Homemade Fruit Roll-Ups

Photo courtesy of Our Best Bites

My children have recently discovered Fruit Roll Ups.  I bought them the all natural Strawberry Fruit Roll Ups at Target one day only because they were on sale, AND I had a coupon, AND they had free samples that my children could try before I bought a box.  They smelled like real strawberries, the kids liked them, and they had no added sugar so I felt good about allowing them in the house as a snack. 

The fact that they liked them so much reminded me that I bookmarked a recipe a long time ago for homemade Fruit Roll Ups. I decided now was the perfect time to try them. This recipe is from one of my favorite cooking blogs, "Our Best Bites".  If you want to see their detailed recipe with photos, click here.  Strawberries happened to be on sale this week at our local grocery store so I decided that would be the first flavor we tried.

The Recipe (copied from ourbestbites.com):

*2 1/2 – 3 cups ripe or slightly over-ripe diced fruit
*sweetener to taste: honey, sugar, agave, etc. (I used honey)
*2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
*optional: seasonings, spices, extracts to taste (I skipped this step, but I think Almond extract would be a yummy addition)

Preheat oven to lowest temperature, 140 - 175 degrees.  My lowest temperature setting is 170 degrees and it was fine.  Puree all ingredients in a food processor until smooth.  Pour onto a baking sheet lined with plastic wrap, or a silicone baking mat (don’t use foil, parchment, or waxed paper), and spread to 1/8″ thick. Place in oven and bake for 6-8 hours, until center is not tacky anymore.  Remove from oven and peel off of baking sheet.  Cut into strips and roll in parchment or plastic.  Store in airtight container or freeze.

The Verdict:
One thing I discovered with this recipe is that there is a serious learning curve in terms of thickness and cooking time.  My first batch was straight strawberry, cooked for about 6 1/2 hours, but it didn't make very much and was pretty thin in parts of the pan.  I used plastic wrap, and it peeled and rolled up just fine.  Here are two pictures from the strawberry batch:

This is the strawberry puree on the plastic wrap before cooking

This looks so un-appetizing, but I forgot to take a picture of the
finished product.  These are the last four in the container.

My second batch was made from applesauce and mixed fruit that I had stored in the freezer from fall.  That batch had GREAT flavor, but I think it was too thick because it took longer to cook.  In the end, I cooked it too long, mostly because I forgot it was in the oven, and although it rolled up when it came out of the oven, it was way to "leathery" for our liking.  I will try those flavors again, however, because it smelled so good and tasted even better! 

I used the plastic wrap and it was fine, but the author also suggests using a silicone baking mat. I have been thinking about getting one but didn't know if I really needed one.  Now that we are hooked on these roll ups, I am going to go ahead and order one for myself.

My kids were very excited about this recipe.  The roll ups didn't last long, but we have talked about flavor combinations they want to try this summer when fruit is so plentiful.  I am excited that they are good fruit eaters, that they had fun making this recipe together, and that I know exactly what they are eating for a snack.  We will definitely make this several more times in the coming months.

Here are a few extra tips from the ladies at Our Best Bites:

-All fruits will produce slightly different results.  Strawberries and Raspberries are two of my favorites, that consistently produce good flavor and texture.  You might have to experiment to find what works well.  If you’re going to make a giant batch, you may want to test one first to make sure it works well.
- The addition of sugar or honey enhances the texture and makes the fruit roll ups a little more chewy than if you leave it out.
- If using plastic wrap, it will shrink a little as the fruit dries, so do leave a little extra around the edges.  A silicone baking mat works the absolute best in my opinion.