Fruit Roll Ups
From Field To Plate
As a father of two girls and a lover of sweet treats I’m always looking for healthy alternatives to store bought snacks. Here is a super simple recipe to make delicious healthy fruit roll ups. This recipe was written for use with my Weston Dehydrator, but don’t be scared off you can get the same results with your kitchen oven. Dehydrators just make the whole cooking process easier. The one I use is here Weston 8 tray Dehydrator
Ingredients:
10 apples, peeled, cored and chopped (pick your favorite, any apple will work)
1 ¾ cups of water or apple juice
¼ cup of sugar (optional, depends on what apple you choose and if they need to be sweeter)
1 ¼ teaspoons of cinnamon
1 teaspoon lemon juice
Directions:
- Preheat dehydrator to 135-145 (or fruit setting) if using oven pre heat to 130.
- In large pot combine apples, water or juice, sugar, lemon juice and cinnamon
- Bring to a boil
- Reduce heat to medium and cook covered for 15-20 minutes or until apples are soft
- Remove from heat and allow apple mixture to cool for 5-10 minutes
- Mash mixture using fork of potato masher
- Taste and add more cinnamon or sugar if needed
- Spread about 2-3 cups of mixture out on dehydrator sheets and place on racks (I like to place in middle and move the whole rack around to evenly spread without using spatula)
- If using oven you can put down butcher paper (Not wax paper) on a baking sheet and follow same steps
- Place in dehydrator or oven and cook for 10-12 hours.
- You’ll know the fruit roll ups or done when mixture is firm and peels away from the paper or baking sheet.
- Remove from oven of dehydrator and allow to cool for 15-20 minutes
- If using the oven you can simply roll the fruit leather up in the butcher paper and cut to size
- If using dehydrator simple peel away from fruit sheets, place on butcher paper, plastic wrap or wax paper, roll and cut into size.
- Put fruit roll ups in air tight container or Ziploc and they will keep for 2-3 weeks. 1 month if in fridge. But I doubt they will last that long!!
This is a great recipe for homemade apple sauce as well, if you choose not to make fruit roll ups or want to eat half as apple sauce.
To create different flavors with this recipe simple add your favorite fruits while cooking method and follow same steps. We have added fresh berries, mangos, peaches, bananas, pineapples and many others.
Now there is no rule why you can’t add veggies to this recipe for an even healthy snack. Adding carrots, rhubarb or jalapenos would create an amazing treat. Just remember if you add a spicy element to one recipe and cook with others you will most likely end up with that flavor throughout. So words to the wise, spicy cook with spicy & sweet with sweet!
