Homemade Fruit Roll-Ups are made with just 3 wholesome ingredients, an oven, and can be flavored using a variety of fruit.
These DIY Healthy Fruit Roll-Ups are the perfect lunch box treat. Pair them with a Turkey Wrap and Homemade Cheese Crackers for a wholesome lunch picky eaters love!
I grew up looking forward to the days I had a packaged fruit roll-up in my lunchbox.
But when I became a parent and the world got a whole lot more educated on nutrition, I ditched the store-bought fruit roll-ups and instead treat my kids to Homemade Fruit Roll-Ups.
This recipe for fruit roll-ups is good for you thanks to the huge dose of fruit and they are also free from the top 8 allergens--making this a treat all kids can enjoy!
Not to mention, Fruit Roll-Ups are not at all complicated to make. They only take a few minutes of hands-on prep time and a bit of patience when baking.
Notes on Ingredients
My recipe for Fruit Roll-Ups only contains 3 ingredients.
- Fruit: Any combination of berries, mango, kiwi, or peaches will work to make fruit roll-ups. I would avoid things like bananas or apples.
- Sweetener: Use either honey or maple syrup. If you need this recipe to vegan-friendly be sure to opt for honey. Do not use granulated sugar, as it will not dissolve properly in the fruit and can leave the fruit roll-ups grainy.
- Lemon Juice: The lemon juice will help to preserve the fruit and brighten the flavors.
How to Make Fruit Roll-Ups without a Dehydrator
- Puree 3 cups of fruit with 1 tablespoon sweetener and 1 teaspoon lemon juice.
- Spread your pureed fruit out into a thin layer (about ⅛ inch thick) onto a baking sheet lined with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper.
- Bake at the lowest temperature your oven will go for 4-8 hours. (150-180 degrees) You will know your fruit roll-ups are done cooking when they are not sticky to the touch. (Timing varies based on oven and moisture in fruit). I cooked my fruit roll-ups at 170 degrees and they were ready in 5 hours.
- Cut into 1-inch strips using kitchen scissors or a pizza cutter. If you use parchment paper, you can leave the fruit roll on the parchment paper, if you baked your fruit leather on a silicone baking mat, peel it off before cutting it into strips.
- Roll up the fruit roll-up and secure it with a sticker or piece of tape. If you didn't use parchment paper to bake, use a strip of craft paper or wax paper to roll up the fruit leather.
- Let your kids (or yourself) enjoy!
Variations on Homemade Fruit Leather
There are endless varieties of flavors you can choose when making fruit roll-ups. I personally like to use a mixture of berries, but mangos peaches, or kiwi would work as well. You can even use applesauce or any fruit puree in your fruit mixture.
I would not recommend using fruit like bananas--because they would brown significantly, but if you try it and it works, let me know!
Recipe FAQs
YES!! You can use frozen fruit to make homemade fruit roll-ups, just defrost fruit and drain off any excess liquid. And then proceed with the recipe as directed.
The trick to making homemade fruit roll-ups is to spread the fruit mixture out into a thin, but not too thin layer. Basically, you want to use a spatula to spread out the mixture into about ⅛ inch thick without leaving any holes. You don't need to get out a ruler, just spread out your mixture as thin as you can while being sure the mixture is even.
Keep homemade fruit-roll ups in a tightly sealed container for up to 2 weeks.
You can omit the sweetener altogether if your fruit is really ripe.
If you have a child with a sensitive digestive system that needs to avoid seeds, use any fruit you like to puree and then run through a fine-mesh strainer to remove seeds, or use peaches, applesauce or mangoes to avoid any small seeds.
You want to cook the fruit roll-ups at the lowest temperature your oven will go. For me, that was 170 degrees, but some ovens go to 150 degrees. The cooking time varies greatly due to moisture in fruit and oven temperature. I would check your fruit roll-ups at 4 hours and if really wobbly, not check again until 5 hours. The total cooking time ranges from 4 hours to 8 hours. My fruit roll-ups typically take 5 hours.
Recipe Tips
- Do NOT use plastic wrap or wax paper to line your baking sheet with. I know others will tell you at this low temperature it is safe, but if you don't have high-quality plastic wrap, you are risking your plastic melting into your fruit roll-ups. Play it safe. A silicone mat or parchment paper that is designed to bake with is the only way to go.
- It is also a good idea to leave a small border from the side of the pan to your fruit mixture, so the fruit roll-ups don't dry onto the edge of the pan, making it harder to remove your fruit leather easily once dried.
- I love to use fun stickers and craft paper to roll up my homemade fruit roll-ups to make this homemade treat feel more special.
More Lunchbox Favorites
- Ranch Veggie Wrap
- Gluten-Free No-Bake Granola Bars
- Easy Bean Burritos
- 2 Ingredient Homemade Gogurts
- DIY Butterfly Snack Bags
If you made Homemade Fruit Roll-Ups, I would love for you to leave a comment and review below.
Homemade Fruit Leather
Ingredients
- 3 cups fruit see notes
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup or honey
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 140 degrees (or as low as your oven will go). Line a rimmed half-size sheet pan with parchment paper or a silicone mat. You can use a larger pan, but your mixture will not cover the full sheet pan.
- In a food processor or blender, puree the fruit with the sweetener and lemon juice until perfectly smooth.
- Pour pureed fruit onto the prepared pan and use an offset spatula to evenly spread the fruit out so that it is about ¼ inch thickness. Be sure to spread your fruit mixture thin, but without any holes.
- Place in oven and bake for 4-6 hours, until set and no longer sticky to the touch. It can take up to 8 hours to cook these fruit roll-ups if your fruit has high moisture content and your oven is set at 150 degrees. I have only ever had to bake my fruit roll-ups for 5 hours. But you may need longer. Check every 30 minutes and remove from oven when no longer sticky to the touch.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool fully. If you use parchment paper, you can leave the fruit roll on the parchment paper, if you baked your fruit leather on a silicone baking mat, peel it off before cutting it into strips.
- Cut the cooled fruit leather into 1-inch strips and roll up in parchment paper or wax paper and secure with tape or a sticker to make it cute if desired.
- Keep homemade fruit-roll ups in a tightly sealed container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks.
Val
I made this recipe and my roll-ups stuck to the high quality parchment paper. No way to get them off because each time I do, the paper rips right with each roll. Thinking maybe I spread them a mm too thin. Kinda bummed.
Kristen Chidsey
Oh no Val--I am bummed for you! What size pan did you use? It sounds like they may have been too thinly spread. You want the entire mixture about 1/4 inch thick.
Jenn
Can I freeze this once made? I have a lot of raspberries to process.
Kristen Chidsey
Hi Jenn! I have never tried freezing these, however, I have had a reader share they have frozen with success.
Valerie
My daughter wants to make fruit roll ups using gummy bears and gummy worms. Any ideas how to do this? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Kristen Chidsey
Hmm, I am really not sure how you would do that. I am sorry.
William
How about making your own gummies ?? 🙂
Daughter may enjoy this ...
Kristen Chidsey
Noted!
John
Hi I want to make this for my kids but my oven only goes as low as 200 degrees Fahrenheit. Is this too high ? Would they burn? Or can I still make them?
Kristen Chidsey
Hi John. 200 degrees, will be too warm. I would try turning the light on in your oven and keeping the door closed. Test the temperature after 30 minutes, it may get close to 140 degrees. Otherwise, this will not work. So sorry!
Stephanie
My oven only goes down to 170. Will they burn it’s a brand new oven not sure if that matters
Kristen Chidsey
Hi Stephanie, I think 170 degrees would not burn these roll-ups, but I have not tried that exact temp. I would try it and check after 3 hours to keep a close eye on it though.
Nina
Hi, I really want to make these, but I was wondering if I could use frozen fruit?
Kristen Chidsey
Yes absolutely, just defrost the fruit first..I recommended defrosting in a strainer over a bowl in the refrigerator to remove excess water. If not, drain well and pat dry before making.
Nina
Great, thank you so much!
Donna Volk
My granddaughter is not allowed to have sticky candy or anything else because of fillings in her baby teeth so my question is are these sticky when eating them or no. I would think it wouldn't be as sticky but need to know for sure..thanks so much.
Donna Volk
Kristen Chidsey
Hi Donna! These are still sticky, but not as sticky for sure as regular fruit roll ups. I would probably advise to avoid to be safe though.
Daniel
I baked them for 5 hours at 170 degrees. Turned out more like fruit chips. A bit over cooked. Recommend baking for 4 hours at 170 degrees.
Kristen Chidsey
Great to know Daniel! Each oven is different, so it is best to check often.
Sheila
Can we add spinach or kale to this recipe you think
Kristen Chidsey
Hi Shelia. Yes, just keep in mind it will turn the fruit leather brown and if you use more than 1 loosely packed cup of fresh kale or spinach it can overwhelm the flavor.
Lisa K
Is the lemon juice essential? Our youngest is super sensitive to all forms of citrus (all acidic foods, really, poor kid).
Kristen Chidsey
Hi Lisa, I am sorry your son has issues with citrus. You can omit the lemon juice, it may just make the fruit roll-up more brownish in color.
Lisa K
Thanks!
Jaz of Jaz and the Boys on Facebook
Absolutely love the post. I am sharing to my Facebook Page. This was extremely detailed. Have you considered adding things like spirulina powder or liquid? I am going to give it a try!
Kristen Chidsey
Thanks so much for the compliments and the share! And yes, I have not added spirulina powder before (my body does not like the stuff), but have added flax seed with success. I would start with 1-2 tablespoons to not overwhelm taste or texture.
KIMBERLEY
I just made a batch of
cranberry-apple leather with:
1 cup homemade Granny Smith applesauce
2 cups fresh cranberries
Maple syrup to taste
The flavors are amazing!!! 😋
Thank you for this recipe. 😎🙏🏼
Kristen Chidsey
Oh that combination sounds amazing Kimberly. I am so glad you enjoyed!