
- Blend fruit: The next step is to blend/puree the fruit until it's super smooth. You can do this in a variety of ways, depending on what kitchen gadgets you have.*I love my immersion blender, and it works great for this- stick it in the berries and blend. It took about 10 seconds to make a smooth puree. I blended it for about a minute to make sure I got all the chunks. *You can also transfer the fruit mixture to a blender and puree it that way.
- Proceed to pour the puree onto 2 jelly roll pans lined with parchment paper. You might want to trim the paper down a bit so that the side doesn't fall into the puree. Mine did once, and that fruit never dried out.
- Bake: Get the oven preheating to 170 degrees F and once at temperature, place the pans in the oven to bake. Use a wooden spoon and prop the oven door open to act as a vent during the baking process. After many tries many recipes for fruit leather, this is the step that I believe makes the most difference.
- As the fruit is drying, the moisture needs somewhere to escape. Just be sure to keep any toddlers out of the kitchen or block it off with a baby gate. Bake/dry the fruit in the oven for 6-7 hours. Check it at 6 hours and see if you can peel it from the parchment paper, the fruit will still be slightly sticky. You don't want to make it crispy by cooking it too long. If it all peels up, it's done! If you still have portions that aren't cooked, put them back in the oven for another hour.
- Serve: Once the fruit is done, proceed to cut it into strips before removing it from the parchment paper. Then peel the paper off. There is no need to take time to roll it with plastic wrap or wax paper or anything, just store it in an airtight container. Snack and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
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What to do with homemade fruit leather?
We like to keep all of our fruit leather strips in a large Ziploc baggie so that it’s easier to grab from. Stick a slice in your kid’s lunch boxes, serve them up as a snack, or enjoy when you want something to nibble on.
What fruits can be made into leather?
Almost any fruit can be turned into leather! Some great ideas include blueberry fruit leather, or using raspberries, blackberries, or even applesauce. You’d be surprised at just how many options and possibilities there really are, so don’t worry about ever running out of ideas!
How long is fruit leather good for?
Homemade fruit leather can last for about 1 week if kept stored in an airtight container at room temperature. You can choose to vacuum seal it for longer storage (possibly up to 1 year).
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Homemade fruit leather a delicious and healthy alternative to a fruit-roll up! This fruit leather recipe is made with fruit and a some patience, the results are delicious strips of your favorite fruits.
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