Today’s post from Rachel just screams back to school to me. Fruit roll ups were one of the few “normal” kid snacks my mom actually bought for us. I might’ve been that kid with whole wheat sandwiches, fruit as “dessert” and carrot sticks on the side but occasionally, I did get fruit roll ups. Those were the days I didn’t have to hide my totally uncool lunch from friends and sit in the corner. Ok, slight exaggeration but carrot sticks were embarrassing. Seriously.
Rachel is a mom of three and her oldest just started kindergarten this year. With snacks like this coming out of her kitchen, I’m betting her kid is not the loser in the corner.
Happy snacking!
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Hi! I’m Rachel of Baked by Rachel. I’m happy to be here filling in for Gina while she’s away. Though to be completely honest, I’d rather be away on vacation too! When she mentioned her trip, I told her I wanted to hide in her suitcase. Maybe if I’m really nice she’ll bring me back a pair of stylish boots or a cute bag. A girl can dream, right?
So while she’s away… I really wanted to play and be naughty. I was *this* close to turning her online home into a greasy mess, full of fried amazingness. (Gina’s note: between Brandy’s post and this, I’m starting to feel like you all think I’m a health freak!) It’s like how the moment I leave the room, my kids are drawn to my phone and computer…things they know they’re not supposed to mess with. Instead, I made something healthy. Maybe Gina is rubbing off on me? I even just started working out again. Something is seriously wrong with me.
This is my third fruit leather to date and I can pretty much guarantee that there will be many more varieties to come. It all started off with cherry fruit leather which was probably a shock to Gina since I admitted to having never eaten or cooked with cherries prior to this summer. I know! Forgive me. But that led me to an even more amazing and totally out of this world apple variety. Seriously. Incredible. I wanted to hog it all to myself and not share a single bite with my kids.
But okay… one day my bananas were going bad. It happens and sometimes way faster than I’d like. I also had strawberries on the brink of death. It was meant to be. It required practically zero thinking. Fruit leather was a must. A quick save. The only change I’d make in the future is to add more strawberries and maybe strain out the seeds, but that’s not totally necessary. This tastes more like banana strawberry than strawberry banana but they’re both present. So long as you like bananas… and of course strawberries, you’ll love this. It’s simple to put together and make, requires little effort and best of all… it’s pretty healthy! A perfect snack or an addition to either your kids or your own lunch!
- 1¼C strawberries, hulled and chopped in half
- ⅓C sugar
- ¼C water
- 2 bananas
- In a small saucepan over medium heat, cook strawberries, sugar and water until mixture is bubbly and strawberries are very soft.
- Transfer mixture to a blender or food processor, along with bananas.
- Blend until smooth.
- Preheat oven to 170 degrees. Line two baking sheets with silicone baking mats or parchment paper.
- Divide mixture between pans. Use an angled spatula to smooth out as best you can. It doesn’t have to be perfect but the more even the mixture, the better.
- Place in oven for roughly 3 hours. Time will vary depending on the thickness. After each hour, rotate pans 180 degrees and switch racks.
- Leather should be slightly tacky when done, but not sticky or wet at all.
- Transfer to a cutting board, to cut into desired strips. Wrap in wax or parchment paper and store in an airtight container.
{ 18 comments… read them below or add one }
I love this recipe Rachel! Bananas and strawberries are one of my favorite combination! I have to give this one a try over the weekend! Thank you!!!
We weren’t allowed fruit roll-ups (too expensive), so I want these so badly right now
Ok I have got to make time to make fruit leather, I have seen so many recipes forint, I need to just make it already. Can you use a sugar alternative like honey or maple syrup or maybe even coconut sugar?
Hi Beth – I haven’t used a sugar alternative in any of my fruit leathers yet but it’s worth a shot!
Now this is a great reminder for me to dust off my dehydrator! They look awesome!
I made the apple fruit leather from your blog this past weekend and it was amazing and so easy to make! Looking forward to trying out this strawberry banana variety in the coming weeks. Thanks for the wonderful posts!
BTW, I have a huge bowl of blueberries that I have been wondering what to do with. PERFECT!!! Thank you.
oh nostalgia!! I’m so excited to try these! Thanks
This looks great! I love strawberries and bananas – both great fiber-rich foods. What a great way to incorporate them into a fun snack.
This is a must make for me! I’m always craving a sweet snack on the go, and this would be perfect!
looks amazing! have always wanted to make our own fruit leather!
Gorgeous as always Rachel! And such a great way to use up fruit. Any thoughts on how long the fruit leather would keep?
It never lasts long around here (aka we gobble it up) but I’ve read it can last a decent time – up to a month or more at room temp and possibly up to a year when frozen. I don’t personally have a definite tried and true answer though.
I’d pack this in my lunch for sure. I love seeing simple recipes for some of my favorites
Love this!!! I have to try it!
I’m going to give this fruit leather a go, have been fancying it for a while.
I was just wondering how long these last. I was thinking of making them for my sister-in-law going off to college.
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