Say goodbye to store-bought fruit snacks packed with artificial ingredients and hello to a naturally sweet and chewy treat made right in your own kitchen! Homemade fruit leather is a fantastic way to preserve seasonal fruits, reduce food waste, and create a healthy snack that kids and adults alike will love. It’s surprisingly simple to make and offers endless possibilities for flavor combinations.
Why Make Your Own Homemade Fruit Leather?
- All-natural ingredients: You control exactly what goes into your fruit leather – just pure fruit (and maybe a touch of natural sweetener or sugar if needed).
- Preserve your harvest: Have a surplus of berries, apples, or peaches from your garden or a local farm? Fruit leather is a delicious way to store them for longer.
- Reduce food waste: Use up slightly overripe fruit that might otherwise go to waste.
- Healthy snack: A naturally sweet and chewy alternative to processed snacks.
- Fun for kids: They’ll love the taste and the process of making it (and eating it!).
- Customizable flavors: Experiment with different fruits and spices to create your family’s favorites.
The Basic Method (Oven or Dehydrator):
The beauty of fruit leather is its simplicity. You essentially puree fruit and then dry it into a thin, flexible sheet. You can use your oven at a very low temperature or a food dehydrator.
Ingredients for homemade fruit leather:
- About 4 cups of your favorite fruit: (Fresh or thawed frozen) keep in mind that 4 cups of frozen berries will thaw out to be about 2 cups. Good options include berries (strawberries, blueberries, raspberries), apples (cooked until soft), peaches, plums, mangoes, and even cooked pumpkin or sweet potato.
- 1-2 tablespoons of lemon juice: (Helps to brighten the color and act as a natural preservative, especially for lighter-colored fruits like apples and peaches).
- Optional: 1-2 tablespoons of a natural sweetener: Like honey or maple syrup (taste your fruit first – you might not need any, especially if it’s ripe). You can add sugar if that is your preference also.
- Optional: A pinch of spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, or ginger for added flavor.
Instructions (Oven Method):
- Prepare the fruit: Wash, peel (if necessary), and chop your chosen fruit. Remove any pits or cores.
- Make the puree: Combine the fruit, lemon juice, and any optional sweetener or spices in a blender, food processor or using an immersion blender. Blend until completely smooth. For fruits with seeds (like berries), you can strain the puree through a fine-mesh sieve to remove them if desired for a smoother texture.
- Line Your baking sheet: Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Make sure the lining is smooth to prevent wrinkles in your fruit leather.
- Spread the puree: Pour the fruit puree onto the lined baking sheet. Use a spatula to spread it evenly into a thin layer. The thinner the layer, the faster it will dry.
- Dry in the oven: Preheat your oven to its lowest possible setting (usually around 140-170°F or 60-75°C). Place the baking sheet in the oven and prop the door slightly open to allow moisture to escape.
- Dry time: Bake for approximately 3-8 hours, or until the fruit leather is no longer sticky to the touch and has a leathery texture. The drying time will vary depending on the type of fruit, its moisture content, the thickness of the puree and your elevation. Check it periodically.
- Cool and peel: Once dried, remove the baking sheet from the oven and let the fruit leather cool completely. Gently peel it off the parchment paper or silicone mat.
- Cut and store: Cut the fruit leather into strips or fun shapes using scissors or a pizza cutter. You can roll them up individually or stack them with pieces of parchment paper in between to prevent sticking. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for a few days or in the refrigerator for longer storage.
Instructions (Dehydrator Method):
- Prepare the fruit and puree: Follow steps 1 and 2 above.
- Prepare dehydrator trays: Line your dehydrator trays with fruit leather trays or parchment paper.
- Spread the puree: Pour the fruit puree onto the lined trays, spreading it evenly in a very thin layer..
- Dehydrate: Set your dehydrator to 135-140°F (57-60°C) and dehydrate for approximately 6-12 hours, or until the fruit leather is no longer sticky. The exact time will depend on your dehydrator and the fruit used. Mine was in the dehydrator for about 7 hours.
- Cool, peel, cut, and store: Follow steps 7 and 8 above.
Flavor Variations to Try:
- Berry blast: A mix of strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries.
- Apple cinnamon: Cooked apples pureed with a pinch of cinnamon.
- Peach ginger: Fresh peaches pureed with a small amount of fresh grated ginger.
- Mango lime: Mango chunks pureed with a squeeze of lime juice.
- Pumpkin spice: Cooked pumpkin puree with cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves.
Other Reasons To Love Homemade Fruit Leather:
- Utilize your garden: This is a perfect way to use up extra berries or apples from your homestead.
- Kid-friendly activity: Get the kids involved in washing, chopping (with supervision), and pureeing the fruit.
- Great for lunchboxes and snacks: A healthy and portable snack for school, work, or outdoor adventures.
Have you ever made fruit leather at home? What are your favorite fruit combinations? Share your tips and tricks in the comments below!
For other snacks check out:
Extra Puree??? Don’t Throw it Out!
If you find you are left with some extra puree that you can’t squeeze onto your tray or parchment paper, don’t scrape it into the trash! You can do quite a few things with the leftovers. For example, you can make overnight oats like I did using this recipe. Or you can try one of these other things.
- Put it on plain Greek Yogurt
- In overnight oats
- Mix into milk for a homemade berry milk
- Put on vanilla ice cream
- Drizzle over a salad
