Homemade Fruit Leather

Of all the kids’ snacks you can buy, fruit leather must the biggest rip-off because making your own is so super easy. So forget those processed, sugary fruit leathers, and say hello to juicy fruit leathers bursting with natural flavors — and that contain only fruit. As a bonus, they are plastic wrap free.

Basically, fruit leather is a snack made by pureeing and dehydrating fruits and berries. My kids absolutely love these snacks, and it’s very easy for the kids to make, too. I like them because they are the perfect treat with no processed sugar. Once you make them, you can store them in an airtight container for a few weeks at least. They are small and light, so they are easy to bring along for a snack on the go or as a treat in a school lunch.

I always make my fruit leathers in a dehydrator because this way I don’t have to stay home and wait for them to be finished. But they also can be made in an oven in just a few hours.

Here are some of my favorite flavor combinations, but be adventurous and try out all kinds of fun combinations, or just use a single fruit or berry. I have heard that adding beets makes them very colorful and even more nutritional.

Banana and Raspberry

• 2 ripe bananas
• 1 cup raspberries

Blueberry and Banana

• 2 ripe bananas
• 1 cup ripe blueberries

Blueberry and Mint

• 2 cups blueberries
• 1 TBS maple syrup
• 1 drop of peppermint essential oil

Cinnamon Apple

• 2 cups unsweetened apple sauce
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon

Peach

Strawberries

Apricots (Soak dried dark apricots for a few hours before pureeing them)

Combine fruit and/or berries in a blender or food processor, and blend until completely pureed.Pour fruit onto dehydration tray lined with reusable liner or parchment paper. Dehydrate at 115 degrees for 8-12 hours until firm and can be peeled off. Slice or cut strips with a knife or scissors. Roll up and store in a bag or airtight container. If you do not have a dehydrator, you can make fruit leather in the oven. Here is link showing how to do that.