Today we are making the easiest homemade applesauce fruit roll ups recipe (aka my favorite apple fruit leather recipe). This super easy fruit leather recipe has just one common ingredient and doesn’t need any fancy equipment like a food processor or a food dehydrator. Making your own fruit roll ups is so easy that kids can help!
Easiest Fruit Roll Up Recipe
You just need one ingredient to makeapplesauce fruit roll-ups.
You can use your favorite store applesauce brand or easily make your own with our easy homemade applesauce recipe if you have fresh fruit on hand. Making homemade fruit leather (or homemade fruit roll ups) is one of the easiest homemade healthy snacks (& delicious snacks) to make that kids absolutely love and it is all made with real fruit without a bunch of added sugar.
Related: More easy kids lunch ideas
Oh and it is a fun recipe to make with your kids and literally a basic recipe, the most simple fruit leather recipe.
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Fruit Leather Recipe Ingredients & Supplies
You can grab a jar of your favorite store bought applesauce, or you can make it yourself with these ingredients:
- Homemade Applesauce
- 4 lbs. apples
- 1/3rd cup of water or apple juice
- 2-4 Tablespoons brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, nutmeg or allspice
- Or store bought applesauce
- For homemade applesauce: knife, large pot, large mixing bowl & food mill
- Parchment paper
- Silpat (optional, but makes it *so* much easier)
- Baking sheets
- Twine
Watch Us Make This Fruit Roll Up Recipe
How to Make Fruit Leather
Step 1 – Skip this Step if You Are Using Pre-made Applesauce
Make the easy homemade applesauce recipe:
- Dump the 4 lbs. of apples into a sink 1/2 full of water to wash and remove stickers.
- Chop the apples (apple core and all) into large chunks and place them in the large pot.
- Cover the apples with water and place on the stove covered.
- Heat on high until boiling and then turn heat to low.
- Continue cooking until apples are soft – for most apples, that is around 15 minutes.
- Pour cooked apples into food mill set on large mixing bowl in batches and turn the food mill.
- If the applesauce consistency it too thick, add a little water or apple juice to thin it.
- Add sugar and spice(s) to your finished sauce.
Step 2 – Spread Applesauce onto Baking Sheet
Line pan with silpat silicone mat on your cookie sheet or baking sheet (or line them with parchment paper) and pour mixture (OK, it is just one ingredient which is hardly a mixture) of applesauce onto the sheet, then spread evenly. You can also shake the pan to flatten the applesauce into an even layer.
Step 3 – Dry Applesauce in Oven
Bake at oven temperature of 170 degrees F or your oven’s lowest setting for temperature for 6 to 8 hours for a drying time.
You aren’t really cooking the applesauce with this low heat — you’re basically just dehydrating it in the drying process.
Fruit leather making tip: For best results and safety, if you need to leave the house, just turn off your oven and leave the applesauce inside. Turn it back on when you get home. Easy, peasy!
Once the outer edges of the applesauce have hardened, your fruit roll-ups are ready. If you cook it for too long and the fruit leather sheet of applesauce is brittle, don’t panic! Just rub some water onto the top of it, and it will become pliable again.
Step 4 – Cut Your Fruit Roll Up Strips
- Remove the fruit leather from your silpat and transfer to parchment paper.
- Use sharp kitchen shears or a pizza cutter to cut the fruit into two-inch strips which will form the fruit rollup. You will want them to be long strips so you can roll them.
Step 5 – Roll Your Fruit Leather
Roll the delicious fruit leather strips up and secure with twine.
The finished product of these homemade snacks are yummy treats!
We like to make several batches (as many as the oven will fit) so we don’t waste energy.
Psst…the final product is a really good idea to give the gift of healthy fruit roll ups as a gift and they are really cute!
Related: Love fruit? You’ll want to try this dutch oven peach cobbler recipe.
Storing Homemade Fruit Leather
Make a big batch of homemade fruit roll-ups and store in an airtight container or wrapped in plastic wrap until you need them. Fruit leather is one of my kids favorite healthy snacks and it is hard to keep them around!
Homemade Fruit Roll Ups FAQs
What is fruit leather made of normally?
Homemade fruit leather is made of fruit puree which is why applesauce is the perfect one ingredient. I prefer homemade fruit leather because most commercially produced fruit leather does contain fruit puree or concentrate but adds corn syrup and coloring.
Why is it called fruit leather?
The appearance and textual toughness is why this yummy snack has been called leather. Fruit leather appears shiny with a little texture that has some of the same coloring as leather and when eating it, some fruit leather recipes can be tougher like shoe leather.
Why is my fruit leather sticky?
Sugar! Sugar of any type including the natural fruit sugars can cause fruit leather to be sticky.
Is fruit roll-up vegan?
Our one ingredient fruit leather is vegan and gluten free.
More Homemade Fruit Leather Recipes
- How about strawberry fruit roll ups? I am in! These homemade strawberry leather fruit roll ups are another one of my kids favorite easy fruit rollup recipes and made with strawberry puree.
- You could also use pureed fruit to make your own fruit leather. It’s just as easy and a great school snack and you can choose your own type of fruit.
- We also like to bake apple slices to create dried apple chips. Super yummy fruity treats are the perfect snack with natural sweetness, real ingredients and none of the bad stuff like artificial colors.
Yield: Dozen roll-ups
Make our super easy applesauce fruit roll ups recipe that kids love. You can make it with a jar of your favorite applesauce from the store or whip up a quick batch of homemade applesauce. Spread out and leave in the oven all day and then roll and tie! Healthy snack or dessert that kids will devour.
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time8 hours
Total Time8 hours 20 minutes
Ingredients
- Jar of applesauce or to make homemade applesauce:
- 1. 4 lbs. apples
- 2. 1/3rd cup of water or apple juice
- 3. 2-4 Tablespoons brown sugar
- 4. 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, nutmeg or allspice
- Supplies Needed:
- For applesauce - knife, large pot, large mixing bowl & food mill
- Parchment paper
- Silpat (optional, but makes it *so* much easier)
- Baking sheets
- Twine
Instructions
Make Homemade applesauce:
- Wash the 4 lbs. of apples with water and cut into chunks -- core and all.
- Place apples in large pot and cover with water.
- Heat with lid on stove high until boiling then turn to low.
- Cook for 15 minutes or until apples are soft.
- Pour apples into food mill in batches and run the food mill.
- If the applesauce is too thick, add a little water or apple juice.
- Add sugar and spices.
Make Fruit Leather:
- Place silpat on baking sheet (or line with parchment paper) and pour a layer of the applesauce on the sheet spreading evenly shaking the pan if needed.
- Bake at 170 degrees for 6 to 8 hours.
- Remove the fruit from the silpat and transfer to parchment paper. With a sharp knife or kitchen shears cut the fruit into 2 inch wide strips.
- Roll up and secure with twine.
More Apple Recipes for Lunch Boxes and Beyond
- Make the yummiest apple crostata recipe…ever!
- Easy apple recipes for kids!
- More quick apple treats that kids will really like.
- Make this yummy chocolate dipped apple treat.
- Try this easy apple potato latke recipe!
- Oh the beauty of apples and nutella!
- Super simple snack – apple ladybug treats.
- Make these funny and delicious apple monsters!
- Have you ever made fruit sushi?
Apple Crafts & Printables from Kids Activities Blog
- A is for Apple – letter a learning that is super fun.
- Print off these fun Johnny Appleseed facts!
- Make this apple tree craft – great for kids as young as preschool!
- Make a red applecraft!
- Apple printable worksheets.
- Make this really cute apple bookmark idea for Kindergarten.
- Make this apple button artwork for kids.
- I love this paper plate apple craft for kids…it is super easy and super cute.
Did your kids love the homemade applesauce fruit roll ups recipe? Have you ever made homemade fruit leather before?
