Dehydrated fruit leather can be prepared in as quick as 10 minutes then just let it dry in a dehydrator or oven till ready.
It’s an easy homemade snack that’s great for hiking, lunch boxes or road trips.
Fruit roll ups are also one of my kids’ favorite sweet treats, but store-bought ones are loaded with sugar.
This recipe provides a healthier version that’s vibrant with natural colors, sweetness, and chew!
I keep it handy for when I have excess fruit laying around that’s about to be too ripe to eat on its own.
Below are 3 classic fruit leather flavors, but really your options are endless.
I made this recipe to be adaptable to just about any fruit, so be adventurous!
Alternative ingredients include…
Fruit Options:
- Strawberry
- Raspberry
- Plum
- Mango
- Blackberry
- Cranberry
- Orange
- Pear
Acid Options:
- Lemon juice
- Lime juice
- Grapefruit juice
Sugar Options:
- Maple syrup
- Honey
- Pomegranate
- Molasses
- Agave syrup
- Coconut sugar
Flavoring Options:
- Vanilla extract
- Almond extract
- Cinnamon
- Ginger
- Nutmeg
Follow this quick and simple step-by-step guide below to achieve the ultimate fruit leather!
How to Make Fruit Leather in Your Dehydrator
Servings
- 12 strips
Equipment
- Blender / Food Processor
- Dehydrator
- Sieve
Recipe Time
- Prep: 15 minutes
- Cook: 8 hours (dehydrating)
Ingredients
For blueberry fruit leather:
- 1lb blueberries
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 1 tbsp honey
For apple fruit leather:
- 1lb apple (cored and chopped)
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 1 tbsp maple syrup
For peach fruit leather:
- 1lb peach (roughly chopped)
- ¼ tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp molasses
Directions
- Place the fruit, sweetener, lemon juice and flavoring into a blender or food processor and blitz until smooth.
- Taste the puree and adjust with additional sugar or acid to taste.
- Pass the fruit puree through a sieve to ensure it is smooth.
- Once smooth pour the puree onto 2 dehydrator trays and spread evenly to a thin sheet.
- Place in the dehydrator for approximately 8 hours at 130 degrees Fahrenheit. Occasionally check the fruit leather until it’s reached your desired consistency.
- When finished, peel the fruit leather away from the dehydrator tray.
- Place each sheet of fruit leather onto a chopping board and slice with a knife into six even strips.
- Roll up each strip and enjoy immediately or store in an airtight container at room temperature.
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Here’s how to make it in the oven (in case you don’t have a dehydrator yet but realllly want some fruit leather!):
Once smooth pour the puree onto a flat oven tray lined with parchment paper and spread evenly to a thin sheet.
Place in the oven for approximately 8 hours at 60 degrees celsius, occasionally check the fruit leather to reach the desired consistency.
The leather is ready when the texture is smooth, pliable, and formed into a cohesive sheet.
Let me know which version of homemade dehydrated fruit leather was your favorite in the comments below!
This is awesome and seems so doable!
I just made some with my 4-year-old and they are FANTASTIC!!!
Yay! We LOVE homemade fruit leather.
I made fruit leather on my round 4-tray dehydrator and after about 20 minutes it turned itself off. I suspect it overheated due to lack of circulation. I had lined each of the 4 trays with parchment paper and poured the fruit leather on them, stacked them and turned it on.
I ended up doing 2 sheets in the oven but had already ordered 4 of the commercial silicone mats made specifically for these round dehydrators. Will I be able to safely use them?
I use the silicone trays in my dehydrator with no issues. Is it possible the parchment paper touched the fan in your dehydrator, which caused it to turn off?
How long will these last in an airtight container?
Hi Rachel, properly dried and stored fruit leather should last at least 6 months!
I am having an almost impossible problem with peeling the leather from the trays. Any help is appreciated.
Are you using a silicone liner or parchment paper?