Homemade Fruit Snacks recipe made with whole fruits & vegetables! A healthy, high-protein snack loaded with nutrients made in the blender!
This post is sponsored by my friends at Vitamix. As always, all opinions are my own!
We officially go back to school this week! I'm trying to get all of our curriculum in order, supplies, organized etc. However, the reality of my life is that I'm focusing more on making snacks then planning for school {sigh}.
Can you blame me?! I mean snacks are an absolutely crucial part of back to school...right?! Of course they are! Kids can't learn {and momma can't teach} on an empty stomach! Not in my house at least! Plus cooking {and eating} > jamming on my planner. Always. So today I made something fun, pretty, and delicious...Homemade Fruit Snacks!
These are NOT your average fruit snacks people! They are made with whole fruits and vegetables! Plus they are paleo with no refined sugar, and have a whopping 45 grams of protein per batch!! NO I'm not joking! These Homemade Fruit Snacks are superior to their store-bought counterparts in every way possible.
Is Gelatin Good For you?
Where does the protein come from, you ask?! Did you know that high-quality, grass-fed, collagen beef gelatin has 17 grams of protein per scoop {which is just a touch more than 1 TBS}?! Because I didn't, until I started testing recipes to make these Homemade Fruit Snacks!
I was actually trying to avoid using gelatin until I researched it and learned about some of it's amazing health benefits {check them out here}! So, if you're like me and are hesitant to use gelatin, do some research you might be amazed at what you find!
Ok...end of gelatin talk, back to the recipe!
You know what's coming, don't you? Another chat about how much I love my Vitamix and how it helps my family live a healthy and balanced lifestyle! I L-O-V-E that I was able to create a fruit snack recipe that my kids enjoy and is loaded with whole fruits and veggies.
So not only am I sneaking in some protein, but I'm also delivering some serious nutrition without them suspecting a thing! Total win! Right now there's a great Labor Day sale on new machines, and if you click on any of the affiliate links on this site {like right here} you receive free shipping!
Also, can we just pause and talk about how beautifully colored these Homemade Fruit Snacks are?! No food coloring required! Natural foods are the best "dyes" if you ask me! 😉
How to Make Homemade Fruit Snacks
Here are a few notes to ensure that your fruit-snack-making is a raging success!
1. Lay out all your supplies & materials.
Have the molds ready to go, the gelatin measured out and the fruits and veggies all chopped up. The molds I used {here} came with everything I needed...trays, droppers, etc. If your molds didn't come with trays, be sure to lay them on a baking sheet or another hard flat surface that can be used to transport them from the counter into the fridge! I highly recommend using a dropper to fill the molds as well, it makes it SO much easier!
If you don't have molds then simply spread the mixture in ax 8x8" pan lined with wax paper. Let the Homemade Fruit Snacks set and then cut them with a warm, sharp knife!
2. Use a Vitamix.
This should go without saying, but a food processor won't cut it in this recipe. You want the fruit snacks to be silky smooth, and the only way to ensure this is by using the best blender ever. 😉
3. Raw/Cooked veggies.
All of the vegetables used in these combinations were blended raw (including the beets). If you decide to use a vegetable like sweet potatoes, I recommend cooking it first and using the soft puree in this recipe.
4. Make sure the gelatin completely dissolves.
When the gelatin is added to the fruit/veggie/juice mixture it will become cloudy. Cook over medium heat until the mixture is no longer cloudy, but do not let it boil.
A great way to test for doneness is to put some of the mixture between your pointer finger and thumb and rub them together. If it feels even slightly grainy, continue cooking and whisking. If it feels smooth then you can begin to fill the molds!
5. Work quickly.
The fruit/veggie fruit snack mixture begins to thicken as it cools. As soon as the mixture is smooth use the dropper and fill the molds. I kept my saucepan over the warm burner (with the fire turned off) as I filled the molds. That way the mixture remained slightly warm and cooled much slower.
Homemade Fruit Snacks: Substitutions
The great thing about this recipe is that, while the method is pretty particular, the ingredients are fairly versatile!
- Fruit: I have given suggestions for the different fruits I used to make each color, but you really can let your preferences drive you here. The only two fruits that you cannot use are Kiwi and Pineapple. They contain the enzyme bromelain, which breaks down the proteins in the gelatin and will prevent the fruit snacks from setting up.
- Vegetables: the same freedom applies with the vegetables. {See above about using raw/cooked veggies}!
- Juice: I tried making a couple batches of these fruit snacks with water and my kids wouldn't eat them {truth}. Once I caved and used unsweetened apple juice they gobbled them up like fruit snack monsters! 😉 I highly recommend using an organic, unsweetened juice variety of your choice. I chose apple because it has a neutral color and flavor, but you can use any flavor you like!
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Healthy Homemade Fruit Snacks (with Whole Fruits & Veggies)
Ingredients
- 1 cup fruit chopped
- ¼ cup vegetables chopped (and peeled if necessary)
- ¼ to ½ cup pure apple juice no added sugar
- 2 TBS raw honey
- ¼ tsp pure vanilla extract
- 3 TBS gelatin preferably collagen, grass-fed
Green:
- 1 cup green grapes
- ¼ cup spinach
Red:
- 1 cup strawberries diced
- ¼ cup beets
Orange:
- 1 cup peaches chopped
- ¼ cup carrots
Blue/purple:
- 1 cup blueberries
- ¼ cup zucchini
Instructions
- Place silicone molds on a large baking sheet or line an 8x8’ square dish with wax paper and lightly grease, set aside.
- Place fruit, vegetable and ¼ cup apple juice in the container of your Vitamix and secure the lid.
- Turn the machine on and slowly increase the speed to high. Blend until mixture is smooth. (add more juice 1 TBS at a time if necessary, until the mixture reaches a smooth consistency).
- Add honey and vanilla and blend until just combined.
- Taste mixture and add more honey if desired, blending until it’s completely combined.
- Transfer mixture to a small saucepan and whisk in gelatin.
- Heat on medium heat until gelatin is dissolved and mixture is no longer grainy when touched (about 3 minutes). Make sure it does not boil.
- Using a dropper, fill the silicone molds. Or pour your mixture into your prepared baking pan.
- Transfer to the refrigerator to set for at least 2 hours.
- Once set remove from molds and enjoy. These homemade fruit snacks can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one week!
Nutrition
Well now it's time to sign off, get out of the kitchen and into the classroom! 😉 But really I'm so excited to get this school year started!
Here are a few more delicious & nutritious back to school snacks to consider making this year!
This post contains affiliate links, which means that if you purchase a product through a link you clicked on here, I receive a portion of the sale. Thank you for supporting JoyFoodSunshine!
This post is sponsored by my friends at Vitamix! Thank you for allowing me to continue creating delicious recipes for you by supporting partnerships with amazing brands that I LOVE. As always, opinions are completely my own!
Mae
I absolutely LOVE this recipe! Thank you for sharing it with us! =)
Just a quick correction-it is 17grams of protein in two scoops for that brand =)
Alison Rivera
Really liked this recipe, for a really deep purple Try using red cabbage for the vegetable. It turned out great!