Welcoming brighter days with brighter flavors

Yes, You Can Make Fruit Snacks in Your Own Kitchen

Once you take a trip down homemade snack lane, it’s hard to go back. Snacks that you once handed out as a treat can become simple, filling, and nutritious when you whip them up in your own kitchen.

It’s not about hopping on a trend; it’s simply realizing how much home cooking simplifies recipes, erases preservatives, and, in most cases, saves money. Plus, the process is extra enticing when they come out bright and flavorful like my 4-ingredient fruit snacks.

I was reminded of these fruit-packed gems when looking through our springtime recipes (yes, spring is coming!). As the seasons change, so does our snack and meal rotation, and these no-bake fruit snacks are a simple and bright way to welcome the warmer days ahead.

Tackling on-the-go Snacking

With years of running 4 kids around town under my belt, I can say that snacks are one of the hardest things to keep consistent. Even on the weeks I feel I knock it out of the park with meals, someone is hungry 10 minutes into a car ride, and I’m left tossing them a bag of chips. Sourdough Cheez-Its, Chipper Bars, and Rosemary Cashews are some of the better-for-you snacks I like to keep on hand to decrease the number of times this happens.

At the risk of sounding like a broken record, meal planning with reliable, filling meals is truly how we get through our busy seasons (which, to be honest, feels like more than half of the year!). If you find yourself in the same conundrum or are longing for some new meal inspiration, I have curated two recipe ebooks filled with easy-to-make and easy-to-pack meals for you and your family. Find them here: Dinners To Go and Cook Once, Serve Twice.

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Making Homemade Fruit Snacks

Base Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 3 tablespoons unflavored gelatin

Variations

These homemade fruit snacks can be made with fruit juice, fruit puree, ripe fruit, or thawed frozen fruit

Apple: add 1 cup of Applesauce

Grape: add 1 cup of Grape juice

Banana: add 1 cup pureed Bananas

Strawberry: add 1 cup of pureed Strawberries

Orange: add 1 cup of Orange Juice

Elderberry: 1 cup of Elderberry Syrup – check out the extra-immune-boosting sister recipe here

Instructions

1. Grease pans or fruit snack molds
2. Add all ingredients (except the gelatin) into a small saucepan and heat on medium until hot
3. Whisk gelatin into the mixture until dissolved.
4. Pour mixture into molds or pans and set in the refrigerator for up to 2 hours in order to set up and become solid.
5. Pop gummies out of the mold or cut into cubes, if on tray.

The Do’s and Don’ts of Making Healthier Fruit Gummies

Do

• Dry out overnight before eating. In addition to the refrigeration period, it is a good idea to let the fruit snacks dry before eating so their texture mirrors ones you might buy from the store.
• Experiment with different fruit combinations! This is your chance to create flavor combinations unique to your family and taste preferences.
• Blend the fruit with blender or food processor first if you are using fresh or thawed frozen fruit.

Don’t

• Use Pineapple or Kiwi. As delicious as it may sound, the enzyme bromelain breaks down proteins in the gelatin so it doesn’t set.
• Add in any artificial colors – you may be tempted to pop a few drops of food coloring into the silicone molds but trust me, the fruit provides beautiful colors naturally.

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Questions about this Healthy Homemade Fruit Snack Recipe

Printable Recipe Card

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Closing Thoughts

These little fruit gummies remind us that snack time can be thoughtful without being fussy. With the right recipes and right flavor combinations, you don’t have to just tackle snack time, you can master it with foods you can feel good about.