Last Updated on March 3, 2022 by Anne-Marie
Do your kids love strawberry fruit roll-ups? Well, it's super easy to make this homemade strawberry fruit leather food dehydrator recipe.
This strawberry roll-ups recipe is a healthy snack that is fun to make and eat!
Best of all, this homemade fruit leather recipe has no added sugar and only 3 ingredients!
Making a strawberry fruit leather dehydrator recipe
When starting your preparations, make sure to rinse your strawberries, then remove the stems.
Also, I've seen some recipes that don't require cooking down your strawberries. There are two reasons I recommend it.
First, you get a more concentrated flavor.
Second, food safety! Sure, you've washed your fruit, but now you're boiling it down for 10 minutes. This kills anything scary – germs, bugs, etc.
Usually, not a big deal since it's usually OK to eat fresh berries. But if the fruit leather is sitting in the pantry for a few days, you've cooked it and it should be more than fine.
Finally, I don't recommend straining the strawberry puree to get rid of the seeds. It's kind of impossible, adds another step, and is super messy. No one has time for that!
Got leftover strawberries? Use them in this Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp Recipe 9 x 13.
How to make homemade strawberry fruit leather roll-ups
Dry fruit leather makes a great snack for on the go! You'll love making your own fruit leather and fruit snacks from simple ingredients.
1. Place all the ingredients in a blender or food processor. Blend on high until the strawberries are frothy, about 20-30 seconds.
2. Pour liquid into a medium saucepan. Make sure to scrape down the sides of the blender or food processor bowl with a spatula to get everything into the saucepan!
3. Bring liquid to a boil over medium-high heat. Keep liquid boiling over medium heat. Stir frequently with a whisk.
4. Cook for 5-10 minutes until the liquid has thickened into a puree. (It should be like runny strawberry jam.)
5. Pour strawberry mixture into a dehydrator tray. (You may need 2 or more trays depending on the size of your dehydrator.)
6. Bake strawberry fruit leather for 8 hours at 140 degrees F or until it is s no longer sticky and you can easily peel it off the trays.
7. When the fruit leather is still warm, peel it off and wrap it in parchment paper, if desired.
What kind of sweetener?
I wanted to make this a no added sugar recipe (including no corn syrup or honey). However, depending on the time of year, sometimes the fresh fruit you get at the store may need a little help.
I like to sweeten my homemade strawberry fruit leather recipe with monk fruit powdered sweetener, which is a natural, no-calorie sweetener.
You can also use Swerve Sweetener, another natural, no-calorie sweetener. You can use the regular or brown version. Both are tasty, keto-friendly, GMO, gluten-free, and have no bitter aftertaste.
If you’re not into these kinds of sweeteners and don’t mind sugar or the extra calories, you can use a touch of honey or a little bit of sugar in this sweet treat.
Can I add other flavorings and different fruit to this recipe?
This is a basic recipe with only 3 simple ingredients. So, yes you DO have the option of adding more flavors to the fruit puree.
Here are some tasty ideas:
- Add 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon.
- Add 1 teaspoon dried ginger or 1 tablespoon fresh minced ginger
- Substitute a cup blueberries, raspberries, or other sweet fruit for 1 cup of the strawberries.
- Add 1 tablespoon orange juice.
What kind of food dehydrator should I use?
Yes, you can make delicious fruit leather in the oven. But using a dehydrator is easier for two reasons:
1) Since it bakes items at a low temperature, a food dehydrator uses less energy than an oven.
2) Since dehydrating fruit leather and other food items can take hours (like all day!), you may need the oven for something else such as making dinner. (Duh.)
Now, there's no need to go nuts and get a fancy Excalibur Dehydrator that'll run you $200-$400. Instead, invest in a basic dehydrator which costs around $65-70 like a NESCO Snackmaster Pro Food Dehydrator.
I have an older version, which I've used for over 10 years to make fruit leather and beef jerky. I love to use it to dry fruit, herbs, and mushrooms, too.
I’ve bought extra trays and fruit leather trays for my dehydrator. It's a terrific product you'll find all sorts of uses for including crafts like drying flowers at low heat.
Pro tip: If you have extra strawberries, make some strawberries chips fruit snacks while you’re making the fruit leather. There’s always room in the dehydrator for a tray or two of chips.
How long do you bake the fruit leather?
The trick to making strawberry fruit rollups is figuring out how long to cook it.
My suggestion is to bake it at 140 degrees F for 8 hours but to check it at the 5-hour mark. If the top is sticky, come back in an hour.
If it’s not sticky, see if you can peel it off all the way.
If the center of the strawberry fruit leather is still sticking to the round tray, put it back in the dehydrator and check back in 30 minutes.
Timing will depend on so many variables:
- how ripe your strawberries were
- the weather - if it's a hot day, the baking time will be less, for example
- humidity in your home - more humity = more baking time
- how well your equipment is working
So I can’t give you hard and fast rules for cooking times.
However, if you do overcook your fruit leather, it’s still edible so don’t throw it out! Break it up and turn it into fruit leather chips.
I sprinkled and dipped the chips in yogurt – so delicious! I may “accidentally” make strawberry fruit leather chips again!
How to make the fruit roll-ups
If you want to get fancy, you can make fruit leather roll-ups for the kids' lunch boxes.
However, if you’re using a round food dehydrator, the round trays make it hard to cut the strawberry fruit leather into fruit rolls.
So, while the strawberry fruit leather is still warm, place it on a piece of parchment paper. Then using clean kitchen shears, a sharp knife, or a pizza cutter, cut into long strips.
Then roll up the fruit leather tightly. Tie each one with kitchen twine and let it cool to room temperature. Store in an air-tight container or baggie.
Don't want to bother with making roll-ups? Just peel the fruit leather off the trays, roll or fold them up, and wrap the fruit leather in plastic wrap to keep fresh. Store in a Ziploc baggie.
More fun, homemade gifts
Add this to your Best Candy & Gifts for Gluten-Free Easter Baskets.
Besides fruit leather, here are some easy homemade gifts you can make as teacher or holiday gifts:
● Easy Fudge Recipe
● Easy Gluten Free Chocolate Bark Candy
● Easy Microwave Brittle
● Easy Homemade Dog Treats
● Candied Pecans Recipe
● DIY Coffee Scrub
● Homemade Taco Seasoning
Strawberry Fruit Leather Dehydrator Recipe
It’s easy to make strawberry fruit leather in a dehydrator. This 3-ingredient homemade strawberry fruit leather has no sugar added for a healthy snack.
Ingredients
- 4 cups fresh strawberries, washed with stems removed
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- 3 tablespoons monk fruit powdered sweetener or Swerve Sweetener
Instructions
- Place all the ingredients in a blender or food processor. Blend on high until the strawberries are frothy, about 20-30 seconds.
- Pour liquid into a medium saucepan. Make sure to scrape down the sides of the blender or food processor bowl with a spatula to get everything into the saucepan!
- Bring liquid to a boil over medium-high heat. Keep liquid boiling over medium heat. Stir frequently with a whisk.
- Cook for 5-10 minutes until the liquid has thickened into a puree. (It should be like runny strawberry jam.)
- Pour strawberry mixture into a dehydrator tray. (You may need 2 or more trays depending on the size of your dehydrator.)
- Bake strawberry fruit leather for 8 hours at 140 degrees F or until it is s no longer sticky and you can easily peel it off the trays.
- When the fruit leather is still warm, peel it off and wrap it in parchment paper, if desired.
- Store in an airtight container or baggie.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
8Serving Size:
1 rollAmount Per Serving: Calories: 31Total Fat: 0gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 1mgCarbohydrates: 8gFiber: 2gSugar: 5gProtein: 1g
Nutritional information is automatically calculated per the ingredients list. Serving size may not be accurate. Please double-check with your preferred nutritional app for the most accurate information.