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Hi Bold Bakers!
WHAT YOU GET: A tangy, chewy, homemade raspberry fruit leather made with just three simple ingredients: raspberries, sugar, and a touch of lemon juice. No dehydrator needed!
Fancy, healthy fruit leather is always situated near the cashiers at some groceries stores while I’m checking out, and I have to admit, they’re pretty tempting to grab. Plus, it turns out our son George loves them! With the approval of a two-year-old, I decided it was time to try my hand at making homemade fruit leather. (Just make sure you brush those chompers after eating anything sweet — even natural sugars found in dried fruit!)
Unlike fruit snacks, fruit leather is made primarily with actual fruit. For this recipe, I used delicious ripe raspberries for their natural tartness and sweetened them a bit with granulated sugar. The secret to getting flavorful raspberry fruit leather is that touch of lemon juice. It really helps the taste of the raspberries come through!
This raspberry fruit leather recipe is easy to make, and it’s a lot cheaper than stocking up on the tiny portions at your local grocery store. There’s no dehydrator needed; the only special equipment you need is a silicon baking mat!
What Is Fruit Leather?
Fruit leather is a snack made by drying a puree of fruit either in a dehydrator or in the oven. For this recipe, I dried the raspberry puree in the oven.
These healthy snacks are tasty and have a delicious chew, just like the store-bought fruit leather.
How To Make Raspberry Fruit Leather In Oven
I understand that a dehydrator isn’t a typical piece of equipment most people have in their house, and I’m all about making recipes accessible to everyone, so this recipe is a baked fruit leather.
The trick to getting the best texture (and not burning your homemade fruit leather!) is going low and slow in your oven. I let the oven preheat to 170°F (76°C), or its lowest setting, and let the fruit mixture bake for 3 to 5 hours. It takes a bit of patience, but the end result is worth it, and I love being able to hand out these fruit rollups for a snack or have them to toss in my bag for the road.
Can I Use Frozen Fruit To Make Fruit Leather?
If you’d like, you can use frozen berries in this recipe for fruit leather. If you are using frozen, be sure to defrost your raspberries before adding them to the blender or food processor. If they are frozen, you may end up with a smoothie instead of a puree!
Tools You Need To Make Raspberry Fruit Leather
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Baking sheet
- Silicone baking mat
- Blender or food processor
Gemma’s Pro Chef Tips For Making Homemade Fruit Leather
- Straining the raspberries makes for a smoother texture.
- You can use fresh or frozen raspberries for this. If using frozen, defrost your raspberries first.
- Before baking, taste the puree. Add more sugar if you prefer a sweeter fruit leather.
- A silicone baking mat is really necessary to make this successfully. We tested this recipe with parchment paper — it wrinkled and was nearly impossible to peel off the leather. Just don’t do it to yourself!
- Be sure to use a ruler to get the measurement correct — if it’s too thick, it will take too long to dry. The edges might get crunchy before the center is dried if it is too thin.
- Be sure to go low and slow when making this fruit leather, so the liquid evaporates, but the berries don’t burn.
Bake More Kid-Friendly Recipes
- 4-Ingredient Homemade Goldfish Crackers
- George’s Banana Split From Scratch
- Banana & Strawberry Ice Cream For Breakfast (Nice Cream Recipe)
- Absolutely Adorable Homemade Animal Crackers
Try These Recipes!
Raspberry Fruit Leather
Ingredients
- 2½ cups (12½ oz/355 g) raspberries
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 170°F (76°C) or its very lowest setting and line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat.
- In a blender or food processor, puree the berries with the sugar and lemon juice.
- Pass through a fine-mesh sieve to remove the seeds.
- Pour the mixture onto the baking mat and spread into a 9x11-inch (22x28-cm) rectangle.
- Bake for 3 to 5 hours, until the leather no longer feels tacky but is still flexible.
- Starting at a short end, cut into nine 1-inch-(2½-cm)-wide strips.
- Roll and store in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.
Can you use strawberries or peaches too make these? By the way I love your recipes 😋
If I don’t have a silicone mat, could I use parchment paper instead?
Hi Gemma,
In place of the sugar, would using stevia still work successfully?
Can I use oranges ?
I make fruit leather frequently with all fruit the I have that is getting to the over ripe stage. Instead of using sugar, I use a healthier option of agave nectar. I just made tropical fruit leather with pineapple, mango, strawberries and papaya including fresh coconut which I blend into the fruit in my vitamix blender.
Hi Gemma! Can i use frozen blueberries?
I have a lot of frozen mixed berries in my freezer, so I might try that. Also, can I substitute erythritol for the sugar?
Excellent! Made it with my 2& 3 yr old grandsons easy project and a lesson in patience!! Nice healthy treat in the end.
Do you think you could use Honey or Monk fruit instead of the sugar?
Can you use any fruit such as blueberries?