Easy Homemade Fruit Leather | Only 1 Ingredient! (+ Video)

Homemade fruit leather is easy to make (no dehydrator necessary), with only 1 ingredient and no added sugar! Use your favorite combination of fruits to make a sweet treat for the lunchbox or any time!

Everyone in the Crumbs family has a bit of a sweet tooth.

We love peanut butter and chocolate, because I’m always mixing up batches of Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Granola Bars, Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Muffins, and Chocolate Peanut Butter Granola.

But sometimes I want a fruity treat instead.

And my kids agree. Some of the most popular lunchbox snacks are things like fruit snacks, applesauce pouches, and fruit leather.

We’ve made our own Homemade Gummy Bears, and applesauce pouches with a single ingredient are fine.

But fruit leather from the store? Not always so great. In fact, some varieties have three different types of sugar! No, thank you!

So, for a sweet treat for the lunchbox (or for myself!), I knew we needed to learn how to make fruit leathers at home. And guess what? It’s super easy!

HOMEMADE FRUIT LEATHER

Making fruit leather is fantastic because it’s:

• Frugal, especially if you find fruit on sale.
• Made with ONE ingredient and no added sugar.
• SO easy.
• They’re SO yummy! A sweet healthy snack? Yes!

Seriously folks, if I knew how easy it was to make homemade fruit leather, I would have done this AGES ago when my kids were tiny.

FRUIT LEATHER RECIPE INGREDIENTS

You only need one ingredient to make this fruit leather recipe – fresh fruit!

• Fresh fruit, washed and dried, and pitted if necessary.
• Lemon juice (optional, if using light-colored fruits, for a more pleasing color)

Mix and match the fruit according to what you have on hand. If two fruits taste good together fresh, then they’ll likely taste good together dried. I’m thinking mixed blueberries and raspberries, coconut mango, cinnamon apple, peach raspberry, pear apple, and strawberry kiwi would all make delicious fruit leathers.

You can use frozen fruit to make homemade fruit leather, but you’ll want to thaw and drain it first.

For extra flavor, you can add spices like cinnamon, ginger, or nutmeg to your fruit leather recipe, or add almond extract or vanilla extract to the fruit puree. None of these are necessary, but they can be fun to experiment with!

If needed, you can add a little bit of sweeteners like honey or maple syrup. This might be a good option if your family is still used to the super sweet roll ups from the store.

HOW TO MAKE FRUIT LEATHER

Step 1. Puree fruits (and lemon juice, if using) in a blender or food processor until smooth. If the fruit contains seeds (like strawberries or blackberries), you can press the mixture through a fine mesh strainer to remove them.

Step 2. Line a baking sheet with either parchment paper or a silicone mat. If you’re using parchment paper, allow just enough to overhang so the fruit leather is easy to remove later.

Step 3. Pour the fruit puree onto the lined baking sheet to about ¼″ to ⅜″ thickness for fruit leather. Use a spatula to push the fruit mixture to the edges. Gently tap the sides a few times to remove the air bubbles and ensure the mixture is level.

Step 4. Place the tray in the oven and turn the heat to approximately 140-150F. If your oven doesn’t have a setting this low, see the additional recipe tips below.

Step 5. Allow the fruit puree to bake for 4-12 hours, checking every 4 hours for doneness. The fruit leather is done when it is dry and smooth to the touch, not tacky, and set in the center, and easy to peel from the parchment paper or mat.

Step 6. Remove the fruit leather and use a pizza cutter or sharp knife to cut it into strips about 4-6″ in length and 1″ in width.

Step 7. Store fruit leather in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to one month or in the freezer for longer storage. You can wrap individual servings in plastic wrap for easy lunch box treats!

FRUIT LEATHERS TEMPERATURE TIPS

• Use a meat thermometer (traditional, not instant read) to help you gauge the temperature of the oven.
• If your oven is digital, set the temperature to the lowest setting, and crack open the door.
• If your oven is not digital, turn the nob until it turns on. In both cases, check the thermometer every 15 minutes or so until you’re close to 140F.
• You might have to open the door/close the door to try to maintain the temperature, so it’s best to do this on a day at home when you don’t need the oven for anything else.

FRUIT LEATHER RECIPES FAQS

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