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If your kids love fruit roll-ups, then try making your own Blueberry Peach Fruit Leather to turn their favorite packaged snack into something wholesome. Made with pureed fruit and a little honey or other sweetener if you need it, you can feel good about packing it in a lunchbox. And swirling two favorite summer fruits makes it extra pretty and yummy!
Why You’ll Love This Fruit Leather Recipe
Delicious Details
- Cuisine Inspiration: American
- Primary Cooking Method: oven
- Dietary Info: Gluten-free, Dairy-free, Egg-free, Nut-free
- Skill Level: Easy
Late summer means two things – lots of delicious end-of-season produce and sending the kids back to school. They can go hand-in-hand when you turn that fruit into a kid-favorite lunchbox snack. And that’s what I did with this fruit leather recipe. Only to make things more interesting, I combined two fruits that are perfect on their own, but even better (and prettier!) when swirled together to make Blueberry Peach Fruit Roll-Ups. Here’s why these might just be the best:
- Save the season. Forget the fuss of canning or taking up lots of space in your freezer. Drying fruit makes it last much longer, but it’s simple and easy to store.
- Naturally sweet. If you use peaches and blueberries at the peak of their season, they are usually sweet enough as-is. However, if they aren’t, you can use a natural sweetener like raw honey or pure maple syrup instead of lots of processed sugar.
- Allergy-friendly. These are the perfect snack for kids with allergies or schools with nut-free policies. They have no nuts, peanuts, eggs, gluten, or dairy. Just fruit!
What You’ll Need
As I mentioned, you really only need the fruit to make this fruit leather unless you find you need to sweeten it a bit. Here’s a little info about prepping the ingredients. The full quantities and detailed instructions are in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
- Fresh peaches. Washed, dried, and coarsely chopped. You can peel them if you like, but if you are using a high-powered blender like a Blendtec or Vitamix, it’s probably not necessary because the blender will fully break down the peach skin.
- Fresh blueberries. Washed and dried.
- Optional sweetener. Once you puree your fruit, if you find it isn’t sweet enough, you can add honey, maple syrup, or agave nectar to taste.
Tips for Success
- Check your temp. Use an inexpensive oven thermometer to make sure your oven isn’t running too hot. If the temperature is higher than it should be, the fruit leather will dry out and burn too quickly.
- Line your pan. A silicone baking mat is essential to be able to easily remove your fruit leather from the pan and prevent it from burning.
- Keep an eye. The exact time it will take to achieve the perfect dried out but flexible results will vary depending on the thickness of your layer of fruit puree and the exact temperature of your oven. So you’ll want to check it periodically so it doesn’t overdry.
- Try different fruits. You can puree any kind of softer fruit to make fruit leather. Berries, nectarines, cherfies, and pears are all great options.
- Add more flavor. Feel free to customize your fruit leather by adding a small splash of vanilla or lemon extract or a sprinkle of cinnamon or nutmeg.
Proper Storage
Seal your fruit leather in an airtight container or plastic storage bag with the excess air squeezed out until you are ready to pack it in your kids’ lunch. You want to minimize any moisture, as that can make it go bad faster.
- Countertop – if well-sealed, the fruit leather should last for up to a month at room temperature, though this may be shorter if your home is warm or humid.
- Fridge – you can store fruit roll-ups in the refrigerator for about a month.
- Freezer – if you make a large batch, extend the shelf life by freezing it for up to a year.
Blueberry Peach Fruit Leather
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups chopped peaches, peeled if desired (not necessary if you are using a high-powered blender)
- 1 1/2 cups blueberries
- honey, maple syrup, or agave nectar, if needed to taste
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 170°F and line a baking pan with a silicone baking mat.
- Place the peaches into a blender or food processor and puree until smooth. Add 1-2 teaspoons honey, maple syrup or agave, if needed, depending on how sweet your fruit is. Drizzle the puree into a random pattern onto the prepared baking baking pan.
- Repeat with the blueberries, filling in where the peach puree didn’t cover.
- Using a small spatula, spread the fruit puree to the edges of the baking pan and swirl around.
- Place in the oven for 6-8 hours, or until completely dry, checking every 1-2 hours. The time will vary depending on the thickness of the layer on your pan.
- Cool and peel from the baking sheet. Cut into strips. The edges may be a little more dried out, so remove those if necessary, They don't roll well, but my kids were still happy to snack on them.
Did you make this?
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Dang—I had high hopes, but this was disappointing. Luckily, still edible! But, it’s crackly and dry. I can see the potential, though, so I’ll try it again some time. Maybe cut the oven time in half. Your photos are pretty, so I just had to try.
Fruit leather can be finicky because the cooking time does depend on whether your oven runs a little hot or cold, and how thin you spread it. Maybe use a thermometer to confirm your oven temp and check it sooner. Good luck and thanks for the feedback!
Would this work with with frozen berries?
You might have to let it dry out longer since sometimes frozen berries retain more moisture. I’d drain them and maybe evendry them a bit with paper towels after thawing.
I totally attempted to do this with the dehydrator, but I spread the puree too thin and it basically disappeared. I want to try again though. Yours looks so perfect!