Homemade Fruit Snacks
Posted Aug 21, 2024
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This homemade fruit snacks recipe is made with whole fruits & vegetables! A healthy, high-protein snack loaded with nutrients – better than store bought!
These homemade fruit snacks are not your average fruit snacks. They are made with whole fruits and vegetables and naturally sweetened. Plus they are gluten and grain free and have a 45 grams of protein per batch! So much better than store-bought varieties.
I also love that the gorgeous colors of these homemade fruit snacks come from the natural colors in the fruits, no food dyes required! Natural foods are the best “dyes” if you ask me!
Homemade Fruit Snacks: Ingredients & 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 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, use your favorites. Each mixture contains 1 cup of fruit and ยผ cup vegetables. You can use all fruit if you don’t want to add vegetables.
- Juice: 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.
Raw vs. Cooked Vegetables
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.
How to Make Homemade Fruit Snacks
Let’s walk through how to make homemade fruit snacks, and don’t forget to watch the video.
Lay Out Supplies & Materials
Begin by putting the silicone molds on a large baking sheet or line an 8×8โ square dish with wax paper or a silicone mat and lightly grease, set aside.
Make the Fruit Snack Mixture
I share how to make green, red, orange and blue/purple fruit snacks in this recipe. You really can use any combination of fruits and vegetables. Each mixture contains 1 cup of fruit and ยผ cup vegetables. You
Use a Vitamix.
To ensure the fruit snacks are smooth, use a high-powered blender. As always I recommend using a Vitamix.
Begin by putting the fruit, vegetables and ยผ cup apple juice in the container of your Vitamix and secure the lid.
Then, turn the machine on and slowly increase the speed to high. Blend on high until the mixture is smooth. (add more juice 1 Tablespoon at a time if necessary, until the mixture reaches a smooth consistency).
For green use green grapes and spinach (or zucchini).
To make red, use strawberries and beets.
For orange fruit snacks, use peaches and carrots.
For blue use blueberries and zucchini.
Then, add the honey and vanilla and blend until smooth. Taste the mixture and add more honey if desired.
Once the mixture is smooth, transfer it to a small saucepan and whisk in the 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.
dissolve gelatin completely
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.
Test for doneness by putting 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.
Using a dropper, fill the silicone molds. Or pour your mixture into your prepared baking pan. I suggest keeping the saucepan on the warm burner (with the heat source turned off) as you fill the molds. That way the mixture remains slightly warm and cools more slowly.
Be sure to work quickly. The fruit/veggie fruit snack mixture begins to thicken as it cools. I
Transfer to the refrigerator to set for at least 2 hours.
Once set remove from molds and enjoy.
If you don’t have molds then simply spread the mixture in ax 8×8″ pan lined with wax paper. Let the Homemade Fruit Snacks set and then cut them with a warm, sharp knife.
Serve
I suggest serving these fruit snacks slightly chilled or at room temperature.
Store/Freeze
Homemade fruit snacks can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one week. Or in the freezer for up to 2 months.
Thaw slowly in the refrigerator before serving.
Homemade Fruit Snacks Recipe FAQs
Yes, the protein in this recipe comes from high-quality, grass-fed, collagen beef gelatin which has 17 gramsย of proteinย per scoop (which is about 1 TBS).
Store these in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
They last for up to 2 weeks in the refrigerator or 2 months in the freezer.
Yes, freeze in an airtight container for up to 2 months.
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Homemade Fruit Snacks Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup fruit chopped
- ยผ cup vegetables chopped (and peeled if necessary)
- ยผ to ยฝ cup pure apple juice no added sugar
- 2 Tablespoons raw honey
- ยผ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 3 Tablespoons gelatin preferably collagen, grass-fed
Green:
- 1 cup green grapes
- ยผ cup spinach
Red:
- 1 cup strawberries diced
- ยผ cup beets
Orange:
- 1 cup peaches chopped
- ยผ cup carrots
Blue/purple:
- 1 cup blueberries
- ยผ cup zucchini
Instructions
- Place silicone molds on a large baking sheet or line an 8×8โ square dish with wax paper and lightly grease, set aside.
- Place fruit, vegetable and ยผ cup apple juice in the container of a high powered blender (Vitamix) and secure the lid.
- Turn the machine on and slowly increase the speed to high. Blend on high until the mixture is smooth. (add more juice 1 Tablespoon at a time if necessary, until the mixture reaches a smooth consistency).
- Add honey and vanilla and blend until smooth
- Taste mixture and add more honey, if desired.
- Transfer the mixture to a small saucepan and whisk in gelatin.
- Heat on medium heat until gelatin is dissolved and mixture is no longer grainy (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. (I suggest keeping the saucepan on the warm burner (with the heat source turned off) as you fill the molds. That way the mixture remains slightly warm and cools more slowly).
- Transfer to the refrigerator to set for at least 2 hours.
- Once set remove from molds and enjoy. If using a baking dish, remove from the dish, cut and serve or store.
Video
Notes
- Fruit:ย I have given suggestions for the different fruits I used to make each color, but you 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:ย the same freedom applies with the vegetables, use your favorites. Each mixture contains 1 cup of fruit and ยผ cup vegetables. You can use all fruit if you don’t want to add vegetables.
- Juice:ย 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.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Note this recipe was published in 2017, and has been updated with process photographs and a video and additional helpful information, but the recipe itself remains unchanged.
These look amazing! Could I add powdered supplimemts like fiber to the mixtures?
Yes you absolutely can!
Can these be frozen to last longer?
Hello Christina! I have not tried freezing these fruit snacks! I’m unsure how the texture would be after freezing, but if you try it please report back and let me know! I’d recommend freezing a few as a test!
Hello! I have tried making homemade fruit snacks over and over, using vital proteins gelatin. Is it supposed to have a texture like jello, as opposed to the gummy texture fruit snacks usually have? Thatโs my failure. They never turn out gummy! Thank you! I am willing to try one more time!
Same question here… gummies are never really gummies – just chewier jello. They’re still wet. At best less wet. I keep trying with different recipes and it keeps not working.
I think these have a great texture. They do have a bit of a Jello taste from the gelatin, but I think they taste like real gummies!
Where is a good place to get organic, antibiotic free, non GMO fish based collagen gelatin? Preferably a brand available on amazon.
Hmm…I am a huge fan of Vital Proteins and I know they carry Marine Collagen…but I don’t think they have a marine gelatin! You can search on Amazon for a product that fits your needs!
I’ve already searched and didn’t find something I was confident would work without trial and error. Hence my question.
I’m sorry I can’t be more help! I have vegan friends who use agar (like this one) as a substitute for gelatin in recipes.
Where did you get these amazing molds?
Right here! —> Fruit Snack Molds
Can these be made without the honey?
Hey Kaila! I did try a batch without the honey and I liked them but my kids did not really enjoy them as much as the batch with honey! So of course you can, it’s just up to how sweet of a tooth you have! ๐
These look amazing and I canโt wait to make them for my 2 year old. Can you advise what you used to grease the molds? Yours look perfectly molded and not at all oily!
Hi there! Iโm looking forward to making these! If Iโd prefer not to use gelatin do you think fruit pectin would work? Have you tried that?
Could you use frozen fruit if fresh is not in season?
Yes of course! Just be sure to thaw it to room temperature before proceeding with the recipe!
The photography on this is absolutely darling! Question – is it safe to use the honey for children under two? Is there a comparable substitution if not – maybe Agave?
Thank you Amber! Since the mixture is heated I feel totally fine feeding these to my babies. I actually only avoid honey until my children are 1, but I know every momma (and pediatrician for that matter) has a different opinion on that one! You absolute can use agave or maple syrup if you’d feel more comfortable with those options!