How to Dehydrate Fruit Rolls
For a Healthy Homemade Treat!

I can't wait to show you how to dehydrate fruit rolls! Create nutritious snacks that young and old alike enjoy munching on.

Fruit rolls (also known as fruit leathers, and fruit roll-ups—no, not those hard candies!) are easy to make and cost less than any fruit leathers bought in a store! (Plus you know what's in 'em - as we don't add preservatives that you can't pronounce!)

Check out this brief history of fruit rolls courtesy of Wikipedia, then come on back here.

Frequently Asked Questions:

Add a Little Sweetness!

Make fruit rolls from fresh fruits or any leftover fruits. Sweeten them if desired by adding cinnamon to an apple and pear mix. Yummy! See more ideas in the FAQ section at the top of the page.

For added sweetness for fruit rolls when using tart fruits: for each quart of purée, add one or two tablespoons of honey or corn syrup—whichever is on hand in your pantry—and taste-test 'til your taste buds are happy!

Note: adding regular sugar to fruit rolls can make them become brittle when in storage. Select a fruit combination for a fruit leather that will appeal to you and your kids!

For example, bananas and pineapples make a tasty combination. How about strawberries with rhubarb, or pineapple and cranberry?

Use Fresh Fruit in Season

It's always best to use fresh fruit for your fruit rolls while it's in season and plentiful—i.e. cheaper.

Don't forget you can also use overripe fruits or those misshapen, bruised fruits, too.

This is a perfect USE for those 'imperfect' fruits! (I'll never tell!)

How to Dehydrate Fruit Rolls with Canned Fruits—or—Frozen Fruits!

You can use canned fruits too while dehydrating fruit rolls. Simply drain off the excess liquid first (in a sieve, in the sink) then put the fruit in the blender and away you go.

You can even use frozen fruits, but be aware that these may be a little thinner in consistency after puréeing.

To combat a too-runny consistency, let the frozen fruit come to room temperature first, allowing excess water/juice to drain off naturally (in the sink, in a sieve).

If it's still too runny, add an apple to the mix!

Purée Fruit in a Blender

To make the fruit rolls, purée the fruit in your blender and by spreading it thinly onto your food dehydrator's special sheets created just for this purpose.

Blenders at Amazon

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Use Fruit Roll Sheets or Plastic Wrap for Dehydrating Fruit Rolls

If you're not using (or don't have) the Nesco fruit roll sheets, simply lay a sheet of plastic wrap over the trays to make your own drip-proof sheets!

NOTE: Make SURE to cut out the center hole in the plastic wrap so that the air can circulate if you're using a Nesco dehydrator or similar style dehydrator. (I do highly recommend using the sheets though).

Make It a Little Thicker on the Tray's "Outer Edge"

When spreading out the puréed fruit, make sure the center portion of the tray's contents is a little thinner than the outer edges.

The outer edges tend to dry out faster.

NOTE: When using two Nesco dehydrator fruit roll trays, I used two large apples and 4 pears. This is to give you a rough idea of how much fruit to use for two sheets.

I also added extra dehydrator trays in between the two fruit roll trays as Nesco recommends using NO LESS than four trays at a time for proper air circulation.

Read more about NESCO dehydrators here.

Peeling Off Your Fruit Leather!

Carefully lift the leather off the solid sheet. You WILL get better with practice!

Store in Vacuum Sealed Packages

I hope you enjoyed learning how to dehydrate fruit rolls. Please feel free to send photos of your creations by contacting us here. Thanks!

Don't forget to get your free "Six Simple Steps" eBook where I share how to dehydrate food safely!