Homemade Fruit Leather Recipe
This budget friendly fruit leather recipe is a great way to turn extra fruit into a fun snack that will be ready in the pantry when you need it.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Drying Time: 460 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 7 hours 55 minutes
- Yield: 10 servings 1x
- Category: Snack
Ingredients
- 2 cups applesauce (about one pound of apples)
- 2 cups fresh fruit puree (about one pound of fruit)
- sweetener and lemon juice (optional)
Instructions
- Clean and chop your fruit and puree it in a food processor or blender. Pour the fruit mixture into a medium stockpot.
- Add a spoonful of honey or maple syrup, or 1-3 tablespoon of fruit juice concentrate, if desired, for extra sweetness. Add a tablespoon of lemon juice (or more) for extra tartness.
- Simmer the fruit over low heat to thicken, stirring occasionally. Once the puree thickens, remove from heat and cool completely.
For oven drying:
Line an 11×17 baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat. Spread the cooked puree into a thin, even layer.
Place the fruit filled baking sheet in a low temperature oven. Around 140°F (60°C) is great if you can set the oven that low. If your oven is hotter, you’ll need to reduce drying time.
Bake at 140°F (60°C) until barely tacky, about 8-9 hours.
For dehydrator drying:
To make it easier to get your finished fruit leather off, oil the fruit roll sheets lightly. Use an oil without a strong flavor, such as refined coconut oil or cooking spray. Spread the room temperature puree evenly over the sheet in a 1/4 inch thick layer.
Load trays into dehydrator and dry at 135°F (57°C) for 8-20 hours. When dry, fruit leather should feel “leathery” – not sticky.
Notes
Storage:
Once dry, cut your fruit leather recipes into small sheets or strips. To keep the fruit leather sheets from sticking together, dust them with arrowroot powder or cornstarch. If you made your fruit leather on disposable parchment paper, you can keep the paper on for storage.
Store the finished leather in an airtight container. We keep ours in a wide mouth mason jar, or zip top plastic bag.
If properly dried, this homemade fruit leather should be shelf stable. We’ve kept some in the pantry for over a year. If you’re not sure about the dryness, store it in the refrigerator or freezer.
*Nutrition data based on an all apple fruit leather.
Find it online: https://commonsensehome.com/homemade-fruit-leather-recipe/